Resonating endlessly, the triumphant appeals of the public echoed to the most remote places of the royal residence. The only proof of the agitation on the outside, totally ignorant of the storm that was about to rise, ringing out like a distant echo, they were the sign that, for the moment, everything was unfolding as he had planned it.
Atem closed his eyes for a second, letting a shudder invade him from head to toe as he immersed himself in that booming sound.
"Are you all right, Majesty? "
"Yes... I hadn't participated in this kind of celebration for a long time. It's a shame I can't even attend it. "
"Well, if we hurry up, maybe there's a chance you can swap places with the current Pharaoh again...? "
"Why not ... It would be necessary that this henchman shows himself first. "
Narrowing his eyes, the sovereign leaned slightly forward, getting out of the corner where he, a dozen of soldiers of the royal guard and Mahad, stood hidden, ready to intervene.
"Are you sure of your information? "
"Yes. There is no doubt that he will show up. "
"Murdering me at everyone' sight is a little exaggerated, even from Hussein. "
"His plan is far from meaningless. He knew how to deal in advance with each constraint he could find on his way. "
"I can make fun of him as many times as I please, I am forced to admit that he remains a fine strategist. He became a warlord for nothing, after all. However, I'm not one to underestimate my opponents, this time he fell on stronger than him! "
As he was about to add something more, a hand abruptly landed on his mouth while pulling him back, preventing him from continuing his speech further. Turning his head to the side, the young king looked at his magician with curiosity, the latter placing a finger on his lips to intimidate the silence before indicating the large doors of the room while the latter opened slowly.
Two men suddenly emerged from the shadows, walking discreetly towards the terrace and stopping just at the entrance to it. Setting himself down on one knee, the older of the two strangers placed himself at a distance from the edge and reached out to his assistant without even looking at him, focusing on his target.
Sitting a few meters beneath him on his silver and golden throne, it was innocently watching the Great Games, not suspecting for a second of the fate that would soon be its.
Grabbing the goat-skin bag hanging from his shoulder, the second man placed it on the floor, opening it quickly to choose, with an expert hand, a large rounded wooden bow with flattened ends that he offered to his accomplice.
As silent as the death that they brought with them, the two murderers moved in concordance with each other, as if they were one, knowing each other long enough to know what one needed without having to utter the least word.
The first man grabbed the bow, as well as an arrow in the quiver hanging from his back, and began to stretch the rope with two fingers of up to his right eye, pulling with force, directing his bow with precision.
A muffled sound reached his left ear, and with an almost animal instinct, he dropped his equipment to turn back on himself, firmly clutching a dagger in his hands. He sighed as he felt the blade of a sword against his throat, examining his assistant held by three guards, one of them having covered his mouth to prevent him from warning his partner and released his weapon for the second time, raising his hands in the air as a sign of giving up.
"Game over, Khnurn. " a voice rang out, its holder approaching him without being completely seen.
"My reputation precedes me to what I see! " exclaimed the assassin, shrugging his shoulders casually, seeming amused by the situation.
"Silence, mercenary! You will tell us who your paymasters are and confess your crimes in the name of Pharaoh. " indicated Mahad, leaning the blade a little more on the archer's throat.
"Or else? " Khnurn asked, raising an eyebrow. "If you're here, it means you already know who my paymasters are. And I'm only a mercenary, I only submit to money. I have nothing to do with the authority of the Pharaoh. "
"So you just have nothing to care about dying too, I guess? " questioned the voice with the unknown face, monotonous.
"Dying? But the Kingdom of the Dead is far too welcoming for me! " declared the assassin, hilarious.
"Your heart is as dark as your soul, I don't know if there is only something to save in you. " the voice of the shadow whispered, looking afflicted.
"Save yourself any efforts. I heard about your millennium trials. One of my acquaintances has faced it recently, and strangely, he has become as gentle as a lamb. Disappeared his hatred for the puppet king sitting out there... I would not be so easily manipulable... "
Puppet?!
Atem stepped back with a frown, disconcerted. So now, he was a puppet king?! Just good at keeping the throne for the real successor?!
"Jabare... " Mahad emitted as his sovereign gritted his teeth behind him, undoubtedly angry.
"I see you remember him! " Khnurn announced, surprised. "You aren't so haughty as it seems. Although, I doubt that this is the case of the little king. "
"What?! " the unknown voice barked as he approached before suddenly being stopped by the priest, the latter leaving the soldiers of the guard to seize the mercenary to try to calm the Pharaoh.
