Ahkmenrah: The Fourth King of the Fourth Kings

Chapter 30: Man, Woman and Child

Kain chuckled "I would never give you up for the whole world."

Nailah's beaming face suddenly turned into that of sadness.

"What if the war happens and you don't come out of it alive?"

The though struck him to the core. His eyes clouded over. He breathing came out heavily.

"Then promise me you will continue to live. Life is the most important gift that we have, without it there would be nothing. Do not throw it away for me."

"I won't. I promise."

"Besides I think Pretty Boy has a thing for Sabra."

Nailah smiled sweetly.

"Are you jealous Kain?"

Kain grinned jokingly "Just a bit"

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"But that's stupid! A king needs lead his people! Not cower behind them," shouted Ahkmenrah.

Kahmunrah was explaining the traditional art of warfare used by their ancestors. He had just told Ahkmenrah that the king usually stays behind while the army advances. In all honesty Kahmunrah thought it was pretty stupid too. It was going to be the first thing he was going to change when he became king. But that didn't exactly happen.

Ahkmenrah seemed to sense this too. So he became silent.

"You're the King Ahk" said Kahmunrah quietly "You can change it."

"Kahmun. Do you think there will be any war?"

"I honestly do not know Ahk, but if this Sargon has a sense of honor. He will not attack first."

Ahkmenrah nodded. Hopefully that will be exactly what happens.

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It was sundown now. Hurin looked at the city of Ineb-Hedg. It really was a gem. It would be a wondrous jewel on the crown of Sumer.

He replayed Sargon's orders in his head.

A man. A woman and a child.

He looked around. A fine city. With fine men, children and especially fine women.

He prayed to the gods. Let my men choose the ones that mean a lot to the king.

He turned to his crew.

"Find one man, one child and a woman." Then he had another idea to make the Pharaoh suffer more. "Injure them fatally. Do what you want to the woman. I do not care. But make sure they are alive by the time they reach the King."

The three men in his crew dressed as Arabians in flowing robes and turbans saluted Hurin and started making their way into the city.

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The atrocities committed by these three men would become a void of sins if I wrote them down in detail so I shall explain rather briefly.

The man had been tortured and beaten, then fatally injured. The woman had been brutally beaten then raped. The child had to watch this all unfold before him in the dark alleyway before he too was given a fatal injury.

The screams of these people had alarmed villagers. Who came rushing to see what this commotion was all about. They saw the still-alive naked bruised bloodied bodies of a man woman and a child. A collective gasp shared by all of them rang out through Ineb-Hedg then came the wails and angry cries of the villagers.

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Ahkmenrah woke up from these faint but passionately angry cries. So did Kahmunrah.