REIGN (Preview)

PROLOGUE: Blood & Curses

EGYPT, 4^th CENTURY

The great city of Ahkhann was once the glimmering jewel of Egypt a capital of culture, literature and trading goods and was the home of the Pharaoh Re’hotpe, a great man loved by the people of his empire which he ruled for many years.

The city twinkled with fire lights and the royal palace was bathed in ethereal moonlight as Re’hotpe was stood on the balcony of his chambers looking out of over Ahkhann, he gazed in wonder and amazement at the colossal pyramid that was being constructed, even incomplete it looked beautiful with the torches fires and the moon gave the pyramid a hazy like glow a monument worthy of a Pharaoh, he left his chambers walking slowly down the hallway lost in his thoughts as passing servants bowed to him, as Re’hotpe continued on his walk his stone mason appeared and approached him, the stone mason bowed when he stopped in front of the Pharaoh “My Lord” Re’hotpe smiled at the man “Ah just the man I wanted to see, how are things coming along?” the mason replied “Everything is coming along on schedule and should be completed by the next growing season” Re’hotpe smiled and patted the mason on the shoulder “Excellent, excellent keep me informed” the mason bowed again and head back in the direction that he came from to continue overseeing the work on the pyramid.

In the throne room Re’hotpe looked at the map of the city which was marked with indications for future plans of expansions, the room was full of his advisors ranging from senators to the leader of his army General Menkhaf, but one of the Pharaoh’s most trusted advisors was Khama’at the high priestess of Ahkhann she stood next to him as he spoke to the room of men dictating what jobs need doing she glanced at the Pharaoh who glanced at her in return and smiled, Re’hotpe believed that the priestess’ knowledge of the supernatural and the occult gave him good fortune to rule. However someone else desired to sit on the throne and rule Ahkhann, Khama’at was at the temple praying the fire lights flickering shadows across the walls, smoke from oil burners swirled around creeping around statues, pillars and around Khama’at sweeping across her shoulders like a ghostly figure caressing her skin after her prayers she left an offering to the gods and made her way back to her chambers, she finally reached her chambers to find General Menkhaf waiting for her he looked at the priestess longingly “Where have you been?” she slowly approached him with a smoulder “I was praying to the Gods” Menkhaf nodded “Is everything prepared?” it was Khama’at’s turn to nod “Everything is set on my part, do you have enough men?” Menkhaf spoke “My men are loyal to me not Re’hotpe, we will storm the city at nightfall” Khama’at brushed up against the General who took hold of her into an embrace “I will take care of the guards in the palace then when I’m close enough to the Pharaoh I will strike quickly and then the empire will be yours” Menkhaf held her tighter and smiled “No my love…it will be ours” the two then shared a kiss.

Night had fallen and the people of the city were running through the streets screaming as Menkhaf and his soldiers marched towards the palace, ahead of the invading force troops still loyal to Re’hotpe rushed towards the General and his men clashing with swords and shields, fires raged and burned across Ahkhann as Re’hotpe stood from the balcony looking at his kingdom burn before him, Menkhaf had done his part now it was time for Khama’at to hers she walked to the chest at the foot of her bed she reached in and pulled out a dagger and left her chambers as she walked down the hallway as one of the servants ran towards her panicked “Priestess you must get somewhere safe” with a flick of her arm blood spurted from the servants throat and sprayed across Khama’at’s face, red drops fell from the dagger blade onto the floor spotting the stones on the floor the servant clutched his neck and fell down dead, Khama’at strolled away from the body leaving bloodied footprints behind her.

The battle raged on as Menkhaf cut down several soldiers then turned and saw that the palace was near, he signalled to his troops to make the final push to victory. Guards and servants lay dead throughout the palace, Khama’at wandered slowly through the halls of the palace drenched in blood many of her priests joined her in the slaughter, the last guard lay dead at her feet as she looked at the door to the throne room which stood down at the bottom of the great hall she looked to her priests “Head back to the temple” she headed towards the door.

