King

Part One

I must be cruel only to be kind;

Thus bad begins, and worse remains behind

William Shakespeare

-

The shrill sound of a baby's screaming cry alerted the palace of the Pharaoh that their Queen had, at last, after hours of painful labour, given birth.

Within the birthing chamber, she clutched her newborn to her sweat-dampened chest, tears of relief and joy cascading down her flushed cheeks. Around her the female healers and servants joined her happiness with bright smiles. The baby was strong and healthy.

The chamber was hot and dimly lit by tall torches, their flickering light reflecting dark red shadows over the stone walls. Through the vast, bare windows that opened onto the night sky, the stars shone clear and bright and a full moon dusted the world outside with rich silver. The Gods blessed their new child.

Word was sent quickly, and before the newborn had even been properly cleaned, the doors were flung wide to omit the impressive presence of the Pharaoh himself. He strode to the bedside with steps that filled the room with his almost oppressive existence; his eyes were alight with a determined passion.

"Well?" His voice thundered over the baby's scream.

"A son, my Husband, a healthy, strong son." The Queen hastened to reply to his question, protectively clasping the boy in her arms.

The Pharaoh was openly pleased with the news, his gaze shone with a deep pride as he looked at the crying child. The boy was indeed healthy, with smooth skin as rich as the colour of coffee and thick tufts of ebony hair covering his head.

The highest royal scribe came hurrying up to the Pharaoh's side, standing respectfully just behind the ruler's shoulder, "His name, My Lord?"

The Pharaoh paused, then spoke, "Horus himself consulted Priestess Isis over this matter in a vision, his birth name is to be Atemunhotep."

The scribe took immediately to scribbling on his papyrus, and another servant sped from the room to alert the ink masters, who were to imbed in the Prince's skin the evidence of his heritage, of the child's name.

A tall man that had stood silently in the shadows of the doorway stepped forward as the servant rushed past, and spoke with a rumbling voice, "My Pharaoh?"

The Pharaoh looked away from his son and nodded to his High Priest, "Yes, it is time. Ready the circle!"

The mother took an apprehensive breath and clutched her son as the servants and guards piled out of the room to be replaced by the six Priests of the Pharaoh. The stone doors to the room were closed and locked behind them. Using a paste-like mixture of blood and sand from the inner sanctum of the Temple of Ra, Shimon, keeper of the Sennen Key, painted a complex series of circles on the stone floor of the birthing room.

A main circle large enough to accommodate ten tall men lying along the line of its circumference, soon dominated the room. Runes were painted along its inner and outer edge. Just within this circle Shimon drew another seven circles, and an eighth in the very centre. Within the central circle a many-pointed star was painted, each of its points touching the edge of the circle that contained it. More runes were etched onto the stone in lines that issued from each point like sunbeams to the edge. And finally a ninth circle was painted outside of the main one, in the direct path of the eastern rising sun, thin curved lines of runes connected it to its larger counterpart until it looked like a crude pendulum held stationary below an overlarge clock.

Finally it was done, and Shimon stood to inform his Pharaoh that the preparations were complete.

One by one the Priests stepped into their appointed spots, one of the seven smaller circles within the main one, and stood like statues, their Items poised and ready. The gold glinted in the firelight.

The Pharaoh was the last to enter the circle; instead he walked over to the Queen who was still clutching their son protectively. He held out his arms to take the boy but she did not move to give him the child.

"Give me my son, woman." He insisted, impatient.

She did not relent, "What are you going to do to him?"

"Protect him."

"With demon magic?!" Her voice rose shrilly.

"With the magic gifted to us by the Gods! Do not insult them by questioning their choice!" He forced the child from her arms and ignored her scared tears, moving to the only circle that resided outside of the main group. Kneeling, he placed his son upon the stone in the centre of the small circle, naked and vulnerable in the open air.

Soon that would change. Atemunhotep would never be vulnerable again.

Leaving the child where he was, the Pharaoh at last took his place within the circle of blood and sand to begin the ritual. The seven of them were about to enter into one of the hardest things they would ever do in their lives.

The summoning of the highest-level Air Djinni.

A silence stung the air in tangible tension until the Pharaoh began, his deep voice rumbling with the power of the words he intoned. The chant was soon multiplied in sound and power as each of the priests began to speak, all in synch with one another. Their skin grew hot and moistened with perspiration under the effort of forcing syllables of such power from their mouths, the words burned the mouth as they passed and heated the room with their crackling magic. The runes seemed to shimmer like red water, and the paste that painted the circles began to bubble gently.

