Author's notes
Atemu is ...
Seto decides ...
The future Sacred Guardian looks ...
Chapter 16 - The Seto's challenge
A few weeks later, in Kemet (Egypt), more precisely in Men-nefer (Menphis), capital of the empire where the palace complex was located, Atemu was in a part used for training.
In the morning he had trained to fight under his teacher's supervision while facing multiple opponents at the same time.
After lunch, in the afternoon, the prince would carry out training with shield and manipulation of various weapons from bow and arrow, spear, dagger and sword because the future Pharaoh needed to be a master in the art of handling any weapon he had in his hands, with the teachers of weapons, fighting, magic and others, always praising the prince for his skill, wit and intelligence.
In addition to fighting and weapons training, he also had lessons in economics, politics, military strategy, writing and several others that prepared him to inherit the vast empire that was Kemet today.
After all, as he will be a future ruler, Atemu always needed to be the best of the best, standing out before everyone, making him also an excellent knight, warrior, swordsman, spearman, archer, falconer and strategist. He also needed to be excellent at games, in addition to mastering magic, with him being considered a magnificent duelist of Ka.
In addition, he was training hard to use the "Pharaoh's mask" to use in the royal hall and in public while his tjaty (Vizier) and royal councilor, Shimon, assisted him in this training.
The Iry-pat (Crown Prince) wore only a chanti with gold bands around his waist while a blue band hung in front of him containing precious stones, in addition to the gold ornaments attached to his ankles, wrists and forearms, with the eye of Horus carved in gold resting on his forehead.
The future monarch had just trained in the handling of various weapons and was preparing to confront five soldiers at the same time while wielding a spear, seeking to skillfully rotate it in front of him and laterally, demonstrating his full dominance over that weapon at the same time in which he was under the supervision of his teacher, who was attentive to intercede, in case there was a blow that was too serious.
The soldiers had been instructed to attack the Crown Prince and that was what they were going to do, taking care not to strike blows that could be deadly. It was the same for Atemu, who would avoid using blows that could cause death or serious injuries to soldiers.
After all, it was training and not a life-and-death battle.
They receive a signal and the confrontation begins, with the sound of the impact of the wooden rods reviving in the environment while many servants and slaves stopped to watch, with courtesans and slaves sighing when they saw the muscles of the prince's body working to block, dodge, counterattack and skillfully attack your opponents, making this sight a delight for them who sighed after biting their lips.
Then everyone gasps when they see the future Pharaoh disarm the soldiers almost simultaneously after a few minutes of battle, and the duel is over.
Against Atemu's formidable expertise, the soldiers could do nothing and it only increased the frenzy among women while his weapons teacher consented with pride to watch his student.
The instructor decides to take a break and while Atemu rested, several servants and slaves approaching with kinds of linen towels spread on their forearms, with the crown prince choosing one, making the servant who brought that fabric sigh with emotion, with him waiting for it reaction while Shimon watched with amusement the frenzy of women as they crowded around him respectfully while showing anxiety in his gaze, with that scene being considered everyday, since this always happened when Atemu trained and if he was with him torso and chest showing, they were even more excited.
Then, without looking into the prince's eyes, they walk away, returning to their seats to continue watching the spectacle in their vision while the servant, whose linen towels the future Pharaoh chose, stoically ignored the others' envious gaze.
The crown prince watched the looks aimed at him from a distance and shook his head sideways, smiling in a corner because he was used to the over-attentiveness of the female audience while he dismissed the soldiers over a smile of satisfaction from his teacher.
Then there are new murmurs from the audience that attended the training, making the future Pharaoh raise his eyebrows as he looks in the direction of the murmurs, watching the slaves and servants making way for someone who appeared with eyes that showed determination and defiance.
The future Sacred Guardian Seto was approaching wearing training clothes and not the usual clothes he wore daily. For training, he wore only a chanti with gold bands around his waist while keeping his golden ornaments, showing a defiant look, despite keeping it partially down because he was in the presence of the future Pharaoh.
Like Atemu, Seto was wanted by several women who moaned with delight as they watched his body, wishing they were in his arms, even if it was just for one night, making many of them bite their lips when they enjoyed the view, since he always it was covered.
"I would like you to bestow the honor of a battle against you using blind weapons, Iry-pat." The future Holy Guardian of the court of the next Pharaoh in inheriting Sennen Shakujou bows slightly while speaking humbly as he approaches his cousin.
