Chapter 5: The Pharoah
AN: What’s up my friends? One thing I want to say to make sure I don’t offend anyone is that Stesha’s views on religion are not shared by me. I try to remain impartial. I respect all religions and atheism as well. Just want to make that clear.
Soundtrack: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2uN4KidVDDxrOqfBwLIyJ3?si=fb7aeb18670442d0
Previous Chapter: https://elderscrolls.fandom.com/d/p/4400000000003712780
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Dragonstar had wide, wooden border gates and tall watchtowers, the guards on post wearing scimitars and turbans with Hammerfell style dress over their steel chainmail. Stesha’s stomach grumbled as they traipsed in. There was sand all around the dunes and the sun was scorching hot like a razor blade being dragged across his skin. The boys stopped in a circle and removed their outer layer of clothes, tying them around their waists. Then they walked through into the city and saw the massive statue of dual dragons, mounted opposite each other. Ebony with horns and grooving scales, curving out of a pool of a water fountain.
The city was low in population and had an odd layout. Houses in strangely shaped neighborhoods, one behind the market and another over a cliff. It was like whoever built it didn’t utilize an architect or mapping correctly. Either that or it had been besieged at some point and poorly rebuilt. Maybe both. – Snake charmers played flutes near the market stalls and jewelers were showing off their crafted charms.
“Let’s take a load off at the inn,” Gwendal suggested.
“Sounds like a good idea.” Hadvar slugged his pack further up his shoulder and they followed him around the nearly empty flea market towards the double doors of the inn.
The marketplace had bramble style arches that surrounded the statue of the twin dragons. Now that Stesha thought about it, the city was very much a collision between Nord and Redguard styles, which gave it an odd but unique flair. The inn was titled ‘The Sacred Rage’, and it too seemed like a cross between Nord and Redguard. The wooden interior of a Nordic building but with Redguard jewelry and adornments. A bar in the corner with tables and chairs doting the middle, some stairs leading to an upstairs portion and a chandelier hanging from the roof.
There were some Redguards smoking hookah too and the tabaco leaves wafted through the air. The barkeep waved over to them. He was a dark-skinned man with a light beard and no hair, a wide face and quite muscular as well. That guy should be fighting in an arena, not waiting tables.
The three of them sat down at the table as the barkeep spoke, “welcome, welcome! My name is Ahmed Sheikh, how may I be of service?”
Hadvar forked over a small pouch of gold. “Give us each a proper meal, drinks, some hookah, and a room.”
“Right away my friend.” Ahmed bowed his head with a smile, waltzing into the kitchens behind him.
Stesha smelt bananas as he rubbed the dark lines under his eyes. A Khajiit tiptoed over to him from across the room and whispered something into his ear, “can Ma’zaka offer this one something to relax?”
Stesha nodded in realization.
A few Redguard girls were doing a cultural dance across the expanse as musicians played music. Hadvar, it seemed, was having a hard time keeping his eyes off the dancers. As he kept turning around to look.
Stesha slid a small amount of guice towards the Khajiit and took the skooma he was offered. Stesha went into the restrooms, dwarven sinks and tiles lining the area, and downed the drug. Gods I love this stuff. He walked back to see Hadvar and Gwendal dancing to the music and smoking hookah. Stesha joined them, rocking his fists back and forth to the beat, tapping his legs on the floor. Taking puffs of hookah in between sets of dance moves.
“Dumebi, dumebi kpa nanga nin ge inga wo yaa,” sang the male singer.
Gwendal started busting a move, dropping down and breakdancing over the floor as people clapped for him. The blond then stood up and rubbed his rear against the female dancer to which she slapped his behind to hoots and hollers. Hadvar was doing some sort of sideways shuffle. Stesha dipped his head and rocked it back and forth as the skooma in his system put him in a trance. The band continued to play the beautiful melody as everyone danced and enjoyed themselves.
“Kon si omo’ye oo, baby,” continued the singer.
“This is way better than the Breton dirges and choir hymns of High Rock,” Stesha heard Hadvar say.
