Sekhmet's War by Deidre

Introduction to Hell

Sekhmet's War

She had been born beneath the full moon of Nut, Goddess of the sky, and only by the grace of the Mother Goddess had she even survived the difficult birth. Her mother, High Priestess of Dendera, had experienced several signs during her pregnancy that her child would not survive. Healers and Seers alike foretold the baby as a stillborn child, or at least being short-lived.

And yet...

Silently, her bright blue eyes opened for the first time in the candlelight, and in awe, the birthing nurses took her away to be cleansed in Holy water. Even before the priestesses could cleanse her, magic rippled like water on her skin, a light pink mirage against her tanned flesh.

"Taweret has protected my child," her mother had whispered happily, before succumbing to post-partum slumber. "Praise the Goddess of life. And the child... call her Kagome."

As she grew, Kagome knew only peace in the calming city of Dendera. She wasn't taught how to fight, as her Holy tutors thought only to teach her how to heal, and purify. Convinced that she was truly a daughter of Isis, Kagome was given a jewel necklace to signify her purity and power; a pinkish purple sphere, dangling around her neck as innocently as the child who wore it. Kagome had never seen violent bloodshed, let alone war; why should she need to fight?

Her answer arrived at the tender age of eight, on the night of a new moon, when her mother was murdered.

"AAAAHHH!!" The sudden scream was terrible, ripping right up Kagome's spine and sending tremors coursing through her veins. The sound itself was not as bad as the realization that the cry of agony had come from the room next door; her mother's private bed chambers.

Kagome threw herself out of her bed, her tiny feet hitting the polished wooden floor in time with her rapidly beating heart as she raced to the door of her mother's bed chambers. After struggling with the door's handle (her hands shook too much to properly open it), she finally managed to rush into the room.

"Mother?!"

Her answer was lying upon the floor, crumpled lifelessly in a pool of blood. Kagome's eyes widened, and her mind withdrew as if protecting her from the horrors of that night. She didn't pay attention to the flames that engulfed her peaceful home, or the ropes that were tired roughly about her wrists. A man grabbed at the jewel around her neck, but her eyes never left her mother's form as her power flared, sending a streak of magenta flame up the man's arm. He shrieked in agony, but Kagome heard nothing. Only the man in the shadows took her attention away; he smiled at her victoriously as he wiped the splatters of blood from his silver blade.

The rest of the night was a haze. She remembered the freezing desert air, the way the roped bit harshly into her wrists as she was tugged along in a chain of prisoners. Slave-trading. It was not uncommon in Egypt, but Kagome was still surprised beyond reason when she discovered just who had raided her peaceful home and taken her life away.

Naraku, warlord of the Mediterranean Sea, had come to Egypt.

Kagome was strong. Her priestess abilities were amazingly advanced as a child; a blessing from Isis, Goddess of magic and healing. Kagome's powers were now dormant. The trauma of seeing her mother's body, she supposed, had shocked them away.

Upon her capture, everything she owned was sold or taken away, replaced by scratchy rags that barely kept her warm enough to survive. Any jewelry she wore (gold bracelets and chains, her piercings, etc.) was taken and sold, but the traders realized upon seeing her necklace that she was a priestess in training. They tugged and pulled at the necklace, but it did not come off.

"Remove the necklace, wench!"

She didn't reply; she merely stared up at them with blank defiance. The trader, angered, knocked her to the ground with a quick backhand. He swore to sell her the very next chance he got, threatening her, even, with making her stand before the buyers naked. If her body didn't do the trick, the gem around her neck along with it certainly would.

Needless to say, the traders were not happy that one of their women had been labeled as cursed. In the large cities, rumors spread fast; Kagome was officially a cursed and dangerous woman. No man would touch her.

The traders, of course, were furious. Several plans to remove the jewel from her neck had been tried and failed. One man tried to cut the leather band that was wrapped about her throat, but his sword chipped as if he had swung at stone. Kagome felt a wave of pride rush through her. She had not been destined to submit and follow the orders of these men; she was meant to fight, and the Gods had been helping her the entire time. For two long years, she was maltreated due to her gem. Her life had become routine:

Stand in line upon a platform. Make no sound as the customers examined you.

