The Church

Saint-Domingue, Cayes-Jacmel

Adanna's Home

July 1799

After Atem's takeover of Saint-Domingue, innovations and production of military related products slowed. With their newfound freetime and knowledge of architecture, carpenting, blacksmithing, etc… the people of Cayes-Jacmel went about renovating the city as a community. From redesigning the layout of the city, to improving the buildings, and changing the style from the ornamental and theatrical style of architecture to a more modern take of Egyptian architecture. Due to this, many buildings saw renovations, some were outright torn down and rebuilt, and some buildings were newly erected.

One of the newly erected buildings is Adanna's home, the only building in the entire city where every citizen of Cayes-Jacmel contributed something. From the architecture, to the furniture, and even the suits of armor enchanted to come to life for the sole purpose of protecting. The entire building and everything in it is the culmination of the hard work of the people of Cayes-Jacmel.

Despite this however, the house is quite modest with the most outlandish thing about it being the suits of armor that serve as both decoration and protection.

Currently within the family room of the house, Atem can be found sitting on the floor, studying a stone tablet with a slight frown on his face while piles of paper are strewn all around him. Unlike his usual kingly attire that he wears when outside of the house, he currently wears a simple sleeveless grey shirt and black trousers. Anyone ignorant of his identity would think that he is a normal child.

Walking into the room, Adanna can't help but sigh at the sight. For the past month her child has been completely engrossed in this particular project of his. It is the only thing that he does other than rule and spend time with her. It has gotten to the point that he rarely trains with Caenis now, irritating the girl quite a bit.

"Tell me little Atem, what is the purpose of this new project?" finally asks Adanna. While this isn't the first project that Atem has been completely engrossed in, this is the first time that he's reduced his training for a project.

"I'm trying to recreate one of King Gilgamesh's inventions." he answers without looking up from the tablet. "It's a powerful canon with the capability of killing phantasmal beasts, and with the potential to even kill a divine beast."

Hearing the terminologies that Atem is using, Adanna can't help but let out a fond smile. She's never been particularly interested in the magical world, not when Sanura, Atem's biological mother, spoke of it, and not when Sanura told her about the Quintus family being mages, and Atem becoming some godslayer certainly did not make her more interested in the magical world. However, her son has a tendency of forgetting that whenever he passionately explains to her something new that he found interesting, and despite not understanding most of it she can't help but love hearing him explain it to her.

"That is fascinating son, but it is time for you to eat." she says just as what sounds like a kitten's meow resounds in the room and Bastet jumps onto Atem's head. "See, even the cubs believe that you should slow down a bit." she says as she looks at the divine beast nesting in her son's hair while constantly scratching him to draw his attention.

"They aren't cubs." says her son as he stands up and removes Bastet from his hair. "They just decide to take this form because they know that it's the best form to use if they want to be spoiled." he says while gently holding the divine beast in one hand and gingerly scratching its chin with the other hand, causing it to mewl happily.

"Now, where did your sister go?" Adanna hears him ask the sphinx when he walks past her, only to receive a half-hearted meow that she interprets to mean "I don't know." judging by Atem's exasperated sigh.

"If she scares another one of my citizens then I will lock you both into my reality marble for a week." he says, causing Bastet to protest with an anger filled meow and a scratch to Atem's arm with her razor sharp claws, leaving behind four thin bleeding marks on his arms that heal in an instant.

Despite having taken the form of a cub, Bastet is still a divine beast that is on par with dragons. Her ancestors were to the Egyptian people what dragons were to the European people, powerful existences that can only be killed by exceptional beings, and unlike those dragons she can easily hurt many of those exceptional beings.

Seemingly unbothered by Bastet's reaction, Atem continues his walk towards the dining room, "You should have thought of that before you allowed her to wander off." he says as he sits down at the dining room table with the sphinx on his lap.

Before Adanna can join him at the table however, the sound of a bell rings out in front of the house.

