Monster Girl Encounter: Pharaoh

*IMPORTANT: This story contains elements from my Anubis chapters, so I would advise you to read those first.*

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I remember the day like it was yesterday. The day I thought I had secured the peace between the mamono and my people. Not a single sleepless night goes by where I don't constantly think about it. All the things that could have gone different. The things I could have said and done but didn't.

It was just after me and Cassiopeia had informally agreed to a peace treaty and spent the night together. It was probably the last peaceful night of sleep I can recall, with my awakening marking the end point of it.

I woke up in the Pharaoh's chamber, Cassiopeia's hand on my chest and in her other a stone tablet. My stone tablet to be exact. The very same Capricorn star sign tablet I had gifted her. A dark stream of magic was draining my soul from my body, siphoning and sealing it in the tablet. She was using the magic I had taught her.

When I was finally fully conscious of what was happening, the process was already done. I felt an emptiness inside my chest cavity, like something was missing. I snapped up, scaring her into reeling backwards and touched my chest in a panic. My eyes fixated on her in a mad frenzy. "What are you doing Cassie?! I thought we were allies!"

She put a hand to her cheek and smiled impishly, like a child caught preparing for a prank. "My apologies, I didn't mean to wake you. Just in time though, I just got done transferring your soul."

I grabbed her shoulders in a panic, my hands trembling. "You used my magic against me? Cassie, I need it back, you know that, right? Without it, I'm not going to age anymore. So stop joking around and give it back to me."

Her voice trembled yet she didn't seem to comprehend what was wrong as she shot me a nervous smile. "What are you talking about Dramin? Now we are free to live together side by side forever and rule over our combined lands. We will rule for eternity!"

"This wasn't what we agreed on. I'm a human, Cassie. I'm not meant to live forever!"

"Neither was I, Dramin." She cooed with a saccharine tone. Her facial features didn't seem at all perturbed. "The rules of this world do not apply to us. We are the immortal rulers who stand above any law. Isn't this all you could have ever wished for?"

"You know it isn't right! Why else would you have done it while I was asleep?!"

"It was supposed to be a surprise!"

I held my head, wrapping my head about the situation. "This isn't what nature intended. I love you, Cassie. I may not live forever but I will give you everything I can in that time. Now please, hand over the tablet and we will make this right."

She backed up out of the bed, clutching the tablet. She shook her head, trembling like she was having a breakdown. "No... NO! It wasn't supposed to go this way. This is all wrong! Why don't you want this?"

"Cassie, calm down. I'm not mad at you. Just break the tablet and the soul will return to me. We'll just forget this happened and things can go back to normal."

I still remember her face from when I reached out to her. The mixture of sadness, confusion and fear.

She pressed the tablet to her chest and with a torrent of noise, she shrieked a panicked "NO!" A shockwave of magic erupted from her, blasting me out the door and into the throne room below her bedroom's balcony. I plummeted towards the elevated throne and tumbled down its many stairs.

"Gah! Chi! Urgh! Damn, my ribs! Cassie, what's gotten into you?"

She stepped out of the bedroom, the tablet nowhere to be seen.

"Where did you put it, Cassie? This isn't like you! We don't need to fight over something like this! I will die one day and that's okay. It's how life always has been."

However, my words only seemed to anger her more. Assertively, she stepped down the stairs towards her throne and grabbed her golden staff. I could see the tears streaming down her cheeks as she started yelling. "You are the first good thing that has happened to me in centuries! All of my family is long dead, fighting in a war that I only escaped by giving up my humanity! All that only to come back to see that all of it is gone and in the hands of other humans who have claimed my lands as their own! In all of this, the only bright side was that I got to meet you. I finally had someone who could share in my pain and support me instead of treating me like a monster!"

I was dumbstruck. But despite the pain piercing my heart, I had to stand firm. I wasn't living for myself after all. "Cassie, I have a people who need me. I cannot stay here. I have a responsibility to my people and my bloodline as well. I love you but... I will stay a mortal and live and die with my people."

She gripped her staff firmer, painfully clenching it as she made up her mind. The decision she made at that moment, was a visibly excruciating one. Knowing what I know now, I should have seen it coming. "Dramin... I can't..."

"You can't what, Cassie?"

