War Of Egypt

Chapter 32: Assume The Positions

Sanhir pushed Niuen down the empty city walkway. Her eyes darted in every directon as they ran for the stairs that reached high up into the city walls. The smell of burning wood and desert air filled the atmosphere. Quickly they accended upon the stairs and Sanhir was knocked backwards by Niuen stopping so suddenly on the spot. She grabbed her sword out with a faint metal sound and peered over his right shoulder.
Niuen had stopped at the sight of two of Kha's men, his guards who were seated facing out into the desert. Worry mixed with determination, Niuen brought out his sword and advanced from behind them. It was impressive how the soldier managed to skillfully move towards the guards, as a giant cat stalking it's prey. He was almost upon the first guard when Snahir frantically waved from behind him-stopping him from his actions. Her quick gestures informing him that the guards were fast asleep. And as if to confirm it, a loud deep snore resonated from one of the guards. Niuen slid past him and Sanhir followed suit.
They ventured past the guards and to the side of the city walls where no guards were stationed. Sanhir leaned over the edge and looked down the walls. She moved back and pushed Niuen aside as a metal arrow came spiralling through the air. Beside her, she could feel the shock rippling through Niuen's body, even though his expression seemed impressed. Five more arrows impaled the city walls.
As Niuen looked on, he noticed the gold ropes attached to the arrows-like them-were obviously immortal creation. The gods rarely used normal mortal weapons. The swords, shields and everything they used were crafted for their only use and carried unusual characteristics. Like Sanhir's Amat that flies on it's own-directed by her will-Niuen could see the golden ropes being stressed as the weight of each god tugged on them for support as they climbed the walls. It would not break.
After a few moments, Niuen stood awkwardly amongst the presence of seven extra deities. He recognized immediately the General of Horus's army; a tall broad man with sweeping dark hair that was pushed back constantly by his hand that it created waves in his hair. General, but also known as the god Sebmet. Beside him were two gods who looked as if they were joined at the hip-a boy and a girl. They both wore fierce expressions and were the only ones within the group that carried more than one weapon. Niuen could tell the girl was awfully pretty beneath the warrior attire and toughness. She caught his eyes and looked away.
"Who is he?" Another god glanced at Niuen with interest.
"He knows the city as I do. He can help," Sanhir nodded towards Amiid.
Sebmet dismissed his concerns about the mortal soldier with a wave of his hand. "Good. Then he can lead the way to where Ihy resides." Sebmet then turned to Niuen and patted him over the shoulder. "You do know where the second-in-command of Kha is-right soldier?"
Niuen held out his sword, "of course my lord." Before anyone could say another word, Sebmet split up the group and they went opposite directions. Amiid paired with Nefti, Ihet and Niuen. Sebmet led Sanhir, Ay and Sekpht towards Kha's chambers.

