Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ The Tales of Hierakon's Empire ❯ Chapter 10

Author's Note: As a warning, things are still going to be a bit slow. Oreana has a job now and she'll work 8 hours every time she is called in, more than likely. I have summer semester starting in July. I appreciate everyone being so patient and understanding that we have multitasking lives. Thanks for your ongoing support and keep it coming!

 

-Raist

 

---------------------------------

 

Prince Djoser had departed the following night in order to travel across the other side of the barren desert to reunite with his duties in the Maladraad Empire, eagerly waiting until the time struck a month to further gain his goals back in Hierakon. Thirty days of waiting would give him all the time he needed to plot further masked demise, slowly drawing the people to his feet in hope of gaining new beginnings.

 

“A hurting empire is an open empire,” his father quoted directly, intertwining his slender fingers sparkling with intricate jeweled rings together. The man was slender, though well-built, with a skin complexion mixed between caramel and golden tan. Ebony hair running the length between his shoulders hung like a pair of silken curtains on either side of his face, rimmed with beads of carnelian and lapis. Eyes lined in black with gold spread across either eyelid, eyes of amber belied, glittering with embers. “Their defenses are low, allowing the next strongest, if even foreign, royal man into their pleading arms.” Laughing softly, sardonically, the Maladraad Pharaoh leaned back comfortably in his throne, placing sly orbs of amber upon his only son. “The antelope is in reach of your claws, my son. Don't let it slip away while you get gouged in the side from intruding horns.” The warning came as a hiss as the dark Pharaoh lifted his gold plated goblet to his lips, savoring the lightly sweet wine that graced his palate.

 

Djoser knew to heed his father's word, though his own cunning was just as sly and vile when he deeply thought his plans through. The prince could easily gain power over his father's throne if he could successfully overthrow the zealous patriarch to make it look like a sorrowful accident. However, the prince didn't want what his empire had to offer. He had his eyes set upon the prize lying in wait within Hierakon he could nearly taste it seemed so close. Locking gazes with the man that helped create him, Djoser offered a smirk of understanding, nodding. “I will not fail you, father. There is nothing to worry about.”

 

“That's what I like to hear,” Gahiji praised, a smile following to further seal his trust. Bringing his hands together, the Pharaoh clapped thrice, throwing his voice across the thrown room. “Bring in the wenches! I have much service to offer tonight.”

 

Taking the command as a hint, the prince humbly left his father's presence, not interested in the fog of sexual acts with the harem Gahiji kept locked away for his own purposes.

 

 

------------------------------------

 

 

 

Perilous days followed the burial of Pharaoh Kafele. With only a Queen to hold the order of the people, many of the troublesome parties of citizens took advantage of pillaging the bizarre to take all they could carry without paying the vendors. The guards patrolling the empire were working twice as hard to help keep the people at bay, the dungeon overflowing with criminals. It wasn't that Queen Este couldn't hold the position of being two royal positions wrapped into one; she suffered from depression at her husband missing beside her. His throne remained untouched and empty, placing a void in the once golden room.

 

“My Queen, the harvest is running late this year,” one of the farmers presented, bowing lowly to the marble floor respectively. “There hasn't been any rain since the downpour a few nights ago when it stormed. I'm afraid it wasn't enough to make the river swell the banks in hopes of watering the crops through irrigation.”

 

“Have you tried taking water man by man by clay jars to water the crops?” Este asked, calmly staring down upon the lower class man before her.

 

Staring at his reflection incredulously, the farmer remained silent, not sure how to respond. That would mean more labor without higher pay for their struggles, placing his thoughts into shock.

 

“Answer the Queen's question, rat!” the guard on the left of the queen spat, threatening to pull his saber from its leather scabbard.

 

Glaring upon the foolhardy guard, Este gripped the arms of her throne, feeling heat rise to the surface of her skin. “Did I give you permission to speak?”

 

Caught off kilter, the guard recoiled from his tense posture, standing back at attention. “No, my Queen.”

 

“Then I suggest you keep your thoughts to yourself!” the queen sternly projected, slowly taking her sapphire gaze off the trained man at arms. Staring out over the rest of the silent audience that held service within the throne room quarters, she further threatened, “That goes to every man and woman in this room. I only want to hear this man at my feet; no one else!”

 

It seemed even the air encircling the room's atmosphere caught her threat, no sound permeating to all silent ears. The farmer closed his eyes in the midst of all the commotion, hoping to keep his life from holding silence after a simple question.

 

“Now, answer me. Did you try what I asked?” Este inquired once more, lowering heavily lashed lids to poise in serenity after dipping into irritation.

 

Keeping his gaze upon the floor once he reopened his eyes, the lower class male spoke up to sate the ruler erected in front of him. “We haven't, my Queen,” he admitted gravely, allowing his forehead to kiss the cool marble below his body.

