Escape from Ancient Egypt (Neiko Adventure Saga Book #2)

Chapter 39

Six months later . . .

The four talked to countless nations over the past months for help in their hopes to find allies in their fight against Ramesses, but no one volunteered. Ramesses had a well known reputation as a military leader and as a warrior. No one was going to fight a losing battle against him. They had already had punishing defeats with his father and Ramesses as a young man. Ramesses' reputation only increased into his manhood.

The last place they wished to consult was the Hyksos, the last conquerors of Egypt before the rise of the New Kingdom. They went in to see the king to ask him for their aid.

Sito began with the pleasantries and then said, "Great king, we have come to ask you for a favor. We have come..."

The king held up his hand. "I know who you are and why you are here. You wish for us to help you fight Pharaoh for your friend that he has taken as his Great Wife. Many peoples have told me of you four painted men and of his harsh treatment of you and how you ended up this far in the desert. We have fought against him and his father for years. We have lost another battle not long ago, and the blood of our people cries in the sand. We cannot help you since she now rightfully belongs to him, and this is not our war."

"You're right, he did take her for his wife—by force!" Mactalon protested.

"She isn't happy with him, and she wants to return to her homeland with us, but he will not allow her!" Tito added.

"Please, we would fight for other matters, but we will not fight Egypt for the wife of Pharaoh. Besides, a whole nation is not under his heel—just one person. And from what I saw in the last battle, I saw a female warrior fighting our kind by his side, and she slew us with the sword. If this is the person you wish us to fight for and save, we won't. Please be gone," the king said and left them in his court.

The four of them left the court shaking their heads. "I don't believe it—Neiko being happy with Ramesses and fighting in a war at his side? I don't get it," Sito grumbled.

"It has been more than six months since we were banished, Sito. She probably has given up on us," Tito replied.

"But Neiko isn't one who gives up no matter how bad the odds!" Sito protested.

"I know, but this is Ramesses we're talking about, and think about how long it's been. She probably cried herself to sleep and had many sleepless nights waiting for us to come and save her. She has no idea if we are alive or not. Imagine going through that and all he may be throwing at her. I wish we knew how bad the situation is and how she is doing," Tito mused, wiping away a tear with an angry brush of his hand.

"Yeah, and just thinking about him putting his hands on her just makes me want to start a war!" Mactalon scowled.

"We have to go back to Egypt and see for ourselves. There is one man that can help us," Sito said.

"Go back? Are you crazy?" Panthero asked in a shriek. "We will be dead meat for sure! If you need a refresher, he said we are to be killed on sight if we are seen again!"

"We can't just sit around and do nothing. Nobody will help us, and they don't have to. That king is right—this is our war. We are going to have to fight it on our own. We will have to use our brains to be able to fight against him—I know even that won't be easy. We will try to avoid a field battle if all possible—we wouldn't win that for certain. We have to try before we lose her forever. We will go into Egypt disguised as merchants, and we will make our way to Senu's house. We will find out from him how things are, and then we will construct a plan. We must try avoid any confrontation with Ramesses, or we will be done for," said Sito.