Chapter 5: the plan
To his credit, Seth made a point of not speaking out of turn on his arrival. He listened as the others filled him in on their battle progress, asking a few questions here and there only about Anubis, the Nubians and then falling silent again.
Mostly he kept glancing at Atem, though what exactly he expected Atem to do or say was beyond the young monarch.
Atem's insight the other day was only proving itself more true as time went on.
Seth was never going to apologise, even though his king's life was now on the line.
"All right," Atem said. "We have limited time and few options. It is pushing evening now and we have until tomorrow night until time runs out. Our problems are essentially two-fold: whether that sorcerer is who he says he is, and that strange pyramid of light."
Akhenaden seemed to bristle at the name, but he said nothing. Atem knew time was of the essence, so he didn't push him on it.
"This is unprecedented," he continued, "But I may as well ask you anyway. Have any of you ever heard tell of sorcerers in Nubia? Where could the source of this new power be? How is it so effectively able to counter the Millennium Items?"
The court exchanged glances. Akhenaden cleared his throat, but his words were unusually hesitant. "We have investigated other reports of people bragging they had a craft similar to ours, Pharaoh, but they had always turned out to be toothless charlatans...until now."
"Your comment about the source of the power gives me pause," Seth said suddenly, stopping again as if he expected Atem to silence him. When the Pharaoh did not, he continued. "Perhaps this was their plan all along? They have found something to challenge us, and merely wanted an excuse."
Atem shook his head. "Then the Nubians have found themselves immediately outclassed. It is evident that Anub...that sorcerer has set his own terms and is likely not going to give them much more than the scraps they first demanded."
"Perhaps we can use that against them?" Shada suggested.
"In another scenario, perhaps," Mahad said, a hard note creeping into his voice. "As is is, the Nubians are out for our blood. I very much doubt they'll settle for a deal when they believe the balance of power has shifted in their favour."
He didn't say as much, but the remark was clearly a dig at Priest Seth. And yet, the priest said nothing. His lack of reaction immediately set of warning bells for Atem – there was nothing Seth hated more than having someone imply poor decision making or incompetence on his part, let alone it being Mahad, who he viewed with derision.
Doubtless his right hand man was plotting again. Atem tried not to think that way – trust in his court was usually his default position in all things – but he was tired and feeling unusually fractious. He'd never wanted to believe the thought would seriously cross his mind, but he decided right there that if Seth failed him again, he'd be out of the priesthood...for good.
Though even that punishment may only sting for the next day or so, if Seth immediately curried favour with Anubis instead…
"Pharaoh?" Karim asked gently, shocking him out of his thoughts. Atem snapped to, trying to quickly clear whatever expression had marred his face.
"Yes," he said, straightening. He cleared his throat. "Let's take another track." In reality he had no idea what he planned for that other track to be, but as he cast around the room in the hopes the answer would materialise, his eyes caught Isis – and her necklace. "Of course. Isis, can you see into the future of the man claiming to be Anubis?"
The rest of the court all looked her direction, Isis' eyes widening as she saw what he was getting at. "You believe if he isn't what he claims, I should be able to see?"
"I believe it's worth a try."
She nodded, raising her hands to cup her necklace and shutting her eyes with an expression of deep focus. After a moment she regarded them again, her expression dimming. "I fear I see nothing, my Pharaoh…"
They were silent for a moment again. The revelation stung, but Atem wanted to avoid jumping to conclusions, so he tried to look at the problem from the other direction. If he assumed Anubis wasn't a god, what were the only other ways he could block the necklace's vision?
As far as he knew, there were only two ways. Either he was dead – and Atem wasn't about to entertain they were fighting a ghost without proof – or…
"He has another Millennium Item," he said, thinking aloud.
"What?" Akhenaden cried, the rest of the court looking equally perturbed.
The rest, except for Seth. He looked pleased.
"Think of it," Atem said. "In any other scenario when the Tauk could not foresee someone's future, it was only for two reasons: the individual in question was dead, or they had a Millennium Item. What strikes you as more reasonable: this man is really a god as he claims, or he's managed to create another Millennium Item?"
