Wing Warriors
Author Abby Ebon
Amensa nodded toward a 'star', obedient, if doubtful, they found themselves staring at it. It shifted, and focused, and they saw it as if it was a silver disk that they could not look away from.
They saw what the Companion's knew to be the past.
It wasn't pretty.
--
Far from pretty, or comfortable- the sun looked absolutely sweltering, and the plant life, while healthy looking, and providing shade, did nothing about the dry heat. They found themselves just inside a large chamber.
The walls were lined with bloody depictions in a foreign language, Trowa didn't know what the picture-words meant, but the images were enough.
It depicted a bloody battle, and a man in a chariot road through masses. With a severed head in one hand- and the horses hooves covered in blood. It wasn't a photograph, but it was just as ill-inducing.
Quatre looked green once he caught a glimpse of the battle- and quickly looked away, and Trowa moved subtlety to block his vision of the wall-massacre. Duo let out a low whistle, taking in the rest of the chamber- it was huge.
Not all of it had such depictions, some were pleasant – a man and a woman playing with their children, and some were weird, as in one a crocodile headed man led a man to a balance and feather.
"I don't think we're in Kansas anymore, Toto." Duo murmured to Jinni, who as the only canine was the only logical choice for Duo to address, the neuter looked amused. Heero who-couldn't-take-a-joke-if-it-killed-him Yuy just shot the other pilot an annoyed look.
Duo chuckled, silently, and was glad, because he noticed Wufei's tense form, and glanced in his direction.
"We aren't alone people," Duo announced, then having gained the others attention he glanced at Sartra, he added. "Companions, firebirds, firecats, and one kyree added to that 'people', of course." Wufei grunted, but the people didn't seem to see- or hear them.
: Funny, Chosen, real funny, now why don't you go make nice with our hosts. : Sartra teased, Wufei glanced at him, and Duo knew the rest of the pilots- and possibly their own 'companions' had heard her. So there was no point answering mind-to-mind. "Don't mind if I do love."
As they hadn't respond to five teenagers appearing out of no-where, nor the verity of 'animals'; Duo decided to take a closer look at them. So without preamble Duo strode across the chamber (ignoring the choked-off noise behind him), to the entrance they 'guarded'. Standing between each man, with his hands on his waist- Duo studied them intently.
The two men's dark eyes were lined with kohl; they were bald - shaved, no doubt. They had the look of warriors, and one look at their wicked looking short-staffed scythe-things, left no doubt that during their lifetime they had shed some blood.
They looked a lot alike actually, and it wasn't just race, it was their uniformed faces, they weren't just guards, Duo decided, but hired- and if there were others (and there always were) they all resembled each other in dress.
If they suddenly developed the ability to see him, Duo knew they would be in for one hell of a fight.
Duo didn't know when or where 'skirts-for-guys' and had become popular- on Earth (and it was Earth- the sand was everywhere, something that would never be allowed in a Colonies) but he was glad everything around them seemed faded. As if the pilots- and their escorts, were the only 'real' things. They also wore sandals, which looked to be made out of tightly braided reeds.
"Where ever we are guys and gals, it isn't likely the people are going to see us." Duo announced amiably choosing to 'ignore' the overall feeling of 'duh-ness' coming from the others in the background of his mind.
: Very observant Chosen,: Sartra teased while Duo pouted. : You are in fact in the past, the ancient past- even for your timeline these people are legendary. : Sartra finished, despite their disbelief; there was no one among them who doubted her word.
" Egypt?" Quatre whispered in awe, looking upon the walls with new interest.
"That," Heero stated, waving a hand at the bloody battle, "was never recovered." Heero knew this for fact, and was searching for flaws. He was clearly reluctant that after being thrown foreword in time they could glimpse the past. Heero had a hard enough time putting his bond-mate Jinni and magic into his figures and facts of life.
Jinni gave him a pitying glance. : Things are lost in time bonded; many things, you and your fellows were not remembered, and the only proofs of your link to the past are your weapons. : Heero looked pensive, then pinned Amensa with a glance.
"What is the meaning of us being here, for the objective to be accomplished?" Heero decided to treat this 'trip' to the past as if it was part of a higher mission. Amensa blinked big blue eyes at him, as if she didn't understand.
Heero scowled, which Duo knew was Heero's version of pouting, and the braided pilot let a few chuckles escape, much to Heero's annoyance. Heero didn't get a chance to comment, because just then a woman entered the chamber, she was dressed in sheer fine white linen which was more then slightly see-through.
Upon entering the chamber the reaction from the guards was immediate, they kneeled. This gained a raised eyebrow from Wufei, and a closer look at the woman. She was obviously used to being bowed and kneeled over; for she hadn't spared the guards a glance.
She was dressed elegantly in fine linen, charms and amulets encircled her wrists, upper arms, neck, and fingers. Though she wore more of them then her guards, hers were of obviously higher value. They were made of gold and bronze, and suited her dark skin, though it was of a lighter tone then her guards.
Quatre was quick to put the crown she wore to the exact image of one being worn by a figure which dominated a depiction on the far wall. His eyes widened in astonishment. "She is the Pharaoh!" Quatre whispered in awe.
