******Back with another chapter. Sorry for not uploading in so long. Life is happening so, I haven't had as much time to write. Here I am! Please review and comment. Share your thoughts. However, don't be obnoxiously rude. It's not needed. Thank you. Please enjoy. ******
"Kemet; also known as Egypt to many, is the land that is powered by the river Nile. The sun rises causing the day to be hot. Some days are so hot that the desert sand could scorch your feet. When the sun sets, the land becomes cold and the sky turns black with shining jewels in the sky. These jewels are so bright they can help anyone navigate their way through the desert. The people are kind and honest. Well, at least some people are. Let me tell you a story. It's about a little boy. Long ago, there was a young boy named Djer. He was the son of the pharaoh. The pharaoh was the king of Kemet. Pharaoh Hor-aha was a greedy pharaoh. He robbed the people of Kemet and treated them poorly. Many people died during his reign. He often discarded the gods and refused to pray or send offerings to them. He was an arrogant man obsessed with wealth. Hor-aha's wife gave birth to his only son; Djer. When Djer came out of his mother's womb, something was wrong. Normally when babies are born, babies cry. Djer did not. He was as silent. The doctor's and midwives checked to make sure Djer was ok. He was breathing normally so the doctors assumed that he was just asleep. Days passed by and Djer stayed in his slumber. Queen Khenthap and king Hor-aha grew concerned. It had been 7 days and their child did nothing but sleep. One night while the royal couple was sleeping, a nurse went in to check on prince Djer. When she looked in the cradle, she saw that he had finally opened his eyes. Fascinated by the child's beauty, the nurse picked the child up into her arms. She was hypnotized by prince Djer's gold and red eyes. His eyes were not like any humans. The baby giggled as the nursed swayed him back and forth. The nurse didn't know that those were her final moments on Earth. As she cuddled prince Djer, she started to smell smoke. Soon enough, it smelled like something was burning. When the nurse looked down at her feet, she saw that the lower half of her body was on fire. Panicking, she placed baby Djer back into the cradle. However, it was too late. Once the flames contacted her body, the fire spread quickly and burnt the nurse to ashes. Hearing the nurse's screams, king Hor-aha and queen Khenthap ran to the nursery to see what had happened. When they arrived, they couldn't believe what they were seeing. They saw orange, gold and red flames rising threw the pile of ashes. Not only did they see that, they saw a bird covered in flames. The bird was taller than the king and queen combined. The bird dissolved the flames around its body exposing its beautiful blue and white feathers and its long golden legs. The bird walked over to the cradle where prince Djer rested. Prince Djer laughed as the bird placed its beak in the cradle. The bird released a bright golden light blinding the king and queen. When the king and queen were able to see clearly, they saw that the bird had changed into a beautiful young woman with golden skin and dark blue hair. She wore an orange dress and had wings on her back that touched the floor. Her eyes were gold and red. Just like Djer's. She picked the child up from his cradle.
"What business do you have with my son?" King Hor-aha asked the divine being.
"You will bite your tongue and kneel before thee human." The woman's eyes turned a bright red causing the king and queen to bow down against their will. "I am a goddess. My name is Bennu." The king and queen glanced at each other in disbelief. They didn't understand what would Bennu want with mortals.
"Forgive me for my insolence almighty Bennu, ba of Ra." Bennu stroked the babies head. "Please tell us, what do you want from our son?" Bennu responded:
"Pharaoh Hor-aha, you have dishonored the gods by mistreating the people of Kemet. The people starve and weep while your riches increase. You've become so arrogant and so selfish that you fail to pay respect to us. For your insolence and disrespect, I have given your child, prince Djer a portion of my power. He will have great powers that will be passed down from generation to generation. But heed what I say; his powers are also very destructive. If desired, he could destroy the whole world. At the touch of his hand or even encountering his flesh, he can burn anything into ashes. As you can see, your nurse touched him. Now she is no more." The pharaoh bowed his head to the god begging him to take the powers from his son.