Everyone is surprised while the prince smiles in a corner, since he expected this challenge.
"So we will have it, Seto. I authorize you to choose the weapon and in this fight, you have my authorization to look at my face." He authorizes him to look at him because only those who were authorized could look into the prince's face, with the exception of the blood relatives who held the authorization for the blood, unless it was revoked.
Even after their coronation as new Per'a'ah, the shinkans elected by Sennen Aitemu will receive this authorization when they are officially installed as their Sacred Guardians, with their uncle maintaining the title because of the requirement of Sennengan.
Atemu's reason for providing this special authorization was to make the battle as fair as possible by allowing his opponent to freely read his stance and countenance, in order to discover his next move.
The Crown Prince had also done this because Seto was very rigid and inflexible. As his cousin, he had the right to call him by his birth name and not the public name he would choose when he became Pharaoh, in addition to being able to look at his face.
However, even with the authorization given by the blood relationship, Seto refused to use his birth name in public and to look up when acting like any other member of the palace.
His cousin claps his hands, causing two servants to appear with cushions that displayed four blind swords with points covered by a round metal material that covered the sharp and deadly point, preventing the point from piercing the opponent's body while they met their blades blind, allowing the expansion of blows that could be executed, since there would be no fatal injuries, with the exception of a few scratches and bruises, with both they would handle two weapons at the same time.
So, in possession of the weapons worked to make the battle as safe as possible and under the watchful eye of the weapons teacher, they position themselves in front of each other, leaving a space between them and those who watched both, had the illusion that they they looked like two fierce tigers who wanted to smash each other, making the spectators of that encounter hold their breath until a signal is given, with both of them advancing on each other, with their fangs and claws showing, making the spectators gasp.
Both begin to battle fiercely for the domain of battle with the sound of the blades reviving the environment, causing sparks to appear when the metal blades collided abruptly, as the masters of both swords eagerly sought breaches in the opponent's defense or attack.
All eyes were focused on the clash that was happening in front of them, with them realizing that Atemu still had the advantage and even when it seemed that Seto had taken it, the prince recovered it promptly.
The impetuous clash continued with the blades clashing furiously in a fierce battle, for an hour, without either side demonstrating a reduction in the pace of their movements or the force of the impact of the blows against their opponent's blades.
At a certain moment, Atemu's cousin blocks his opponent's left vertical movement with the handle of his weapon, and then turns it to another one in a horizontal direction, showing a huge smile when breaking his opponent's defense, without knowing it which was part of the future Pharaoh's plan for Seto to open his defense, unconsciously, by inducing him to attack.
Then, when he eagerly advances in a growing lateral movement on the left side of the prince, being inches away from reaching laterally the abdomen of the future monarch, he skillfully removes his body from the path of his cousin's blade while moving his straight arm in an ascending oblique angle, breaking his opponent's attack by aimed the end of the hilt at Seto's forearm and holding his grip firmly, manages to block a right horizontal attack from the future shinkan as a reaction to his opponent's dodge at the same time as Atemu he turned his body on its axis, surprising his opponent who had been caught off guard by the initial dodge.
With this move, the Crown Prince was able to place one of the blades bluntly on his opponent's jugular by pressing it against the skin in a partially transverse direction while trying to keep his body out of the easy reach of the weapons of the future Sacred Guardian in training, making it too difficult a counterattack of the same.
After being defeated, Seto realized the strategy used by the future monarch and recalled the fact that he unconsciously opened his defense when he advanced to hit him, causing him to show a little anger while gritting his teeth, blaming himself for not seeing beyond his opponent's movements.
Aware of his defeat and having fallen into Atemu's trap, the future priest drops his sword, giving up when he falls to his knees.
"His anxiety at finding that he had managed to break my attack effectively, made him lose. If he had not been so eager to defeat me, he would have realized that it was all part of my plan. When he mastered his feelings, not allowing them to do so control in a battle while clearing your mind, making you see beyond the clash, will become a more valiant opponent than it is today. "The Crown Prince speaks as he moves his sword away from the future Guardian's jugular Sacred.
"Thanks for the advice, Iry-pat (Crown Prince)." The future Hem-netjr speaks humbly as he gets up, without looking at his cousin.
