War Of Egypt II • The Persians

Chapter 6: Torn From A Lotus

    King Ihy had been looking everywhere for his sister but had no luck, even the gods did not see her or her family since they all went out of the great hall. Ihy was walking through an empty dim corridor in the Temple of Isis and when he realized he was nearing the tomb where Kha had been burried, he slowly turned and went back the other way. It had been a while but he still remembered the eerie flesh-decayed Underworld guardians who under Anubis and Isis' command, guarded the entrance to Kha's tomb. No one except Nephthys, Hathor and Isis were allowed inside but Atenosis had his charm with the guardians. And Ametis had persuaded her way inside even though she was the specific deity not allowed in—no one knew that yet. The secret remained with the Underworld guardians and her.

    When Ihy was nearing the main chamber in the temple, someone behind him reached out and snatched his arm. Ihy was shocked when he saw Sanhir. She did not explain anything but gestured for him to follow her as she glided out of the corridor and to the back entrance of the temple. Ihy paused in his tracks when he saw his sister, Kha and Ahmes. His blood ran cold and he struggled to compose himself as he made his way down the temple stairs and to the trio. Sanhir stood back on the stairs and watched from afar.

    Ihy groaned and exhaled into his raised palms. "Oh Ametis, not this again. Do not do this, there is so much going on and you have just arrived back home. A night has not passed."

   "And a night does not need to pass," Ametis responded quickly, keeping her eyes to the ground. "I am sorry dear brother, we are leaving and perhaps we may never return."

   "Perhaps?"

   "Tell mother I love her and tell—tell father I am sorry for everything."

    Ihy's eyes soften and so did his voice, "but where will you go?"

    Ametis glanced at Kha, "far away where no one will ever find us."

   "You cannot do this Ametis! What about Ahmes and Atenosis? What about the balance in Egypt? You will strip that away if you take them out of here."

   "Hmmp! That is all the gods care about! Well my sons are not some kind of holy asset to Egypt! Do not worry for it seems if I take them away, nothing will change because without me, apparently everything will be all right. That is what you all think."

    Ihy reached out to Ametis with his left arm extended. There was pain in his face, in his eyes, and the realization of losing his sister again became clear. The inner tip of his brows lifted into an arch as he gazed helplessly at Ametis. This was his baby sister. If he had the choice to make everything better for her by just walking out, he would do it. Egypt did not deserve her greatness, but he knew Egypt did need her. It was a real shame to be in this predicament. Ihy blamed his father, but he also blamed the rest of the gods.

    The Egyptians were the first race of gods who came to dwell amongst their own mortal people, because they cared too much and they were not vain. Sometimes many anointed Pharaohs to be the divine presence of them amongst the mortals across the land or they simply inhabited the willing Pharaoh. However now, thinking about it, King Ihy could see the gods turned out to be hypocrites. They would put up a false cloak to shield Egypt from the truth; that within the holy grounds, the gods were truly vain and could not even understand each other. The deities from other lands would scorn this!

   "You are my sister...please do not go," Ihy finally said and extended his arm out to her just a bit further.

    Ametis shook her head, "I cannot stay. Sorry dear brother."

   "What about the Persians? If they really are coming, we would need your help."

    Ametis rolled her head to the side with frustration. "My help, my help! It is always my help! If the gods really needed my help, they should have acted like it, not to just throw me in the heat of battle when it occurs. I was trying to help before, yet they silenced me—they silenced me—by bringing up something completely unrelated." It really stung Ametis when she tried to help in the great hall and instead was faced with an audience of disinterested and judgmental gods including her own father! It made Ametis ponder what she did wrong but the obvious difference was Kha, and she found it to be extremely upsetting that even her father acted as such just because of the god she loved. She thought everything was all right before.