 

“Then gather your men and women and get the fields watered,” Este commanded matter-of-factly, tilting her head slightly. “You don't want the storage to be empty for the hottest of days to come, do you?” She could sense his falter of doubt at working longer hours, prying him to speak his word.

 

Hesitating once again, the man finally gave his answer, though almost inaudibly. “I don't want any of us to suffer anymore than we already have. I will do as you ask. Anything for the better of the empire, Queen Este.”

 

“Very well. You are dismissed.” Motioning two guards to lead the man out of the palace, the Egyptian queen rested against the back of her thrown, sighing softly through her nostrils. “Bennu?”

 

Sea green oculars lifting to greet the Este, the healer sauntered forward, bowing with several musical clinks of the colorful beads making up her attire. “You called for me?”

 

Massaging her temples, the royal woman that had all of the empire upon her shoulders directed her voice to the healer, though her gaze fell on nothing in particular. “Make me some of your soothing tea. I am tense and distraught again and could use the effect to make me forget about what's gnawing at me.”

 

Bennu gave the queen an odd, though hidden look of concern, rising to fold her hands in front of her body. “As you wish.” Bowing her head once more, Bennu ambulated across the throne room with a sensuous sway of her hips, hypnotizing the guards that looked her way with beads clacking and swaying like multiple pendulums of hidden enchantment.

 

Omorose placed her hands upon the marble railing of the balcony, which jetted out from her bedroom. The silky curtains swayed slightly behind her thanks to the hot, desert wind blowing from the west. Many thoughts were swelling within her mind as she stood there gazing down at the citizens her father had sworn to watch over when he was born into the royal bloodline before her. She couldn't help but feel mixed feelings over the people carrying on about their activities below her. With her father killed at the hands of two slaves, Omorose felt that, in a sense, all slaves must be corrupted.

 

My father did nothing wrong, Omorose thought to herself as she rested her jeweled fingers against her ivory cheek. Those bastard slaves had no excuse to do what they did!

 

Even if she felt that the treatments on some of the slaves were harsh, the young princess still felt there was no reason that such things would corrupt a slave. She was still young in mind and had no reason to rethink the situation. What she believed was set in stone, and the more she dwelled on it, the angrier she became.

 

The chisel meeting with the marble stone, chipping away to make a steady design could be heard throughout the irritable groans and cracking of whips throughout the continuation of the wall that was being constructed. Jin wiped the sweat from underneath his red bangs as he worked on the design he was instructed to produce. It wasn't long until the large tablet he was working on got hot sand kicked upon it, ceasing him from his work. Jin narrowed his eyes slightly before rolling them, gazing up at the guard who felt need to get his attention in such a way.

 

“You there,” the guard began sternly, “get your ass out into the wheat fields! We need extra hands out there!”

 

Jin was confused as working on the designs for the wall was his post and always was his post. He found switching jobs in the middle of the day to be quite odd, but he dared not voice it.

 

The guard not in the mood for such hesitation, which he declared as obedience, cracked the whip upon Jin's already scarred back to make the redhead move from where he was stationed in the hot sand. “Move, you lazy bastard! We need extra hands on the wheat fields!” Unbeknownst to the slaves, some of the farmers and workers already stationed in the wheat fields had passed out from exhaustion thanks to the horrible heat—some even died.

 

Touya heard the commotion from where he was chiseling away at some of the marble slab he was given to even out for it to be placed within its appropriate place. The thought of Jin leaving the area made him sick to his stomach with nervousness. When he stopped for merely a moment, one of the guards cracked the whip just above his head to startle him.

 

“Get back to work! This wall is going to be completed in name of the passed Pharaoh!” The guard ordered upon his Arabian steed.

 

Getting to his sandaled feet, Jin brushed the sand off of him, but only for a moment as the guard ordering him out of the wall construction area pulled on the chain he had shackled to Jin's wrist shackles. “Move it, you worthless beast!” He grumbled as his heels nudged the stallion's flanks gently to make it move towards the withering wheat fields.

 

Jin nearly stumbled, but he caught himself as he walked beside the guard. He couldn't help but gaze over his shoulder a moment at Touya, dreading leaving him behind and out of his sight.

 

Upon the royal steps of the palace, Rehema was there with one of the handmade dolls she had bought upon the market. Her fingers ran through the yarn hair of the doll, sniffling at the thought of her father's passing. As she remained there, the royal priest made his way down to the middle, marble step where the young princess was sobbing.

 

Darwishi knelt down slowly, leaning upon his staff he had with him. “You know, princess, you shouldn't be out here all by yourself.” His voice was soothing, his smile nearly felt upon her like the sun's rays through the streaked tear lines marking her complexion.

