Ascension [A Yu-Gi-Oh! FanFiction]

32: Tamed

Even in the dead of night, the road to Giza was uncomfortably warm.

Though Atem had wanted to ride at the head of the column, to give himself the benefit of a headwind, Mahad and Seto had insisted on being the lead riders. As was tradition, Atem and Satiah rode in the middle of the convoy, tailed closely by two lesser priests of the Memphis Conclave, whose horses were drawing an enormous stone tablet behind them. With any luck, the slab would bear the ka of Horus by morning.

The column was also flanked by two lines of footsoldiers, and the effort of their movement, together with the lingering heat of the sand, turned the air around the convoy thick and humid. While they navigated the miles of dunes between them and their destination, Atem felt his thoughts weighing as heavy as the air. He wanted to be comforted by the presence of his wife beside him — Satiah herself looked ready to take on half the world with her warrior's attire and determined gaze. Still, Atem couldn't help but feel anxious at the thought of asking Satiah to jump feet-first into danger with him.

His doubts were only multiplied by the resistance of his court. When he'd told them of his intention to take Satiah with him into the pyramids, Atem thought Aknadin's Millennium Eye might pop out of his skull. Indeed, if Atem hadn't already castigated his Guardians for speaking against the queen, it was likely Aknadin wouldn't have been able to hold his tongue. Mahad and Seto, too, seemed skeptical of the plan, which required them to sit idle on the surface while their Pharaoh descended into an ancient tomb to face a power unseen for centuries.

Hours later, Mahad and Seto were still wearing their uncertainties plain as day in their postures, though Atem wondered if it had more to do with their relationship to each other than anything else. It seemed ever since they met, the two priests bore an unspoken rivalry between them. In court sessions, they contradicted one another no matter the topic, and in sparring matches they often targeted each other before any other opponent. Even now, Atem could hear them bickering over which star to use to gauge the time, and listening to their hushed banter brought an unexpected smile to his lips.

Soon, the convoy crested a huge dune, bringing them up to eye-level with the base of Menkaura's pyramid. Even though it was the smallest of the three Great Pyramids, Menkaura's tomb was no less imposing than his father's and grandfather's, and it somehow seemed even larger than the last time Atem had stood in its shadow, some ten years earlier.

After a brief pause to survey the landscape, the convoy continued onward, following a trail northeast to avoid a known bandit hideout in the mastabas. They were able to move much faster on the packed sand, and soon they descended into a small depression against the north face of the pyramid, where its base was split with a large, craggy opening. Here, the convoy came to a halt, with the footsoldiers forming a neat circle to corral the horses while Atem and the priests dismounted. Atem felt his eyes drawn upward, and even in the quiet light of the stars, the pyramidion atop Menkaura's tomb scintillated brightly.

Just then, he felt a presence behind him, and he knew even without looking that Satiah was about to lay a hand on his shoulder. At her touch, he finally turned.

"Are you ready?" she asked.

Atem barely heard her over the pounding of his heart, but he nodded all the same. With a deep breath, he moved to stand before the void at the foot of the pyramid. While he stared into the whistling shaft, he heard the rush of fire and footsteps at his back. He turned, seeing Seto and Mahad holding lit torches in their hands, which they offered as they approached. Atem and Satiah each took one, and the light revealed looks of worry on both Mahad's and Seto's faces.

"My Pharaoh — my queen," Mahad said, raising a hand to cover his heart. "I must beg you once more — let me accompany you into this chamber."

"We are your sworn protectors," Seto agreed. "It goes against our very nature to let you stride so willingly into harm's way."