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After swift curves and corridors, Amiid and his group arrived at the western wing of the palace-a very scary looking place. It was obvious the place had been beautiful once but someone had added their own little touch to it. The statues that once stood resembling gods and both significant mortals and immortals were destroyed and in their place stood statues of odd beings-sorceresses and sorcerers. Their faint marble features held superior looks and evil.
Amiid passed one that stood near the open balcony and noted that a type of bird was perched high upon the sorceress's shoulders. A black bird. He turned and kept walking onwards. A door was just looming into their single path.
"Get the Prince," Amiid whispered to the others before he raised his sword and forced the doors to fly open.
Everyone's eyes scanned the room and saw their target-the Prince. Ihy did not seem surprised, in fact it was like he hardly noticed, and instead kept staring out the balcony. Amiid and the others walked into the room and the second most important thing the god noticed was what Ihy was doing, watching the horizon turn brighter.
From the first time they entered the room, Nefti's eyes were only on one person-not moving-and that was Ihy. He was dressed in a clean white knee-long shendyt held together by a gold belt at his waist. Apart from that, he wore no upper body garment except his jewelry. His arms were muscular and as he straightened up, the spinal cord stretched upward against the skin to show off his ridged heavy back muscles. His dark hair was sprawled neatly in every direction. He didn't change one bit, thought Nefti, but his strength seems to be portrayed more on the outside than deep within him like he last was. "Ihy."
"So you finally arrived," murmured Ihy so quietly as he turned to face them. His statement seemed to be directed to Amiid. "And you brought my former love along with...one of my own men." His golden eyes travelled from Amiid and Ihet to Nefti then Niuen. "Traitor."
Amiid knitted his brows together and he gripped his sword and moved towards Ihy, "he is not yours, but Kha's."
"Come with me, Ihy," said Nefti so suddenly. A look of sadness on her face. "You do not belong here-not with Kha."
"Where is Nimir?" He asked ignoring Nefti, who never looked so brutally wounded in her entire life; just from his presence and words.
"Nim..." Nefti trailed off shaking her head and once more her eyes flashed with anger and the fierceness returned. "I came here all this way for you and you call for her? Are you blind? She is gone!"
There was a loud beating of wings and suddenly everyone turned and stared as the bird that Amiid had previously saw flew into the room. It circled the ceiling and when it swooped back down, the feathery image faded to reveal a very dangerous but eerily beautiful woman. Nawete. She stretched out her long delicate fingers and pressed them to her mouth in amused expression.
Very loudly she let out a long cackle before fixing her gaze onto Nefti. "Oh please, goddess...do go on with your lover's quarrel. I do enjoy watching how stupid you gods actually are!"
Nefti was never one to joke so instead of feeling out of place, she went ahead to shout at Ihy. "Can you not see? She toyed with your heart. She. Abandoned. You." The emphasis on the last three words were heavy. She watched as anger flashed over Ihy's eyes and he looked over at the sorceress.
Nawete rolled her eyes, "I cannot imagine the line to the afterlife more boring and plain as this." She nodded. "You may kill them."
Nefti, who was the one standing the closest to Ihy, was suddenly knocked to the other side of the room by Amiid as Ihy drew a dagger from his back and sent it whizzing in her direction. The dagger made an ugly sound as it missed her and instead sunk into the concrete walls. Cracks of crement flew everywhere. Nefti looked up from the ground and drew her sword as she stood back up.
Amiid was already battling Ihy. Their swords clashing against each other very loudly.
Stiffly, Nefti gazed at Ihet, he nodded knowingly, and they both swept their gazes upon Nawete. It was obvious who the real enemy was-the person responsible for turning Ihy into a monster. Without warning, Nefti, changed her target and charged towards a surprised Nawete.
The sorceress yelped in shock and tried to present her sword, but Nefti was too fast for her. The goddess whipped her sword sideways and cut an ugly slash across Nawete's arm. Before she could recover from the blow, Ihet had moved up behind her and struck her from the back. His sword protruding from in between Nawete's shoulder blades. Dark purplish blood trickled down her shoulder as she tried to conceal it. She fell to the ground and looked up to Nefti with a sly smile.
What more is there to laugh about? Nefti looked back at her lowering her sword, you will not smile when I run my sword entirely through your body.
"Nefti?" It took a while for her to realize it was Amiid calling to her and that he was no longer fighting. She nodded to Ihet and he lifted his sword to Nawete's neckline. Nefti turned to Amiid and shock rippled through her. Behind him, Ihy was looking at the identical slash across his arm and gold trickled down his shoulder blades. She gasped.
