Protectors of the Pharaoh -Vice and Drakonnas- [M]

[Drakonnas]

Rated [M] for Mature because there will be some very dark and violent aspects to this roleplay. Romantic scenes will be fade to black.

Ishizu Ishtar walked slowly along the abbey, a torch in one hand, and a long thin, beautifully decorated staff in the other. She lit the candles in the small room so that it would be lit when night fell. The small temple was one of many dedicated to the goddess Bastet, the goddess she served. Ishizu wore a simple white gown, embroidered with golden material around the neck, and sleeves. She wore a simple, yet elegant necklace around her neck, and a matching golden headband. The small girl of seventeen looked beautiful, yet simple. She had a beautiful tanish skin tone, and hair that was deep black, as black as the inside of one of the Great Pyramids. It hung to about her shoulders in length, and was sleek and straight.

She heard a noise outside, which wasn't that unusual in it of itself. But for this time of evening, it was slightly more conspicuous. Their shrine wasn't in one of the major cities, but rather just outside, on the outskirts. So unless someone was coming to pay late night respects to the goddess Bastet, it was probably some people on a late errand or something like that.

Ishizu finished lighting the candles, and began lighting some incense to please her goddess. The stone building was always comforting to her, it had been her first real home. Ishizu had been kidnapped from her family when she was just a child, and forced into prostitution. A few years later however, a kind man named Ranofer Thutra had rescued her, and brought her to this place, where she still worked and lived to this day. It was her home, her solace, her sanctuary.

She worked mostly alone here, except for a few other people. The quiet suited her, Ishizu didn't really trust others. Not after what she'd been through. The only other person here at the moment was Ranofer, one of the leaders of their group. Cult really wasn't the right word. It was a group of people who believed that Bastet had the right to protect and watch over the Pharaoh, instead of their rivals. No one was sure how this feud started, but both sides thought their goddess had the right to watch over the Pharaoh. The debate had grown to such a point where violence was commonplace between the cults. Ishizu was glad that their little shrine hadn't attracted a lot of attention.

[Mercury Vice]

Eighteen-years-old Masika stood upon a large boulder that jutted out from the sand, a hundred feet or so away from the Shrine to Bastet; her olive-skinned body was toned with lean muscles, and dressed in simple white robes that fluttered in the slight breeze. The night air was cool, but not too cold just yet, and was alive with sound of chirping cicadas; a perfect Egyptian night.
Metal slid against fabric as Masika drew her dagger with long, strong fingers, her eyes narrowing as she surveyed the shrine that would tonight be the prey of the greatest huntress of all.

Sekhmet.

Around the boulder, torches flickered and feet shuffled as a group of about thirty men hand-picked by the cult of Sekhmet stood ready and waiting for the priestess' order to attack. Smiling a hard, determined smile, Masika closed her eyes - she could almost feel the spirit of the lioness goddess breathing her luck over them, granting them the fortitude for victory in her name. It did not matter what the battle - Sekhmet was there for her followers.

Masika slowly raised her dagger towards the shrine and then jumped down, leading the men in a charge into the shrine, belting out battlecries as they went. Upon entering, her gaze found a beautiful priestess who had been lighting the candles and she immediately bounded at her. She pinned the girl roughly up against the wall with one arm while holding the dagger at her throat with the other. Around them, the men were overturning benches and burning papyrus tapestries.

"I'll spill your blood upon your sacred ground." Masika hissed at the girl "Let Sekhmet drink it in the very eyes of Bastet!" she spat the rival goddess' name.

[Drakonnas]

Ishizu heard the cries, and backed away fearfully. She didn't want this! Not now! Their shrine hadn't attracted much, if any attention. They had been one of the peaceful groups, who hadn't initiated much violence. But the same couldn't be said for most, if not all, of the other shrines in the area, so it wasn't surprising that they were under attack. "No..."

As their enemies burst into the room, Ishizu backed away, a fearful, yet somewhat defiant look on her face. As she stood there, she heard someone laugh. "What a beautiful princess... Oh the spoils of war are just fabulous..." And Ishizu found herself pinned against the wall. The girl holding her there was a fierce, yet beautiful girl a little older than she was. "Please.... don't..." Ishizu said, eying the knife warily. But... would it truly be so bad to die? Her life hadn't been a good one. Perhaps the afterlife would be better? She had heard stories... Would she be pure enough to go though? She was dirty, she was unclean. Not by her choice of course, but still, that didn't change the fact that she was.

Ishizu shed a few tears as she watched her home be destroyed. All her hard work over the past few years, wiped out in moments. The tapestry she had made of Bastet holding a small girl, rescuing her from the hells of Anubis and Osiris, amongst others. It had taken her months, and it was destroyed in seconds. "No.... "

Dislike of the girl in front of her was growing rapidly within her. She was just holding her, making her watch the destruction of the temple. A sense of hopeless impatience also filled her, feeding of the despair and agony that was coursing through her veins. "If you're going to kill me, do it now so that I don't have to go through the agony of seeing my home desecrated by you demons." She said, in an unusually snide voice.