"Great Bennu, please spare my son. Punish me not him."
"I can not do that. It is already done. Your son has two options; He can learn to control the power I have bestowed upon him or he can not learn how to control it and die by the time he reaches the age of 20. The choice is his." With that, Bennu took her leave. The first month after prince Djer's birth was difficult. No one could touch him. Not even his parents. The pharaoh sent servant after servant to nurture his child, but they all were reduced to ashes. Pharaoh Hor-aha stopped his greedy ways and treated the people of Kemet better but, that didn't work. Desperate, Hor-aha prayed to the gods asking for his son's powers to be taken away. From the sky fell a jewel. The jewel was turquoise and round. It shined like a diamond. Pharaoh Hor-aha instinctively took the jewel to his son and placed it next to him in the cradle. Hor-aha extended his pinky to Djer. He closed his eyes fearing the worse but, once his finger touched his sons, nothing happened. The flames the baby was emitting did not arise. The pharaoh had the jewel broken into fragments and turned into pieces of jewelry. He created 5 pieces of jewelry with a piece of the jewel embedded in each one. Pharaoh Hor-aha created a necklace, a pair of stud earrings, a bracelet, a ring, and an ankle bracelet. Prince Djer wore the necklace his father had crafted for the rest of his life. As Djer grew older, he encountered people who were afraid of his powers. Djer quickly gained the name as the cursed prince. Djer was able to control his powers and lived passed the age of 20. Learning to control his powers were not easy. He often set things on fire out of fear. It's said that he even burned down a section of the palace he lived in. When he became pharaoh, people feared him yet, respected him. He kept the country in way better shape than his father and the people of Kemet were happy. Sadly, as years passed, Bennu's power was passed on. When more children started to appear with the power of Bennu, a lot of their powers were so great they started burning down villages with just a cry. These children were executed with bows and arrows to stop them from causing damage with their flames. If a family was lucky enough to find one of the five pieces of jewelry that pharaoh Hor-aha made, then the child would live. Battles were fought between families and friends to obtain the 5 pieces of jewelry. Many lives were lost. When pharaoh Djoser took the throne, he decided to take the 5 pieces of jewelry for himself. Tired of the fighting, Djoser prayed to the gods. Bennu feeling guilty for the trouble she had caused, halted the gene in every child that was cursed with her power throughout the land. She only wanted to punish Hor-aha. Not all of Kemet. From that day, every decade or so, a child was born with Bennu's power. That child was given one of the five pieces of jewelry to wear so that way they could control their powers."
"So that's why you could make cool fire stuff with your hands? You're one of those children?" Neoptolemus asked Merina. Merina nodded her head yes.
"Yes. I am."
"So, wait- what piece of jewelry do you wear?" Merina lifted her dark hair and pulled her ear. Neoptolemus moved closer to Merina and saw small turquoise dots in her lobes. "Cool. So, what do you do if you need to take the earrings out?"
"I wear the ring while I clean my ears. I don't have the ring here so, I haven't taken my earrings off."
"What happens if you take them off? You do know how to control you powers right?" Merina nodded yes.
"I do. If I take my earrings off and I touch something, whatever I touch will be burned to a crisp." Merina said sadly. "That's why it's important for me to get back home. If I lost my earrings here in Greece, it would be a catastrophe."
"Well, I think having powers like yours is cool. Wait until father hears about this!"
"No!" Merina yelled. She frightened Neoptolemus. "Achilles mustn't find out."
"Why? You told me. Why can't father know?" Merina was glad that Neoptolemus was accepting of her powers, but she knew other people were not as accepting. The only reason why she came clean to Neoptolemus was because she used her powers to protect him.
"Please. Just keep it a secret. Or at least let me tell Achilles myself. Can you promise me that? Please?" Merina begged. Neoptolemus nodded his head yes.
"On one condition."
"That being?" Merina raised an eyebrow.