Wufei looked doubtful, crossing his arms, and tilting his head as if considering the new information. "I thought Pharaoh's were Kings. You know, male." Duo stated, his eyes following her as she made her way to the entrance the kneeling guards kept watch of.
"Pharaoh is Greek, but based on an Egyptian word meaning 'big house'. It referred to their palaces and their greatness, not just the ruler, him, or in this case, herself." Quatre told them, Duo looked amused at the brief history lesson, but took it to heart.
Heero glanced down at Jinni, scratching behind her ears as he spoke- coming as close as one could expect from him as an apology. "I guess you were right about history being more lost then I thought."
Jinni seemed to take this to heart, and nudged his leg. : You are forgiven bonded. : Heero's lip quirked, but he showed no other sign of being pleased.
The other pilots had kept silent during their exchange, mostly to let Heero and Jinni 'speak', but mostly because the Pharaoh-Queen had been approached by a man in equally fine clothes, who bowed, and then even if the language had been long forgotten, they understood what had been spoken.
"Great-One, your guests have arrived- and the banquet is underway." The man announced, she nodded regally, and glanced to the guards. "Send them away." Her tone was soft, yet it echoed in the chamber. The guards kneeled, tensed, for it was rare that a ruler dismissed the very people who guarded their lives.
The man, obviously her spokesman, turned to the kneeling guards. "The Great-One dismisses you from service this night. Gather up your fellows and be gone, you may return early dawn." The guards stood, and rushed to do her bidding.
"Are you sure you wish to go through with this Nitocris?" The man asked; she glanced at him from the corner of her eye. "Do you doubt the need for revenge, Chief Architect?" The woman who ruled the lands surrounding the River Nile asked in an amused tone.
"No Great-One, merely the means." The man said, and then continued smoothly. "Your assassins, for one, were long ago prepared to poison your Honored Husband's betrayers, had you only willed it so…" Nitocris smiled sorrowfully.
"Ah, but most loyal of Chief Architects, you yourself warned that the assassins are my most likely spies, and report to other masters." The man sighed and nodded to the truth of her words.
"The people will never forgive you Great-One… the open slaughtering of your most successful merchants and priests…such has not been done since the days of the beginnings of the Royal Family's reign…" Nitocris nodded, but waved to the chamber the guards had been guarding.
"Yes but the open killing of a ruler has not occurred since those beginnings either…" The Chief Architect bowed, mumbling apologies. Nitocris motioned for him to stop groveling.
"Has the channel been completed?" She asked the Chief Architect nodded rapidly, displacing his wig.
"Very well, it is good to hear that my twelve-years of reigning were worth this vengeance. Let us go to the…celebration of the opening of my tomb." Nitocris stated, the Chief Architect followed her loyally past the pilots and the chamber, and into the tomb.
The pilots looked amongst each other- they knew well the look upon Nitocris's face. She did not intend to live beyond this day. If the Chief Architect escaped, and told his tale to a wondering Greek traveler, or if he died with his ruler and her traitors- they were never to know, for the scene faded.
History, as Jinni had told them, had a way of keeping her mysteries.
AN: As you lot wanted a less complicated version, I've written one up, how do you like it now? Does it start to make more since?
Who was the real Nitocris?
H t t p / w w w . a n c i e n t e g y p t o n l i n e . c o . u k / k i n g s l i s t . h t m l
Queen Nitocris (Ntikrty in Egyptian) left no archeological record. She is known to us only from the Turin Canon, Manetho and Herodotus.
Herodotus recorded that her husband, Merenre II, was murdered. The Queen took her revenge on the murderers and then took her own life. She reined for 12 years.
Nitocris was the beautiful and virtuous wife and sister of King Metesouphis II, an Old Kingdom monarch who had ascended to the throne at the end of the Sixth Dynasty but who had been savagely murdered by his subjects soon afterwards. Nitocris then became the sole ruler of Egypt and determined to avenge the death of her beloved husband-brother. She gave orders for the secret construction of a huge underground hall connected to the river Nile by a hidden channel. When this chamber was complete she threw a splendid inaugural banquet, inviting as guests all those whom she held personally responsible for the death of the king. While the unsuspecting guests were feasting she commanded that the secret conduit be opened and. As the Nile waters flooded in, all the traitors were drowned. In order to escape the vengeance of the Egyptian people she then committed suicide by throwing herself into a great chamber filled with hot ashes and suffocating.
Why I choose her to be a part of this story?
Quite simply, she was powerful, and as a Pharaoh-Queen held just as much power as a Pharaoh-King. As a Pharaoh-Queen (believed to be a first in that time period alone) who had murdered the citizens she would have been greatly feared. She was from the Sixth Dynasty of the Old Kingdom 2400-2250 B.C. Egypt did not have contact with Greece until 332-30 B.C. A good two thousand years before Cleopatra.
Further proof of this is that the Seventh and Eighth Dynasties are a little-known line of Pharaohs during a confusing time in the history of Egypt. She likely helped to throw it into such confusion. After all it would have been passed by word of mouth for generations- should we trust the Pharaoh? Such-and-such happened to these people, and they just went to a party.