Twins of Egypt

Chapter 7: Mauretania || Part 5

[[Alexander]]

'Open your eyes, my son,' my mother voice repeated through the dark cave I was lost in, 'then open your ears, Alexander. Hear the Nile whimper, hear our mother weep; hear your sister's wails, for our return from the deep. Find the yellow light streaming out to the sea; follow it, for it will bring you home to Alexandria. Wherever you are, my Sun, my Helios, remember to listen, remember to see, for desire blinds the weak and strong, but cannot blind the wise or gone.'

My mother stopped her riddling, and all was quiet in the dark cave. The crickets, the slow moving water, and its clash with the edge of the river made noises. Soft, barely detectable noises, which helped me, move out of the cave. As I stepped out of the tiny cave, a bright yellow light flashed my face; as it disappeared ,my family, in a night as clear and bright as day, appeared. My mother wore a crown, a crown for a Pharaoh, and so did a tall by beside her. Next to her were three little children, all wearing diadems, lined up according to height. Behind her surfaced a man, with fair hair, and a body familiar to one I have seen before. I squinted, trying to distinguish the people in front of me. Although, then the light came back and flashed me almost blind. I stepped closer to my family, a little bigger than I remember, and when I opened my eyes, I looked at myself.

I saw me, with hair darker than my golden hair, eyes greener and livelier, and a face more confident than I, who missed segments of my life, could ever have. Next to me, I did not see Lysander or Helena, and when I saw my mother's face I did not see my mother, I saw a Queen. Beside her, I did not see a slave or nobody, I saw a Prince, and behind the Queen, I did not see my father, I saw a King - I saw my father.'

It all returned, and I had the largest hole in my head ever created because of it. Infuriated with adrenaline rushing through my veins, I jumped out of my bed carrying a feather pillow, ripping the innocent thing into hundreds of tiny shreds. I picked up the other pillows and ripped them as well throwing some out into the balcony and at the door of falsehood and stupidity. I cursed Pluto; I cursed the damn family of Andraos. They saved me, yet killed me; they ended me, and then revived me. I groaned in anger and punched the concrete wall one too many timed, afterwards screaming in frustration and pain. I punched the wall again with both hands until I fell back upon the empty bed, bleeding out.

The adrenaline vanished and I laid there livid and in agony. I inhaled and exhaled like Flamma after a run through the desert, or like a new broad of a fresh colt.

"Tsk tsk," a man's voice hissed through the room. The room dimmed and I turned my head towards the balcony, where I found the source of the haunting voice.

"You bastard," I rolled onto my belly my broken fists in front of me. I glared at Atticus and silently cursed him.

"Ah, Alexander," he shook his head, a wicked smiling sprawling though his, "Let us not be hostile, we are not finished yet." Atticus spoke words unknown to me and behind him, came a darker figure.

I held my breath, for the King of the underworld was at the end of my bed, looking down at me, with a twisted dark grin. He removed his cloak and there appeared a gigantic man, with a beard as black as night, and skin as pale as a pearl. "Why did you have to remember it all?" he sighed, "You could have lived the course set out for you, you could have done more, you could have done less; but why did you have to remember it all?" he did not sound angry, but neither was he pleased. Of all the Gods, I could have spurned why must it be Pluto?

"What did you do to me?" I asked, "why did I lose it, but gain few memories."

"Jupiter knew you were alive; therefore, I could not keep him from giving you hints of memory. However, I had the ability to do more. I created a new identity in a world, I ended Alexander's life on Earth, even altered your features slightly. Though my brother would have none of it, he would give you strength, he would give you hints, and he made you stronger by training you to unlock all these memories. My brother's plan is quite odd, but he does want you dead." Pluto slithered away.