"When you leave to go to Egypt, whenever you come back to Greece, can you bring me an Egyptian bow and arrow?"
"What for?" Merina asked.
"I like bows and arrows. I have a collection of them at home in Skyros. Father brings me one whenever he goes away. It would be cool to have one. I'll show all of my friends and they'll be so jealous." Merina smiled.
"Of course. I'll get you one." Merina took a sip of water from her cup.
"So. Can I ask you a question?"
"Please, ask." Merina replied to Neoptolemus's question.
"Are you the reason why mother and father don't love each other anymore?" Merina choked on her water.
"Heavens no. Look Neoptolemus. I don't know the history between your mother and father but, I'm certainly not the reason why they aren't together. Besides, your father is such a conceited- "Merina stopped herself. She didn't want to insult Achilles in front of his son. "Achilles is Achilles. He's got a good heart but, there are sometimes he's just…Anyways. I am not responsible for anything that has transpired between your father and mother." Neoptolemus looked sad. "What's wrong?"
"I hate that I always have to lie and tell people that father isn't my father." Merina was sympathetic towards the young boy. It was a lot to deal with at a young age. "If mother and father got back together then I'd wouldn't have to lie anymore. We can be a happy family."
"Oh Neo." Merina said as she patted the young boy on his head. "You're too young to understand. Adults are complicated." Neoptolemus continued to sulk. "Hey. I know something that will cheer you up." Merina opened the palm of her hands. She generated mini red and gold fireworks in her hand. Neoptolemus's frown turned upside down. He started to laugh in amusement at Merina's tricks. He clapped his hands.
"That's so cool! Can you do something else?" Merina smiled. She formed 5 rings of fire and started to juggle them. Neoptolemus's eyes sparkled. All of Merina's life, people treated her like a freak because of her powers. She was glad that someone saw the good in them.
"I can show you more tricks later. They look cooler at night. Anyways, are you hungry Neo?" Merina asked the freckled face boy.
"I am actually." Neoptolemus replied.
"Come on." Merina extended her hand to Neoptolemus. Let's go make something." Together, the two walked down the long flight of stairs into the kitchen.
The moon was bright, and the air was cool. The grass danced softly in the wind. Merina was sleeping on the white love seat. Her dark hair was sticking against her brown cheeks. She felt cool and comfortable. Neoptolemus was sleeping on the couch opposite of her. The two had fallen asleep after bathing and more storytelling. Merina was in her white night gown. She felt a presence looming over her. Her golden eyes opened quickly.
"Yo." Merina was greeted by a dashing smile.
"Achilles." She said sweetly.
"I didn't mean to wake you." Achilles chuckled.
"You're fine." Merina sat up. Achilles sat beside Merina.
"How was Neoptolemus? He didn't give you any trouble?" Merina smiled.
"No. He didn't. He was quite pleasant." Achilles was happy that Neoptolemus kept his word. He had promised his father that he wouldn't give Merina any trouble if he was left in her care for the day.
"That's great." Achilles said relieved. Merina and Achilles made eye contact. "Thanks for taking care of him. I really appreciate it. You're good with kids. Better than I am."
"I have younger siblings. I guess that helps." Merina chuckled. "Hey, Achilles?"
"Yea?" Achilles responded. Merina looked at the palms of her hands. She gulped. She was considering showing Achilles her powers. Achilles stared at Merina waiting for her to say something.
"Never mind." Merina said finally. "What I was going to say is-" Merina looked into Achilles's golden eyes. He was incredibly handsome. Her cheeks turned red.
"Yes?" Achilles awaited Merina's statement. Achilles's usual sly smirk spread across his face. Merina's flushed cheeks turned even redder. She felt Achilles's hand go up her night gown.
"You were saying?" Achilles said flirtatiously. Merina grew annoyed. She pulled Achilles's hand from under her night gown.
