Sands of Time (Hellsing•AU)

The Pilgrimage (19)

image source: Flckr

~Time Skip 1940 B.C.E~

Ylva moved further south as time went on. She didn't age so that raised questions from time to time. For the most part, her source of food was easy to obtain. She could survive on raw meat and fruit but to stay strong or heal quick, required blood and only blood.

Ylva could see well in the dark so she traveled mostly by night. She was stronger and tougher than a human but Ylva knew from living in Norse villages, even she could be taken down by enough numbers. Some areas of the wilds, it wasn't wild animals but men with cruel intentions. She would hunt and if the animal was big, the meat was left on a person's door so it would go to use.

One of her longer stays was in the British Isles and this is where she had been blessed, to have Pictish tattoos placed on her body. She had what looked to be blue ringed arm cuffs. Her hair was shaved back and a line with small leaves was tattooed, so when her hair grew back it would be harder to see.

The tattoo on her lower back was the most painful. It was thin scrolling and that came over the fleshy part, of the hips and stopped just above the pubic line of hair. The final set was lines around her ankles that looked like anklet jewelry. It had been a part of a religious rite. She lived in the Isles until she had learned Gaelic and Pictish. She had the privilege to learn how to brew, from these people.

Though she could never pass up mead.

One day she met Greek merchants, after having left the British Isles, and decided to travel with a merchant back to Greece. The merchant thought Ylva would make a great actor for Greek comedy. The merchant thought Ylva was possibly a eunuch. Her voice had a low enough register to sound boyish and was so tall, no one could believe she was female. She towered over most everyone.

Ylva went along with the illusion she was a neutered male. It is known that Greek men did take boys for lovers. And when she needed to be sexual, she just rolled the person's mind, to believe she was a fabulous lover.

There was one sunny day and Ylva decided to look at some clothes from the land of Kemet. She fell in love with all the goods the merchant had to offer. The merchant agreed to take Ylva to Kemet, for the price of a private performance, of some Greek tragedies. When Ylva stepped off the merchant boat, her breath caught and she started to cry. She had traveled to Memphis. Ylva said farewell to the merchant and headed into the city.

It was hard at first, with a language barrier. She had least learned a fair amount of Greek and some terms for trading. One day, after months of stopping in front of the temple, Ylva covered herself well and hunched over. She felt a pull to Egyptian beliefs. Being immortal, she felt slightly alienated with the Norse beliefs. Here she could ascend to being beside Ra on his barge.

She would go between Sekhmet and Anubis (Anpu).

Finally at one point, a lower level priest asked if Ylva wished to be a priest(ess). This was something that should not be happening, she was not Kemetic. Ylva was the lowest of priests, she cleaned the temples and prepared offerings, that would go to the altars. She was content with her life and felt at peace.

That was until the Hittites took over Kemet. Ylva helped the injured from combat and took care of the sick. Over time she was known for her healing knowledge and patients who survived things, that should have killed the patient. The healing took a toll on her and she had to start consuming more blood, than usual. It was one night a higher priest caught her, draining a small amounts of blood from the temple's cattle.

Ylva was horrified to be caught and figured death was coming for her. She had broken one of the 42 Negative confessions of Ma'at. She was confined to a house away from the temple and waited to hear her fate. After two days, priests came and escorted her to an area, to be ritually cleaned then prepared for a ceremony.

They rode out into the desert, where in the old times the dead were buried in the sand. And it is there, among the desolate sand, Ylva was buried deep in the sand. As she was being buried, the head priest explained that two Neter may take an interest in her.

If she was picked, Lord of Embalming, Anpu (Anubis) would raise her from the sand and she would control his army, which included the undead.

If Sekhmet chose, she would not require blood anymore and could heal the living much easier. She could walk the earth never to fear sunlight or fire.

The final outcome was a true death in which there was no coming back, even for immortals.

"Evil as well as good, both operate to advance the Great Plan." "To have peace there must be strife; both are part of the structure of the world and requirements"

―Muata Ashby, Ancient Egyptian Proverbs