A Templar's Dissonance

A bit more than two months had now passed since they parted from Kophalesh, and the journey had truly been a hard and arduous one. But not everything had been a struggle. Many a city-state and kingdom along their way had now pledged their forces and swords to their cause, and the few kingdoms that hadn't had atleast vowed to join forces should the scales of war tip a bit more in their favor. Now their biggest prize yet laid before them: Marqant. This radiant kingdom stood as the pinnacle of Hetepian progress and one of the few great powers of this continent.
"At last," Isis said from atop her mount. "Marqant... Seraphine is a benevolent, powerful and influential leader. If we can convince her to aid us in the days to come, things are all but certain to go our way. The Priests are sure to lend voice as well, so with both of them on our side, we will have rallied all of Hetep to the banner of freedom." Isis said proudly with excitement.
Amir used his poncho to wipe the sweat from his brow, looking up to see the kingdom standing large and proud in the distance, a smile forming on his face despite the exhaustion from their long journey. "So this is the place you've been talking up? I can see why now, Lah'mi. Let's hope that this benevolent ruler is willing to hear us out. Perhaps then we will have amassed enough support to start actually trying to make a difference." His voice tired but hopeful as he gently kicked his mount in the side, causing it to speed up just a bit more toward what he hoped would be their saving grace. "What can you tell me about this Seraphine? Anything important I should know?"
Isis thought about it for a moment, trying to recall the things she have seen and heard. "I don't know too much actually. I only know what I've seen and heard over the years. She is the oldest living regent in Hetep, being millenia old. She was once said to have defeated a host of Murai singlehandedly, saving the Holy City. She is a demigod, the daughter of the God of Wisdom and Magic, Tahoti and is basically immortal. She is also the only regent I've seen and served with who actively walked the streets and interracted with her citizens, from nobles and commoners to the urchins in the street. I didn't have long to serve with her though. Amen would soon after take over the kingdom, and as a sign of surrender and submission he demanded that her templar order, my templar order, would be turned over to him."
As they got close to the city, there was something odd about it. She did not know what beyond an odd feeling, but that feeling was only amplified as when they got close to the city, rather than being halted by the guards, as they had expected, as it was customary of every city, they merely bowed their heads and looked ahead as they passed by. "Welcome home, lady Isis." Spoke one of the guards. Isis was taken back with that. "Why do they know me? And why does it seem like they have been expecting us..?"
Amir wasn't sure what to think when Isis had described Seraphine, nor did it really tell him what to expect beyond what he'd already been told. Though the idea of her being a demigod did instill a bit of hesitance in him, perhaps only because of his father's old words about being wary around things we can't hope to fully understand. Gods were certainly on the top of that list for his father. The Godsends words also echoed his father's sentiments, 'The Gods lie.' He thought to himself as they passed through the gates. His own mind too preoccupied to have noticed the odd discrepancy until Isis pointed it out. He turned his head to her, forcing a smile onto his face. "You did say she was a Demi-God, perhaps she's simply privy to this sort of knowledge. Besides, we know that Amen has likely sent word of your return and how much de desires that to no longer be the case. We should be cautious, as always, but there is no use in being paranoid just yet." He said hypocritically as he echoed her thoughts in his own head. He wondered who would await them this time.
Isis nodded. "You are right, Amir. Seraphine was renowned for many a miracle. Maybe a bit of foresight isn't beyond her capabilities." She replied, feeling a bit better about herself again and their cause. "I have to wonder though why Amen's scouts stopped following our trial. It is entirely possible that they just lost us, but after months of hounding it feels weird to not have them at our heels. Maybe he has-"
"Lady Madu!" Came a strong, feminine voice from ahead. Isis and Amir looked towards the source of the voice to find a towering beast of a woman approaching. Her skin was darker than even the most southern Hetepians, her hair straight and obsidian of color, muscles to rival Ammonn himself, and, most notably, her templar armor. "Do I know you, Isis?" Isis asked.
"No, nor I you, but I know of you. I serve as the captain of the newly assigned templar order in protection of her grace, Seraphine Eden. Each and every one of us are more than aware of the templar who served her so faithfully and diligently before us. You still have a special place in our lady's heart, gendai!" She said proudly, saluting Isis and Amir. "And lets not forget the newly crowned Arbiter of Galeer as well. You honor our city with your presence."
"And how do you kno-" Isis was about to ask before she was interrupted.
"Who does not know of him!?" The captain shouted out with glee. "Everyone from west to east and to the sea knows of the Long awaited for Arbiter. Great things are expected of you, Arbiter, and we look forward to seeing your work." She said, walking up towards the two of them. "Your animals, if I may. They seem exhausted and could use some proper feeding and watering." She requested as she extended a hand to be handed their reins.
There was an odd peppiness about the woman before them, something he did not expect of someone of her stature. As though she were a child trapped in the body of a grown woman, though, perhaps he was the one in the wrong for judging a book by its cover? Had their exhausting journey made him wary of kindness or optimism? He let his narrow eyes open normally again, his blank stare warm into a smile. "It is good to see our efforts are paying off. Do you hear that, Lah'mi? The people of Hetep have heard of our goal, our efforts have not fallen on deaf ears." he said with an out of character cheer that he hoped Isis would take note of and play along with. He handed the reins of his mount to the woman, "Please take good care of her, she is the only reason we were able to make it here in the time that we did and she deserves a good long rest for her efforts." Amir continued, petting the mule gently on its head. "Perhaps her majesty is expecting us? Can we meet her? Or is there perhaps a place we can wait until she is ready to see us?" He asked with a tilt of the head.
"Of course, they shall be well rewarded for their work. My name is Mastraza for the matter, and her grace is readily awaiting your arrival. Ever since you crossed into her domain she has been expecting you. Follow me." She said before handing over the reins to one of her fellow templars. After this was done, she and her templars began escorting them to the palace.
Isis got down from the mule and did the same, now walking behind this young and eager captain. "It is quite a relief and good change of pace to be so warmly welcomed," Isis said while keeping a straight face. Not because of suspicion or distrust, but rather out of habit to be of a neutral disposition when among fellow templars. "It is also good to be among a fellow order of templars once more. If it is not too much to ask about, have you encountered any disturbances in the kingdom as of late?"
"Besides the more occasional scouting party of Amen's forces or brigands trying to make a quick sovereign, nothing of note really. Some attempts have been made on the countryside, but our queen is diligent and steadfast, keeping intruders at bay with her forces."
"But if her forces are in the wide beyond, how does she defend her own city?"
"From Amen you mean?" Mastraza asked, her face now turning more stern than she had previously behaved. "He does not dare come this close to the kingdom. Second to the Holy City, this place is as beloved by the gods as they come, not to mention her grace's presence wards him off. He has become a heretic, you see. Any godly presence is a pain for him to set upon." She spoke with confidence and strength.
Amir followed closely listening in on their conversation, knowing that Isis would be most suited to learning more than he would in this situation. He found Mastraza's words a bit hard to believe, "You say that the presence of the Gods pains him but this has not stopped the razing of the Religious monuments throughout Hetep. How can Seraphine so openly oppose him without consequence where other kingdoms have felt the full force of his iron fist? Do the Gods favor protecting this Kingdom over others?" He asked, wanting to know more about what it might be that kept Amen's dirty hands from leaving his ruin all over it as he had the kingdoms of so many other faithful Hetepians.
The captain tilted her head from side to side as to show that she admitted that he had a point. "You bring up an understandable argument. I'd vager a pretty big difference though: Temples and other constructions are merely buildings. They are only as holy as we choose to make them. Don't mistake me, it is an atrocity that he would think so little of them as to tear it all down, but they are just sandstone, precious metals, and memories. The difference here would be that we have a true child of the gods in our city. The gods' presence have always been felt strongly here. Almost as much as the priest capital, which too has not been touched by the false king. A beloved blood-child of theirs resides here. They can't have him sonter in and slay her, now can they? Not that I would expect him to be able to."
