“So you had Ramses, Sutekh and Amon-Ra in front of you and all you did is run?”, Hatshepsut asked, perplexed, as she, Ankhesenamon, Kurou and Riddle walked.

“What did you want me to do? I wasn't expecting to find a love triangle between Egyptian monsters...and they teleported me there without any warnings”, Kurou said in his defense.

“There are no love triangles between the Gods!”, Ankhesenamon complained.

“Don't take him seriously, Princess”, Hatshepsut told her. “So, I understand Amon-Ra offered you power and you refused. Care to explain?” She asked Kurou.

“Accepting powers from him would mean bowing to his bidding. I'm not turning into anyone's puppet, not even a God's”, Kurou replied.

“Good. What I'm about to show you will boggle your mind, but you'll thank me when it's over”, Hatshepsut said.

“You said I should undergo some trial. What did you mean?”, Kurou asked, curious.

“It's the Coronation trial. I really can't explain it in detail, Kurou. Please trust me”, Hatshepsut said, in a serious tone.

“It's all right, I guess. Just don't you take advantage of my overwhelming kindness or I might end up killing you”, Kurou said with a smirk.

“You're worthless”, Ankhesenamon said, disgusted.

“Why is that brat here, anyway?”, Kurou asked, pointing at Ankhesenamon with his thumb. “All she ever does is complain and get on my nerves. Does she think she's still a princess?”.

“She is a Princess, and quite a notable one. You, more than anyone, should pay her some respect, Kurou”, Hatshepsut admonished.

“If she stops treating me like a stray cat, maybe I'll give her a chance”, Kurou said, kicking a stone on the ground.

Ankhesenamon frowned but said nothing, while Riddle barked and snarled at Kurou.

“Easy, buddy! I got it! No more Mr. Prick, I promise!”, Kurou said, raising his hands in surrender.

“Osiris be praised!”, Ankhesenamon joked, looking up to the sky.

“Talking about Osiris...we're here”, Hatshepsut remarked.

“…where? I see nothing”, Kurou said.

“Exactly. It's good that it's desolate, because we don't want people to see what's about to happen”, Hatshepsut replied.

“Then do it quickly. If those monsters follow us, it will be trouble”, Kurou said.

"Look at you, taking charge like a Pharaoh", Hatshepsut said, smirking. "Stay back or you'll get hurt".

Hatshepsut held out her hands with sweating and trembling palms up, and intoned the following chant:

"Ascend and descend; descend with Nephthys, sink into darkness with the Night-bark. Ascend and descend, ascend with Isis, rise with the Day-bark”

The ground near them started to shake and change shape. At first it felt like an optical illusion, but after a few seconds, Kurou could clearly see the floor was moving. A sandstone structure slowly rose from the ground, taking the form of a pylon, filled with hieroglyphic inscriptions and colored carvings. The images looked morbid, containing rows and rows of people, like a procession, and boats with mummified corpses. The pylon itself emitted an ominous aura, causing Kurou to stagger and hesitate about the possibility of entering it.

"Come on, brave one", Hatshepsut told Kurou with a light smile, evidently relieved after managing to summon the gate. Kurou looked at Riddle, who looked back at him and went on ahead, giving him the push he needed. Ankhesenamon followed suit. After they all entered the pylon, it disappeared into the ground like it was never there.

As they passed through the pylon, they entered a large chamber with an altar next to the front wall. Torches lit up the chamber, revealing carvings on the walls with images similar to those they had just seen.

A familiar, coarse voice echoed through the chamber, and a figure of a tall and bulky man appeared from the shadows.

"Welcome, human”, Wepwawet said.

"You again? Are you here to make fun of me for running away from those monsters?", Kurou said. "I don't care what you have done or why. What matters now is the trial. If you ran away despite being immortal out there, I wonder if you can be brave enough to take it now that such quirk has been removed”, Wepwawet retorted.

"Removed? I'm not a Post-Mortal anymore?", Kurou asked, in disbelief.

"Not unless you pass the trials", Wepwawet answered.

Kurou turned to Hatshepsut.

"What kind of nonsense is this?", he asked her.

