As they traversed the scorching desert sands, Kurou inadvertently stepped on a black fat-tailed scorpion, known as one of the most aggressive and dangerous species in the world. The arachnid, unhappy with being disturbed, retaliated by delivering a powerful sting to Kurou's foot, injecting enough venom to fell an elephant.

"FUCK, THAT HURTS!", Kurou said, hopping on one leg, his foot swelling instantly, although only for a few seconds.

Seizing the opportunity, Riddle swiftly dispatched the scorpion and made a meal out of it.

"Hahaha, watch your step, Kurou", Tut chuckled. "Those little guys are ruthless".

"I could have died here, you know?", Kurou grumbled, dissatisfied. "Africa is not for beginners".

"No, it's not. Be glad it was just a little pain", Tut remarked.

Kurou squinted ahead and said, "Look, I think I see someone."

There was a woman tending to a couple of myrrh trees. She had brown skin, her hair tied up, and wore a plain yellow shirt and loose white pants. As Kurou took a good look at her face, he could only describe her as the pinnacle of African beauty.

She was digging through the myrrh tree bark with a dagger until its trunk started to secrete a resin she collected on a bowl. "It's a resin they use as face embellishments", Tut explained.

Without even glancing at them, the woman threw the dagger in her hand towards Kurou, piercing his chest before he could even react. The impact pushed him a few steps back, but he managed to stand his ground.

"WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE? WHY ARE YOU TRYING TO KILL ME AT EVERY GODDAMN CHANCE YOU GOT?", Kurou yelled, his arms open in protest.

Tut was about to scold him when the woman spoke in an elegant voice. "I'm not trying to kill you, Post-Mortal. I'm well aware of your state. But the fact that you got hit so easily proves my point", she said.

"What point?", he inquired, pulling the dagger from the wound, which began to heal instantly.

"That you are not ready to face real danger," she replied.

"I don't want to face real danger, Miss. I just want to go fishing by a fishless lake somewhere, but oases are kinda hard to find these days", Kurou grumbled.

"Humorous, aren't you Post-Mortal?", she asked.

"Would you please stop calling me Post-Mortal? I have a name, you know?" Kurou replied, annoyed.

"I do know, Kurou. I even know it's supposed to mean black, am I wrong?", she said.

"Kurou, would you please mind your manners?" Tut interjected.

"What? Why? What's wrong with my manners?", he asked.

"Tutankhamon is a very religious and respectful person, Kurou. He feels uncomfortable with your lack of formality around people he deems important", the woman explained.

"So he thinks you're important?" Kurou asked, unaware of her identity.

"Of course she is!", Tut protested.

"I'm Hatshepsut, Kurou", she said with a smile. "Some call me Maatkare as well".

"So you are the Queen Hatshepsut? Alive after so many years just like little boy Tut here?", Kurou asked, surprised.

"Pharaoh, not queen", Hatshepsut corrected. "There's a difference. I didn't just marry a king; I rightfully inherited the throne by being the genuine child of a Pharaoh", she said firmly.

"Okay, duly noted. So... how come you are alive? Got revived through a coven ritual like Tut?", Kurou inquired.

"I don't have a coven!", Tut interrupted. "And my followers will be rewarded by Amon-Ra for the sacrifices they made for my resurrection".

"I see you two have become good friends," Hatshepsut remarked. "What about that little treasure you have there with you?", She pointed at the jackal.

"This is Riddle. He's a smart jackal but also kind of a prick when he wants to be", Kurou explained.

"I can see why. He probably feeds off your behavior", Hatshepsut observed.

"Ouch", Kurou answered, raising his eyebrows. Tut laughed.

"This conversation has been delightful, but unfortunately, our time is short. Ma’at has a very specific purpose for this meeting. She wants me to prepare you for what's to come", Hatshepsut revealed.

"I heard that before like half a dozen times, Hat", Kurou said. “Egypt is in danger, someone's gotta stop it from going Armageddon, we need a hero, I'm not a hero, but I'll have to play one anyway".

"You're hopeless, Kurou", Tut chimed in, irritated.

"Leave him be, brother", Hatshepsut said. "More importantly, let's have a little spar here. Is that acceptable, Kurou?".

"What do you mean? You wanna fight me, right here, right now?", Kurou asked, puzzled.

"Yes. Just a friendly bout. No hard feelings if you lose", she said with a smirk.

