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Chapter Twelve - Death on the Horizon

Y/n made to get up, but winced as pain seared through her entire right shoulder. Heba tried to get her to lay back down. “You must rest, you greatness.” Y/n shook her head.

“As much as I value your medical opinion, Heba, I can’t afford to rest. A maniac is on the loose and I have to stop him.” Gritting her teeth so hard they ached, the wounded warrior squeezed her eyes shut as she pushed herself up ignoring her shoulder’s screaming protests. Once she was on her feet, she still managed to tall just as tall as ever. “Come on.” The three began to walk before Y/n stopped and looked back at the servant. “You too, Heba.” The stared at her in surprise.

“M-me?” She nodded.

“You have proved yourself more than capable in dangerous situations, I believe you deserve to take part in this meeting.” The boy could only blink as the pharaoh nodded.

“I agree.” Standing up from the bed, Heba followed the party in silence, trying to wrap his mind around what was happening. When he arrived at the palace to be a servant, never in all of his dreams did he ever think anything of this sort would happen to him. His heart soared. Was this what Y/n had told him about before? Was he really going to do great things? The servants euphoria tanked, however, when he entered the room and looks of surprise and disdain were shot at him. He ducked his head and moved a bit more behind the warrior.

“You greatness,” a general ‘politely’ started, “What is… he doing here?” Y/n shot him an unamused look.

“His name is Heba and I decided he should join us.”

“But, my lady,” another so kindly pointed out, “He is a but a mere servant…” The look the woman shot him was poisonous enough to kill fifty men.

“This servant just so happened to keep me from bleeding out half an hour ago. You would be wise to keep silent about him.” The man closed his mouth and Y/n nodded in satisfaction. She turned to Set. “Now, tell me exactly what happened.”

“Less than one hour ago, Aknerah’s men attacked and raided a village just outside the south side of Memphis. Twenty people were killed and one hundred and thirteen were injured. Amongst the dead are twelve children.” Y/n felt her heart stop and her blood run cold. “Once the raiders pillaged the village of all crops and valuables, they set fire to it. Two patrol factions managed to put it out before any more people were killed and brought the wounded to the city where they are being treated.”

Y/n shook her head as she tried to comprehend everything she had just heard. “Say the death count once more,” she said quietly. Set hesitated, but obeyed.

“Twenty.”

“And how many were children?”

“...Twelve.” Silence filled the room as everyone looked to the goddess. Heba felt the quiet bear down on him. It was absolutely suffocating. The tension in the room was so thick, he found it hard to breathe. Finally, after torturous moments, she finally spoke.

“I want the armies prepared.” Looks of both solemnity and surprise were present.
“But, your greatness,” a general began.

“That would be a declaration of war,” another finished, “A civil war, no less!” Y/n’s gaze shot to him, eyes blazing with a venomous fury.

“They already declared war!” she roared, “They declared war when they stole the lives of the innocent!” Several cowered under her harsh stare. Slowly, she turned to Atem. The king was both terrified and somber. She was right, Aknerah’s men had brought this upon themselves. Anger surged through him. No, they hadn’t just brought it on them, they had brought this on all of Egypt. Innocent lives have paid and will continue to pay for their deeds. The king clenched his jaw. No, not if he could help it.

“She’s right,” he announced. Everyone looked to him in shock.

“But my lord, you’ve always avoided going to war,” an adviser spoke. Atem shook his head.

“This one cannot be avoided, Reikshi. If we do not defend ourselves, Egypt will fall to that vile excuse for a man.” He looked to Y/n, his head bowed. “You have aided us greatly up to now, Y/n, Egypt’s mighty warrior. What will you have us do?” The woman offered him a slight smile before her face turned dark and obstinate.

“I want all the troops in defense. The ones not defending the palace itself will be on rotation guarding the rest of the city. I also want every citizen prepared for an evacuation to the palace should Aknerah attack. They are not to grab many belongs. I want them focused on getting here alive and unharmed.” She turned to Jounou. “I want every guard not already defending the palace in the search party. Aknerah must be found before any more innocent blood is shed. Do I make myself clear?” The head guard bowed.

