Monster Girl Encounter: Pharaoh

"Your highness, I have a visitor! He says he's from the neighboring kingdoms for negotiations." A cute, peppy Sphinx, a cat-like creature protecting the outer edges of mamono territory in the desert, called out into the echoing halls of the lavishly decorated throne chambers. Her tail wagged as if she was waiting for praise while she presented the strange visitor.

"I see. Thanks Mira, I'll have it covered from here on out." A booming voice commanded, coming from a dominant Pharaoh, sitting atop the elevated throne. Her hair was jet black and reached the neck of her knees in length. Her skin was dark and barely covered with black silk cloth around her breasts and groin. Plenty of jewelry adorned her figure, from head to toe apart from scarce parts like her wrists and the space from her thighs to her ankles which was covered by bandages.

With a bow, the Sphinx left, happily humming a tune as she went by the hooded figure.

The man she had brought in stepped forward, his face hidden underneath the shroud. He was barely standing out, a brown shaggy robe being the only thing he wore.

"Very well then, you've made a far journey and you've been following etiquette so far. Speak, stranger!"

The man took down his hood, revealing a mature, well groomed face. His hair was wine red with slight, gray streaks along its kempt-back strands, transitioning into mutton chops and a similarly colored handlebar mustache. His ears were pierced with a couple of earrings, holding red jewels of immeasurable worth. Said man, was me.

Around two hundred years ago, this was how my story began.

"Thank you, I can't begin to express my gratitude for being let in to your undoubtedly exclusive circle. I just HAD to speak to you."

"Well, human, I still need a reason why I should. Convince me, that you are worth talking to."

"I shall do just that." I dropped my robes, the disguise I put on to even get to this point. Hidden underneath, I wore a royal gown covered in blue and white embroidery and several necklaces of silver and gold. "My name is Sheikh Dramin Moharad, King of Kezzat. I've come to discuss a possible relationship between your kingdom and mine!"

She unfolded her legs, leaning forward in slowly growing interest. "And why should we? What do your people have to offer me?"

"Maybe not my people. At least not officially. But I certainly can deliver you something you might need."

"That being what?"

"Knowledge. Your absence in the world has made you miss several new technologies and sciences, discoveries and inventions. If you intend to reclaim your foothold in the world, you can't go into it blind. That's why I brought a few of these..." I reached for a small bag, hanging from my shoulder. "I've got books for you, scriptures and illustrations as well. I hope you can still read modern writing but if not, I'll be glad to explain everything you need to know."

Her brow furrowed as she stepped down from her throne. With more confusion than thankfulness, she took one of the almanacs out of my hands and gingerly touched the cover. Flipping through the pages, she spoke. "You talk as if you are just here to do us a gracious favor. I very much doubt you're here without trying to gain something from this relationship. So before I outright banish you from my realm for thinking me foolish, what do you want out of this?" Her aura turned into a mix of bad premonitions and dread, making me gulp from the sheer oppression she exuded.

I sighed as I became unable to face her anymore. "Fine then, honesty. I know what your end goal here is and why you've returned to the realm of the living."

"Is that so?" She asked curiously, retaining dignity despite being curious of my claim.

"It is. You want to take back the land you once ruled over. And I'm not enough of a fool to doubt that my kingdom is among those lands. My people will not give up their homes that easily, and they won't let themselves be subdued by a conqueror, much less one that isn't human. It's inevitably going to lead to conflict, so I came before word of your return spread too far to negotiate a chance to avoid bloodshed. I want to show you that we have things we can offer you. Information and advancements we made as a species. In return, I beg you to not involve my people in a conflict they don't deserve to be a part of."

She circled me, inspecting me from all angles with her staff behind her back. "I fail to see how the knowledge you could provide me would be crucial to me."

"Without it, you WILL fail in your conquest." I stated plainly, only to regret those words seconds later. The end of her staff was thrust into my abdomen, sending a shock wave through my body that launched me against the hard sandstone wall. Black fog formed around my wrists and ankles, shackling me to its surface. The wind was knocked out of my lungs and I felt like vomiting from the heavy impact on my organs.

