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| Ishtar and baby Horus (ancient Egypt) |
Ishtar carried baby Horus and travel for days and nights, Ishtar's motive, to travel North, to the Red Sea. Most of the places North of the Red Sea are desert. Few would search over there. It is hard to survive in a land dominated by desert, but Ishtar remember a small piece of land there, an oasis, she travelled there with Osiris once, when he was still alive. Few ever know of this location and it is a good place to hide.
Ishtar tried to stay out of site, she spend her days staying as far away from the Nile as possible. During the night, she emerged towards the village to steal food. Ishtar might be a Queen, but she is also a great thief, after all, she is a warrior first. She know how to stay in stealth. hiding all of her movements. For three months, Ishtar and Horus been surviving this way. Tonight, it is the same. But as Ishtar was about to search a family home, she heard the sound of soldiers. Ishtar quickly hide into a dark corner. There, Ishtar saw Seth's tax collectors. After only been in power for a few months, Seth already raise the tax to a shocking high rate. To secure his power, from the people who love Osiris, Seth and his soldiers are well fed and well clothed, while the people starve under Seth's high tax rate. Farmer usually suffer the most.
Ishtar hide in the dark corner, she was still carry baby Horus, in her chest. Ishtar watched, as the soldiers dragged an elderly couple out of their home and started kicking and beating them. A few more soldiers went into their home and took what little wheat the old couple got left.
The old couple started crying and begging, as the soldier took away what they got left. Their son, a bulk man angrily come out demanding the soldiers to explain why raising the tax three times, within a period of three months. The bulked son was pretty tough and knock down one soldier right away, but the soldier are trained warriors also and out number the bulk man and a group of them stabbed the bulked man, with their spear, killing him on the spot. The elderly couple started crying at the sight of the death of their son. The bulk man's son also ran crying by his father's body. Then the little boy, age around five or six, started running to the soldier crying and started hitting a soldier on a leg "You killed my father!" the boy cried and said
The impatient soldier threw the boy off his leg. The little boy not willing to give up charged forward and try to attack the soldier again, the soldier kicked the little boy backwards. The boy started crying.
"So, noisy, killed the child" the team leader said
"Yes, Corporal." the soldier responded to his commander's order.
"No, please don't" the old couple started order.
The soldiers ignored the old couple and kicked them aside.
A soldier grabbed his spear and was about to kill, just as he was about to do so. A wooden log was thrown towards the soldier.
"Who is it! Who dare!" the soldier said
Ishtar stood out from the darkness.
The soldier doesn't recognize Ishtar
"Who are you?" The soldier said
Ishtar took a look at the old couple and their grandson "Go, inside the house. I will handle this." Ishtar said, the elderly couple did as they were told
"Who are you?" The corporal said
"You already took their wheat, why are you still insisting on killing them?" Ishtar said, Ishtar might only be eighteen years old, but she is also a mother and she cannot stand seen what is about to be done to this boy. Ishtar originally didn't want to get involved, protecting her son is her priority, but she knows she is able to take on these five soldiers with no problem, so, when she saw the soldiers were about to kill the little boy, it changes everything.
"How dare you question a soldier of Seth?" the leader of the soldier said
"Why not, when the pharaoh Osiris was in charge, there was peace and harmony throughout the land, your boss been in charged for only a few months and turned everything into a living hell." Ishtar replied
"You dare to question the great pharaoh Seth who recreated the entire world in his own image? Who recreate everything according to the way of right? Get her!" the corporal said
The five soldiers attacked spear in one hand shield in another. The wooden shield meant very little to Ishtar. First she grabbed the first soldiers' spear and kicked his shield, breaking the shield in the process and kicked the soldier in the stomach, when the soldier fell backwards and loosen his grip on his spear, Ishtar grabbed the spear and quickly jumped forward and aimed it at the throat of the corporal. The other soldiers didn't dare to make a move.
"Who exactly are you!?" the corporal said
Ishtar know if she killed the soldiers now, it would cause an even bigger problem. Ishtar took out a bronze plate from underneath her cloth. "Do you recognize this?" Ishtar said
The corporal took a look at the bronze plate, the symbol of nobility, then he took a look at Ishtar and quickly dropped to his knees "My Lady!" the corporal said
The other four soldiers quickly followed
"How dare you do something like this?" Ishtar said
"We got no choice, My Lady. An order is an order. But the peasants, they hate us, ever since this happened. What can we do, I am only a corporal my lady, it is either their head or my head, My Lady" the corporal said
Ishtar took a look at the soldier
"My Lady, we really got no choice, our company already lost twelve soldiers this month, due to rioters of this sort. We don't like doing this. But, what can we do? If we don't follow the order, we lose our head, we follow the orders, the peasants hate us and want to kill us, also." the corporal said
Ishtar thought for a second, "Tell nobody what happened here tonight. Now, be gone." she finally said
"Yes, My Lady" the corporal said and with that, he and his four soldier left.
