Tangled Fates

Chapter 10

  
    Atem wakes up with a scream jumping up, sweating rivers panting.. he finds himself on his bed with his father on his side reassuring him.. he breathes hard and a lot not hearing a word around him..
   He scans his own body and face for any sign of blood, findings nothing but his own sweat.. was this a nightmare? But it felt so real.. like a memory.. a visual experience that he was just re-living.. or was forced to re-live.. that stranger, Who on Ra's earth is he?!

   He is handed a cup of water which he drinks down in one breath still shaking.. his eyes land on the puzzle handing of his father's neck and raises his eye to meet Aknaden's golden eye, he can hear mummers of comforting from his father and uncle and godmother around him but he can't make much of it.. medics rush into the room giving him medicine and checking his temperature..
  He starts to calm down.. and gets countless visits from his godmother, father, Officials and his fiancée once or twice which he pays almost no attention to and answer none of their questions or concerns staring into the empty space in his chamber.. making everyone even more worried about him..

  Atem waits when its only the Pharaoh, Aknaden and Esmeralda in his room..
  "Pharaoh, High priest.. How did you obtain the millennium items?"
  They all gasp and stare at him in surprise.. silence surrounded the room none able to answer for a couple of minutes..
"I have spent a life time in the Libraries and yet not a word of them.."
  "Well it was a magical ritual.. done by.."
Aknaden answers his question not to raise his suspicion..
  "What was the cost?... a magical ritual always requires a cost in return.. so what was it?"
  They all fall silent and stare at him and each other..
  "You are clearly still feverish.. Well I assure you it's nothing for a prince to worry about.. you must rest now"
  Esmeralda and Akmankanen only agree when Aknaden tries again and Atem lets him..
  "You're right I must be tired" he fake smiles at the three of them, almost sure now that all three of them are hiding a great sin..

  Atem waists no time.. his recovery was fast and easy.. he has to look up the incident he saw in his dream or maybe vision.. what if this was real? He has been living his life around murderers..
   He knows any incident like this will definitely be recorded in the Palace documentary and decides to head there and start looking as deep as he could.. but with no luck.. no recorded events of a masacre or the village can be found..
  But he stumbled upon some useful information.. he found an old, dusty map of the Egyptian villages to find one Missing to the North West out skirts.. that's the one.. and it only disappeared 20 years ago.. his age exactly.. right before he was born..
    "Kul Elna? What happened to you?"

-Etmu watched Atem secretly, He run from library to the other, looking and searching.. a book after the other.. he study doesn't end..
he is not getting any rest, as if he was never ill! How can he neglect his own health.. maybe he doesn't even remember their last encounter, well no one can ever hold him accountable for anything ..
she shakes her head.. can't believe herself concerned with a man's attention instead of her training and main purpose here in the capital.. she can't help forgiving him either.. he said too much.. he disrespected her, her mentor, her beliefs and her fellow Kyoshies..
again with the mixed feelings and confusion.. she is definitely not into this whole Love thing.. however.. it will take more time for her wounds caused by his words to heal.. and he is to busy any ways.. all this mess roam her head as she walks away to her training area..

  "Guess Its time for a stroll.." Atem whispers to himself walking out of the castle unseen like he did since he was a child headed towards the market where he meets familiar faces who greet him like always.. but this time he means business with one of them..
   "Heyy Rose, its been a while.."
The kohled eyes Lady merchant crosses her hands to her curvy tight dressed body and lean towards him on her counter.. showing him more of her charm..
  "Yes it has stranger.. but it doesn't look like you are just here for greetings.." she looks him deep into his eyes with her sharp ones almost sure of his purpose..
  "As always Rose, I won't waste your time.. I need some information.. about a Village.. a lost one.. Kul Elna? Does the name ring a bell?"
   Her eyes widen as she gasps upon hearing that name.. and starts looking around for observers or guards.. and rushes inside
   "Not here, come in.." she takes him in closing her shop and the windows behind her.. whispering..
  "And what makes you think I have the formation you need?" Her head faces the door she just closed now locking it, knowing well he must be staring at her now..
  "Rose, Words gets around here easy, you know a little of Dark magic, and a little witch craft.. then you must know what could have happened.. don't worry I will not report a thing to.."
  "Of course you won't your Majesty.."
She interrupts his speech looking back at him like the witch that she is, proudly raising an eyebrow and her head held high...
   "Guess I am not the only one in the room with a secret.. I won't waste your time either.. but its an eye for an eye ehh.."
  he only nods knowing she made a deal with him neither of them speaks and she gives him information he wants and he gives her motivation for her efforts, he holds a bag filled with gold in his palm that she takes slowly from his hands still in her flirty manners..

