1303 BC – Egypt
There was chaos in the streets of Egypt. Hundreds, thousands of Egyptian soldiers marched through the streets, the market, the construction sites, and people's homes. The ground shook, sand spread across the terrain as the soldiers ran. The scorching heat of the sun wore heavily on them.
Countless heralds appeared throughout the city, preaching the word of the pharaoh.
"By the order of Pharaoh Seti I, all male Israelite children are to be drowned in the Nile as punishment for rebellious intent against his excellency!"
There was no clear evidence to justify this sort of punishment. Seti I merely feared that they might become too powerful to control. However, the pharaoh's word was unquestionable and absolute.
The soldiers barged into Israelite homes and took every male child they could find. Any who resisted, trying to save their children, were executed immediately for treason.
The mothers uttered cries of lamentation. The fathers were either killed or beaten senseless for standing in the way of the soldiers or raising a hand against them.
The soldiers rounded up the children they found in groups and brought them to the Nile river where they threw them to their demise. It was a horrible sight for everyone involved. The local crocodiles devoured their free meals. The remaining dead bodies floated slowly down the stream of water on their journey toward the Mediterranean Sea, never to have a proper burial, never to be seen again.
Amidst the chaos, a lone mother, Jochebed, evaded the watchful eye of the Egyptian soldiers. She ran as fast as she could with a basket made out of wood in her arms. She knew that she could not stay hidden for much longer and that her son would be killed once she was found.
Thus, she took momentary cover amidst the high grass near the Nile's riverbank. She already knew what she had to do, but it was not an easy choice for any mother that loved her child from the bottom of her heart.
She set the basket she held onto the ground and took one last look at her baby boy as he smiled at her.
This was most likely the last time she would see his face. However, he would at least have a chance at surviving the ongoing massacre.
She picked the basket up again and set it on the water of the Nile.
"Goodbye, Moses, my son," she wept, casting him down the river.
The basket traveled some distance and successfully escaped the grasp of the soldiers.
In an ironic turn of events, the basket was discovered by the daughter of Seti I who was bathing in a secluded spot down the Nile river with her handmaidens.
She picked up the basket in the water. Once she realized that a baby was inside, she took him in and decided to raise the boy out of the kindness in her heart. He would grow up with his new brother, Ozymandias.
There was silence, but not because a disaster occurred. There was peace in the land. The sand of the desert was still, the Nile's flourishing water that ran like a vein through the land was calm, and a gentle breeze blew by.
"Since when did the three of us start meeting like this again?" a feminine voice asked.
They were at a resort located at the bank of the Nile river. Ozymandias diverted his gaze from the setting sun to the source of the familiar voice with a soft smile.
A tanned woman with shoulder-length brown hair and matching eye color. She wore two Egyptian lotuses in her hair because it was her favorite flower. Her white dress slowly swayed in the passing wind.
There were only two people that he held dear to his heart. This person, Nefertari, was one of them.
He always felt at ease in her presence and smitten by her beauty. To him, she was the most beautiful woman in the world. Surely, someone as perfect as her could have been none other than an incarnation of the Egyptian goddess of love, Hathor.
"The two of you seem to be doing well," a hushed voice spoke, almost like a whisper. "I am just grateful that I can talk to you like this."
Moses, clad in red and white robes, the other person Ozymandias held dear. Though Moses looked drastically different compared to his company with his lighter skin tone and grey hair, Ozymandias considered him his peerless equal.
"There is no need to be modest," Ozymandias assured him. "You can always come over to visit me. I shall allow it."
"I would not dare to do distract you from your duties," Moses replied. "Between governing Nubia and constructing the Temple of Abydos, I imagine that you have little time for anything else."
Nubia was the name of the southern area in ancient Egypt. Ozymandias's father gave him that region so he could gather experience.
"Very well," Ozymandias said. "But do not hesitate if you change your mind."
The three of them sat down, with Ozymandias in the middle, on a bench at the edge of the terrace, overlooking the river in front of them as the sun descended on the horizon.
