Blessed Lands Egypt Chapter Twenty Four
Blessed Lands Egypt
Author: J Carrell Jones
Table of Content
Chapter 24
Ayruyi watched Akila out of the corner of her eye. Both women were in the kitchen making dinner. Honute had to put his foot down and tell Ayruyi to let Akila in there. Akila wanted to make a fig cake. She said it was a desert passed down from generation to generation in her family. Honute inched toward her and asked how long she wanted him to hold the cake under water. Akila looked perplexed. Honute inched his way toward the exit and said, “I figure it is rock hard by now. How old is that cake?” Akila and Honute both laughed. She told him to get out and stay out. Ayruyi had witnessed the whole shameless act of two lovers getting to know each other. One would tell a bad joke, the other would laugh like it was the funniest thing said. Ayruyi fumed over Akila’s smile and free spirited laugh. She likened it to freedom and wished she had it. She turned back to trimming pieces off a lamb shank. The knife blade neatly slicing off long thin silvers of fat and meat. She dropped into a trance and worked the knife automatically. All her life she dreamt of being free with kids, a house, and a husband, the perfect life and all the things that came with it. It was a favorite dream, with all the noises and sights she learned to weave with many years of practice. However, the man never had a face. His face was almost non-descript with the eyes, nose, and mouth a-sometimes-out-of-focus collection of parts, never sharpening to crystal clarity. He never had a face in all those years until today. The face was that of Honute, her temporary master, literally the man of her dreams. She was nearly done when her dream was broken by a happy Akila humming sweetly out loud. Ayruyi wheeled on Akila with a speed that would have intimidated her had she not been absently mindful of sweet nothings. Ayruyi felt her arm snap out and plunge the knife deep in Akila’s back. It made a wet tearing sound as it sliced through muscle and floating ribs.
Akila screamed sharply and grabbed at her back.
Ayruyi removed the knife and stared at Akila. On one level she was glad to have done it because Akila would die soon and Honute would be free to love her. On another level she was frightened because Akila would die soon and Honute would be angry. A wave of guilt and shame surrounded her like cold fingers of despair. She choked out a cry and wept. “Oh Goddess Isis, what have I done!”
Honute ran in and saw blood flowing from Akila’s back.
Ayruyi stopped crying and turned toward Honute. She stepped over Akila and said, “Master, I am sorry. I did this because I love you. Don’t punish me.”
Honute stood frozen at the scene, Akila bleeding on the floor and Ayruyi pleading not to be punished. “What have you done?” He yelled, a temper he hadn’t felt in years sprung from somewhere deep inside him. He went to help Akila when Ayruyi thrusted the knife in front of him.
“I love you.” Ayruyi yelled. “I did this for you!” It sounded like so much desperation that it even sickened Ayruyi.
Honute grabbed her wrist and tossed her sideways into the far wall.
Ayruyi hit it like a doll and collapsed to the floor. “I did it for you, Master” Tears flowed down her cheeks. “I did it for you. Can’t you see that?”
Honute ignored her and pressed firmly on the flowing wound.
Ayruyi pounded the floor with fists and yelled, “I did this for you. You are the one I love. I did this for you.”
Honute turned and yelled, “Shut up and call for help!”
Ayruyi looked at her master caring over Akila. Anger replaced shame, rage replaced guilt. She got up and ran toward Honute.
Honute sensed her charge before he saw it. Instinctively, his foot shot back and hit Ayruyi square in the chest.
Ayruyi lost her wind and clinched her chest. Honute’s foot would leave a very nasty bruise. She collected herself and lunged.
Honute turned with his hand outstretched. He braced himself as he knew the blade would slip cleanly through it. As the blade touched his skin the entire metal splatted to the ground in a semi-solid mass.
Ayruyi stopped and stared. Honute, stunned, stared also. He looked at his hand and began to wonder. Ayruyi watched the play of emotions on his face, a seemingly random montage of distortion.
Honute felt that different something again. The first time was at the hospital. This was the second. He held his breathe and knelt next to Akila. She was already unconscious. Something urged him to place his hand on her now trickling wound. He pressed hard and felt burning energy seep from and through his fingers. Little prickling pulses sliced along the surface of his skin and he “saw” a soft green glow cover his hand. It grew brighter and brighter as the burning sensation became almost unbearable. Then as quickly as it started it was gone. He lifted his hand away and stood up. He looked down at Akila and said, “Rise.”
Akila opened her eyes and saw Honute staring down at her. His lovely robe was covered in blood but he was smiling at her. He told her to “rise.” She felt a receding throb of pain where the knife wound had been. It all happened fast. She reached around and felt the torn and sliced through clothing but didn’t feel the gaping wound. She reached up and let Honute lift her to her feet, “How?” She asked.
Honute smiled and said, “By Thoth’s will and power. By his will and power I tell you. He has manifested in me the power to heal.” His eyes welled up. “I can do this. I can help the sick in Thoth’s name.”
Akila watched Honute. She was proof that something miraculous happened. She looked at the melted mass of metal at Honute’s feet and an Ayruyi on the floor.