Suddenly the motionless and stale air was whipped into a frenzied gale. From all four corners of the room wind blasted in through the windows as a black storm brewed outside, sparks of electricity jumped from cloud to cloud. The air itself seemed to protest as they summoned gales and winds from every corner of the desert and beyond, forcing it into this one room.

The baby screamed. His Mother sobbed in fear. And seven golden Items of power flared to bright life, the eyes of Gods lighting up to aid the struggle of their Masters.

The Pharaoh spread his arms wide, the Puzzle blindingly bright; around him the priests copied his movement, as one tilting their heads back and shouting the same single command to the furious wind.

"Condense!"

A narrow tornado span itself into existence, roped horizontally around the room and vocalising its rage in surreal howls, it was drawn in from being scattered about the edges, and in through the east of the circle, driving with unholy force through the baby lying there.

The Mother screamed.

But the wind passed through the boy as if he weren't there, and he appeared unharmed as the Pharaoh and his Priests forced the wind into the central circle, pushed it into a smaller and smaller space. All the while it fought terribly, and the Items were forced to burn brighter and brighter, their Masters pouring more and more of their life force into the power needed to control what they had summoned.

And then with a crack that seemed to rip the air, the fight was over. The storm outside faded into nothing, and once again a calm sky could be seen from the windows. Evidence of the fight remained everywhere, the drapes that hung from the walls had been torn to shreds, the torches had been extinguished, and many of the priests looked close to collapsing.

"It is over." The High Priest spoke, his voice filled with relief and exertion.

In the central circle a sphere of silvery wind continued to fight against the invisible bonds that contained it.

The Pharaoh, breathing heavily, stood tall, a large hand wrapped around the chain of the Sennen Puzzle for strength. It continued to pulse gently. He watched the sphere before him and smiled with dark pride.

Together they had done what a single person could never hope to achieve. They had brought together the scattered conscious of one of the most powerful forces in existence, and forced it under the servitude of their future king.

Egypt would forever be untouchable.

"Demon, did you not hear us? The fight is over and you have lost. Show yourself."

With a high-pitched shriek of rage and pain, the ball of wind collapsed in on itself and instantly reformed into a terrific beast. Claws and teeth as long as knives, white fur that rippled with jet-black stripes. The creature roared and growled, lashing out before it was pulled back and into itself. Suddenly becoming a great flaming bird with a long neck and deadly beak. But with a musical cry the bird also disappeared and suddenly a scaled beast stood in its place, jaws cracking viciously at the air. The cycle repeated itself over and over, creature after creature flickered before their eyes, some they recognised, some they didn't. But it was clear to them what was happening. Djinn had the flawless ability to shape shift, and in its rage the summoned Djinni was doing everything it could to find a means of escape.

And through the awe and fascination, the Pharaoh remembered what needed to be done, the true name of the demon that had been spoken but once during the spell, needed to be repeated to complete the ritual.

But he was not the Djinn's Master, and to speak the name of a demon you did not control bore a painful price.

He would speak it anyway; the Gods and the Puzzle would protect him and lessen his pain.

Hardening his will, he focused on his magical strength.

"You can escape this no longer. Condense and show us your truest form: Yuugi!"

An incredible pain bolted down his spine as the name left his lips, it felt as if someone had slashed his back open with a molten spear. The top layer of skin over his heart smoked as if branded, and steam escaped from his mouth, scorching his throat.

The Puzzle glowed.

By the time he recovered enough to stand again, the demon had long since stopped shifting its shape. The Pharaoh stared in surprise at what he saw.

A boy no older than seventeen was crouched, naked, like a cat, on his heels in the central circle. He looked wild. Long, unruly hair of three vibrant colours, red, black and gold, fell like a mane around his shoulders. His ears were a little longer than human's ears, and reached a fine pointed tip at the top. He looked wiry and agile, far more flexible than normal. His skin was as pale as the moon and a set of huge eyes the colour of rich amethysts were split vertically by black pupils.

The boy was watching him with a hungry satisfaction, as if his pain had been nothing short of amusing. The priests had not moved from their places, they knew better.

"If you had been a lesser man and did not bear that trinket," the demon suddenly spoke with a sly grin, "My name would have killed you."

