An epitome of light and beauty is what they called it. Egypt, the capital of the northern region. Young, beautiful and in her prime. Egypt was envied all over the world.
Not even the poisonous stench of the Titan war could ruin the sweet smell of her beauty.
The Endless war between gods and titans.
Countless dead on both sides, the sands of time moved to a time when gods still lived on earth. A time when the winds of rain brought battle in the deserts.
The winds of the desert travelled across sand dunes and onto the green pastures with livestock, above the current of The Nile and over the green hills of the Nile, gusting on the white silk robe of Khaldun.
The young demi god lied flat on his belly as he aimed his knotted bow at a deer below the hills and on the bank of the river.
Calculating the wind, waiting for when it would side his aim. He shot his arrow, leaving the deer no time to evade.
He beamed with smile and was about to run down to see, he stopped in his steps. A group of men came out of the river behind his hunt. They looked drenched. He wanted to go closer but decided to wait a little longer.
One of the men saw the deer and moved closed to it, removed the arrow, widened the hole with his hands and dipped one hand inside the deer, pulling out it's heart, "What the -- That's my kill," Khaldun thought angrily, still convinced to wait a bit.
The man ate the heart and gave other parts to his accomplices. They dined on the demigod's kill without noticing him.
"Okay that's it," Khaldun stamped his feet on the ground, to walk down the hill to confront the stupid mortals. What he saw next stopped him dead in his tracks, he lied down flat against the green tall grasses.
One of the men growled as he increased in height and monstrosity. Bones broke and rearranged. Completing it's transformation into a titan. Khal could not believe what he was seeing, but he was revered for his good eye sight which is said could to only rival Horus's.
The others transformed afterwards, each came close to 20ft into the air. Average titan height. They are more flexible and agile than bigger ones. They also had an acute sense of smell which only got better after they'd consume blood.
Khaldun knew he had to run. He knew was outnumbered. Six to one is no drill, even for a pure god. He crept back up the hill before they picked up his scent. He managed to roll to the other side of hill, and when he believed he was out of sight, unleashed his wings, came out of his back and flapped him into the air.
***************
In Egypt young gods were taught and educated. And less known gods of writing and knowledge worked under Thoth to teach them. One of them found Khaldun to be missing.
Khal found the others standing outside.
"Where have you been?" Bomani, young god asked Khal.
Khal's eyes rolled as he thought of an excuse. "I .... " he blinked twice and shook his head as if in deep thought, "I – "
"Seshat was looking for you a while back," Sekhmet said behind him.
Khal shouted, " What for?"
"Something about taking you to the disciplinary council," Sekhmet had zero emotions on her face.
Khal's eyes widened, "You didn't see me and I didn't see you," he told Sekhmet, "Got it?"
"Got it," the goddess retorted. Khal increased his pace.
"You still haven't told me where you went," Bomani shouted across the small distance.
"I went hunting," Khal shouted back.
"With who?" Bomani ran after him.
"Alone. Like I always do." He noticed Bomani coming after him. He stopped to answer his short time friend.
Bomani was going to ask more questions when Seshat appeared.
"Hello Khaldun." Seshat greeted warmly. No sign of grudge in her voice. Khaldun was silent and stared.
Seshat shook her head, awaiting a response from Khal. "Well? Don't you have some explaining to do," Khal was still silent. It irritated Seshat, "Stupid demigod, an abomination with an abominable an abominable character. Save it for when you face the disciplinary council," She was both angry and malicious.
"Discriminative piece of shit," Khal finally said.
Other students had slowly gathered around them. One of the young gods blew his horn. Some laughed loud enough for Seshat to hear.
"You are in big trouble now mister," Seshat folded her arms sternly.
Khaldun knew he couldn't escape what was coming next, so he decided not to delay the inevitable. A session with the disciplinary council. He had been there before.
"So do you have any good reason for disrespecting your teacher? Not that we hope you have one." A member of the council spoke . White robes, all four of them. Gold bracelets same as Khal's but theirs had writings on them. Grey hair to match their infinite wisdom.