"I wonder who could that be?" wonders Adanna as Atem stands up and makes his way towards the door.

Opening the door, Atem finds Isis standing there with her communication tablet in hand. "Your highness, we may have a situation." she says with a bow.

"Go." says Adanna's voice from behind Atem before he can even say anything.

Turning around, Atem gives her an apologetic smile that she returns with a proud one before he leaves the house and closes the door behind him. As the door closes behind him Atem releases a sigh, and just like that his demeanor completely changes.

His aura and posture that would not have looked out of place on a regular child is completely gone and is instead replaced with the air of a monarch. His back and shoulders straighten, his casual stance becomes more rigid yet still fluid, and the gentle smile that could once be found in his eyes is replaced with an arrogance and weight that makes anyone that looks into them want to kneel and prostrate themselves before him. Alongside him, Bastet, that had once been a cub, grows to the size of a fully grown tiger after Atem placed her on the ground.

"Isis, today is Saturday and it is four in the afternoon." says Atem as a golden light envelops him and his normal clothes are replaced by his kingly attire.

"I am aware." she tells him while he summons his communication tablet from The Pharaoh's Treasury. "And while I would love to leave you to spend your leisure time with your mother, the people of the Roman Catholic Church are quite persistent." she says as he begins to walk towards the docks with her following a step behind with Bastet walking next to him.

"The Church actually sent missionaries." Atem comments with a mirthless chuckle. "What could these fools possibly hope to achieve by sending missionaries here?" he asks rhetorically as he reads the report from his tablet.

According to a few sailors the missionaries had arrived on a ship filled with armed soldiers. They had quickly enraged the populace by presuming to order them around, believing that they were all servants or slaves due to their black skin. A battle had almost broken out between them and the members of the navy that are currently docked, forcing a group of peacekeepers to be dispatched in order to return order to the docks.

"Tell me of these missionaries." commands Atem as he returns his tablet to the Treasury without bothering to read the rest of the report. After months of working together and having her advise them, Atem easily prefers hearing her own assessment of a situation after being caught up on the chain of events. Not only is she very intelligent and insightful, but has also not been wrong yet whenever advising. Whether it is due to her spirit vision as a descendant of the goddess Isis herself, or simply due to her staggering intelligence remains to be seen.

"There are twenty missionaries, forty armed soldiers, with the rest of the group being composed of sailors." she explains as they walk down the street with citizens greeting them as they pass by. "There are two leaders, one for the soldiers, and another for the missionaries. Both are of noble birth, arrogant, self-righteous, and believe to be doing us and the world a favor by attempting to convert us 'savages' to catholicism."

"Another group of knaves with the audacity to claim themselves to be righteous." says Atem with a sneer.

"Unfortunately it is these types of men that currently rule the powerful nations of these times." says Isis as they arrive near a massive crowd that blocks the way to the docks.

Without breaking their stride, the group of three easily make use of the flight spell to take to the skies.

Gliding over the crowd, Isis and Atem can see the enraged expression on the faces of the people as many of them scream obscenities at the group of missionaries. The only stopping the crowd from rushing them is the squad of peacekeepers that created a magical wall stopping them from advancing.

Behind the peacekeepers are the members of the navy who are doing a wonderful job of keeping the missionaries where they are despite the leaders shouting curses at them.

"Perhaps it would be best if we intervene now." suggests Isis as they watch the group of missionaries spit and curse at the members of the navy.

"Not yet." answers Atem as he floats high in the air and observes the exchange with a stoic expression and his arms behind his back. "As of late, Farah has been an exceptional leader to her fleet, and I have planned on rewarding her for some time now. How she reacts to this situation will show me whether she is ready or not."

"You wish to see whether she can be somewhat diplomatic." comments Isis.

"Yes. While she is a great warrior, sailor, and leader, the position I have in mind for her will require patience and at times diplomacy." says Atem as they watch Farah close her eyes and take a deep breath before opening them again with a calmer expression on her face.

