Chapter 1 rewrite:
The surface of the ground was rocky and apparently very hard to walk upon when you set your foot on it. I looked up, and drew a line across the map I had survyed for myself. Khafnuria's wide deserts betrayed its marvellous creation. Vegetation barely existed from what I glanced. All rock and sand. The sky was a hard blue, offering no rain whatsoever. Yet the people of this small village that lay next to me had been living here for thousands of years. The small town of Ka-naf was bustling with soliders drinking to their hearts content. The poor people grumbled a lot about the climate, but they could rest assured that there was an oasis nearby. It was the gift of their Gods for worshipping them for a thousand years to come. It had been three years since I had set sail from Pandia, my homeland. And yet here I was, advising the most powerful general in the entire empire of Khafnuria. Ramesses.
I heard the scuffling of feet. Looking up, I saw Ramesses sitting down beside me. His make-up was becoming too heavy on him. He smiled. 'Vajendra. I see you're marking a map. You know we don't need those things.'
I scoffed. Of course, he did. Khafnuria may have been his land, but not every Khafnurian knew the crooks and corner of their own land. 'General, I must draw out the maps. Besides that we won't know where we're going.'
'The guides will help us.'
I sighed. Of course they did.
Ramesses chuckled. 'I know you're young. At this age you'll be wanting to help all you can. But learn to exercise caution. You must know when to apply your talent and when not too.' He said, looking up to see a star shooting in the sky. 'Do you miss your homeland?'
I did. It had been three years since my exile. My Guru was shocked to see me posses the four traits of human ignornance. He had told me that until I didn't conquer this, Vishaputra would be closed to me. Then again, he had raised me as a son in his old Ashram. I had become far too native now in Khafnuria, for I was still struggling to understand this country. It was beautiful as the sun, bizzare in the legends of its gods, and deceptive for the traveller. 'Yes. You already know the story General.'
Ramesses whistled slowly. 'A young priest like you was sent on a journey to conquer your arrogance. It is no different from the priests of our temples. The priests of Wesretkau are known for their spirital journeys. They are men I respect. And tommorow, we will have crushed Nahakara's small rebellion.'
I gulped. 'General, with all due respect, it isn't wise to under-estimate the man that could defeat us. He has a chance.'
Ramesses found a small scorpion walking towards him. He picked him up. 'You see this scorpion Vajendra?' I nodded. He let the scorpion walk around him. 'You find this scorpion every day in the desert. They are not harmful if they pick you. Consider it a blessing. Until you meet a scorpion that's as giant as your army, consider yourself to be praying for the Gods forever. Scorpions are a very particular bunch of beings. They're incredibly lazy, yet very intelligent. Ants can eat them, but not when there is a horde of Scorpions huddled together.' The scorpion kept moving around Ramesses. I was amazed at how calm he was. The scorpion walked from his chest, down to his legs and then looked up. It spoke. 'Who are you? Great man?' It spoke with the voice of a child. I put my map down, and rubbed my eyes. In my homeland, animals spoke. But only when they wanted too.
Ramesses chuckled. 'You are a small scorpion having travelled across thousands of miles. I am Ramesses, great general of this land. Where is your mother?'
The scorpion let out a small whimper. 'I have been finding her for days. Yet I struggle. She has disappered entirely. I feel I will be eaten by snakes or ants. There are more predators out there in the desert.'
Ramesses replied. 'I can protect you. You need only join me.' He let out his hand. The scorpion moved back, trembling. 'Don't crush me!' It shouted.
Ramesses laughed. 'Of course I won't.' I feared he would do that. But instantly, the scorpion climbed upon to his lap. 'Sleep.' He commanded. He turned to me. 'Humans are savages, Vajendra. You'll know that as a priest. But I am only a savage when I choose to be.'
The small scorpion slept like a baby in his lap. Another one of the bizzare things I learned about this land. Apparently one of their Gods had exploded the entire universe through his magnficient weapon. Moving on, I smiled. I saw a snake coming. I moved back. If its one thing about snakes, you always respect. I folded my hands but the snake ignored me. Instead it went to Ramesses. It arched its back, becoming bigger and bigger until its entire body over-shadowed us. I was quaking in fear. This was no ordinary snake. It was a Cobra. Ramesses patted my back. 'Don't feel nervous.'
It was remarkably ironic that this General wasn't aware of the fact that the snake's pink jaws were open, saliva running through its mouth.
The Snake hissed. 'I want that scorpion. It is a rare breed. One of the finest delicaies around the desert. Give it to me.'
Ramesses shook his head. 'No. You won't get it.'
The Snake chuckled. 'Do you really think you can stand against me? You wouldn't want a fight, now would you?'
Ramesses laughed back. 'I am Ramesses of Khafnuria, conquerer of the world, defender of the Mighty Kas. Who are you stop to me, evil spirit?'