"You have been bound, demon." The High Priest spoke, it would take days for their Pharaoh to regain his voice after speaking a name of power.

The boy flicked its head to look at the priest, a mocking look on its face. "Really? I didn't realise."

"Then you know you can do nothing to harm us."

"To my great disappointment."

The boy remained crouched on the ground, always ready to pounce, carefully its catlike eyes flickered to each of the seven humans stood within the summoning circle. It was pathetic that humans would sink so low as to have to amass together just to find power.

"But which of you is my new Master?" It spoke quietly, power hissed like a snake in its otherwise gentle voice. The Master could not be all of them; that was a true impossibility. And it was not the Pharaoh, who had nearly died from speaking his name.

The seven of them turned and pointed, like obscure sentinels, at the ninth circle where the baby was still crying, but now quietly, lying on its back on the harsh stone. The demon followed their gazes and sneered in distaste at the sight of the child.

The young priestess Isis spread her arms: "The newborn Prince of Upper and Lower Egypt: Atemunhotep. Through this ritual your souls have been eternally bound together. You will reside in loyal servitude and remain his protector until the day he passes into the next world. As ordained by Horus himself."

"This is my purpose here? To protect a child?" The boy was irritated, how many years would he have to spend bound to this forsaken world attending to the needs of a human?

"Correct."

The Pharaoh nodded when the priests looked at him questioningly, the ceremony was complete. The demon was released from the magic of the seal. As soon as he was able, the boy shifted out of his vulnerable form and into the body of a creature familiar to them.

A cobra curled on the floor, glaring at the baby as it thought of its new forced duty, around it the priests began to clean up the burned blood and sand that had painted the circles. No evidence could be left.

As soon as she was able to, the mother swooped down on her son and cuddled him to her chest. Grateful for his safety. The servants re-entered the room, and the exhausted priests left, the Pharaoh being taken directly to the healer. The Queen and her maids left the room too, eager to tend to the young Prince at last.

From the shadows, a reluctant snake followed the women carrying its charge.

-

It was the early hours of the morning now. And the Prince, clean and fed, had been laid to rest. But for some reason the boy would not sleep. His parents had long since lain to sleep in their own rooms, and his maids were gently snoring in the background. But in his crib, the baby Prince continued to squirm restlessly.

Yuugi watched him from a corner of the room, his snake's eyes detecting the child's body heat in the cool night. The Prince glowed hotter than the rest of the people he had seen, and Yuugi did not believe that this was simply because his charge was a child.

Atemunhotep would grow to be a powerful man.

And with Yuugi's power bolstering him, would he also grow to be a tyrant?

Yuugi flicked his tongue and tasted the air. It didn't matter, he would have to do as his Master commanded no matter who he became.

The baby made a cooing noise of discomfort and annoyance. Yuugi did not want noise now that he finally had a chance to quietly collect his thoughts. Leaving his corner he slid over to the Prince's crib, as he went his body shifted its shape again.

A small black cat leapt onto the cushioned bars of the Prince's crib. Its purple eyes reflecting the moonlight as it gazed down at the baby.

The boy's inferior gaze soon found him, and Yuugi was left wondering how it was possible for a newborn, with its fuzzy sight, to have seen him at night, as the Prince smiled innocently up at him and cooed joyfully. Carefully, Yuugi scrutinised the baby with his sharp eyes, it was indeed, a strong and healthy boy with a rare soul that, already at this age, was powerful enough to keep him from breaking his bonds to this world. Already the boy could sense him and his presence, although that was probably more due to the connection that had been forged between their souls when he was pushed, particle by particle, through the child's body.

So this boy was his Master. And would remain so until his death. Yuugi frowned; it had been many decades since he last took a physical form in this world, how long were humans expected to live these days? He hoped not long, he could already feel the beginnings of an itching discomfort caused from being solid too long.

Yuugi's ears twitched, he leapt down into the crib. He didn't remember ever seeing such a young human before, and Yuugi had already lived a long life. The baby followed his movements with its gaze as best it could as he prowled warily around the crib. Yuugi didn't think he'd ever actually touched one of his master's before, usually he was just summoned to perform a job a normal demon couldn't do, then let go again. Very few humans had the power to keep hold of him for very long, usually only a few months, and then he was gone. But this boy was different. It was not simple power that bound Yuugi this time, it was the soul itself, and bonds created by the soul were much harder to break.

What would happen if he touched the human?