"Hey Masika, don't kill the bitch. She'll make a good toy for us." One of the men said, making lewd motions to the laughs of others. Ishizu paled. "No... I'll kill myself before that happens!" She said, struggling futilely. She had already had enough of that. No more. "You can't make me!"

[Mercury Vice]

Masika said nothing, she was staring at the girl with an unreadable expression in her eyes; she had not meant to keep her alive so long, something was stopping her from spilling the girl's blood across the shrine and she could not explain it. There was something about her, it felt like Sekhmet was saying "No, not this one." as she held the girl pinned. The girl was beautiful, that fact was undeniable.
When one of the men called out his intentions, Masika made a noise of anger and looked over her shoulder at him.

"No one touches this girl! Have you no honour as hunters?" she shouted, her tone of voice daring the men on pain of death to defy her.

She turned back to the girl and lowerered her knife before grabbing her wrist, dragging her out of the burning shrine with her and into the cool night air. Masika let her go, shoving her away.

"Go! And by the gods, you better hope I don't find you again!" she snarled.

Masika hated that she was not able to kill the girl, and for that reason she hated the girl herself; she swore that she would not feel the same restraint next time, if the girl dared to cross her.

"Run, little cat." she hissed, holding up her knife in a threat "Run."

[Drakonnas]

Why wasn't this girl going to kill her? She had just contradicted herself. On the one hand, the assailant obviously despised her, but had saved her from death as well as other horrors. What was her reasoning? What was her motive? Still, she did not question. The fact that she was okay for now was definitely something to be thankful for.

"Aww come on, Masika... We'll leave her, but why must you ruin a chance for fun? She's a Bastet, isn't she? What do we care for them?" The man who had spoken before spoke once more in a disappointed expression.

Ishizu felt herself being dragged outside, and shoved away, where she fell ungracefully to the ground. "Oof..." She let out a breath to try to prevent herself from getting winded. "Run, little cat." The girl had hissed menacingly. Not having much of a choice, she ran. Now homeless, she had nowhere to go. And homeless orphans were not taken kindly to. She'd have to wait it out, and salvage what she could from the destroyed shrine.

She waited in the shadows of a nearby building, not close enough that she would be seen by the victorious party, but close enough that she could still know when they left, know when it was safe to return. Tears of anger ran down her face. Those damned lioness worshipers... She'd get her revenge for this. But how?

- - - Updated - - -

Why wasn't this girl going to kill her? She had just contradicted herself. On the one hand, the assailant obviously despised her, but had saved her from death as well as other horrors. What was her reasoning? What was her motive? Still, she did not question. The fact that she was okay for now was definitely something to be thankful for.

"Aww come on, Masika... We'll leave her, but why must you ruin a chance for fun? She's a Bastet, isn't she? What do we care for them?" The man who had spoken before spoke once more in a disappointed expression.

Ishizu felt herself being dragged outside, and shoved away, where she fell ungracefully to the ground. "Oof..." She let out a breath to try to prevent herself from getting winded. "Run, little cat." The girl had hissed menacingly. Not having much of a choice, she ran. Now homeless, she had nowhere to go. And homeless orphans were not taken kindly to. She'd have to wait it out, and salvage what she could from the destroyed shrine.

She waited in the shadows of a nearby building, not close enough that she would be seen by the victorious party, but close enough that she could still know when they left, know when it was safe to return. Tears of anger ran down her face. Those damned lioness worshipers... She'd get her revenge for this. But how?

[Mercury Vice]

"Lady Sekhmet does not defile, she merely kills. We act as her blood-drenched hand upon our sacred land, her breath created this very desert." Masika replied darkly, glaring at the man "Bastet's bitch can flee for now, I feel Lady Sekhmet has different plans for her."

It was the only conclusion Masika could draw from what had happened, but yet it did not seem to fit and that troubled her; though she was deep in thought, her expression remained blank - a mask she had practiced of her years on intense training.
However, when she turned to her group, a triumphant smile graced her sharp features.

"Tonight, we return to our shrine and drink wine in celebration of our victory for Lady Sekhmet!" she called, which received a resounding cheer.

Masika and her group of hunters extinguished their torches and travelled by the cover of darkness through the now cold sands; the moon was new, and the stars did little to light the night, but it was enough to guide them home. Their shrine lay nestled and hidden among a rocky outcrop of boulders, like a lioness hides when stalking her prey.

It was no bigger than the shrine to Bastet had been, but a long table with plenty of chairs had been stretched out along the abbey; they filed in and joined other priests and priestesses of Sekhmet in a rousing party, with plenty of wine and music.

Only Masika hung back by the shrine gates; she had sensed the other girl in the night as they had travelled, she was not sure how, but she had. She could have sworn their eyes had met in the darkness at one point. Why could she not stop thinking about how Sekhmet had stopped the kill? Surely it had happened before...Masika shook her head roughly, sighing; she hoped she was rid of the girl - but in the back of her mind, she knew it would not be the last she saw of her.

