FRIDAY, APRIL 10TH - KINGDOM OF KESHANAR : SESSION 6 RECAP
Khepri turned to face the Sphinx, a look of betrayal on her face. She still held her sister’s hand and as she turned back to face Arislene she pushed Zafira behind her.
“Why have you prevented our leaving?” she asked.
“Why do you feel the need to leave in such a hurry?” the Seer responded. “What have I done to earn such distrust? Have I not been a friend to you and guided you in your journeys thus far? Have I not helped you in all ways I can?”
Khephri sighed and took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Arislene was not wrong. She had been nothing but a friend to them and offered them invaluable assistance in their struggle against Set and his followers. Khephri knew they were being paranoid, but they felt as if they had no where they could safely turn.
“We have been told that the Pharaoh’s mind is closed to the gods,” Zafira said.
“What?” Arislene asked.
“We have held council with the gods,” Kharu replied. “They said we should not give the dagger to the Pharaoh because with his mind closed to them they do not know if he can be trusted.”
“Which gods?” the Seer asked.
“My goddess Bastet,” the Paladin replied.
“And Khonsu,” Zafira added.
The seer seemed to soak this information in. She waved a hand and a glow flared then faded on the door and it slowly opened.
“We are free to go?” Khephri asked hesitantly.
“If I have given you cause to not believe me as a friend who has your best interests at heart, then I have no right to hold you,” the Sphinx said.
The siblings looked at one another, but made no move to the door.
“I’ll be taking my leave if it’s all the same to you,” Bek said, sliding out the door. “I’ll await you outside.”
The three watched him go then turned to regard the Seer.
“We feel trapped between our duty to our gods and our loyalty to our Pharaoh,” Kharu said breaking the uneasy silence.
“Because the gods cannot see into Ra-Solari’s mind?” Arislene asked. “That is easy enough to explain. The Pharaoh has an artifact that allows him to shield his thoughts and intentions from those that would seek to gain such knowledge. He has recently felt it necessary to use it with the machinations of Set and his followers.”
“The timing seems a bit convenient,” Khephri said half under her breath.
“Coincidental, yes,” the Seer replied, “but hardly convenient.”
“Why does he seek the dagger?” Zafira asked. “You know what its purpose is, yes?”
“I know it is said to hide something away from Set,” Arislene replied.
“The Shield of Set,” Kharu replied.
Khephri shot him an admonishing look. He was far too trusting for his own good. For their own good.
“Why would the Pharaoh want it?” Khephri asked. “It was hidden away for a reason.”
“Had you considered that the Pharaoh may want the dagger to hide it away from Set to prevent his finding it?” Arislene posed to them. “Had you thought that if the three of you were able to find and secure it that it is not as safe as was assumed?”
That made the three of them consider her reasoning. While it had been guarded and not so easy as all that to find, it was not as well protected as such a precious thing should be in their estimation.
“What you say makes sense,” Kharu admitted.
Arislene smiled.
“Good, then we are in agreement that perhaps the Pharaoh’s intentions are not as diabolical as you suspected. I have known him for some time and I have always found his thoughts and actions to have the best interests of the city and its people foremost in his heart.”
Khephri was still not convinced. It was her way to be distrustful until proven wrong. “He had that unscrupulous Ulrik send that mercenary Bek to follow us. Why? Did he not trust us?”
The Sphinx sighed.
“Ever the pessimist eh Khephri? You get that from your father.”
The Paladin wasn’t sure if that was meant as a compliment or a slight, but she decided to take it as the former.
“A sell sword he may be,” Arislene continued, “but I believe he was sent to ensure your success, not to take possession of the dagger from you.”
That is what Bek had told them when they discovered him watching them in the Vaults. He had not made any moves to take the dagger or any attempts to convince them to give it to him. He had even told them given what they had discovered of the blade at the Temple of Khonsu that it would be best to avoid giving Ulrik any more information than necessary.
“We are still unsure that the dagger should be entrusted to the Pharaoh,” Zafira said. “We do not mean to be disloyal, but our first duty is to our gods and to the citizens of the city.”
Arislene looked at the sorceress and a small smile played across her lips.
“Then we should speak with the Pharaoh and see how he answers your questions.”
The siblings stared at her in disbelief.
“Would you feel better if he came here, rather than my taking you to him?” she asked.
The three spoke quietly for a moment then, reaching agreement, nodded at the Seer.
The Sphinx quietly cast a spell, but to the siblings it appeared nothing happened. Then, seemingly on its own, the door to the wardrobe nearby opened, then a second later closed.
“Refreshments?” the Seer asked.