"This feels just like the old days," Nefertari said, resting her head on Ozymandias's shoulder.
There was silence as they took in the beauty of the scene in front of them. However, for Ozymandias, this almost felt like the end of something. Change would come soon. The current pharaoh, Seti I, was nearing the end of his life. Consequently, Egypt would require a new pharaoh to lead it.
"I wish that people everywhere had happiness," Moses said.
Ozymandias and Nefertari looked at him in bewilderment at the seemingly random statement.
Seeing this, Moses continued, "For the world and its people to be at peace. The gods in heaven, the Pharaoh, and the god who the Hebrews obey, surely hope for the same thing."
After all, Egypt was still in conflict with its neighbors, the Hittites, and stood as a tyrannical force over its slaves.
"Oh, do you understand the hearts of the gods and the pharaoh even though you are not a pharaoh yourself?" Ozymandias asked.
"Please do not ridicule such cruel things in that manner, Ramesses," Nefertari said, nudging him on the side.
"What are you saying?" Ozymandias asked. "It is not as if I have control over these matters."
Moses looked at him and smiled. "You are going to be the next Pharaoh, Ramesses. You, who shall reach the gods... no, the same seat as the god Amun-Ra, will go down in history as the greatest among the Pharaohs. And... if it is your heart, I might be able to understand some part of it."
"I see," Ozymandias answered.
"I am certain that you can bring happiness," Moses reassured him. "Even to the Hittites."
"That is a bold statement," Ozymandias responded. "I am confident in my abilities to win wars, but..."
"You can do it," Moses added. "I say that because you are unlike anyone else. Listen, I am convinced that you will become Ozymandias, the King of Kings who is loved by the people."
"You can say that so easily because you do not know what war is like," Ozymandias said.
"No, Ramesses," Nefertari interjected. "It is strange, but I feel the same way."
"Nefertari, I know you are ever the dreamer," he said. "Tell me, what do both of you actually think about me?"
"You are who you are," Nefertari replied. "My dear."
Moses nodded. "Indeed, I believe in you because you are you."
Ozymandias was speechless. It was the first time since his birth that he felt like a sacred being who had to become a pharaoh. Not just for the sake of the world and the people living in it, but for the trust and the faith the two most important people in his life placed in him.
At the age of 24, Ozymandias ascended the throne of Egypt as the third pharaoh of the 19th dynasty under the name Ramesses II and the Pharaoh Meryamen. The nearly 70 years of his reign were regarded as the golden age of ancient Egypt. He governed Egypt as a wise ruler and became famous for the construction of many great structures in the land.
A few years later, Ozymandias led Egypt's armies as a skilled general and made peace with the Hittites, bringing an end to the conflict that lasted nearly two centuries.
The Pharaoh brought prosperity to his land by pushing for cultural exchange. He loved his people, and they loved him in return. He was known to have many concubines and having fathered many children over his lifetime. However, his beloved wife remained Nefertari.
Ozymandias lived happily with his wife and his brother, Moses, until the day came when the friendship between the two brothers would be put to the test...
The double doors to the throne room burst open. Two Egyptian soldiers with Moses in tow barged in.
The throne room was grand. The floor was made of the finest marble and the walls were decorated with many colorful hieroglyphs.
Ozymandias, who was sitting on his golden throne and talking to one of his advisors, diverted his gaze to them and his expression soured.
"What is the meaning of this?" he asked. "Let go of him at once!"
The soldiers immediately let go and one of them started speaking, "My Pharaoh, Moses has killed one of our overseers at the construction site."
Ozymandias's looked surprised for a moment there, but he quickly regained his composure. The fact that the person he grew up with his entire life could have killed someone sounded too outlandish to be true.
"Leave us," Ozymandias ordered.
The advisor and the soldiers bowed their heads and promptly left the room. There was a moment of silence between the two brothers.
"What happened?" Ozymandias asked in a softer tone.
