Chapter 2: Artificer’s City  Mshai’s camel planted itself and skid to a halt, throwing him to the ground. He stumbled to his feet and turned to face the animal with a growl. The camel stared back with puckered lips and appeared to be on the verge of spitting. Tripping over himself, he backed away.   “If you would use a saddle,” Djadao began, chuckling, “he'd be easier to control.”   “We would also move faster,” Remmao said, resumi...

 Here, a familiar voice began in his mind, you will reign.   Dormant memories rekindled.   Kashin was hovering above the city he had entered hours earlier. The sun bore down on him, hot against his back, but did not ignite his flesh. From its light, he had a clear view of the city that spread for several miles below him. He recognized the city as the ancient fortress of King Menes, the capital from which Menes once ruled the conquered people of Lower Egypt.   Ineb Hedj wi...

Note to self: I'm not infallible.

Air whispered across flesh that had felt nothing for what seemed an eternity. Unfamiliar senses assaulted. Touch. Smell. Sound. He recalled them from what seemed another life, but experienced them on the level of a newborn. The mail coat that hung heavy across his shoulders, framed by sable hair, felt proper, its presence comforting. His surroundings, however, did not. Intricate Egyptian hieroglyphs were etched into the floor beneath him, following the rim of a circular pattern carved into th...