The Snake growled, shutting its jaws. 'I have heard of you. You are the one that exiled the Sea Peoples back to their shores. I mean no dis-respect to you, great general.' The growl became fiercer. 'And I have no quarrel with you.' The snake thrashed me with its tail, and grabbed me. I struggled to hold him back, his grip becoming tighter around my neck. 'But it is imperative that you understand that I will eat your friend here, with no hesitation.' He shouted.
Ramesses replied with the intensity of an idiot. 'Go ahead.'
'What?' I said.
Even the snake was in agreement. 'What do you mean? Give me the scorpion!'
Ramesses shook his head again. Dear Bhagvan, I was getting fed up of his hesitance. 'You won't eat him. You want the scorpion? Tell me where his mother is.'
The Snake's eyes glowed. 'And why would I tell you that?'
'Because you've been searching for him haven't you? There is no coincidence here. Instead I will give you something much better. A secret that I know.'
The Snake hadn't released me yet. I couldn't curse snakes even if I wanted too. My entire culture worshipped them! I'd need to get a friend from the Kingdom of the Naga's to help me out one day. 'Mahadeva help me,' I croaked.
'And what secret is that?'
Ramesses leaned in. 'I know a temple of snakes. A temple where a Queen named Patra rules. There is the divine bath of milk. I know all snakes love that area. Why? Because it was Sekhempahty, the divine incarnation of Horus, the Lord of the Two Lands that created it. All snakes that go there are blessed in the afterlife.'
The Snake hissed. 'That is a lie! I have searched far and wide like every snake that has been created, or born into existance! No such thing exists!'
A wide grin spread on Ramesses's face. 'And yet, do you not wander for it every day of your life? All snakes desire it once they get old...'
I spoke. 'See the bigger picture...' every word of mine getting disgruntled. In truth, I could have freed myself. But I would not let the baby scorpion lose its life. I could see the future for I was a priest. Except, not many people recognised me as one. I was entirely foreign as the next traveller from any other empire. Ramesses was right. You needed to know where to apply your talents. The Snake looked at me, and then released me. I fell to the ground, croaking. Ramesses sat there, glaring intently at the snake.
The Snake turned to me. 'You.' He said, moving smoothly within the sand, his eyes turning golden. His face came right in front of me. 'You showed no fear. Only restraint. Most Khafnurians are dead by the time I am done with them. I spare none. Yet you seem to be associated with snakes. I saw a man in my vision, a handsome well built man. That had the look of a nomad and a great beard, and a mighty snake far higher than me. What are you?'
Ramesses replied. 'He's from Vishaputra.'
The Snake turned on him. 'I desire to seek this knowledge from him.'
'Do you want the secret to the Temple?'
The Snake stopped, pausing. It considered what Ramesses's offer was. And then it spoke. 'What do you want in return?'
Ramesses arose, gently putting the baby scorpion down. 'You will not touch this scorpion by the breath of my hair. I am endowed by the Gods, and one day by the will of Sobek, I will be Pharoah of this land. Help me defeat Nahakasha, and I will give you the location of the temple.'
The Snake balked. 'Nahakasha? That bastard destroyed the Kingdom of Snakes! He has long gone from this world.'
'Yet he has returned. Defeat his troops for me in battle. And I will reward you. A fine delicacy will only satisfy you in the short term. What I offer is a much greater gurantee on return.'
The Snake hissed. 'Very well.' A swirling of dust appeared, and the snake disappered. Ramesses helped me get up, and made me sit back down again. 'You must be seething with rage right now.'
Of course I bloody was. 'You didn't help me-'
'You know the future, Rishi. You can also determine my future as well.'
How I hated it when people used me for their own devices. 'You have thousands of priests in this for-saken empire. Why me?'
'Because you know all the Gods.'
'That was a blessing that Lord Mahadeva gave me. He is the God of destruction of all evil.'
Ramesses turned his face to me. 'Then he gave you an excellent blessing. My only aim is to keep Khafnuria safe. I wish to be Pharoah.'
'And you'll use me.'
Ramesses frowned. 'No. Like you said, there are thousands of priests that will help me. But the pharoah Tutenka is a tyrant. I only serve him in preserving the Empire. Not to help him. He cowered when he heard of Nahakasha's name. How ironic, that he is a descendent of the first Pharoah that drove the cursed tryant from his throne. Nahakasha was thousands of years old. And now Tutenka suppresses the people. For him, giving me a red horse is far more important, and the people should starve because of it!' He tightened his fist. 'I will not accept this injustice. Never.'
I smiled slowly. 'Help you become Pharoah...after saving the life of a baby scorpion in exchange for my life.'
Ramesses took the scorpion in his hand, and stuffed it slowly in a bag I had not seen before. It was glowing. He smiled back. 'The gift of the Gods. I am taking him to the Temple of Kaf-nu. The Head-Priest shall take care of him.'
He turned and moved away.
I wondered whether to help him or not.