Carefully, Yuugi approached the restless child, sniffing, his whiskers just barely brushing the boy's skin. It smelt strange, kind of… spicy? He began to pull away.

Yuugi blinked when a weight pulled him back, a surprised meow escaped his throat before he could stop it, and Yuugi suddenly found a pair of tiny hands clutching the fur around his neck and the bright crimson eyes of the child happily gazing back at him.

Yuugi lifted his head, and in turn the baby was lifted up a little higher off the mattress with him. The boy giggled, but didn't let go.

Scowling, Yuugi shook his head and dislodged the child's grip. What was he doing? Being so gentle with a useless human! Turning, Yuugi leapt back up to the top bar and sat precariously on the edge. Preparing to be the reluctant, protective sentinel he had been summoned for.

It took a little while, but finally the baby quietened down. Yuugi swished his tail from side to side in annoyance. This wasn't the kind of job he should be doing. Creating fantastic and wild weather patterns just for fun, yes. Destroying his Master's opponents one by one without them ever realising he was there, yes. Wiping out an army on an order, yes. But babysitting? Which divine power had cursed him with this?

Sulking, Yuugi was lost in his own world, and so was completely unprepared for the exceptionally strong tug on his tail that brought him tumbling with a slight screech off the rail and back into the cot. Landing on all four paws, but still slightly disorientated, Yuugi stared in disbelief at the boy who was giggling again. What had just happened to him? What was with this child? He couldn't be normal. But this child… this child…

The baby was clinging to him again, tiny fists clutching the fur of his belly as it snuggled into his warmth. With some reluctance, Yuugi let the boy get comfortable, and soon the baby's breath had evened out into gentle little puffs that tickled his fur. Yuugi rolled his eyes, not even a day old and the Prince already got exactly what he wanted. Settling himself down, Yuugi curled around the boy to make them both more comfortable, and settled his head on his paws. This way, no one could hope to remove the boy without waking him in the process.

His job of protection complete for the night, Yuugi closed his eyes.

-

Yuugi was woken by a large, warm hand running across the length of his spine, stroking his fur like it was silk. Lazily he twitched his tail and purred, a deep rumbling sound that travelled into the skin of the human chest he slept on. He rose and fell gently with the rhythm of the other's breathing, floating pleasantly in the world between sleep and wakefulness.

"My Pharaoh!" A loud, intrusive voice made Yuugi's whiskers twitch in irritation, "Ra has been reborn! It is time to wake!"

Opening his eyes reluctantly, Yuugi blinked at the bright light of morning shimmering through the gauze curtains.

"Your cousin certainly knows how to ruin a morning," Yuugi spoke, uncoiling his cat's body and yawning.

Atemu watched Yuugi's needlepoint teeth gleam white as he yawned, moving his hand Atemu scratched a sensitive spot just behind Yuugi's left ear, hoping to pacify the little black cat resting on his chest. Yuugi did not take rude awakenings well. Silently he cursed Seth for shouting so boorishly this early in the morning. Yuugi let a purr of appreciation escape him; sometimes he wondered if Atemu knew him too well.

"My Pharaoh! Have you awakened?"

"I suppose you should answer him." Yuugi said lazily.

"He can wait." Atemu responded, wanting to relax again in his comfortable bed.

"My Pharaoh?"

Yuugi stretched out his body to iron out the kinks, raising his behind in the air and stretching his front legs out, and casually letting his claws dig into Atemu's skin.

"Ouch!" Atemu half shouted, sitting up sharply in pain and making a grab for the guilty cat. "Yuugi!"

But Yuugi was already sat on the other end of the bed, nonchalantly licking a raised paw, a suggestion of a smirk at the corners of his mouth.

"Why you little – "

"Pharaoh, what was that? Are you alright?"

"You should really answer him." Yuugi said between licks.

Atemu sent the trickster a promising glare, which Yuugi gracefully ignored, and turned his gaze to the great doors leading out of his personal chambers, "Nothing is the matter, Seth," He said, loud enough to be heard from outside, "I will be out soon."

"Very well, My Lord."

Atemu rolled out of his bed, his stubborn body refusing to admit that it was time to begin the day, parting the translucent curtains that were draped luxuriously around his huge bed, Atemu made his way to the wash basin, recently filled with hot water, to scrub his face. It would help him wake up and wash away any remains of sleep that he refused to let even the slaves see. To the kingdom, Atemu always looked the part of perfection.

