A Long Time from Home Pt. 02 Ch. 02

Author's notes:

This is the continuation of 'A Long Time from Home' and if you haven't read that, I advise you to do so.

The series is self-edited, so any mistakes are mine, though I now have a proofreader, that can catch missing words ect. Thanks to Jessejames932006 for doing that.

Some of the chapters will take place in the ancient past and while I have done a lot of research for that, there might be small errors here and there. If you think you found such an error in the story, please double check to be sure that you're correct and then PM me about it, so I can fix it. :)

Due to its length, I placed ALTFH under the 'Novels and Novellas' section, but as you can see, ALTFH II is placed in the 'Sci-fi and Fantasy' section, which fits it better due to the elements of magic that's in it. At least in my opinion :)

Have fun and while you're at it, please rate the chapter and leave a comment :)

I have stated that I would upload chapters of 'Into the Chaos' (my Star Wars: The Old Republic story) every other time and that is still the case.

About the notation:

Mental communication is denoted by a < and ends with a >, so a mental communication will look like this: "< Who are you? >"

Some warnings:

This is erotic action adventure, meaning that there will be both sex and violence, but I don't mix the two.

This story is posted on the Literotica website and the author does not give permission for it to be reposted or reprinted anywhere else without consent.

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Chapter 2 -- Flashback: Trouble in Kemet

Men-nefer, Kemet (Egypt)

Despite the disappearance of human magic, caused by Baylon's return to its home dimension, life in Kemet was the same as ever. At least here in Men-nefer, where I was currently living. Originally, I had planned on living in my dad's house in Pi-Ramesses, but there were too many memories there to make it comfortable, so I had emptied it of everything from Baylon before I had sold it and moved to the smaller townhouse in Men-nefer.

Another reason for the sale was that after Ramesses II had died from old age, his successor Pharaoh Merneptah, had decided to use Men-nefer as his capital. Consequently, Pi-Ramesses had become less popular and when a rich merchant had given me an offer, I had immediately accepted, since I suspected that in a few years, the house would be worth a lot less.

The sale of the house also gave me money to live on, while I pondered my future here in the human world. Fortunately, Vis and self-affecting Ars Mentalis was still working, while ranged use of Power, be it Ars Mentalis or Ars Magica, either failed or went horribly wrong, while ranged Vis Vitae had become unstable and rarely yielded the same result two times in a row.

Since I used mostly self-affecting powers, it wasn't too bad for me, but after almost frying myself a few times, I had inserted an Ars Mentalis condition in my mind, that prevented me from using ranged powers without consciously overriding the condition.

All in all, the change caused by The Return was mostly an inconvenience to me, but it was an outright catastrophe for the human power users, such as mages, priests, shamans, and warlocks.

According to stories I had heard from the merchants in Men-nefer, many of the human power users across this part of the world had suffered horrible casualties as their, mostly ranged, magic backfired on them. The same went for potion creators, as any distance from the power user to the target could create catastrophic results and potions creators rarely touched the boiling liquids they were trying to enchant.

For most countries, the loss of their power users was a disaster, as it affected how well their armies defended the homeland and its people. It was something that had become extremely important, as war was brewing all over the area.

Judging from what I've heard from the traders, there was no doubt in my mind that most of it was due to the disappearance of Baylon, the resettlement of the former slaves and the cursed swords of the Pulcher family. The Securitas Externa had done their best to locate and destroy or remove the cursed swords, but Baylon had returned to its home dimension before all of them could be found and as a result, kings and warlords had gathered armies as they took their people to war, promising new land, and riches.

As many of the warring tribes travelled by ship, it was especially the coastal areas and nations that suffered, as the raiders fell upon them.

In that respect, Kemet was fortunate. It might have a long coastline up towards the Hittite Empire, but Kemet itself was well protected against attacks from the Middle Sea area, with the desert on two sides and half the upper part occupied by the Nile Delta, which was not ideal terrain for any approaching army.