Cassiopeia kept her staff aimed at me as she strutted towards me with a haughty, oppressive gaze. A chuckle of disbelief escaped her lips. "You would DARE tell me there are things I can't achieve on my own?! I'm not powerful enough? Is that what you think? What is it humans can do that could possibly stop me?"

I coughed, spitting up a bit of blood but faced her again, with a stern expression and a serious tone. "Counter magic for one..."

"What?" Her smug grin as I grew ever more tired of her stubbornness.

With my index finger, I drew a circle on the surface I was shackled to and made a slash through it. Following my finger was a bright white cloud that formed the symbol I drew and once it was done, it flared up. I unceremoniously dropped from the wall after my shackles dissolved and approached her.

"You can't do this!" Cassiopeia hissed angrily, once again pointing her staff at me.

I gently shoved it out of my face as I reiterated the importance of her listening to me. "I can and so do many others. Magic has progressed immensely while you were gone. Spells that used to be top of the line back in your time are now base level and easily nullified."

Her fists trembled in rage as the realization of the possible futility of her curses set in. "It can't be! I was the most prolific enchantress that ever lived. I overcame death! I was..."

"And that's my point. Back in your time, you may have been untouchable, but times have changed. I am not discrediting your abilities here. You have immense power and potential. What I am saying is that times moved on without you and these new magics can make your curses backfire. That's only one of many risks out there that could halt your takeover."

She grumbled, provocatively poking my chest with her staff. "My magic can outclass any who come before me. Neither you nor anybody out there can stop me! You think you can impress me just because you can diffuse a restraining curse? My blood is that of generations of Pharaohs! You on the other hand are weak! Just like the rest of them!"

Having slowly reached the end of my patience, I had to make a more blunt example. „Let's put that to the test for a second."

"Test?"

I grabbed the staff she kept prodding me with and sent a vibration of magicka down its length, snaking around her arms and seeping into her body.

"What are you... ngghhhhh!" Her body sank to the ground, bringing her to her knees. It didn't take much to affect her dormant muscles with the pressure of mana. As long as there was even a slight bridge of connection between me and her, she would not be able to move. It was a stun spell. Low tier magic but effective.

"It's what I'm trying to tell you. When I said I want to avoid conflict, I didn't mean that we are defenseless." I opened my hand, ending the stream of magicka I sent down it as well as the strain on her muscles.

"NGHAAAAHHH!" With a grunt and a following sigh of relief, she dropped the staff indignantly, panting and patting the floor to desperately retrieve it again.

I bent down toward her and extended my hand to assist her in getting up. "Look, the bottom line is, I don't want my people to suffer a war that could be avoided right in this moment. It'll end up in death and hurt. You don't want that for your people either, do you?"

With a still furrowed brow, she refused to face me and shook her head, clearly not used to being talked down to.

"I'm not doing any of this out of malice. We can learn from each other. Your knowledge to us is just as valuable as ours is to you. Maybe some diplomacy could create an exchange of that knowledge that we all can benefit from. What do you say?"

She glared up at me for a second and then at my hand. Extending her own, she finally accepted it, got up and dusted herself off, to regain her regal posture. Saying nothing more at first, she turned around and walked toward her throne. Over her shoulder, she then gave her answer. "One month. If within that month we learn something from you humans that is valuable and that we didn't know of before, I will CONSIDER a confederation."

I a deep breath as my lips widened into a content smile. "Thank you, your highness. You will not regret giving humanity this chance."

She smirked "You do possess a strong spirit, I will not deny you that. But heed my words. You have provoked me now, so my eyes will be on you all the more. The only result I will accept is if there is something you have that we can not match in equal measure. So whatever you bring, it better be good. I'll look forward to what you have to offer, King Moharad."

I could feel the oppressive subliminal pressure she put on me. Nonetheless I took a dignified short bow before I turned to leave the throne room. Only to hear these last words uttered by her. "And if you don't, I just might keep you for myself."

With weak knees but a whole lot of relief, I left, the massive stone gates shutting right behind me.

The burning sun almost felt like it could scorch my skin after spending so much time in the cold temple. My right hand man Uzziah was stood there, waiting for me with my jet black horse Amun.

"So? How did it go my lord?"

