Anhotep was ruler of a great city. He was as arrogant as an emperor of cats, as cunning as the wise owls of Yib, and as cruel as the Ape-Rajahs who rule the City of Dust. He had his throne room filled with rotting corpses, and he made them all Dukes and Barons. He sat on his gold throne all through the dark night talking to them, and had great feasts prepared, where there were many guests but only one was alive. He addressed the people, telling them that the dead were his only loyal subjects, the only ones who were filled not with wilfulness and rebellion, but only love and obedience for their lord - the only ones other than the thick cloud of filthy whining flies which attended him, flies who swirled around him like stinking black smoke, spreading disease. Anhotep called them the Pearls of the Gods, allowing them to crawl on him and suck his blood, and killed any who harmed one.
In the end the sea god Numen Mari decreed that Anhotep would be doomed to drown. As the sea rose inch by inch, Anhotep and his court crowded into the highest towers, sealing the common people into lower rooms and letting them drown. Then the higher nobles sacrificed the lower, cutting their throats and climbing on their bodies. Finally Anhotep himself stood on the highest tower in his city - now barely above sea level - and killed the higher nobles, just to climb on them and stay above water for a few more minutes.
It is said that the sea itself rejected the vile city, and to this day tries to vomit it out, so that the water around appears to be boiling.
As cruel as the ape-rajahs? That's pretty cruel!
ReplyDeleteNicely done, as always.
Thanks :)
ReplyDeleteThe Ape-Rajahs' name is inspired by the Ape-Sultans that are mentioned in Encounter Critical.