CHAPTER 15

Tydeus and his friends remained unshaken. They stayed in their seats, waiting for who and what was coming.

Only a few people remained in the bar, as the rest had run outside. And all of a sudden, great silence took over the entire bar as everybody kept mute waiting for what was coming.

Suddenly, two soldiers walked into the bar. They didn't look like ordinary soldiers, with the spear and shield in their hands, the kind of armour they were wearing and the symbol on their shield, they looked like they were from a palace or kingdom.

Rakeh immediately signalled Tydeus, this might be a threat or something.

The two soldiers came in and stood at the entrance as escorts, which they were; two other soldiers came from the entrance, too, but this time, with someone in their middle.

The person was wearing a long black cloak which covered every part of the person's body, and the face was covered with a black hood.

Tydeus remained on his seat wondering who it could be. Is he about to be arrested by some armies or what?

The person, covered from head to toe with a black cloak, began walking away from the middle of the escort soldiers and was coming towards Tydeus's table.

The rest of the people in the bar started staring at the person and Tydeus, whom the person was moving towards.

The person was about to get to Tydeus’s chair, but Rakeh's chair was closer. Rakeh immediately pulled out his axe and blocked the way for the person.

“Who are you and whom do you seek?” Rakeh asked, his voice mixed with authority.

“My words are for him, not for you.” The person said, pointing to Tydeus.

“It's alright, Rakeh; give the stranger some space”, Tydeus said to Rakeh.

Rakeh brought down his axe as the person moved closer to Tydeus.

The person slowly pulled off the hood covering the face and behold, it was a beautiful young woman.

Her hair was adorned with many beads. She was wearing a golden coronet on her head decorated with many gemstones like an Egyptian goddess.

Her neck was also embellished with different tiny necklaces, and her eyes and skin were glowing like the sun. She must be the princess of somewhere.

Sakoh, Rakeh, and Artecus had seriousness written on all their faces as they stealthily held their weapons by their side in preparation for any threat.

But Tydeus on the other kept staring at the young woman with a warm smile. No one knows what he was imagining.

“You're certainly a hard person to find, Tydeus”, The young woman said calmly to Tydeus.

“Yup, that's the idea. I don't want anybody to find me”, Tydeus replied.

“Well, I am not just anybody…”

“So can you kindly introduce yourself then?” Rakeh interrupted the young woman quickly.

“My name is Isis, I work for the king, ruler of Giza, King Nezeron. I'm his most loyal sorceress”, Isis, the young woman said gently bowing her head.

“Sorceress? Have you come here to turn us into chickens with your magic?” Sakoh interrupted rudely with a fake smile.

“Be nice Sakoh”, Tydeus immediately cautioned Sakoh.

“The king must be very fortunate to have such a beautiful woman as his sorceress”, Tydeus said to Isis respectfully.

“Perhaps our king is most unfortunate. I have come here to deliver a message from him to you”, Isis, the sorceress said to Tydeus sharply.

“Message? What kind of message?” Tydeus replied.

“The civil war has ruined many parts of Egypt. Many kingdoms and cities have been destroyed. Our land, Giza, is one of the last standing kingdoms in all Egypt”

“And currently, we are faced with an unwavering threat which has claimed many parts of our land. We have tried everything we could but nothing has worked”

“If we don't do anything exceptional on time and this threat strikes again…”

“What would happen?” Artecus asked curiously out of nowhere.

“Our land will be destroyed”, Isis, the king's sorceress said sorrowfully.

“Oh well, we all have problems. That's life”, Tydeus said sarcastically as he gently sipped his wine from his cup.

“Well, perhaps I can convince you to make our problems your own”, Isis, the king's sorceress said as she moved closer to Tydeus.

“Threats? What kind of threats are you talking about and what does it have to do with Tydeus?” Rakeh asked Isis.

“Our land is faced by a notorious army. Some people say they're demons from the Abyss, very cruel and heartless. They will stop at nothing until they annihilate Giza”, Isis, the king's sorceress narrated sorrowfully again.

“Demons? Cruel and heartless? Are you talking about the legendary Black Army?”

“The demonic creatures that destroyed Athace many years ago?” Artecus asked sharply.

“Pss! This guy. You know that shit is only a piece of fairy tale, right?” Sakoh interrupted Artecus.

“The black Army? The legends say they are real. This is no fairy tale. I told you I know a lot of things about many places”, Artecus said to Sakoh.

“Well, it appears that you only know folktales, not facts. The story of the Black Army and the people of Athace? Who hasn't heard that before…”

“Those were like one of the most popular bedtime stories our mothers do tell us when we were young”, Rakeh responded to Artecus.

“Yeah, I remember. They would say that Athace was destroyed by the demonic Black Army because a true saviour who will defend Egypt will come from Athace. I still remember the folktale”, Sakoh said humorously as he sipped his wine gently.

“The legends say it's true. The…”

“That's enough Artecus!”