' I'm so glad they care so much for their own, ' He thought as they continued their walk, shaking away the negative thoughts. "I suppose that makes sense, so Seraphine should be the poster child for resistance against Amen. Does she have anything planned? Has anything been set in motion as of yet? A child of the Gods themselves opposing Amen would give hope to even the most downtrodden of those feeling the hurt of Amen's reign." He said with vain hope in his voice that he would like whatever might be said in response. "I mean, next to a God, demi or otherwise, a simple Arbiter or Godsend could not even compare after all."
"You would be surprised. Godsends are not that important in comparison, its true, but you are currently the only living and true Arbiter left in Hetep. Not quite on par with a Demi-God in the eyes of men and women, but by title you two are all but equals. Think of Arbiters as the adoptive children of their gods, while she is a the biological child. Any decent parent will show equal love to both." Spoke the Templar captain. "As for what she has planned, I couldn't say. She keeps such important affairs to herself unless she has come to a definite conclusion that must be acted upon at that very moment. Who knows, could just be you that she has waited for. Though... If you excuse my quesion, Arbiter, why would you ask such a thing? Shouldn't you already know such things as your comparison to our queen? Surely you know Galeer enough to know such a thing by now?"
Amir shook his head, "It seems that Galeer has decided to take a much more hands-off approach to parenting. Perhaps he worries that he may make the same mistakes he had with Amen, or perhaps he simply trusts Isis to be my guide, or it may very well be both. It is not as though he is beyond the reach of my questions so much as I've not reached out to him as much as I likely should." Amir said, pondering a bit more. "All of this is still new to me, I was made an arbiter the first time I'd spoken to the Gods of Hetep. There is still much about all of this I do not understand and I have not had any time to rest or process all of this since I arrived." He explained himself, knowing it was better to be honest than make up an excuse for his naivety.
The captain remained silent for a while before speaking up. "Forgive my words, Arbiter, but perhaps it is time to consider that it is not he that must change anything, but rather your own approach. A parent can only do so much for the unwilling, rebellious child. Maybe instead of thinking, 'what can or are you doing for me', then you could think 'What can I do for you?'." She spoke as they approached the palace. "I will not profess to have all the answers, but it seems like you need to take a step further towards building that relationship with him. You may not understand it all, but wouldn't that make it so that you ought to converse with him more often? It is not like you are restricted in any way, are you?"
Amir shook his head, "I don't think so, aside from having a tendency to converse with him out loud." He said with a shrug, honestly unsure if he was indeed restricted in some way. After all, how could he know anything besides what he experienced himself. It wasn't as though Amen would be excited to give him advice on how to better converse with the Gods. "But I thank you for your concern and advice, I will take them into great consideration as all moves forward. I don't personally see myself as any sort of savior or hero of the people, I simply wish to help them as best I can. I suppose I still have a lot to learn in all regards," He said with a soft but genuine smile.
"Wanting to help for the sake of helping is a proper quality if a hero, whether you like it or not." She replied with a smile that they could not see. Now standing before the palace, the captain and her templars parted to allow them forward. "Good luck in there. May the gods favor you in this meeting. With us by your side this revolution's success is all but assured."
Isis nodded, a bright smile on her face. "Thank you, Captain Mastraza. I look forward to working with you in the days to come." Isis said with a nod as she and Amir stepped into the palace. Well inside, there was a servant awaiting their arrival. He was dressed in barely more than a loincloth, most likely to endure the blistering heat easier. When they walked up he fell to his knee, showing the appropriate respect to Amir and Isis. "Welcome to the Realm of her Majesty Eden. She has instructed me to give you a moment to collect yourselves if you so wish. She will be awaiting your arrival whenever you feel ready." He spoke softly as he got back up and walked towards the colossal gate which assumedly leads to the throne chamber.
Isis nodded before turning to Amir. "What do you say? Should we take a moment? I'll admit to being a bit nervous. Our revolution could hinge on our ability to convince her to join us or not." She said, her nerves clearly getting to her.
Amir placed his hands on her shoulders, "Fear not, Lah'mi, our hearts are in the right place and our actions are just. I am sure that she will see reason. But I agree, now is the moment for us to breathe, to take a moment to think lest we sound like bumbling fools before someone you respect so greatly." He said, trying to lighten the mood. However, his thoughts turned to Mastraza's words. They clashed with that of the Godsend's own, telling him to open up to rather than be wary of the Gods. "Perhaps I should ask Galeer? If anyone might be able to give us advice it would be him, right? Let's just hope he is in an advice-giving mood." He said before leaning in and pressing a chaste kiss on her cheek. "Let me speak with him, and please smack me over the head if I start talking out loud again." He jested before letting go of her shoulders and finding a corner to sit in. Crossing his legs, he closed his eyes and took in a deep breath as though he were trying to enter the same place he had the first time he'd met Galeer. ' Galeer, may my prayers be heard by you. I firstly ask your forgiveness, I have been selfish in all that I have asked of you and how little I have done in return. I apologize again as I have once more returned to you because I seek advice, your wisdom where my own lacks, your knowledge where I remain ignorant, your guidance where I remain lost. ' He thought to himself.
It didn't even pass a second before he would feel an otherworldly presence near him. As if lifted from the mortal earth, Amir would sit in an endless white void, one which only he and Galeer in his masculine, Isis's like appearance stood. "Your prayers will always be heard, my child. It is but a fresh relation we have started, but I would be remiss to not continue to guide where you so ask me to. So, you are to meet with Seraphine now. You seek advice on how to speak and address her. My first advice is this: Don't try anything formal. She is a simple woman of simple tastes. Refrain from addressing her as 'highness', 'your grace', and 'majesty'. She will not be swayed by honeyed words. Speak true and to the point. What's more, if her interests do not align with yours as of now, expect an uphill battle. It doesn't even have to be major, but if say, your wish is to wage war against Amen and she would prefer the peaceful route, she will be hard to convince otherwise. As stubborn as she is benevolent that one." Galeer said with a resonating chuckle.
Amir nodded along as Galeer spoke, "I will do my best to see her side of things, but I will try equally hard to have her see mine should we come to disagreement. Speaking to her as an equal might be hard at first, I was raised to speak politely. It has nothing to do with honeying my words but I doubt I will be able to convince her otherwise." He explained, already trying to draw up a plan of approach. "Does she still hold any feelings in regard to Isis? I do not wish to use her as leverage or anything of the sort, but would the words of someone once close to her be better than my own?"
"You would not have such an easy audience with her had she not held Isis in high regard. While hardly considering her friend, she would have absolute respect for Isis and her work, and her words would likely be better received than your own. Tahoti never favored me, and I can not promise that Seraphine will be any different in that regard." Galeer explained. "All gods and their children and Arbiters have and will show respect to one another, but respect and favor are different things, be sure to remember that... I do not seek to insinuate that she will or would be unreasonable, but if there is one things she values above all things, even wisdom and knowledge, it is the concept of 'The Greater Good'. That will either be your greatest advantage or your greatest hurdle. If she believes that something you do not allign with is for the sake of the greater good, she will likely never be convinced of anything else. The thing you need to do above all is to make her consider that the greater good is to bring down Amen and reestablish order to Hetep. I can't see her opposing these prospects, but it is worthwhile to be aware of."
"The greater good?" He asked, knowing his father would likely have some choice words about it. "Alright, I think I understand. She'll show me respect but it won't really mean anything in the long run, and I have to convince her that one option brings about more good than the other. I don't think that will be too hard all things considered..." He finished with a bit of hesitance. After all, he wasn't privy to the entire story either. "You have helped me a great deal, Galeer. I promise to return the favor, and that next time I speak to you that it will be for conversation rather than need of your assistance. If that's alright, of course, I don't really know if you're one of those everywhere at once type of Gods or if you've got a schedule to keep." He jested a bit.
Galeer found himself chuckling at his "child's" jest. "We may not be able to do anything or know anything at anytime we'd like, but we would have a pretty poor relation with our children if we did not possess the capacity to interract with as many of them as we can as often as we can. There will be times when I cannot reply to your prayers immediately, but rest assured, they will always be heard." He said softly before looking upward as if looking towards the non-existent sun. "I think it is time now, Amir. Do Hetep proud!"
