Ancient Egyptian Practice, TAGGED: Egyptian speaking characters

Words in a strange tongue poured from Mark's mouth. In his hands rested a small book. The backing was genuine leather, and the pages were made of actual papyrus parchment. The ink on them had faded slightly, but it was still more than legible.

The book's cover bore a series of hieroglyphs, underneath of which was written, The History of Ancient Egypt, faithfully copied by Darian Valerious. That had been Mark's grandfather. His grandfather had been a novice archaeologist under the ones that had discovered the tomb of Pharaoh Tutankhamen. He continued to read, seated cross-legged on a mat spread on the ground.

The Pharaohs had been very superstitious, believing that they were the children of the gods themselves. To prevent those that despised the gods from defiling their rest, the pharaohs had their engineers design deadly traps and tricks along the passageways in their pyramids.

(((Anyone that actually speaks ancient Egyptian knows what he said. Otherwise, it sounded like gibberish)))

Sinkah had been wandering about, as it was a Thursday. There wasnt a whole lot to do as a brand new student, since the new halfyear term didnt happen until Monday. The day was nice enough for late March; It was warm, and held a slight breeze along the grassline. It reminded her of Egypt in the fall, only without the unending sands.

As she walked along, her ears pricked up a familliar sound - her language. But, it wasnt Sekhmet, for the vocals were male. Intenseky curious, Sinkah walked closer. There, with a book in hand, was the source of the voice.

"...The Pharaohs had been very superstitious, believing that they were the children of the gods themselves. To prevent those that despised the gods from defiling their rest, the pharaohs had their engineers design deadly traps and tricks along the passageways in their pyramids." the voice had said. He was very good at her language.

"Hah! Childeren to the God indeed. They were just stupid, misguided mortals with an inferiority complex. They were merely in charge of the other inferior rodents." she spoke, in her own tounge.

Mark looked up as someone commented on what he had read in the same tongue. He laughed. "Indeed," he said, still in ancient Egyptian. "And the other rodents were too scared of them to do anything about it. My grandfather found various writings, however, that many of the 'rodents' disbelieved what the pharaohs told them." He stood. "I am Marcus Valerious," he said, using his actual given name. It translated much more easily to Egyptian than Mark. He bowed low. "If I am not mistaken, you are a new student here as well?"

Sinkah nodded. "Yes, I am. I suppose this place needed my rule. You, are you from Egypt, Marcus?..." she replied, crossing her arms over her chest in her all-important stance. She herself was a child of one of the Gods, even if she was half rodent, so to speak. "The rodents were at least good as slaves..."

He shook his head with a sad smiled. "Sadly, I am not. I am from the United States, the country to the south of this one." He sighed. "But I was in Egypt for a few years while my parents were sorting out my grandfather's affairs when he died in an exploration accident." He shook his head. "He delved a little too deep into one of the pyramids."

Sinkah sat herself on the ground before him, relaxing casually. "Oh, which pyramid? I've been in a few..My mother likely oversaw one or two of them, perhaps it was one of HERS..." she spoke, as if it were common knowledge what she was. "Many of them weren't build very well, even a blind gnat could find the sarcofagas..."

He nodded, sitting back down. "It was one of the smaller ones. Apparently whatever Pharaoh had that one built didn't want to draw attention to himself. Because several of the rooms they had already been in held massive amounts of wealth." He looked up. "Your mother oversaw pyramids? But... not this one. There's no way. It wasn't open to the public yet. So she couldn't have been overseeing it."

Sinkah popped an eye. This human was certainly a bit dense. "SHE was there when they BUILT IT..." she replied, fingering the scorpion tattoo on her shoulder. "Mother was the Goddess Sekhmet..."

((Gah! Damn the small posts TO HELL!!!!))

Mark's eyes widened. "Sekhmet... is your mother? But... that means..." He shook his head. "Grandfather would be so pissed at me. He had heard that there actually were children of the gods. He always tried, alongside his research on the pyramids, to find one of them. And here I am talking to one, a full year to the day after his death." He smiled. "Somebody is trying to tell me something, I think."

Sinkah tilted her head to one side. She wasnt really expecting THAT reaction. Maybe reverence, but shock? What is it with these people in this time? They act as if the Gods were a myth!

"I am indeed from the days of the Gods...Isis cast me into THIS time, for Osiris was trying to kill me...Mother slept with a stupid human, and thus came me...Which is why Osiris wants me dead...I am half mortal..."

Mark nodded, slightly embarassed. "I'm the same way. My mother was a Siren. One of the ones from Greek mythology? She was the first to ever actually venture into the world of mortals." He shook his head. "My father wasn't the kindest man in the world, but at least he accepted me in spite of my... peculiar blood."

He smiled. "But that's all small change. I'm speaking to the child of a GOD, for crying out loud. Forgive me if I didn't show proper respect at first," he said, his tone now echoing what he was saying.

Sinkah nodded, approvingly. He finally learned his place. "I'm only considered an princess, for I cant ever be a true God...But, I still command the same level of utmost respect. I AM the child of Sekhmet..." she spoke, proudly. After a moment, she lifted her tail, which had been curled around her waist, appearing to be nothing more than a belt. She swished it to and fro, signalling her calm attitude. "I am the Scorpion Queen, Sinkah-Ra Osiris."

Mark bowed his head. Learned my place, have I? he thought. She really is a bit arrogant. He smiled as he looked back up at her. He knew precisely what he was doing as he looked her dead in the eyes. "And I am Marcus Valerious, Lord of the Sirens. Perhaps we can be of help to each other sometime in the future." A small twitch jerked one corner of his lip upward as he turned to look at the trees to either side of him.

Sinkah perked an eye, curiously. Something about this male spoke of danger and caution. She wasnt totally sure what it was, but it was probably best she didnt piss him off. "What sort of...help...were you thinking, Sir Marcus?"

He stood, humming a quick tune. "Well, sirens are notorious for their ability to lure even the most hardened people to their deaths. Normally it has been men, but that is because there has never been a child born to a siren. Now that that has been proven possible, there WILL be more male sirens besides me. I am the Lord of ALL Sirens. They listen to me, as scorpions do you." He smiled. She fears me, or at least fears to cross me. Good. "Those abilities could be of great use if used together. Imagine. A realm protected, not only by your scorpions, but by the sirens as well. If someone we don't want in the area enters, the sirens lure them to the scorpions, which proceed to kill them." An evil glint lit his eyes. "Sound good?"