Stesha kept rocking his fists up and down, a few Redguard children gathering around him and dancing on one leg then back to two. Hadvar was rubbing up against a girl who seemed to enjoy his muscular presence. And Gwendal was going berserk on the dance floor when he wasn’t ingesting puffs of hookah.
“Pon pon pon,” said the songster.
After they’d worked up a sweat they sat down as the food was brought out. Chicken tikka masala with white rice. The background music elevated Stesha’s high as he ate his food. The masala’s taste extenuated by the skooma, flavor exploding over his tastebuds. He ate pleasurably, and judging by the looks on Hadvar and Gwendal’s faces they too had similar reactions.
“Mmm, thank you, Ahmed.” Hadvar scooped up some more soup and rice into his mouth.
“My pleasure young gentlemen.” Ahmed grinned. “Once you’re done allow me to show you to your rooms.”
They each gave him a thumbs up.
After they finished eating the boys got acquainted in their upstairs room, a wide white circumference with three beds. They locked the door and laid down in their beds. The heads of their beds were all positioned to be touching so they could easily talk.
“Well, that was fun,” sighed Hadvar.
Gwendal chuckled. “Yeah, lover boy, we saw you and that girl.”
“We were just dancing.” Hadvar put his arms behind his head. “Nothing more.”
“What if she’s the one?” Gwendal mock questioned.
“I don’t think she is.” Hadvar sniffled.
“Hey, mouse-face, what do you think? Was she Hadvar’s soulmate?” Gwendal asked Stesha. “Come to think of it, I don’t think I’ve ever heard Stesha talk about girls. Why is that? Stesha, do you have something to tell us?”
Why would I talk about something that depresses me?
Stesha feigned ignorance. “Huh? What? Sorry, I was thinking about something.” He rolled over in his bed, pulling the blanket over him. “Good night.”
“You hide from me in the day, but in the night, I am closer to you than your jugular vein.”
“What do you want from me?”
“We will cross paths one day, Stesha Jade. I just hope you’re ready. The seer may have told you some, but he couldn’t tell you everything.”
The next morning Stesha, Hadvar, and Gwendal were exploring the city. They’d marched up to the Pharoah’s Palace in the back of the city. It was huge with five pillars in front of the massive open entrance, a vaulted ceiling and everything was made of gold. Exotic potted plants on the sides and a spiral staircase leading to the Pharoah’s throne room.
Two figures out front were engaged in a heated argument. They both dawned royal attire and prince crowns with embroidered cloaks. Fancy shoes and greaves.
“Nazeem! You are the younger brother, it’s not even a question. I will inherit the throne after father’s passing. Now, get out of my sight!” Shouted the older brother. “I will be Pharoah.”
“We’ll see about that, Jahl!” Nazeem stormed off, his cloak billowing out behind him. “Ahlam, come on, let’s get out of here.” The younger sultan’s wife followed him out, scowling at Jahl.
Jahl was a broad man with thick hair and a full beard, adorned in gold clothes. He turned and spotted the trio, his eyes widening. “You three are adventurers, yes? I am Sultan Jahl Akhenaten.”
Stesha and the others bowed and only rose when Jahl raised his hand, signifying they may rise. His eyes were dark brown just like Stesha’s.
“Yes, your highness,” Hadvar lied.
“Please, I am in need of assistance. My father, Pharoah Taliod is dying, and he hasn’t named a successor to the throne. My younger brother, Sultan Nazeem is vying for the throne. If you could venture to the Pyramid of the Old Pharaohs and retrieve the Genie’s Lamp for me, I would be able to present it to my father and prove I am ready for the throne. I will have won his favor and he will name me Pharoah.”
Why don’t you get it yourself, Stesha internally grumbled.
Hadvar blanked. “We would love to sir, but the only issue is we’re on a bit of a schedule.”
Sultan Jahl smiled. “I will reward you… handsomely.”
The trio looked at each other. “We’re in.”
