The Empire of Egypt, Part 1

The Egyptian Empire, near the border of Tyre, 1450 BC, the desert.
Tuteshekios’s eyes squinted at the eagle flying overhead. In his hands, he held the key to the Temple of Thoth. Its powers were to grant the power of immortality to those that it deemed worthy. His orders from Pharaoh were clear; the key must return to Egypt or else everything would fall. As a priest of Horus and Amun-Ra, The fate of the Empire rested on his shoulders. It was the key that had granted previous Pharaoh’s to win battles and expand the Empire. If it came into the wrong hands, Egypt as he knew it, would be finished.In the distance of the rumbling sand, he heard Assyrian soliders yelling war cries, snapping whips on their chariots. They would steal the key and become the most powerful Empire of the world.

Tutesheskios would rather be tortured than reveal the sacred knowledge that he knew. Unable to run with the broken arrow stuck through his ankle, his pace slowed down. Cursing the bastards silently in his mind, he invoked a prayer to Horus, the God of the World. Only a miracle could save a wounded priest being chased through the desert. The outline of Tyre emerged into his view, The walls provided a bulking impression that no ordinary man could enter there, tall marble buildings overlapping one another, as huge temples centred in the middle rose to the sky.

Tuteshekios spurred himself, moving slowly. Ignoring his pain, he ignored the screams of his body’s succumbing state. The city came into view. A sudden thud on his head collapsed, falling down in the hot sand. The sand hit his eyes, trying to desperately rub it off. He shuffled himself up before his eyes widened in fear. The Assyrians had surrounded him, circling around him like vultures on a wounded lion. One Assyrian whipped his war chariot as Tuteshekios rolled, wincing as the arrow shaft prevented him from doing so. Another Assyrian slammed the butt of his spear into his head.
His mind weary of thinking anything significant, or summoning his powers, he surrendered himself. The Assyrian General, dressed in a golden suit of armour, a large red crown decked on his hair, raised his hand. The Assyrians stopped, shuffling into formation. The General took of his crown, passing it onto a servant. He jumped to the sand from his chariot, advancing to the wounded priest, like a lion circling a wounded zebra.
Arshudan grabbed him. “The key? Where is it Tuteshekios? You’ve hidden it for quite a long time. A shame though, your friends at our capital will not be here to witness this glorious day.” He smiled.
Tuteskehkios spat. “If Egypt loses the key, then Assyria will become the most powerful. I won’t let that happen.”