***
Ishtar watched as the soldiers left. She turned back to the narrow alleyway and grabbed Horus and started walking away.
"Thank you Goddess for saving our life." The old couple got on their knee and said
Ishtar quickly helped the old couple up "It is a small matter, please don't..." Ishtar's sentence stopped in place, when the old couple realized, Ishtar had a baby in her chest
"I am so sorry Goddess, we don't know what we did, even endanger your baby." the old couple said.
"It is alright." Ishtar said, as she prepared to walk away, she started feeling a bit light headed and all went dark.
***
When Ishtar woke up, she realized she was resting on a bed, within the old couple's home.
"You finally woke up, Goddess." The old lady said
Ishtar realized she was wearing different clothes.
"I am the one that changed you, Goddess. My husband didn't see anything." The old lady said
"My name is Taweret. My husband is Bes. After what you did for us, this is the lease that we could do." the old lady said
"Where is my baby?" Ishtar said
"Your son is fine, my husband is taking good care of him. I cannot believe you would risk saving us, while having a child, Goddess. My husband and I might just be poor farmers, I don't even know how to read and write, but we raised three children in this house. We know how to take care of babies." Taweret said
Ishtar smiled, a few seconds later Bes came into the house, with Horus in his arm. "Goddess" Bes said politely, as he handed Horus to his mother.
"We still haven't ask for your name Goddess." Taweret said
Ishtar decided it is unwise, to reveal her identity. Ishtar thought for a second "Innann, my name is Innann." Ishtar replied.
"Well, Goddess Inanna, you rest here for as long as you want. It is the least we can do." Bes said
"Thank you" Ishtar replied
"Just one question, Goddess. That sword you carry with you, it is made of bronze, isn't it? You must be a wealthy woman, to be able to carry a bronze weapon." Bes said "Of course, ever since Seth took power, he has been hunting down his political opponents everywhere. I am guessing that you are also escaping, aren't you Goddess? Why else would a woman that can carry a bronze sword and bronze plate, be travelling like this?"
"What happened here?" Ishtar asked
"This village, used to be a happy place. Ever since the pharaoh Osiris died four months ago, the pharaoh Seth raised taxes three times. It use to be we only need to pay tax, once per year, now it is once per month and the tax rate, increase, every month. We try to reason with the soldiers. The soldiers don't care. Some of the young people, got angry, so the army send archers and lance man, killed lots of them. The regiment commander order, from now on, if anybody dares to try anything, kill." Bes said
Ishtar tried to stay out of site, she spend her days staying as far away from the Nile as possible. During the night, she emerged towards the village to steal food. Ishtar might be a Queen, but she is also a great thief, after all, she is a warrior first. She know how to stay in stealth. hiding all of her movements. For three months, Ishtar and Horus been surviving this way. Tonight, it is the same. But as Ishtar was about to search a family home, she heard the sound of soldiers. Ishtar quickly hide into a dark corner. There, Ishtar saw Seth's tax collectors. After only been in power for a few months, Seth already raise the tax to a shocking high rate. To secure his power, from the people who love Osiris, Seth and his soldiers are well fed and well clothed, while the people starve under Seth's high tax rate. Farmer usually suffer the most.
Ishtar hide in the dark corner, she was still carry baby Horus, in her chest. Ishtar watched, as the soldiers dragged an elderly couple out of their home and started kicking and beating them. A few more soldiers went into their home and took what little wheat the old couple got left.
The old couple started crying and begging, as the soldier took away what they got left. Their son, a bulk man angrily come out demanding the soldiers to explain why raising the tax three times, within a period of three months. The bulked son was pretty tough and knock down one soldier right away, but the soldier are trained warriors also and out number the bulk man and a group of them stabbed the bulked man, with their spear, killing him on the spot. The elderly couple started crying at the sight of the death of their son. The bulk man's son also ran crying by his father's body. Then the little boy, age around five or six, started running to the soldier crying and started hitting a soldier on a leg "You killed my father!" the boy cried and said
The impatient soldier threw the boy off his leg. The little boy not willing to give up charged forward and try to attack the soldier again, the soldier kicked the little boy backwards. The boy started crying.
"So, noisy, killed the child" the team leader said
"Yes, Corporal." the soldier responded to his commander's order.
"No, please don't" the old couple started order.
The soldiers ignored the old couple and kicked them aside.
A soldier grabbed his spear and was about to kill, just as he was about to do so. A wooden log was thrown towards the soldier.
"Who is it! Who dare!" the soldier said
Ishtar stood out from the darkness.