Re’hotpe continued watching the battle going on below him the smoke from the fires pillared into the sky merging with the darkness of the night, suddenly the doors crashed open Re’hotpe turned quickly sword ready to see Khama’at staggering in looking terrified he gasped with shock “Khama’at?!” she stumbled towards the Pharaoh clutching her chest breathless “My Lord…they’re in the palace…killing everyone” Re’hotpe sheaved his sword then rushed over to her and took Khama’at in embrace to try and calm her he spoke calmly “It will be alright…my guards will come” she feigned being distraught as she slowly slid the dagger from her robes then quickly drove the blade into his stomach, with a gasp of surprise and a wince of pain Re’hotpe stepped backwards moving away from the priestess looking at the blood on his hands he looked at Khama’at confused “But…why?” She looked at him coldly then stormed towards him stabbing him repeatedly in the chest then once deep into his neck, the Pharaoh crumpled to the floor, as Khama’at stood over the body Menkhaf and his men barged into the throne room and looked at the bloody scene that lay before them, Khama’at stood with her head raised and eyes closed arms stretched out still holding the blood drenched dagger she took a deep breath and exhaled in relief she opened her eyes and looked to Menkhaf and smiled as he walked over to her and took her by the waist and kissed her.

Many seasons passed after the bloodied coup and over time the former General began to grow suspicious and paranoid imagining assassins and traitor everywhere but one in particular he grew to fear was that of his lover, he was convinced that if Khama’at betrayed one Pharaoh she could easily do it again, so to prevent that from ever happening he decided that he would be the one to strike first. One night he had called for Khama’at to make an appearance at the throne room, she arrived to find them alone she looked at him lustfully “You called for me my love” Menkhaf looked at her no longer feeling any emotion towards the woman who killed a king for him, he glanced to his left and nodded the guards who had been lurking in the shadows stormed forward and took hold of Khama’at by the arms she looked at them with confusion then turned back to Menkhaf “What are you doing?!” Menkhaf stood up from the throne and wandered slowly towards her “You are a risk, I can’t have you plotting and scheming to undermine everything I’ve done” Khama’at was still feeling confused she begged at him “But my love I would never betray you” the old General stopped a few yards away from her and spoke coldly “And you never will” fear went into sadness at the thought of him having her restrained but that quickly melted away into anger of the thought that he wanted her dead, she began to struggle violently and screamed “You dare do this to me?! You wouldn’t have that throne if it wasn’t for me! I gave you the kingdom and I can take it away from just as easily!” Menkhaf chuckled slightly “Your threats are meaningless” she became more crazed “MEANINGLESS?!!!” Menkhaf replied to her bellow “My men will make sure that your journey to the next life is fitting for a woman of your high station” Khama’at stopped struggling and fixed her gaze onto Menkhaf she spat her words viciously “Gods from the darkness hear me! I CURSE YOU MENKHAF! Your reign will end soon my love!” she managed to strike one of the guards with her elbow knocking him to the ground and grabbed the knife from the other guard and plunged his own weapon into his neck, she turned to her former lover her face burning with hatred she took the knife and slid the blade slowly across her palm drawing blood, the other guard quickly grabbed her by the arm holding the knife she spoke again “This blood…MY blood is the promise, to seal the bond of my curse upon my final breath the gods will bring upon the end of you and city of Ahkhann until you are both nothing but dust I SWEAR IT!” She flicked the wounded hand which was still free which splattered blood upon Menkhaf’s face he flinched in repulsion, the guard struck Khama’at with the hilt of his sword at the back of the head knocking her out cold.

The night time journey into the desert was cold and ruthless as if the weather was against Menkhaf’s men, but they had a task set and they would see it through taking the priestess away from the city to a tomb that had been prepared months before down in the darkness Menkhaf’s men prepared Khama’at’s body to be mummified alive, she screamed helplessly as the men continued binding her in bandages even when complete she screams managed to pierce the woven cloth rags, she began to writhe as they lifted her up and lowered her into the inner wooden sarcophagus she continued struggling hoping to free herself but it was all for nothing as the men picked up the wooden lid and placed it over Khama’at’s muffled screams of terror and desperation which with the lid in place could still be heard, the sarcophagus was picked up and placed into a larger one this one being made of stone, the stone lid was slowly pushed into place and the screaming went silent.