"The negotiations were a mixed bag, but I have the deal I wanted. War is no longer on the table... for now."

"For now? What does that mean?"

"It means that the fate of the kingdom's peace lies with me now. I have to wow her with something that their ancient civilization can't match in power or knowledge. Otherwise, conflict will be inevitable."

"I see, that is indeed precarious. So, what of the Pharaoh? What do you make of her?"

I shuddered a little, remembering the powerful aura she exuded. "To be quite honest, she scares me. I don't know what drove her to become so maddeningly unrelenting. She has this innate desire to conquer without relent. It's almost as if she has forgotten what being human is like. As if there was none of that left in her."

"You say it as if there's a 'but' to this."

I looked over my shoulder and smiled to myself. "But... I think I like her. She does have a lot of bite. I like that."

"I see..." He looked at me with doubt but decided not to question my sanity. "So what do you propose we do, sir?"

I chuckled a little, hopeless as the situation may have been. "We humor her, I suppose. Maybe, just maybe I can revitalize some of that lost interest in humanity again." I responded, saddling up on my horse, with Uzziah mounting his own.

"You have my sympathies. In the name of the people I certainly hope you have a plan, sire."

"So do I, Uzziah. So do I." I dejectedly took one last look at the temple before riding off, wrecking my brain thinking how to impress this powerful, ancient entity.

Week 1:

Cassiopeia held her tilted head, clearly befuddled as I presented my first offering. "You what?"

"I thought, maybe we could start it off easy. If our people are going to get to know each other, we may as well exchange some of our culture."

We were in the throne room yet again, though this time with two new audience members. "What did you bring?" Karima, a sweet, curious girl who was true to her heart asked. Already leaning over the rim of the crate I brought to catch a glimpse.

"Is it from outside? Is it dangerous?" Was the second question, this time asked by her twin sister Fatima, who was much more cautious and afraid of foreign things and people. Both of them were something they called Anubis, living constructs brought to life by magic and bound to their master, the Pharaoh. Due to Cassiopeia's still dormant powers, these two were still visually children who would only grow over time. Almost like real kids would. Along with all the other creatures in the tomb and beyond, they've been with the Pharaoh through hundreds of years, from her long slumber to now.

Karima pulled out one of the things I brought today. "What is that? A stone tablet? It's pretty! It has gold on it too!"

I cautiously took it out of her hand. "Yeeeeeeeesss... and you should be careful with these. They're not as strong as they seem. These stones have been worked on with a lot of care. Their our star stones. It is where we inscribe our zodiac on as a reminder of our birth signs."

"Birth sign? What's a birth sign?" Fatima questioned, cocking her head as she tried to get a better peek at it.

I showed it to her. "Do you see this animal on here? The one we drew on top of these dots here?"

"Yeah? It's a goat. What about it?"

"Well, my people call this one, the Capricorn. The dots underneath it, are the stars that form it. It's my birth sign, the stars I was born under. The Capricorn is also not just a goat, it's a mythical creature, half goat, half fish. Neither fully one or the other. Just like you both and everyone of your people are half human and half mamono."

"I'm sorry, but is this really your first attempt at competing with our knowledge? We know of the stars and the cosmos. And this talk of signs and how they supposedly connect to us sounds rather benign rather than useful." Cassiopeia interjected, yet took the tablet into her hand to curiously inspect it herself.

"Maybe. Maybe it is of no consequence. I never claimed it was of any significance. But some of our people believe that it does. They have faith that the month you are born in and the stars that are in zenith during that time, can have an adverse effect on you."

"So what? I was born in late April. So what am I?"

"You'd be a Taurus."

"And what does your zodiac say about me?"

"That you are stubborn and hard to convince of anything."

Fatima and Karima started giggling among themselves as Cassiopeia grew red in the face, tossing the tablet back into the crate, thankfully not damaging it in the progress. "This is nonsense! You just pulled that out of your... hrrnn... I don't see how any of this connects to me. I am my own person and not influenced by some passing orbs of burning gas."

