Scars

Chapter 8- Abrupt chaos

The quiet streets of Aaru. Known primarily as a pilgrim destination, it used to be really peaceful as people gathered in the temples to offer prayers to and commemorate their ancestors, followed by various sorts of rituals over a span of three days. Many priests lived there and were family priests of people from all over the state of Kemet. They had been living there for over ten or more generations, marking this city as the holy city of the gods. The Nile River passed through this city, and many rituals took place at the coast of the river.

The city barely had any law enforcement. It has also had a zero crime rate for over a decade now. It was entirely safe, and barely any house or building in the city had a provision for locks. Despite being a very prosperous city and one of the richest cities in the entire state of Kemet, it had a reputation for being safe for both residents and visitors.

But what happened on this day marked a black day in the holy city of Aaru. A small convoy of eight people was headed from the bank of the Nile after performing a set of rituals. Right after the sunrise, they were attacked by a group of armed men. Two of them died, while six were badly injured; they were quickly escorted for treatment.

At the other end of the city, just a few moments ago, the guards of the city's palace found something horrifying. A decapitated head was found hanging on the main gates of the palace, which were heavily guarded. It was immediately taken off, and the police, intelligence, and administration were immediately alerted. The roads leading to the palace were blocked, and there was a meeting in the royal palace twenty minutes later.

"From what we could make of it, it seems like a city dweller and not a visitor. With how dirty his hair is, we can safely assume it was probably a homeless beggar. We are checking for any missing reports, but that will take some time. There are no signs of break-ins, and our armed men are looking for suspects as we speak." The police head of the city briefed the city administrator briefly.

"I don't know how, but I want this sick perpetrator to be caught within hours. Get it done." He said, "And this news better not get out of here."
As the city administrator stepped out, guarded by his personal guards, they saw two guards hastily running towards them, their faces pale. "You need to hear this right now."

The conference hall was closed again, and as the sun shone bright, the horrors of what happened at the Nile Bank were briefed to the officials in the room. It was the first of its kind case in decades, if not a century. No one dared step in the sacred city of the Aaru; even the trespassers avoided this city solely for the reason that it was universally respected. The news was to be shared with the capital as soon as possible. Two messengers were sent, and the intelligence as well as the police were set on high alert. All the city borders were closed.

The head that was found hanging on the palace gates was that of Ameny's father, who spent the last four years of his life in misery as a beggar on the streets of Edfu. Once a highly reputed man, Sethos died an anonymous death. Although his head would most likely be brought to the city of Edfu for investigation if not recognized in Aaru.

The city that had seen an undisputed state of prosperity, justice, and peace for over a decade was stirred up by one man in a matter of a few hours. Three more hours have passed since the attack, but the perpetrator was way out of anyone's reach. And no one could barely even comprehend what had just happened, let alone catch him that soon.

Ameny, with his two loyal companions, shook the holy city of Aaru and the capital by the afternoon. He was not done yet. The message had been waiting for over four years now, and he would avenge every day of it.

They sat in the underground bunker, right under the border checkpoint in Aaru. There was minimal movement, and no one could have ever guessed. "Props to Ahmos, right?"
"He doesn't just go around helping everyone. And moreover, he's an old brother. He owes me one." Ameny said.

The word was meant to be kept a secret, but it spread like wildfire, just like the news of an attack on the convoy. Many visitors dropped the idea of finishing the rituals and thought it would be good if they left the city as soon as possible, resulting in abrupt chaos.
There were many rumors, too. A rumor claimed that the royal eight had been taken as hostages. Another rumor was that the capital city was under attack and the land of Kemet was soon to be history. To tackle this, the city councilor tried to address the people of his city.

"The land of Kemet is totally safe." Unlike most of his speeches to the masses, he kept it direct to relax the people. "We, the government of Kemet, are entirely capable of dealing with any attack, no matter the scale. This was barely even an attack. Rather, it is an act of sheer cowardice, and this cannot be an enemy. This has to be a traitor." People listened carefully. "The attack on the pilgrims is a shame, and we promise you that before the next sunrise, the perpetrator will be begging for his life, right here in front of all of you. And one of you gets the chance to give him the capital punishment, just what he deserves."

A sense of relief could be seen on their faces, but he spoke on, "The rumors about the capital are also untrue. The capital is a guarded city, and no one can enter the downtown without permission, let alone attack it. All the royal members are completely safe and aware of this incident. Their message will be here shortly, and we will update you on this." He said. "The visitors are requested to rest assured and complete the rituals, and we apologize for this. They are completely safe in the City of Gods. Those who still wish to leave need to understand that we cannot let them travel on their own, so they'll be escorted in convoys, but that will take some time. We request that you stay."

Two hours later, the sun rose to the top, and the city seemed to get back to normal, and many people attended the funerals of those who had died earlier that morning. However, those injured were safe and were kept under observation.

The knock on the door interrupted the sleep he was very fond of. In the afternoon, Ahmos liked to drink and nap, as his nights used to be very busy. Pissed, he yelled, "Come on in, you pig."

His eyes widened. "What in the hell is going on? Where is Ameny?"

"Back in the game."