"All right. No hard feelings then. Me against the Pharaoh Hatshepsut. Mom would be so proud", Kurou quipped.

Kurou had barely finished his sentence and Hatshepsut was already face to face with him, throwing a punch so powerful it broke his jaw and sent him tumbling across the sand.

Kurou stood up and straightened his jaw, already regenerating. "Ow, that really hurt!".

"That's the power of a Pharaoh, young man. You must be strong enough to withstand that, at least, if you want to have a chance against the ones you're going to face in the future", she said, maintaining her dignified composure.

"That again, huh?", Kurou sighed and rushed toward her, attempting to deliver a few blows she easily avoided or parried.

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

"You have no technique, Kurou, and you leave yourself too open because you're virtually immortal", Hatshepsut remarked.

"I'm not a fighter, Hat. I'm just a dude. You're asking too much", Kurou said defensively.

"Fair enough. Come on. I'll let you punch me in the face as a handicap", Hatshepsut offered.

"You're letting me punch you in the face, just like that?", Kurou asked, lowering his eyebrows. "Yes", she replied curtly.

"Fine. I'll take that". Kurou darted towards her, throwing a punch with all his might. Much to his surprise, his wrist and knuckles broke upon impact with her face, as if it were made of steel.

Looking at Kurou from the corner of her eye, Hatshepsut held his wrecked wrist and twisted it, causing him to scream in pain.

Hatshepsut was prepared to deliver yet another powerful blow to Kurou's face when, fighting through the pain, he swinged his arm, taking advantage of the momentum generated by the rotation of his hip, attacked her with the same broken hand.

The result was a bloody mess.

Kurou barely managed to escape Hatshepsut's punch while catching her off-balance and slashing her face with his broken hand, like a whip. Though it only caused a scratch, she stood in silence for a moment, lost in thought.

"You really don't care, do you?", she finally asked.

"No, I don't, ma'am".

"All right. Keep that style, if you're ready to face the consequences. And by that, I mean a lot of pain. You're a little twisted in the brain already, so I think you're gonna be fine. Let's move onto the next step of our training. Shadow manipulation", she said.

"Wow, I must be headlining the news all around Egypt these days. Everyone knows about my superpowers", Kurou mocked.

"Focus, soldier. I want you to try your shadow power. You have to understand that this power is an extension of your soul, a mirror image that only lasts a couple of seconds but will perform an action at your choosing. Now try to imagine yourself attacking me, without moving your body", she instructed, her tone firm.

"Huuh, that really sounds easier said than done. And how do you know about it, anyway?", Kurou asked.

"JUST DO IT!", Hatshepsut commanded.

"Yes, sir!", he shouted, much to Tut's exasperation.

Kurou closed his eyes and attempted to sense his own soul, striving to recall the situations when he effectively manipulated that power.

"Don't try to emulate the same feelings of despair or surprise that may have triggered that power before, Kurou", she said. "In order to master it, you have to dig deep into the reason why you can do it".

"I have no idea why I can do it".

"You'll find the answers eventually, I believe", Hatshepsut sighed, slightly disappointed. "For now, I'll throw a stone in the air, and you catch it with your power, okay?".

"Fine", he said. She tossed the stone into the air, and Kurou forcefully projected his shadow towards it, producing a fart-like sound.

"KUROU!", Tut scolded him, desperate.

"Sorry about that, folks", Kurou said, embarrassed but laughing like a naughty child. "It seems I still have retained some…physiological aspects of a human being."

"The worst part", Hat said with a wry smile. "Try again, will you?".

"Right. Let's do this", Kurou said.

As Hatshepsut threw the stone again, Kurou projected his shadow in its direction.

A faint, translucent image of Kurou, identical to himself, including the clothes he was wearing, projected in the stone's direction, extending its arm to grab it in the air. It lasted a second before vanishing, but at least it made contact.

"Good for starters", Hatshepsut said, nodding. "Let's keep practicing".

Hatshepsut put Kurou through hours of rigorous practice until he could consistently catch the stone with his mirror image before it vanished.

Kurou lay on the ground, not physically tired but mentally drained. Practicing something he never thought possible just a few days ago had proven to be incredibly demanding.

"I don't ever want to do this again. I want to go home and drink mashed potatoes through a straw", he said.

