With her heart pounding fiercely in her chest, Tari allowed the young palace servant girls to hurry her from the bedroom to out into the long corridors. This was it. It was finally happening...she would meet the king, explain her situation, and then he would surely help her find some way to contact the gods here in this time to get her home. For a brief moment, she wondered what the gods she met in her time would be like compared to this time. Do they age like mortals? Did they have childhood, adolescence, and adulthood like all humans? If so, when do they stop aging? Try as she might, she could barely fathom being able to live so long, to see so many historical and important events on Earth happening and ending. For another brief moment, she also wondered if they actually ever felt lonely and out of touch sometimes, to see so many things change, yet unable to change themselves.
But just as she was about to think on it more, she looked up and realized that the girls weren't taking her to the crowded throne room, as she thought they were....they instead went the opposite direction, taking her away from the crowded halls...which got fuller since she left with the servants, to a long, darkened hall that led to a single, large wooden door. The further they walked into the hall, the more the sounds of laughter, chatting, and music died away. Tari looked behind her, blinking, then looked back up at the girls. "Ummm...where are we going?" she asked curiously.
But the girls only smiled and led her on. They stopped in front of the door, and just before one of the girls stepped forward to knock on it, a figured stepped out of the shadows. Tari gasped, them smiled in relief when she saw it was Nkosi, a small smile on his own lips.
"Nkosi!" Tari rushed up to him and threw her arms around his waist, then a moment later, when she realized what she did, she quickly released him, backing away with a deep blush on her cheeks. "I...I mean....umm..." She gulped at the knowing looks at the girls, then decided to get a little angry. Just what took him so long anyway to find her? "Where were you? I was getting scar...I mean, concerned of where you were! What if something happened?" She crossed her arms over her chest and gave a little scowl.
For a moment the young palace guard simply stared at Tari as she looked back at him curiously, as though remembering something, then he cleared his throat and ran a hand through his hair. "Oh! Sorry, but I didn't know where you went off to, and I looked for you too, and found..I mean, I realized the servants girls took you with them." To Tari's surprise, he actually seemed to blush a little, but before she could ask him about it, he cleared his throat again and turned to the girls standing around them.
"Thank you..all of you. I'm sure you all took good care of her." He smiled and nodded at the group. The servant girls giggled and nodded back. With a final wave and whispers of good luck, they turned and left, but not before giving Nkosi and Tari one last knowing smile and blush before they disappeared.
After a moment, Nkosi held out his arm to Tari, smiling once more. "Are you ready? The king's waiting."
Tari gulped nervously and took his arm. "Yeah...I guess." She looked up at him curiously. "Those girls..how did they know to bring me here?"
"King Narmer practically lives here in his office...they knew that if you were here to see him, this is where he'd likely want to see you." He took in a deep breath, then gently knocked on the door. Almost immediately the door was swung open by a tall and muscular guard. He nodded once to Nkosi, then stepped aside to let them pass. When they were in, the guard stepped out into the hall and closed the door, keeping watch outside.
When they were inside, Tari looked around in wonder. The room was medium-sized, with a large wooden table set in the middle, with heaps of papyrus scrolls and documents all strewn about. Chairs were set up against the table, as though a meeting had just been done, with more chairs and placed here and there around the room. Along the walls were niches that still held more scrolls and sheets, some looking old, some more recent. Torches were hanging on the wall..and although they were out now, even Tari could see how used and blackened they were, as though they had seen many late nights. A cut out window in the far wall allowed a beautiful ray of sunlight into the room, giving it a somewhat homely feeling.
"Cool..." an impressed Tari whispered out, looking around.
Nkosi gave her a curious look. "Cool?" He blinked his eyes.
"Oh! Err..never mind!" She waved it off and laughed nervously. Just then, the door opened once more, and a tall figure stepped into the room. Tari turned to look at him...and her mouth nearly dropped open. Walking towards her was one of the most handsome man she's ever seen. On his head was the traditional Egyptian crown that would be imitated and used for thousands of years to come, and in his hands were the crook and flail that gave credence to his title as sovereign. He was bare chested, showing off flawless, chocolate brown skin in the sunlight. On his muscular arms were golden arm bracelets, as well as golden rings on his long fingers. He wore a broad necklace around his neck that showed nearly countless diamonds, emeralds, and other jewelry that Tari suddenly couldn't remember the names of. Around his waist was the traditional Egyptian kilt, gleaming white. But the most striking thing about him were his features. He was quite handsome, with an honest, open face, yet eyes filled with intelligence and determination. He nose, his lips, even his cheekbones were just perfect.
To her surprise, Tari actually started to blush. Although not exactly looking like him, she could honestly say he resembled one of her favorite actors in her time when he was younger.....the famous actor known as Denzel Washington. Beside her, Nkosi looked at the way Tari was looking at the king, and rolled his eyes slightly.