“Yes, very, your greatness.” When the meeting was ended, Y/n turned to Heba.

“I apologize for you were treated, Heba.” The boy shook his head.

“N-no, it’s okay. It happens all the time.” Y/n frowned, her eyes narrowing.
“Does it now…” The boy froze when he realized what he said displeased her. He scrambled his mind to distract her.

“S-so, what happens when Aknerah is found?” Y/n pursed her lips.

“That depends if we capture him or he reveals himself.” Heba was now confused.

“Reveals himself?” Y/n nodded.

“Aknerah is the type of man who enjoys attention and wants credit where credit is due. Eventually, whether it be us smoking him out or him announcing himself at his own will, he will come here.”

“What is it that he wants?” The woman’s eyes looked to Atem.

“The throne.”

Atem spent the majority of the day with his generals, ensuring everything was as it should be. He went over attack and defense strategies, food stock and how long it would last, the state of weapons, and more. As the sun began to dip into the west, the pharaoh went to find Y/n. He wanted to talk to her, not about anything in particular, he just wanted to talk to her. It didn’t take him long to find her. After only a few minutes, he found her in her chambers. She was sitting on the edge of her bed, her face pensive.

“Y/n.” She looked up and gave a small, tired smile.

“Atem. What can I do for you?” The king smiled.

“I just wanted to… check in on you.” The woman gave a humourless laugh and patted the spot next to her.

“That seems like something I should be doing to you.” Atem laughed and sat beside her.
“What are you thinking about?” Y/n grew somber.

“I just… I’ve been thinking about those children…”

“The ones from the village?” She nodded. Atem placed a gentle hand on her lower back. He realized how she always seemed so strong and sure of herself in front of him and the public. Never had he seen her like this. Was this what she was really like when she was alone? Unsure? Scared? Angry? The king felt his heart strings pull. The sight of his Y/n in such a state made his chest ache. Without thinking, he wrapped his arm around her and pulled her close.

Y/n laid her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes. The entire time she was in the meeting, tears and sobs threatened to show. She had managed to hold them back and stand tall. Ever since she had arrived to Egypt, which seemed forever ago, she had vowed to protect the beautiful country, it’s people, and Atem. It’s funny, she barely thought of where she had been before she arrived in this wonderful place. In fact, now that she thought about it, she couldn’t even remember where she had been before she was in Egypt. Being there just felt so… right, as if she was meant to be there.

As she finally felt the tears she had been holding all day fall, she felt safe in the arms of the pharaoh. She always felt better around him. It was funny how right it felt to talk to him, to laugh with him. When she was with him, everything felt natural, everything felt right. Even at that moment, when danger and death threatened everything she loved and cared about, while she sat there as he held her while she cried, for the short time being everything seemed alright. Everything felt right.

The couple stayed like that, even after her tears had stopped. Silence settled gently on them, but it was a comfortable one. Nothing needed to be spoken. Everything that needed to be said was done so through their actions. Sitting there with his arm wrapped securely around her and her head resting in the crook of his neck, the two felt it. That connection they shared, that something that had drawn them to each other, that magical bond between two souls was that only kindred spirits shared. It was a connection, a bond between two souls that were perfectly matched, that were meant to be.

Atem bowed his head, resting his lips upon the top of her head. The perfection of that moment was indescribable. This was it. This was his time. This was when he was to tell her. He lightly chewed on his bottom lip. He really didn’t want the moment to end. Who knows when this sort of thing would happen again? It may never… Which was all the more reason to tell her then. The young king took a deep breath. “Y/n,” murmured softly.

“Hmm?” She raised her head from his neck to look at him. His breath hitched in his throat when her eyes locked with his.

“I...I need to tell you something…” His voice was quiet, barely above a whisper.