"That is right, you fools! You just did not think about how closely bound I am to Ihy. If you kill me, he dies. If you wound me, he shall feel your sword's sting. But do not think he can sacrifice a life to kill me. If you kill him directly, I will not die, for it is I that he is bound to, not him to me."
"Nice speech, was it rehearsed?" Ihet gave her a smug look. She hissed back and he pushed the sword further against her skin. Suddenly they were aware she was speaking again-but not directly at them.
"You can see for yourself, that they do not love you. Even like this," Nawete hissed as she forced her neck against Ihet's sword. "I can see they do not want you. Think of your family, they do not care or else why would it take a longer time to dispatch someone to save you. In fact, they could have come to kill you and take Ametis instead. Kill them all."
Amiid turned back to look at Ihy but it was too late. Ihy drew his sword forward and plunged it into the side of Amiid's waistline. He pulled out the blade, grabbed a hold onto Amiid and threw him aside where he collided into a stone-cold grey column.
Niuen advanced, sword in hand, and managed to swiftly duck as Ihy swung his sword overhead. Niuen skidded under the god's towering form, transfered his sword to his other free hand, and got to his feet.
Ihy turned around to face him and as he did so, Niuen lunged at him.
As Nefti prepared herself to dive in, she saw Ihet jump into the fight himself. Swiftly she glanced back at Nawete and forced her to her knees with her sword positioned upon her heart. She was truly angry and the sight of the smug sorceress was not going to make it any better. Nawete winched as Nefti clasped her free hand around her throat. "You have angered me, sorceress and I do not like it."
Nawete only grinned further, "kill me and see your god be claimed by darkness."
A loud sigh came from Nefti, "you see them fighting with him and how they try their best to not overly harm him. Well, I have a different approach-thanks to you and everyone." She continued to talk to Nawete in angry whispering tones, "you see I do not care if he dies. So if you are to die and him with you, it would be my honor to assist you. He has caused me much grief, Prince of Egypt or not, he will die at my hands."
Apparently this was not what Nawete expected. The smug look and grin faded from her face as she stared at the scene before her of the two gods and mortal fighting. Amiid lay off wounded to the side.
"I might let that be second best, if you tell me how I might severe the bond and save him," muttered Nefti against Nawete's ear.
"You try to fool me," frowned Nawete, her eyes darkening as she compared the two different statements. She was not a fan of liars. Nefti in response tightened her grip around Nawete's neck and looked on with burning eyes as Ihy fought Amiid, Niuen and Ihet single-handedly. Literally.
As he skillfully fought off the gods, he did so with his right hand while his left was clutching at his neck. The invisible pain he felt as Nefti slowly strangled Nawete from across the room.
Amiid noted the oddness and turned to see Nefti, "do not harm him!" He shouted distractedly over his shoulder, only to turn back and have Niuen slam into him after bring thrown backwards by Ihy.
"Die sorceress!" Nefti lifted her sword.
As she brought it down, there was a blinding flash of white soft light that poured through the chamber and the columns rattled as the light suffocated the entire room. Then the drapes fell off as a figure flew into the room in a thundering whirlwind.
"Niuen! Shield your eyes," shouted Amiid as he recognized the goddess in her godly form.
Niuen grabbed his sword, fell towards the floor and as instructed, he shielded his face away from the goddess.
Nefti growled and pulled Nawete to her feet, she held out her sword at the ready to strike down the sorceress. The goddess hovered over them, her huge white wings knocking the colums to the ground. Unlike her fellow deities who morphed into solid gold form, the goddess was white and silver from head to toe. Her form looking somewhat like a live statue built from glass and pale cement. A moon goddess. They stared as the goddess swept her light across the chamber and knocked Ihy and Nawate down.
Nefti held the fallen sorceress down and looked at the goddess, "you came!"
"Of course, you need me. He needs me," the goddess pointed to Ihy. Even through her supernova form, she looked down curiously at a broken pillar. "What is that?"
Amiid stood and cleared his throat, "he is a mortal. We could not morph with him here."
"Take him outside, Ihet," said Nimir.
Ihet ran over and helped up Niuen to his feet and they both disappeared outside.
By then the sorceress had regained consciousness and was struggling under Nefti's hands. Nefti yanked her to her feet and brought her to Ihy's side. Up in the air Nimir lowered her wings and approached the gods.
She walked over and grabbed both Ihy's hands and Nawete's. Her grip on Nawete was like a snake's compared to the soft touch she administered to Ihy. Nawete growled at her.
"Ma'k len ai (you bitch)," Nimir glowered into Nawete's face with her white eyes. "I hope you rot in the Underworld." And with that she blasted a wave of silver light that tore into Nawete and curled around Ihy. She held his hand as the strands of light seeped into him.
Nawete's tortured screams filled the chamber.

Hahahaha. I my friend/neighbor made up that piece of 'ancient language'. Hope you enjoyyyyyed.

-Love L