[Drakonnas]

Ishizu stared icily into the night, daring for the Sekhmet girl to come looking for her. She was ready, her dagger clutched tightly in her hand. An expert could see that she wasn't well trained. She held her dagger like a miniature sword, point up. She held it clutched tightly in her hand. Ishizu thought she saw the other girl look over towards her, but if she had been spotted, her rival continued on her way, ignoring her as if she was no threat. Her assailant had saved her. Why?

As soon as Ishizu was positive that the desecrators had left, she hurried back towards the shrine. Luckily, the building remained undamaged and still remained, but the remains of the decoration was non-salvageable. Sighing heavily, she got to work, throwing out destroyed property, and sorting out things that were still usable from the rubble. She didn't bother looking for Ranofer. He lay somewhere here, dead. She was sure of it. He was the last thing she wanted to see, it might drive her crazy. What about the others? What would they do when they saw what had happened to their shrine?

There would be days, if not weeks of work ahead of her. Sighing, Ishizu kept on working, despite her exhaustion, despite her pain, her anger, her despair. The feeling of uselessness kept coming back to her, making her feel worthless. It was not pleasant work, seeing the things she cared about destroyed. But someone had to do it. Someone had to get the shrine back up and in working order. She knew that it would be futile, they would probably come again in some weeks to make sure it stayed down. But she would keep repairing it as long as she lived. It kept her from going mad. It kept her from doing anything stupid. It showed her dedication to her goddess.

As she picked up a small statue that had fallen forgotten amongst the destruction, she thought she heard a voice in her head. "Do not give up, my child. I shall protect you. You have served me most faithfully, and I have chosen you to help settle the disagreement between the two cults..." As Ishizu opened her eyes, she realized she had fallen asleep, with the statue in her hand. Had that been just a dream? Had she dreamed those words? Or had they been real?

[Mercury Vice]

Masika left the party early, only slightly tipsy, climbing the stairs in the shrine to her own small quarters; the sounds of revelry on the floor below drifted up through the wooden floor into the room, but not too loudly. A much smaller shrine to Sekhmet stood in the corner, for when the priestess wanted to pray to her personally; against the far wall was a small bed with a simple table and wash stand next to it. The most striking feature in the room was the pelt of a lioness that hung upon a wall - the lioness that Masika had fought, and killed. As a whole the room was not much, but it was more than she could ever ask for.

Changing into a night gown, she slipped in between the covers on her bed and closed her eyes; she was fatigued from the day's events which had also taken up most of the night. However, no matter what she did she could not sleep - the girl's face kept appearing in her mind, as well as the desecration of he shrine to Bastet; she also saw the clashes on the streets and the terrfied expressions of regular people who lived in fear of being asked to take a side.

These images troubled Masika more than she expected, and she found herself getting up to go and kneel before her shrine to Sekhmet.

"My lady...I am disturbed by my thoughts...Everything I do is to honour you, but I still feel uncertain, I have no doubt that you see me as week..." her head lowered in shame, avoiding the inanimate gaze of a golden bust of Sekhmet, carved into a snarling expression.

What happened then was unexpected, Masika felt Sekhmet's powerful voice ring loud and clear within her mind.

"My little huntress, Bastet and I tire of this needless clash. It was not my will, nor hers. Therefore, I am choosing you to settle it because I know you will listen." Sekhmet said, her voice piercing Masika's thoughts "You are my best huntress and I shall watch over you, do not despair."

Just like that, Sekhmet was gone; Masika looked up a little weakly, towards the window where the sun had begun to rise. How long had she been there? Minutes? Hours? She got up and stumbled back to her bed, collapsing into the soft sheets. Perhaps sleep would offer some clarity onto what she had been told.

[Drakonnas]

Ishizu stood, and stretched out in the morning light. It was already hot out, a sign that today would be unpleasantly warm. The feeling of despair took her again as she looked at the small dent she had made last night in the debris. Deciding that she had better get to work again, she began the process of cleaning once more.

After about an hour, a priest entered the building, standing frozen in the doorway, as if not believing what he was seeing. "Ishizu!" He said in a commanding tone. "What has happened here? Did the Sekhmet gang attack? How did you survive? Speak up, girl!"

Ishizu jumped at the tone of his voice and turned around. "Sir... They attacked without warning last night... I should have been killed, but their leader spared me for whatever reason." She said, hanging her head in shame. "I failed to protect the shrine..."

"Do not worry about that, girl. You live, so be thankful to Bastet for saving you. Get this place cleaned up. I'm going to get our group together, and raid their shrine as they did outs... see if they like the taste of their own medication..."

Ishizu spoke up then, not really sure why she was speaking. "No, I pray that you listen to me, and listen well. Bastet does not want this needless violence! Does it really matter in the long run which goddess watches over the Pharaoh? If so, why can't they both look after Pharaoh? Bastet has spoken with me..."