"It is just as the soldier said," Moses replied sadly. "I killed one of the slave drivers. He was abusing one of the slaves and I had to intervene. It was an accident, but that does not change the fact that his blood is on my hands."
The punishment for such a crime was clear, but Ozymandias couldn't bring himself to act on it. He wholeheartedly believed his brother's words and that he was right, but others might not see it that way.
"I will need to make some arrangements," Ozymandias said. "But I am confident that we can work this out."
"No," Moses responded instantly.
"What?" Ozymandias said.
"I have to leave for a while to reflect on some things," Moses said mournfully. "I do not know when or if I will come back. I hope you understand."
This was one of the rare occasions where Ozymandias was not sure how to handle the situation. As much as he wanted to give his lifelong brother what he wanted, he didn't want him to leave.
"Are you certain about this?" he asked. "I ask that you think this through."
Moses shook his head. "I am sorry, brother, but I must go."
He couldn't stop him.
"Very well," Ozymandias said, closing his eyes. "Stay safe, brother."
Moses bid him farewell and took his leave. It pained Moses to leave as it did Ozymandias, but the latter didn't harbor any anger towards him for this sudden departure.
Unfortunately, things were destined to get worse from this point and their friendship would be put to the test.
Many months passed and Moses eventually reached Mount Horeb where he stumbled upon a burning bush which was strangely not consumed by the fire.
Thus, the Lord's voice reached Moses and gave him a task. His true heritage was revealed. He was to become the prophet of the Israelites, free them from Egyptian oppression, and guide them to the Promised Land...
Soon, Moses stood with his biological brother, Aaron, before the Pharaoh again. The throne room was crowded with many people that had business with Egypt's ruler, but when Ozymandias saw his brother again, he stood up from his throne and met him halfway, putting the rest on hold.
"Moses, it is good to see you again," he said cheerfully, embracing him in a hug. "You were gone for so long that I feared for the worst."
They both smiled, but it was a bittersweet reunion.
One of Ozymandias's advisers walked up to them and spoke, "Forgive the interruption, my Pharaoh, but I am obligated to remind you that this man committed a serious crime."
"Be silent!" Ozymandias reprimanded him. "I hereby forever pardon him from all crimes he stands accused of. So let it be written, so let it be done."
The advisor scurried back at the words of the Pharaoh.
"Ramesses," Moses said.
"What is it?" Ozymandias replied, turning his attention back to him.
"Forgive me," Moses said. "Ramesses, in my heart, you are my brother, but things cannot go back to how they once were."
"I see no reason why not," Ozymandias responded, raising an eyebrow.
"Ramesses, I am a Hebrew," Moses stated. "And the Lord has spoken to me."
Ozymandias was silent. It didn't matter to him of which descent Moses was from, he was and always will be his friend and brother, but he was afraid of what he was going to say next.
"He commands that you let his people go," Moses added.
He was denouncing the pantheon of Egyptian deities.
"Commands?" the Pharaoh repeated after him in a condescending tone.
"I can give you proof if that is what you want. Observe," Moses said calmly, turning to Aaron.
Aaron held his staff in front of him before letting go of it. Strangely enough, the staff stood on its own, and the lower end began to bend and change color. Before their eyes, the staff transformed into a living snake.
"Hmph," Ozymandias said, unimpressed. "Very well, I shall play along."
He gestured for two of his sorcerers in the back to come forth. Then, they proceeded to turn their rods into snakes as well. The serpents approached each other, and after a swift bout, the snake of Aaron swallowed the other two snakes in one fell swoop.
The remaining serpent returns to Aaron and transforms back into a staff. This was quite humiliating for the two sorcerers and the Pharaoh.
"Clear the throne room," Ozymandias ordered.
The advisors, soldiers, merchants, state officials, and Moses's company leave the room, leaving the two brothers alone once more.
"Moses, what is this really about?" Ozymandias asked.
"Look around you, Ramesses," he answered. "What do you see?"
"A prosperous Egypt," Ozymandias replied. "Greater than it has ever been."