After this simple sentence of encouragement, Amir would be sitting in the hall of the palace once more, Isis sitting beside him, awaiting his awakening. "So... What did you figure out?"
Amir looked over to Isis, blinking a bit as though still adjusting from whatever state of mind he'd been in before. "I think we have enough to go on. We should treat her as an equal, none of that 'your highness or majesty' stuff according to Galeer. She'll be as stubborn as an Ox if we don't see eye to eye, we need to convince her that what we are doing or plan to do is the 'greater good'. I suppose that just means that our positives will have to outweigh any negatives that might result from our ideas. Finally, Galeer said it might be best for you to speak. Apparently, she might not like me very much due to God stuff or something." He explained poorly but to the best of his abilities given their limited time. "I know it a lot of pressure, but can you speak to her?"
Isis felt a bit put on the spot, but she nodded. "So long as you are there to support me." She said sweetly. Side by side did they walk to the gate which opened for them, and inside she sat waiting for them. Seraphine's hair flowing in the non-existent wind, shimmering in its chromatic glory, sitting upon a throne that seemed to be made out of the stuff of stars. Isis did not kneel or bow, but simply nodded her head. "Ms Eden, I am sorry that it has been so long since last we met."
"Apologies are not needed, Isis. It is good to see such a faithful member of the templar order return to her homeland. A victory for all of Hetep." She said with a sweet smile, eyes radiating an almost motherly kindness. "As soon as I realized that you were coming to my little kingdom I knew I had to meet you as soon as possible."
Isis smilled with a nearly equal warmth. "I am so happy to be back home again, Seraphine. I have missed my home very dearly."
"As it has you. When we heard of your supposed death, no one could believe it. The accusations were too grave and unreasonable to have been born from your hand. I know full well that had you had any issues with your regent, you would have taken far more direct actions." She spoke with a giggle towards the end. "As for you, Arbiter, feel free to speak your mind as well if you feel the need."
"He is just new to our customs, Seraphine. He still thinks that trivial things like titles is a barrier."
Seraphine playfully scoffed. "Titles only mean as much as you chose for it to mean."
"Agreed, but it is a learning period for him, so I hope you can have some pity with him."
"Pity is not needed when understanding is much better."
Now it was Isis' turn to giggle. "Ineed it is. Now, forgive me, but we did come here with a special intention in mind. We didn't want to just come and waste your precious time."
"Time can never be wasted when in the presence of good and familiar company, but go on."
Isis took a deep breath before continuing. "Amen is wrecking havoc to the land, taking whatever he pleases without thought of how it affects others, laying our sacred places and homes ot ruin for his own ambitions and folly. Even as we speak have a kingdom fallen victim to a devastating plague that was wrought out of his own horrible wants. While peace would be a prefered option, we are now afraid that the only path forward is to stop him with a display of force and unity, something he seems to so dearly shatter away from us. I beg of you, Eden, please lend your name and voice to this spark of rebellion and help us see to our country's freedom." Isis pleaded with her.
Seraphine got up from her throne and walked up to Isis, her bare feet not making so much as a sound against the floor as she approached. Once standing before her, she reached out and hugged Isis tightly. "It warms my heart to see that you are still so faithful and strong of will. I've always admired that, adored that." She parted form Isis with her hands still on her shoulders, an ever present smile on her face. Isis felt hope and glee at the sight.
"But this is something I cannot help you with." Seraphine said, and with that, Isis' heart fell to the abyss.
Amir felt a twinge of anger, having no idea how one could strike such a devastating blow to one's hopes with a smile so clearly plastered on their face. Seeing this, he could stay quiet no longer and stepped forward. "And why is that, Miss Eden? I doubt your decision comes from fear of Amen's armies like so many other Kingdoms. So what is it that keeps you from raising a hand against the evil that spreads across the lands of Hetep unhindered?"
Seraphine's smile didn't leave her face even as Amir spoke up wiht an accusatory tone, but the smile was not born from malice or any of the sort. It was just as if it was her resting face. "I do not fear him, no. His army could decimate my own forces with ease, that is true, but all the same, I do not fear him nor his forces. I merely admire the man."
Isis' mental dam seemed to burst at that word. "ADMIRE!?" Isis cried out in shock and anger.
"Alright, admire may be a wrong choice of words, but I do hold a certain respect for him. He is a man of ambition, strength and fortitude. I do not approve of all his measures of accomplishing his goals, but I do believe in what he is fighting for. It is not that I can't help you becasue I am afraid. I am simply unable to. I've already sworn my aid and forces to his cause, and a queen that can't hold her word is a disgrace to the land and people so well as the heavens and the gods."
"What does any of that matter?! He is ruining our home. Unapologetically and disgustingly shamelessly! If he is allowed to run rampant, everything we treasure and love will be made undone. Everything we hold dear and holy!"
"I understand how that may seem like a negative thing, but-"
"'MAY SEEM?!'" Isis cried out once more. "Have you lost your mind, Seraphine!? Our continent have stood strong and prosperous for millenia, and this man, this... Monster comes along and grounds it to dust in a mere TWO YEARS!"
"...Monster. Evil. When you brand your enemy as anything less than human, you have already lost a piece of the fight. Doesn't the Templars teach the words of: 'Know your enemy and yourself and victory is assured. Know only yourself but not your enemy and ever victory will be bitter. Know neither enemy nor yourself and doom will follow.' I fear that you are of the latter category."
Amir felt anger rise within him, bile in the back of his throat that threatened to become words of hostility but instead he simply lowered himself to the ground, sitting cross-legged with hands on each of his knees. He took a deep breath, letting it fill his chest completely before lowly breathing it. Now was not the time for anger or hostility. Now was not the time for yelling, Seraphine herself had not done so, even if it might have been preferred to the distant cheerfulness with which she came off as cold even with a smile on her face. As though she were unaware of the weight her words carried. "A man may always be a man, but his actions will always have consequences. It may be wrong to assign words as good or evil to people themselves but their actions regardless of reason must be judged for what they are. I do not know Amen's goal, I do not know if they are selfish or altruistic in nature. But the fact remains that his actions are resulting in the deaths of innocent people, the upending of their lives to serve whatever purpose he sees fit. There seems to be no end to what he is willing to do to achieve this goal, that thought alone is a terrifying prospect. I merely wish to see the people of Hetep free, out of harms way of whatever his goal might be, I wish to see them safe and happy." He said before taking another breath the same as before. 
"Some of the worst things imaginable have been caused by men who had only the best of intentions. That is something my father told me growing up, it was a lesson and a warning of the pain that one might cause when they believe they are the greater good, how much one can justify under the banner of calling themselves the greater good. I do not know if there is such thing as the greater good, I would desperately like to believe it does exist if for no other reason than to ease my mind when I must make decisions with unforeseeable consequences but the fact of the matter is that you will never know if your actions were ever the greater good or simply the lesser evil. I do not know which it is that I walk but I would like to think I walk the line of good because I would like to walk the path with the least amount of suffering." He said before looking up at Seraphine, "So tell me, Miss Eden. By choosing to support Amen and his goals, are you choosing the greater good or are you simply choosing the lesser evil?"
"The greater good, of course. Just as the worst things happen with the best of intentions, so there is no thing worth doing right that does not have a price. I value each and every life on Hetep's surface. But I care beyond that as well. I want to see the people prosper, and it can't well do that behind the bars the priesthood have set up on us. I am sure Isis has told you that the Priests are truly the dominant power in Hetep. Did she also tell you that they have put me behind the same bars as well? At least they had, until Amen set me and my people free. Trust me, Amir, Isis, Amen is not the bane of our people, he is our savior." Seraphine said, her smile faltering as she realized the unease her disposition spread. "I can't tell you much more. It is not my place to reveal my lord's plans. But maybe you will get the chance to ask him yourselves soon... However... I will not leave you without an opportunity. Go among my men. There are bound to be someone who disagrees with me. I can also point you to an enclave of Xybron's who hold a particular hatred for Amen. Anyone who wants to fight for your cause, I will allow to do so. What's more, I won't report this moment to the Pharaoh either."