“What is it?” she asked, just as softly. Atem opened his mouth with a breath. It was now or never…

“I-” The door to her chambers slammed open, revealing Jounou.

“Your greatness, you are needed immediately.” Y/n stood up, sensing the urgency.

“What is it?”

“A man was just caught outside the palace. He’s Aknerah’s right hand man.” Her eyes widened.

“Take me to him.” As she followed the head guard out of the room, Atem sunk forward, his hands on his face. Was it just not meant to be?

Jounou lead the warrior outside where two guards had a man on his knees. She nodded to Jounou, who motioned for them to back off. The guards did so, bowing as she passed them. She approached the man, who was smirking up at her. “So you’re the rumoured goddess who’s protecting that sad excuse for a king.” Y/n’s eyes flashed in anger. “Who are you?"

“My name’s Hakah and I serve the true king of Egypt.” Her eyes narrowed.

“There is only one king,” she said firmly, “and it is not the man you serve.” Hakah only laughed.

“I know what you want and I’m not going to give it to you. You can torture me all you like, reason with me all you want, I’m not going to tell you what you want to hear. Aknerah has ensured we do not crack under any pressure, no matter the circumstances. You might as well just kill me.” At those words, the warrior whipped out her sword, the metal ringing as she held the point to the base of his throat. As she stared him down, she noticed the abundance of scars and fresh wounds on his skin. Clearly, Aknerah had tortured his men, probably to give them a higher pain tolerance, but she wouldn’t be surprised if the maniac had enjoyed it.

As she gazed into the man’s eyes, she saw no evidence of hesitance. He was completely under the criminal’s spell. Not a spark of fear was to be found, only pride and slight amusement. He was right, he wasn’t going to crack and killing him wouldn’t get her any closer to Aknerah. Y/n removed the tip of her blade from his throat, sheathing it without a word. As she took a step back, Hakah scrambled to his feet. He smirked and gave a condescending laugh. “The rumors were wrong about you, warrior. That precious pharaoh of your has made you turn soft!” The woman said nothing as he sneered. Hakah turned and ran, laughing to himself at his luck. Once he was far out of earshot, but still visible, the Warrior of the Two Lands gave one simple command.

“Follow him.” Behind her, several Egyptian troops emerged from the palace shadows, the horses’ galloping muffled by the soft desert sand. As the soldiers followed the criminal, the now full moon’s light shone down upon the still warrior. A gentle desert wind swept her hair and tunic in a dance with the air. As her hair and dress whirled around her gracefully, she gazed out at the troops receding profiles. Her face was expressionless as the pale moonlight illuminated her figure.

Hakah ran down the tomb steps, still chuckling to himself. When he approached Aknerah, the tall man was quite surprised. He had not expected the man to return alive. Y/n was known for killing all his assassins. “Hakah,” he greeted, his brows raised, “You survived.” The man grinned, bowing.

“Yes, my lord.” Excitement filled Aknerah’s chest.

“Have you succeeded? Is the warrior dead?” Hakah shook his head.

“No, my lord.” The leader’s brows furrowed as he frowned.

“How are you alive?” Hakah grinned once more.

“She’s grown soft, my liege. She could have killed me, but she let me go. The pharaoh has weakened her with his affections.” Although it sounded great, Aknerah couldn’t shake the feeling that something wasn’t right. Could a bloodthirsty, war goddess really be so easily softened? Realization hit him as the sounds of muffled hoofbeats sounded through the sand from above. He grit his teeth in anger.

“You fool!” he snarled, throwing his man to the ground, “You have lead them straight here!” The sound got louder as the troops grew closer. Hakah looked up in fear.

“What shall we do, my lord?” Aknerah bared his teeth and unsheathed his sword. Before Hakah could make another sound, the criminal beheaded him. The sounds of his men being slaughtered could be heard as Aknerah turned on his heel and ventured deeper into the old tomb. It would seem his plans were going to have to happen sooner than he thought. The king’s protector was quite persistent.