"If you don't keep training and refining your abilities, you will be mashed potato yourself soon enough", Hatshepsut said.

"Why are you doing this? What does Ma’at want from me?" Kurou asked.

"Ma’at is the root of all things. Her design is not easy to comprehend, let alone explain. But I know, for sure, that she is the true meaning of Justice in this world. Whatever purpose she has for you, it has to be a rightful one", she said.

"Well, that's good to hear, although not very informative", Kurou remarked. "I think I'll be going n...", and before he could finish his sentence, she threw her dagger again at his chest, but he managed to block it with the back of his hand.

"I see you have already improved a little. Still trying to pay for your sins through pain, I guess, but at least you protected yourself a little", Hatshepsut said approvingly, her hands on her hips.

"I appreciate your concern, Hatshepsut. But I don't care about my sins. Someone said my heart is heavy, but I really don't care about that. I just wanna finish all this so there's no monster chasing me around the world anymore. I never thought I would be dragged into a mythological-turned-real war of gods and kings. I just wanted something to alleviate the boredom, and it turned into this", Kurou confessed.

"I know what you mean. I also don't care about sins or guilt. They impair our sight and hinder our spirit. Whatever you choose to do now, I can guarantee it's too late to run away. Your actions will impact not only Egypt's future, but possibly the whole world's", Hatshepsut stated.

"That's just great", Kurou said, annoyed.

"See it the good way", Hatshepsut mused. "Now you can evolve from the useless slob you have always been into someone actually useful for the world".

"Am I supposed to thank you for that?", Kurou retorted.

"No, Kurou. I will thank you when that happens", she said.

"Right. Guess we're off, huh? No more flying daggers?", Kurou asked.

"No more daggers, I promise", she said with a smile.

"Okay, huh, nice to meet you then, Hat. Call me, will ya?", he said.

"What?", she asked tilting her head, confused.

"Don't mind him, sister", Tut interjected. "He's not worth your time or attention".

"Hey!", Kurou called out.

"Give me a moment with Hatshepsut, will you, buddy?", Tut asked.

"Sure, I'll be right there playing with my jackal", Kurou said.

Though "playing" wasn't exactly how one would describe having his hand ripped off by extremely sharp canine teeth.

***

Tutankhamon and Hatshepsut talked for an hour or so, and Kurou was lying on the sand, trying to take a nap. A naja bit his foot, and he screamed in pain. He was about to kill the snake when Tut yelled at him.

"DON'T!".

Kurou stopped in his tracks, allowing the snake to escape. It slithered towards Tut, who crouched while the snake erected its body as if it was being charmed.

Tut's eyes glowed silver for a minute or two, and as the glow faded, Tut stood up.

"The servant of Wadjet says it is time", he told Hatshepsut, turning his gaze towards Kurou and Riddle.

"Very well", Hatshepsut said, looking at Kurou with a stern expression. "Listen to me, Kurou. Sutekh, or Set, is trying to come back to the realm of the living. He is no ordinary foe: as the Egyptian God of deserts, storms, and violence, you can expect from him nothing but destruction and desolation. I don't know how well-versed you are about the Egyptian Myths, but what's happening now has all the chances of turning out different from what's written in history books".

"By different you mean worse", he said.

"Yes. You are being presented with a choice now. You can either choose to fight Set, risking your own existence, or leave Egypt to never return. I can't guarantee you'll have peace of mind whatever choice you make", Hatshepsut said.

"I don't feel comfortable playing hero, and I'm not a savior or a messiah", Kurou said. "I really don't know what you're expecting of me, Hat".

"This has nothing to do with what I expect", she said. "You are a Post-Mortal, Kurou. That is not a myth or legend, that's just plain taboo. No living man or woman should ever escape the Weighing of the Heart. But you did. Special or not, you did it, and nobody knows why".

"And that means I have to stop a war between Egyptian Gods", he said, skeptical.

"No, that means you have been caught in the crossfire. You're a victim, Kurou. You have never been expected to stop a war. But that might be the only way you can avoid not only the destruction of Egypt, but also your own".

"Because of Ammit", Kurou pondered.

"Precisely", Hatshepsut said. "The Devourer won't ever let you rest".

"I get it", he said. "Where should I go, then?".

"Cairo", she said. "Tutankhamon will show you where you need to go. Now please hurry. We need to stop this madness before it's too late".