Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ The Young God ❯ Chapter 5 ( Chapter 9 )

Chapter 5

Belumfel felt so distressed. What in the name of Ra was he supposed to do with Seto?

Anksuna truly disapproved of the child and it took all of Belumfel's willpower not to tell her the god's identity.

Seto didn't bother about the Living Isis. He treated her with some respect but it was obvious that he didn't take her seriously.

And that angered Anksuna even more.

In reality, Belumfel should have been offended by such impudence. Anksuna was his wife and the Queen of Egypt, after all. But there was the thing; Anksuna thought herself smart and Belumfel foolish. She would have made herself Pharaoh had it not been the thing called politics. Belumfel had all the support, after all, and to get rid of him would mean to get rid of all the support for herself as well.

On the other hand, and this was the ironic thing; Seto seemed to think Belumfel was the intelligent one and did not put Anksuna in high places at all. Of course, it wasn't because she was a woman ( he kept on telling Belumfel to try to think like his mother, even though he never really talked about her and Belumfel wasn't too sure if Seto actually knew who she was) it was because she was a woman and yet she thinks that she's smart because she was a woman.

Seto was right. Belumfel was more intelligent than Anksuna could ever be and Seto knew it. Belumfel was the youngest of the four sons of the previous Pharaoh and had showed great intellect at the age of seven. Without the help of his wife he had become Pharaoh at the age of eight, and had, by the works of his mother and himself, risen and earned the respect and loyalty of all the nobles around him with the dangers of being imprisoned, thrown off the throne, and even killed. Cruel and immoral is the world of politics, and Belumfel knew it. This Anksuna could never do.

Through the years Egypt had been attacked more than once and Belumfel had used great military skill. He not only defeated the enemies, but took over them as well, just when the economy was at its lowest. He had removed all threatening lords and replaced them with those loyal to himself. Anksuna played no part in it.

But as Seto had pointed out, ( although he never told him) his mother did.

So Belumfel feared for Seto's safety.

Seto went out into the wide world the day he felt his health begin to seriously decline. It wasn't a foolish decision because he knew that he needed a change of environment to maintain himself. The problem was that he didn't know if he had enough strength to get back.

Not that he cared, anyway.

So Seto put his cloak and hood on and ventured out into the wide world.

What he saw pained him.

Instead of the prosperity he had seen the first day he came, he saw poverty. The place he went to was further away from the palace. It was a very small village, thick with muck and slime.

The thing that caught Seto's attention the most was a person. He was a blind man, his hair gray and long. One of his eyes were turned up so that the pupils were gone. His bottom lip quivered and there was saliva dribbling down his chin. He was a blind man, with a hunched back, and his left leg was swollen at the joint. The man grabbed him and Seto screamed.
" Please, please, can't you see I need money?" The old man begged, but Seto was so horrified he bolted from the place.

Running and trembling, he looked up to find that it was nighttime. The stars were bright. Holding on to the tree to calm himself down, he suddenly heard voices.

" Heeeylo wakes up to the sun,
Rising in the east!"

Seto blinked and perked his ears, listening closely.

" He goes out and meets his girl!
Standing she is fair and cold!
Warmed at heart, song of love!
Take her hand below the face of Re!"

Seto moved slightly closer to the clearing where he saw a campfire. He edged closer. Six or seven men were sitting around the fire, singing.

" Take the knife and cut the corn!
Hoe the earth and sow the seeds,
With thy wife thou shalt succeed!
Take her hand, take her hand!"

Laughter. Seto smiled warmly. Laughter.
How can peasants laugh at their hardships so? Seto wondered. Are they really that faithful to the belief of life after death?

" Hmph." The old priest Iaksht muttered to himself. " Dominated by a thirteen year old."

His dear friend, a noble named Cruk, nodded in agreement.
" The boy can't be that smart." He said. " He can't have had such a big army as ours put together." Smirking, he waited for Iaksht to take the hint.
" Ah." Said the old priest. " Point taken. Good good. But he has the support of the Pharaoh. How can we get past that?"
" Here." Cruk answered, motioning for him to sit. " Let me explain this to you, my friend..."

" My powers." Seto thought out loud quietly. " They're dying."

He looked at his hands. They were pale white, glowing white, the white of his natural skin. He looked in the mirror. The circlet lay bare for all to see. His blue eyes a startling contrast to his white skin. He was like a god.

" No." He breathed softly. " They'll kill me."

Darkness clouded his vision. Not now. He thought. Not now! Not now, please, because I still want to go home. I can't fade here-

" Seto?"

Who calls? I need...to go home. Want to...rest. Can't stay here, any...longer...
" Seto!"

The lithe body fell back and Belumfel caught his high priest, startled. Why was he so pale and glowing? Why is his circlet revealed?

" Seto? Seto, can you hear me? Answer!"

No response. The child hung limp in his arms and tremors quivered down his body. Belumfel gently laid him on the bed.
" Call the healer!" He cried, and held on to Seto's hand.

Belumfel stayed that night watching over the fallen child. To him the boy looked so small and young. So weak and frail.
" Pharaoh..."
" Hush, little one." The mighty ruler said gently, holding the boy's hand in both of his. " It's going to be alright."
" I'm dying."
" You're not. I'll make sure of that."
" Pharaoh."
" Yes?"
" I'm scared. I want to go home."
" I know. I know."
" Pharaoh?"
" Yes?"
" Are you mad at me?"

Belumfel was silent for a moment. " Why?"
" I started the drought."

Belumfel knew that Seto didn't start the drought, but his presence did.
" No, I'm not mad. You can create rain tomorrow. Go to sleep now."

The child closed his eyes, his eyelashes fluttering against his cheeks. Belumfel kissed his forehead. Such a delicate child.

Seto was playing outside in the garden with his friends Anat and Reknes.
" Four!" Seto laughed, putting down the bow. " Let's see you do it for the fourth time, Reknes!"

Reknes was a blond haired nine year old, tall and healthy and strong. He lifted the bow and shot.

" Oh, so close!" He muttered.
" So close! That's all you ever get." Anat picked up her bow. " Beaten by an eight year old. Ha!"
" Be quiet." Reknes smiled good naturedly as he stood aside for Anat. " Let's see YOU do it!"

Anat smiled confidently and shot. Straight on.

" That was SO for you." Seto laughed.

Reknes growled.

" That was not funny, Seto."
" It was too! Come on! My turn."
" I don't like this game.'
" Aww, come on Reknes!" Anat patted the boy on the shoulder. " Don't wimp out now. You're getting better."
" Hmph." Reknes folded his arms.

Seto drew the bow and suddenly he froze. His legs gave out under him and he suddenly collapsed.

" Seto!" Anat cried, rushing to the young god. " Seto?!"

" He's suffering from a strange illness." The elderly goddess told the worried father. " He's suffering badly. We can try to cure him, but it is likely he needs to go to the Mortal Realm for a change of atmosphere."
" The Mortal realm?" The father breathed, stunned. " But...we can't watch over him like that!"

Seto shivered in his room and his mother cradled him soothingly. He did not want to leave his parents, or the friends for that matter. Outside his father was pleading. Seto huddled against his mother.

" Don't worry Seto." His mother said gently. " We'll figure something out. You're not going anywhere until they can no longer cure you."

The young child nodded silently, but still huddled closer. In his mind, he could see what will happen. He will be sent to the mortal world, alone, without his parents, to fend for himself and try to cure himself with no one to help him or watch over him.