The Prince of Egypt: Half Breed

Chariot Race

Time moves on, slipping through ones fingers, never to be caught again. Just like the endless shifting sands of the desert. Before long, eighteen harvest seasons passed and Skylar grew into a beautiful young lady.

Her hair long, straight, and black that she inherited from her mother. Being a servant, Egyptian law prohibited slaves and servants such as herself from shaving their heads or wearing wigs. So she was allowed have it long, but it was not cut straight at the end like other women due to uneven cutting.

Her clothing was full-length dress with a strap on each shoulder and went down to her just above her ankles, made from simple white linen cloth. Due to being a servant of the royal family, she was able to afford some jewelry, though most were made simply of copper since metals such as gold and silver was for the royals and upper classes.

A few years ago, when her mother deemed her old enough, Skylar was told about her father and what she was. Half Hebrew. At first she had been shocked, confused, devastated, and distraught. She had refused to speak to her mother for weeks. It had always confused her, why her mother was kind to the Hebrews, particularly the blind male one, when all the other servants looked down on them. Though, Skylar never really had anything against them.

She had first been scared, someone would find out and turn her into a slave. Constantly looking over her shoulder. She couldn't face the princes either. But one day, she bumped into her father, and talked to him while he work. Learning his traditions and why he was blind. She learned to accept her identity and her father and her mother again.

Now, with her eyes wide open, she hated what the Hebrews were going through. But there was nothing she could do. Fear made her bite her tongue before the most powerful man in Egypt, the Pharaoh. She knew he would never listen to a lowly servant such as herself. She also know perfectly well what he was capable of.

So, she buried herself in her work. Focusing on serving the princes.

She was not the only one having aged and matured, Prince Moses having become a fine young man with a lean body, grown with a stubble on his chin. His royal garb consisting of a black wig, his torso bare while wrap-around skirt called Shendyt was around his waist, tied with a red belt. His jewelry consisting of golden bands wrapped his upper arm and wrist. Around his neck, a red scarab rested. On his feet were tan sandals.

As for Rameses, being the older brother, was taller and more muscular than Moses. His head mostly shave except a small patch on his right that he kept tied up. Like his brother, his royal garb left his torso bare while wrap-around skirt called Shendyt was around his waist, tied with a blue belt. His jewelry consisting of golden bands wrapped his upper arm and wrist. Around his neck was a round amulet with a blue snake, a head on both ends wrapped around it.

It was that day, the sun high over head as the two brothers decided to race. Moses and Rameses are on chariots, each with their signature colors. Two horses pulling them along. Moses's horses being brown and Rameses's horses being black. Being a servant, Skylar did not have a chariot, but since her princes desired her to take part in the race, rode on a grey horse alone. She wasn't bothered by this, believing it's faster without the heavy chariots to pull.

As they raced, the two princes were ahead of her with Moses in the lead, racing through the temples.

"Faster, you beasts! You run like mules!" Rameses urged his horses faster.

As they raced on, they pass walls with cravings of past Pharaohs. One was riding his own chariot. As they raced past, Rameses couldn't help but look at them.

Watching the two princes ahead of her, Skylar noticed Moses smirking at his brother. Knowing that look from the years they had spent together, she knew the youngest prince was up to something.

"Hey, Rameses, how'd you like your face carved on a wall?" Moses called out.

"Someday, yes." Rameses answered.

"How about now?" Moses shouted as he drove his chariot and horses into Rameses's. Pushing Rameses towards the wall as the wheels of his chariot screeched against the wall before backing off and allowing Rameses to steady himself.

"You almost killed me!" Rameses shouted at his reckless younger brother.

"Oh, come on. Where's your sense of fun?" Moses asked as he whipped the reigns to urge the animals onwards.

"Oh, it's fun you want?" Rameses mused aloud, pulling the reigns, the elder brother attempted to do the same to Moses. Only for Moses to pull the horses back, making them slow down. But Rameses was unable to stop, soon the stretch of wall came to an end, leaving steep slopes. The horses and rides running down the hill, yelling at the top of his lungs.