"Shut up, girl." The priest standing in the doorway slapped Ishizu across the face. She reeled back, falling into the rubble, as he spoke again. "I have been tolerant enough to house you these years. Do not insult Bastet by saying she has spoken to you. Why would she, when I'm the one in charge? If she needs to communicate, she'll speak with me, or another one of the high priests."

"But..." Ishizu tried to speak again. It was no use, the priest had already left. "Forgive me, O goddess..."

[Mercury Vice]

The sun felt blinding to Masika as she slowly woke up during the early afternoon; she groaned and shielded her eyes from it, the memories of Sekhmet speaking to her all flooding back in a rush. The goddess' words made things very complicated - how was she supposed to stop the stuggle between the two cults? Did she want to? Well, of course she did...as much as she loved the thrill of battle, deep down it had not felt right to attack their rivals.

Cursing and grumbling to herself, Masika pulled the covers aside and rolled out of bed before getting undressed and trailing over to her wash stand. The cool, clear water refreshed her and sharpened her senses back to normal; Masika washed the smell of burnt papyrus away and then reached over for her cloth towel, drying off. As she got dressed, she pondered what to do that day and decided that she needed to get out of the shrine for a bit. Maybe for the rest of the day and night.

Unexpectedly, her thoughts returned to the Bastet priestess and she narrowed her eyes; she had seen matching anger in that other girl's eyes and Masika knew there would be some retribution for the desecration of the Bastet shrine - but really, why bother and go all the way to this one? Nevertheless, she would keep her eyes open and her ears pricked for information.

Masika slid her dagger into her belt and then opened the door to her room, trotting down the stairs and nodding briefly to the worshippers that had gathered in the shrine to pray. Perhaps she would go to the market to buy fresh papyrus to draw up a plan of what to do.

[Drakonnas]

Ishizu thought that she must not have gotten enough sleep the night before, she kept seeing the malevolent expression of the other girl in the rubble before her. Why couldn't she get her out of her thoughts? Ishizu supposed it had to do with the fact that she had been nearly killed, and forced to watch her shrine be destroyed.

Sighing, she sat down, overwhelmed. She didn't know what to do now. There was just too much junk for her to clean. It was painful work too, not only emotionally, but physically too. Things kept poking and scratching her. Finally she decided she needed to get out, and go do something. She decided to go to the market and see what fruits were there. Perhaps getting out would make her feel a little better.

Stepping outside, she noted that the day was hot and dry. Like normal. It was more dusty than normal, maybe a sandstorm was coming sometime? She'd have to inquire around, not knowing the signs for a potential sandstorm.

[Mercury Vice]

Masika watched a lizard scuttle over a rock as she made her way down the winding stone path to the city; the market was at the end of the city closest to the Nile, where the mud-brick houses of farmers and gamekeepers were sprawled out by the richest soil for crops. Children played with monkeys in the street while both men and women worked the farms; the air was alive with gossip and laughter, truly - this was the golden age.

Out on the Nile, ships bearing the insignias of foreign traders were moored at the docks, their captains bringing exotic spices and jewellery to trade with the Egyptians. Masika wondered if any new fine wines had been introduced and made a mental note to check the trader stalls later. In her view, Sekhmet herself would wet her maw with some of the delicious drinks the traders brought in.

The goddess' words from the previous night floated around Masika's mind, darkening her mood a little but getting her mind to focus on the task at hand - she needed to decide what to do, while at the same time keeping an eye on what the followers of Bast were doing. She would rent a room at the inn for a night, they were always the best places to hear gossip.

[Drakonnas]

Ishizu arrived in town without incident, and quickly made her way to the marketplace. There were many people out, the scorching sun beat overhead, withering, powerful. Ishizu was used to the heat, but that didn't make it comfortable. She met with one of the merchants who was good friends with her, as they often had chats whenever she came to the market. "Good day, Marik." She said, bowing slightly as was the custom.

"Ah, good day Miss Ishizu. I hope Ra finds you well?" Ishizu shook her head, looking a little bit downcast as she told him of the recent events. "Ah... these are dark times indeed. I have faith that Ra will guide you through these tough times, and lead you into a better life. But still, if I can help, just let me know."

Ishizu smiled, and thanked him. "I'd like some grapes if you don't mind..." She said, handing him what little money she had. With a laugh, Ishizu found the money rejected, and a small bag in her hand.

"A gift to you, Ishizu. Enjoy them. I hope you get things sorted out soon. Besides... have you heard of the sandstorm that's supposed to be coming? You're gonna want to find shelter. By the looks of things, it won't be here for several hours, but it is always possible that they can come much faster than that, out of nowhere. We're relatively safe here, though."

[Mercury Vice]

Masika headed towards the papyrus stand, which was at the far end of the market; from what she could see, a few priests who handled education were there, bartering with the papyrus maker. Keeping her head down, the priestess moved swiftly through the crowds - the oppressive heat of the day and the collection of people was near enough unbearable. Masika heard a few people muttering about a sandstorm and she gritted her teeth - a sandstorm would be the perfect cover for an attack, should the followers of Bastet decide to strike back. Most of the followers of Sekhmet would be too hungover to do anything about it. It seemed ironic that the very breath of the lioness would cover the followers of the cat...