All in all, that meant that the only 'easy' way into Kemet was from Tjehenu, the area located to the west of Lower Kemet, and home of the Libu-tribes.

It was also the reason why I was walking through the streets of Men-Nefer going to the palace, responding to a summons from Pharaoh Merneptah. The summons hadn't come with an explanation, but when the living embodiment of Ra asked you to come, you dropped whatever you were doing and went to see him. Everything else would be insulting. However, the courier that brought the summons had told me that it was about an invasion from Tjehenu and to make matters worse, only half the army stationed in Kemet itself was in Lower Kemet. The other half was in upper Kemet, fending off a Nubian raid.

On the bright side, Merneptah was one of the better persons to have on the throne during an invasion as he had been Overseer of the Army for a couple of decades before he was promoted to Crown Prince, and thus knew warfare.

The biggest question in my mind was why he had summoned me, but my best guess was that it was in my capacity as a Royal Healer. A title that had been bestowed on me by Merneptah's father, Ramesses the Great, after I had healed his stiff and inflamed joints, giving him at least five more years to live.

Traditionally the Pharaoh led the army personally whenever he could and as far as I remembered, Merneptah had to be around seventy by now, which was very old for most humans, and unless I missed my guess, I was supposed to go along as his personal healer, since the Kemetian healers had been severely handicapped by the loss of their potion magic.

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The palace at Pi-Ramesses was as impressive as always, but I didn't see much of it as I was ushered into a beautifully decorated audience chamber, where Pharaoh Merneptah was sitting, attended only by a couple of extremely good-looking women.

Looking somewhat like his father, Mernepath was tall and though old, it was clear to see that he had once been a powerful warrior. The biggest difference was that where Ramesses had red hair, Mernepath was almost completely bald.

Unfortunately, it seemed like he suffered the same stiffening of the joints as his father, and as he drank from a golden cup, the small movement alone looked like it caused him pain.

The courier ignored them and walked towards the throne, going to one knee as he came nearer.

"My king, Embodiment of Ra, I present to you Ivah the Healer, Grandson of Horemheb. By the grace of Ra, Ptah, and Sekhmet, he is here to heal your physical body that holds the immortal glory of Ra."

It was almost word for word the same introduction Tia had given, when I had been introduced to Ramesses II, proving that while the world around us was changing, court etiquette remained the same.

Merneptah looked at me in disbelief. "You look too young to be the one that healed my father more than a decade ago. Tell me, who else was present that day and where it happened?"

"Yes, your Majesty. The healing took place at Prince Khaemweset house, and he was present most of the time." I took off the signet ring Ramesses had given me and handed it to the courier. "This is the signet ring I was given as a reward."

The courier studied the ring carefully, before handing it back to me. "It is the ring, your Majesty."

Merneptah looked intensely at me, causing me to meet his gaze openly. It was a gamble, as some rulers would feel threatened by it, but I trusted my instincts. Mernepath had been at the court of Ramesses the Great for most of his life and Ramesses had valued the truth.

A little smile crept onto the Pharoah's face. "My father left me a note, stating that if I ever wanted serious aid, medical or otherwise, the family and offspring of Horemheb were the ones to ask as they were blessed by Bastet: Skilled in both healing and combat, but with as all cats, one should not expect humility." The smile widened. "It seems like he was right."

There wasn't much I could say to that, so I nodded politely without saying anything, causing him to continue. "Anyway, the Libyans are invading us and according to our scouts, they are not alone. Several Sea People tribes have joined them and so far, they have already taken the Field of Threes oasis and are moving towards the Nile Delta. Thus, I will go out and defeat them, but this mortal body is frail and any healing you can do, will help."

I bowed deeply. "It shall be as you wish, my King."

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Like his father before him, Merneptah sighed with relief when I used acupuncture to block the pain and became very talkative, telling me of the battles he had led as Overseer of the Army and Crown Prince, before his thoughts turned to the coming battle and how he intended to beat the Liby invaders.