“Excellent. Allow me to mark the location on your map.” Jahl took Hadvar’s atlas and penned the site on it.And so they were off on a little excursion from their primary objective. The boys trailed up the dunes of Hammerfell, observing massive structures in the sand made of boulders and rocks. Highways for cargo transport that Khajiit caravanners and Redguard gypsies would travel on. Transporting massive carriages full of spice, plants, and other alchemical ingredients. Rugs, wares, weapons, and whatnot. Slowly rolling their camel pulled carts across the highway. The camels worked hard, moving slowly but efficiently.
Camel. What a dumb animal, thought Stesha.
They at last came upon the pyramid. Triangular, made of stacked limestone. It was massive among the sands that went on like a sea. Winds carrying the flecks into the air. Stesha looked around and it was indeed that, a sea of sand.
“You sure this is a good idea?” Gwendal looked up at Hadvar.
“We have nothing but time.” Hadvar gazed up at the massive monument and its squared ridges. “Plus, if what that seer said is true, we’ll end up in Skyrim sooner or later.”
Limestone, diorite, and granite decorated the insides of the pyramid. Gwendal cast candlelight as Hadvar drew his sword. Stesha kept his eyes peeled and fists clenched. They progressed down the narrow hallways, no sounds emanating from anywhere and walked back around some ledges. The interior was gloomy and had effigies all around of previous rulers of Dragonstar. Potted plants that had long since wilted in corners. Art with torn cornices hung on walls and scripts of old, slanted writing on tabletops. Grates guarding the tables and tombs.
A shuffling sound whispered from around the bend.
“What was that?” Hadvar smelled of sweat and fear, pointing his sword in the direction of the noise.
They kept pacing up the stairs and subsequent hallways. The corridors got narrower and narrower until they had to walk in a single file line.
“Graah, urg,” a noise came from ahead of them.
“What is it, Hadvar!?” Gwendal shook.
“It’s a mummy.”
Stesha glanced beneath his friends’ arms and saw the creature. Wrapped in gauze with greenish, decaying flesh sticking out in places. It smelled absolutely putrid. Hadvar sliced it through, then stabbed its gut, throwing it aside.
“Come on, let’s keep moving.” Hadvar moved ahead.
A few more mummies got in their way but Gwendal and Hadvar dispatched them all, either via sword or spell. Until at long last they arrived in the topmost room, the genie’s lamp under a glass case in the center. Dead bodies of graverobbers and adventurers around them… why were there dead bodies?
“So, more mortals have come to disturb the dead,” a voice echoed from the shadows.
A giant… crocodile man stood up, long and lanky, holding a staff. He had… fur? Sticking out of odd places like his forearms and elbows. He cast a spell at them but they each dodged it. Gwendal cast a fireball, shattering the lamp’s glass case while Hadvar parried with the beast, exchanging blows. The clang of metal erupting inside the antechamber. Stesha ran ahead and grabbed the lamp, hiding it away from the battle. Gwendal cast spell after spell at the monster and watched as they clashed with its hide, doing his best to not hit Hadvar. The Nord struck blows at the crocodile, going back and forth with it. The Crocodile man pinned Hadvar against the wall and tried to wrestle him, but the Nord struggled against it, not allowing himself to be taken down. Gwendal sprinted and pulled the creature off him as the beast snapped its maw at them. Stesha set down the lamp and did a flying jump kick. But the crocodile smacked him away with its tail. Stesha’s head dizzying when he hit the floor.
“You will not succeed,” announced the giant lizard.
Hadvar snapped its staff in half when his sword came down over it and the beast used the staff to block. The crocodile clapped its hands together then got into a kicking pose. Hadvar swung left and right but the reptile dodged each of his attempts. Stesha got up and flying kneed the beast, hitting a weak punch in its gut.
“STESHA, STAY WITH THE LAMP!” Hadvar yelled as Stesha got knocked across the room once more.
I wasn’t made to be a fighter, groaned Stesha.
