2

Mana paced up and down and it was slowly annoying Geron. He turned away from her, but her footsteps echoed across the hall, driving the old magician insane. He snorted contemptuously and glanced at Mana. Pathetic girl. Was she worried about this sarcastic, arrogant young guy who called himself Pharaoh? Geron hated him and he would like to know where this sorceress lived to make common cause with her and get him out of the way once and for all. Geron looked away again. Now these farmers should also help to find Seto. He had disappeared long enough for the Geron to imagine he was still alive. But you shouldn't have fun with him and you shouldn't underestimate him, the old man knew that.
"When are they finally coming ?!" growled Mana and stopped next to Geron. "You should have been there a long time!"
"What do I know ..." Geron muttered angrily. "I didn't order it here ..."
Mana looked at the chief mage in amazement.Didn't he want Seto to come back? Mana sighed deeply and looked at the gate through which Tia and Jono had just entered the throne room. The young magician went up to them and gave them a lecture. Meanwhile, Geron snuck outside. He wanted to see if he could find the sorceress ...
It was terribly warm, the sun shone mercilessly down on the earth. Not a single drop of rain had fallen in weeks, although the rainy season should have come a long time ago. Sheritra, a young woman with long white hair and steel blue eyes, looked down from the rock at the Nile with a gloomy face. She hoped it would rain soon. She really hoped so. I village would not be able to survive much longer without the rain, even though it was long on the Nile. But the fields needed the rain. Sighing, Sheritra turned her horse and rode along the Nile towards her village.
Suddenly she heard a faint whimper coming from the bank of the Nile. She got off her horse and followed the noise.Sheritra suspected what she would find on the water.
Slowly she climbed into the Nile and looked in the reeds for what was making the noise. And sure enough, that was a guy! Sheritra looked around and firmly grabbed his arm. With all her strength she tried to pull it up, but it didn't work out that well. She sank into the water with him.
"You are heavy ..." she mumbled and tried again and again until she had pulled him out of the water.
Exhausted, she lay down on the grass and looked up, at the sky. It had already turned pink. Startled, the young woman jumped up and pulled on his arm again until she had heaved him onto her horse. Exhausted, she led it towards the village. Who was that guy?
The young Pharaoh opened his eyes gently. It smelled good and his stomach was already hanging somewhere else. Tired, he sat up and stared at the fireplace. He was in a hut. He looked around in amazement. In one corner he discovered something curled up with white hair that was sleeping peacefully.Surprised, he got up and walked over to the something. That was clearly a woman. But now he was more interested in whether she could cook as well as it smelled. He nudges her. But she kept sleeping. Seto frowned. Again he nudged her.
"Hey little one!"
Tired, the young woman opened her eyes and sat up with a jerk. Then they stared at each other.
"H ... Hello ..." she said slowly and looked at him. "I found you, unconscious, on the Nile ..."
Seto nodded to her.
"I know ..." He looked at the fireplace.
The young woman grinned and then said calmly:
"This is for you, you look pretty starved ..."
“I am too!” Pharaoh started to feed. Otherwise he would never accept anything from her, but his hunger was really too great. Sheritra laughed. She hadn't expected anything like that from him. She knew him and she knew what kind of trouble he was going to cause her, but she still wanted to help him.
When the young Pharaoh had finished eating, he sat back on his bed and looked at her."You should rest a bit ..." she said without looking up.
Seto thought he wasn't seeing right. She actually polished a sword! And it was a beautiful sword. Seto crept up and looked over her shoulder. Sheritra noticed this, of course, but didn't struggle when he held out his hand for the sword. She held it out to him and smiled.
"It belonged to my father," she said softly.
"Hm ..." Seto dropped his hand and looked at Sheritra.
She tilted her head and continued to polish the blade. Seto stood up and asked coolly:
"Can you tell me how to get back to the palace?"
"Yes, but not now," she replied calmly.
The young Pharaoh stared at her in confusion. Why didn't she want to tell him? Did she want him to rest? But what about Egypt at that time? He had to lead a country, he couldn't be lazy.
"It's none of your business what I do ..." Seto growled at her."I can take care of myself and don't need any help and certainly not from YOU!"
“Really?” Sheritra's eyes turned icy. "Then tell me, my Pharaoh, how you could have gotten out of the water without my help, as weak as you were? You were lying there like a screwed-up squirrel, so don't mess around like that ..."
Seto's head turned red. Damn it, now she was exposing him too! Angry, he sat down on his bed and looked over at her. The young woman worked on the sword without saying another word.
When evening came she got up and looked over at him.
"Do you think you are strong enough?" she asked with a sharp undertone in her voice.
"Yes, I am", Seto replied and stood up.
Sheritra nodded and went outside. He followed her. The young woman saddled her two horses and filled the water bottles.
Then she swung onto the back of the black horse and looked expectantly at Seto, who, feeling slightly dizzy, heaved himself onto the other horse.Sheritra rolled her eyes in annoyance and rammed the black's heels into the flanks. In one leap he burst forward and raced up the hill. Seto followed, albeit more slowly. Now he had to ride after a girl too.
Mana rode alongside Tia and Jono without saying a word. She sighed deeply and looked around carefully. Where was the Pharaoh? She was really worried. Mana jumped out of her thoughts when Jono raised his voice:
"Mana, don't we want to rest here?"
The magician looked at him. Then she thought about it. Should they look any further or sleep first? Mana also worried why Geron hadn't come. She had a very strange feeling about him lately.
"Yeah okay, let's rest," said Mana with a sigh and looked at Tia, who was already half dead on her horse.
Mana got up and put down her things.
"Good guys, let's sleep first ..."
Jono and Tia lay down on the floor and immediately fell asleep.Mana stayed awake for a while until she fell asleep ...
Seto was half hanging on his horse, but he was still trying hard not to let it show. Sheritra had noticed it long ago.
"Shall we take a break?" she asked annoyed.
Seto looked over at her. No, he would handle it! So he shook his head and sat up again in the saddle. Sheritra growled something that he didn't understand. She stopped her horse and looked around at him.
"But the horses need a break ..."
Seto nodded annoyed, but he was grateful, very much in fact, that she had a reason to stop anyway. Sheritra got off the horse and tied it, she threw her blanket on the floor, sat crossed her arms and looked at Seto.
The Pharaoh looked back, got off his horse too, stumbled over to her and sat down, then let himself sink back and closed his eyes. Sheritra stared down at him for a few seconds with raised eyebrows, then lay down and closed her eyes.Unlike him, however, she did not sleep and heard someone approaching ...