War Of Egypt

Chapter 13: Gods & Ideologies

    Horus stood waiting patiently for his daughter. The tent curtains drew back and Amiid walked in with Sebmet, Atsu and Ametis.
    Sebmet walked into the middle and opened a map of the entire kingdoms of Egypt; many were crossed out. He then crossed out the Southern kingdom.
    Ametis looked over at Horus, his face was grave and serious. Her immortal heart raced as she suddenly realized in horror.
    Atsu noticed the goddess grip the edge of the table, she ran over to Ametis and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.
   "Ame--Ametis! By Ra, are you alright?"
Atsu's hands gripped her shoulders and steadied her.
   "Ihy...my brother," Ametis whispered at Atsu, her eyes spreading out on the crossed kingdom on the map.
    Atsu held her wrists, "hey--hey! It's alright, Ihy will be okay...I promise."
    Ametis wanted to say something but hesitated as she saw Horus look at her. Did he even know his only son went out to defend the Southern kingdom that had just fallen?
    A horrible thought passed her mind—Hathor! If her father didn't realize Ihy had left...what about Hathor?
   "Ametis?"
    She glanced up and saw Sebmet looking expectantly at her. Pay attention, his look seemed to say.
   "As we know, Kha's army invaded the Southern kingdom at dawn today. It was not his entire army but it was his forces," he stated looking over at her.
   "The entire army of the Southern kingdom have now become Kha's army against their own will, adding to his big numbers," Atsu nodded.
   "Correct, but there is a slight abnormality in this," Horus spoke up as he glanced around the room.
   "Kha didn't lead the army," said Ametis--more to herself than the others.
   "Kha didn't lead his army this time--it was the sorceress," Amiid continued with a tight frown. He looked over at her, "I don't remember you being informed it wasn't Kha who led the army. How did you know?"
    Everyone stared at Ametis.
   "I am the daughter of Horus," she blurted as a cover up for her lies. Her head spun to face Horus himself and he smiled.
   "Of course you are," Amiid nodded.
   "So...how come the sorceress took charge of his army and used them to invade the Southern kingdom without him?" Someone asked, Ametis was not paying attention yet again.
    Horus answered the question,"I might be wrong but even though they won the battle...Kha will be furious if he finds she led his army without his acknowledgement."
   "Why?"
   "Kha wants his victories by himself. He is trying to impress his father and the sorceress took that from him today. "
   "Well what role does she play in his life—henchwoman?"Atsu questioned Horus.
    Horus smiled.
   "She is loyal not to Kha, but to Set. Kha is his son, so she feels obliged to help him in his journey but she answers to no one except Set. Though Kha makes the decisions, the sorceress likes to think she is in charge."
    The discussion left frowns and confused looks on the younger gods except Horus.
   "Who's in charge then?"
   "Kha."
   "That won't end well with either of them," Sebmet stated as he rolled up the map and turned to Horus, "I need to have a word with you my King."
    Horus signalled him over and they both exchanged words back and forth in hushed tones.
   "Umm," Ametis looked at them. "Father, how many of our immortal army returned from the south--precisely the gods."
   "Ametis—" Atsu started but held back her words as she exchanged worried looks with Amiid.
   "Is this about a specific god?" Horus questioned, lifting a hand to dismiss a soldier who approached him with armful of papyrus scrolls.
   "No," there was a pause. "Where is my brother?!" Ametis abruptly blurted out.
Horus narrowed his glance at Ametis inhaled a gust of air. He excused himself from Sebmet and walked over to tower over his daughter.
    Ametis looked up at her father, her eyes searching his face for an answer. But the god's expression was unreadable and unclear, something she hated because it made him unpredictable.
   "Did Ihy make it back--did you even notice your son left?" Questioned Ametis.
   "I did not realize until dawn. He was last seen with you, wasn't he Ametis?"
Everyone turned to look at her.
   "Wait--no! I did not coerce him into going into battle. I was against it!"
Horus lifted his hands towards her with a slight head-shaking, "Ametis, I am not saying that. I just simply asked if you were indeed the last person he saw before departing. He will be fine."
   "So he has not come back?"
   "No, Ametis. But he is not dead...just changed."
Changed. The word rolled over in her head and she felt sick. Oh no, she thought, what have I done?
Ihy.
   "Ametis?" Atsu walked over to her but she backed away. Atsu stopped walking and stood beside Horus.
   "Ra!" Ametis's voiced cried out. "Why?"
Poor Ihy had turned his back on Egypt, on his own family and kingdom.
   "How—this is my fault!" Ametis shouted and flung the big table out of the tent with her godly strength, it tore a hole in the tent and landed on someone's weaponry outside. Loads of metal clattered onto the ground loudly.
    Mortal warriors stared into the tent at the fuming goddess until a god walked up and dismissed them.
    A particular mortal began sorting out the pile of swords that had fallen, he looked up at the goddess and she turned away in guilt. She didn't mean to throw the table, but like a twig, her anger just snapped.
    Atsu was scared.
    Ametis turned back to face everyone.
    They were all on their knees, heads bowed low, everyone except Horus who stood facing his daughter.
   "Forgive me father," she whispered.
    Horus raised his eyebrows and beckoned her to aproach him with his outstretched hand. She was beautiful and fearsome like her mother but her personality was a mixture of both Horus and Hathor—particularly Horus who's temper seemed to abide in Ametis.
    She walked through the crowd of respectful individuals and finally took her father's hand.
   "Ametis, you shouldn't blame yourself or anyone for Ihy. He will be alright; he is too important to Kha," Horus explained as the surroundings returned to normal.
   "I will get him back father," Ametis whispered wrapping her right arm around Horus's forearm.
    Horus looked down at her and touched her cheek with his free hand, "my how you remind me of your mother, Ametis. As long as I live, I will not allow you to go after your dear brother. I myself will handle it. A child of mine--his life hangs unbalanced. I will not allow the same to you. Egypt needs an heir."
    Ametis suddenly pulled away from Horus and stared at him in disbelief.
   "Father, Ihy is your heir! You must save him," she bellowed angrily.
    What Horus did next was saddening for Ametis. He reached put and embraced her before planting a soft meaningful kiss upon her head, "right now, you are my heir and the daughter of Egypt." Horus patted his daughter's limp shoulders before pulling away to receive words from a guard.
    Ametis just stood there with painful stinging in her eyes. No tears but pain. To make matters worse, she felt something occur--a slight disturbance in her circle that obviously meant something bad was going to happen.