Washing complete, and shaking his head to be rid of excess water, Atemu turned back to the rest of the room, only to raise a bemused eyebrow at what he saw.

A young, wild looking boy was sat on the edge of his bed with his legs crossed, he was naked. He was always naked. His silver skin appearing delicious in the morning sun, and beautiful dark purple eyes looking right back at him through strands of long silky hair.

Atemu hummed, Yuugi only rarely took on his truest form without Atemu telling him to, and that could only mean one thing. Atemu licked his bottom lip, his blood suddenly running much hotter.

His little demon was in the mood.

Yuugi never took his gaze from Atemu as the Pharaoh's eyelids lowered in desire, the rich ruby colour of his eyes turning a smouldering scarlet. Atemu stalked back to their bed, leaning down and placing a hand on either side of Yuugi's thighs. He moved closer until their noses just barely touched, Yuugi titled his head back a little and sighed a sweet, hot breath that skated across Atemu's cheeks and made an excited shiver run down his spine. Yuugi's cat-like eyes turned smoky and inviting, just asking Atemu to pin him down and ravish him.

Atemu tilted his head a little to the left, the tension between them an electric charge that could set the very air flaming, it was always a game to see who could last the longest. Before it turned into a game of who would come out on top.

Atemu gave in, there were few games where you didn't mind being the looser, and this was certainly one of them. Their lips brushed in a caress lighter than a feather's touch, before parting just slightly. There was a heated pause.

Their lips touched again more boldly this time. Pressing together and not moving apart, eyes now shut, their kiss grew into a gentle rhythm of pressing and pulling, partially opening their lips to add little nips and caresses. Yuugi didn't move much other than his mouth, even when Atemu's hand moved from the bed to his bare thigh, the dusky fingers tracing a massaging pattern towards the inner side where the skin was softest and most sensitive. But a soft sigh escaping from perfect lips certainly caught Atemu's attention.

Before long Atemu found himself over Yuugi, who had been pushed on his back, as slim, talented fingers tangled Atemu's hair as they kissed. Desire building and boiling in his body, the Pharaoh's hands ran over Yuugi's stomach, caressing and massaging, as the demon's abdomen quivered at the attention. Sharp breaths filled the room and soon Atemu found that even the loose fabric of his sleeping cloth was too constricting, and as his eager hands quickly fought to remove the clothing Yuugi ducked his head under Atemu's chin, attaching heated lips and talented tongue to the skin of his neck, now salty with perspiration. Atemu inhaled sharply, tilting his head back to expose more skin as Yuugi's delicious mouth travelled down and across his collarbone.

Atemu finally managed through all the distractions to rip the clothing from himself, throwing it to the side and diving back down to re-capture Yuugi's mouth, wrapping his arms around the demon's back and pressing their bodies together. The sensation of so much heated skin made them gasp through the kiss, and Yuugi's arms lifted up to twine themselves around Atemu's broad shoulders, sharp nails digging into the bronze skin. Atemu bit onto Yuugi's lip, bringing them both a pained pleasure that caused Yuugi's body to arch up and into him.

With a grunt of surprised pleasure Atemu pressed back down eagerly, their damp hair mixing together as a gentle rocking began that stimulated their sexes to almost unbearable desires. Atemu grunted into Yuugi's mouth, feeling his hardness press against the silken flesh of Yuugi's stomach made the muscles in his arms almost give way. Yuugi's hands lowered to the cheeks of Atemu's behind, increasing the pace of their rocking to frantic and needy.

The kisses broke and Atemu threw his head back with a gasp, his eyes closed and body still rocking subconsciously as Yuugi's hands squeezed his flesh and sent a thick bolt of lust rushing to his groin. Atemu bit his lip as Yuugi began kissing his throat ravenously, arching his back and pressing his hips down onto Yuugi's, their damp flesh creating a friction as they rolled and rocked in sync.

A dance that was as familiar to them as breathing.

A loud pounding on Atemu's doors shattered the atmosphere of heat and passionate breathing, and interfered with the existence of pure sensation. Atemu growled in anger as Yuugi stilled.

"My Pharaoh? Where are you?"

"Your cousin really can ruin a morning." Yuugi said, his voice dangerously vexed.

"I swear I'll kill him." Atemu growled.

Yuugi hummed, "That's a sexy image, will there be blood?"

Atemu chose not to answer Yuugi's sometimes disturbing thirst for violence, instead shouting at the door, "Seth this better be important!"