"I told you to trust me, Kurou. There's no turning back now that we're on Duat grounds. The realm of the dead won't let a human leave without taking the trials", Hatshepsut answered, solemnly.

"Yeah but you're gambling with my life here", Kurou said, dissatisfied.

"Take the trial and stop being a wimp", Wepwawet interjected.

Kurou sighed.

"All right. What do I have to do to finish this trial?", he asked, resigned.

"There are five trials. The first one will start now. If you live, I'll let you know the rest of them”, Wepwawet answered.

Then, Wepwawet extended his hand towards the altar and sand started revolving around a spot right in front of it.

"The myths tell of a mock battle between Osiris and Sutekh, but this trial is the real thing. Get ready or you'll die, human!", Wepwawet said, and a figure similar to Set took form in front of them.

“What? Real thing? Sutekh?”, Kurou asked, confused. The creature summoned by Wepwawet was very similar to the real Set, including the scepter, but closer to a normal human in stature.

This “Mock-Set” couldn’t be underestimated, though. A lot more silent than its real counterpart, it darted towards Kurou with undeniable killing intent, swinging its scepter with swiftness and precision. After awkwardly dodging a few swings, Kurou was forced to block a strike that would crush his torso, and the impact sent him flying.

Kurou spat blood as he crashed against the wall.

“I told you to be serious or you would die, human”, Wepwawet said, his arms crossed as he watched the scene unfold. “Fight for your life or you won’t ever see the light of the day again”.

Kurou’s khopesh had fallen from his waist when he crashed against the wall, and it wasn’t in his reach anymore. Crouching down to grab it would create an opening he knew Mock-Set would certainly take advantage of, so he chose to wait for the monster to attack first.

Mock-Set wasted no time and dashed towards him again, ready to crush Kurou’s skull with his scepter. Kurou sent a shadow projection towards the creature and rolled in his sword’s direction, picking it up while Mock-Set was distracted by the fake Kurou.

However, the agile Mock-Set quickly retargeted, delivering a strong blow that Kurou only managed to block because his khopesh was a special one.

"Is this fake as strong as the real one? Goddammit", Kurou said, exasperated.

"It doesn't need to be that strong in order to kill you", Wepwawet answered. "You're going to have to use more than your meager muscles if you want to defeat it".

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

Kurou pushed the Mock-Set away from the blade lock and took a breath. He hadn't felt that tired in a while, so it was especially uncomfortable.

Kurou sent another projection towards the Mock-Set in order to gain some space, but the creature easily destroyed it with a single swing of his scepter. It was enough for Kurou to look around and remember there was an altar in that chamber when they came in.

"Maybe if I break it, this monster will die...but this altar is made of sandstone", Kurou mumbled, dodging a powerful slam from Mock-Set's scepter that cracked the floor.

"That's it!", Kurou said out loud, but his distraction served as an opening for Mock-Set to spin its scepter around, dealing a powerful blow that dislocated Kurou's shoulder.

"HOLY MOTHERFUCKER, IT HURTS", Kurou screamed.

"Kurou, watch out!", Hatshepsut shouted. Mock-Set was already dashing towards him with intense bloodlust and shining red eyes, raising its scepter above its head with both hands in order to deliver a skull-splitting strike.

In an act of desperation, Kurou used the last of his strength to run towards the altar and, without looking back at the creature, jump to the side just in time to avoid the blow. The attack destroyed the altar and caused the whole chamber to shake violently.

Kurou feel on top of his dislocated shoulder and screamed in pain.

"SWEET MOTHER OF GOD, WHY THE FUCK DID I GET INTO THIS?", he screamed.

Mock-Set, realizing it destroyed the altar, stopped moving and kept looking at it for a few seconds. Then a sand swirl revolved around him and he disappeared, taking the rubble along with him. Hatshepsut ran towards Kurou and helped him stand.

"You did well, Kurou", she said.

"Indeed, human", Wepwawet said. "I didn't expect you to actually use your brains in this match".

"Hold on, Kurou, I'll help you with your shoulder. One, two...".