Amir smiled, a fake one to be sure but not for them or simply for show but rather for himself lest he wear a look of shameful defeat on his face. Rising again to his feet he shook his head in disappointment. "I thank you for hearing us out, Seraphine, and for the opportunity that you have given us. I respect your opinions and your choice in this matter. But let me assure you, that whether we like it or not, be we God or man, we will never know if the choices we've made today were the right ones. No matter how much conviction lies behind our words," He said, taking Isis' wrist into his and giving it a gentle tug, "Come, Lah'mi, we will get nothing done here."
Isis nodded as she left the throne room together with Amir. When the doors closed behind them, Isis let out a roar of despair and disappointment. "How can one be so stupid?! I thought her better than this!" She shouted, kicking a piece of furniture into splinters. She wasn't even apologetic for it. She was something beyond furious with all things said and done. They continued out of the palace, and as soon as they got out, they were greeted by the Captain and her templar once more. "That did not take long." She said aloud as they got closer. Mastraza walked up to them, a confident look in her eye. "So, must have come to a conclusion rather quick then. When will we be mobilizing?"
Amir shook his head at his beloved, a crestfallen look on his face. "She may be cold, distance, and perhaps unable to understand why her words frustrate us as much as they do but I do not think she is stupid. Nor do you, no matter how angry it makes you. I'm sure she has her reasons for what she's doing just as we have ours. Our goal has not changed, the path to achieving it has simply been made more difficult." He said before hearing a familiar voice.
When the met up with Mastraza it became clear that she had expected better news than what they had to give her. "I'm afraid that Seraphine has no intention of fighting back against Amen. In fact, she seems to have the very opposite goal in mind. To join him in achieving whatever goal that he has set out to achieve." He said, the words burning in his throat. He didn't understand her reasoning or her logic behind it. How one could stand aside while innocents died all because the outcome is the one you wanted. He bit his lip, the stress of figuring out what to do next forcing him to bite down until he drew blood. "She seems more than set in that ideology as well, she responded to my questioning with such quick assertions of certainty. I understand conviction as much as any other but she spoke like a machine." He said, wiping away the blood that had begun to trail down his lips.
Mastraza seemed just as distraught as Amir and Isis did. She looked to the ground, as if the answers to the situation would be inscribed on the stone. She then looked up towards them once more. "Well then! My question still stands: When will we mobilize?"
Isis looked to the captain with a look of surprise. "You would break your oath and charge to join us?"
"I would do so to save the sanctitiy of Hetep. I don't know Amen's plans or his intent, but if what has happened is of any hint, then I can only assume that whatever he wants to do will only make things worse before they get better. If they even do get better." She said with confidence as she waved her templars off, assumedly to collect the rest of them. She then seemed to remember something. Something which brought her quite a bit of distress it seemed. "There... There is something else you should know." She spoke as she pulled a scroll from her satchel.
"A certain someone delivered this to us. He had arrived about just as quickly as you had stepped into the palace. I... It comes from Khemriq." She said as she showed it off with the seal of Khemriq upon it.
Isis' frustration swelled once more. "For Seraphine no doubt. They might as well be bed fellows for how well she speaks of him."
"No... It is for Amir." She said when handing it over.
As Amir opened it, Isis stood right next to him as they read it. "Reverant Arbiter of Galeer. You do not know me, but I know of you. I have traveled far to deliver you a message. It shall not be disclosed in this letter in fear of it viewed by prying eyes. The saintly Pharaoh of Hetep has something to tell you, and I am his emissary. By sundown, meet me outside the southwestern gate and we will discuss many a thing. I believe I carry news which will interest you regarding a certain man. Izar awaits you. Kindly, Alqaum, Son of the Solar Emperor, Amen Heqet."
Amir closed the letter after reading its contents, "So it appears that Amen hasn't lost our trail at all. I don't like this, it reeks of ambush, I doubt Amen will willingly share any knowledge that I wish to know." He said, handing the letter back to Mastraza before thinking for a moment. "But we might still be able to use this as an opportunity to learn something, anything that will be to our advantage. It might be risky..." He continued to think out loud, his index finger covering his lips as he thought. "Mastraza, if you and your Templars do indeed intend to join us, do you think that they can be ready by sundown? We don't need them ready for a full-scale war but just as back up in case this indeed turns out to be what I fear it to be. If so, we'll need to repel our attacks and hopefully capture the person who delivered this letter. They may yet know something useful." Amir explained his idea before turning to Isis, "What do you say, Lah'mi? Will you act as bait with me? I would do it alone, but I worry that if we are not both present they will surely be more cautious than if they think they have us both right where they want us."
"I agree, this does not sound appealing in the slightest. But... If he does indeed have information about your father... This is a risk we should take. This city is strictly against violence, so I wouldn't be surprised if the very guard itself would keep an eye on us." Isis said, not feeling confident with this plan, but would not see her dear be without news of something this important.
Mastraza stepped forward and saluted the two of them. "Like I said, we will fight for you. I guarantee that we will be there for you in this meeting. Though, I would suggest that we be allowed to accompany you into the field, just in case. I know enough about Alqaum to know that he is a danger even with the guard force in place. In the meantime, I will search among our soldiers for more people who are equal minded to us. We will need more than just a host of templars if we are to matter in numbers against Amen and his forces in the future."
Amir nodded with a confident smile on his face despite the situation, "I will follow your lead, you and Isis are the veterans when it comes to this sort of thing. And I thank you again, Mastraza. You are risking a lot by helping us, I won't let you down." He said with a slight bow before turning to Isis, "We should ready ourselves as well. I don't think that we're in any kind of state to fight should it come to that. We should try to rest easy, I don't see how Amen thinks bringing up my father will help him. I highly doubt he would have come all this way, I've been keeping touch with him and have told him nothing of what is going on. Amen must somehow have learned about that and now he seeks to try and draw me out using my Father's name." He said, his face contorting into one of anger. "Amen should be glad my father is hundreds of thousands of miles away. He would be horrified and disgusted to see how little Amen has learned from his teachings. So much so I would fear his heart might not take it."
His beloved nodded to this. "Amen was always a selfish man. Never thinking of how others thought of matters as long as it led forward to his ambitions."
"You may borrow my home until sundown. There you can discuss your steps going forward, as well as rest and simply enjoy each other's company, to let the worries of the world wash off, even if for but a moment. When you are ready, my templars will be with you." Mastraza said as she handed them the key to her home. "Down the street, take the third right and search for a house with a blue door. Rest. Eat. And get ready." She said as she departed from them and walked towards the rest of her templars.
It took some half hour or so before Isis and Amir found the building that they had been instructed towards. Well inside, the decor was simple and almost unflattering when compared to the rest of Hetep. "This can hardly get worse." Isis exclaimed as she threw herself upon the couch. "A reverant leader who won't help, a servant of Amen at the door and miles and miles until the next big city and kingdom that can help us... I only hope we can earn some quality soldiers from this before we head out."
"Indeed, but it seems Mastraza understands what she's doing. I feel a bit bad for thinking she was odd when we first met her. I suppose I was being overly cautious..." He said as he sat down on the couch beside his beloved. His muscles shook from the exhaustion of their travels though he did his best to hold himself together both physically and emotionally. "This has been a big blow to us, I won't sugarcoat that, but if we can say one good thing about our meeting with Seraphine it is that it was not a dead end. We still have an opportunity to gain allies even if our biggest prize was stolen from us." He tried to look on the bright side, to find the silver lining in their clouds. With a sigh, he leaned back, letting himself sink into the couch with a sigh. He turned his head to look at Isis who was no doubt as tired and likely far more frustrated than he. Reaching over he placed a hand over her own, "There are only two outcomes for this after all. We defeat Amen and free Hetep, the people are once again free to live their lives, and we can rest easy knowing that our hard work paid off. Or we don't and suddenly it isn't our problem anymore," He chuckled a bit at his own dark humor.