He had fought them in the past and like last time, his tactics were primarily centred around the war chariots, using them to break up the enemy supported by the foot soldiers and the archers, which was the same tactics that both the Kemetians and Hittites had been using for centuries.

There was, however, one piece of information that caught my attention. Unlike what I had thought, it wasn't just the Libu tribe that was invading. Somehow, most likely by paying them, they had gotten the help of no less than five of the raiding tribes, which not only added a lot of warriors to the Libyan army, but also posed a problem for the Kemetian army in another way.

"Excuse me, my King." I said as I looked up from the needles I was inserting in a joint. "I know it's not my place to..."

"If you have any thoughts, give them to me, Grandson of Horemheb." He commanded, showing his worn-down teeth in a smile. "I've been an army commander too long to not take advice."

"As you wish, my King." I gathered my thoughts, drawing on the countless hours I had spent studying tactics as part of my education. "If you use that tactic against the Sea People, you will lose the battle. As far as the merchants tell me, that tactic is exactly what the Tinayuan (Kemetian: The Greeks) used, and many of their northern cities are now in ruins. The Sea People know how to counter war chariots, so leading with them is a loss waiting to happen, and I suspect that it's the very reason the Libyans have hired them."

Merneptah was silent for a moment, but then nodded. "You might be right. If that is the case, what do you suggest?"

"Well, your Highness, our footmen are lighter armored than the Sea Peoples warriors, so that won't work either, which leaves only the archers."

The Kemetians had adopted the recurve bow during the time of my grandfather and had many well-trained archers, though those were usually used to defend their fortresses.

"Ra is, as always, your ally, my King," I said, referring to Ra as the Sun God. "The Sea People is not used to the sun here and the longer the battle takes, the more Sea People will be at a disadvantage, as Ra heats up their armor. Bait them into attacking your position with the chariots, pelt them with arrows as they charge, stop them with footmen and force them to withdraw, and then pelt them with arrows again. Hold your ground and then do it again. Once the Sea People are broken, the chariots will run over the Libyans."

The Pharaoh fell silent, and I started a new Vis Meditation. As always, that made me unable to react to my surroundings, but being in the palace of one of the most powerful men in the world, I doubted that anything unfortunate would happen.

Merneptah stayed silent and thoughtful for the rest of my healing, which I was grateful for. Inflammation in the joints required me to heal each joint at a time, using the familiar combination of Vis and herbs, and it required a lot of concentration.

The spine was even more inflamed than the rest and I spent all my remaining energy to heal what I could and lessen the pain in the areas that I couldn't heal without the use of Ars Mentalis, which I simply didn't dare use.

Without healing potions, the inflammation would return in some years, but there wasn't anything I could do about that. At least it wasn't as bad as Ramesses' had been, but then again, Ramesses had been quite a few years older when I was called on to heal him, and the younger age worked in favour of Merneptah.

He looked on, as I slowly removed the needles. "Is the healing finished?"

"Yes, your Highness." I removed the last needle. "There isn't much more I can do. I will give the court healer a recipe for an herb-mixture for a tea that will help with both the pain and the inflammation, but that will not help now."

The Pharaoh hesitantly stood and like his father, it was with a shocked expression in the face as if he had expected pain and didn't feel any. He was smiling as he looked at me. "It seems like my father's tale about your healing powers wasn't as fantastic as I thought it was, Ivah, Grandson of Horemheb."

I bowed. "Thank you, your Majesty, but as I told your father, the inflammation is still there and will start to spread again in about four or five years. Drinking the tea will postpone that but not indefinitely."

"It's the will of the Gods, that mortal bodies don't last forever." He said in a resigned tone of voice and sent me a speculative look. "Are you as good at healing combat wounds as you are with ailments from old age?"

Knowing where it was going, I swallowed a sigh and nodded. "Yes, your Majesty, but I cannot heal that many people. My skills are limited to single persons."

"Perfect." He declared. "I have need of a healer in case one of my sons are wounded, so you will accompany me on this expedition." He smiled. "Don't worry, besides the fifty deben of gold you have already earned for your excellent work here, you'll be richly awarded."