Hatshepsut forced Kurou's shoulder back into place before counting to three, and he screamed so hard his throat hurt.

"I'm running out of curse words here, you know...", Kurou said.

"Yeah, but now you can continue with the trials", she said.

"What did you learn from this trial, human?", Wepwawet said.

"That Set is a monster?", Kurou answered.

"You damned ape! You really don't get it, do you?", Wepwawet said, irritated. "This was the first step of the Coronation Trial. What you're doing right now is to retrace the steps Osiris took in order to reclaim the throne of King of Egypt after Sutekh's betrayal".

"Coronation trial, huh", Kurou said, looking at Hatshepsut. "Is that what you wanted me to do? To become a Mock-Osiris?".

"Not at all, Kurou", she said, holding his hand. "I want you to find your own path, but with the power of Egypt by your side".

Kurou looked at her hand, firmly holding his. "I don't think you should have high hopes for me, Hat. I'm not even Egyptian, you know. And you're...a Pharaoh".

"It doesn't matter", she said, tenderly. "Just finish the trials and come back alive. Everything will become clearer then".

"Listen carefully, human. The Coronation Trial is composed of five challenges. The first one is the mock fight with the enemy of Osiris, Sutekh. By destroying its altar, Osiris shows everyone that there's no point in worshipping the god of storms, for it is a betrayer and a farce", Wepwawet said. "This myth has been passed from generation to generation since the beginning of the Egyptian civilization".

"And now?", Kurou asked.

"The second challenge is to protect the Neshmet bark", Wepwawet replied. "I'll open the door for you but I can't give you any more information until you pass it".

Wepwawet extended his hand and a part of the wall crumbled, revealing a dark passage.

"You must go alone, now. We'll meet at the end of the trial, if you survive, human", the Wolf-God said.

"Good luck", Hatshepsut said. Riddle looked at him with calm but serious eyes, and it felt like he was wishing Kurou good luck too.

Kurou stepped into the gate and felt a push that dropped him to the floor. He stood up and saw that Ankhesenamon went along with him.

"That woman! What is she thinking? Taking the trial without permission is forbidden!", Wepwawet told Hatshepsut.

"It's too late now. Let's hope they can get out of there together", Hatshepsut replied, with a sad expression in her eyes.

"What are you doing here?", Kurou asked. "You're not supposed to undertake the trial along with me. What if something happens to you?".

"I'm not doing this for you, Kurou. I'm doing it for Tutankhamon", she replied. "If he trusted you and really was your friend, then I'm willing to take the risk and help you undergo this trial for the good of my country".

"He was my friend, and I'll never forgive those who took his life so untimely for such petty reasons", Kurou said, his demeanor much more serious than usual. "Now come on, we must understand this trial so we can get through".

Kurou looked around and noticed they had boarded a wooden boat, which was sailing towards a seemingly endless tunnel.

"So this is the Neshmet Bark...", he mumbled. There wasn't much time for digression, though. The boat began to rock from side to side, and weird hands could be seen grabbing the sides of the vessel.

Kurou held his khopesh and prepared for battle. "You better stay behind me, Ankhesenamon". I don't know what's coming, but I can see they mean business!", he said.

Ankhesenamon winced, but stood her ground. "I won't hide, Kurou. I'll fight like a true Egyptian!", she said firmly, and looked around for anything she could use for a weapon, an oar being her best choice.

The owners of the weird hands turned out to be even weirder. Lion-headed, falcon-headed and jackal-headed humanoid creatures started to jump into the boat with sharp knives in hand, and all of them locked their eyes on Kurou.

"It seems I'm their only target", Kurou shouted. "Use that information wisely!", he told Ankhesenamon, who nodded and let out a war cry, charging towards the inhumane creatures.

Kurou noticed the creatures were quite slow and predictable in their movements, like zombies. He easily cut through them and kicked them back to the water, but more just kept coming.

He knew the worst possible outcome was to be overwhelmed by their sheer numbers, since the trial, this time, was to survive the raid until the Neshmet Bark reached its destination in one piece.

He normally would have only two worries in a situation like that: to survive and to keep the vessel from being destroyed. Ankhesenamon introduced a third cause for concern, and he could only hope it wouldn't break his focus too much.

