Ahkmenrah: The Fourth King of the Fourth Kings

Chapter 53: Life and Death

"Couldn't sleep?" asked Sabaf in a low voice so not to wake up the two new recruits. Ahkmenrah nodded in response. "Nightmares?" asked Sabaf.

"No more like good dreams"

Sabaf cocked his head to the side. Then he realised. Good dreams at a bad time can haunt you in a way nightmares can't.

"Do you know what happened to Kahmunrah?" asked Sabaf.

Ahkmenrah shrugged, not wanting to express that the source of his grief lay in that very question.

"Wherever he is...he probably is doing brave things...its what he does best." Despite trying to hide his emotions grief was evident in his every word.

"You miss him don't you?"

"Is it that obvious?

"Ahk, the whole of Egypt literally watched you grow up together. How can I not know? Besides I've known you for over ten years."

Ahkmenrah sighed and looked out the window. "How do you think Ismara is faring?"

Sabaf paused "She is deathly ill" he said obviously not wanting to reveal her condition "I doubt they would have harmed her."

"She's ill? How come? How did I not hear?"

"She didn't want people to fuss over her. She's always hated that."

"What happened though?"

"We do not know...look Ahk it doesn't matter anymore. We're on the losing side. We are going to die any day."

"How can you be so hopeless?" asked Ahkmenrah. "We could still win this."

If only the rain would come. He added in his mind.

Sabaf only gave him an ironic smile "How can you be so hopeful?"

Ahkmenrah shrugged "Kahmunrah says it is an annoying trait of mine."

"Where he creates wrath you create hope. Wrath and hope together can be quite powerful. Yet it's a miracle you two get a long. You are the complete opposites."

Another sad smile emerged from his features and he shrugged and looked out the window. The sun was emerging from horizon. He grimaced. Ra was supposed to be his Patron god, the one who was to protect him. But all the accursed sun had done was bring them suffering.

But the sun was rising that meant the guards were coming soon. They had had the day off yesterday, which came as a surprise. They hardly had days off. For some reason Ahkmenrah had a bad feeling about the day to come. He couldn't quite place it, but he knew he was right.

Sure enough the guards came. Normally they never came in the huts. This increased Ahkmenrah sense of foreboding.

The guard's expressions were naught. He could decipher no emotion from them. One of the guards gestured towards Ahkmenrah and Sabaf as...and...woke up.

"You two!" he said. "We have special orders for you."

Special Orders? This couldn't be good...

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Thirst.

The one thing he could register. But if the 'king'...couldn't even get a decent amount of water a day (for he had heard the guards complain about it) how can he expect even a droplet of water. He had heard, the fields had dried up, cattle had died and the Nile was getting smaller and smaller by the day. Kahmunrah could barely support himself now. He had lost much blood, water and nutrients in the two days they had kept him, he hurt from everywhere. He felt slightly ashamed in this thought but he was glad they had spared his manhood. Sometimes people aren't that generous.