As requested by the young pharaoh, the wedding took place the next day. According to the ritual, the two were bound by a sacred blood oath, so that they would remain together for eternity, even in death. Whatever happens to one shall also happen to the other. A new alliance with the Neo-Sumerian Empire was also formed through the royal wedding, to which the pacifist king had happily given his blessing. During the royal feast which came afterwards, the priests revealed their decision.
"It appears you are a hero amongst half the people." One of them said. "A death sentence would make you a martyr to those who support you. The last thing we need is for our nation to be divided again. Still, by waging a war that was never officially declared, you have committed a crime against the gods. So you are hereby sentenced to eternal damnation to the world of unknown power, where the gods themselves will decide your fate. And now that the girl is officially the queen of Egypt, she will join you in the departure."
"Then I accept." Seth replied as he held Saga's hand tightly. To brighten the blues, he organized a dance party after the feast, wanting to have at least one more day of fun before the penalty is carried out. And despite whatever terrible fate that awaited them, the royal couple danced happily together that day, intent on taking this moment to their graves.
(Warning: This video is only meant to show the principle of the ceremonies held by ancient cultures in which they offered sacrifices to their gods.)
That night at the Temple of Ra, the king and queen had been mummified alive, and now stood in front of the Sphinx that served as a gateway to another dimension. But instead of having their inner organs removed, they were made to endure an ancient curse; wrapped in bandages dipped in scarab essence. Upon entering the world that lay beyond the gates, they would become undead, even as their inner flesh would slowly crumble to dust. Some of Seth's followers had gathered up to hear his final speech as their Pharaoh.
"Fear not, my faithful." Seth spoke. "Someday, whether it be a thousand years, I shall return, and rule this wretched world until the end of time!"
"Then may Osiris speak in your favor." The leading priest said before they all started chanting in unison.
"By the power of Mut, Nut, Khnum, Ptah, Nepthys, Nekhmet, Sobek, Sekhmet, Anubis, Anoukis, Reshpu, Wadjet, Sokar, Serket, Seshmu, Meshket, Hemsut, Tefnut, Heket, Mafdet, Ra!" As the priests chanted, the Sphinx's eyes glowed and the doorway between its paws opened to reveal a trans-dimensional portal. With continuous chanting and drums beating as an encouragement, the royal couple slowly traversed the portal, while holding each other's hands for comfort. The ceremony concluded soon after the door closed behind them. Once the attendants went home, the priests gathered to discuss their next move.
"He must not return until he's been completely forgotten." The leading priest said. "We must bury the Sphinx deep so that no one can ever find it."
But Captain Huy wasn't gonna turn his back on a friend in need. He secretly gathered up some of Seth's most loyal followers and together they spent months crafting coded clues, hoping that someone will follow them to the Sphinx's hidden chamber in the foreseeable future.
Upon entering the World Beyond, the royal couple was left to forever wander the endless desert, unable to die even of thirst. After several prayers for guidance went unanswered, the two finally decided there was only one course of action left.
"You are not deserving of a fate like this, my queen." Seth said as he begged Saga to reconsider.
"The night after you left on your conquest, a star fell from the sky." She replied with a tearful smile. "A sign of good fortune. I made a wish that night. Before you even know it, we will be together again." With a hesitant nod, Seth looked up at the solar disk and prayed to the sun god Ra, offering his queen as a gift in return for the power to conquer his enemies. Ra heard his prayer and accepted the pact. As Saga faded into the sunlight, Seth was offered a golden staff in her stead. A staff which held the power to dominate all life. As Seth took it in hand, he was consumed by a power so evil and perverse that every inch of the human that was once Seth was wiped from existence. His eyes turned indigo which shone in the starlight. His heart turned as hard as stone. He was reborn a living god. To test his new staff's potential, he struck the ground with its tip. The staff's power was instantly unleashed, and where there once was sand, a wide oasis now stood before him, with a pyramid palace at the center. He let out a mixed cry of triumph and mourning, as he now had the power to reshape this ethereal world to suit his needs while he waits for the portal to reopen. A power which he gained at the expense of his loved one. By the pact, Saga would be returned to him once he has fulfilled his destiny and brought the world to its knees. Until then, she would remain a servant of Ra. All he had to do now was wait until the other end of the portal is finally found and retrieved from the hidden chamber.
4.000 years later, give or take 20 years, the chamber was indeed found by an archaeological excavation team, who sold the Sphinx to the Tarabiscoville museum. When Seth, who now called himself Pharaoh Boy, peered through the portal for the first time in centuries, he incorrectly assumed it had entered a different world. But he chose to conquer it anyway, as one world was better than none. When he also saw the PJ Masks in action, he immediately knew they'd be an obstacle. So he continued to spy on them from there until the time was right for him to make his appearance.
"Now do you see why I'm so determined?" Pharaoh Boy asked as he concluded his story. "If I give up now, I will have sacrificed my beloved Saga for nothing. Can you imagine the sorrow I felt when I watched her smile at me with the look of trust in her eyes and the tears of hope on her cheeks as she seemingly faded into nothingness? As I held onto her soft and gentle hand until I could no longer feel it?"
"That's really sad." Owlette commented, tears welling up in her eyes.
"Yeah, hate to agree with Bird Brain." Luna Girl added.
"There's gotta be another way to bring her back." Gekko tried to assure him.
"There isn't." Pharaoh Boy replied. "Only when I've fulfilled the task given to me will I finally see her again. And she will rule this world by my side."
"Well, if you want to rule the world, you'll have to get past us first." Catboy declared as he released him from the Cat Stripes.
"We really want to help. But whenever you're out doing evil, we'll always be there to stop you." Owlette added.
"Resist all you want." Pharaoh Boy responded. "But I've waited for too long to stop now. I was a proud warrior once, determined to conquer hearts and land. Now I'm reduced to this! Banished, forgotten, and practically starving! With each passing century, my inner flesh rots little by little! But rest assured. One day, victory shall be mine. And you will all do my bidding!" With that said, he went back to the portal, intent on coming up with another plan.
"Well, it's been fun. But I gotta get back to being bad as well." Luna said as she got back on her Luna Board and flew off. "See you next time, PJ Pests."
"Pharaoh Boy sure seems desperate." Owlette said in a concerned tone.
"We'll find a way to bring his queen back." Catboy assured her. "Until then, we just have to make sure he doesn't cause any trouble. PJ Masks all shout hooray!"
"'Cause in the night we saved the day!" The three heroes chanted in unison.
YOU ARE READING
The Banished Prince (Pharaoh Boy's Origin)
Hayran Kurgu"How can a man die better Than facing fearful odds From the ashes of his fathers The temples of his Gods" Such was the case with Pharaoh Boy. Except he suffers a fate worse than death.