Servants approached with towels, with Atemu drying the sweat on the area of his face and shoulders, and then placing another clean one on his shoulder while having a drink in a gold sculpture cup with reliefs on its surface and which had been delivered by a slave, with him using a little magic to make sure he wasn't poisoned and only after having the confirmation that there was nothing in the liquid, he drinks, with Seto performing the same magic with his drink before drinking at the same time as the blind weapons were removed from the place.
As expected, there was an intense female frenzy around them both, with many sighing in delight as they watched their bodies while those with the towels chosen by them were seen with too much envy, causing them to stoically ignore the gaze of the rest of them they dagged daggers relentlessly with their eyes.
Then, the future Sacred Guardian leaves after bowing and without turning his back because he would only turn them out of Atemu's vision at the same time that his teacher was approaching.
"You were magnificent Iry-pat (Crown Prince). I have nothing more to teach you. Your skill in handling weapons and fighting is practically divine. Well, you are a descendant of the Gods and I shouldn't be surprised. " The professor speaks respectfully and in a tone of pride, knowing that Seto was the second best in battle while the prince occupied the first place.
"I appreciate your teachings, weapons teacher."
"I only have one more test. A weapon was missing."
In that, he claps his hands and a slave appears with a bow and a cutlass with arrows while two servants positioned a very distant target, with the prince taking the gun after placing the cutlass on his back.
"You need to hit the target at the same point using three arrows, without making a single mistake."
Smiling, Atemu stretches out the bow, drawing sighs from courtesans and servants while aiming at the target several meters away from him.
With the skill of a hawk and the look of an eagle, he hits the first arrow in the center of the target, then firing two more arrows, hitting the same point.
"Incredible. We will see against a moving target." The professor claps again.
A soldier appears with six small target plates, accompanied by another soldier. Both were too robust, showing how strong they were.
With a wave from the weapons teacher as Atemu put an arrow in his bow, they start shooting targets in the air, two at a time and all they see is the arrows slicing through the air like a buzz and then the sound of something being stuck in the targets that fall far away, with everyone seeing the crown prince's keen gaze, causing many of them to have the illusion of seeing Ra himself in his hawk eyes, while the future Pharaoh hit the targets without showing any anxiety, remaining cold and intent, living up to his reputation as an archer, as well as handling other weapons.
With satisfaction, the weapons teacher returns to where the targets were after the test is over.
"My congratulations, Iry-pat (Crown Prince)! As always, magnificent. You have the eyes of a hawk and considering that he is the son of Netjer Jmn (God Amon), it would be expected." He speaks respectfully.
"I appreciate the compliments." He speaks, handing the bow and cutlass to the servant who brought them, with the servant leaving the place after bowing respectfully.
Shimon looked proudly at the Crown Prince because he stood out in everything he did, thus proving how fit he was to be the future ruler, although he continued to have the opinion that he was too young to inherit Pharaoh's mantle and that he should having had more time as a prince without having the weight of an empire on his shoulders.
After all, even though the prince was eighteen today, it did not change the fact that Atemu's father had taken on Per'a'ah's mantle when he was twenty-five. That is, he had had more time as a prince than his son.
Of course, he knew there was nothing he could do because the current monarch's health was declining and a coronation, as well as marriage, was needed for Atemu to give the grandson Akhenamkhanen so longed for.
"I requested that the slaves prepare the master's bath. Young women of noble descent await to bathe him." He bows slightly because of his age and blood relationship after leaving his thoughts when he saw the Crown Prince walking up to him.
In that culture, the bad smell was frowned upon and for that reason, they used a lot of perfumed oils, as well as bathing.
Furthermore, only people of noble ancestry could touch the skin of the crown prince who would be the future Per'a'ah.
Therefore, only daughters of chosen nobles could bathe and massage his skin.
"I need it. Afterwards, I will go to the throne. I believe I have some meetings scheduled for later."
"Yes."
"I would like a massage." Atemu speaks while trying to massage his shoulders.
"I am going to send the young noblewoman responsible for the massage to your chambers." The tjaty (Vizier) and royal councilor looks at the sky for a few seconds and then speaks. "We still have time. The Mandjet ferry is still taking Netjer (God) Ré on his journey through the sky."
"In fact, we have time. I will meet you on the throne."
"I will be waiting for you, Iry-pat (Crown Prince)." He speaks respectfully as he watches him walk away, before leaving the scene.