For a moment I was close to refuse but as I was living in his country and had my house here, that was flat out impossible, so I just bowed. "I'm honoured, my King."

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The Battle of Perire

Kemet, 1208 BC

As usual in Kemet, the sun was merciless as it beat down on the two armies that had gathered outside a little town called Perire. One was the relatively small Kemetian army, while the other was the larger Libyan army along with their Sea People allies.

The size wasn't the only difference between the two armies. The Libyan army was separated into loosely coherent groups that serves as companies and the same went for the Sea People. The Kemetian, on the other hand, were professional soldiers and not raiders, which showed in the sharp disciplined way their companies stood.

The equipment of the two armies were also vastly different. Armed with spears and axes, the Kemetian were lightly armored, using mostly padded cloth armor, with strips of leather or bronze attached for added protection. The shield added even more protection, especially when standing in formation.

The Libu army was even lighter armored, but the Sea People were using metal armor, carrying shields and long swords, that would become a problem, should they come into close combat with the lighter Kemetian soldiers.

The battleground hadn't been chosen at random. Due to the landscape, it was one of the few places in northern Kemet where it was possible to make a stand without the other army being able to go around. So, if the Libu and their allies wanted to take more land in Kemet, or just keep what they had already taken, they had to attack the Kemetian army.

I adjusted my hat to cover the eyes a bit more, thankful that I was standing in the shade of the palm trees and not out there in the burning sun. On the other hand, the Kemetians were used to it and their troops were well supplied with water from the many runners that carried jugs between the companies.

Trumpets blared in the mid-morning air and as I watched, the Kemetian companies stepped several paces to the side, creating holes in their formation to let the war chariots through. The colourful plumes on top of the horse's head swaying in the breeze along with the blankets covering the horses, creating rivers of colours against the rough desert ground, while the hooves on the ground sounded like thunder.

Like the Nile itself, they spread out like a river delta until they were advancing towards the enemy line as one long front.

There was movement in the Libyan formations as spearmen were brought to the front, but before the two lines crashed, the chariots suddenly took a turn and drove along the length of the enemy lines, the archers behind the driver on each chariot letting arrows fly into the enemy ranks as fast as they could.

Cries went out from the Libyan lines, but they stayed where they were, shields up to deflect as many arrows as possible.

Trumpets sounded once more and as one, the chariots tuned and drove the other way. They were a little closer to the Libyan lines this time, resulting in more hits from the archers. Libyan archers began returning fire, but without hitting much.

Finally, someone had enough and with a shout, some of the Sea People charged the chariots, correctly assuming the mounted archers couldn't get them all, before they reached them.

I grimaced. Unless those chariots did something, they were going to be slaughtered.

The thought had barely run through my mind, before the trumpets sounded the third time, causing the chariots to turn and drive back towards the Kemetian lines, the archers shooting arrows against the pursuing horde.

Another trumpet sounded. From the sound of it, it was a lighter trumpet this time and as one the row of archers behind the soldiers raised their recurve bow towards the cloudless sky. Another note and several thousand archers let their arrows fly.

The arrows flew over the retreating chariots like a giant cloud of birds and descended on the enemy, causing havoc as they missed, wounded, or killed indiscriminately, while the chariots drove into the passages between the soldiers. A moment later the footmen closed the holes behind the chariots, presenting a solid front to the enemy, with some of the companies kneeling on the ground to allow the archers behind them to fire their arrows directly at the enemy.

The pursuing Libyans and Sea People stopped abruptly as their targets disappeared. A moment later a flight of arrows hammered into the ones closest to the Kemetian lines. This time it wasn't indirect volley fire, but arrows fired directly at the attackers, cutting them down like wheat before a sickle.

The Libyans and Sea People hastily retreated, holding their shield up as they retreated through the hail of arrows. As the range increased, the archers went back to indirect volley fire, causing the retreating forces to hold their shields over their heads instead. Some made it back to their own lines, but most lay slain on the ground, pierced by volleys of arrows.