The soldier doesn't recognize Ishtar
"Who are you?" The soldier said
Ishtar took a look at the old couple and their grandson "Go, inside the house. I will handle this." Ishtar said, the elderly couple did as they were told
"Who are you?" The corporal said
"You already took their wheat, why are you still insisting on killing them?" Ishtar said, Ishtar might only be eighteen years old, but she is also a mother and she cannot stand seen what is about to be done to this boy. Ishtar originally didn't want to get involved, protecting her son is her priority, but she knows she is able to take on these five soldiers with no problem, so, when she saw the soldiers were about to kill the little boy, it changes everything.
"How dare you question a soldier of Seth?" the leader of the soldier said
"Why not, when the pharaoh Osiris was in charge, there was peace and harmony throughout the land, your boss been in charged for only a few months and turned everything into a living hell." Ishtar replied
"You dare to question the great pharaoh Seth who recreated the entire world in his own image? Who recreate everything according to the way of right? Get her!" the corporal said
The five soldiers attacked spear in one hand shield in another. The wooden shield meant very little to Ishtar. First she grabbed the first soldiers' spear and kicked his shield, breaking the shield in the process and kicked the soldier in the stomach, when the soldier fell backwards and loosen his grip on his spear, Ishtar grabbed the spear and quickly jumped forward and aimed it at the throat of the corporal. The other soldiers didn't dare to make a move.
"Who exactly are you!?" the corporal said
Ishtar know if she killed the soldiers now, it would cause an even bigger problem. Ishtar took out a bronze plate from underneath her cloth. "Do you recognize this?" Ishtar said
The corporal took a look at the bronze plate, the symbol of nobility, then he took a look at Ishtar and quickly dropped to his knees "My Lady!" the corporal said
The other four soldiers quickly followed
"How dare you do something like this?" Ishtar said
"We got no choice, My Lady. An order is an order. But the peasants, they hate us, ever since this happened. What can we do, I am only a corporal my lady, it is either their head or my head, My Lady" the corporal said
Ishtar took a look at the soldier
"My Lady, we really got no choice, our company already lost twelve soldiers this month, due to rioters of this sort. We don't like doing this. But, what can we do? If we don't follow the order, we lose our head, we follow the orders, the peasants hate us and want to kill us, also." the corporal said
Ishtar thought for a second, "Tell nobody what happened here tonight. Now, be gone." she finally said
"Yes, My Lady" the corporal said and with that, he and his four soldier left.
***
Ishtar watched as the soldiers left. She turned back to the narrow alleyway and grabbed Horus and started walking away.
"Thank you Goddess for saving our life." The old couple got on their knee and said
Ishtar quickly helped the old couple up "It is a small matter, please don't..." Ishtar's sentence stopped in place, when the old couple realized, Ishtar had a baby in her chest
"I am so sorry Goddess, we don't know what we did, even endanger your baby." the old couple said.
"It is alright." Ishtar said, as she prepared to walk away, she started feeling a bit light headed and all went dark.
***
When Ishtar woke up, she realized she was resting on a bed, within the old couple's home.
"You finally woke up, Goddess." The old lady said
Ishtar realized she was wearing different clothes.
"I am the one that changed you, Goddess. My husband didn't see anything." The old lady said
"My name is Taweret. My husband is Bes. After what you did for us, this is the lease that we could do." the old lady said
"Where is my baby?" Ishtar said
"Your son is fine, my husband is taking good care of him. I cannot believe you would risk saving us, while having a child, Goddess. My husband and I might just be poor farmers, I don't even know how to read and write, but we raised three children in this house. We know how to take care of babies." Taweret said
Ishtar smiled, a few seconds later Bes came into the house, with Horus in his arm. "Goddess" Bes said politely, as he handed Horus to his mother.
"We still haven't ask for your name Goddess." Taweret said
Ishtar decided it is unwise, to reveal her identity. Ishtar thought for a second "Innann, my name is Innann." Ishtar replied.
"Well, Goddess Inanna, you rest here for as long as you want. It is the least we can do." Bes said
"Thank you" Ishtar replied
"Just one question, Goddess. That sword you carry with you, it is made of bronze, isn't it? You must be a wealthy woman, to be able to carry a bronze weapon." Bes said "Of course, ever since Seth took power, he has been hunting down his political opponents everywhere. I am guessing that you are also escaping, aren't you Goddess? Why else would a woman that can carry a bronze sword and bronze plate, be travelling like this?"
"What happened here?" Ishtar asked
"This village, used to be a happy place. Ever since the pharaoh Osiris died four months ago, the pharaoh Seth raised taxes three times. It use to be we only need to pay tax, once per year, now it is once per month and the tax rate, increase, every month. We try to reason with the soldiers. The soldiers don't care. Some of the young people, got angry, so the army send archers and lance man, killed lots of them. The regiment commander order, from now on, if anybody dares to try anything, kill." Bes said
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