"But for now we must take this opportunity to rest, lest we fall apart before we even reach the ending to our journey and frankly that would be too anticlimactic for my taste." He squeezed her hand a bit harder, more for himself than for her this time. He needed to feel the security, the warmth of her touch even if it was only their hands held together.
Isis nodded as she shifted her position until her head rested in his lap. "It would be great to no longer have this burden on our shoulders. I would feel quite bad over dragging you into an early grave because of my own ambitions though." She said, understanding that what he said was a joke, but couldn't help but take it a bit more serious all the same as she clutched his hands close to her. "So... Seraphine doesn't seem to be entirely certain about her standpoint though. She seemed to doubt her cause a bit, if nothing else. Why else would she offer the help of getting reinforcements from other fronts than herself?"
Amir leaned his head back against the couch, staring up at the ceiling before closing his eyes. "You don't have to worry about me, Lah'mi. I have no intention of finding myself in the next life just yet. There is still too much to do, now and later. Next time we face Amen we will be ready, I've already gotten better, stronger, a bit more powerful. He won't know what hit him." He said in hopes of reassuring her.
"As for Seraphine... I don't know, it could be the mutual respect that Galeer spoke about, it could be that she does indeed doubt herself, or maybe she did for old times sake? You two did know each other, perhaps she felt that she owed you at least this much? No one other than herself could know. Though, if she did indeed harbor doubts then I would have been nice if she'd voiced such. Perhaps something more could have come from it had she not been so quick to affirm to us she truly believed in what she was doing?" He said, answering her question before beginning with his own hypotheticals. "Is it true what she said though, about the priesthood? Is Hetep just trading one boot for another? Do you intend to restore power to them when this is over?" He asked questions that were bugging him, ones that needed to be answered.
She pondered the prospect, considering something she hadn't ever thought of before now. "I don't know. I am not a politician, nor a queen or a lady as such. I am just a templar. It was not my place to question my liege, nor the priesthood. I don't know how much of what she said of the church is true. The scriptures themselves say that the priests are supposed to be a guide for the soul and spirit, not so much the governing mind... She might just be influenced by Amen to believe something that is not true, but that doesn't sound plausible as she is a queen herself. It could be true, and if it is, then something must be done about it when we are done. I must wonder though... If they are such a force that can govern a whole continent without the technical right to do so... Where and when did they figure that they could do that?"
"I don't know, in a religion where the people can speak to the Gods themselves, I don't know if there is a need for guidance beyond them. Still, even if their upheaval is his wish, even if he turns out to be right for doing so. There is nothing good that comes from simply replacing one bad with another. The cure cannot be worse than the disease, lest we only find ourselves back at square one. If we are to overthrow Amen we will need to know what to do after that or else we'll simply leave a power vacuum that will cause further problems. If we dethrone him we must have someone capable and willing to replace him. But I don't know anyone who would fit the bill." He opened his eyes again and looked down at his beloved with a soft smile, "I suppose I'm just adding things to our already full plates. One step at a time or we'll trip under our own feet."
She nodded to that statement. "Agreed. Amen is the ruler of a whole continent, dethroning him will mot certainly leave a powergap as you say. If she is correct, then we can't have the priests returning to power. But... If Amen's purpose is to destroy the priest's hold on the kingdoms, I have to wonder why he would go after the temples and religious constructs rather than the priests themselves... Remember what our allies have said about Amen building a Pyramid? How exactly will a pyramid aid in that goal?"
Isis looked up to Amir to meet his warm smile with one of his own. "May I have a kiss, please? I have gone too long without some proper affection from my boyfriend." She flirted as she rose up from her position to sit up beside him, waiting for his response.
Amir let out a hearty laugh, one that hurt his sides but felt good all the same. "I have traveled a great ocean and vast continent but a kiss might just be too much for me!" He jested, letting his laughter fade before leaning over and planting a chaste kiss upon her lips, breaking it for a moment before deciding to go back for at least one more. It was medicine for the soul, just as her presence was for the heart and body. Breaking their kiss he nodded to her, "Of course, I'm sorry if I've been unaffectionate as of late. I'll make up for it one hundredfold when this is all over. Perhaps we can find a quiet spot to settle down? Be it in a newly freed Hetep or back in Ashvattha. Just the two of us, at first anyway..." He said, unable to fully get out what he was trying to say. Knowing that now was not the time or place to be having this sort of talk. Still, with the chance that any moment could be their last, he didn't want things to go unsaid, even if he would never explain it to her in that way. "You know, because of kids and what not? Maybe a pet or two?" He squeezed in, feeling as good as he'd felt in a long time as he spoke hopefully about the future.
She was taken aback by the question. She was feeling ready and happy to hear him speak of finding a place to settle once all was said and done, but then he mentioned kids and pets. She looked into his eyes for a good minute, unsure of how to proceed. Then her expression softened. "And here I thought you were just using me for my body." She joked. "Amir... Is this a proposal perhaps? Or atleast the start of one..? Maybe you should have waited until you had a ring at least." She said with another joking tone. "I have never felt more happy or at peace with anyone than I have with you, Amir. I love you so very much. You are my most precious treasure in this world. I can't answer here and now. If this were to go sideways, I would not have so many dreams shattered for me then... But I think you can guess my answer when we are done." She finished with a bright smile.
His smile widened, almost ear to ear, a stupid and silly grin that would surely get him laughed at by any other. "I feel the same way, and I understand what you mean, I'll be sure to do it properly when this is all over. A ring, down on one knee, the works, I swear it." He said, his knee bouncing as though he'd been suddenly flooded with energy and excitement. "Ah, damn it. I don't think I will be able to rest now that I've worked myself up. Perhaps I should talk to Galeer? He should know about how things went with Seraphine, and what is going on with Amen and our current situation." He said, pushing himself up from the couch and was about to walk away before turning around once again. He leaned in and placed on more chaste kiss upon the lips of his beloved before walking to a place he could sit on the floor.
Like he had done before, he took a breath and let it fill his lungs until his chest was puffed out. He released it slowly, relaxing his heartbeat, steadying his breathing before closing his eyes. 'Galeer, I reach out to you once again. Though you may already know the outcome I would like to talk to you about our meeting with Seraphine, about how we plan to proceed, and what we will do later today.' Amir thought, awaiting his God's answer.
Just as before, Galeer manifested himself before Amir, yet this time his manifestation appeared in the very room Amir sat in. "I do not know, but judging from your feelings when you invoked me, I can only guess that she refused you help. It is peculiar considering her disposition towards the people, but she is not the end all be all of allies. She would have been helpful for certain, but there are others. I believe I know of a certain faction that might be of help to you."
"I wish that refuse to help was all she did. While she hasn't become hostile as of yet she claims to have pledged her soldiers to Amen. She says she supports his goals and while I cannot blame her for that, it is his methods that see me wanting him dethroned and actively working toward that goal. I know that she was not the final blow to our efforts but it was a devastating one nonetheless. Now Amen has sent an envoy to speak with me, it reeks of a trap but if we hope to gain anything it one we may have to spring." He explained himself to Galeer, opening his eyes and seeing the God in the same room as him. "What sort of faction are you talking about? Seraphine, perhaps out of the kindness of her heart, mentioned that the Xybron might be willing to help us."
"Seraphine... Serves Amen? Tahoti is not going to like this at all... And yet she suggested the Xybron? I myself felt that they could be a necessary evil to contact, seeing as they are the only real threat to Amen's kingdom at this point, at least on their own... Why would she tell you this?" He asked aloud, more so to hear it in his own ears rather than for Amir himself. "Regardless, it is good that you have a plan moving forward. Now, the envoy, you said he wants to speak to you? By order of Amen himself?" Galeer asked. As Amir nodded, Galeer looked out through the window towards the slowly setting sun. "What I say now may reek of madness itself, but I say that you should talk with this envoy. Be ready if you please, but I would not fear an ambush myself. Amen... Have truly fallen low, but from what we have seen of his ruthless conquests these last two years, he has been anything but a liar. He will kill, yes. He will destroy, that is a fact. But then as now, I have not seen him lie. He may keep secrets, but he does not explicitly lie. But there is a caviat to this; if the message speaks of meeting him with soldiers in hand, do not greet him with them. An envoy may use that as an excuse to say that he felt threatened and may thus attack you all the same. I trust Amen to not lie to you, but this is not from Amen's own tongue. I do not trust this envoy of his. Even from here he reeks of foul magic."
