Chapter 13: Concealed

The witch priestess, Nehes, was summoned by the king when he heard about the commotion through a messenger. The witch priestess kneeled before the Cobra King, head slightly bowed.

They were in the same room, where the four foreigners appeared earlier. Now, the king was seated on his throne and demanded more information about what happened earlier.

“Tell me if the story was true that’s why you sent my nephew after some foreigners.”

“Yes, my king,” she answered softly. “The four of them were powerful. We can use them to defeat the Scorpion King, King Hor-Aha of Ta Shemau.”

“Why didn’t you use your powers to stop them?” He sounded dangerous to her liking.

“I did not think it was necessary at the time, my king,” she almost stammered.

The witch priestess blinked and breathed deeply. She was afraid the king would find another powerful priestess and punish her. She knew she happened to serve a powerful but merciless king of their land.

The king’s face was handsome but never known and seen to be smiling and kind. His face always appeared fierce, serious and frowning. He was tall and had a large muscled body that she thought no one could budge him if someone tried, even at his age around forty.

“You said they were powerful.” His eyebrows furrowed in deep thought as well. “Why did you think it was not necessary to use your powers?” the king demanded.

“I did not mean about magic, my king. They were powerful physically when they dealt with the guards and soldiers in the temple,” she started to explain it simply.

“How could they be stronger than the guards and soldiers?” The king was confused at the witch priestess’ news. “Our guards and soldiers are one of the best on our land!”

“They have… special techniques, my king. Those were nothing that anyone had witnessed in our lands before. I believe they were sent to us by the gods, my king.”

“How are you certain they are sent by the gods and that they are sent to us in that matter?”

The witch priestess swallowed and could not speak a word anymore.

“Tell my nephew when he comes back to look for them everywhere in Te-Mehu. We must find them before King Hor-Aha takes a hold of them!” His voice reverberated all over the quiet temple now.

“Yes, my king,” she readily answered with a resigned voice.

The witch priestess shut her eyes tightly before she opened them again. She stood up and retreated from the king’s presence. She ascended the stairs to the second floor of the temple where her four poster bed was near the vast altar. The altar contained a wooden carved goddess Bast, whose head was that of a feline. Her room smelled of flowers, herbs and incense.

She knelt down in front of the altar and started her ritual. She mumbled some prayers of protection against their enemies, specifically from the foreigners, before going to sleep and had a rest. She had a feeling it wouldn’t be an easy task to face those youngsters once again.

****

The soldiers charged into the city gates. Witch Priestess Nehes gave them a clear order about the four young girls and boys with foreign features and clothes that they should not be killed but only to be taken back to the temple.

The General of Lower Egypt Army was a tall, dark and handsome man in his late twenties. His name was Meru. He was wise, fierce, strong and loyal to the king, his uncle Iry-Hor. The latter was the brother of his late mother, a princess of Te-Mehu.

“Find them!” he echoed the priestess’ command. “Bring them in alive!”

****

The four teenagers saw the armed soldiers pass by. The general stopped just at the end of the alley, on the opposite end where they hid. He looked around before he jumped off from his horse to check the broken litter.

Diana closed her eyes tightly and dared not breathe. She asked herself whether Elise did well enough in trying to hide them all behind the litter with only the use of her mind. She tried hard not to even swallow her fear for the sound of it might give them away to their enemies.

****

General Meru did look over right through them but the shield that Elise projected a while ago hid them from his piercing eyes, and he moved away from the litter. He climbed back astride his horse and urged the animal away, going after his soldiers. They would scatter around the city all night to find them and bring them back to the temple.

He had to face the witch priestess and the king if they had to come back empty-handed. Failure was neither a very popular word nor an option for his cruel uncle. It wouldn’t be easy to squirm away if he failed the merciless king now.

Meru gritted his teeth, thinking, Where could they be?