War Of Egypt II • The Persians

Chapter 22: Secrets That Die

    The first thing Kha saw was Asire's Head Priestess looming over his vison. Kha immediately shot up, his head pounding and his body strung with fatigue. The Head Priestess moved away and Asire's General took his turn to adorn Kha's view as he stared down at him before shouting incoherently to the side. After a short while, Kha felt numerous hands and arms pull at his body and lift him. There was a blur of images and sounds. He wondered if the labyrinth had anything to do with how his body was responding to the world, and that was when he remembered Asire and, of course, Atar. The immortal soldiers had been carrying Kha off, but he launched himself off them and scrambled to his feet. He looked around, forcing his eyes to adjust to the scenery. They were out of the labyrinth and back on the white rock top, the gateway into the labyrinth. He glanced across where he stood and saw someone being wrapped up in pieces of long pale bronze silk. The red dress told him it was Asire and he ran to her side. The maidens moved away as he plucked Aisre's head into the curve of his right elbow and glanced down at her.

    Asire weakly peeled her lids back and smiled at him, "my champion."

   "Are you satisfied?" He quietly asked and scanned her face.

    For a second Asire merely looked back at him in silence, but she sighed and moved her head side to side, "yes, of course. Listen I—come to me at sundown."

    Kha raised his brows, "sundown, Queen?"

    Asire lifted a hand to her maids and reflectively answered him, "I need to speak with you." It seemed a calculated move on Asire's behalf because right after she stated the reason for her request, Kha could not further question her as her maidens swarmed them and he was forced to stand back. They attended to Asire.

    Walking over to join the General's group, he aggressively dismissed the immortal guardians that came back to assist him. They simply stepped away in obedience. Kha wove through the bodies, finding his way to the front of the crowd to walk beside General Apaosa, but there he discovered Atar walking in front of Apaosa. The Prince was bound with silver shackles and walking ahead with one of Apaosa's female friends covering his back with a spear. Kha slowed down beside the General and looked at him; the demon was on edge. Those glowing eyes were fixated on Atar until Kha cleared his throat.

   "What are you doing?" He asked the General.

   "Walking. I would rather fly but—"

   "—I meant with him," Kha nodded towards Atar. "I know you must think he is a liability, but trust me that he will do no harm."

    General Apaosa grinned and chuckled lowly, turning his face to glance at Kha with disbelief, "fascinating how you are so wrong, Egyptian. Stand aside, I am the Queen's General—I lead."

    To this Kha thrusted his arm out sideways and cut into Apaosa's path. The General stopped; his upper lip curling upwards, but it wasn't a smile, rather a frightening display of those jagged teeth that ruined his handsome features. He looked Kha up and down in defiance, something that the god was not fond of. Before making things worse, Kha decided to take a more civil approach with the demon General. "Will you please let the Prince go?"

    The Daeva scoffed, "unlikely, Egyptian." He shouted for Agas ahead of him to continue moving and she did, jabbing Aar slightly in the back with the pointed tip of her spear. Kha stood firm and narrowed his eyes at Apaosa.

   "I am your superior and you will answer me as you would the Queen of Persia! Release the Prince!"

   "Halt!" Apaosa yelled and slammed his spear into the hard rocky surface. His voice resonated out of the rock mountain and echoed through the distance. They were near the first floating platform, on the water's edge, ready to depart the gigantic white rock. When Apaosa yelled, everyone stood still and Agas pulled Atar backwards until he spun around to face the General's group. In the waning daylight, Kha could look upon him with more identification than he could in the labyrinth's green hue. But Atar did not look into his face, or anyone's face, for after he turned around, the Prince immediately dropped his head. Only the light chestnut crown of his head could be seen.