The siblings nodded mutely. The Sphinx pulled a bell cord and a few moments later Kato entered. “Yes Mistress?”
“Wine for our guests,” she said.
Her servant nodded and left. After a few moments he returned and brought a platter with gold goblets and a carafe of wine. He poured for each of them and offered each of the adventurers a goblet. It was a sweet wine, refreshing, and the three were able to relax a bit.
After what seemed a long time, but was actually less than half an hour, the door to the wardrobe opened again and after a pause the familiar figure of Pharaoh Ra-Solari stepped out. He seemed a bit shocked to find others than Arislene present, but quickly hid the emotion behind the practiced mask of the ruler of the largest kingdom in the sands.
“Arislene,” he said in a way of greeting. “I received your summons, but your servant did not mention there would be others present.”
The Sphinx lowered her front legs, shifting down into what resembled a bow. The siblings stood, and followed suit.
“Forgive me my Pharaoh,” the Seer said as she stood back up. “I felt the need was important and had no time to advise you of my guests.”
“What is so important you called me here?” the man asked.
“Your agents have completed the task you set them,” Arislene said. “They have concerns though, ones I felt only you could lay to rest my Pharaoh.”
The siblings told them of how they found the dagger, the guardian they defeated to secure it, the details of their visions of two different gods who confirmed that dagger as genuine and its purpose. They told him of the concerns of the gods and the fact his mind was closed to them and that they wished solely to serve the common good and see the right thing done with the artifact.
Ra-Solari listened to them quietly, taking in their words. When they were finished he considered each of them in turn, then, without a word, he reached up and removed his headdress, sitting it on desk then looked to Arislene and nodded. “Please confirm for our friends that the words I speak are true.”
The Pharaoh turned back to the siblings and spoke.
“I seek the dagger to find the Shield of Set. It is my intention to recover it and find a means to destroy it, forever denying it to the enemy.”
The Sphinx looked from Ra-Solari then to the siblings and nodded, confirming his words to be true.
“Then why not just destroy the dagger?” Zafira asked. “Surely without the key they cannot unlock the tomb where the vault where it was hidden away.”
He considered her words and nodded. “I had considered that, but my fear is that they may create another key or come up with a means to bypass the lock altogether. We cannot afford to take that risk.”
“Where is the Shield hidden?” Kharu asked. “How would we find it?”
“The dagger will lead the faithful to the resting place of the Shield,” Ra-Solari replied. Again the Sphinx nodded confirming the words of the Pharaoh to be true.
“How would you destroy the Shield?” Khephri asked. “Surely an artifact such as it cannot be destroyed.”
“Anything that can be made, can be unmade,” the Pharaoh replied. “That is where we will rely on Arislene to find the means.”
The siblings were convinced that their Pharaoh had the right intention, so they agreed they would do as he bid.
“What of our parents?” Kharu asked. “What of mother?”
“Your father will understand,” Ra-Solari said. “He performs many tasks for me and will know that the good of the city must come first. Your mother? That will be a more difficult battle.”
“What do you know of our mother?” Khephri asked.
“A great deal more than you may think,” he replied. “She was not always as she appears now. Has she not told you of what she did before meeting your father?”
The children shook their heads.
“You will have to ask her,” he said. “It is not for me to tell her secrets.”
The three exchanged glances. That was cryptic. Their mother was a socialite, she knitted, she played games with other wives in the neighborhood, and worked with several of the ladies charities around the city. Kharu alone knew there was more to their mother after the conversation they had had in his room the night that they recovered the dagger.
“What about supplies for this journey?” Kharu asked, ever the practical minded. “We will need supplies, healing potions, and perhaps magic to overcome the things that may be guarding the Shield.”
The Pharaoh looked them over, then to the Sphinx who nodded in agreement.
“Besides the dagger, do you have no enchanted weapons?” he asked. The siblings shook their heads.
“I can remedy that,” the Pharaoh said. “Arislene will you see to their provisions?”
“Of course my Pharaoh,” she replied with a bow of her head.
“The three of you will follow me,” he said.
He made his way over to the wardrobe, opened the door and stepped inside. Kharu followed, his sisters behind him. He looked inside the wardrobe and found only cloaks and shawls hanging within. There was no sign of Ra-Solari. He looked back at Khephri who was right behind him with a look of confusion, then shrugged and pushed his way into the cabinet, pushing clothing aside.
This is where we will leave you all for now gentle readers. Thank you for following the adventures of the three siblings and their adventures in the Kingdom of Keshanar. Join us back here in a few days for the second part of the tale of this session to see what happens next in the party’s quest for the Shield of Set. Until next time, keep your torches lit and be wary of the dark places in The Maze.