"That is not what I see," Moses said. "Do you remember what Seti did?"
"He was a wise leader of Egypt," Ozymandias said.
"His hands are stained with the blood of thousands of children!" Moses retorted.
"Slaves," the Pharaoh added.
"They are my people," Moses pleaded. "And I cannot hide in the desert while they are suffering."
"So, you came back, only to free them..." Ozymandias said.
"I am sorry," Moses said.
Did Ozymandias feel betrayed? Had he already lost the brother he once knew? Nevertheless, he had a duty as Pharaoh. He had to uphold the ancient traditions just as the ones who came before him. Caving in to his demands would be an insult to the Egyptian gods. Though Ozymandias loved Moses like a brother, he is, above all else, a stern ruler.
"I do not care for that god of yours," Ozymandias said rigorously. "And neither shall I let your people go."
"Ramesses, please listen to me," Moses said.
"I will hear no more of this," Ozymandias concluded. "Now, begone. I have other matters to attend to."
The Pharaoh's refusal inevitably triggered the Ten Plagues of Egypt.
On the next day, the greatest catastrophe to ever befall Egypt began to unfold.
"By this, you will know that I am the Lord: With the staff that is in my hands, I will strike the water of the Nile, and it will be changed into blood. The fish in the Nile will die, and the river will stink and the Egyptians will not be able to drink its water."
Once the news broke out, Ozymandias ordered all available water reserves to be rationed. After a week, the Nile returned to normal again, but this was only the beginning.
"If you refuse to let them go, I will plague your whole country with frogs. The Nile will teem with frogs. They will come up into your palace and your bedroom and onto your bed, into the houses of your officials and your people, and into your ovens and kneading troughs. The frogs will go up on you and your people and all your officials."
The streets and the people's homes were practically overrun. Pest control was overwhelmed by the sheer number of frogs. Another week passed, and the frogs were gone.
"Stretch out thy rod, and smite the dust of the land, that it may become lice throughout all the land of Egypt."
The lice preyed upon Ozymandias's Egyptian subjects. The Pharaoh barely managed to keep it under control. Once the lice disappeared on their own, the fourth plague arrived to take its place.
"If you will not let my people go, behold, I will send swarms of flies on you and your servants and your people, and into your houses. And the houses of the Egyptians shall be filled with swarms of flies, and also the ground on which they stand."
This was the first plague that was directly capable of harming humans and livestock. The first casualties were reported, but Ozymandias still refused to let the Israelites go.
"If you refuse to let them go and continue to hold them back, the hand of the Lord will bring a terrible plague on your livestock in the field – on your horses and donkeys and camels and on your cattle and sheep and goats."
The majority of Egypt's livestock succumbed to the disease and it took a heavy toll on the land's source of food and transportation. It would take years to regain the number of lost animals.
"Take handfuls of soot from a furnace and have Moses toss it into the air in the presence of the Pharaoh. It will become fine dust over the whole land of Egypt, and festering boils will break out on men and animals throughout the land."
Unrest spread throughout the kingdom. The infected people were isolated and treated as best they could, but the majority of the infected were claimed by the sixth plague.
"You still set yourself against my people and will not let them go. Therefore, at this time tomorrow, I will send the worst hailstorm that has ever fallen on Egypt, from the day it was founded till now. Give an order now to bring your livestock and everything you have in the field to a place of shelter, because the hail will fall on every man and animal that has not been brought in and is still out in the field, and they will die."
And so, the hail came as it was announced. Thunder and lightning stroked the land repeatedly on that day. Every living creature took shelter and didn't dare to go outside. The unlucky ones who were still outside immediately perished. Even after this, Ozymandias stood firm in his decision.
"If you refuse to let them go, I will bring locusts into your country tomorrow. They will cover the face of the ground so that it cannot be seen. They will devour what little you have left after the hail, including every tree that is growing in your fields. They will fill your houses and those of all your officials and all the Egyptians – something neither your fathers nor your forefathers have ever seen from the day they settled in this land till now."
