War Of Egypt

Chapter 41: A Truth Not Forgotten

    The battle erupted from that statement. The gods panicked and broke out into their ultimate forms and slaughtered countless individuals who looked upon them, including many of their own mortals. From the opposite side, the evil deities did the same but unlike the good deities, they did not care at all.
   "Take care of her, she will not last long enough to see me take her city," Nawete chuckled before ruffling Kha's dark hair and walking off casually. Casually. Kha did not even try to argue on her being touchy as normal people would. After she passed, Kha could only see one person in front of him. One of the few people he feared to lose.
    Ametis lay on the ground, coughing up splatters of blood. It was no ordinary fire Nawete scorched her with, and Kha knew. He grabbed her carefully and looked around for help. She was wheezing and trying to fumble around for Kha's arm. He told her to stay still.
    As usual, Ametis did not want to listen. She grabbed Kha's arm and was holding it like it was a big boulder, tightly. Not wanting to, Kha looked down and inhaled deeply. Ametis's dress was scorched to grey including her armour, her arms were burnt and even her fresh battle wounds were more injured. From her chest upwards was where the damage was intense. Kha was truely afraid for the first time in his entire life as he gazed down at her. She was glass. He was afraid she would shatter into pieces if he was too exaggerated, but he really wanted to embrace her, to shower her with kisses and tell her everything was going to be all right.
   "Help," he said hoarsely, looking around. 
    Request answered, Kha heard footsteps thunder up behind him and beside him. Two individuals ran up and threw themselves at the ground beside Ametis and Kha. He recognized Ihy immediately and it took him quite a while to recognize Ihet. It had been ages since they saw each other; it was as kids.
   "What in the world have you done to her? Are you insane in the head?" Ihet stared horrifically at Ametis. "But of course you are."
    Ametis wanted to say something but she just coughed blood in protest. Ihy wiped the blood from her lip and pulled away a strand of hair from her face.
   "Do not blame him yet, Ihet," Ihy stated not looking at Kha. "We saw the sorceress. What is going on?"
   "She turned on me," Kha replied in a low voice as if just realizing.
   "I may not be the smartest out of us all, but can you not take the army from under her as their first leader?" Ihet asked.
   "No."
   "No you do not want to or no you cannot do it? I mean look at Ametis," Ihet gestured, "they did this to her—Nawete did this to her. She needs to be killed. If there is a way possible to reach out to your army, there is no question that you must do it. Right now."
   "I cannot! They are all bound to her, and those that followed into battle but are not bound by sorcery are still little in number."
   "So there is no way we can win the battle?" Ihet sighed and looked at the chaos brewing around them.
    Kha stared at Ametis as Ihy lifted her frail body and stood with it. There was a way. Kha could actually save Egypt, destroy his evil army and destroy Nawete; all within a small fraction of time. But he knew Ametis would not approve of it if she heard and even worse yet, if he actually did carry out this disastrous act, he would leave Ametis with nothing. Nothing.
   "You have no choice. If there is something you can do to stop all this, please go through with it. Do it for her" Ihy said quietly, looking over his sister's face, but it sounded more like a command.
   "He is right, Kha." Ihet stood beside Ihy and stated to Kha clearly.
   "Ihet, we need to get back to battle. Seems like Nawete summoned more forces to fight beside her," Ihy nodded into the distance.
    The trio of gods turned and Ihet's eyes grew to the size of the sun itself. Coming over the dunes and flooding the already filled landscape was another army. Kha did not feel any connection towards them that which he felt with his own army. This were not his own, they were Nawete's alone. She had been prepared long before, Kha gazed over the new army, she betrayed me from the very start.
   "Come Ihet."
   "What of Ametis? You have to save her, Ihy."
    The god looked over at him and kissed Ametis's forehead. "No, you have to save her Kha. If Ametis truly loves you and trusts you, so will I. Her life is in your hand," with that Ihy lifted Ametis into Kha's open arms. "Take her to the palace. Go to Isis."