When he was ushered in, the guard closed the door once again, jarring Tari out of her reverie, and he looked Tari and Nkosi with a small smile and nodded. "Ahh, good, you're here." He walked over to them, then turned to look at Tari up and down. "And you must be the mysterious Tari. Well, I can say it's good to finally meet the beautiful young girl who's been keeping one of my finest guards from his duties."
He chuckled as he saw Tari blush fiercely. Nkosi blushed slightly himself and looked up at his king in embarrassment. "Y...Your Majesty!" he choked out.
"Relax, relax, just making conversation," the king said as he waved his arm dismissively, but an amused smile still on his lips. "Now, before my guests think I have skipped my own birthday celebration, why don't we get we get started on this. The quicker I can know your dilemma, the more quickly I can help. You can start by telling me your name, and how you got here." He turned and give Tari and no nonsense look.
Tari took in a nervous breath, then stepped forward, feeling her heart race once again. "Umm..Sir..Oh! I mean...Your Majesty, my name is Nfertari Aaliyah Baltimore...but my family and friends just call me Tari, and I've come from a long way, and I desperately need your help in getting back home. The thing is, the way I need to get back home is..well...complicated. All I need is just for you to hear my explanation, and...I'm sure something can be worked out. Please Your Majesty." Tari could already feel tears brimming in her eyes. This has to work, it just has to!
The king looked deeply into her eyes as he towered above her, and after a moment, nodded. "Alright, I will listen." he said. He went over and put his crook and flail on the large table, then clasped his hands behind his back.
Relief flooded through Tari, but then she looked at Nkosi. Should she allow him to listen? Would he understand about where she came from and what she needed? With a bit of sadness in her heart, she decided she wasn't ready to tell him anything yet. It would just be too complicated, so emotional, and she couldn't handle that right now. So with a heavy heart, she turned to Nkosi and took his hand in her own. "Nkosi, if it's okay with you...I think I need to talk to the king alone about this. I promise I'll tell you everything, just...not now. Please trust me?" She smiled a little before squeezing his hand.
The young guard frowned slightly, then looked up at the king, then back at Tari. But the look in Tari's eyes was what melted his heart. He sighed, then nodded his head. "Alright, but I would very much like to know what is going on. You know you can trust me Tari. You know I would rather die than hurt you." He reached up and gently touched her cheek." He smiled at Tari's grateful look before heading for the door. "I will only be outside." He gave one last smile to Tari, gave the king a wary look, then stepped out, closing the door behind him.
When they were alone, King Narmer give Tari and sympathetic look. "I can see how difficult this is for you," he whispered.
Tari's eyes widened with embarrassment. "Oh! No, it's not like that! It's just...it's just..." But at the knowing look the king gave her, she sighed and bowed her head, giving up. "Look, I really do need your help. I have to get back! It's not just for me, but for everything and everyone I love and care for!"
The king raised his eyebrows, and Tari stepped forward and told him everything...how she was from the future and told him a little bit about her time, how she had met the other gods...Isis, Hathor, Thoth, Anubis and M'aat, of how she accidentally released half of the evil Set's powers that were sealed away. With tears in her eyes, she explained about she was to find the little boy who was the reincarnation of Osiris, how he was betrayed and killed by his brother. She explained right up until the day Set tried to cast her away to get rid of her, and how she somehow ended up here.
The king proved to be very patient and an attentive listener. He asked a few questions here and there, but otherwise let Tari talk. When she was done, her body shaking slightly from sadness, the king took a moment to take in a long, deep, breath, then reached out and laid a hand on her shoulder. "This is the most fantastic, incredible thing anyone has ever told me. I don't know if I would have believed it myself if someone else had told me this..."
At Tari's look of despair, he raised his hand to calm her. "But somehow, I do believe you. These things you've told me...the things called cars, with no horses to pull them along...people flying in the sky on strange...things. The gods, allowing themselves to be seen. No one here could have come up with that." He looked deep into her eyes once again. "I'm afraid there's very little I can personally do. Despite what everyone thinks, I just a man myself for now, here until it is time for me to go into the Land Of my Fathers. But I can send you to someone who is definitely able to help.
He went over to the wall on the left side and reached into a small niche. He pulled out a large scroll. He unrolled it on the table and motioned for Tari to come over. When she looked down on it, she saw that it was a map. She looked at the king curiously.
"For quite a few years now, our gods here....Geb and Nhut, have kept to themselves. Barely anyone believes in them anymore. The priests as well as myself don't know why, but it must be for a reason. Your only chance to get home is to go and visit the great temple of Nhut and beseech the help of the old priestess who still lives there...if she is willing. She can then get into contact with the gods. The only thing is...the temple is out in the deserts, where no rain falls. I myself have only been there once, as a child, and even I can remember I barely made it back home safely. Many have tried to travel there, but....not many have made it and returned". And the few that do have gone insane, talking about seeing monsters and giants." He looked at her and narrowed his eyes. "I have one of the few remaining copies of the map to her temple, but that's only part of it. There are many, many dangers out there in the desert wild."
"Then it's a chance I have to take." Tari said determinedly. "If it's the only way, then I have no choice. I have to get back home. Time is running out, I can feel it." She closed her eyes and sighed. "I just hope I'm not too late already..."