The days passed and Menkhaf believed that everything was now behind him and that he was no longer in danger, like his predecessor Menkhaf stood looking out from the balcony of the throne room to the beauty of the city, then as if from nowhere blackened clouds covered the sky with thunder cracking loudly, lightening flashed overheard and began striking into the ground all across Ahkhann Menkhaf could hear people screaming in panic as a massive sandstorm began to roll in.

Menkhaf then realised the horrible truth, the curse was real, Khama’at was dead, the sandstorm swept through the city engulfing everything in its path, the ground began to shake as cracks appeared tearing through roads and even up the walls of the palace, debris fell from up above causing Menkhaf to fall to the ground he glanced one last time to see the city colossal shards of rock slowly arching up to the sky with fragments of the city still upon them and across the see of monoliths rising in the sky Menkhaf saw Re’hotpe’s great unfinished pyramid begin to sink into the sands, the balcony cracked and broke away falling to the swirling sands below sending the new Pharaoh down to his death, plumes of sand and dust erupted into the sky as the great city of Ahkhann was being slowly swallowed by the desert and lost to time.

One of Khama’at’s priests who had fled the city before its destruction was travelling through the desert with a caravan of several men all of them journeying on horseback, they arrived at the site of Khama’at’s tomb the priest dismounted and gestured for the men to approach the tomb, they all gathered around the doorway and pushed it open, with lit torches they entered the tomb, down in the depths they came upon the large room which had the stone sarcophagus sat in the centre of it, the men lit the torches around the room bathing the coffin in an orange glow, the priest stood in front of it then turned to the men “Leave and seal the entrance when you go” the men looked apprehensive but followed his orders leaving the man down in the darkness alone.

With the tomb again sealed the priest approached the sarcophagus, the stone lid proved difficult to move but eventually the priest managed to open it enough to get inside, next he slid open the wooden lid of the inner sarcophagus and revealed his mistress, Khama’at had managed to free her hands and tear at the blood smeared bandages but her hands were still clutching the now revealed face which was frozen in an eternal scream, the priest looked upon his mistress with sadness “We failed you mistress” he knelt down on the ground and from his satchel he carefully pulled out a scroll, it was one of the sacred texts that Khama’at possessed that contained ancient incantations and curses he rolled the scroll out on the floor, reaching into the satchel again this time taking out a ritual dagger and jammed it into the ground. The priest took the scroll and approached the sarcophagus he looked at the corpse and started to read, the language was old, harsh and archaic as he continued inhuman shrieks and growls echoed in the tomb demons lurched and thrashed in the darkness where the torch light couldn’t touch, one lurched forward twitching and contorting it’s body was slender jet black in colour with a bone white face that resembled a skull, it picked up the dagger then placed a crooked hand on the priest’s shoulder, the priest looked at the swirling menagerie of hellions his expression was of pure fear as tears streamed down his face he reached out a hand then the demon took the dagger and cut open his palm, the priest held his over Khama’at dripping blood all over the corpse he spoke voice trembling “My blood gives life this curse…” the torches flickered violently, the shrieking getting louder with the demons revelling in what was to come, the priest closed his eyes as the skull faced demon behind him screeched and put the dagger blade against the man’s throat “And my death will seal it” the blade slid cleanly across the flesh with blood gushing out onto the corpse and the sand below the demons shrieking frantically, the curse was done should anyone read from the scroll or open Khama’at’s sarcophagus she will rise as a creature of the undead and devour the life force of mortals to gain in power and take her revenge on the world, the demons continued shrieking as they dragged the man’s body into the gloom then the coffins slammed shut and the torches extinguished leaving nothing but darkness and silence.

TO BE CONTINUED

IN PART ONE: The Demon Below