   "The palace? Isis? That is impossible, everyone knows who I am. I will be killed before I even reach the walls. Do you want me to die?"
   "Yes," barked Ihet before Ihy could respond, but he surprisingly meant it in a joking manner which became clear as he rolled his eyes. "In all seriousness, no one will shoot you down if they see you with the Princess and she's almos—injured."
   "Call out to the archers or anyone at all, do anything to get through the walls for her sake." Ihy said and without another word, he grabbed Ihet and vanished through the commotion.
    Kha looked down at Ametis.
    She had been silent the entire time but she was awake and her eyes were trained on Kha always. She smiled. His heart swelled with happiness.
   "I know you cannot talk back, and please do not. But, I will get you through this and I promise you that we both will stop that deranged woman. Just hold on," he said to her and looked around him.
   "Do it," murmured Ametis quietly.
   "What happened to you not talking?" Kha smirked. "And are you sure?"
    Ametis reached up and held onto his arm once again. She nodded her final approval.
    Kha shrugged and lifted his head.
    Piercing lights circled him as he morphed into his powerful godly form and hoisted Ametis properly in his arms. His symbolic animal was a jaguar so his face was masked in gold as so. His wings shot out of his back and he raised them. Holding Ametis's body, he soared over the battlefield and headed for the high walls of the Kingdom.
    There, his problems started.
    Some idiot, ahead of Kha's view, saw him approaching and ran around the walls panicking like a helpless rabbit. He immediately ordered everyone to shoot Kha down. And they did take aim with all kinds of arrows; metal, wooden, flaming. All the archers raised their bows and everyone took aim on him. It was as if the battle on land did not even matter.
   What should I do? Lift her over my head and fly as fast as I can?
   "I believe in you," Ametis said quietly as if to ease her own worries but even above the loud beating of Kha's wings, he could hear her clear. And she gave him hope.
    He dodged the few dozen arrows that came towards him, still careful not to harm Ametis with his movements, and continued flying.
    There was one who could help.
    Kha never thought it would come to this or even admitted how important she was to him but now he was willing to. In the entire world, the only person who would never turn their back on their child, the only other person he knew for sure that loved him as much as Ametis did. He needed his mother. He needed Nephthys.
    Mother. Mother, I need your help. He prayed silently. Praying had the same function that the mortals had, except when praying to another god it was like directly reaching them in their mind and you could expect an answer back right away.
    Right away was right.
    My son?
    Mother, Nawete has taken control over my army and she hurt Ametis with dark fire. Prince Ihy entrusted me with the task of bringing her to Isis so that she may see to her. Would you help me?
    Son, I believe you. However, I have been wrong in the past with your Father and it cost me dearly along with the love of my own family. Ametis herself warned the gods of what your ultimate goal was and how you needed my sister to achieve it. I will not have you torment a pure soul to bring your Father back into existence. I still love you son...
    Please Mother, wherever you are, look to the battlefield. They have turned against me and see the archers; they intend to pierce me. Ametis is in my arms, Mother, and she will die in my arms if you do not help.
    Silence.
    Where are you?
    Nearing the city walls, the archers stationed are part god. They are not obliterating upon seeing me.
    Wait we are coming.
    We?
    Isis herself believes you too. Our judgement together is clear and so I see no harm. Stay alive until we get to the walls.
    Kha looked down at Ametis.
    Her eyes were close and so he panicked for a bit until he felt her heartbeat beat faintly against his chest. He would hate to lose her, and he understood that to the bottom of his heart. However, the situation with Nawete would test his love for her ultimately and someone was going to hurt either way.
    A flaming arrow whizzed past his head and snapped him out of his thoughts. He was so close to the walls that he could see everyone individually. Unfortunately some of the mortal archers never heeded the commands and instead they stared at him. Ashes, ashes and ashes.
    He could only hover and dodge the arrows that came towards them. It was too risky to fly overhead, it would make them easy targets.
