Beauty and the Pharaoh

Chapter 46 - [The End and the Pharaoh]

I glared angrily before loading another arrow into this powerful bow. How could this be? How could he have survived a direct shot that turned hundreds of war ships into nothing?

I shot him again, not sparing a moment to pity him. He may have been my brother but Lord Hepu was right. I had done what I could to help him. Despite that, he himself chose this path. And I would not let him hurt anyone else.

This second shot was exactly like the others. It lit up the sky with stunning lights as if Ra himself had possessed the arrow. And when it shot him, a loud, sharp sound resonated through the lands.

All the soldiers stood in watch, as did my family and my friends... and May.

But even this second shot did nothing but stun him.

He lifted himself back onto his feet and started to walk towards me.

Every shot I took made him step take a step back... but once he recovered he took two steps forward.

Any sanity he had left in him was completely lost. I could see it in the blank, bloodthirsty look in his eyes.

Khamenatem had ran to me, holding more arrows in his hand to replenish my stock... but it had already occurred to me that it was no use.

He was not dying.

It was not working.

He laughed hysterically. "It's the ultimate plan!" He shouted into the sky before looking back at me. His body moved stiffly. "It took me a full year to prepare but it is the ultimate plan! I thought that your discovery of love meant my original plan had failed... but no. You just made this all the more easy for me!"

"What are you talking about?" I asked as I defensively pushed May behind me. I felt her warm hands on my back, holding me in what I imagined was worry, as she peeked around me to see the wizard.

"Do you want to know how to kill me?" The wizard asked before laughing loudly. "To get rid of me?"

"Atem," May now gripped onto my arm, probably sensing my sudden panic. "This doesn't sound so good."

I turned to my brother quickly. "Take her back," I ordered Khamenatem, worried about what Tudhaliyas was going to say. "Get her away. Protect her. Do you understand?"

Khamenatem nodded without a hesitation.

"What– Atem!" May called, but Khamenatem already had a tight hold of her and was pulling her back.

The wizard laughed some more. "Oh, I'm not going to do anything to her!" He laughed. "That would be suicide! And I refuse to go down as a suicide!"

I narrowed my eyes, loading another arrow into my bow.

"The only way to kill me..." he laughed, "is to kill her!"

I lowered the bow, "you cannot continue to try and fool me with the same trick­–"

"Did you think that her being here was okay?" He asked. "Did you think that you could just create a life with her here... without any consequences?"

He laughed and laughed so loudly that it echoed.

I turned and looked at May and saw her eyes wide with shock.

"If you want me gone, you must kill her!" With that, he ran towards me. I shot an arrow at him again, making him pause for a moment to recuperate.

And then I threw the bow over my shoulder and pulled my sword out from my sheath before running towards him. I swung my sword at him but he defended himself with his staff. He laughed hysterically once more.