"Your highness, I have a visitor! He says he's from the neighboring kingdoms for negotiations." A cute, peppy Sphinx, a cat-like creature protecting the outer edges of mamono territory in the desert, called out into the echoing halls of the lavishly decorated throne chambers. Her tail wagged as if she was waiting for praise while she presented the strange visitor.
"I see. Thanks Mira, I'll have it covered from here on out." A booming voice commanded, coming from a dominant Pharaoh, sitting atop the elevated throne. Her hair was jet black and reached the neck of her knees in length. Her skin was dark and barely covered with black silk cloth around her breasts and groin. Plenty of jewelry adorned her figure, from head to toe apart from scarce parts like her wrists and the space from her thighs to her ankles which was covered by bandages.
With a bow, the Sphinx left, happily humming a tune as she went by the hooded figure.
The man she had brought in stepped forward, his face hidden underneath the shroud. He was barely standing out, a brown shaggy robe being the only thing he wore.
"Very well then, you've made a far journey and you've been following etiquette so far. Speak, stranger!"
The man took down his hood, revealing a mature, well groomed face. His hair was wine red with slight, gray streaks along its kempt-back strands, transitioning into mutton chops and a similarly colored handlebar mustache. His ears were pierced with a couple of earrings, holding red jewels of immeasurable worth. Said man, was me.
Around two hundred years ago, this was how my story began.
"Thank you, I can't begin to express my gratitude for being let in to your undoubtedly exclusive circle. I just HAD to speak to you."
"Well, human, I still need a reason why I should. Convince me, that you are worth talking to."
"I shall do just that." I dropped my robes, the disguise I put on to even get to this point. Hidden underneath, I wore a royal gown covered in blue and white embroidery and several necklaces of silver and gold. "My name is Sheikh Dramin Moharad, King of Kezzat. I've come to discuss a possible relationship between your kingdom and mine!"
She unfolded her legs, leaning forward in slowly growing interest. "And why should we? What do your people have to offer me?"
"Maybe not my people. At least not officially. But I certainly can deliver you something you might need."
"That being what?"
"Knowledge. Your absence in the world has made you miss several new technologies and sciences, discoveries and inventions. If you intend to reclaim your foothold in the world, you can't go into it blind. That's why I brought a few of these..." I reached for a small bag, hanging from my shoulder. "I've got books for you, scriptures and illustrations as well. I hope you can still read modern writing but if not, I'll be glad to explain everything you need to know."
Her brow furrowed as she stepped down from her throne. With more confusion than thankfulness, she took one of the almanacs out of my hands and gingerly touched the cover. Flipping through the pages, she spoke. "You talk as if you are just here to do us a gracious favor. I very much doubt you're here without trying to gain something from this relationship. So before I outright banish you from my realm for thinking me foolish, what do you want out of this?" Her aura turned into a mix of bad premonitions and dread, making me gulp from the sheer oppression she exuded.
I sighed as I became unable to face her anymore. "Fine then, honesty. I know what your end goal here is and why you've returned to the realm of the living."
"Is that so?" She asked curiously, retaining dignity despite being curious of my claim.
"It is. You want to take back the land you once ruled over. And I'm not enough of a fool to doubt that my kingdom is among those lands. My people will not give up their homes that easily, and they won't let themselves be subdued by a conqueror, much less one that isn't human. It's inevitably going to lead to conflict, so I came before word of your return spread too far to negotiate a chance to avoid bloodshed. I want to show you that we have things we can offer you. Information and advancements we made as a species. In return, I beg you to not involve my people in a conflict they don't deserve to be a part of."
She circled me, inspecting me from all angles with her staff behind her back. "I fail to see how the knowledge you could provide me would be crucial to me."
"Without it, you WILL fail in your conquest." I stated plainly, only to regret those words seconds later. The end of her staff was thrust into my abdomen, sending a shock wave through my body that launched me against the hard sandstone wall. Black fog formed around my wrists and ankles, shackling me to its surface. The wind was knocked out of my lungs and I felt like vomiting from the heavy impact on my organs.
Cassiopeia kept her staff aimed at me as she strutted towards me with a haughty, oppressive gaze. A chuckle of disbelief escaped her lips. "You would DARE tell me there are things I can't achieve on my own?! I'm not powerful enough? Is that what you think? What is it humans can do that could possibly stop me?"
I coughed, spitting up a bit of blood but faced her again, with a stern expression and a serious tone. "Counter magic for one..."
"What?" Her smug grin as I grew ever more tired of her stubbornness.
With my index finger, I drew a circle on the surface I was shackled to and made a slash through it. Following my finger was a bright white cloud that formed the symbol I drew and once it was done, it flared up. I unceremoniously dropped from the wall after my shackles dissolved and approached her.
"You can't do this!" Cassiopeia hissed angrily, once again pointing her staff at me.
I gently shoved it out of my face as I reiterated the importance of her listening to me. "I can and so do many others. Magic has progressed immensely while you were gone. Spells that used to be top of the line back in your time are now base level and easily nullified."
Her fists trembled in rage as the realization of the possible futility of her curses set in. "It can't be! I was the most prolific enchantress that ever lived. I overcame death! I was..."
"And that's my point. Back in your time, you may have been untouchable, but times have changed. I am not discrediting your abilities here. You have immense power and potential. What I am saying is that times moved on without you and these new magics can make your curses backfire. That's only one of many risks out there that could halt your takeover."
She grumbled, provocatively poking my chest with her staff. "My magic can outclass any who come before me. Neither you nor anybody out there can stop me! You think you can impress me just because you can diffuse a restraining curse? My blood is that of generations of Pharaohs! You on the other hand are weak! Just like the rest of them!"
Having slowly reached the end of my patience, I had to make a more blunt example. „Let's put that to the test for a second."
"Test?"
I grabbed the staff she kept prodding me with and sent a vibration of magicka down its length, snaking around her arms and seeping into her body.
"What are you... ngghhhhh!" Her body sank to the ground, bringing her to her knees. It didn't take much to affect her dormant muscles with the pressure of mana. As long as there was even a slight bridge of connection between me and her, she would not be able to move. It was a stun spell. Low tier magic but effective.
"It's what I'm trying to tell you. When I said I want to avoid conflict, I didn't mean that we are defenseless." I opened my hand, ending the stream of magicka I sent down it as well as the strain on her muscles.
