Because the Amra region had been plundered by rebel forces, Seto was tasked with driving away these rebels who had offended the land of Upper Egypt. He was dispatched by Rahotep away from the royal city, leading a team of elite chariot soldiers and the envoy, heading downstream along the Nile toward Amra.
Before his departure, he entered Xin Hexue’s palace and begged Xin Hexue to fasten the usekh collar necklace around his neck.
The people of this land were passionate about adorning themselves with all kinds of ornaments. Their accessories were exquisitely made and had complex color schemes.
Gold was the color of the sun god Ra, the source of life, the essence of the gods and the eternal soul; silver represented the dawn sun, moon, and stars; lapis lazuli was the deep blue night sky that protected the world; turquoise, malachite, and desert feldspar were the life-giving waters of the Nile…
Here, artisans applied alkaline glaze to quartz sand bodies or stones and fired them into shiny jewelry. Commoners strung glazed ceramic beads into necklaces. Even the children of the poorest slaves would have a pottery ring or a bone amulet, blessings from their parents, praying for the gods to protect their children.
But Seto had none of that before.
During his long childhood and adolescence, he was still a beast that ate raw flesh and drank blood.
Because of the blood moon phenomenon at his birth, the sacred name of Anubis was bestowed upon him. For a long time after that, his world was shrouded in a crimson, damp mist. He feasted on the entrails of defeated lions in the bronze cage, and only when he licked the corners of his lips did he realize it was the glow of blood that enveloped his vision.
The people who served him revered him but feared him even more. When the Pharaoh, who was his father, did not come, Seto, who did not have to participate in beast fights, would occasionally idle away time eavesdropping on the servants’ conversations.
He heard how they firmly believed that he was the incarnation of Anubis.
They were all boring words.
Until one day, when Seto was resting on the ground like a lion, he heard a word in his ear…”mother.”
They said that mothers would love them unconditionally.
What was love?
Seto saw an expression that could be called “happiness” on their faces. It seemed “love” was a word that made people happy.
The crisp sound of gemstones colliding brought Seto back to his senses.
This was an embrace posture meant for wearing a necklace. The sandalwood scent withdrew from the tip of his nose, and the broad usekh collar necklace draped over his shoulders and neck.
“Done.”
Xin Hexue adjusted the necklace properly.
He had long and slightly curled snow-white eyelashes. When he looked up, the folds of his eyelids opened like pigeon feathers or a white curved moon.
The first time Seto saw him was at the quarry at night. Behind him in the sky was such a moon. It was just as pure and flawless as the one he had looked up at in his childhood.
He was certain: this was his Mother Goddess, the Nephthys who made him begin to crave love and would love him.
If they had such a blood connection, then nothing could separate them.
“Be careful.” Xin Hexue thought for a moment and still offered this unnecessary advice. “Remember to drink more water on the way; be careful of heatstroke.”
Although, given Seto’s constitution, such a thing was unlikely to happen.
“I will.”
Seto took Xin Hexue’s hand and placed it against his chin.
He lowered his head and nuzzled Xin Hexue’s delicate palm affectionately. “I am very obedient.”
………
The preparations for the Sacred Bull Festival celebration began at the start of the Akhet season. Not only were cattle and sheep from the royal city of Thebes being offered, but various lords below were also sending their sacrificial gifts to the city of Thebes.
Herds of cattle and sheep were driven down from the top of the dunes. Merchants, under the protection of envoy teams, led camels laden with goods toward the prosperous new capital.
Thanks to the seemingly omnipotent divine envoy, and the Pharaoh who trusted the divine envoy and implemented the “divine decrees”, the appearance of Thebes had changed significantly before the arrival of the Sacred Bull Festival. Although it could not be called completely renewed, the water network was gradually improving, water wheels began to draw Nile water to higher arid lands, people harnessed oxen to improved plows, and orderly fields were sown with new seeds…
Glass first appeared in the palace and soon became a new trend sweeping through the people.
People admired this transparent material curiously, holding it up to watch sunlight pass through the paw print at the bottom of the glazed glass.
“Gurgle gurgle”…
The wine, improved by new filtration methods, was clearer and sweeter, with almost no sediment. The glittering liquid, filled with bubbles, brimmed in the cups and glowed golden in the evening sunset.
The crisp sound of bells and melodies erupted at this moment!
The magic of dusk had descended!
The Nile flowed swiftly among the palm trees, and the stone gates of the temple were painted a misty pink.
Suddenly, a high and bright voice burst into song.
“Apis! Sacred bull!
You are the incarnation of the sun, the guardian of the stars,
You walk through the temple, your footsteps beating the rhythm of the earth!”
Clang!
Male and female dancers rushed into the arena excitedly to the musicians’ passionate melody. The lyre was clear and melodious, the flute high-pitched and powerful, and the drumbeats rousing and inspiring. They wore light straw sandals, their linen skirts swung with power, and they wore decorative glazed pottery bead necklaces around their waists. They spun, ran, and leaped…the celebration of life was under their feet. They moved to the rhythm of the Nile’s rise and fall, kicking up dust in anticipation of harvest and prosperity!
The temple stood tall and towering on the eastern bank of the river. All the people of Thebes, as well as all the guests who had come from afar to celebrate, as long as they were children who drank from the waters of the Nile, they could participate in this grand celebration.