"I see, I'll remain cautious but avoid seeming outwardly hostile. I will hear him out, see what Amen wants but after that, I do not know. I would like to speak with the Xybron before we make any rash decisions such as actually meeting with Amen, if for no other reason than gaining another ally without putting us in the path of major conflict." Amir said before tilting his head a bit, as hough something came to mind. "Galeer, when this is all over do you have any ideas who might take Amen's place. Isis and I spoke about it briefly but neither of us are politicians nor do we know how to run a country. Is the priesthood really corrupt as so many have insinuated?" He asked, knowing no one would know better than a God himself.
"Might, would, and should are quite different words to be used to describe the vacuum that Amen will leave behind." Galeer explained as he pondered the question. "I would not say that they are corrupt as misguided. Much to be our fault as well, I will be honest. When the priests began to take charge over Hetep we did not think much of it. They kept the faith strong in Hetep, there was peace, if not a tenuous one. But seeing as these measures are what have likely driven Amen away from us and down this path, it is clear that it was a mistake, that it is a solution that is no solution at all..." Galeer trailed off, as if he thought about the next steps they ought to take.
"In a void, our best chance would be to appoint a new emperor to lead Hetep until such a time where we have a better answer. I just fear that there is no one left fit to wear such a title, not to mention the risk of them claiming the title and power of Pharaoh, as Amen has done. The only answer I can provide now, even if there is no precedent to say that it would work, would be a council formed from the kingdoms across Hetep working out policies for all of Hetep by all of Hetep. Yet, once again, there is no telling if such a thing would work for us."
"While that may be a good option it is like you say. With a vacuum of power that great there is no guarantee that it will not simply be a power grab by the kingdoms. I mean, getting people to work together, especially in a time directly after an enormous shift in the structure of the governing forces, will be extremely difficult if they cannot all unite under the banner of a single goal." He said, echoing what little his father had taught him about the political world. "Like in the case of the Xybron. The enemy of our enemy is our friend but once our foe has been defeated there is no guarantee that friendly relations will remain. Hetep does not need to see itself erupt into chaos immediately after a coup." He said, placing a hand over his face. "All of these things are so complicated, it's impossible to know for sure how things will be until they've happened and by that point it my very well be too late..."
Galeer saw the concern on Amir and decided upon something to draw his mind off of the topic "If worst comes to pass, us deities may just have to step down from the heavens for a time until Hetep can reestablish its inner workings again. We can not allow these things to happen again so soon after all of this. It could destroy Hetep once and for all. I would prefer to not make this an alternative, however, as it sounds eerily similar to what the priests have been doing for so long, and we would prefer to not repeat the mistakes of history. All the same, these are topics for the future, right now there is an emissary to tackle. What are your plan regarding him and his message?"
"The only thing I can do is listen. What happens after than depends wholly on what is said or if I believe what they've said. I'll hear him out, only fight if I have to. I can't imagine what it is that Amen wants me to know. That's why I worry this is a trap of some kind. I don't think my father would have come all this way, even if he had there's no way he would be on Amen's side in all this." Amir explained, standing up from his sitting position. "I thank you again for your guidance, let us both hope for the best outcome in all of this."
Galeer nodded in response before slowly fading away. "Good luck to you, son. And if this devolves into a fight; Give him hell." He finished with a smile as he was now gone from the room. Isis showed up from behind, tapping Amir on the shoulder. "You've been gone for a bit. Mastraza is here. She says it is time." Isis spoke, taking Amir's hand in her own before they were led out. The sun was hanging low on the horizon, casting its blazing red hue across the city and the dunes of sand outside the walls.
"I am sorry to say that my endeavours have not been as successful as I had hoped. Out of the hundred thousand soldiers under her command, Seraphine's soldiers have only had less than a thousand men volunteer. My fifty templars are yours, but I am afraid that it will not be enough. I hope you have other plans ahead." Mastraza said, leading them to the gate, a sound of frustration and dismay in her voice. Once at the gate, Amir and Isis instructed her not to follow them outside and be wary within the city walls. Falling to purpose, she walked away as the gates opened up.
Right outside them, some fifty feet away from the entrance stood the envoy of Amen. Taller than any man they had so far seen or met and muscular without compare, dark skin littered with scars as well as piercing blue eyes beneath his red and black hair. "Amir, I presume." He spoke, voice strong and confident. "I am Alqaum, son of the revered Pharaoh and Master of the Crimson Carrions. I speak on his behalf."
"You would be correct, Alqaum. I am Amir Tasya, Son of Izar and Arbiter of Galeer. I received your message as I'm sure you can presume by my arrival. I apologize if I'm skipping any formalities, I am still new to the culture and customs of Hetep and her people. But I would like to get to the point. What is it that Amen would have me know that could not be transcribed to the written word? And Why has Amen seen it fit to bring up my father? I think I made it clear last time exactly what Izar Tasya would thing of his tyranny." He spoke with a passive-aggressive tone, not able to muster up the will to act kind or courteous even to the man who acted as a messenger.
"So you did. The purpose of the name is simple: Izar Tasya has arrived by our shores and is currently in the custody of Khemriq for the forseeable time." Alqaum began, hoping that his double meaning choice of words would instil enough curiosity and maybe even desperation for Amir to come to them quicker. "Izar has made his mind known to father directly as well, and you would be right, he does not think highly of Liege Pharaoh's decisions, but it is not his place to judge him for them either. For now, all you need to know is that Amen seeks to parley with you. Try and come to an agreement of peace. As such, you are invited to join me to Khemriq to meet with mine father in the flesh, just as you would get the chance to speak to your own father too. Along with an old friend, I believe. The Vroman girl named Triss."
"I see Amen is not content with leaving our affairs between himself, me, and the people of Hetep. I won't be fooled by into an emotional response by your choice of words, my father would not allow himself to be captured so easily." Amir scoffed, his eyes on the lookout for anyone who might be nearby, friend or foe alike. "But for argument's sake, what guarantee do I have that you're telling the truth? That should I go with you Isis and I would not simply be disposed of the moment we entered the borders of Khemriq? Man and God alike can lie, I doubt Amen would have sent you without some evidence of what he was saying or does him simply believe me to be that gullible?" Amir asked with a shrug.
Alquam did not miss a single beat. Opening his mouth he began to speak. But not with his own voice. "You're just outright executing people now? Tearing apart your religious monuments, so much for not excising your countries religion from your culture. All to build a pyramid? What is that if not salt on the wounds of your people. Amen, how could you? After all the things you said you wanted to achieve back in Ashvattha how could it all devolve into barbarism? Because the ends justify the means?!" He shouted out, perfectly replicating the voice of Izar and his sentence those weeks ago. But he did not end it there.
"Why would you do something like that? Executing them, that's awful. Maybe they were misguided, maybe they were even bad people but I thought you said you wanted to come back to make things better? How is killing people doing that?" He conluded with, another perfect replication of Triss' voice. "Will those words be sufficient evidence?" He asked with a smug grin.
Amir nearly staggered back, a look of fear and disgust on his face as the voices of his friends and family were perfectly recreated as though it were a recording. "Wh-what sort of unholy creature are you?" He said, turning his head to look at his beloved before looking back at the creature. As though hoping that she might be able to explain what exactly was going on. "I..." he said, losing his composure in the face of something he truly did not understand, he cleared his throat in the hopes of regaining it. "I will return with you to Khemriq, but not at this moment. I need time to make arrangments, will tomorrow morning at sunrise work well enough for you?"
He shrugged in return. "I am just a son doing his best to please dear ole dad. Surely you can relate to that." He said, though getting fiercer at the request to have until morning. "You may. Though for everyones sake, I hope you will gather your senses and follow. It would be a pity to have gone through all this only for a rejection."
"If you want a good reply then you could start with answering ours." Isis interjected.