Description
Chapter Twelve - Death on the Horizon

Y/n made to get up, but winced as pain seared through her entire right shoulder. Heba tried to get her to lay back down. “You must rest, you greatness.” Y/n shook her head.

“As much as I value your medical opinion, Heba, I can’t afford to rest. A maniac is on the loose and I have to stop him.” Gritting her teeth so hard they ached, the wounded warrior squeezed her eyes shut as she pushed herself up ignoring her shoulder’s screaming protests. Once she was on her feet, she still managed to tall just as tall as ever. “Come on.” The three began to walk before Y/n stopped and looked back at the servant. “You too, Heba.” The stared at her in surprise.

“M-me?” She nodded.

“You have proved yourself more than capable in dangerous situations, I believe you deserve to take part in this meeting.” The boy could only blink as the pharaoh nodded.

“I agree.” Standing up from the bed, Heba followed the party in silence, trying to wrap his mind around what was happening. When he arrived at the palace to be a servant, never in all of his dreams did he ever think anything of this sort would happen to him. His heart soared. Was this what Y/n had told him about before? Was he really going to do great things? The servants euphoria tanked, however, when he entered the room and looks of surprise and disdain were shot at him. He ducked his head and moved a bit more behind the warrior.

“You greatness,” a general ‘politely’ started, “What is… he doing here?” Y/n shot him an unamused look.

“His name is Heba and I decided he should join us.”

“But, my lady,” another so kindly pointed out, “He is a but a mere servant…” The look the woman shot him was poisonous enough to kill fifty men.

“This servant just so happened to keep me from bleeding out half an hour ago. You would be wise to keep silent about him.” The man closed his mouth and Y/n nodded in satisfaction. She turned to Set. “Now, tell me exactly what happened.”

“Less than one hour ago, Aknerah’s men attacked and raided a village just outside the south side of Memphis. Twenty people were killed and one hundred and thirteen were injured. Amongst the dead are twelve children.” Y/n felt her heart stop and her blood run cold. “Once the raiders pillaged the village of all crops and valuables, they set fire to it. Two patrol factions managed to put it out before any more people were killed and brought the wounded to the city where they are being treated.”

Y/n shook her head as she tried to comprehend everything she had just heard. “Say the death count once more,” she said quietly. Set hesitated, but obeyed.

“Twenty.”

“And how many were children?”

“...Twelve.” Silence filled the room as everyone looked to the goddess. Heba felt the quiet bear down on him. It was absolutely suffocating. The tension in the room was so thick, he found it hard to breathe. Finally, after torturous moments, she finally spoke.

“I want the armies prepared.” Looks of both solemnity and surprise were present.
“But, your greatness,” a general began.

“That would be a declaration of war,” another finished, “A civil war, no less!” Y/n’s gaze shot to him, eyes blazing with a venomous fury.

“They already declared war!” she roared, “They declared war when they stole the lives of the innocent!” Several cowered under her harsh stare. Slowly, she turned to Atem. The king was both terrified and somber. She was right, Aknerah’s men had brought this upon themselves. Anger surged through him. No, they hadn’t just brought it on them, they had brought this on all of Egypt. Innocent lives have paid and will continue to pay for their deeds. The king clenched his jaw. No, not if he could help it.

“She’s right,” he announced. Everyone looked to him in shock.

“But my lord, you’ve always avoided going to war,” an adviser spoke. Atem shook his head.

“This one cannot be avoided, Reikshi. If we do not defend ourselves, Egypt will fall to that vile excuse for a man.” He looked to Y/n, his head bowed. “You have aided us greatly up to now, Y/n, Egypt’s mighty warrior. What will you have us do?” The woman offered him a slight smile before her face turned dark and obstinate.

“I want all the troops in defense. The ones not defending the palace itself will be on rotation guarding the rest of the city. I also want every citizen prepared for an evacuation to the palace should Aknerah attack. They are not to grab many belongs. I want them focused on getting here alive and unharmed.” She turned to Jounou. “I want every guard not already defending the palace in the search party. Aknerah must be found before any more innocent blood is shed. Do I make myself clear?” The head guard bowed.