****
Ramesses had invited me the next day to the Temple of Dakkha-Debhod. It was unlike any temple I had seen in my life. It was located deep in the caverns of Kaf-nu. Three large pryamids stood in the center, raidiating energy from the ship of the Gods that towered above it. The Khafnurians worshipped it every day. And the temple was not constructed by human hands. As I had walked around the temple, the buildings arose themselves from the ground. It was a holy place. There were stairs leading crossways into a multi-storied temple. Rumors were that the Lord of the Two Lands lived here. Only the most richest of Khafnuria's nobility could come here. It was a pilgramage to see the Great God every year.
Here I was, watching the devotees praying to the eagle beaked shrine of the Lord of the Two Lands. The hieroglyphs of his destiny was pictued across the walls. He was the one that had defeated Setha, the ambitious God that wanted to rule Khafnuria. Apparently it had not ended. His rivarly with his father, Raan had caused the mess with Nahakasha in the first place. Ramesses came up to me. 'I must say, you're an excellent observer of our rituals.'
I replied back, 'Its very much like our own temples.'
Ramesses nodded. 'Indeed. But there is a pressing matter at hand. Come.' He led me into a secret passageway, as guards around us made way. We descended down a flight of stairs to see a golden stature of the Lord of the Two Lands extending forever. The ground itself was pink with purple grass. Dew and mists surrounded us. The sky had turned into a galaxy of colours that I could not describe. And the water was a dark purple, emerging into a swamp. The guards behind did not follow. Only Ramesses kept me walking towards the shrine. And there for the first time, I saw him.
The Lord of the Two Lands. To an untrained eye, he seemed unrealistic, as if plucked from magic hair. Yet his head was the shape of an eagle, and the eyes were golden, glowing. His beak was not black, but blue with marble gold. He held an golden Ankh staff. The symbol of life. He turned to Ramesses. 'You come on very short notice, Ramesses.' His voice became sterner.
Ramesses bowed. 'Lord of the Two lands, O God of Kings, I call you, for your true name is Heru-sa-Aset. Forgive me, I had wanted to introduce you to a friend who I think can help us in defeating Nahakasha.'
Heru-sa-Aset turned to me. 'I know of your reputation. It was Lord Mahadeva that had blessed you with the skills of a thousand diplomats. Your tounge is smooth, and you come from a great line of priests and sages. Know this. You will not master everything here. Your master exiled you from your homeland to get rid of your first sin. Greed. Helping my devotee will eventually rid of your desire for human greediness. You must transcend into goldy greediness if you are to unlock the secrets of the universe.'
I bowed. 'Thank you, Lord of the Two Lands.'
Heru-sa-Aset clicked his tounge. 'You have gathered your army here Ramesses, but Nahakasha is not coming for you.'
Ramesses looked up. 'What do you mean?'
'He has only revived himself now for four weeks. It took you less than two weeks to gather an army. You have had difficulty in locating him. Do not fall prey to him. Do you know where he is?'
'Where?'
'He has destroyed the afterlife once more. The souls of the dead are crossing into the real world again. He has offered those that preferred his regin, eternal immortality. Anubis can hold him back for only so long. Raan is refusing to listen as he is. He is besieging Aaru right now as we speak.'
'Let me lead-'
Heru-sa-Aset raised his hand. 'No. Time will pause in your reality for now. The world will continue as it is. You must take an army of heavenly soliders to defeat him. You will pass through deserts and mountains. Know this. Nahakasha will come into the real world when he gets a chance. And now...let us test whether you are truly worthy of my blessing.'
The ugly screeched echoed into my ears. The world changed, and we stood on a plain of grass with trees surrounding us. The beast came towards us. It possessed the body of a flexible leopard, while its head was the shape of a snake. Ramesses found himself holding a spear that glowed with the power of the Gods. I felt something in my hands too. A bow. A foreign bow which I was not used too. An arrow formed in my hands, glowing.
I looked at Ramesses. 'What is this creature?' The creature looked at us and hissed.
Ramesses. 'You'd better shoot now Vajendra, or else we're dead meat!'
The beast ran.
30 paces.
20 paces.
10 paces.
I fired.
The arrow sprung from my hands, hurtling into the air. It landed onto the ground, producing a seismic shock. The beast jumped into the air, landing harshly onto the ground. Yet again, it kept coming back. Every time my arrow fired, it kept coming back. The signs of blood were pouring through his body. But it didn't deter him. Ramesses ran forward, hurtling his spear. The spear sliced through the neck of the nefarious beast, blood gorging out of its body. It collapsed.
It was only until I realized something bigger was standing behind in front of me. Ramesses yelled. I turned to see a three headed dog, bigger than me. Its eyes flashed with the fury of a thousand souls, fire burning. Jagged teeth that could break a human skull, and three toungs whose saliva was touching down upon me. It was a creature I had read somewhere. There were many like this, but this one was the hound of the underworld of Hades. I raised my bow. This creature would die if it wanted to eat me.
I stretched my bow. Ramesses charged.