The priestess only dismissed her thoughts when she reached the stand, nodding in greeting to the papyrus maker.

"Greetings, priestess. Will it be inks or papyrus?" he said with a respectful gesture.

"How does a pouch of exotic spices and a vial of perfume for your wife sound in exchange for five sheets of papyrus?" Masika offered, placing the pouch and vial on the stand.

The man bowed "You are most generous, my lady."

He passed over the papyrus and Masika placed it into her satchel before moving away; it was always best to be generous when trading, that way you knew what you were getting was only the best of wares.

She cast her gaze over the other stands offhandedly, but then froze as it reached a stand that was not very far away at all - it was that priestess of Bastet! Masika made no move to slink out of sight, and instead stood there, bold as brass as she watched the other girl who appeared to be buying fruit. A strange twist in her stomach occurred when she saw the priestess smile; Masika mentally shook herself for what seemed like the thousandth time over the past day or two. This was no time to soften.

Strangely though, the back of her mind suggested that this other girl would be the only chance she had at stopping the clash between the two cults. Any other follower of Bastet would kill her on the spot.

[Drakonnas]

Ishizu smiled as she thanked the merchant, and chatted with him for another minute, before turning away to look at the other wares that were for sale this stormy day. But as she looked around, she saw a strikingly familiar, and very beautiful face, watching her. Alarm shot through Ishizu, and she found that she was unable to move. Should she run? She had only her knife, and goodness knows she couldn't defend herself with it if they got into a fight. It was more a deterrent than anything else. She inhaled quickly, eyes darting side to side as if looking for a good place to run. She couldn't die here and now, she had to help her Goddess. She had to help restore peace to the land. But when she was this cowardly, how could she do that? Why had her Goddess chosen her of all people? It was probably because she remained peaceful.

Taking a few quick steps backwards, she turned, saying a hasty goodbye to the merchant, and rapidly walked in the opposite direction, hoping to get as far away as possible from the girl whom she knew would gladly spill her blood in broad daylight. "Oh Great Goddess.. please watch over me..." She said softly, hurrying away.

[Mercury Vice]

When their eyes met it was like Masika had been slapped awake; they stared at each other until the other girl broke the spell and hurried away. Not knowing what was posessing her, she quickly followed, weaving through the crowds like a lioness weaving through the rushes.
However, blood was not on her mind; in fact, Masika had little clue as to what was actually making her follow this girl; any other priestess she would have let walk away, but not this one.

Finally, she caught up with the priestess and simply but firmly took hold of her arm, walking beside her. Besides, it would probably not be the best idea to forcibly stop her in the middle of a crowded street with already suspicious onlookers.

"I'm not going to hurt you." Masika hissed out of the corner of her mouth, trying to make it look like they were friends to everyone else "I just want answers, and by Sekhmet you had better tell me the truth."

She steered the girl away from the crowds and into a sheltered, reasonable gap between two farmhouses.

"Promise me you won't run away like a skittish mouse, and I'll let go of you." she said, her hand still tight around the priestess' arm.

[Drakonnas]

Feeling someone grasp her arm, Ishizu inhaled quickly, trying to yank her arm away, but the grip was like iron, she couldn't escape. But the other girl was walking alongside her, as if not wanting to grab the attention of others. She didn't know if she wanted to run and make a scene in order to get away or not, but something stopped her. As she decided on this course of action, she heard the girl whisper in her ear. This didn't sound right, but she followed along, wondering what the other girl wanted. "I... what do you want with me?" She asked, shrinking against one of the walls of the farmhouse behind her. No one was around, and she was clearly very nervous, one hand on the hilt of her dagger.

[Mercury Vice]

Masika watched the girl's hand move to the dagger and she shook her head, the look on her face warning the other priestess that it would not be a very good idea; she found it hard to keep up her usual rough exterior with such a beautiful girl, but she would have to. Egypt could not be doomned just because she got distracted.

"Right. Is your cult going to get revenge for what happened last night? You don't have to tell me when or where, just answer yes or no." she growled "Second question - if so, can you stop them?"

If the other priestess laughed in her face, or told the Bastet priests that Sekhmet's cult appeared to be going soft, she could always kill her and find another way to stop the war. Masika knew that if she was going to bargain, she would have to put something on the table to bargain with.

"In return, I let you live even if you cast some sort of spell on me last night." There was no other way she could explain it. Why else would the girl be in her thoughts so much?

"Lastly, what is your name?"

[Drakonnas]

Slowly, Ishizu's hand left her dagger hilt, and she seemed to relax just enough to think that she didn't need to have her weapon ready, even if she couldn't use it properly. As the enemy priest asked her these questions, Ishizu grew confused. What was it to the other girl what her name was? Why was she important? But still, Ishizu felt the need to answer honestly. Something drove her to tell the truth, and it wasn't fear for her life.