The tears threatened to fall again, and just as Tari was about to reach up and wipe them away, Narmer reached up and lifted her chin with his finger. "You are doing this for a noble cause, and that alone has the blessing of the gods. You can do this, I know it." He nodded to her, giving her a confident smile.
Before she could help it, Tari smiled back, hope growing in her heart. She couldn't believe it, she was actually taking a first step in going back home! She was a little nervous about traveling in the desert, but she would through that somehow. What mattered was that she would soon be home, and prevent Set from destroying her world.
But then she thought about Nkosi again, and her heart gave that now-familiar shot of pain. How would he take it when the time came for her to leave? How would she explain it to him? With a sigh, she pushed back the pain to the back of her mind. Now was not the time to think about that. She had so much more important things to think about instead of worrying if she had a crush. Yes, that's all it was...a silly schoolgirl crush. Nothing more....wasn't it?
"Well then, it's all planned," the king said, bringing her back to the present. "In the morning, you and Nkosi will go to the Temple of Nhut, and pray that she might be able to help you." He thought for a moment. "And I believe I might know of someone who can help guide you. Come, let's get back to the party before someone sends out a search party for me!" King Narmer chuckled and led Tari towards the door. When he opened it, Nkosi was standing there, an anxious look on his face.
As soon as they stepped out, the young man looked to be about bursting with questions, and before he could start asking them, Tari calmed him and quietly told him about their plan to go to Nhut's Temple, carefully leaving out the other things she had told the king. When she finished, Nkosi still had a wary expression on his face, but seemed satisfied...for now. They then hurried to the great throne room, where Tari could hear that a great musical song had just ended. The guards at the door swung open the heavy double doors, and as he walked in, a great applause erupted as the king raised his hands and smiled in greeting.
The crowded throne room was filled with cheering and shouts of joy as King Narmer walked towards his throne, followed by Nkosi and a shy-looking Tari. Petals and leaves were thrown into the air, giving the place a floral smell as they parted way for him.
The king sat down on his thrown, Tari and Nkosi standing off to the side, and after a moment, nodded his head when the noise died down. Instantly a large space was cleared, showing an elaborately painted floor, and seconds later, the crowd parted ways again. Walking along the path were two tall women...one very dark-skinned, with her thick hair braided in long rows and tied at the nape of her neck. She wore a very dark, tight leather outfit that showed off her muscular thighs, abdomen, and arms. She wore a laced leather boots with a bit of fur at the top, and wore a golden necklace. She was beautiful, but had just a touch of masculine lines on her jawline. She carried a long, wooden staff and fierce eyes.
The next woman after her was clearing Asian and very beautiful, wearing flowing white outfit and long, dark hair. She was nearly as tall as the dark-skinned woman, but had a strong presence. She also carried a long wooden staff. A short Egyptian man walked up behind them, and when they stopped in front of the king, they bowed before him. The king nodded, then the two women faced each other. Tari watched in fascination as the small man stood between the women, his hand raised. "Nkosi, what's going on?" she asked him, her eyes wide.
But he smiled and put a finger to his lips, as if to say "just watch, and you'll see!". The small man raised his hand, then a second later, slammed it down hard against his thigh. Immediately the two women began to fight, each doing their best to knock the other down with their staff. The loud sounds of grunting and wood smashing against wood filled the air. For long moments, Tari watched wide-eyed as the women did impressive flips and ducks to avoid being hit. Tari gasped at the Asian woman did an impressive dive between the other woman's legs, got up, and did a hard side-sweep, knocking her pole into the woman's side. But the dark-skinned woman didn't fall, although she wobbled a bit.
She grunted and steadied herself, then turned with a sneer to face the Asian woman. She ducked and rolled away in just enough time before the wooden staff smashed into the air where her head was just a second ago. The taller woman quickly got back on her feet, and the two was once again locked in thrusting, blocking, and flipping. Then, to Tari's great delight and surprise, the dark-skinned woman slammed the end of her staff into the ground after twirling and moving away from a strike, then pole-volted herself high into the air over the Asian's woman's head, and landed behind her. Before her opponent could turn around and react, the taller dark-skinned woman jumped up again and smashed the side of her pole into her back. The Asian woman went down with a painful cry.
The short Egyptian man immediately went onto the floor and raised his hand, signaling for the fight to stop. Not even a second later, the crowd erupted into cheers and applause, shouting "Fantu! Fantu! Fantu!" The smaller Egyptian man tried to raise the taller woman's hand up in victory, but she smiled and raised it herself, waving to the crowd.
"Oh wow, she's AMAZING!" Tari said, clapping her hands along with everyone else, her eyes shining with admiration.
"Yes she is, and she's the one that will guide you through the deserts to Nhut's Temple. She comes from the neighboring kingdom of Kush, so she knows the desert well." King Narmer said, smiling to himself. At the look of complete surprise and delight on Tari's face, the king chuckled to himself, knowing he had made the right decision.
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To Be Continued...
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