The stallions ran down fast, the sand loose and unable to hold them, making them trip and loose their footing. Reaching the bottom, them came to sturdy grown and were able to stop. Ramses signed in relief, but he noticed something wasn't right.

"Ohh. Moses? Skylar?" He called out, hearing something coming over the ridge, Rameses flinched as Moses came over it. Jumping over Rameses' head. Shaking her head at the two of them, she watched as Rameses chased after his brother. Being a servant, she knew the city's streets better than they did and with it, shortcuts. She went for a little safer route, but managed to catch up to them as they continued racing into the city.

In the streets, two Egyptian men were playing a game of Hounds and Jackals, then the table vibrated, they jumped away in alarm while Moses' chariot broke the table as he makes a turn, then racing down the stairs. Rameses wasn't far behind him as he turned and took a street after the other Moses took, leading him up to the rooftops.

"Come on, Moses. Admit it. You've always looked up to me." Rameses called out.

"Yes, but it's not much of a view." Moses admitted, laughing. "Hyah! Whoo!"

All was going well, until Rameses lands in front of Moses and he pulled the reins back and made his horses slow down a bit so he wouldn't run into his brother.

"Hey!" A man called out, nearly getting run over as more people moved to stay out of the way.

"Second born, second place!" Rameses called out over his shoulder.

"Not for long!" Moses called out.

Skylar laughed at their antics until she noticed where Rameses was heading. "My Princes, wait! Hold on, guys! That temple is still being built! We'll wreak it and cause more work!" She warned them.

But her warning fell on deaf ears as the Princes carried on with their race. Fearful of the race course, Skylar hung back and headed for the entrance of the temple, knowing they would exit there and she could easily catchup to them.

At the two raced up the ramps, the weak boards squeaked and rattled under the weight and speed the chariots and horses. Moses was careful to guide the horses through the turns. Though, he nearly fell off the chariot and the ramps. Luckily, he set it right and kept on going. Unluckily, however, the jostling boards caused a worker to fall from his ladder, saved by the rope around his waist as he swung in the air, the paint brush in his hand painting a smile on the pharaoh's statue above his actual mouth.

Above, the ramp was beginning to fall, bricks falling and knocking into the pharaoh's nose, breaking it and sending it toppling down. Two brothers barely able to outrun the nose.

"Jump!" Moses yelled at his horses, jumping away from the wooden floor, breaking it completely, as they both escaped being crushed to death. However, they were drawing close to the edge of the sand piled up to make it easier to reach the higher parts of the statue.

Coming to a stop, the two began laughing in relief. Until the sand began draining out from the walls that kept it there. The two shared a look before screaming as the wall broke, causing them to slide down towards the slopes towards a procession of priests, the two head priests in the back being the thin and lean Huy and the wide and rather short Hotep. Seeing the commotion behind them, the two pushed past the others in an attempt to get away. Only for all of them to get covered in the sand.

Atop the wave of sand, the two were sliding down, before they then jumped off at the entrance. Huffing at them as they rode past, Skylar looked back at the damage they caused. Her heart pained at the thought of all the hours and back breaking work the Hebrews, her people, would have to do in order to restore it. Putting them back maybe weeks if not months back in work.

"You don't think we'll get in trouble for this, do you?" Rameses asked.

"No, not a chance." Moses assured him.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

But Moses was wrong. Skylar was looking at him, annoyed.

Standing before the pharaoh, the two brothers were in for another lecture. Swinging his striped gold and blue cane called a crook, the pharaoh held it in both hands and he tried to remain calm.

"Why do the gods torment me with such reckless, destructive, blasphemous sons?" The Pharaoh asked.

Standing behind the princes at a respectful distance, Skylar kept her head bowed as she had been trained to do. Waiting to be called upon or addressed.