"F...forgive me..." She said very softly. Realizing how she sounded, Ishizu straightened her shoulders, and stood up taller, looking her beautiful rival and enemy in the eyes. "Yes, they are planning to attack, despite my protests. The Goddess I serve does not wish for this war... She has spoken with me, asked me to try and prevent as much of the conflict as I can... but it's not easy to do when the priests are as pigheaded as they are, refusing to believe that a simple lowly servant girl as myself could speak with the gods. You may laugh, you may not believe me, but it's the truth. And... my name... my name is Ishizu Ishtar..."

There was one thing that Ishizu didn't understand. What did the other girl mean? "Contrary to what you seem to believe, I am no spellweaver.. I cannot work magic... what did you mean by casting a spell on you? The wind was picking up some, the warm breeze was comforting except for the occasional grains of sand that hit them.

[Mercury Vice]

In truth, Masika was surprised by the honesty - it had come quickly and without much interrogation; it made her soften her posture and let go of Ishizu's arm. A red mark remained from the force and it made her feel oddly guilty, similar to when she had destroyed the shrine; clearing her throat, she thought over what she had been told - so the Bastet priests did plan to attack, and the girl had already tried to stop them? What's more, Ishizu had been contacted by Bastet herself? Like Masika had with Sekhmet? It was almost as if they had been played like game pieces by the gods, which was more than likely. Ever since the gods had moved away from the mortal plane they had taken a liking to meddling with mortals. As for what Ishizu had said about magic, the girl had seemed genuinely confused. Which raised interesting self-directed questions for Masika.

As the smudge on the horizon of a brewing sandstorm grew, Masika suddenly felt exposed out in the city where anyone could be listening, especially what with Ishizu had revealed. She looked around, taking a hold of her beautiful rival's wrist -much gentler this time- as she finally decided what she must do.

"I am Masika Ashak and like it or not we may have to work together, Lady Ishtar. I will tell you more once we're in a safer place."

With that, she would say absolutely nothing until they reached an inn; Masika took off at a quick pace through the market, leading Ishizu with her. Word was spreading of the sandstorm that would hit at nightfall and people were beginning to disperse as the day wore on, which did not do well for Masika's nerves as she worried about getting followed. There was little chance of stopping an attack by the Bastet cult if it was planned for tonight, and it tore at the priestess' heart to think of one of her own cult's shrines desecrated.

"I apologise for dragging you around like this, but I have had an altogether strange day." Masika glanced back at Ishizu and shrugged as they walked, soon reaching an inn.

[Drakonnas]

Ishizu was a little bit confused. Why was her rival being nicer to her now? Was there something she wasn't aware of? Why would they work together? She had to contain her curiosity, as Masika had told her that she would be informed soon enough. So, trusting the other girl a little bit more, she followed without compliant. After all, she did seem genuinely sorry for being so hard on her. Or was it something else? Ishizu still wasn't aware of the other girls' true motives, but something told her she would find out soon.

The sandstorm was picking up, although right now it wasn't bad, just some wind and a little bit of sand. Visibility was slightly lower than normal, but not too bad. "Tell me about it..." Ishizu said, signifying that her day had gone fairly similar. As they entered the inn, there was literally no one there. No doormen, no hosts, no guests. It caught Ishizu off guard, and she grew suspicious for a moment, but realized that it didn't matter. They were here to talk, which would be better if no one overheard them.

[Mercury Vice]

"Huh. Strange..." Masika looked around the empty inn after shutting the door behind them to block out the steadily rising sandstorm "Hello?" she called, receiving no response. It was if the place had been suddenly abandoned because of the coming storm.

Shrugging, she lithely hopped up onto a long table and sat down cross-legged on it, turning to look at Ishizu. How was she going to say what she had to? It was difficult, putting faith into a girl whose shrine she had ransacked; but the priestess of Bastet had been apparently honest, so the priestess of Sekhmet decided she could be the same. No doubt fights and arguments would come later, but now was the time for talk.

"You say you were contacted by your goddess. Well, I was contacted by mine in the early hours of this morning, after I got back from..." The burning shrine bloomed in her mind "Well, anyway...Lady Sekhmet told me pretty much the same thing that Bastet told you. To stop the clash between the cults." Masika vaguely realised how odd that sounded "Strange, I know. Why would the goddess of war want to stop fighting? Maybe they don't fight in their own realm, like we believe them to? She said she and your goddess tired of this fight."

[Drakonnas]

(Sorry, didn't realize I hadn't posted.)

Ishizu stood, back to the wall in the silent and empty inn, and looked at the girl in front of her. She was feeling very peculiar at the moment, and wasn't entirely sure what was going on. On the one hand, she disliked the girl a lot, but on the other, she was starting to warm up to her, almost as if guided by some external force... She smiled, listening to what she had to say. So Sekhmet didn't want this fight either. So if neither of the goddesses wanted to fight, then why was it happening in the first place? What could they do to stop it? Much of Egypt was caught up in the battle. It was a little frustrating and scary to think that she and this other girl were supposed to stop it. How could they do that when they were so young, so inexperienced? How could they stop this fight? She was just a girl, not even a full woman yet!