"It's useless to have qualms about a dying person. "
A dying person? mentally repeated the wearer of the millennium ring, intrigued. We stopped Khnurn, we have...
His reflection came to an abrupt end as he grasped the last words of the assassin. Eyes widening, he observed the young king, understanding at the reaction similar to his own that the sovereign was now carrying, that they had arrived at the same conclusion.
"A third henchman! " the magician related, turning to the archer.
"Too late. " the mercenary unveiled, offering a gruesome smile to his audience as he freed himself from the grip of the soldiers to tumble back, falling into the void without thinking.
"KHNURN! " shouted the second man who accompanied him, helpless.
"Heba! " exclaimed at his turn the Pharaoh, rushing towards the exit.
"Majesty! " the priest called, running after him, worried. "Atem! "
##########
Covering his forehead with his hand, Heba hid from the dazzling sunlight of this early afternoon, slowly beginning but surely not being able to endure this outburst of aggression. He had never liked the violence, and having to endure these struggles, fortunately not to the death, in addition to the crowd much too agitated for this kind of thing, did not please him very much.
Something strangely made him frown, and a long shudder of anguish crossed his spine as a sinister laugh sounded inside him. He wanted to turn to look behind him but was suddenly scolded by the bearer of the millennial rod nearby.
"Focus a little! " Seth whispered disapprovingly while continuing to refereed the battles with Shada.
A loud thump sounded again behind him, and he froze suddenly, looking away absently.
The cry of a servant was heard and the audience became suddenly silent as Mahad showed up in the middle of the arena, the Pharaoh at his side.
"What... " Shimon gasped, shocked as the king of Ma rose from his seat, both surprised and angry, his protests not having the time to cross his lips as the Egyptian sovereign started to scream at the other end of the courtyard.
"SHADA! " the latter called urgently, pointing at the teenager sitting far away, too far away from him.
But even before the sacred guard was able to react, a hooded man approached the throne from behind, piercing it with his sword.
"HEBA! "
Suddenly, a golden light spread right in the spot where the boy was standing, more and more blindingly, before slowly lowering to reveal a large pool of blood dripping down the steps where most of the nobles of the palace had settled.
No…
Rushing toward it, the Pharaoh and his priests stopped abruptly as the millennium puzzle's glow diminished, Heba standing in front of them, unharmed, a stunned look frozen on his face while, behind the royal seat, was outlined the dead corpses of Khnurn and the third man, his own blade planted in his stomach.
"How is it possible…? " Isis whispered in surprise, her hand protectively touching her necklace.
Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, the sovereign caught the teenager by the arm, bringing him back with a quick gesture against him as Karim crouched close to the body to uncover it.
"His name is Akh... I heard about him... He's nicknamed the phantom killer because his targets never see him coming. "
Turning to the King of Ma, the still amorphous boy firmly clasped in his arms, the young king ordered without hesitation at the attention of his soldiers.
"Arrest the traitor and his followers! "
Hurrying to seize the monarch and his courtiers, the royal guard strongly held him as he tried to attack the Pharaoh, the rage making him tremble in all its members.
"Damn brat! How dare you?! Arresting me? Me, the sovereign of Ma?! I'll get you for that! "
"But I have proofs and witnesses to confirm my words. " claimed Atem, a smile without joy stretching the corners of his mouth. "In the name of the people of Egypt, I accuse you of conspiracy! "
"Conspiracy?! By what right?! I order to see what evidence you claim to hold! "
"Do not be afraid... Highness... You'll see them... " the sovereign pointed out before throwing a hand up in the air, in the direction of the royal residence. "Drive them to the gaols! "
"Cursed! Be cursed Atem! " Hussein shouted, struggling like a demon in the guards' hands as they advanced towards the basement jails.
##########
"How do you feel...? "
His umpteenth question remained unanswered, however, and the Pharaoh sighed with displeasure as he fell back on the chair around the ivory table in his apartments.
For more than an hour that he was there, his partner had not uttered the slightest word, as if paralysed in his seat, facing the one of on which was seated the sovereign.
Atem looked at the balcony, wondering if his priests had finally managed to calm the agitation that had followed the incident and the capture of the Meshwesh monarch.
The fact that since the beginning of the Great Games, the Pharaoh was only an understudy, the jump in the void that had made the mercenary before crashing on the ground, the assassination attempt, and especially the prosecution against Hussein... all this had only caused huge chaos that he had however tried to avoid at all costs.
