I don't need saving. I'm just a slave.
Chapter 13 Paths
Italics are sound effects in this chapter
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Joey was floating. There seemed to be no up or down. To him it seemed as if he was falling but also rising. Actually, it was a rather confusing feeling. made more confusing by the ghostly sensation of Seth's hands cupping the back of his head to keep it above water and the droning hum of the Pharaoh's chant lulled him into a gentle daze.
Seth's thumbs gently caressed the hollow behind his ears encouraging him to relax. Relaxing his shoulders were tense he forced them into a more relaxed state. Beneath him and to his left a shape began to take form. A chain wrapped box appeared on what could have been described as a game board. The box was unusual in design, bright red it was covered in images of dragons, gold and priceless objects. The paths and roads then took form in the floating abyss flowing around, away and looping back to the box.
Beneath him further to his right a second box appeared. This time blue decorated with silhouettes of people and places. With this box a round disk, two meters in diameter appeared between the two boxes. Finally a third box appeared. Just beyond his feet.
This box unlike the other two was of two colors, it was black on one side and white on the other. the images also changed depending on which side of the box they were on. Two faces adorned this box. similar to the masks worn by dancers, the one on the white side of the box appeared to be distraught. Fear, sadness and agony were all portrayed in the one face. The other was the picture of happiness, joy, and child like innocence. From this box whispers echoed, the words to soft to hear.
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Above this 'game' the Pharaoh and the High Priest finished their chanting and let their souls drift down to join Joey. Lowering him down they gently placed the boys soul on his insubstantial feet. The blond boy opened his ghostlike eyes and looked about with apprehension. He looked up and gaped in shock. His body and that of the two nobles were perfectly still as the water lapped around them. High above in what, to his soul, should have been the roof the waters surface glittered with fractured light.
taking a look around him he noticed the paths for the first time. Each one looped back on others, twisting and in some points joining to make bigger paths. The only thing he could figure out was that the paths started at the disk he stood on and ended at one of the three boxes. Following one with his eyes he realized from where he stood he could not follow one path from start to end. Too many criss crossed and looped that he would loos track of where he had been looking.
Seth cleared his throat and Joey pulled his eyes away from the paths to look at him. "This is the test of your mind. Each of these paths is a thought you once had. And as you can see they lead to three places. The red box, is greed, jealousy, desire and your memories of physical things."
Looking to Atem both the blond and brunet young men waited for his judgement. "Few paths lead there, the ones that do are thin. You are not a man of greed or jealousy. If you were those paths that are there would have begun to erode the box. the chains on the box mean it holds painful physical memories."
Seth nodded and turned Joey to face the blue box "This box holds your knowledge. Of people, places and other such things." Looking to Atem the Pharaoh narrowed his eyes.
"The thin paths to that box are many, but full of pot holes and weeds. That means your view of people is good at heart, but... there have been people that have hurt you, which has caused your view of people to be skewed. There are many paths and many of them are large, none of which are damaged. Curious..." the Pharaoh went quiet and Seth turned them all to face the last box.
"This box holds your pain and joy. Happiness and Sadness." They looked on as Joey instinctively hid behind the comforting form of the High Priest. "Those whispers are what form your conscience. Your memories of being taught right from wrong."
Atem blinked in surprise at the blond haired boys initial reaction to the box. he shook his head before turning his attention to the box and its pathways. "The paths leading here are many and of varying sizes. All in differing conditions" and it was true, some were eroded so severely that there was barely anything left of them. whilst others looked as if they had just been paved. "Your challenge of mind, is to tell us. Which box means the most to you."
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Joey blinked rapidly in surprise. What box meant the most to him? how was he supposed to pick! Seeming to pick up on his confusion Seth lent down and whispered in his ear "you can wonder the paths but be careful, as the Pharaoh said, some of them have eroded in places"
Joey nodded before looking at the disk he was standing on. from it six paths lead away in different directions. A breath of wind startled him and he looked about in time to see two orbs of light drifting up to the bodies of the High Priest and the Pharaoh.
Shivering in fear Joey sat down in the center of the disk and began to think. Ok, so this is a challenge of mind. That means i need to think. Six paths, three boxes, which one means the most to me? Looking around his eyes was caught by something glittering at the beginning of on of the paths. A small polished stone.
picking it up he rolled it around in his palms. From deep in his subconscious a memory rose.
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\\ "Don't you dare blame our son! Runihura! Give him back to me!"
"Shut up woman!" Slap "you shouldn't have given birth to such a weak, little monster!"
"He's not a Monster! You are! I should never have gotten on this boat, at least then I could have found a man that wasn't an abusive son of a-!"
Slap "Shut Up!" Slap "Shut Up You Stupid Woman!"
"No! I wont! Now give me back my son!" /
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Joey dropped the stone, his fingers trembling and tears rolling down his face. The stone bounced back to its spot on the ground in front of its path. Several trembling breaths later he scrubbed at his face and turned to another path and picked up the next stone.
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\\ "Joey! Joey! Look, I did it! I made the kite fly!"
"Thats wonderful Akhu"
"Joey! Joey! Look Tala wrote her name properly"
"Tala! were so proud!"
"Joey?"
"Yes madam?"
"Are you ok, you have bruises all down your back"
"Oh, um... I fell over the other day, on to some rubble at the slave yard. I'll be ok"
"Well let me put some salve on it"
"thank you"/
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Gently placing that stone down a sad smile crossed over his face. Those had been memories of him teaching the hose hold slaves kids. He then turned and picked up the next stone.
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\\ "Boy! You are late!"
"I'm sorry father"
"What Did You Call Me!"
"I'm Sorry, I'm sorry sir! How can I serve the master of the house?"
"Unthankful crettin!" Slap! Thwump! Crash! "Remember your place! ... and clean this mess up!"
"y-yes, yes sir."/
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This time Joey threw the stone back to the ground and turned away from it and reached blindly for the next.
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\\ "Its ok, go ahead and cry. It wont matter, not here, not tonight. I'll still hold you, you can trust me. I'll be here, go ahead and cry. It's ok, cling to me if you need it. I wont judge you, they wont hurt you, not tonight. I'll protect you, you can trust me. I'll stay here, if you need to hold me. If you need me, I'll be here. Cough*
If you need me, I'll be near. No need to fear, there'll be no pain. I'll protect you again and again. It's ok, I'll make it alright. You don't need to fear, not tonight. I'll sing to you, I'll hold you tight, you can trust me. I'll be here, I'll make it all right. It's ok, I wont leave you. Not till you ask me, I'll stay tonight. Cough, Cough*
You can cry, cling to me, you can trust me. I'll be here, I won't leave. If you need me, I'll be here, If you need me, I'll be near. No need to fear, I'll take the pain again and again. You wont need to fear..."
...
...
Silence /
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Crying Joey looked up into the face of the Pharaoh "I can't pick. Though some of the memories hurt, there all mine. I can't pick one box, cuse I'm made up from all the things in each of them." The Pharaoh smiled and knelt in front of the weeping boy.
"You have passed"
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Authors note
Hi everyone, I'm so sorry its taken me soooo long and in, turns out I have celiacs thats why I've been so sick.
Well to make up for it, I'm posting two chapters. If you received the "story update" email but couldn't find it for a bit, Sorry, had to edit something I noticed after I posted.
So heres ch13, enjoy. Next chapter I will return to modern day Japan for a bit (hopefully explain some of those 'Mysterious reasons')
Please review and tell me if i should bother, or if I've lost all my followers :(
If anyone has ideas they'd like to see in here or if there are any inconsistencies
Thanks all. Try to get the next chapter to you soon.