   "Kul Elna the thief Village, that's a name I didn't think I would hear so soon.. story says apparently one of them dared to steal something from the High Priest and triggered his anger.."
  "And What does the truth say then.."
He cannot afford to wait a second to know the real thing that she hides.. she only smiles knowing she is going to lay it all out now..
  "To Him they were all Thieves, Low lives who deserved death more than life.. food or resources on them was a waste.. I don't expect you to believe your own father's sins.. but the Pharaoh ordered it as a cover up to rid of all the thieves.. the High priest has always been jealous of the Ra given powers to her late Majesty.. and found a forbidding spell during his years of searching and experimenting dark magic and created his own power with his own hands.. a 100 man, woman and child of thieves is a very cheap sacrifice for his unlimited powers.. creating the seven millennium items.. granting them familiar gifts.."
   Atem stand his feet looking at the witch who keeps her head down looking away..
  "Even if they were thieves, they didn't deserve death with out prosecution or proof.. and father can't have possibly known about any this..let alone allow it??"
He pants his words coming out sore from his chest in disbelief
"I told you, you won't believe your own father's sins and I don't expect you to.. however I believe this was not all the Pharaoh's purpose just to get rid of some thieves..
There must be more to it than that..
If I can only get my hands on the original spell I can make sure of all its conditions.."
she starts pacing in the room looking around for answers..
  "And Why exactly aren't you doing that?" Atem crosses his hands watching her pase
  "There is no trace of the original spell, It was all destroyed or hidden.. and I have looked everywhere I can.."
Atem starts pacing with her bu more calmly
  "No you haven't.. If this was my Uncle's doing, then its all in his library..."
  "Inside the palace?? Have gone mad??"
  "Even I have never been there.. but all his research and experiments are in there.."
  "And How do You plan on getting in there.."
  "I don't.. I know nothing of magic.. but you do, and you will!"
  "I beg your pardon.."
  Conversation goes fast and almost mad between them.. there can't be an actual way to preform this.. its close to impossible..
  "Our deal is not done yet.. I will get you in there.. await my contact.."
  Atem was ready to leave and start planning her entry but her grab on  his arm is very firm almost turning his hand blue freezes him..
  "It is said that there was a boy.. a young boy survived this massacre.. and he lives there.. I have felt a great amount of dark magical powers in that area.. be wary!"
  He only nods remembering what he saw.. now sure it was reality, it all happened.. the masacre, the spell.. all of it
But he can't help but wonder why him.. why is he shown all of this..
He leaves the shop headed back towards the palace.. He plans of demanding clarification!

-on his way back
  In their usual training spot he sees the Kyoshi warriors training their hearts out honoring their beliefs and their time here..
  But his eyes only catches the one he has fallen for.. her hair flies behind her in her swift perfected moves.. her short warrior gowns only make her more beautiful and more attractive to his eyes..her exposed burned skin due to the harsh sun and some bruises around her body due to harsh training every single detail catch his eye making him know how devoted she is..
But He can only feel ashamed, disappointment even a little humiliated from their last encounter.. shaming all her life and beliefs in one sitting, forcing her to carry a burden of reminding of who He is and who he will be.. not to mention the shame of defiling his own mother.. he tilts his head down running back on his way before she could see him.. he is unable to face her at the moment.. even in apology..-

  The palace is quite.. almost too silent these days.. he was headed towards his father's chambers, he needs answers and he needs them now.. he must have some sort of explanation for all of this..
He can't have known.. He can't have allowed this.. if its is all connected.. so will her death..

  A ruffling sound from the balcony he always stands in catches his attention, He doesn't hesitate for a second to walk in to find his messenger Hawk waiting for him patiently holding a new message in a small scroll tied to its feet.. which he takes out and reads immediately in concentration and relief.. then sighs.. he frowns and leans his tensed, tired body on the balcony, feeling the cool breeze tun through his hair and hit his face.. entering his lungs calming down his nerves.. whispering to himself..
"Too much on your plat, One thing at a time Atem.. one thing at time!"