If there had not been this Akh...
Two blows against the doors resonated, and Seth entered the room, automatically heading for the speechless teenager.
"How is this going on, outside? "
"Shimon made an announcement. He did not give specific details, but I think that will be enough to calm people's minds. Isis and Karim ensure that everyone leaves the palace without a hitch. And my father watches the prisoners. "
"Good. "
"He still has not said anything? " the bearer of the rod asked, examining the boy, preoccupied.
" No. " declared the young king in exasperation, short of solutions.
Turning to the latter, Seth frowned annoyingly, stating point-blank:
"What surprises me most is that the millennium puzzle has protected him! I'm not saying it's a bad thing, on the contrary. But this is the sacred item of the Pharaohs. It's supposed to react only to your contact, so why...? "
"I don't know, Seth... I really don't know... " Atem replied, shaking his head from side to side, lost. "Since the day I met him, Heba remains the greatest mystery of all. "
"There is a reason for everything. It isn't by chance that the Gods have made your roads crossed, but there are too many questions surrounding him so that they can all have an answer. "
Gently placing a hand on his cheek, Seth squatted in front of the teenager, frowning anxiously.
"Who is your divine protector...? " he articulated in a breath.
"Hasan... " suddenly announced this one, surprising the Pharaoh and his cousin.
"Heba! " said the sovereign with relief as he stood up to get close to his double.
Blinking several times, as if coming out of a deep sleep, Heba stood up straight in his chair, slightly confused.
"What did you just say…? " Seth questioned, standing up again, puzzled.
"... "
"You said Hasan had protected you! Where did you hear that name? "
"Don't be so abrupt! " the young king lectured, turning to his cousin.
"Hasan told me so. " the boy merely said, not formalising himself with the tone of the priest to which he was now perfectly accustomed.
"Hasan is dead... " Atem claimed, looking as confused as his game partner. "He died protecting me from that man I told you about a moment ago. The one who sought revenge on my father. "
"You told him about this story?! " asked the sacred guardian, outraged.
"It doesn't matter that much, Seth. " the Pharaoh said, waving the air with his hand while remaining focused on his double.
"It does matter, on the contrary! " Seth retorted, annoyed.
Rolling his eyes, Atem sighed again, and standing up in his turn, folded his arms across his chest, announcing calmly.
"What do you want to do about it now? "
Observing the sovereign with a sidelong glance, Seth blew and the two cousins turned in the same motion toward the teenager.
"Are you sure of what you're saying? " asked the priest, wanting to be certain.
"Yes. " Heba divulged, catching the puzzle in his hands and pulling it off his neck. "Hasan protected me. "
"So, you are as worthy as me to wear it. " revealed the young king, smiling gently while placing his hands on those of his double to hold the sacred item too.
##########
The flames of the torches at the four corners of the walls were flickering slightly beneath the draughts that ran through the prison's corridor.
Leaning casually against the doorframe of the cell, Atem tilted his head to the side, his purple pupils fixed on the last assassin still alive who was kneeling in front of the members of the court of the King of Ma, his body running with spasms due of the coldness of the place.
"Show me the man who ordered my assassination. " the Pharaoh commanded the mercenary in a calm voice.
"... "
"Your accomplice said it himself, loyalty was not his forte as long as his purse was full, so spill the beans. " he continued, impassive.
"I won't say anything. You killed my brother! " the assistant finally exclaimed angrily, offering the sovereign a glare.
Folding his arms on his chest, the young king narrowed his eyes and stands straight to squat in front of the assassin, catching his chin between his fingers before retorting:
"Your brother killed himself and left you behind, he does not deserve your devotion. "
"... "
Still receiving only silence in response to his questions, Atem stood up to head for the exit, indicating one last time:
"You sincerely want to pay for his crimes? You want to be the one who will face Osiris having his sins counted as yours? " he said, raising a hand in the air, indicating to the guards that he was done and that they could bring the man back to his cell. "Very good... you're free to make this choice. "
Seeming to think for a moment, the mercenary suddenly struggled in the arms of the soldiers, exclaiming hastily:
"Wait! Wait! "
Raising a new hand in the air, the young king stopped the race of the guards, facing the prisoner to ask again:
"So? "
"This is this man... " the assistant pointed out, designating with his handcuffed hands a nobleman with mid-length black hair and pale blue eyes.