 

Dawdling with the yarn hair of the doll held close to her chest, the young princess allowed another pair of tears to roll down her cheeks, keeping her watered gaze between her sandaled feet. “I needed to be alone to think,” Rehema replied within a quivering sniffle, reaching up to wipe her face with the back of her hand.

 

Lowering down further to sit upon the step beside the princess, Darwishi hummed softly, tilting his head as he lidded his eyes slightly. “In this horrid heat? Why not inside in one of your quiet places?” the priest nudged gently, knowing of two she always sat in to be away from royal bustle.

 

Silent a moment before speaking, Rehema gave her full attention to the priest, her emerald orbs like pools of broken glass the more she tried to hold back her sobs. “It feels empty inside without daddy here. Momma is so tired she won't bother talking to me and Omorose some days.” Looking down once more, her voice faded into a light whimper, “Some days, she won't talk to us at all…”

 

Frowning, Darwishi feared the worst with the queen. The grieving process wasn't easy for any soul, but with an entire empire running on ones shoulders, it could sever the thread drawn too tight, losing the will to sustain any power. Placing his hand gently upon the distraught princess, Darwishi pushed himself up with his staff.

 

“Come along, Rehema,” he beckoned. “I'll take you to a soothing place you and your sister have never seen before just outside of the empire walls.”

 

Getting to her feet slowly, Rehema held her doll closer to her body, keeping to the side of the priest as close as possible as he lead her down the rest of the steps leading out of the palace. She didn't bother to ask what or where the place was exactly, though the further she and Darwishi traveled away from the palace, the more something seemed different to her. Peering around the priest, a line of slaves were being pulled away from the wall construction to be herded out of the palace walls. Pausing in her steps, the youngest Hierakon daughter furrowed her brows further, sniffing to clear her sinuses.

 

“What is it, princess?” Darwishi immediately wondered, blinking at how abrupt she stopped. “Is something the matter?”

 

Staring at the moving men that were a distance away, the redheaded man she was growing fond of caught her eye as one of the candidates, pointing towards the pacing guards ordering them around. “Why are they making them leave the wall?” She couldn't help but clutch the hidden phoenix pendant concealed under the fabric of her dress, quite confused since no man had even been allowed to move during harsh working hours upon something her father found very important to be completed.

 

Sky-blue orbs directed towards the distant commotion, the priest lowered Rehema's hand, quick to call her mistake. “Never point, princess. It is impolite and unjust,” Darwishi scolded through a hushed whisper, frowning softly. “The crops are suffering a drought. Some of the slaves are being ordered to the fields to help get them watered appropriately.” Nudging her forward, the priest got her moving again, even if her sight couldn't leave the trailing line of broken men. “It is best to leave that decision to your mother. She has been keeping this empire up for many suns, princess. We just have to trust in her word.”

 

I guess so…, Rehema sighed to herself, tearing her emerald gaze away from the working site back to the front of her, seeing the temple looming closer in the distance. The structure was nearly as elegant, if not more so, than the palace itself since their beloved falcon god was worshipped and studied there. Great pillars carved into the many gods and goddesses held the rest of the etched stone in place, sun stone outlined limestone bricks glistening like gold ones the rays of day beamed down upon the building. A lone fountain was placed in a tiny resting area in front of the temple for gathered visitors, the entire area a safe haven of peace and solitude. Beyond the temple was another way out of the empire heavily guarded my sentries, making instances for the priest easier if he had to leave on business. The princess assumed he took her this way to get her mind off of all the bustling commotion, the pit of her stomach feeling sour from the passing of her father now mixed with the heavily worked redheaded slave that may perish in the sweltering heat of the dried wheat fields.

 

The unusually pale slave came to mind, too, and it pained her further that he would be left alone. Even if Jin wasn't allowed to protect Touya on the job site without being harshly punished, the comfort of the redhead being there seemed to soothe the pallid man even if he was bitter about the empire and how it was held together. Recalling the beating she witnessed to the cerulean haired man prompted her to flinch mentally, a low whimper caught in the back of her throat.

 

Reaching the patrolling guards, Darwishi had a word with them about taking the princess out, appointing four guards to scout the remote area so roaming trouble wouldn't hinder his life or most of all, Rehema's. Gaining access through the colossal arch out into the open, the territory started to open the princess' eyes, feeling a sense of giddiness as they trekked through the golden-white sand.

 

“Where are we going?” Rehema felt directed to ask, tired of waiting for her sight to point it out in anticipation.

 

“To the oasis, princess. If we're lucky, you'll even get to see some wildlife you've only seen in books or scroll work.” The priest was proud of his decision of removing the youngest princess from the palace walls to see more of the beauty outside of them even if the sand dunes or craggy rock formations stretched into unknown horizons to the naked eye. There were places within the barren land capable of life, though highly dangerous paths to get to them. The predators of the desert were brash creatures, including the rouges that slinked about in the shadows. The two girls had been told of the dangers, but they had never seen them for themselves.