Khal stared at all four of them, thinking of what to say, "Well I –"
"Why were you not in class?" Another member interrupted him. That was on purpose and Khal knew it.
"I went hunting. It wasn't supposed to take long but … I saw something."
"What did you see?" The wisest among them, a judge among the forty-two judges of the afterlife.
Khal couldn't say. He doubted his eyes. He was silent. His silence irritated the other three councilmen and Seshat.
"He's lying. How can we be sure he saw anything?" Seshat complained with bitterness for Khal in her eyes.
"For a god of wisdom, you shouldn't be quick to anger. He did see something. You can tell from the hesitation in his eyes. Afraid to tell, maybe because of his past record of mis - see." The wise council god said half to Seshat.
Khal was still silent. The first council - god spoke again, "The council will give you till the end of the Festival of the gods to say what you saw. After that we'll exert the necessary punishments on you. You may go."
Khal bowed and smiled. He left them shortly. He could hear Seshat screaming in the background. You can't just let him go. Not like that. He insulted me. We can't let these demigods to keep having their way.
Her words were exactly the opposite. Demigods were never allowed to have their way. Khal was just lucky.
His friends waited for him outside the hall. He came out all smiles. The other young gods crowded him eagerly to know what happened.
"So they just let you go?" Bomani asked.
Khal nodded, "With punishment pending on if what I saw is good enough to get me off the hook completely,"
Tabia cocked an eyebrow, "What did you see? You know you can tell us anything." She insisted.
Khal was silent again. "I hate it when he does that." Tahirah complained about Khal's attitude of being quiet when those around him are dying of curiosity.
"Sorry. It's just that… " he sighed, "I'm not sure of what I saw." Bomani's eyes widened, "He's not serious, is he?"
"He can't be," Tahira assured. Khal turned sharply at them, "Tahira tell me everything you know about Titans."
Tahira paused then continued, "Okay. They are big. Fast. Have very destructive abilities."
"And they vary in size. Small ones are easy to deal with at the same time more difficult." Tabia added.
"Hmm… so nothing about size or shape alteration," Khal said in a tone almost close to a whisper.
"I don't think I understand what that means," Bomani rubbed his bald head.
"Isn't that a demigod's thing?" Tahira asked no one in particular.
"Later," Khal waved his hands.
"Hate it when he does that." Tahira complained again. "Ah! He's so handsome," Tabia sighed.
Bomani and her sister looked at her surprisingly, "You know our mother would never allow you marry a demigod," Her sister spoilt her daydreaming.
"I know but people change, right?" Tabia smiled, shaking her head, tingling the gold bracelets on her dark long hair.
"Yes. But not mother."
*************
The Palaces, Halls and Courts of the gods were godlike. Only gods were allowed in them with the exception of the sons and daughters of noble mortals. Nobles were the Architects, Armourers, Ministers and Priests.
Zahra was the daughter of an Architect. Glowing skin, brown eyes, shoulder length brown hair and a sweet smile to sooth. She was quite respectful and kind for a nobleman's daughter. Perhaps it was this that about her that stole the heart of her suitors.
She was in one of the courts. Studying design patterns. Khal saw her and stopped to admire her. He was about to call her name when a figure bumped into him, dropping his scribes and scrolls.
He quickly went down to pick them up. The figure was Sethos. "Sorry I didn't see you there. Was caught up in my soliloquy." Sethos apologized.
"No it's nothing." Khal was still looking at Zahra. She had already seen him.
Sethos rose up to leave with his now arranged scribes.
"You look familiar?" Sethos asked.
"Yeah so do you. Set… Sethos, is it?"
"Yes it is. And you would be Khal, Khalid."
"It's Khaldun," Khal chuckled lightly. Sethos laughed a bit. "Thank You Khal. I'll call you Hal. See you around,"
By the time Sethos was gone. Zahra had left. It made Khal hiss. Not trying to find her.
*************
In a place so dark, one would call it the home of Kek, god of darkness.
A man whose silhouette spoke to the shape shifting Titans.
"Did anyone see you?" The man asked.
"No. We made sure of it."
"Good. Blend in. You'll all wreak havoc on the day of the Festival of The Gods."