"Still, that's a concerning proposition," Shada mused. "They'd have to have acquired knowledge of the Millennium Tome – or even have stolen it."
"Send a ka to check on its status at the palace," Atem ordered, feeling on firmer ground now he had a more sane answer in his sights. "If my suspicions are correct, however, we may need an investigation into who leaked the information from the palace when all this is over. And new securities around the Tome."
He leant against the back of his chair, surveying the mock battle laid out over the map, his units temporarily withdrawn back from the force of the Nubians.
"But that still leaves us one problem," he said. "Supposing my theory is correct, we still must counter this new Item. And we have little knowledge of what it is, beyond seeing how it held one of the Egyptian gods at bay."
"There is no problem," Seth retorted. "We simply need to answer with more force."
Atem glared at him. "That is your answer for everything."
"Am I wrong? If the problem is the Pyramid, we destroy the Pyramid. Once we find its limits, we can destroy it and the impostor in the process."
"And if he merely summons another? If he has ka of his own? If we lose every last man we have in that attempt?" Atem folded his arms, glaring Seth down. "We need a smarter plan."
"Not to mention, there is nothing stopping them simply hiding behind Anubis' barrier and attacking us from afar," Isis said.
"Well, why don't you and I take the Egyptian gods and my Duos and try and break the barrier while we still have the cover of darkness?" he said to Atem, not noticing the way the Pharaoh's fist clenched. "Summon Obelisk – and try summoning Ra again – and we're sure to have the firepower we need to-"
"Seth! Enough!" Atem snapped.
Seth fell silent, stunned.
Atem straightened to his full height, glaring up at Seth. "What is it that you fail to understand? Our priority is to minimise casualties to our people and our army!" He swept his hand across the map, knocking over some of the wooden chips that represented their units. "If we are to break the ceasefire early, we have to have a plan – otherwise we are walking our people into a massacre!"
"Pharaoh, I just-"
"You just believe that proving ourselves the superior force is the only thing that matters! If you have no suggestions to offer using your intellect or your cunning, I suggest you take yourself out of this tent and don't return until you have a more useful frame of mind!" He pointed to the door, his temper well and truly lost. Seth stared at him, his expression shifting from surprised to almost crestfallen.
"...As you wish, Pharaoh." He crossed to the door, stopping only to say, "I will...check on the troops for you and form a report. Excuse me."
There was silence for a moment after he had gone, a mixed reaction amongst his court. With the exception of Akhenaden, none of them looked too broken up that Seth had gone – in fact Mahad looked downright relieved.
But he knew they were all judging him for having lost his temper.
Atem didn't blame them. He didn't feel good about his outburst, either, even if he felt Seth's behaviour had well and truly earned it at this point.
He took a moment to calm himself, inhaling, holding, then exhaling slowly. It didn't do much to settle the nauseous rush of anger and fear, but he'd have to pretend it was enough for now.
"All right," he said, "Let's keep thinking."
In the end, they thought well into the night and had to agree to retire so they could get some rest and come back fresh tomorrow. The best plan they'd come up with so far was to use the landscape to their advantage – retreat to higher ground and hope that the pyramid Anubis could make wasn't endlessly flexible, then pick off the attacking Nubians bit by bit.
Atem didn't like that plan. It left the very disputed territories they were trying to save exposed.
It was also clear to him that the court was anxious about what would happen if Anubis went straight for the Egyptian gods and managed to kill them. Atem would be greatly weakened, if the blow didn't kill him outright, and morale would be near immediately crippled.
He sighed. He had worked up the nerve to speak to his generals that evening to gauge the mindset and state of their troops, but he kept his cards close to his chest with regards the plan for tomorrow. Doubtless they had realised that there wasn't much of a plan yet; they were no fools, but they were loyal enough that there were no whispers of mutiny...for now.
A shiver suddenly racked him and he tugged his cloak closer.
He'd left speaking to Seth until last, mostly because he had no idea what he would say. He wasn't going to apologise for earlier – Seth certainly hadn't apologised for anything, so why should Atem be the one to start?