The Princess had been fighting fiercely for more than an hour, but he could catch signs of weariness on her and felt they were still far from the end of the trial. The animal-headed creatures started to swarm around them and the situation looked grim.

Kurou started feeling tired when the boat rocked hard, like something strong had hit it. The creatures inside the boat lost balance, and Kurou took the opening to send several shadows towards them, slicing their heads off in a spectacular single motion.

Realizing no other humanoid creatures were trying to get on the vessel, Kurou frowned. His eyes shone red as he saw a crocodile head emerging from the water.

"Ammit!", he exclaimed.

It wasn't the real version of the crocodile-lion-hippo monster of the myths, but a smaller one, or a "Mock" version, like Mock-Set. It was as big as a Nile Crocodile, though, so it was still fierce and absolutely lethal.

"Princess, get back. I'm gonna have to use all my powers now or we both are going to die", Kurou said, very agitated. "Don't underestimate this monster".

"You don't have to tell me that", she retorted, and charged towards the monster.

"Stupid woman!", Kurou shouted and sent his shadow towards the monster in order to distract it.

The Mock-Ammit crushed the shadow projection like a ragdoll, but that split second was enough for Ankhesenamon to bash it in the head with her oar. Unfortunately, it did nothing against the creature's hard head.

Mock-Ammit stood still for a second until its throat started glowing like ember. When it opened its mouth, a large stream of fire was expelled from its mouth, that Ankhesenamon only managed to avoid because Kurou jumped towards her in time to push her away. His legs started burning, though, and the pain was unbearable.

"Holy Isis, look at you...I'm sorry", Ankhesenamon said in tears, running for the other side of the boat in search for water.

Kurou stood up with his legs still burning, and ignored the terrible pain as he stared at the monster in front of him. "I'm tired of running from you, freakish monster. It's time I show you what I've got".

Kurou held his khopesh and dashed towards the Mock-Ammit, but the creature was as fast as it was fierce. In a flash, it snapped Kurou's left arm, ripping it off. The fire from Mock-Ammit's mouth was so hot it cauterized the wound instantly.

"Good Lord...", Kurou gasped heavily, getting weaker and dizzier by the second. "Is this going to be the end?".

Mock-Ammit was ready to spit fire again when Ankhesenamon roared and dashed in its direction, taking Kurou's khopesh from his hand with unexpected dexterity. When the monster was about to breathe flames, Ankhesenamon jumped fearlessly and plunged the sword into its mouth.

The attack wasn't enough for the creature to stop breathing fire, causing Ankhesenamon's body to erupt in flames, eventually falling in the water.

Ammit let out a loud cry of pain and dived into the water as well, not to be seen again.

Kurou was paralyzed for a second at what he just saw. Snapping out of this sort of trance, he quickly jumped into the water and caught Ankhesenamon, swimming back into the boat with extreme difficulty.

He shed a tear upon realizing that her body was heavy and motionless. He checked her pulse, but found none.

"Why did you do that?", Kurou whispered, touching her face. "Why did you sacrifice yourself like this?".

Kurou didn't have enough time to mourn, as the boat approached the end of the tunnel. It was the end of the second challenge: the Neshmet Bark had been protected against the enemies of Osiris.

"Kurou...", Hatshepsut said, waiting by the end of the tunnel. "What happened? Ankhesenamon...is she...".

"She sacrificed herself so I could survive Ammit. She fought marvelously", he said, devastated.

"The path towards Coronation is not an easy one", Wepwawet said. "She wasn't supposed to enter the trial with you, human".

"I know. Everything she did, she did for Tutankhamon. In the end, she felt like helping me was the same as helping him. That's the closest I've ever seen to true love", Kurou said.

"Love is capable of many, many things, Kurou", Hatshepsut remarked. "Be it the greatest sacrifice or the greatest feat of strength, it doesn't matter".

"I'm not sure what matters, really, Hat", Kurou said, with a sad expression. "The only thing I know is that I wanna finish this trial quickly and with no more sacrifices, in the name of love or not".