Panic began to spread as the locusts blanketed the land and consumed what little sustenance there was left. The Pharaoh ordered the food reserves to be opened up to the public so that they would not starve to death.
And the Lord spoke to Moses.
"Stretch out your hand toward the sky so that darkness will spread over Egypt – darkness that can be felt."
Thus, the sun, which was considered to be Ra himself, is blocked from the land, shrouding Egypt in darkness for three whole days. Still, Ozymandias denied the Israelites to go. He would not let some foreign god bring the great kingdom of Egypt to its knees.
Then, the tenth and final plague arrived.
"About midnight I will go throughout Egypt. Every firstborn son in Egypt will die, from the firstborn son of the Pharaoh, who sits on the throne, to the firstborn of the slave girl who is at her hand mill, and all the firstborn of the cattle as well. There will be loud wailing throughout Egypt – worse than there has ever been or ever will be again."
To protect the Lord's followers, Moses instructed the Israelites to paint their doors with lamb's blood, so that the plague will pass over their homes.
On that night, horrific wailing spread throughout all of Egypt. This marked the end of the ten plagues and Moses made his way to the palace once more.
He found Ozymandias in the middle of a hallway, on his knees, holding his and Nefertari's firstborn son in his arms with tears in his eyes. He was broken. Moses slowly approached him.
"You... and your people," Ozymandias said. "Have my permission to go..."
Moses crouched down to eye level with him. He tried to reach out to him. It was painful for Moses to see one of the most important people in his life like this. It should never have gotten this far.
"Leave me," Ozymandias hissed before Moses could reach him.
Of all his anger, none was directed towards Moses, for he was merely acting to free his people. He was angry at his son's death, angry at himself.
Moses got up, deciding it was best not to say another word and left with a heavy heart. By dawn, the Israelites were already leaving the boundary of the kingdom.
One of Ozymandias's advisors approached him at his throne, who seemed to be deep in thought.
"My Pharaoh," he said, bowing his head in reverence.
Ozymandias did not respond immediately. After all, preparations were being made to properly bury the deceased in the aftermath of the plagues.
"Speak," Ozymandias said.
"If it were not for the might of the Egyptian gods and you, we would have all perished," he states. "But I humbly request that we punish the ones responsible for this catastrophe. I propose that we send a legion of charioteers to hunt them down and bring divine punishment in the name of the gods."
It was one moment of weakness, and Ozymandias agreed to it against his better judgment.
After about half a day, the charioteers led by Ozymandias caught up with the Israelites, who found their path blocked by the Red Sea. The clouds in the sky darkened and the wind became violent.
Coming to a halt atop a hill overlooking the ocean, Ozymandias looked down on the mass of people at the shore until his eyes landed on Moses.
Once Moses noticed the charioteers in the distance, he stepped into the water and took his staff with both of his hands.
"Charge!" Ozymandias ordered.
The legion began to race down towards the Israelites and the gap between them became gradually shorter.
In an act of divine empowerment, Moses spread his arms as the clouds in the sky parted, shining a light on his position. Then, the Red Sea itself parted right in front of him, forging a path for the Israelites to flee to.
Upon seeing this brilliance, this light, Ozymandias ordered his legion to halt.
After telling the Israelites to go on ahead, Moses looked back one last time. He met Ozymandias's eyes as they simply looked at each other for a moment. A fleeting moment that felt like an eternity.
Ozymandias then closed his eyes before whispering, "Farewell, brother."
Moses nodded and uttered, "Goodbye, brother."
Putting this matter behind him once and for all, Ozymandias focused his full attention on rebuilding and expanding Egypt. Under his rule, Egypt became prosperous once more and Nefertari gave birth to Ozymandias's second prince.
Decades of peace passed as the Pharaoh neared the end of his life. Normally, a Pharaoh considered death as only the start of a journey towards reaching the eternal paradise of the gods, but not Ozymandias. He hated his own powerlessness in the face of death. After all, why should he be forced to accept death when he was already revered as a god, holding the world in the palm of his hand, by his people.