"Sire, the court is waiting to begin."

"Oh, for the love of – " Atemu grunted as Yuugi bit into the base of his throat with a sharp little pair of canines, distracting him from Seth's interruptions. "The pissing court can wait until I'm ready, Seth, now leave!"

"But Si – "

"That's an order!" Atemu's voice almost broke as Yuugi, who had been previously still, rolled his hips again. Breathing heavily as his desire sparked fiercely again, Atemu barely heard Seth's retreat, his attention focused solely on Yuugi's almost surreal presence.

Yuugi grinned smugly against the skin of Atemu's neck, tightening his grip around Atemu's lower waist, voice eager as he muttered, "Now?"

Atemu nodded quickly, "Now."

A surge of pleasure rushed through him, making Atemu's fist's clench in the sheets and a moan escape his throat, as Yuugi finally pushed up against that all important spot.

-

It wasn't too much later in the morning when Atemu found himself stood sulkily in his dressing chambers, holding his arms out parallel to his body as the royal dressers garbed him and clicked numerous and various pieces of heavy gold jewellery onto his person. His body was relaxed with the after effects of pleasure, but the memory of being interrupted still made him a little sour. Forcing his face to relax, Atemu closed his eyes and let the kohl artist paint large amounts of thick black kohl over his eyelids, stretching to his temples and upper cheeks. Atemu opened his eyes when it was done and felt his cloak settle over his shoulders and be clicked into place under the golden neck and shoulder piece, the servants bowed deeply upon the completion of his appearance and backed away from his person, still bent over in reverence.

Seth approached him, also bowing but not as deeply, with his golden crown on an intricate platter and cloth. Atemu scowled at the top of his cousin's head, still a little angry from the previous interruption, and took the crown, settling the heavy gold band around his head and arranging his hair comfortably around it. When he had done, he strode wordlessly around Seth, who then straightened and followed just behind him.

Atemu stopped by an elbow high niche in the wall, looking down and holding out his arm once again. The cobra-Yuugi hissed gently, and uncoiled himself from the niche, leisurely slinking up the Pharaoh's arm and wrapping loosely around his shoulders.

The servants of the palace watched with discreet fascination. Only the Pharaoh and his priests knew who and what Yuugi was, to the rest of the kingdom he was a mysterious almost god-like snake that provided their king with a divine protection.

Atemu lifted his hand up to eye level, bringing the snake's head up with his fingers until Yuugi's forked tongue flickered out to brush just barely over his bottom lip. The cobra's violet eyes flickered with amusement, the room stayed silent.

"Seth." Atemu said coolly.

"Sire?" The High Priest responded diligently.

"I do not appreciate being rushed." The King kept his eyes on the snake, "We may be cousins, but do not take such liberties again."

There was a pause until Seth responded, "Yes, My Pharaoh."

Atemu smirked as Yuugi let another hiss escape, knowing it was a laugh, "Good. Then I think it's time to open court to the public."

Letting Yuugi's smooth chin go, Atemu strode out of the chamber, letting the others follow behind him. Yuugi's scales smoothed over his skin, and tightened around his neck, a silent message to his Master, who understood well enough.

It was a reminder of exactly who owned who.

-

AN: This is more of a preview chapter than anything since 'King' has turned out to be less of a one-shot and more of a chaptered fic. Nevertheless there should only be about five chapters, hopefully. So yes, this is to see if people like it. It took forever to write due to my fear of getting anything wrong after so many people requested it.

Oh, and yes, to those that have read the Bartimaeus Trilogy, there are some major similarities because a long, long time ago this was meant to be a kind of parody idea before it took on a life of it's own. Also, there are some touches from the game Golden Sun, since I love their Djinn.

So review if you like it and I shall continue!

Next Chapter:

Meti thrust a hand forward, a shaking finger pointed with misplaced righteousness at the rearing cobra on the Pharaoh's arm, shouting: "Destroy it!"

The sphere of liquid earth wobbled for a moment, as if reluctant, before barrelling forwards. Landing on the long, wide table it shifted into the shape of a large gargoyle within the blink of an eye, never pausing in its relentless charge towards the Pharaoh in a jagged gallop that would have terrified any normal man.

Its rock claws gouged the stone table, feral snarls bubbling in its dry throat. With only a metre to go to it leapt, lunging for the King with murderous, hungry eyes.

Atemu closed his eyes.

Review People!