I Remember {MJ FANFICTION}

Chapter 7

I hadn't opened my mouth to speak in days.

I refused to drink or eat a morsel and instead I walked onward in complete silence, forced to continue by my captors. Angry, with my mind marred by visions of Tahu's death. In every moment I was taunted by thoughts of Seb and Hapi riding off into the sunset, not even knowing that their freedom had come at such an awful, unjust and dehumanizing cost.

I stumbled in a haze, back through the pipeline of villages we'd laughed in just days prior, and where I was previously hailed as the so called beloved incarnate, I was now heckled and a spectacle of great dishonour and left to skid behind a god forsaken chariot on blistering feet.

My lip emitted a constant flow of blood as a result of my refusal to listen to their commands for me to replenish myself at every interval they determined as acceptable.

In my head I was sticking to my own principles. Tahu hadn't been allowed to drink so in turn I refused to. Just so that they would know that they didn't own me, that they didn't control me and that even if they were to inflict death upon me, I would leave this world steeped in my own values and uncompromised by their vindictive thirst for control.

I continued onward, through the pain, thirst and hunger until I looked up one day and found that my vision of returning to Thebes was now finally a bitter reality. They dragged me through the city, making an example out of me. Creating a spectacle. I knew that I'd lost an alarming amount of weight by then, and my body felt light and particularly vulnerable to their hard poking. It seemed to hurt my very bones when they would jab me with their sticks. The people stopped and stared as I was paraded through the very same square where the people had gathered before to watch me perform.

"Michael..." I heard a light tinny voice and turned my head to see Shani staring up at me, she looked horrified at the no doubt gaunt, bruised and matted mess that looked back at her before I was kicked in the back and fell down onto the ground. The people gasped.

"Walk." They commanded. More anger burned inside but still I got to my feet and I walked.

We proceeded out of the cities center in the opposite direction from which we'd arrived and by that time I was sure they would walk me until I too collapsed. Eventually, I noticed shade begin to filter in due to the high walls we walked past and it became clear that we had crossed onto the ground of a grand and luxurious palace.

Only when I glanced up at my surroundings did I realize for the first time that I recognized this place. In fact, I had looked directly at it while standing with Abraxas upon a high hill all those moons ago when all I dreamed about was getting a horse so that I could return home.

Now I dreamt of nothing but violent death.

I tripped on the stones that appeared underfoot. There was no real desert here anymore. The men began to fall away from our group leaving only a sparse few and then finally the rope binding me to the chariot was cut loose. My wrists were cut, rubbed raw and moulded into a series of welts in the rope's absence.

"What is this that you bring?" a booming voice came from somebody standing ahead of me. I did not see his face as my head was bowed low with exhaustion. My muscles burned horribly now that I was finally allowed to stand still after days spent walking. My ankles were swollen and I knew that I was at risk of my legs giving out completely.

"A traitorous thief who was caught stealing horses in Aswan. We bought him here so that he can gaze upon the face of the one that he has betrayed." Someone answered. "Kneel traitor!" they had yelled.

"Enough." The deep booming voice of the man answered. "I will take it from here." He grabbed my arm in a large tight fist and led me up two steps. Now inside the grandiose building, my eyes lifted just enough to see the beautiful open design of this place as well as glean the man who was pulling me, the first thing to come into sight being the bulky solid mass of his toned forearm, coated in deep brown skin. There would be no escaping from him. I had neither the energy nor the will to resist his custody. I was stiff as I was led inside and down the intricate indoor pathways and then finally, I was lead into a large open room.