She stifled a sob as she closed her tear-stained eyes. "I can't let you go. I'm sorry." She grabbed her staff with both hands and thrust it onto the ground. Everything started trembling, shifting and rumbling. The tomb came to live and the ground moved. And it moved downwards.

"Cassie, what are you doing? STOP!"

"You'll learn to accept it. We'll be happy... eventually."

I was stumbling over myself with the floor shifting beneath my feet. She was trying to bury the tomb again. The light that shone in through the windows and the entrance was fading due to the tossed up sands. A part of me hoped it was just a bluff, while the other part knew she wasn't. My body acted before I could think. I started running. Running without looking back. The pain in my heart had to wait.

The other mamono of the tomb, shaken awake by the noise and tremors. I pushed past them as I ran towards the exit of the tomb. I remember hearing Karima yell after me "What is going on? Where are you going?" in a panicked, scared tone, but yet I kept running. The exit was closing, the sunlight slowly disappearing into a dark abyss of sand and earth.

"Goddammit!" I yelled, drawing magical signs on my arm. I threw a portal spell out of the slit that was left of the exit and the other end of it in front of me. I dove through the blue oval of a magic spiral, launching myself outside.

My body flew a few feet ahead and crashed into the hot sand of the outside world. I spat out the sand that ended up in my mouth and dusted it off my body. I made it but at the same time, the other realization hit me.

"Oh no! Oh no no no NO NO!" As I turned around, nothing was there. Cassie and her kingdom were gone, swallowed by the sand. I hysterically dug through the sand, but it was of no use. The love of my life and her people were wiped from the face of the earth. Silence fell over me, with only the desert winds keeping me company out in this sandy wasteland.

I held my hand to my chest. It felt empty. Not only had I lost Cassie, but she took my soul with her as well.

"No..." I sunk down onto the sand, defeated and in disbelief. It was in that moment, that my servant Uzziah found me. He came riding over the dunes, relieved to see me.

"Your highness! By the gods, you're alive! I feared the worst when you didn't return yesterday. Are you alright?"

The wind blew around me. Heaping yet more sand on top of the kingdom that once stood there. "Nothing is alright I'm afraid. The threat of the mamono has passed, but also the chance of an alliance."

He understandingly nodded, yet did his best to uplift me. "Well, if it is of any relief to you, humans and mamono have rarely been known to work alongside each other successfully. It was an admirable attempt, your highness, but one with an expected outcome. What is more important now is that you are alive. It is your people that need your attention now."

I slowly got up. All feeling was gone from my body. Neither the heat of the sun, nor the sand below my feet affected my body. Everything felt numb. I closed and touched my hands only to notice that I had lost feeling in them as well. "My people. Yes, I suppose it is time that I returned to them. I've been neglecting my duties for too long." I half-heartedly climbed on top of my horse and rode off with Uzziah by my side. The further I distanced myself from the place where the Cassiopeia Kingdom once stood, the more dreary and empty I felt.

I carried a pain inside my heart that nothing would be able to relieve me from for many years. In fact, the years turned into decades and the decades into centuries.

Along with the waning feeling in my body, it also stopped aging. Trapped in a stone beneath the sands, my soul had nowhere to go, including the afterlife. The people of my kingdom saw this as a miracle and hailed me as the eternal king. Meant to reign for eternity.

I put on a brave face for the public, not showing how shaken I still was over the loss of Pharaoh Cassiopeia. I was meant to give them hope and guidance after all. They had put their trust in me, and I couldn't bear to lose them as well. Many were wondering when I would choose a Queen and bear a successor, but neither was there a need for it, since I would live for a presumable eternity, nor could I even consider picking any woman other than the one that had left this world behind.

200 years later:

"Um... your highness? Have you heard what I said?"

I was sitting in my throne room, resting an elbow on the armrest of my throne and my head on top of my hand when the words of Liam shook me out of my mentally absent stupor. I rubbed the bridge of my nose and the sand out of my eyes. "Yeah, yeah, I heard you. The preparations for the Year of the Capricorn festival are finished, right?"

Liam was the the third in the generations of servants working under me and the great grandchild of Uzziah. And even though he may be gone, the devotion his family carried for mine lived on through the years. He was clean shaven, face and head, as was tradition for servants of the royal family and clad in monk-like robes with the blue and purple colors of our house. A beaded necklace hung around his neck along with a stone engraved with his birth sign, Gemini.

