House of Eternity

@Toula @Mesen-ka @Khusobek Tavina Merneith Khaemwaset Senmut @Aditya @Herod Hasdrubal @Aiesha @Sophie @Taliba @Safiya Briar @Sah? @Sobekhet @Nuri @Racharra @Akhtar Tiye Hoping I got everyone, AW to those in the Oasis, no posting order

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 There were no thrones to sit upon. No dome to shield the regal heads. The royal family must make due with high umbels of papyrus to shade their seat. Once poised, the servants’ call was sharp with their masters’ command: report to the lagoon immediately.

 A decision had been made; one to abandon the oasis in search of home; a river, palatial tunnels, chambers. Rashepses waited expectantly beside Toula for their people to gather.

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Attention to the sun Pharaoh and her dark king!

Mesen-ka pillars behind Rashepses' right side, welded into position with fierce falcon eyes. His royals, his gods, they are throned not by the witched jewels of a palace but by their holy bodies and glowing faces. 

He is the king's shield and blade.

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A call rises to the skies. A summons. Ra carries it and brings it to his ears. The fellahin hears the words and heeds.

Joining the assembled, he pauses breifly before both his Pharaoh and a man he had yet to meet, to bow his head lowly. It would not be a lengthy, reverent bow, as this wasn't the time for flashy displays. Later, he could worship the divine. But now, he slipped off to the side, perching himself behind, but near the side of his Pharaoh, should she have need of him.

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 father called for them, and khaemwaset proudly paraded with a thronging clasp of servants behind his back. as always, the single dart of his golden eyes was for merneith, but he presented himself in full focus to the royals who had called.
 the wealth to which he had become accustomed was quite lacking, but he had a mind only for the future, and waited in silence to see what the pronouncement must be.
 privately he wondered what his role in such a new world must be. in akashingo he had been crown prince, and khaemwaset was eager to adopt whatever status his name demanded.

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reprised, the crocodile stood back and to the left of pharaoh.

 his eyes watched sacred sky and burning sand for any sign of danger, any sudden armies thralled upright to darken the borders. none appeared and his silence went on, for khusobek had not yet faced his own losses.

 he was alive, ushabti ready to be wielded in what manner his rulers saw fit, and this satisfied what part of him was alive.

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 thanks given;

 senmut chanted with bowed head as akashingo assembled beneath royal eye. 

 "Dua ek en Ra, en tep en ek, En ek ek en ek, en ek sen ek, en ek shen en sesen, En ek neb en necheru, en eneb en pet en ta, En en ek ab en uat, en khebet en uat en sennefer,"

 lowly, again and again as words rose to be spoken; the green eyes were shut.

 Homage to thee, O Ra, at thy rising, Thou risest, thou shinest, thou illuminest the world. Thou art the King of gods, the lord of the celestial expanse, The One who traverseth the sky alone.

 and senmut did not allow himself to think of anything more for a time.

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a period of grieving, he had said, this contemptible man toula had chosen for herself.

 that the girl had chosen someone akin to her own cursed father did not escape tavina, who turned away from the summons and dug her claws deep into the colder sand. a period of grieving should not demand her presence.

 and when she felt she was alone, the inching of angry tears at last spilled in silent rage. eset! eset; and tavina knew there could be nothing for her here if her love no longer drew breath.

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 This place was a trip.
 The coyote wove herself to the middle of the throng where she could stand in plain view of this ‘royal family’. She saw neither vast fortune nor great estate, but the way they carried themselves was magnetic. That fair woman— the Pharaoh— had a face that shimmered like sunbeams. The man upon whom she played her smile was handsome, the colour of polished onyx. They had kids, a couple a teens who were near copies of their genesis. In nature and in power the boy was as his father. The girl, beautiful as her mother.
 All this to mean Nuri was surrounded, presumably, by dozens of the most wealthy and influential persons in the land.
 A sound like a purr tickled the back of her throat. She felt the glimmer of God’s favour and a hunger for what she could have never dreamed possible.

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As was expected, when Mesen-ka was called upon his blood was not far behind. Her bow trained upon and presented to the royals diligently. She then righted herself before sitting attentively. Her place in the congregation near the edge. The half-ogre was taller than most other fellahin, save her brother. It didn't escape her that one day she may be drawn to the side of Merneith or Khaemwaset, just as her father stood now at the side of Rashepses.

But that was not this day. She waited patiently for the word of Pharoah.

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Summoned once more.

Was this to finish Tavina's judgement? Briar pondered the thought, circling his paw through the sand. Once the lines touched he rose with a brisk shake to rid the dust from his coat.

He must presentable. He requested a quick once by a fellahin before allowing them to continue before him. He was not far behind. He arrives with a respectful bow and quickly takes a seat.

Behind a neutral mask his heart quickens. Would the business in the land prior be completed here?

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Safiya did not ask questions. She was quiet in her duties. Her soul cried out of course, but that was not something she would dwell upon as of yet. Instead she found her place. She stood tall and strong in her role of protector and she waited for orders. Her eyes caught upon her father, whom she had yet to speak with. They were both so busy and going without thinking. They had too.