Tuteshekios wished all the curses of the world upon him, invoking the wrath of the Assyrian Gods in his mind that he knew. Arshudan let out a harsh laugh. “You are but a young boy. How can you claim to represent Egypt? We will conquer Egypt. I will become King. And I will rule the Empire. You are just a speck of dust in my plans, easily finished when required.”
Tuteshekios shook his head. He’d have to give more time to distract the bastard. “I lost the key,”
Ashurdan glanced at him. “If you had lost the key, I would not have marched deep into Egyptian land to find you. Your home will no longer be remembered when I am done with you. Give me the key.” The Assyrian demanded in a menacing tone.
Tuteshekios huffed. “Never, you are ursuping Thoth’s authority Arshudan. Don’t mess with the power of the Gods,” the young man winced, feeling the powerful pull of Arshurdan’s hands gripping his throat, like a lion surrounding another wounded younger lion. Arshudan’s eyes glared with fire. “I can make this easy. Give me the key. In return, we’ll bury you in the desert. Free of cost. No money required. No ritual for you. I’m sure you’ll be most welcome. For a man desired of the Gods, well they didn’t come to help, did they?”
Tuteshekios sarcastically laughed. “Only fools would believe that Ashurdan. The Gods divided for us a reason. I am but a mere priest, and I follow the Pharaoh's orders. you have usurped the Gods power many times. You’ve sacked Babylon, a city sacred to all Mesopotamians. You don’t know what you are handling with.”
Arshudan briefly shook his head, rising. He kicked the young priest three times before grabbing him and throwing him into the sand. “I’m afraid I have no choice. You let go of a reasonable man’s chance to give you freedom,” He said as the soldiers began to dig out the sand. Tuteskehios prayed once more to Thoth, promising that he’d worship him forever if he was saved.
At that moment, Netherbara of Kadesh dismounted from his chariot, observing a young man being dug into the desert. He grabbed his spear and shield, barking orders to his band of elite warriors, advancing towards the Assyrian soliders who dropped Netherbara to the ground.
Tuteshekios silently thanked Thoth in his mind.
“Who are you Assyrian? And what are you doing so deep in Egyptian territory?”
Ashurdan smiled. “I am taking one of our fellow citizens back to Assyria, he is an enemy, a traitor. I am merely doing what my King wants.”
Netherbara huffed. “I don’t see him being Assyrian. He looks more Egyptian.”
Tuteshekios tried to speak, but nothing escaped from his mouth. Tiredness had enveloped his entire journey. Ashurdan grinned. “I accept that this transgression is unlawful, but it is needed. Our countries are both at peace. Why risk war, when you know very well what reputation we Assyrians have in warfare.”
Netherbara shook his head, smirking. “I don’t dispute that for one second. But you are still on Egyptian property. As the Bodyguard to the Pharoah, I shall have to inspect that young man. It is only fair.”
Ashurdan glanced at him. “You look…Assyrian yourself,” He said pointing to Netherbara’s beard that was fashioned in a similar way. “Tell me, did you defect to the Egyptians?”
Tutesehkios wondered the same thing before Netherbara barked out a harsh laugh. “No. I am not Assyrian, I’m half Babylonian. Now let us inspect the man. If you wouldn’t, I’d have my men cut off your hands. They would sell well for a price.”
Tuteshkios danced with happiness silently in his mind as the Egyptian warriors gathered around him. Netherbara arrived as they formed a circle, kneeling down.
“Are you the young priest following the Pharaoh’s mission to retrieve the key of Thoth? You can trust me; I am a bodyguard of the Pharaoh. You are in safe hands,” Netherbara smiled.
Tuteshekios glanced around, before shuffling from his torn shirt. In his hands, the golden key glowed brightly. Netherbara held it in his hands as it shone, looking at in awe. He quickly hid the key and patted the young man’s back. He turned towards Ashurdan.
“This man that you claim is Assyrian, is false. I’d like to know the details of your basis. Assyrians don’t come this far into Egyptian land without something significant,”
Tuteskehos saw Ashurdan scowling. “You must be making a fool out of yourself, Egyptian. This man is Assyiran and we will take him back. Leave now before I leave my men to decide your fate. And it will be very gruesome. Far more gruesome than you can imagine,”
Netherbara spat. “Alright then, you want a fight? I’ll give you a fight!”
Tuteshkios tried with full force, but he could only scamper as his fellow Egyptians battled with the Assyrians. He saw Netherbara, the great warrior launching his spear into an Assyrian’s stomach before lifting him up in the air, shoving him to the ground. Netherbara swung his spear while hitting his shield into another Assyrian. The warrior kicked another Assyrian to the ground while shoving his shield into Ashurdan’s nose. Ashurdan retracted back, as he found the Egyptians crushing his men. One Egyptian leapt onto an Assyrian and slashed his neck. Another Egyptian thrust his spear into an Assyrian’s face, before thrusting him to the ground and slashing his neck ten times. Ashurdan barked out an order as his men tried to retreat, with the Egyptians beating them. Two of them took the scowling Assyrian prisoners as they bellowed as their hands were cut off.
Netherbara grabbed Tuteshekios as they carried him into the chariot. Nightime passed, as the hot atmosphere replaced itself with the cold atmosphere of the desert. Fire crackled in the night, as the Egyptians surrounded themselves by the fire. Netherbara glanced at Tuteshekios hungrily wolfing down the roast camel. He wandered over to him.
“Hear that Nivenh is quite a pretty place to visit,” Netherbara said.
“And the women,” Tuteshekios replied.
“I thought as a priest you’d be chaste,” Netherbara smiled.
“Not so, I used to be a priest of Amun-Ra. But now I worship Thoth, who saved me. All the Gods are the same in one regard,”
Netherbara laughed. “With a man so holy, I just saved your life. I hope you can put a thing or two when I get into the afterlife,”
“On that, I can assure you very well. You are popular among the Gods, I consulted them in my sleep,”
“Oh? And how so?”
“Saving a priest of any God, but one of Thoth is considered to be a high value. I will put in a good word for you,”
Netherbara stared at the crackling fire and smiled slowly. “I hope you do priest. The Pharoah trusted you with the key. Where is the stature now?”
Tuteshkios spat, for he had spent twelve months travelling from Thebes to Tyre, and finally reaching the glorious city of Nivenh. He had established quite a reputation for himself with the King of the Assyrians and his court, until Ashurdan and his band of warriors hunted him down, preventing him from getting to Babylon. “Let’s just say that somethings are best kept for secret. The stature is held in Babylon, underneath two huge ziggaurats that are joined together. It is a mega structure that is said to be the house of all the Gods of the world,”
“How big?” Netherbara asked.
“Imagine four pyramids joined together, and then four pyramids joined on the top, and finally a large shining beacon on the top.”
Netherbara huffed. Was the lad spurting nonsense or was he telling the truth?
“You think so?”

