"Yes, I believe we do. Who are you, and how did you come here?" I asked seriously.
"Well, Moses...my name is Rani, and I'm here to help. These are my sisters and cousin--Krishna, Kimiya, Jamie and Mei." The first little girl said. "I got your name just by God saying it." she seemed to know my next question about knowing my name.
"We were at that burning bush. We saw you, but you didn't see us. We stowed away after that, sir. You didn't notice that we did, but it happened." Jamie said.
"How old are you, if you don't mind me asking?" I asked.
"Krishna, Kim and I are seven, and Mei just turned eight. Jamie's thirteen." Rani explained.
"You girls should know that what I'm doing here is dangerous, and you really shouldn't be here alone." I pointed out somewhat sternly.
"Well, technically, we're not alone. We're with you, and you're an adult." Rani pointed out.
I sighed. She did have a point there.
"She's right, sir. Even before we came to you, we were in a group." Mei added.
"What's up with that guy that just walked out and punished the slaves? He have it in for you?" Krishna wondered before I was about to ask something else.
"Somewhat...Yes...God did say at the burning bush that Pharaoh wouldn't listen to me. It's just happened, and he's already told me he won't let them go." I said.
"That tough, huh? LEMME AT HIM." Krishna's temper flared.
"I-it's not that simple, Krishna. Nothing about this is." I said in protest.
"Why?" Jamie asked with Mei.
"Well...for one thing, the Pharaoh is my brother...my adopted brother." I said.
"Yikes! That makes things so much harder, doesn't it?!" Rani gasped in shock.
I nodded.
"WHAT?! THAT PINHEAD IS YOUR BROTHER?!!" Krishna bellowed.
"Well he certainly didn't act very brotherly to me!" Jamie said.
Mei and Kimiya nodded in agreement.
"Again, it's not that simple." I said. "You think I want to confront him? You think I want to be his enemy? I don't, in fact that's the last thing I want, is to have Rameses as my enemy, but I have no choice. My people have to be set free." I pointed out.
"I bet you had a bond with him, didn't you?" Rani said after listening to my explanation.
"I did. For a very long time. I never thought it'd be like this. So I have to press on." I said sadly.
"Maybe we can help," Jamie offered.
"You can help by finding your parents first." I said. "Like I said, the situation is already dangerous, and you're not safe from Rameses' wrath."
"You said so yourself that we shouldn't be alone. Maybe if you can look for our parents with us, we'll get out of your hair once we find them." Krishna said. "But we will step in if need be. There's more to us than you think you know, dude."
"I'll hold you to that promise. Traveling by yourselves isn't a good idea, anyway. Until we find your parents, just stay by me, and my wife, Tzipporah." I instructed as we left the throne room, and out into the open air full of heat and dryness, where we met up with Tzipporah, and told her everything.
Out of all five girls present, Rani and Mei were the only girls who did not meet my wife until we left the palace. The girls all giggled when Tzipporah told them how she and I first met. Everyone except Krishna fawned over how we both fell in love.
"It's Moses," I heard an old man grumble and then--
A ball of mud hit me in the face. I lost my balance and fell into another pile of mud face first.
"OH NO!!" I heard Rani cry.
"Moses!" Tzipporah called out, coming to my aid.
"Sir, are you okay?!" Jamie sidled up to me.
"ALL RIGHT, WHO DID THAT?!" Krishna demanded.
"Krishna, focus! Help us get Moses up!" Kimiya said, just as I was getting my bearings.
"Got it!" Krishna's temper died down and she helped.
"You're gonna be okay, Moses!" Mei said.
"Wow, that was one hard fall. You okay?" Krishna said.
"So, Moses...how does it feel when you get struck to the ground?"
I looked up from my kneeled position. Aaron was there all right, and he was angry, and rightfully so.
"I didn't mean to cause you more pain. I'm just trying to do as God told me." I explained honestly.
"'God'? When did God start caring about any of us?" Aaron huffed.
I hung my head.
"In fact, Moses, when did you start caring about slaves? Was it when you found out that you were one of us?" Aaron demanded.
"Who do you think you are?! He's TRYING TO HELP! YOU WANNA PICK A FIGHT?!" Krishna snarled at Aaron.
"Don't listen to him!" Tzipporah agreed with Krishna.
"No, he's...he's right." I said, looking down in shame.
"Huh?" Krishna looked confused.
"I didn't see because I did not wish to see." I confessed, still looking down.
"You didn't see because you didn't...wish to see? Ahhh! Well, that makes everything fine, then, doesn't it?" Aaron said until he was met by the glares of--
"Aaron! You shame yourself."
"I thought you would have known better by now!"