But Kagome prayed, her strong faith unmarred by her misfortune.

Oh Shining One, who dwells in the heavens, Oh Almighty One, may you grant me protection from evil. Oh my father, brother, and mother- Isis! Watch over my soul and grant me thy Holy protection. I give you praise, Oh Lord of the Gods.

Every auction, she alone remained standing on the podium. Every auction, buyers ignored her, avoided her like she had a transferable disease. Kagome knew, however, that with this stroke of blessing, her captors would turn it into a curse.

And then, in her eighteenth year, her world was turned inside out.

Kagome, now blossoming into a young woman, had grown to be quite beautiful despite her upbringing in the harsh desert, and gained her education from the prisoners who had been taken from richer cities where education was more common. Though her emotional state had stabilized as she grew accustomed to the idea of her slavery, her defiant spirit did not calm a bit. In fact, the urge to rebel was stronger than ever. Kagome could feel it in the heated wind: something was about to change.

Thebes was the richest city in all of Egypt. She had been there before during her rounds as a slave, but never had she been able to travel about the city. The Pharaoh was a God. Or so he expected his subjects to believe. He had superhuman strength, speed, and senses, and his sons, the princes of Egypt, were just as inhuman. One of them, she had heard, possessed the ears of a dog, and he was rumored to be the reincarnation of Anubis, the guardian of the dead.

"Yeah right," Kagome muttered under her breath. She panted lightly under the insufferable sun, yet pushed herself to keep walking through the crippling heat. The traders, cozy and shaded in their caravans, cracked their whips to keep the lagging slaves from falling too far behind. At least, Kagome reminded herself, they would stop by the Nile in order to cross. The water would feel like ice against her tanned skin.

"Halt!" Everyone turned to see a red and white carriage rumbling towards them, the horses whinnying in protest, but moving nonetheless. The man who had spoken, a guard of some sort, ran forward to meet up with the traders. "His Majesty the Prince demands that you stop!"

"The Eldest Prince?" A shudder ran through the slaves. The Eldest Prince's reputation was known country-wide. A cold, merciless fighter, known as a demi-god by some, and as the God of Death by others. Sesshomaru, they said, could kill a thousand men without blinking an eye. And he'd enjoy it.

"No," an irritated voice called. The man in the carriage leapt down into the dusty street, his bright red linen skirt wrapped loosely about his hips. His tanned chest gave off a light sheen in the sunlight, drawing Kagome's eyes away from the golden bands that adorned his arms and ankles. Slowly, finally, blue eyes met gold.

They were beautiful, she had to admit. His silver hair was undone, lying against his back and ending at his waist. And like all the rumors said, silver canine ears rested atop his head.

"Do I look like that bastard, Sesshomaru, to you?" His voice had a slight growl, and the traders scrambled to present themselves to him.

"Apologies, Prince Inuyasha! How may we please you this fine day?"

"You have anything worth buying here? I want a female." He looked about the slaves neutrally, his eyes landing on Kagome as a slow smirk appeared on his face.

The traders looked at Kagome nervously. They, now, had to make a decision. She was the only female they had. Kagome turned her eyes away from the Prince, which only prompted him to step forward into her line of sight. He stepped up to her, walking around her in a slow circle. His eyes finally landed on her jewel.

"If you want the necklace," Kagome said loudly, "you can't have it. It won't be removed from my neck."

Inuyasha chuckled. "I have every treasure in the land at my disposal. Why would I want that junk?"

"This 'piece of junk' is a hundred times more powerful than you," Kagome retorted disdainfully. Inuyasha's eyes widened at her boldness, and the traders flinched, waiting for punishment.

"What makes you think you can talk to me that way? I'm your Prince."

"I don't care. Beneath the gold and dyed linen, you're still an arrogant, spoiled brat," she said. Much to her -and everyone else's- surprise, he laughed, a smirk on his face that foretold trouble.

"I'll take her."