“Yes, very, your greatness.” When the meeting was ended, Y/n turned to Heba.

“I apologize for you were treated, Heba.” The boy shook his head.

“N-no, it’s okay. It happens all the time.” Y/n frowned, her eyes narrowing.
“Does it now…” The boy froze when he realized what he said displeased her. He scrambled his mind to distract her.

“S-so, what happens when Aknerah is found?” Y/n pursed her lips.

“That depends if we capture him or he reveals himself.” Heba was now confused.

“Reveals himself?” Y/n nodded.

“Aknerah is the type of man who enjoys attention and wants credit where credit is due. Eventually, whether it be us smoking him out or him announcing himself at his own will, he will come here.”

“What is it that he wants?” The woman’s eyes looked to Atem.

“The throne.”

Atem spent the majority of the day with his generals, ensuring everything was as it should be. He went over attack and defense strategies, food stock and how long it would last, the state of weapons, and more. As the sun began to dip into the west, the pharaoh went to find Y/n. He wanted to talk to her, not about anything in particular, he just wanted to talk to her. It didn’t take him long to find her. After only a few minutes, he found her in her chambers. She was sitting on the edge of her bed, her face pensive.

“Y/n.” She looked up and gave a small, tired smile.

“Atem. What can I do for you?” The king smiled.

“I just wanted to… check in on you.” The woman gave a humourless laugh and patted the spot next to her.

“That seems like something I should be doing to you.” Atem laughed and sat beside her.
“What are you thinking about?” Y/n grew somber.

“I just… I’ve been thinking about those children…”

“The ones from the village?” She nodded. Atem placed a gentle hand on her lower back. He realized how she always seemed so strong and sure of herself in front of him and the public. Never had he seen her like this. Was this what she was really like when she was alone? Unsure? Scared? Angry? The king felt his heart strings pull. The sight of his Y/n in such a state made his chest ache. Without thinking, he wrapped his arm around her and pulled her close.

Y/n laid her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes. The entire time she was in the meeting, tears and sobs threatened to show. She had managed to hold them back and stand tall. Ever since she had arrived to Egypt, which seemed forever ago, she had vowed to protect the beautiful country, it’s people, and Atem. It’s funny, she barely thought of where she had been before she arrived in this wonderful place. In fact, now that she thought about it, she couldn’t even remember where she had been before she was in Egypt. Being there just felt so… right, as if she was meant to be there.

As she finally felt the tears she had been holding all day fall, she felt safe in the arms of the pharaoh. She always felt better around him. It was funny how right it felt to talk to him, to laugh with him. When she was with him, everything felt natural, everything felt right. Even at that moment, when danger and death threatened everything she loved and cared about, while she sat there as he held her while she cried, for the short time being everything seemed alright. Everything felt right.

The couple stayed like that, even after her tears had stopped. Silence settled gently on them, but it was a comfortable one. Nothing needed to be spoken. Everything that needed to be said was done so through their actions. Sitting there with his arm wrapped securely around her and her head resting in the crook of his neck, the two felt it. That connection they shared, that something that had drawn them to each other, that magical bond between two souls was that only kindred spirits shared. It was a connection, a bond between two souls that were perfectly matched, that were meant to be.

Atem bowed his head, resting his lips upon the top of her head. The perfection of that moment was indescribable. This was it. This was his time. This was when he was to tell her. He lightly chewed on his bottom lip. He really didn’t want the moment to end. Who knows when this sort of thing would happen again? It may never… Which was all the more reason to tell her then. The young king took a deep breath. “Y/n,” murmured softly.

“Hmm?” She raised her head from his neck to look at him. His breath hitched in his throat when her eyes locked with his.

“I...I need to tell you something…” His voice was quiet, barely above a whisper.