The overgrown man seemed furious to see her speak, but he waved a hand for her to continue. "You are quite a bit different from an ordinary Hetepian, so my question is as he asked: What kind of creature are you?"
"I told you, I am a son who-"
"Amen doesn't have children! His only son died years ago. And you are not any blood of his, so why don't you just come clean?"
The man tensed up at her voice, but he eventually relaxed and said softly: "True, I am not his blood. But I am still his son. He made me and my brothers and sisters. He Created us with his heavenly powers. He is to us what Galeer is to him." He said while pointing a finger at Amir.
Isis trembled at the reply. "He... he 'made' you..? Then he has gone completely off the rails if he thinks he can go around playing god!" She said, tensing up as if she wanted to start a fight, something which he replied in kind with, standing his ground.
Amir held his hand out in front of his beloved, "Stop! The both of you! The time to fight may very well come later but nothing will be accomplished by doing it now." He all but commanded them, his voice carrying a hiss. He turned his attention back toward Alquam, "You will wait until sunrise and you will know if I've changed my mind by then. Raise hand at us and your mission will be a failure." He continued with an authoritative tone, though his hiss had disappeared along with the scowl on his face. "Lah'mi, we have much to talk about before tomorrow. Don't let your anger waste the opportunity we've been given." He said, his tone softening up a bit as he spoke to her.
Isis nodded sternly, still giving Alquam the evil eye as they parted ways. "I'll be waiting here until then." He said back, seemingly unphased by the threat he had just had thrown at him.
Isis and Amir returned inside the walls whose gates closed behind them. Mastraza rushed up to the two of them, concern painted across her face, her hand still on her sheathed kopesh. "What happened out there? I thought you were going to fight there for a moment."
Isis shook her head. "Amen has lost it. More than we thought." Isis said, sounding both angry and horrified.
"That seems to be the case, but we need to plan our next move. Somewhere away from curious ears if that is possible. Mastaza, do you know of any such place?" He asked, looking over his shoulder at the gate. "I will explain everything there."
The templar captain simply nodded to answer before she led them down the many streets. Many eyes were drawn towards them, but for what reason was by now anyones guess. Soon enough they reached the barracks of the Templars. It was far more humble and subtle and almost run down compared to most templar buildings Isis had seen in her days. Once inside, they were greeted by the fifty templars of Mastraza's order. "Now then, what do you mean by Amen having lost it? I thought that was already evident. And what exactly was happening out there?"
Amir nodded, "It appears Amen is not content with simply disgracing the Gods or their monuments but rather has taken to playing as them as well. The creature that greeted Isis and me on Amen's behalf is not one of divine creation but rather something Amen has done...something with. I can't be sure, this creature has been sent by Amen to invite me to Khemriq under the claim of wanting to seek out a peaceful solution. This is simultaneously good and bad, good in the sense that if he is going this far then perhaps he fears his days on the throne are numbered. Bad in the sense that we have gotten his attention far earlier than I would have liked. I am debating what to do, should I refuse his offer it is likely he will resort to more aggressive means of stopping us. But if I go I cannot guarantee my own safety but if I play along we might very well have a chance to garner more forces before it is too late." He said before stopping, hesitant to continue. "It also appears that Amen has gotten my father all caught up in this. I do not know to what degree or if he is safe, I've no doubt that everyone in Hetep has had their family affected by Amen's tyranny. I should not consider myself special among them nor place my own blood higher than theirs. But..." He trailed off, staring at the ground, unsure of what he should do.
"The path is clear then? We can't move on him now, and I doubt we can get to him even within his own walls, which means we need more soldiers and allies. As you said, many families have suffered already, it would be almost foolish to disregard your work now for the sake of your father, cruel as it may seem." Mastraza replied, trying to take the calculating approach to it.
"But that wouldn't be right." Isis interjected. "If we allow ourselves to boil this conflict down to statistics and numbers, then we become no better than Amen himself. We need to value the ones we have and hold them close." She finished.
"It is a nice sentiment my lady, one I hope we can live by. But this is a tight endeavour we are taking on as it is. To add further difficulty to it in one fell swoop is not beneficial for us. Not to mention that if you step foot into his realm, even if he for some ungodly reason were to set you loose, what will keep him from searching and hunting oyu again after, with quite a lead on you now too."
"Both Seraphine and Galeer himself have recommended we attempt to ally ourselves with the Xybron. I don't know if they will join us or if it'll be just another dead end but its the path we're taking right now. Should I choose to go to Amen, it will be Isis who I will entrust to see to the negotiations with them. I have not decided what it is I will do yet and both of you make excellent points. If the Xybron do indeed join us we will have become all the more powerful for it, we've gained many allies along our way and while I do not know if we have nearly enough we are making good progress nonetheless." he tried to speak in a hopeful tone despite the confliction going on within his own mind and heart.
"Like hell that I am going to let you go alone into Amen's own realm. We are in this together and that's that." Isis said, putting her foot down. "Besides, I don't think I have much hope negotiating with them on my own. They are known to raid not only shorelines but the seas as well. A mere templar like myself won't halt them to speak for even a second. Whatever we choose to do, we do as a team, alright?"
"So what is gonna happen then? If you choose to enter Amen's kingdom then we are coming with you. We are not letting the biggest hope for Hetep's continued existence go to the continents most dangerous place without proper escort." Mastraza explained, not letting the two get ahead of themselves with throwing both their heads into the beast's jaws.
Amir pinched the bridge of his nose, he thought Isis might object but he didn't think he'd have a small army refusing to leave his side as well. "I'm not going to put anyone else in danger for my own personal goals. It would make me no better than Amen and I would never be able to forgive myself if something bad happened to someone because of me. My father is a man of great prowess and fortitude, should he be in danger I haven't the slightest that he'll find his way out of it. But as for Triss..." he trailed off, not knowing if she might have the skill or strength to escape should Amen decide to use them to get to him. "She's the daughter of one of my continent's most powerful mages, she will pull through." He continued with less conviction. His free hand tightened into a fist, as though his next words would wound him. "So we must move to ally ourselves with the Xybron. Preferably before sunrise if possible. I would like to get as much of a headstart on Alquam as we can." Amir said, turning to Mastraza for confirmation if it could be done.
She pondered the prospect. "It could certainly be done, but we'd be putting ourselves at great risk as Amen would know exactly where we were before sunrise, and if we bring a whole host of soldiers, the ones we have collected, then we will be even easier targets. The nearest enclave of Xybron are to the west from here, but that would take us further away from another primary objective; The Divine City. We need the priests with us, along with the rest of the templars. Not to mention that if he wants to circle in the area, we would essentially turn into fish in a net."
"I do not like this one bit, Arbiter... We are hard-pressed for options though... There is but one enclave we could 'safely' approach anyway, and that would be the one who actively hates Amen himself and not Hetep as a whole; The Sakhiila Enclave, led by Sairysa, Amen's former bride. Only issue there again is that, well, her enclave lies to the east... from Amen's kingdom. We could take the long way around, but that puts our allies in potential risk when they will have to wait for our return. My big issue is with allying with the Xybron to begin with, but beggars can't be choosers."
"I have a strong feeling that Amen has known where we are for quite some time. Or at the very least has become very good at guessing where we will end up. How else would the envoy have known we had arrived mere hours after we had, much less gotten here at that quickly? He knows where we are somehow or some way, that's why staying on the move is likely the best way to avoid more confrontation with him or his forces." Amir said, leaning up against the wall as now two choices stood before them. "So, if we're stuck deciding between moving toward the Xybron or the Priests, we need to figure out which to prioritize. What advantages would either of them give us? Which is more likely to join our cause? Those are the sort of factors we need to know, the risk has to be worth the reward."