“I have heard reports of it Netherbara. But our mission is clear. The Pharoah will grant me the highest position as Head Chief of the Temple. He might promote you to a General if we get successful in our mission,”
Netherbara shook his head. “I’ve had enough of war for once, priest. Nightmares come into my sleep, with the figures of corpses walking through their lands, being rejected because of their past deeds. So many good men have been sacrificed for what?”
Tuteshkios nodded with a deep glance. As priest, he communicated with the spirits of the world. He knew which ones helped and which ones didn’t. And he knew the other realms of the world’s different religions. Indeed he spent more time in the spiritual world than the physical. It had always been his ambition however to go the Indus, where there was lands told full of shining Kingdoms and great palaces. It was said to be the realm of Kali-Yug, where the followers now went through a deep descend of what had been a golden age of spiritual realm. From time, when the world had begun, Tuteshekios had felt that they were slowly slipping into an age where one day everything would be materialistic, everything would not matter. The world would be recreated in a time he would not be there to see. It would take a very long time. He shook his thoughts.

“Ones who experience war never like it. I will make sure you find peace Netherbara. The only problem is that getting to Nivenh will be impossible. If we get there, we can flow down the river Euphrates and get into the realm of Babylon,”
Netherbara nodded. “I used to live in…Assryia once. I can get us disguises. But…if you are a priest, can you summon a spirit, someone that can help us?”

Tuteshekios nodded as Netherbara gestured to his warriors to stand back. Tuteshekios had observed an Atlantean priest that had claimed that sitting leg-crossed was initiated by Rishis, people from the Indus that roamed the world. He sat in the same way, and closed his eyes. A powerful source of energy shook his body, as he sat still, feeling a thousand knives stab into his chest. A blue light emerged as a falling man came from the heavens and fell down.
The man groaned, revealing himself to be of six-feet tall, having bulging muscles. He wore a golden crown and sported a mattered beard, clothed in blue and red. He shouted out loud to the heavens and then grinned. “Welcome, this isn’t normally my entrance, but I am Gilgamesh, King of Uruk, and King of the world!”
Netherbara’s jaw broke as he bowed down, with the other warriors bowing. “An Egyptian priest summoned me. Would that be you?” He said as he faced Tuteshekios.

“That would be me, mighty King. I am a Priest of Thoth. The Assyrians have stolen the stature, so that they might use it to bring war. But Asrhudan wishes to destroy the Gods once and for all and become a new God.”
Gilgamesh bellowed a heavy, hearty laugh. “Good luck in doing that. When the world was first created, I was there, establishing my Kingdom. Although I learnt my lesson, the world has changed forever. In time, new empires shall rise, and the old Gods shall fade into memory, new ones will rise. They will still exist for their followers, but the Gods of the Indus are eternal. I have seen that in my very eyes. Very well then, since you’ve summoned me, where should we go?”
“To Babylon,” Tuteshkios replied.

Gilgamesh grinned. “You Egyptians…are a weird lot. Although my people no longer exist, you do carry…some of their traits. Especially beer. And this is the mighty warrior that is aiding you?” He said turning to Netherbara.
“I have heard tales…stories of the great Gilgamesh. But I never thought I’d see him for real.” Netherbara replied.
Gilgamesh bellowed another mighty laugh. “That’s always the reaction. I don’t come on this Earth normally at all. My time has gone. But only on the condition of this legendary young priest I have come. Let us go to Babylon, the home of my people.”
Tuteshkios felt the need to correct him. “Techincally we’re going to Nivenh.”
Gilgamesh frowned. “Not Babylon?”
“We’ll have to travel to Nivenh before Babylon,” Tuteshkios replied.
Gilgamesh observed the soldiers, Netherbara and Tuteshekios. “Fine, but it will be you and the warrior. The rest won’t make it. We’ll rest for the night before we make our way to Nivenh.”
“Very well, I cannot thank you enough.”
Gilgamesh laughed. “Thank Lord Shiva and Marduk. They are your eternal blessors, although…I wonder if we meet any Atlanteans or Lemurians on the way. I hear they’re a grumpy lot.” He said as he stared at the shining moon.