"The Grand Intendant Salem..? " Karim declared with astonishment, hitherto remaining silent beside Mahad and Aknadin.
"That's a lie! " exclaimed the Meshwesh King with vehemence before suddenly finding himself unable to speak, became completely amorphous.
"Uncle! " Atem shouted out, glaring at the priest as the assassin slowly came out of the jail to go back to his own cell. "I did not allow this kind of behaviour! "
Gritting his teeth with annoyance, Aknadin closed his eyelids and stepped back, stopping the power that his millennium eye was exerting over the fallen king.
Mahad, in his turn, came out of the shadows, placing a hand on the priest's shoulder to appease him, and decreed against Hussein and his courtiers:
"There is no need to deny. I attended the exchange. "
Slowly recovering consciousness, the monarch frowned curiously, and the Pharaoh smiled knowingly, resuming his place against the doorframe of the prison to explain, amused.
"Having simple doubts would not have been enough to back you into a corner, so I had to use stratagems. It so happens that my royal guard's chief and court's high priest here present, is also a powerful magician having under his tutelage an equally powerful apprentice particularly gifted with illusion's spells. "
Not understanding the reasoning of the sovereign was going, Hussein frowned a little more, tensing slightly.
"The conversation that you have surprised between General Neheb and his commander about Per Bastet... " the young king clarified with a serious look, his features clenching his face from side to side. "Everything was just a staging. A vulgar magic smokescreen to push you into a corner. "
The second attempt of the king of Ma to lash out at the sovereign was only stopped by the irons that held him to the wall just behind him, the bracelets scraping his wrists while he grunted angrily, openly insulting the Pharaoh.
"Little insignificant cockroach! Damn fiend! "
"Once you've fallen into my trap, I've patiently waited for you to order one of your minions to find someone competent enough to do the dirty work for you. " Atem continued without worrying about the monarch's attitude, letting Mahad carried on with the explanations.
"I followed Salem to the market and witnessed the transaction between him and Khnurn. Then, I spied on the two brothers to know the details of their action plan. "
"But you were more foresighted than we thought, and you hired a third henchman, who was supposed to do the work if the other two were unable to do so. " Karim related, joining his colleagues. "And Khnurn's suicide was just a message to Akh that it was up to him to act. "
"You are even more deceitful than you let it appear, Highness. " the young king announced with a small laugh.
"And you, inexperienced kid, you wore yourself out finding the perfect understudy! " retorted Hussein, spitting out those words as if it were some venom capable of reaching the sovereign.
"The inexperienced kid didn't even have to wear himself out, if you really want to know. " Atem disclosed, a smirk filled with contempt hanging on his lips. "He came right to me weeks ago. "
"What are you going to do with us now? " the monarch grumbled, pulling at his chains, as if in protest.
"Nothing. " the Pharaoh revealed, shrugging his shoulders as if he did not care.
"What?! "
"Well, it depends only on you, of course... " assured the sovereign, getting closer to the Meshwesh.
"What do you want? "
"Some answers. I have no longing to conquer your lands, no need to seize your city, and no desire to subjugate your subjects. But from this day on, the Meshwesh kingdom is under the domination of sacred Egypt. And you will certainly not have your say if you do not want to find yourself involved in a war that you would have no chance of winning. "
Staying silent for a few seconds, Hussein put his blue-green eyes on each of his courtiers. Then, nodding reluctantly, he accepted the agreement and settled on the wooden board hanging behind him, patiently waiting for the Pharaoh's questions.
"Correct me if I'm wrong, but your first attempt on me, which also failed, was not due to a personal motive this time? "
"No, I acted per the decrees of a recently consummated alliance. "
"Consummated? " Mahad repeated, perplexed, and Aknadin just swept a hand in the air, simply saying:
"Katimala has no decencies. "
Sighing as he looked away, Atem concentrated on his interrogation, continuing on his momentum.
"And what is she trying to do by being so virulent to me? "
"What Nubia wants for centuries. To seize the Egyptian territory and its resources. "
"Of course... " he whispered, closing his eyelids, letting his head rest against the cold stone.
"Do you know what this means? " questioned the wearer of the millennium eye as he turned to his nephew.
"That we have officially entered a war... "
.
To be continued...
Part Two: Golden-Chains-Crown-of-Sand-War-(Monsters)
Thank you for having followed the first part of this fiction. I sincerely hope that it is at your convenience. See you for the next, War (Monsters). The date of publication is however uncertain.
Thank you! See you soon! XOXOXO