"So... what are you suggesting, Masika? You want to work together to stop this war? I... How? I'm just a poor servant girl who works in the temple... No one takes me seriously, I'm the lowest of the low..." Her self doubt was becoming more evident now, but the way she said it, it was clear that she wanted to help. "I want to do help... but I don't know what to do..." The sandstorm was picking up outside, to the point that exiting the building would be dangerous. "Well... if you wanted to work together, I've no problem with it... As long as you don't try to... what's the phrase you used? Spill my blood for Sekhmet to drink?" She said, attempting to make a joke. She wasn't sure how well it would go over, but she had to try. "The sandstorm doesn't look like it'll let up anytime soon, it looks like it's gonna be a really big one..."

[Mercury Vice]

(It's fine :3 )

"I have little idea on how we are going to go about stopping the war, but we need to figure out something." Masika hopped down, taking the papyrus she had bought from her satchel and tossing it on the table where she had been sat. The blank pages seemed to mock her, as her own mind was empty of ideas.

At Ishizu's joke, a small chuckle rose to her lips and she seemed genuinely amused "Well, I haven't decided on that yet." she said, but the grin on her face made it clear that she was joking too "Since we're here, we might as well have a drink. I can only plan when I'm slightly inebriated."

Masika jumped over a chair and over to the clay wine jugs that sat in the corner of the room; she poured some into a large pitcher and then brought the pitcher and a pair of goblets over to the table. In payment, she threw a large pouch of spices onto the chef's table at the front. That way they could make even better wines in the future.

"I know you hate me Ishizu and you have good reason, but come over here." she gestured to a chair and then sat down in the one opposite "We need to plan, and it looks like we'll be stuck in this place overnight thanks to the accursed sandstorm. If I didn't know any better, I'd say Lady Sekhmet is finding much amusement in our situation."

[Drakonnas]

Ishizu was relieved when she heard the joking tone in Masika's voice. It showed her that she was joking too, and that they were, relatively, on the same side now. Or at least, they wouldn't be jumping for each other's throats in the hope that they would be the survivor of the encounter. She nodded, eager to try the drink that everyone praised. "I've never had wine before... Is it good?" She asked, curiosity getting the better of her this time. "What does it feel like to be drunk? I've heard stories... People say it lubricates the tongue and speech, but at the same time, I've seen people act very irrationally afterwords..." She said, taking a seat at the table with Masika. She was still slightly nervous, but she knew she would have to get over this feeling of dislike in order to get along with the beautiful girl in front of her.

"I... don't hate you...." She said softly, after hearing this girl's last statement. "I may despise the actions you have taken against me, but I cannot blame you for them. After all, we have committed the same atrocities..." She fell into silence, thinking. "Anyway... I think that we should spend some time chatting, for at least a little while, in order to get to know each other... perhaps that way some of the dislike will disappear, and we will be able to work together a little more efficiently."

[Mercury Vice]

"Wine is the drink of gods, Ishizu. They say to sate Lady Sekhmet's bloodlust before she became uncontrollable, Ra told her that an enormous wine cask was actually blood. She drank it all and passed out, which was how Hathor came about." Masika replied with a smirk on her face, pouring out some wine for her and her rival "Since then, Lady Sekhmet has been fond of a good drink as well as a good fight."

Leaning back in her chair, Masika took a long drink of her wine and then set the now half-empty goblet down; it tasted both fruity and spicy, which meant it had probably been imported or brought in by a trader. In any case, it tasted like something only Nobles would be allowed to try.
The idea of chatting for a while to get to know each other better seemed at first to be something that would only waste time in Masika's eyes, but the more she thought about it, the more she liked the idea. It could not hurt, since they were stuck in the inn anyway.

"So how long have you been a priestess, then?" she asked the other girl, looking at her straight in the eyes "As a baby I was taken by my cult and raised into the role, I do not know any different and I would not have it any other way."

It was true, Masika could not imagine a life where she was not a priestess of Sekhmet; other women had to spend their lives bowing to the whims of their husbands, and that was definitely not a life she wanted. She had never felt the need to be with a man - and looking at the beautiful girl that sat across from her, she was beginning to figure out why. Pouring herself some more wine, Masika thought about it carefully; it was not unheard of, for two women to...

"Hold your thoughts, girl, this is not the time to get distracted..." she thought to herself.

[Drakonnas]

Ishizu looked a little hesitant, yet a little excitedly at the goblet in front of her. With a gentle hand, she took the wine, and sipped it. It had an interesting flavor, one that she wasn't expecting. But still, she enjoyed it quite a lot. Setting the goblet back down on the table, she looked up, and saw Masika looking at her. After a minute, the other girl spoke, asking her about her background.