"The answer can be summarized as the concept of quality over quantity. The Xybron bringing the quantity. If we can make Sairysa allign herself with us, then we will have an ocean worth of soldiers on our side. The Priests on the other hand control all of the continents Templar orders, granting us an army of high quality fighters, all with magic and other various powers. Not to mention how the priests can create somthing best described as quasi-relics, granting us an arsenal of quite lethal equipment and blessings. The Priests are known to be able to at the very least cast blessings that essentially causes arrows to bounce off ones skin as if it were of stone." Mastraza described in detail, allowing him to make up his mind easier. "The only things holding us back with the priests, to my knowledge, is that they are already dedicating forces to keep the ghouls away from the kingdoms by keeping them in the Ashen Mountains."
"The Xybron would be easier to convince it sounds like to me. Sairysa has more than enough reason to want him dead or worse, and they don't have any internal conflicts to deal with to my knowledge. Ideally we will need both, but if we have to prioritze one, at least for now, who should we go for, and how will we go about it?" Isis asked.
One of the templars stepped forward. "I may be ignorant to the strategies you discuss, but I think it might be wise to appear by Khemriq. At least in some regard. Our Arbiter could meet with Amen, and in doing so, gather insight into his defenses and how his people has it, and if rebellion could be incited among them."
"What do you mean with 'In some regard'? You mean split our forces?" Mastraza asked.
"Yes. Lady Madu could lead us templars towards the Priest's city to gather the templars to our cause. And while she does so, Lord Arbiter could gain said insight, maybe save his father from his clutches and then proceed to find the Xybron. Unless the false king finds it in himself to broker peace before it all."
Amir was silent, lost in thought for some time before raising his head to address the room. "There may be a way that we can all get what we want out of this," he said as he stepped forward and drew a short metallic stick from his poncho. He held it up for all to see, "This is a weapon from my homeland," He said, turning it on upon which two lines of energy extended from each end. "It's powered by a magical crystal that forms deep under the ground in my home continent. They are extremely powerful and responsible for powering the fair majority of things we use in our daily lives." he continued before shutting off the blade and working at the handle until it came apart, revealing a small glowing shard hardly the size of an eyelash. 
"My entire plan revolves around this. I will use this magical shard as the core to a clone tht I will create of myself using my own magic. Using the shard as a core will allow the clone to remain without draining my own magic power, in theory at least, it will draw from it rather than me. I will send the clone to Khemriq to meet with Amen while I go around to reach the Xybron and negotiate with them while Isis leads you all to the Divine city where you will try to convince the priests to join our cause. This way I will sty out of Amen's reach, and both our goals will be accomplished simultaneously. If Amen executes the false version of myself then all knowledge and experiences it had will be relayed to me. If he does not then I can simply have my clone return to us. Is anyone in disagreement with my plan? Any questions?"
Everyone just stared at Amir dumbfoundedly. All except for Isis who held a strong look of pride. "T-That's an option to begin with?" Mastraza said, surprised, befuddled and combobulated that this was something he could do. "W-Well, if this is possible as you say, then it could certainly work. We just need an explanation as to why Isis won't follow 'you' to Khemriq and also hope that they won't mind that she doesn't come along."
"It should be possible in theory," He said carefully removing the shard from its casing and holding it out in front of him. His magical aura began to radiate around him, the crystal glowing brighter and brighter in his hand before an outline began to take shape. A minute later the outline filled in with a carbon copy of himself. The light from the shard disappearing as he pulled his hand from the clone's chest before turning to Mastraza. "So long as this holds up our plan might very well go on without a hitch. 
At the question of why Isis would not be joining him, he thought for a moment, "Well...As for why she decided not to follow me to Khemriq, I could come up with a story where she was angry with me for wanting to talk about peace with Amen? I think it sounds like a likely story given how much anger she harbors for him, perhaps hearing of his attempts to play God was the final straw? Refusing to come with me to face the man if my goal was to make peace with him?" He said, turning to Isis, "Do you think that would be believable, Lah'mi?"
"Its as good a plan as any. Even if he does not buy it, he will likely not waste time to search for me. My only issue is being parted to begin with... But we must put such things aside so that we can actually get somewhere right now." Isis said, not sounding fully convinced with her own words. "Templars, you have your instructions. Prepare for our leave in the night. I want as much a distance put between us as possible in case he does decide to hunt us."
The Order saluted Isis as she gave her command before parting from the table and moving out to find their final preparations. When they were alone, Isis turned to Amir. "I guess this will be the last time we'll see eachother for a bit... Be safe, okay love?"
He nodded, sad at the thought of parting from his beloved after they'd come so far even if it were only temporary. "I'll certainly miss our witty banter and waking up beside you every morning but no matter how great the distance we'll never really be apart. So of course I'll be safe, I have everything in the world to look forward to when I return. I expect you to do the same, don't do anything rash while I'm gone. Keep your temper in check, hell hath no fury like yours." He said with a smile before leaning into a kiss. Originally meant to be a chaste peck up his lips did not want to tear away from her. That was until they both felt a pair of arms wrap around them, Amir breaking the kiss and looking over to see his clone joining in on their goodbye.
"Sorry, it was just a bit awkward standing over there by myself," The clone said cheekily.
"You better keep this trick for the future." Isis said jokingly with a tint of seriousness. With one last kiss to Amir's lips and another to the clones forehead, she walked out of the door and followed the templars.
By daybreak the Emissary was getting impatient. He had patrolled the gates since his targets had parted from him, now awaiting their return. As the sun rose over the heavens, he was starting to get annoyed. He was about to walk away to see if he could find any trails of where they might have gone when he then felt a scent. A foreign smell of an outsider. Waiting in place, he pinned the smell of the foreigner to be Amir, the man himself that he was meant to bring home. However, one smell was missing. The smell of the traitor templar. Where had she gone?
Amir exited the city gates to see Alquam waiting for him. He walked toward the creature with a clear look of dissatisfaction and a hint of sadness on his face. Reaching him, Amir stopped, his hand reaching across his own chest and gripping his own arm as though unconsciously trying to distance himself from the thing. "I'm late, but I'm ready. Let's get this over with."
Alquam found his action strange, but all the more so was his lack of company. "I see that your companion is not with you. Where is she? If possible I was tasked to bring the two of you to Khemriq. Or do you really think you can barter a peace with father without an 'unbiased' hetepian's insight?"
Amir shook his head, "She won't be coming. After seeing what Amen had done in creating you she was furious at the idea of bartering for peace. Frankly, I'm still hesitant at the idea as well but if there is a way to end this peacefully then I'm sure that is what Galeer would want. She's angry with me but if I can help restore Hetep back to a time of peace then I'm sure that she'll forgive me. This is the better option anyway, I don't know if she would have been able to control herself if she and Amen had ended up in the same room." He spoke half-heartedly as though defeated by the idea of needing to go despite his lover's wishes. "I am confident in my ability to make deals and trades, I would not have made it this far in Hetep if I could not." He said with a shake of his head. "So what are we waiting for? There are still people out there suffering because of your father's tyranny, the sooner we reach Khemriq the sooner their suffering may end."
Alquam stared at Amir for a good half minute, trying to find any cracks in his facade, trying to find a lie in him. "Then we should go. While I was instructed to bring you both back, in the absence of one or the other I was told to bring you back first of all. You are the priority target." He spoke before reaching into his satchel pulling out an inscribed stone. "A prototype of your Bifrost Gateways. A one way ticket to Khemriq."
After having said this he clenched his fist, cracking the hollow stone open, creating a hole in the fabric of reality, and on the other side was the entrance to a palace. "This way, Arbiter. Soon you will be graced by my fathers holy presence, so well as that of your father and friend."
Amir looked at Alquam before turning back to the horse that stood before him. "I'll have you know that I look forward to some reunions more than others." He said curtly before pulling himself up and into the saddle.
Meanwhile, the true Amir rode aback his mule through the desert on the outskirts of Marqant, toward the Xybron that may aide them in their quest to dethrone the pharaoh. The city was no more than a tiny blur in the distance as he looked back, knowing that his clone was sure to have met with Alquam by now and set off toward Khemriq. He hoped their charade would work, needed it to if they were to complete their goals. But now was not the time to dwell, he had a job to do and needed to do so in a timely manner. And so, he turned back to face forward and with a kick against the mule's side it shot off leaving a dust cloud behind them as it kicked up sand.