Pain erupted in the back of my calf, searing like the point of a hot poker rod into my flesh.

The earth tipped toward me as I stumbled onto the dirt path with a strangled scream. The small rocks scraped away at the skin of my forearms as they took the brunt of my fall. I twisted my head to see the shaft and black feathers poking out. A whimper parted my lips as fire scorched across my flesh, white light burning behind my eyes.

I knew I needed to move. I was a sitting target, but the pain was blinding.

Move.

Move.

I willed my wobbling arms to push off the dirt as exhaustion weighed them.

"Move Nefari!" a voice behind me screamed.

I rolled as another arrow flew past me, missing its mark, turning back to see Zahara running toward me in her high slit white dress, speckled with red leopard spots of blood and her short hair wild around her face, haloed by the glow of our burning home. She looked like Set, the god of war himself.

Relief washed through me at the sight of her, until I noticed the wave of Southern soldiers at her back. The few white-robed guards behind her struggled to give her a lead fending them off but, like the great swell of a wave, they were soon swallowed under into the black.

"Get up!" She hauled me to my feet, as a cry tore out when I tried to put weight on my left leg where the arrow still stuck.

She looked down, an angry hiss parting before throwing her swords in the back of the chariot. The horse's eyes were wild, mouths foaming and coats slick with sweat. She murmured low and soothing to her two charges as she quickly unstrapped them from the post.

I gripped the railing stepping up with a groan on to the chariot. In a moment she hopped up beside me, snapping the reins. An arrow struck the ground to the left of us as the horses lurched against their harnesses, pulling us at a galloping pace.

"Wait! Zahara, wait! What about father?!" The thought gripped me suddenly. In the chaos I had forgotten. Father. Our men. The priests?

She turned her head with a shake, a single tear illuminated in the moonlight slid down her cheek as her lips pressed firm together to still their trembling.

"No!" I bayed to the heavens, to the gods who never answered my prayers. Damn them. Damn them all! "Tell me it's not true...Tell me!" I screamed, but I knew the answer in her silence.

I wept. The pain in my leg, a fading throb against the crushing weight of death on my chest. "Father, Anaka." Dead. All dead.

They were supposed to live long, rich lives. Anaka was so looking forward to being a mother, a wife. And father, he would have loved little grandchildren bouncing on his knee. His old leathered skin stretched with wrinkles as he smiled and laughed in his carefree way.

Father's chamber was still incomplete, his great pyramid unfinished. How was he supposed to find peace in the afterlife now? How would I read the words to guide them both on the path, and place the coins for their toll on their eyes? Or surround them with their favorite things to take with them beyond the veil. How was I going to say goodbye?

A weight gripped my chest as I struggled to suck in the crisp now air, now tainted with smoke.

"We're out of range," Zahara yelled over the howl of the midnight wind, the chariot slowing to a jog. "We should have a good lead, if they decide to pursue. Are there any boats by the temple? There's a merchant outpost by the sea and we can..."

Of course Zahara was already calculating our next move, finding a way to keep us safe. I was just a burden to her with my leg. What could I do? A useless priestess, a failure as a daughter.

"Nefari!" Her words snapped my attention, my eyes falling to her concerned gaze.

"I can't breathe. I can't breathe!" The pain pushed on my chest like the weight of an elephant as cold fire erupted down my arms, bringing me to my knees. The pressure was sinking me hulling me down into the darkness. I tore at my chest, trying to reach through bone.

"It's shock. You have to breathe, slow!" Zahara stated, placing a steadying grip on my shoulder. "Focus on your breath. Remember your meditations. In-hold. Out-hold."

I followed her command, sucking in lung fulls. After a few moments of silence, the world focused around me again. The night brightened with sickening clarity as we rounded the back of the palace to see smoke billowing out from within its great arches.

"Are there boats at the temple?" she repeated, dragging my attention away from the carnage.

I nodded slowly. Hotep kept at least one for river ceremonies.

Steering the charges southward, she flicked the reins, picking up speed once more to the one building that stood alone like a beacon of safety.

The chariot rolled up slowly around the side of the temple toward the communal bathing pools- where Amon had- no. I squashed the thought with hate. Beyond lay the river and peeking out from behind one of the large stone columns was the curved end of the boat, the canopy top waving in the breeze.

Zahara pulled the horses as close to the bank as she could, the weight of the wheels sinking into the mud.

"Come on," she braced an arm for me to lean on as I hobbled off, biting my lip to stifle a cry of pain. "Hold still." Zahara moved to grab her sword and before I could even figure out what she was doing, she brought it down toward my calf, slicing the shaft of the arrow in half. "That should make it easier. I can't pull it out till we have bandages."

"They have supplies through the servants' wing and the kitchens are down on the left."

"Good idea. We'll need at least a few supplies for the journey." She looked down at my leg.