 

So this is what it feels like to be free, Rehema thought to herself, taking in everything around her. She was guarded, but no longer enclosed, giving her a feeling she had never experienced before. Is this what it feels like to fly upon the wings of Horus?

 

Darwishi could see that Rehema was feeling a bit better as they traveled further within the desert with the guards leading the way. After a few minutes of wandering within the desert heat, the high priest could see the trees outlining the grasslands, which surrounded the water deep within the desert flora. Once they reached the boundaries of the oasis, which was protected by the mountain ranges about the area, Darwishi raised his hand slightly to the guards that had scouted the area and offered to watch over them.

 

“It's alright,” he insisted. “I can take care of things from here.”

 

The guards were hesitant given the recent events, but they knew Darwishi had a powerful influence with the gods and goddesses, and they dared not argue. “We will be stationed outside of the oasis then,” the lead guard remarked.

 

Knowing that the guards had their reasons to be on edge, Darwishi nodded in agreement before leading Rehema further within the oasis with his hand against her back. He used his staff to pull some of the greenery out of the princess' way as he made it to the waterfall deep within the oasis.

 

It was a serene area that Rehema had only dreamed about. She managed to catch a few gazelles running from the sight of the humans nearby once they managed to catch their fill of the oasis' clear water. The little girl in her couldn't help but want to run after them, but she was quickly stopped by Darwishi, as the priest didn't want to lose the young princess to her young curiosity.

 

“Do not wander,” he spoke softly within her ear. “Lions could be near here, so it is best to be careful.”

 

Rehema listened to Darwishi though she grumbled as she did so. Gazing across the lake hidden within the oasis, something caught the young princess' eye. A brief glisten peeked through the brush ahead near the towering mountains nearby making Rehema pull from the high priest for a moment to try and get a better look at what was catching the sun's rays. “What is that?” She asked herself though the words caught Darwishi's hearing as well.

 

Darwishi looked across the lake as well to find nothing there as he shrugged. “What do you see, young Princess—hey! Wait!”

 

Pulling from the high priest's arms, Rehema hurried over to the other side of the oasis with Darwishi following quickly behind her. She could hear him calling to her to slow down, but she didn't listen as she made it to a hidden cave, which was embedded within the side of the rocky mountain range nearby. The mouth of the cave had a few embedded jewels jutting from the rocks, causing their beauty to glisten off of the sun as the perfect, wild gems were bathing in the rays.

 

“Wow,” the young princess exclaimed as she made her way inside of the mouth of the cave. “What are these big stones doing here? They look so pretty!”

 

Darwishi grabbed onto Rehema's wrist to pull her from the mouth of the cave, not wanting her to travel any further inside. “Those aren't just regular stones, princess. These `stones' are actually crystals. It is rare to see them in such a form in the wild. Normally they are chiseled up to make the jewelry you wear now.”

 

Rehema's tiny hands graced the jeweled bracelet she was currently wearing when he said such a thing.

 

“I never imagined such a place like this was hidden within this oasis,” the priest remarked. “It's a wonder nobody has found it to extract the crystals from inside.”

 

“You won't tell anybody about it, will you, Darwishi?” Rehema asked with a raise of her brow.

 

“Princess, this cave has many crystals that your family could benefit from,” Darwishi explained as he knew her words were hinting her fear of releasing such crystals. “Wouldn't you like some of these crystals embedded within your very necklace someday to replace that dull phoenix one you're wearing?”

 

His remark about the necklace the slave had made her pained Rehema and she felt her heart stop briefly as she held onto it. “I like this necklace. I don't want to get rid of it or replace it…”

 

Darwishi leaned down to place his hand upon her shoulder. “It's not even made of fine silver or gold—the things that royalty such as yourself is used to.”

 

“Maybe I like simpler things,” Rehema mumbled, her tone carrying the pain of Darwishi's previous words to her.

 

Hearing the sadness in her tone, the priest sighed softly. “What do you propose I do then?” He asked with a few gestures of his hands.

 

Rehema looked back into the mouth of the cave to once again be enraptured within the crystal shards she could see sparkling deep within the darkness of the cavern. “Leave it alone,” she insisted before turning to look back at Darwishi. “I want it to stay this way. I like it the way it is…”

 

Shaking his head from side to side, the high priest put on a smile before nodding at Rehema's suggestion. “Alright, young princess, I won't tell anybody about it. You have my word on this.” Outstretching his hand, he accepted the young Rehema's palm into his own. “Now, let us be getting back home. I am sure your mother and sister could really use your comfort right about now.”