"Can you not be a pervert for just a moment?" Merina hissed. Achilles chuckled. He patted Merina's head full of dark curls.
"I just like to see you flustered. But, you wouldn't want me to?" Achilles pushed a strand of hair behind Merina's left ear.
"Want me to what?" Merina's eyes were wide. Achilles winked. "Heavens! No! Ew!" Achilles placed his forehead to Merina's. Her brown cheeks felt as if she had taken her hands and set them on fire herself. Achilles placed his hand on Merina's cheek and leaned in to kiss her. Merina was frozen. She didn't know what to do. Just when Achilles's lips met hers-
Merina's eyes flew open. She sat up touching her lips. She touched her cheeks. She looked around the lavish living room. Neoptolemus was fast asleep on the couch across from her. She sighed in relief. She was dreaming. She leaned back against the couch letting the cool night air hit her skin. She listened to the sound of the wind. It was as if the wind was singing. It was a pleasant sound. Merina's ears twitched when she heard a different sound. She glanced around the living room once more. At first, she thought she was hearing things. When Merina heard the giggle again, she stood up from the chair and began to follow the sound. She made her way towards the staircase that led upstairs. Merina slowly walked up the stairs. The sound of giggling was getting louder. She made her way down the hallway. The sounds sounded like they were coming from the end of the hallway. When Merina reached the door to Achilles's room, she saw that there was a dim candle light and the door was slightly cracked. Merina peaked throw the cracked door. Her heart and her mouth dropped. She saw Achilles with two women. One woman had blonde hair and the other had black hair. The woman with black hair was on top of Achilles while the blonde poured wine into grails. Both women were naked as well as Achilles. Merina quickly looked away and walked back downstairs. She couldn't believe that Achilles would bring women home while his son was present. Merina picked Neoptolemus up in her arms. Luckily, her room was on the opposite side of the hallway. She didn't want Neoptolemus to hear what was going to occur. She made her way back up to her room and shut the door tightly. She was very disappointed in Achilles.
Morning had come. Neoptolemus was still asleep in Merina's bed. Merina sat at the dinning room table drinking water from a cup. She had a red blanket wrapped around her body protecting her from the cold Grecian morning air. She jumped when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned around and rolled her eyes.
"Good morning." The familiar voice chirped. He was happy. Extremely happy. Merina knew why Achilles was bashful. Achilles saw Merina's eye roll. "I see you're in a bad mood." Merina turned around to face Achilles. She couldn't bite her tongue any longer.
"What is wrong with you?" Achilles bit into an apple. He was confused. He didn't understand what Merina was talking about.
"I'm confused." Achilles replied.
"Achilles. Your son is here. You brought two women home."
"How did you know?"
"Come on now Achilles. These walls carry sound." Achilles ran his fingers threw his golden-green hair.
"What's it to you that I brought women home?"
"I don't give a damn how many women you bring home Achilles. What I care about is what you are showing your son. I'm also mad that you had me watch your son just to go find women to pleasure you." Achilles took another bite of his apple. He chewed then swallowed.
"Well, you're not putting out, so a man has to find other sources to fulfil his sexual thirst." Merina slapped Achilles across his face. Achilles touched his cheek that was now bright red.
"So that's why you're keeping me here? So, I could eventually 'put out'?"
"It was a joke Merina. Relax"
"Well I don't find it funny. I will be damned if I ever gave you my body or any part of me. You're selfish and arrogant." Merina's eyes started to sting. "You're supposed to be a role model for your son. You're showing him how to defile women. You should be ashamed. My father would never do what you did." Merina began to walk away from Achilles.
"Merina." Achilles called after her.
"I'm going upstairs to get Neoptolemus. I will take him into town. When we get back, those women need to be gone or I will tell princess Deidamia myself what you do in the presence of her child." Merina made her way upstairs. Achilles looked down at the kitchen floor. He moved his jaw. He looked at the stairwell and put the apple he had bitten into down onto a plate. Maybe Merina was right.