But he knew he needed his right hand man for tomorrow. He just had no energy to deal with any more of Seth's harebrained plans…
Atem was interrupted from his thoughts when Seth suddenly crossed in front of his path. The priest hadn't noticed him and seemed to be walking quickly and purposefully...away from the camp. A heavy pit settled in Atem's stomach. He pulled his hood up over his hair and started to follow him, determined to interrupt whatever he was doing when they got out of sight of the camp.
It was more difficult than he'd anticipated – between trying to duck behind cover so Seth didn't spot him and Seth's longer legs, Atem was left struggling to keep up. It was odd, too – Seth was ducking away from the encampment and up into the mountains – away from the Egyptians, but away from the Nubians, too.
Atem followed him, cursing his shorter legs inability to keep up as the trail grew increasingly steep. With his poor sleep and all the stress of the day, he was getting winded more quickly than he would have liked and his mind was starting to wander out in the cold. He should just call Osiris to him and have her deposit him right in front of Seth's nose, that would solve his problem immediately...
Suddenly something rippled across the air towards him – the unmistakeable presence of magic.
Atem straightened up immediately, grabbing a rock at the top of the trail to pull himself up and in the view of the plateau where Seth stood.
The priest had the Millennium Rod raised from beneath his cloak, his eyes shut and a fierce look of concentration in his eyes. Atem tipped his head to one side, confused. He'd have left Seth to it, assuming he was just meditating or something, but his usual warning bad feeling was keeping him rooted to the spot.
Atem approached, about to call out to Seth when the spell paid off and Atem abruptly recognised what it was – Creature Swap. A basic spell normally used in combat to fool the opponent – but the amount of power Seth was channelling suggested he was trying to extend the range far beyond the usual capacity.
In fact, if he pulled it off, it might drop him right in the middle of the Nubian camp...
Within the pyramid.
Near Anubis.
But at total risk of compromising the ceasefire and any carefully laid plan the court could construct for tomorrow.
Atem didn't even hesitate. He cried, "No!" and flung himself forwards, Seth's eyes snapping open in first alarm and then horror as he saw who was rushing him. He took one hand off the Millennium Rod to ward Atem off but the gesture only hastened the end of the spell, catching both Pharaoh and Priest in its grasp.
There was another flash, and the iron grip of Seth's ka Duos seizing Atem by the shoulders as the three of them were flung through space, their locations forcibly exchanged with a couple of unsuspecting Nubians standing many, many feet away. Atem had to shut his eyes, feeling dizzy as he was thrown through the air.
Abruptly there was a stop, then a drop as Atem landed hard on the ground. He laid winded on his back, blinking his eyes open to a deep blue sky above.
Atem gasped, pressing a hand over his mouth to stifle the noise.
His assumption had been dead on – Seth had teleported them both within the pyramid of light Anubis had conjured. His head turned to the side, staring away from the edge of the pyramid towards another set of tents some distance away. They'd landed at the far side of the Nubian encampment, the soft sounds of activity travelling through the quiet night towards them.
It sounded like the Nubians were settling down for the night, too – doubtless they were far less worried about what tomorrow would bring than the Egyptians, though Atem had to be grateful that at least no one had spotted them yet.
The dizziness began to subside and he sat up slowly, seeing Duos hovering nearby. The ka must have guarded him when he fell.
For a moment he feared he and Seth had been separated in the transit, but when he looked over he immediately spotted the priest recovering himself also. Seth was checking their surroundings, too, and when he saw where they had landed he swore under his breath.
He turned his head and spotted Atem a few feet away, watching him.
He swore again, even more vehemently.
"What in the gods' name were you thinking?" they both hissed at the same time. Atem scrambled to his feet, shaking off Duos' attempts to help him and Seth rose at the same time; something peculiar happening on his face.
For once, the priest couldn't seem to hold onto his anger. He was looking from the Nubian territory and back to Atem, an expression of almost hopeless dread in his eyes. Given where they were, Atem understood: in a single stroke, the priest had managed to drop the Pharaoh in exactly the worst place possible. The two of them were trapped on the other side of the pyramid, no gods to help them – just Atem, Duos and whatever scheme Seth had concocted now all they had left to keep them alive.
A curious feeling overtook Atem. All the anger drained out of him at once.
"So," he said, legitimately curious to hear Seth's answer. "What now?"