"Yes, that IS what I had been talking about, but I was asking you whether you would attend this year. The people love seeing you out and about in town. It would be a fantastic opportunity to rouse public support, especially since it's the year of your birth sign."

I smiled weakly, putting on a slight chuckle. "Heeeehhh... You know, Liam, once you've seen a hundred of those birth years, you've seen them all. I will remain in the palace for the festivities but don't let that stop you from enjoying yourself. The birth year celebration is an exciting time for people your age. Go get out there and have some fun."

"B...but... your highness, I must insist!" He frantically begged as he encroached on me, quickly readjusting as he noticed how close he was to being in my face.

I rose from my throne, walked towards him and laid my hand on his shoulder. He met my gaze with an expression of concern and shame.

"I apologize. I should know my place by now." He muttered, humbly bowing to me.

"No need to be on edge, Liam. I need to apologize myself. You've been doing a fine job of taking care of me. I can't enjoy these thrills and joys anymore. You can, and I want you to live out these earthly pleasures as much as you can, while you can. We never know how long these precious moments will be available to us. Do you understand?"

"Y...yes, sir."

I smirked at him cheekily. "Besides, I've seen those eyes you've been giving Aisha lately."

He grew red in the face, fidgeting with his necklace and collar. "Huh? How? I... I don't... know what you're talking ab..."

I interrupted him by patting his shoulder and earnestly looked into his eyes. "Remember what I said. Seize the moment while it is there. Go see her today, Liam. I'm rooting for you."

Guilt-ridden but encouraged, Liam headed for the door, turning back one last time. "Still, do you want me to get you something from the festival? Some food? Trinkets? Jewelry?"

I chuckled as I walked towards my throne. "The people offer me enough tributes to last me another few lifetimes. Let them share their spoils with you for once. Now go already and enjoy your time out there."

For a few seconds, there was silence. I didn't turn back to see his reaction. Further eye contact would have only made him hesitate more. Once I heard the door open and close again, I was finally sure he had left and the mask I put on, fell. I had been struggling with expressing sincere emotions ever since my soul had left me. It was hard enough to put on smiles and laughs to make people not worry about me.

I wanted my kingdom to have this shining example of the everlasting king that they had built up in their mind. I couldn't bear having them see the shell of a man I had become inside. So badly did I want to rekindle the simple joys of our culture I once embraced but the only thing that occupied my mind day and night was how badly I wanted to see her again.

I sunk down in my throne, waiting until sleep would take me to speed along the passing day. In my dreams at least, there was a chance to go back to those wonderful times. The times when I could still see her every day. I missed Cassie above all else. I remembered showing her all those things I used to love until she became the most treasured possession among them. I wanted to at least relive these moments in the world of slumber.

But then... something else happened that wiped away any notion of sleep.

The door flung open and one of our scouts burst into the room along with it, tearing me from my peace and quiet. I composed myself, shaking my head and wiping my eyes before sitting upright and honorable on my seat. "By the gods, Sundra! You could have at least knocked!"

She gulped for air, leaning against the wall to catch her breath. She ripped off her cowl and face scarf. She was dripping with sweat. "Your highness, something has emerged from the desert!"

My ears perked up. "Emerged? Sundra, what are you saying?"

"It is exactly as I'm telling you, sir. I've scouted the same area just a few weeks ago. Nothing but half buried ruins and miles upon miles of sand. But I swear, the dunes have shifted and now there's a full on palace there. One worthy of an empire."

For the first time in hundreds of years, my heart lifted. I could almost feel it soar out of my chest. My muscles moved on my own, hoisting myself up and out of my seat. "What else! What can you tell me about the place? Were there people? Monsters? Tell me!" I must have seemed like a crazy person, grabbing her shoulders and shaking her for information.

She stammered. "Th...that's the strangest part, your highness. It was both actually. It seems like humans and mamono have raised this place in unison. I saw mummies and sphinx and..."

My fingers trembled as I furrowed my brow. "That can't be. She would never... Why now? Sundra!" I barked out unusually loud.

She shrieked and stiffened up. "Wh...what?"