"Go." I understood what she was thinking. "I'll get the boat ready." I offered. I could at least do that much.

Zahara nodded. "I'll meet you back here soon."

"Imi! Can you find-" the words died on my lips. Was she even still at the temple? Hotep had told her to go to the palace.

But Zahara shook her head anyway, dashing my hopes. "There's no time to waste looking." She placed one of her swords in my hand and took off with the other for the mouth of the temple's side entrance.

The sword was heavy. It rasped along the dirt as I dragged it with me, hobbling toward the boat.

It was tied off on both ends, bobbing along the reed laden shallows.

With shaking hands, I fumbled with the large knots, anchoring it to the rings hanging from the jaws of the lion-mouth statues. I released one sliding the long rope through and then the other, focusing on the task out hand trying to block out the emotions, the screams that were crawling up my throat. The ship was a little too far out to load supplies and with a tug on the large thick chord I tried to hull it closer, digging my one good heel in.

I cried out as the rouge rope slid through my hands, leaving burning red palms. Ripping at the lower half of my breast binding, I wrapped the fabric around my hands and gripped the rope trying again. With a grunt of effort, I was rewarded with a small creak as it angled toward the shore.

"Who's there?" a male voice called out. A torch in hand as the outline of the figure approached.

I dropped the rope.

My heart thundered as I turned. The light drawing closer illuminated a blue-robed priest and recognition flashed in both our eyes under the moon's luminescence and the fire's glow.

It was the boy who had tried to force himself on me.

He stopped a pace away before turning over his shoulder to yell, "guards! Over here!"

How could he? "Betrayer!" I screamed, picking up the sword. "How could you?!"

The priest boy shrugged his shoulders. "They promised the temple amnesty if we submitted to the god Set and his pharaoh. Under the condition that we point the traitors out." His face twisting in a smug smile.

He seemed unfazed toward the sword pointed at his chest as he stepped forward.

I stood my ground. "We are not traitors! Father would never-he would never." I said, assuring myself as much as him. "And Amon-set is still alive! Where is your honor? Your loyalty?"

How had word even gotten to them so fast? Nothing made sense. I was missing something.

"Ha!' he barked a laugh. "What good is loyalty if I'm dead? It was the obvious choice."

I smiled as I saw the figure approach behind him and his grin faltered, eyes widening to shock as the tip of a sword slid from the back through the front of his stomach.

"You chose wrong," Zahara seethed, yanking her sword back out. She had what looked like a wrapped blanket of supplies hulled over her back. The boy turned to stare at my sister. His face twisted with pain and resentment. And with a final grunt, he launched his torched. It sailed over my head in a flaming spiral and onto the deck on the boat.

"No!" Zahara yelled.

It lit up like kindling in the windy night air, the deck catching flame and alerting all in the area where we were.

The whiny of a horse caught our attention, head snapping to the sound, and through the dark we could see chariots three approaching. The shadows of men stepping off, their swords and spears gleaming in the night.

Zahara pushed me into the water. "Go. Swim to the other side. I'll draw them away and meet you there."

"I'm coming with you!"

"No. I can't worry about you if I have to fight." The truth of her words sliced deep, but I nodded, wading into the cool water of the shallows.

Zahara took off toward her chariot with the supplies.

"Over there!" I heard one of the guards shout.

Zahara's flaming sword danced to life as she snapped the reins with a battle cry, raising it above her head and taking off down the length of the Nile.

"Quick, they're getting away." I saw the shadows clamor back to their chariots, two of them taking off in pursuit.

I waded in the water slowly north, following the burning beacon of my sister's location, slipping with a splash in the muddy shallows. The dark chariots were gaining on her. Something dark whirled through the air, a spear. I heard her cry out and then her outline fell the flame of the sword rolling in the dirt before it dimmed and sputtered out.

"Zahara!" I couldn't stop the scream that escaped my lips.

The chariots stopped for a moment as if to assure she was dead before continuing their pursuit of her chariot where they thought me to be.

"Who's there?" A deep, rough voice vibrated in the wind. "Is that you, priestess?" the wide girth of a black skirted soldier stomped toward the river. "Clever girl," he laughed, as if realizing our ruse.

I pressed my lips together, sinking my body deeper into the dark water as I waded further into the water, ignoring every bone in my body that screamed to turn back. I cursed when I lost my footing, splashing in the water.

The guard's head snapped at the sound, mad laughter howling at my back. "I love a good chase! You can run, little traitor, but you can't hide!"

Damn you to the afterlife! I waded further into the thick covering of the tall green rushes as the water rose to my chest. Hot, angry tears sliding down my cheeks and teeth clenched. God's damn you all! 

Next chapter will be up at 10am Wednesday. As an apology for the delay, you are getting an early one!