Joshua?! He had come back after all, and perhaps he could help me find the parents of Rani and her group. His lean and lank frame never changed. His hair had fallen perfectly to his shoulders. His beard was neatly clipped. With him was his partner, tall, pale, lean and athletic, brown haired, brown eyed, Victor, who regarded Aaron with a disapproving frown.
"Oy! Yer oughta be nice ter yer brother, eh?"
Another voice said, and from the looks of him, his skin was pale, his eyes were odd, his hair was messy with one huge white wispy stripe on the right side of his head. He wore a black robe, and clipped to his belt, it looked to be a knife of some sort. With him was a lady, also pale, with svelte features, hair in two messy buns, and a red robe.
"Wait, what?! This guy is Moses' brother?!" Mei gaped.
"He certainly didn't act like one!" Rani wrinkled her nose.
"He has two brothers?! One adopted and one real?!" Krishna looked absolutely confused.
I wasn't paying attention. All I could see was my oldest sister, Miriam, my mind full of regret, looking back at what I had done to her all those years ago when I was a Prince...when she had told me the truth about my origins, and I had denied it.
"Miriam."
She gave me a gentle smile.
"I'm so sorry," I said sadly, and buried my face into my hand in shame.
I heard movement coming closer.
"Moses, hear what I say. I've been a slave all my life, and God has never answered my prayers until now." I heard Miriam say.
I felt her gentle touch cupping my chin, and lifting my face so I could see her.
"God saved you from the river. He saved you in all your wanderings and even now, he saves you from the wrath of Pharaoh. God will not abandon you, so don't you abandon us." Miriam then joined me, the girls, and Tzipporah where we were.
"And we will be with you, no matter what, Moses." Joshua said, coming and joining. "It's so good to see you again, old friend."
Miriam's words, and Joshua's, made me feel better, and able to face the angry and mistrustful stares my people gave me. I stood up, staff in my hand, and looked beyond them and to the river where a sail barge was rowing across.
Rameses.
I walked out of the mud pit, and to the river, determined to try again. This time, I would not back down. I broke into a run, to the banks and stopped there.
"RAMESES!" I yelled so they could hear me.
I could see him and the others on the barge stop what they were doing.
"LET MY PEOPLE GO!" I roared.
I had done it. I remembered at the burning bush that I heard my own voice shouting that phrase, and God had told me that He would teach me what to say to Rameses.
"HEY! PHARAOH!!! WE ARE DONE PLAYING GAMES! DO AS HE SAYS!!!"
Rani had somehow caught up with me, and yelled at Rameses.
"Still gnawing away on that bone, are we?" Rameses sounded bored. "Carry on." He told the rowers.
I moved along the shoreline, Rani with me. Her sisters and cousin were all coming down to meet me there.
"LET THEM GO, OR YOU'LL END UP PAYING FOR IT!" Jamie shouted.
"You cannot keep ignoring us!" I warned.
"Enough! I will hear no more of this Hebrew nonsense." Rameses snapped back. "Bring him to me." He instructed the guards.
"Moses!"
"No!"
"Oh, no!"
Rani suddenly leapt in front of me, and held her necklace in her little hand.
"SCEPTER!!! I CALL UPON YOU! RELEASE!!" she shouted to the skies, and at once, the necklace glowed, and transformed into a Scepter--the same one that Joshua had! But this one was different... it had rainbow tinted coating from the tip to the bottom.
"He's ASKING FOR A FIGHT! SWORD OF THE PRIDELANDS, HEED MY CALL!" Krishna called, and her necklace transformed into a sword.
"QUARTERSTAFF TO THE PRIDELANDS, COME TO ME!"
"BOW AND ARROW, RELEASE!"
"SLINGHOT, I SUMMON THEE!"
"Sword of Saint Michael, go!"
I watched as Kimiya, Mei, Jamie, and even the guy that was supposed to be Ben summon their items. I gaped in shock as I remembered that Krishna said that there was more to Rani and her siblings than I thought I knew.
"Don't worry Moses! We'll protect you!" Rani promised, her Scepter glowing.
I looked up into the heavens, just as Jethro had taught me all those years ago.
"Take the staff in your hand, Moses," God gently instructed.
Rani, and the girls all apparently heard, and transformed their items back into necklaces, knowing that I had it handled.
"You might want to get out of the water." I told them.
Rani nodded, and got out with Jamie, Mei and Kimiya.
"Why's that?" Krishna wondered.
I lowered the staff into the water, and immediately blood streamed from the staff and spread into the river, turning it blood red.
"EWWWW!!! YUCK! POINT TAKEN!" Krishna yelped and got out.
Pretty soon, the entire river was red. I saw Rameses' son dip his little hand in the river.
"Father?" He looked confused and frightened.
"It's..." Miriam realized. She, Tzipporah, Aaron, Joshua, Victor, "Ben", the lady with him, all looked shocked.
"BLOOD!"