Ozymandias was on his deathbed. He was now 90 years old. His hair turned grey and he could no longer move as well as he used to. He hated the frailty of his mortal body.
His successor, Merneptah, stood at his side along with several servants. Nefertari had already passed away more than 40 years ago.
"Father," Merneptah spoke. "I promise that I will do everything in my power to live up to your greatness."
"Good," Ozymandias said. "Just remember what I told you: a pharaoh is the ruler of the earth and all things under their rule are equal."
"Yes, father," he replied. "But I could never hope to become like you. You were the greatest among all the pharaohs."
"You will do fine," Ozymandias said.
A messenger walked into the room and whispered something into Merneptah's ear.
"I have to go," he said. "There are urgent matters I must attend to."
Ozymandias nodded before Merneptah left. He looked up to the ceiling and, much to his dismay, had no other choice but to waited for death to come and claim him.
He sighs. "No man in this world grieves as I grieve upon the brink of death..."
If only he had a body that would that would not wither away.
Shortly after, the Pharaoh passed on and his body was buried in the Egyptian Valley of the Kings. And though he may be gone from this plane of existence, his tale would stand the test of time.
Talia wakes up sweating and a little groggy. She looks around and finds herself in her room of the apartment that she temporarily stays in while in Fuyuki. A look towards the window tells her that it is still night. It'll probably be another few hours until dawn.
She wants to get a little more sleep, but cannot see herself getting any more now. Not after what she saw in her dream. Those were the memories of the Servant she accidentally summoned.
But how? How was this possible? She knows that Masters can see their Servant's memories in their dream on rare occasions, but that requires them to have formed some kind of bond.
I only met him a few days ago and haven't even interacted that much with him...
Speaking of his majesty, where was he? Talia walks over to the door and peeks out into the living room. She spots Rider at one of the windows, looking outside melancholically. The room itself is dimly lit, so the moonlight from the outside is what shed light on him.
The apartment interior itself is nothing special. She imagines that his highness already criticized it several times over in his mind for being unfit to someone like him. At least that was pretty much the look he has had on his face when they arrived here.
"You are staring" he utters, turning his head towards her. "Well, I suppose it cannot be helped. For my radiance exceeds even that of the sun. It is only natural for anyone to gaze upon my perfect form."
Seeing as there is no use in hiding, she fully opens the door and comes out.
"I see that you have recovered rather fast," he continued. "Or is it something else that has awakened you at this hour?"
"I couldn't sleep," she replies before looking out the same window. "What about you?"
Servants don't require sleep, but it is a method of preserving their magical energy.
"I was merely reminiscing about something that is long in the past now," he says dismissively. "Nothing you need to be concerned about."
"I- I see..." she says, looking around the room.
Why is it so hard for me to have a conversation with him? I feel as if I have to behave like one of his subjects around him.
Lost in thought, Talia nearly jumps when Ozymandias speaks up again, "What are you waiting for?"
Only then does she notice that he moved to the comfy chair in the room, gesturing her to take a seat at the couch next to it.
"Huh?" Talia says.
"I can clearly see that you have not gotten proper rest," he says. "You are but a child after all. I told you before that I shall not allow your carelessness to be my downfall."
I am 17. I am not a child anymore!
"You can lay down there. I shall tell you a story that my mother used to tell me to help you sleep," he continued. "You said that you had trouble on your own, did you not?"
Going along with his suggestion, she grabs a pillow and a blanket before lying down on the equally comfy couch.
"May I ask what the reason for your generosity is, my Pharaoh?" Talia asks carefully.
"I am merely in a good mood," he elaborates. "But do not get conceited. I expect you to humbly accept this honor with due reverence."
This is unexpected. He may behave like a god-king that descended from the heavens to save the world, but he isn't as unapproachable as he seems to be.
Talia closes her eyes and smiles softly. Whether he does this out of self interest or out of concern for his contractor, it is a nice gesture nonetheless.