Ayruyi looked up with tears in her eyes. She saw the miracle. Her master healed Akila in witness to her eyes. She repositioned herself and knelt in front of Honute. “Oh, Master Honute, Healing Priest, I bow to you my humble form and give you my life. I witnessed the miracle of power and you are my living god, the embodiment of Ra, Horus, Osiris, Pharaoh.” She started giggling. It was slow and soft, then built up to a frightening hysteria of laughter. She tore her clothes off in a crazed possessed way and rubbed Akila’s blood over her body. She screamed out, “I am witness to a new god. Glory be to the mighty Master Honute. Honute-Ra I say! Honute-Ra!”
Honute was shocked. He grabbed at Ayruyi’s thrashing body as it tried to cover itself in blood.
She screamed again. “Honute-Ra! Honute-Ra! I am your slave. Command me.” She laughed wildly and embraced Honute in a passionate hold. She sobbed and laughed and giggled and moaned and rubbed herself against him. She screamed out loud again as she reached an orgasm. Its intensity enveloped her in a crash of intense convulsions. It peaked within seconds and she blacked out.
Honute sat there holding a passed out Ayruyi, who was moaning and giddy at the same time.
Akila knelt beside him. “Is she all right?”
He nodded. Then the realization hit him. Ayruyi’s reaction may not be so unusual. It hit him harder. Suppose others react the same way. His mind raced and he felt dizzy. “Oh Thoth, what have you done!”
Akila looked at Honute and said, “What do you mean?”
He placed his blood covered hand to his forehead. “All is lost. They’re going to treat me like a god. This is going to be a curse.”
Then it hit Akila. Honute was right. The other shoe just dropped.
Ayruyi woke up in bed. She had a bad dream and was glad it was only a dream. It was about how she tried to murder Akila and that Honute had turned into a god. She stretched and yawned and had wondered how she got here. Then she got scared and jumped out of bed. She was in Master Honute’s bed. Even though he was a wonderful master and kind and caring he would surely punish her for being in his bed. She looked around and noted nothing out of place. Then she thought maybe the Master had bedded her. She smiled at the thought and tried to dredge up the moment. Nothing was there. She frowned and sat on a nearby chair. Something had to have happened to have her sleeping in his bed, but the only thing that kept coming to mind was that horrible dream. The one with her holding a knife and thrusting it in the Akila’s back and then her attacking Honute and witnessing him disarm her and then healing Akila. She remembered an overwhelming erotic feeling come over her. It was like she went mad and sensuality overtook and controlled her body. The words of her chanting Honute-Ra surfaced and she had a sinking feeling that it wasn’t a dream. She walked to the door, opened it, looked out and saw no one. She stepped out into the hallway and stopped at the living room entry. She saw Honute and Akila curled up in a sheet next to the fire. Both seemed to be naked. Tears welled up and she started to cry as she realized it was not a dream. She ran to the two and collapsed at their feet. “Master Honute, Personage Akila, forgive me, please.”
Honute woke with a start and saw Ayruyi run toward him. She dropped to her knees, crying.
Akila opened her eyes to see Ayruyi begging for forgiveness. She kept going on and on about how sorry she was.
Ayruyi cried and bowed, all the while apologizing. “I am so sorry. So sorry.”
Honute sat up and the sheet fell away from him. He was exposed.
Ayruyi blushed and looked away. No longer can she bear witness to Master Honute-Ra, her god. Shame had overcome her as she remembered she wanted to make love to him just the day before. Her body shivered as she thought about the consequences for such a thought. Gods are to be worshiped and loved, not scandalously lusted over for erotic gratification. She was appalled at herself. She bowed faster and begged louder.
Honute stood up, but didn’t think about his nudity. “Ayruyi!” He snapped.
Ayruyi, startled, shut up. She stared down at the carpet, rocking back and forth.
Akila got up and placed a hand over Ayruyi’s shoulder.
Ayruyi shrank inward and cried harder.
Akila held her and whispered in her ear. “It is okay Ayruyi. I forgive you. Stop crying.”
Through tear covered vision Ayruyi saw a divine beauty in Akila. Akila was the most beautiful woman in all the Blessed Lands and she would do anything to show her worthiness to be in her favor. She had done the worst offense to this personage and now she was forgiven. Ayruyi swore she would protect Akila with her life. She stopped crying.
Akila said, “Good that’s better. Are you feeling better?”
Ayruyi nodded and wiped away the tears. Her eyes puffy and red now, she said the only really decent thing, she believed at this moment, to say. “How may I serve you, Personage Akila?”
Akila smiled, hugged her and said. “I am glad you are doing okay. I was worried.”
Tears started to well up in Ayruyi’s eyes again and her bottom lip started to shake. Shame and a sense of unworthiness started to descend over her.
Akila said, “Stop it. No more tears,” as she started to lift Ayruyi up.
Honute, in a robe now, moved to the side and helped lift Ayruyi.
Ayruyi nearly passed out from his touch.
Akila shooed him off with instructions to bring Ayruyi something to drink.
Ayruyi’s heart skipped a beat. Personage Akila ordered Master Honute to the kitchen to do domestic work. All was lost she felt.
Akila placed her on the couch. “Ayruyi, I do forgive you.”
Ayruyi stared as long as she dared into Akila’s eyes. She hoped that the Personage was not trying to trick her. She nodded.