“What is it?” she asked, just as softly. Atem opened his mouth with a breath. It was now or never…

“I-” The door to her chambers slammed open, revealing Jounou.

“Your greatness, you are needed immediately.” Y/n stood up, sensing the urgency.

“What is it?”

“A man was just caught outside the palace. He’s Aknerah’s right hand man.” Her eyes widened.

“Take me to him.” As she followed the head guard out of the room, Atem sunk forward, his hands on his face. Was it just not meant to be?

Jounou lead the warrior outside where two guards had a man on his knees. She nodded to Jounou, who motioned for them to back off. The guards did so, bowing as she passed them. She approached the man, who was smirking up at her. “So you’re the rumoured goddess who’s protecting that sad excuse for a king.” Y/n’s eyes flashed in anger. “Who are you?"

“My name’s Hakah and I serve the true king of Egypt.” Her eyes narrowed.

“There is only one king,” she said firmly, “and it is not the man you serve.” Hakah only laughed.

“I know what you want and I’m not going to give it to you. You can torture me all you like, reason with me all you want, I’m not going to tell you what you want to hear. Aknerah has ensured we do not crack under any pressure, no matter the circumstances. You might as well just kill me.” At those words, the warrior whipped out her sword, the metal ringing as she held the point to the base of his throat. As she stared him down, she noticed the abundance of scars and fresh wounds on his skin. Clearly, Aknerah had tortured his men, probably to give them a higher pain tolerance, but she wouldn’t be surprised if the maniac had enjoyed it.

As she gazed into the man’s eyes, she saw no evidence of hesitance. He was completely under the criminal’s spell. Not a spark of fear was to be found, only pride and slight amusement. He was right, he wasn’t going to crack and killing him wouldn’t get her any closer to Aknerah. Y/n removed the tip of her blade from his throat, sheathing it without a word. As she took a step back, Hakah scrambled to his feet. He smirked and gave a condescending laugh. “The rumors were wrong about you, warrior. That precious pharaoh of your has made you turn soft!” The woman said nothing as he sneered. Hakah turned and ran, laughing to himself at his luck. Once he was far out of earshot, but still visible, the Warrior of the Two Lands gave one simple command.

“Follow him.” Behind her, several Egyptian troops emerged from the palace shadows, the horses’ galloping muffled by the soft desert sand. As the soldiers followed the criminal, the now full moon’s light shone down upon the still warrior. A gentle desert wind swept her hair and tunic in a dance with the air. As her hair and dress whirled around her gracefully, she gazed out at the troops receding profiles. Her face was expressionless as the pale moonlight illuminated her figure.

Hakah ran down the tomb steps, still chuckling to himself. When he approached Aknerah, the tall man was quite surprised. He had not expected the man to return alive. Y/n was known for killing all his assassins. “Hakah,” he greeted, his brows raised, “You survived.” The man grinned, bowing.

“Yes, my lord.” Excitement filled Aknerah’s chest.

“Have you succeeded? Is the warrior dead?” Hakah shook his head.

“No, my lord.” The leader’s brows furrowed as he frowned.

“How are you alive?” Hakah grinned once more.

“She’s grown soft, my liege. She could have killed me, but she let me go. The pharaoh has weakened her with his affections.” Although it sounded great, Aknerah couldn’t shake the feeling that something wasn’t right. Could a bloodthirsty, war goddess really be so easily softened? Realization hit him as the sounds of muffled hoofbeats sounded through the sand from above. He grit his teeth in anger.

“You fool!” he snarled, throwing his man to the ground, “You have lead them straight here!” The sound got louder as the troops grew closer. Hakah looked up in fear.

“What shall we do, my lord?” Aknerah bared his teeth and unsheathed his sword. Before Hakah could make another sound, the criminal beheaded him. The sounds of his men being slaughtered could be heard as Aknerah turned on his heel and ventured deeper into the old tomb. It would seem his plans were going to have to happen sooner than he thought. The king’s protector was quite persistent.