This was it. Exactly as he saw in his vision. The smell of blood metal and fire. Burnt chariots, bodies mutilated beyond recognition. They had lost.

Now came the question. To be or not to be.

They had lost. No doubt shame would be brought upon them. It wasn't that Ahkmenrah wasn't capable. It was more so that his morals and ethics were blurred together.

Should he fight till his last breath? Or should he spare himself the shame and die here and now?

He gave Kahmunrah a sideways glance. He subtly gestured to the sword then to himself. Kahmunrah gave him a small, barely noticeable shake of the head.

He wasn't going to play the suicidal fool.

Sargon stepped forward, his blue cloak billowing majestically about him. His eyes were nothing like what Ahkmenrah had seen. One black. One white. He had a cool, calm, collected aura. But it was also powerful.

But through the hardened features of his face, and the roughness of his beard Kahmunrah could see he was quite young. Twenty-five at the most. Or his age, nineteen, at the least.

Other than his eyes, there was nothing particularly striking about the Sumerian commander. He wasn't particularly handsome, neither was he particularly ugly. He wasn't tall, neither was he small. He was quite average in all aspects but his eyes. That was partly what made him so intimidating. The fact that he was so normal.

A smile graced the Sumerian commander's face. He had won. But he also knew Ahkmenrah's silence was an act of defiance. They would not surrender. At least not officially.

"You have fought bravely young Pharaoh...I will reward you. Ask for anything, I will grant it."

Kahmunrah's heart beat furiously as he saw his little brother trying to make a decision. To ask or not to ask.

Kahmunrah stepped forward.

All eyes turned towards him. Almost as if they were drawn to him. Like how people would be drawn to a full moon.

"Treat us as fallen kings are treated." He said. Defiance clear in voice.

Sargon raised his eyebrows is astonishment.

"Well if it isn't the King's brother. I heard your little brother was chosen over you as Pharaoh."

Kahmunrah felt jealousy bubble up inside of him. A dangerous emotion. But he controlled it.

Every time he tried to get over it, he would be reminded of it sharply. It like tying two ends of a rope together but having it severed brutally every time the knot was almost complete. Making you have to start all over again.

But Kahmunrah's expression was a calm as ever. He gave a Sargon cool stare. Sargon took a subconscious step back, be he too remained grounded. Both men gave each other such piercing stares that no one would have be surprised if one of them had fallen over, bleeding.

Sargon then in a quiet yet strangely commanding voice said, "Arrest them"

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

She saw him. His confident strides. Blue cloak billowing.

Seknut stepped out of her house.

It was the fabled Sargon of Sumer. A young man, but made older by his physique and hardened expressions. Then there were his eyes. Black and White.

Seknut dared to step further, out to the herb garden.

Sargon gave her glance. His head held high. Pride in every feature of his face.

No words needed to be said. Sumer had conquered Egypt. That was clear enough. But what of Ahkmenrah and Kahmunrah? And Sabra? And that young man Kain? What will happen to the crown? What will happen to them?

All these questions raced through her head.

But then she saw them.

Chained.

Bound.

Whipped.

Like slaves.

The Pharaoh and his brother.

Seknut's expression was that of pure horror.

But both brothers turned towards her and smiled. One mischievous and one simply beautiful.

What ever happens to them, at least they are content.

More familiar faces. Sabra, Kain.

They came as no shock.

But what did com as a surprise was the face of Shepseheret.

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The last rosy ribbons of Ra's light disappeared beyond the horizon. She saw them. It was a dispiriting sight. Chained together, the brave warriors of Egypt. They may have lost, but there was an air of pride. From the way they held their heads to they way they walked, pride radiated from them.

Ismara was so engrossed in watching the imprisoned Egyptians and Awans that she didn't notice the foot-steps coming towards her door. Not until the door swung open.

There was the clanking of metal. The smell of blood and sweat.

She turned swiftly knife in hand.

The Sumerian Men stopped in their tracks.

The man in the middle, seeing that she was a woman, gestured for his men to lower their weapons.

"Name?!" he bellowed in Arabic.

"Ismara..." she whispered trying hard not to show how distressed she was.

His eyes fell to her stomach. His hardened eyes softened. He wasn't without sympathy as his own wife was with child back in Sumer.

"This one is to be kept here. No one is to touch her." He said gruffly in Sumerian. "She is to be brought food and water. Sargon is not to know of her."

"But Anbir..." objected one of the men.

"Are you a dog?! She is with child! Or do you want to be responsible for the death of a woman and an unborn child?"

The man who had objected gulped and backed away.

Anbir turned to Ismara and in Arabic he said. "I shall try to look after you as well as I can My Lady. You and your unborn child don't deserve the life of shame."

"I am grateful" she managed to choke.

But inwardly she felt a pang of guilt.

Kahmunrah and Ahkmenrah were probably dead.

She didn't deserve anything that was given to her. But for the sake of her unborn child...she must accept this.

Her child will never know its father.

As soon as the men left she broke into bitter uncontrollable sobs.

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As the reader may have noticed Khufu seemed to have played no active part in the battle. Claiming to have been too old he opted to stay behind at the palace.

He waited nervously for news of the battle. He heard voices.

They sounded nothing like Egyptians.

Two soldiers entered, their weapons poised like a snake ready to strike.

Little did they know they had met a real snake.

A snake with a honeyed tongue.

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I have updated and on time too.

This chapter was shorter than last time. But please do tell me what you think. I love receiving feedback from you guys.

Woah I just realised one whole year of Ahkmenrah had happened on March 10, because of that I may or may not have a bonus chapter up my sleeve.

Dedicated to notallareheroes_ because Kahmunrah is a good Anti-hero/Villain/VillainHero...I shall not give anything away yet. But you will find out soon.

~Sargun