A little uncomfortable, she closed her eyes and sighed before speaking. "I've been in the service of the Bastet clan for several years. Four or five, I don't know. I was kidnapped when I was seven or eight years old, and sold into prostitution. But I was rescued at twelve or thirteen.. I don't really remember much from those years, it was all the same. But I was brought to the small shrine, and I have lived there ever since. As you might imagine, I don't trust easily..."

She looked at Masika as she spoke of her background. She really was beautiful. Ishizu hadn't been attracted to anyone before, and yet now she was attracted to a rival. What was going on? She had never liked men because of what they had done to her. But women were different, they were more sympathetic, more understanding, more empathetic. It was uncommon for... Ishizu blushed as she thought that thought, and looked down and away for a minute, hoping Masika would mistake her blushing for something else.

[Mercury Vice]

Masika listened as Ishizu told of her own background, hearing about how the girl had been sold into prostitution made her wince in sympathy; clearly she had not had an easy life, harder even that the life Masika herself had had. She thought back on all of the tests she had been put through - fighting humans, animals, anything the cult could throw at her. All to make her as fierce as a lioness and more seasoned than any solider.

"You have my sympathy, Ishizu. I cannot imagine the pain you must have been through." she said in a much quieter tone, her usual tightly-wound nerves softened by the wine "As for myself, becoming a priestess of Sekhmet is not easy...I have fought many times, my final initiation test was to kill a lioness or be killed as a sacrifice to the war goddess. I succeeded, obviously, and Sekhmet made her mark on me with the final swing of the lioness."

Setting down her goblet, Masika moved the front of her robe down slightly, revealing four thin parallel scars on her chest directly above her heart.

"Ah, let us change the subject!" she finished off her second goblet of wine "Hardships of the past are in the past, the future is uncertain so only the present matters. What would you like to talk about?"

[Drakonnas]

Isizu looked up, willing herself not to fall back into the depression she sometimes had problems with, willing herself not to tear up at the reminders of her painful past. For the first time, a fiery determination appeared in her eyes as she looked back up at Masika when she started speaking again. "As you say, the past is past. I cannot change it. But hopefully we can change the future to a bright and cheerful one, as opposed to this troublesome time we have now." She saw the scar upon Masika, and felt some sympathy towards her, unexpected, as she hadn't thought to sympathize with her rival. But was she really a rival? Only time would tell now.

"Well... tell me a little about Sekhmet... I think a better understanding of your goddess and viewpoint would help in our attempts to cease the fighting that plagues our Egypt..." She said after a little thought. "Perhaps... perhaps we aren't so different than we thought?"

[Mercury Vice]

"Lady Sekhmet's breath created the desert and she gives our soldiers strength when they fight for us; to us here, in Upper Egypt-" Masika gestured around "She is also the goddess of healing, though I never really understood the whole Upper and Lower thing. When the Nile runs blood red during the floods, she swallows the overflow and saves our world from being destroyed." she carefully took her gold circlet off, showing Ishizu the carved, snarling lioness head on the front.

It had caught her by surprise when Ishizu had said she had wanted to learn about Sekhmet, and Masika was more than willing to tell all that had been taught to her over the years. It flowed off her tongue easily, so firmly that she believed in her goddess.

"The lower priestesses perform a ritual every morning, each day of the year, to a different statue of Lady Sekhmet to satisfy her bloodlust and stop it from becoming too great again." It was a job she had had as a child "I wish I could tell you what beauty must lie in our main cult temple, but I do not know myself, for I have not seen it. Only the High Priest and his scribes know; they say there are even tame lions in there."

It was true, Masika had never seen the High Temple of Sekhmet; the rumours floating around had been enough to make her long to see it, but she knew it would mean a death sentence for her if she was caught. She did not fear death, but she did not want to disgrace her goddess.

After a moment's wistful thought, Masika raised her eyes to Ishizu's once again with a curious expression on her face.

"Will you tell me of Bastet? I know -according to the writings of your cult- she is said to protect the Pharaoh as well as Lady Sekhmet, but that is all I know." she said, pouring out another goblet of wine for herself to drink while she listened.

[Drakonnas]

Ishizu listened as Masika talked about Sekhmet. Ishizu nodded, eyes closed as she imagined the image of her goddess' supposed rival. She had a difficult time understanding why they would fight over such a task. Yes, protecting the Pharaoh was very important, it wasn't worth fighting over. And at this, Ishizu began to not fear Sekhmet as much, and a little bit of respect grew within her for the other goddess. "Lions... even tame ones... sound scary..." Ishizu said, shuddering. She had never seen a real live lion before, and all the images and pictorial representations she had seen invoked her imagination, making them seem far scarier than they really were.

"Bastet... from what I have been taught, is a very kind and beautiful goddess... she loves her children as her own, and fights to keep them safe... She is a motherly figure, always there if you need her. Lady Bastet is...." She cut off, trying to think of something else to say about her goddess. "She is somewhat feline, and serves a similar purpose to Sekhmet, which is one of the reasons we fight, I believe..." It was true that they served similar purposes. Bastet was more loving and caring than her lioness counterpart, as well as gentler and more forgiving.