Risking another glance at the two princes and the pharaoh, Skylar couldn't help but internally shake her head at the two brothers. They were always getting into trouble by causing mischief. Subsequently dragging her along for the ride. Being a servant, the brothers could place blame upon her. She had seen it happen to other servants and their masters. Luckily for her, the brothers covered for her. Saying they ordered her and how she could not go against their wishes. But she was still forced to listen to the lecture. She was sure to hear another one later by her mother or the head servant.

Trying to speak and reason with his father, Rameses was the first to speak. "Father, hear what I..."

"Be still! Pharaoh speaks." The Pharaoh ordered, raising his voice before taking a deep breath and continuing his lecture. "I seek to build an empire, and your only thought is to amuse yourselves, by tearing it down. Have I taught you nothing?" He asked them incredulously.

"You mustn't be so hard on yourself, Your Majesty." Hotep spoke, bowing and sucking up to the ruler before him. "You're an excellent teacher."

"It's not your fault your sons learned nothing." Huy hissed in the prince's faces as Hotep pushed past the two in a huff.

"Well, they learned blasphemy." Hotep muttered to his companion.

"True." Huy admitted as they walked past Skylar as well, as if she was insignificant as the dirt under their sandals as they swaggered out of the throne room. Assured the princes would be punished for their actions.

"Father, the fault is mine. I goaded Rameses on, and so I am responsible." Moses explained, trying to help his brother out of the situation.

"Hmm. Responsible." The Pharaoh huffed as he considered the word, stepping down from the dais and towards his sons. "And do you know the meaning of that word, Rameses?" He asked as he paced before them.

"I understand, Father." Rameses answered.

"And do you understand the task for which your birth has destined you? The ancient traditions." The Pharaoh asked as he looked out upon his growing empire, before walking back up towards his throne. "When I pass into the next world, then you will be the morning and evening star."

"One damage temple does not destroy centuries of tradition." Rameses argued, even though Moses tried to stop him.

"But one weak link can break the chain of a mighty dynasty!" The Pharaoh argued back, using his crook to point at his son, accentuating his point.

Rameses flinched, his anger growing as his breathing grew deeper.

Skylar's eyes hardened at the term, 'weak link'. Glancing up, daring to glare at the pharaoh for a moment before looking down at her feet, she had a feeling someday it would cause trouble.

Noticing movement, Skylar watched as Queen Tuya walked toward Pharaoh, placing her hand on her husband's shoulder and calmed him down.

Looking at Rameses, how his son was angry, the Pharaoh thought it best to allow them both to cool down from the argument.

With annoyed sigh, the Pharaoh turned away from them. "You have my leave to go."

"Father." Rameses called out, trying one last time to reason with his father, Tuya holds her hand up, telling him not to say another word. seeing her actions, Rameses did as he was told, though he couldn't help but angrily stormed out as Moses and Skylar watched him leave.

"Father?" Moses asked, walking up the steps of the throne. "You know it was really my fault. Must you be so hard on him?"

"Moses, you will never have to carry a burden like the crown I will pass to Rameses. He must not allow himself to be led astray, not even by you, my son." The Pharaoh explained, putting his hand on his son's shoulder.

"If I may, Your Majesty?" Skylar spoke up, bowing as she addressed the king.

Receiving a nod to continue, Skylar pleaded on Rameses' behalf. "Rameses is young still and learning. Like the dawn, he shall grow brighter as he passes one through both life and the sky. I'm sure he will learn from his mistakes and grow as wise as yourself, your Majesty. One day, he will take what he has learned and act as a guide for not only Moses, but to all people within your great and vast empire."

Nodding, Moses added in. "All he cares about is... is your approval. I know he will live up to your expectations. He only needs the opportunity." Moses explained.

Making the Pharaoh look up from his thoughts, as he considered Moses's words.

"Maybe." The Pharaoh admitted. "Maybe so. Go now. I shall see you all tonight."

Bowing, Moses turned and headed out of the throne room. Doing the same, Skylar stood and followed him.