Colossal Legs of Stone

Chapter 6

Ozymandias was sleeping in his linen tent, decorated with colorful appliqué patterns of geometric and pharaonic motifs. He was wearing a simple white kilt made of fine byssus linen, a sign of his royal status. His gold necklace and a khat headcloth sat on his bedside table along with the still burning oil lamp that he had forgotten to extinguish before he went to sleep. He was awakened by the sound of shouts and alarm horns outside. He opened his eyes and saw a shadowy figure standing over him, holding a knife. The figure was a nomad, wearing a turban and a cloak made of coarse wool. "Die, pharaoh!" the nomad shouted, and lunged at Ozymandias, who quickly grabbed his sword and blocked the attack. The sword had a long bronze blade, with a gold hilt, a hippopotamus ivory handle and a crocodile skin sheath. It was sharp and sturdy, a gift from his father. "Who are you? What do you want?" He kicked the figure off him and jumped to his feet. The nomad tried to stab him again, but Ozymandias parried and slashed the nomad's arm. The nomad dropped the knife and fell to the ground, revealing his face. He was young and bearded, with dark eyes and a scar on his cheek. He looked defiant and desperate. Ozymandias loomed over the wounded nomad, who groaned in pain and spat blood. He must have had to fight several men to get in here. The nomad's eyes were filled with hatred and defiance as he glared at the Egyptian king. "Curse you...curse you and your gods..." he rasped. Ozymandias shook his head in pity and frustration. He had hoped to avoid bloodshed in his campaign. Perhaps the king of Kelba would surrender. "Why did you attack us?" he asked. "We are not your enemies!"The nomad laughed bitterly, exposing his broken teeth. "Not our enemies? You are invaders, violators of our sacred lands. Violators of our sacred oasis." He gestured weakly in the general direction of the spring that fed the oasis. Ozymandias frowned. He had heard of the nomads' reverence for the oases, but he did not understand it. To him, they were just sources of water and rest in the vast desert. He had no intention of harming them or their beliefs. He had a different vision for this land. "We have come to bring peace and civilization to this region!" he declared. "We have come to stop the threat of Kelba and their allies!" The nomad snorted in disbelief. "Peace? Civilization? Lies! You have come to impose your will and your gods on us! You have come to enslave us and exploit us!" He spat again, this time at Ozymandias' feet. Ozymandias recoiled in disgust and anger. He felt a surge of pride in his gods, especially Amun-Ra, the sun god and king of the gods, who had favored him and granted him victory after victory. He also felt a sense of duty to his people, who had entrusted him with their welfare and prosperity. He believed he was doing what was best for them and for the world. He could not tolerate such insults from a savage who knew nothing of culture and civilization. "Enough! You have no idea what you are talking about! You are a thief and a murderer, and you will pay for your crimes!" Ozymandias raised his sword and plunged it into the nomad's chest. The nomad made one last rasping gasp and collapsed onto the tent's floor.

Ozymandias emerged from his tent and was greeted by a scene of horror. His camp was under attack by Shasu nomads, who had raided them in the night. The nomads were dark-skinned and bearded, wearing colorful robes and turbans that covered their faces except for their eyes. They wielded curved daggers and bows and rode swift horses that carried them in and out of the camp. They had plundered the tents and carts, taking weapons, food, gold, and anything else they could find. Some of the soldiers were pursuing them, but others were wounded or dead on the sandy ground. Blood stained the white linen of their tunics and the blue feathers of their helmets. Tents were ripped and burning, sending smoke into the sky. The camels were panicking and running in all directions, trampling some of the men. Ozymandias felt a surge of rage and fear. He had not expected such a bold and daring attack from these desert dwellers. He had thought they were cowards and thieves, who would flee at the sight of his army. He had underestimated them, and now he was paying the price. He shouted at the top of his voice, hoping to rally his men and scare off the nomads. "Stop them! Stop them!" He ran towards the nearest nomad, who was escaping with a bag of weapons. He drew his sword and tried to catch him, but he was too slow. The nomad galloped away, laughing mockingly. Ozymandias cursed him and looked around for another target.