I pulled it out again and dusted it off. "There was no offense intended with that. The attributes of a star sign always have two sides to them. Stubbornness is obviously not all there is to you and it does not claim that everything about that is negative. It also speaks to your dedication and tenacity. Once you commit to something you stick by it and believe in it wholeheartedly. And as well, once you have found something you hold dear, you hold onto it and never let go. According to the Zodiac, no one is wholly bad or wholly good. There are two sides to every coin, and you are the same way. Underneath the outward resistance, there may just be a softer core, ready to embrace something new. You just haven't found it yet. It may be time that you open up to it." I approached her, extending my birth sign tablet to her.

Cassiopeia looked down at it and gently caressed the stone work, gazing at the Capricorn thoughtfully. "Why are you giving it to me again?"

"It's my first gift to you. Maybe as the first milestone to commemorate our partnership." Her fingers touched mine as she took the tablet out of my hand.

She gulped, as she gently wrapped it in bandages for safekeeping, then closed her eyes in resilience. "This was not progress. Astrology is nothing entirely new for us."

"Maybe not, this was a cultural exchange. And I am grateful you accepted it."

Visibly bewildered by my gesture, she still managed a meek smile before once again covering it up with a cold demeanor. "I do this time out of respect and my willingness to humor the bargain we struck. Next time, I demand you bring something that we can actually use."

With a heavy heart, I agreed. "Fine, I will. But think upon this gift. Culture like this may be gone if you enslave humanity. It might not look like much to you, but it means a lot to me. I aim to preserve this at whatever cost. I just hope you will come around and see the value in it as well." I turned and left the building, unaware at the time that Cassiopeia held the tablet close to her heart and hugged it with her arms.

Week 2

This time, it was Mira who watched my display. Under the night sky, I asked her and Cassiopeia to follow me outside, where the stone of the tomb's grounds met with the vast openness of the desert.

"What did you bring this time, stranger? Candy? Do your people make candy? Oh, maybe chocolate, god I haven't had chocolate in a long time! Is it chocolate? Is it? Is it?" Mira pestered me, leaning on my back as I rummaged through a crate similar to last time.

"I told you already, it's NOT food!"

"Lame!" She sighed, instantly losing interest and plopping to the ground in defeat and almost immediate disinterest.

"Why did we require Mira's help for this again?"

"I thought she might be the best person to ask for helping me with my demonstration. If you would, Mira, could you come closer for a second."

She cheekily grinned as she smugly got up and approached me. "Aren't you a bold one! Finally caught on to my cuteness, huh? Hehe, can't blame you."

I shook my head and sighed. "No, unfortunately for you, I have not. But I do need you right next to me. Now let's see what we can use... there." I looked around for a disposable object and broke off a twig from some dried up brushwood.

"Okay, keep still and take a deep breath. I promise it won't hurt."

Mira did just that and on top of that, even closed her eyes her cat-like ears twitching in anticipation.

I extended my hand and put it on her chest. That, as expected, caused an immediate reaction and jump from Mira as well as an angered expression on Cassiopeia.

"Eh!? So you WERE going to grope me! You could have at least warned me!"

"Dramin... I expect you to IMMEDIATELY explain why it is you are touching my underling's breast!" Cassiopeia jumped in, a threatening aura almost visibly encompassing her figure.

I reeled back for a second and held my hands up. "It's not like that, I swear! It's this kind of magic I'm trying to teach you. It requires a connection, between me, the subject of the spell and an object."

"Mhm, and how long do you need to keep up this connection I wonder?"

"Just for a second. Calm yourself, your highness, please."

"Tsk, fine, I'll allow it. Continue."

Mira once again came closer after the Pharaoh gave the go-ahead. "Hehe, naughty King."

"Shut up Mira." I joked, carefully placing my hand over her heart again. As soon as I did, I closed my eyes just like Mira was. As soon as I did, the spell took hold. My hand shone brightly as I extracted a white-blue mist from within her. Like a snake, it slithered up my arm and over to the other until it seeped into the twig I held in my hand. To the naked eye, it still seemed like a regular, unimportant piece of shrubbery, but right now, it was a vessel.

Mira opened her eyes, letting out a deep breath that she held in so far. "What... what just happened? I feel like... I'm lighter somehow. Like I'm less than I was before."

Cassiopeia raised an eyebrow, seemingly just as curious as to the explanation as Mira.