Gwendal used an ice spike to stab the reptile’s tail to roars of pain from the entity, giving Hadvar a chance to slice its ribcage. The beast got on all fours and snapped at them like an alligator. Hadvar landed an axe kick on its head then sheathed his sword and cocked back a punch, landing it square on the jaw of the monster. The beast deflected the next one and landed its own right on Hadvar’s head, sending him back a few feet. Gwendal sending spells flying across the room, a few barely grazing the hideous organism. Hadvar kicked it back and threw a volley of punches back and forth onto its face.
“Stesha, use the lamp!” He yelled in between blows.
Stesha hastily clasped the bottle and rubbed it as a red smoke billowed out of the exit, coalescing into a crimson man with a balding ponytail, sourcing itself from the lamp. A genie.
“You have three wishes, I’m sure you know the drill.” The genie observed its ethereal nails.
“I wish for me and my friends to be teleported back to the Pharoah’s Palace!” Stesha wished.
And with a snap of the djinn’s fingers, they were back inside the golden mansion.
“Do you get to the cloud district very often? Oh, what am I saying? Of course, you don’t,” Nazeem was saying to a servant. “I am one of Jarl Balgruuf of Whiterun’s personal favorite guests!” He was up on the second floor, near the railing.
Jahl came rushing up to them. “You’re back so soon!” He then looked up and noticed the genie. “What, why did you rub the lamp?! That wasn’t my instruction!”
Hadvar was breathing hard, his hands on his knees, gesturing to Stesha to explain.
Stesha cracked his neck. “There was a monster trying to kill us, we used the lamp to get away. We’re sorry. There are still two wishes left if you wish to use them.”
“Give it here!” Jahl stole the lamp from Stesha’s hands. “My first wish is for my father to name me Pharoah.”
The genie snapped its fingers as a maid came rushing out of the bedrooms. “My goodness! Pharoah Taliod has just named Jahl as his successor!”
“NO!” Nazeem yelled, looking towards the askaris that followed the maid out. “Say it isn’t true!”
“It is, I’m afraid. Jahl will be our new Pharoah,” one of the askaris explained, rubbing the back of her head.
“You’ll all live to regret having that selfish fool as Pharoah! Mark my words!” Nazeem’s knuckles became white.
“And for your second wish?” The genie asked Jahl.
“Oh, uhm dispose of these three fools.” The Redguard pointed at Stesha, Hadvar, and Gwendal.
The sound of boots reverberated down the palace. Everyone looked over and saw a Dark Elf woman with regal attire bow before the Sultan turned Pharoah.
“Xera Sourelius? What brings you here?” Jahl questioned as the genie flew off into the sunset. It was free now that all the wishes had been used.
“I was in the area gathering… volunteers for the Imperial Arena when I overheard you saying you no longer have need of these fine young gentlemen?” Xera poised a slight smile. “Is this true?”
“Yes, you may have them.” Jahl nodded as he rose up the marble steps of his palace near a crying Nazeem.
“Wonderful. Men, you know what to do!” At Xera’s command a battalion of armoured soldiers sashayed in and took Hadvar’s backpack, chaining their wrists and pushing them ahead. All Imperials too from the look of it.
“Hey, what’s going on?” Gwendal yelled as his hands were bound.
Xera gave the boy one look and one look only. “If it wasn’t obvious, you’re now a slave you babbling, bumbling Breton.”
“What, what do you mean??!” Gwendal clenched his teeth. “WE JUST GOT FREE NOW THIS AGAIN. WHY GODS WHY?!”
I need more skooma if I’m gonna deal with this crap. Stesha gave up, holding up his hands.
“We’re getting punished for helping you out Jahl. Curse you!” Hadvar screamed at the Pharoah.
“You’re slaves now, so shut up.” Xera strode on, leading the array of soldiers and the boys out of the palace into the golden rays of Magnus.
Gwendal cheered. “Hippity hoppity, we are now property!”
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AN: I know this chapter was not really on the main mission, but it’ll help us transition to the next act which revolves around slavery. Don’t worry, we’ll be in Skyrim sooner than you think ;). – Please leave a review, it means the world to us writers to hear what the readers think. You have no idea how much it means to get some feedback!