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 The amiirad had grown in some indefinable way. Before the oasis, she’d only pretend at maturity. The serene girl no longer spoke without thinking, and seemed to weigh every statement in her mind before she allowed it past her lips. She might have mocked her siblings for such seriousness, but the weeks of winter had come and gone with no sign of an easing. Girlhood had been fished, picked, carved out of her.

 And there was Khaemwaset, equally whittled by the Gods’ knifeblade. He turned his head, and she came to stand at his side, her gaze locked and incapable of looking elsewhere. No one set her so firmly in her own skin than Khaem. For just a second or two, everything seemed normal. A bit like heaven.

 Soft southern breezes came and played in her fur as she looked out over the vigorous gathering. Charmion was not among them. She forbade herself from mourning.

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 many gathered. her gaze passed over the faces there, though quietly she recognized those that were not yet among them. before their first divine commandment, she had words she knew she must say. Toula looked to her husband in a way that would let him know this, before stepping forward.
 “we are born anew! it is cause for celebration. the Gods have led us away from the evils that would endanger our kingdom. but know that I recognize that not all of Akashingo are yet among us. I ask that you continue to search these sands for them—some trials into this life might be longer for some than for others. for some, there may not be trials, but reunions that prolong them. we must accept, too, after a time… that they themselves might wish to exist eternal in the Land of Reeds.” she stepped nearer to her people, eyes warm. “I had no doubt that those of Akashingo and of Muat-Riya would pass the trial of Osiris. I knew that we could endure it, and be saved—the Gods are good,” no more monsters to pluck from them their children! and at the terrible thought, her eyes found her children… so grown now, so beautiful and perfect!, and safe!, ah, “and now, my husband and I shall lead you into a new dawn, a better and more beautiful one—one that Ra has illuminated!” now she looks to her husband, stepping beside him with a smile. yes, she loved him, supported him—and now, for their next venture!
 it was his time to speak, to command, and she listened eagerly. her mind wondered at where her Sesh might have gone—soon, she would seek her out.

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many faces she recognized. but many were still lost. golden gaze kept narrow throughout the procession, as the nebet searched the crowd with just her furrowed eyes.

truthfully. the girl found no relief, no pleasure, in being sent to the lands of the reeds. they'd surrendered their palace to the mangy dogs — what was to happen to the mesa now left unguarded? but here, they were away from problems. away from anguish and war. they were either to die to their enemies or be taken into the arms of the gods and away before defeat could take them first. mellowed girl kept her lips pursed and her face stone throughout it all.
maybe, she just felt lost.

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 His wife addressed their people in a voice feminine and lovely, carrying to every ear that stood before them. Rashepses was not the last to look upon her in open admiration. Toula filled his vision until the influence of that voice was traded for dry winds.

 “We stand now reborn, renewed, reunited with our Ka on the horizon of new life,” Rashepses addressed the masses now. “The mesa was in darkness; in a state of death. Look around you. Everywhere is filled with beauty and life. This land is where we will build our province. The mazoi will locate suitable ground upon which to raise our Eternal Palace, as will they hunt to replenish the stores of meat, hide, and fat which we have lost. Fellahin will construct altars for our Gods; exultant pylons to praise Their guidance, beginning with the shrine of Pharaoh Isetnofret Muat-riya.”

 There was more to be done. They must know this land in its entirety. But first they must establish their power in the desert.

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 mother was resplendent. father was equally so, and on the jeweled wave of their voices, khaemwaset knew all would be well. 
 he did not intend to search for others; if they had been denied this rebirth, then so be it. such things belonged to the best of them all, a golden path stretching out before the chosen.
 his lips alit in a small smile; he searched for neith's hand there beside him, holding it for a moment to the warmth of his beating heart.
 gods. gods. 
 were they too not among this number? khaemwaset welcomed what the Gossamer Field might hold next for akashingo.

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why was tavina not in attendance? khusobek remembered that the hand of the Consort had been raised against her; rashepses spoke now of darkness, of coming up to their helmed roles in this new land. he believed as deeply as he was able in such things; he knew they had all been rebirthed together for the main purpose of pleasing their gods.

 "i will lead our first hunt. strange antlered beasts come often to drink from the fresh water. they are like antelope but taller, with sharper horns." his eyes rested upon the royal ones; he bowed low. "may first blood be spilled in glory of your reign."

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he was late. how embarrassing! aditya slipped quietly into the crowd as toula and then rashepses spoke, his ear only catching scattered words in his haste to arrive. he kept to the rear, mostly out of sight, in fear that his recently-earned goodwill would dissipate once pharaoh and her consort noticed his tardiness.

still, the majesty of their speeches left him rapt in attention, his golden eyes glimmering with pride and promise.

"i will lead our first hunt," a man declared, his voice carrying over the attendees.

“i will hunt alongside you, bhaisaab, — honored brother,” the neb replied when silence had fallen again, his tail wagging fierce at his hocks. “for the glory of akashingo!”

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