For the bountiful harvest of this land in the coming year!
“Sacred bull Apis, bless our nation,
From the source of the Nile to the ends of the earth,
We raise our cups in celebration, singing your glory!”
Soldiers, musicians, standard-bearers, nobles, priests…
They joyfully offered sacrifices, standing shoulder to shoulder and singing and laughing.
Amid the scattered figures, Anakhet seemed isolated from the joyful atmosphere around him.
He drank his wine absentmindedly, and even when his former noble friends came to speak with him, he only responded intermittently.
The sacrificial ceremony of the celebration was about to begin.
There was a stone in his heart, neither falling nor staying. Anakhet had not received news of success from his confidant, and he inexplicably felt a sense of relief.
His eyes were fixed on the cup, but out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of a white robe.
Anakhet held his breath.
The moment when the Assyrian slave woman suddenly brushed past and bumped into the other party, Anakhet subconsciously stepped forward, but it was too late. The wine mixed with the potion had already splashed onto the white robe, and the thin fabric soaked up the liquid and clung to the skin.
Anakhet knew that this special potion could even be absorbed through the skin, and it took effect quickly. Probably in the time it took for a small cup of water to flow through a water clock at night.
He almost wanted to stop the young man regardless of the consequences.
But the noble friend beside him suddenly spoke up, confused, “Anakhet, what’s wrong with you?”
Anakhet looked up and met the gaze of the old priest in front of the crowd.
He moved his steps back with a heavy mood and looked at his friend. “No, it’s nothing.”
The noble friend looked into the distance curiously and said, “That must be the divine envoy, right?”
The last glimmer of sunset was nearly gone, and the melody of the music floated into the pink-blue sky.
Anakhet looked toward the center of the welcoming crowd. The divine envoy did not stop because of the sudden interruption; he gently forgave the reckless slave woman but could not continue wearing the white robe as it was stained with wine.
The pink-blue night sky reflected the candlelight, and the white knuckles untied the white robe. Then, it was as if the sky had poured the Milky Way into the mortal world as the silky long hair was released.
Anakhet’s heart swayed and fell into the wine-drenched fair chest adorned with a gemstone necklace.
All was silent.
People’s eyes and steps closely followed the figure of the divine envoy.
Until the young man passed through the pylon of the temple, walked across the courtyard, ascended the steps, and reached the sanctuary dedicated to Apis.
Then the passionate music erupted once again!
“From the source of the Nile to the ends of the earth,
We raise our cups in celebration, singing your glory!”
………
Anakhet almost rudely snatched the white robe that the divine envoy had discarded midway from the personal guard named Nub. To do this, he even invoked his royal title, using his authority to force the disobedient guard to let go.
He hurriedly rushed to find the owner of the white robe, not even paying attention to the call of the old priest behind him.
‘Where is the divine envoy?’
‘Where?’
What relieved Anakhet was that the potion had not taken effect during the sacrificial ceremony, but he was certain that the liquid had touched the divine envoy’s skin and would definitely take effect.
If the divine envoy was found fooling around with an unknown person before the all-night celebration ended, the goal would still be achieved…
But a dirty, disrespectful thought arose in Anakhet’s heart: he hoped that when he found the divine envoy, the other party would be alone.
Anakhet changed his mind. He wanted to hide him away; he would not let the divine envoy’s reputation be tarnished. As long as they got through this ridiculous night, everything could be as if it never happened…
However, he could not find the divine envoy, nor could he find the slave woman who claimed to be from Assyria.
Anakhet’s furious and abnormal reaction alerted Nub, and he subconsciously began searching for the divine envoy.
………
During the sacrificial ceremony, Rahotep stood not far from the center, watching his new high priest.
The transparent kalasiris clung lightly to Xin Hexue’s body, and the shendyt’s fine pleats hung down from the waist downward in layers. He was very suitable for such clothing; all kinds of colors could find a home on his fair skin.
Rahotep remained at the ceremony site and watched Xin Hexue until it ended.
This made it easy for him to notice his discomfort midway.
A faint pink hue spread from the cheeks to the collarbone, like mellow wine…one glance was enough to make one hesitant to look longer.
Rahotep caught it.
At the small of the divine envoy’s back and within the loincloth, something was… causing mischief.
He saw the tip of a white and fluffy tail in that instant.
It was certainly not a lion tail decoration sewn onto the loincloth like the Pharaoh’s; it was…
Before Rahotep could observe further, the divine envoy had already left the sanctuary quickly and silently after the ceremony ended.
Like a light-footed cat.
………
………
After leaving the sanctuary, at the end of the corridor to the right, was the wine storage room.
Rahotep pushed the door open.
A layer of wine overflowed on the floor, rushing to the doorway.
The aroma of wine filled the air.
“Iah?”
The glittering gemstone necklace and the wine-drenched fair chest crashed into Rahotep’s eyes at once.
Of course, the owner of the chest might not have originally intended to drink; he might have just inadvertently knocked all the fragile items on the shelves to the ground.
So clumsily that he ended up drenching his skin with wine.
Xin Hexue leaned lazily against the shelf and looked up at the uninvited guest.
His long hair swayed lightly, and he had to gather the silver-white strands with his hand and tuck them behind his ear, revealing the lapis lazuli earring on his earlobe.
The small bead swayed slightly.
[The cat-scratching post has arrived.]