"Could you make out a leader? Someone overseeing these construction efforts?"

"I... I think I saw there being a human male. He seemed to be relatively young, in his 20s I believe. Black hair, mercenary uniform and a very boyish appearance."

"O...oh..." My grip loosened a bit

"Oh, and he was giving orders to this very imposing woman, might have been royalty. She had this luscious long black hair and this very curvaceous body. But I'm not sure, she was very scantily cla...eeep!"

She couldn't even finish her sentence before I pulled her into a hug.

"What the hell is going on?" She wheezed out.

I moved her at arms length from me and burst into a genuine smile. "Sundra!"

"Yes, sir?!" She meekly squeaked with a barely audible voice.

"You have no idea how much you have made my day, week, hell you made my life!"

"Th...that's great, I... think? Do you want me to show you the location?"

I let go of her and headed for the door. "No need, I know exactly where it is."

Sundra ran after me, calling out to me to slow down. But nothing in the world could do that at that moment. I had so many questions to get answers for but in the end, all of them didn't matter more than the pure desire to see Cassie again. Even though I couldn't believe it after such a long time of being apart, I knew in my heart it had to be her.

Me and Sundra saddled our horses and rode off, following a trail that was just all too familiar to me.

I couldn't feel the wind in my hair, nor the vibrating warmth of the sun, yet I hadn't enjoyed my time outside this much in ages. That might have been a side effect of something else however. The closer I came to the location of the former palace, the more I felt the feeling return to my body. It was as if my lost soul was beckoning me to come home, luring me in with the promise of returning emotions and senses.

For the first time in forever... a genuine smile crept across my face.

"Your highness! Would you please... slow... down!"

I barely heard Sundra's call with the wind blowing in my ear but it did manage to stop me in my tracks.

"Finally! Seriously, you can't just run off like this!" She was hesitant to call me out yet frustrated enough to scold me.

My eyes flicked between her and the horizon, longing to keep moving. "But... I need to..."

"I don't know what you need, sire, but you can't be selfish like that. You may be immortal, but that doesn't mean you're invincible! Your PEOPLE need YOU! The least you can do for them is be careful. You're heading head first into an unknown foreign force and I do not want to be the one responsible for your death."

"But I'm telling you, there's nothing dangerous out there. I know what I am doing, Sundra."

"Nevertheless, sir. I can't allow you to risk yourself like that, so you have to promise me, you're not going to do anything hasty."

I sighed. "Fine, you have a point. I haven't seen them in over 200 years. It can't hurt to be cautious, I suppose."

She smiled and let out a sigh of relief. "I'm glad you understand. So you'll surely be just as understanding when I do this."

"Do wha... oof!" In the middle of my question, Sundra shoved me off my horse and into the sand. Lying down herself shortly after.

"Recon. Past this dune is where I found the place, so we approach carefully and get a view of the situation."

I spat out the sand stuck between my teeth. "You could've just told me to crawl!"

"Sorry, I was worried you'd argue against me again. Anyways, we can take a look now."

Rolling my eyes, I followed after her, romping my way up the dune. And once I crested the slope... it almost brought tears to my eyes. It really was the old temple, even larger and more imposing than it was before. The exterior had been expanded massively and spilled out into the desert. Magically created oases brought water to the dry earth and brought forth vibrant flowers, ferns and trees.

But something wasn't right. There were structures that the undead mamono would have never had use for. There was a marketplace, a tavern, a stage for musical performances. There weren't just mamono strolling about, but also humans, plenty of them, mingling with each other and assisting with the construction. I was in awe.

Sundra looked at me from the side, bewildered. "Sir, why do you look so happy?"

"Look Sundra, it's everything I ever dreamed of back when I tried to make a deal with Cassiopeia. Unity between the races."

"Cassiopeia? Wait, those stories were real? I thought it was just legend!"

"They were. I had hoped so much that on day, we would make peace with the mamono and rule as one. More than that though, I had hoped that me and her could... be united as rulers of our empires. The day she vanished was the day all hope was lost for that union. We could have been so much more." I looked down at what was unmistakably her home, her people. Those sweet memories of me and her discovering each other's cultures welled up in my mind. My heart started aching, urging me to find her. "I have to see her! Now!"