    Then he saw the royal guards appear on the walls and call down the archers. Behind them walked Nephthys and Isis. They both looked worried and Isis looked panicked as she raced past the archers and brought herself to stand over the walls. Nephthys pointed out commands to the archers and though they were confused, they listened and diverted their arrows back to the battlefield.
    Kha swooped over the walls and he was finally inside the Northern Kingdom's high walls. He aimmed for the palace and beat his wings faster.

🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟

    When his feet touched down on the stairs leading into the courtyard, Nephthys and Isis appeared beside him and they told him to carry her to Isis's temple. They hurried with him as he walked with the Princess in his arms.
    Kha stood aside as Nephthys went ahead and drew open the doors leading into the heart of the temple. Looking around, Kha saw a statue and fountain in the middle of the room. It was Isis holding a basket of wheat in one hand while the other hand was breaking into the ground, which was where the water flowed from. The water shimmered as if it was littered with diamonds.
   "Settle her under the statue," Isis ordered and gathered her skirt as she quickly made her way over to the other side.
    Kha placed Ametis's injured figure under the statue of Isis and let the water flow around her and touch her. He was asked to move away from the water by Isis and he didn't want to but a hand wrapped around his arm from behind and pulled him away.
   "Come son, I need to talk to you," his mother whispered quietly and tugged at his arm.
   "My Lady Isis," he said quietly, "will she be all right if I leave?"
   "Good heavens dear nephew, it is not as if her life is in your hands. All will be well, go with your Mother," Isis replied as she started peeling Ametis's hair carefully from her singed skin.
    Kha looked at Ametis before letting Nephthys pull him out of the area. They walked out of the chamber and stood in the balcony. Now as he stood with his Mother, Kha could not help but feel incredibly stupid. Maybe it was how she wanted him to feel. Out in the horizon, it was dark, there was smoke and fire as the battle raged on.
   "Mother, this is all my fault and as I stand within your presence, I feel defeated. I was a child with no direction, I really thought I had it all and was beyond powerful. Now, Nawete has dragged my world from under me...I am nothing."
   "Kha, you had it all but you also did not."
    Kha frowned off into the distance.
   "You did not have Ametis. And when you finally had her, you are right that your power was ripped from you. But what you do not see or realize is that it never really left you. Your power was Ametis from the start and to the end."
   "I owe her everything," Kha nodded before clearing his voice. "I kind of feel you have something to do with me and her. Do you?"
    Nephyths smiled and Kha noticed her smile was the cunning know-it-all motherly smile.
   "Only fate son, only fate. I just encouraged the direction, but a mother does know well...even her own son." She blinked and touched his arm. Kha did not flinch or turn from her.
   "What do I do now?" He frowned, "I need to make things right for Ametis."
   "Then do so. I know what you have to do, and I do not want to lose my son but it is your choice. I will love you either way," she nodded and raised her hand to his cheek. "As I have loved you from the day you came forth."
    This was what Kha needed to hear all his life. And he finally did. Those bad stains of his past life had made him push Nephthys away in the hopes of retaining power and being the ultimate god. He knew she loved him but he turned his back on her voice. Set had told him it would be a weakness to gain affection from anyone including his Mother. But Set had her, and Kha had her; she was not going away for a long time. Now he was himself because of Ametis and he gave an opportunity to his Mother to say the words to him—his face. She did.
   "You never gave up."
   "As I never did towards your Father. But at least one of you came back," she stared off into the distance and patted Kha's cheek.
   "Does this make me favorite over Anubis?"
    They both laughed.
   "Equal. Kha?"
   "Yes, Mother?" He replied, love and appreciation in his voice.
   "What are you going to do now?"
   "The right thing," he said and without warning Nephthys grabbed him into a tight embrace. She was clinging onto him with all her might and sobbing quietly.
    She sniffed, "I wish there was another way, my son. I will miss you."
   "I will miss you too, Mother."
   "There will always be a place for you in my heart. And your Father's, no matter he turned from us, you are still his son."
   "Yeah, I am glad you did what you had. Take care of Ametis when I am gone."