When the leader of the soldiers sees the calm expression on Farah's face, he goes on to say something to her that quickly replaces it with rage and hatred, an expression that Atem has only seen Farah give to her enslaver and rapist.

"Perhaps we should intervene now before she decides to wipe them out." suggests Isis.

"Not yet." says Atem as he continues to look at the proceedings with a vicious glint in his eyes.

"If she kills them all then we will have made an enemy of the Church, Spain, Portugal, and every other Catholic nation." says Isis in an attempt to convince him to intervene.

"So be it then." replies Atem. "One citizen's feeling is worth more to me than all of their nations combined."

"They will come at us with all of their forces, and if our army fights them many will die." she says as Farah says something to the leader that enrages him enough to draw his saber, prompting his subordinates to do the same.

"Then let them come. I will personally take to the field to wipe them out myself." says Atem as he begins to slowly descend towards the group.

As they draw near Isis is finally able to make out the leader's words as he rants to Farah while menacingly swinging his sword at her while she merely stares at him with a look filled with rage and hatred.

"…do you know who I am!? I am Julius Alba, Captain of the Fifth Squad in the Burial Agency. I was chosen by God to either convert you savages or purge you from this Earth! I will not let some whorish savage like you deter me from my goal!" he screams at Farah.

Before he can continue his rant however, Atem intervenes.

"What God?" demands Atem, his voice soft yet still heard throughout the docks by everyone present.

As everyone follows the sound of his voice and looks up, a hush falls over the area as the people of Cayes-Jacmel kneel to him and the missionaries look up in shock.

"What God?" demands Atem once again when Julius doesn't answer.

Hearing the question again, Julius quickly gets over his shock and coughs before answering. "The God of the Bible of course. The one and only true God in this world." he answers.

"Is that so?" asks Atem as he stops in front of Julius, floating high enough that the captain is forced to look up at him.

"It is so." answers Julius through gritted teeth.

"Who is this God that dares to decide the fate of my people without my consent?" asks Atem.

"The Almighty God. The God who created Heaven, Earth, and Hell. The one who knows all and sees all." says Julius.

Silence falls over the area once again as Atem scrutinises Julius. It doesn't last however as the godslayer releases a deep laugh. "The one who knows all and sees all?" questions Atem as he laughs, earning a nod from Julius.

" 'But let anyone who wants to boast, boast of this: of understanding and knowing me. For I am Yahweh, who acts with faithful love, justice, and uprightness on earth; yes, these are what please me,' Is this not written in your holy book?" asks Atem, shocking the group with his casual quoting of the bible.

"Jeremiah 9:23." answers Julius with a nod.

"Then you are either a hypocrite or an unfaithful retainer. Which is it?"

Hearing Atem's words, Julius' face flushes red in rage and embarrassment while his hand tightens around his sabre. Before he can do anything however, his fellow leader places a hand on his shoulder and brings him under control before stepping towards Atem.

"Your highness, please forgive Julius. He can be a bit impatient and far too passionate at times." the man says, bringing Atem's attention to him.

"I do not recall addressing you, nor do I recall giving you permission to speak." comments Atem without even looking at him.

"I beg your…" the man begins to say before Isis silences him with a wave of her hand and a silencing spell. "Once again, his highness did not give you permission to speak." she says casually.

"Well, Julius? I await your response. Are you a hypocrite, or an unfaithful retainer of your god?" asks Atem, further angering the man.

"I am no hypocrite." declares Julius without thinking of the implications of his words.

"In that case I am doing your god a favor by disposing of an unfaithful retainer like you." says Atem as a golden portal opens over his shoulder and fires a spear. Before Julius can even react, the spear flies from the portal and impales him through the neck and into the ground, making his body stand up straight even as his final breath leaves him.

The death of their leader terrifies the other soldiers and missionaries as they hurriedly step away from Atem.

"The rest of you, board your ships and return back to your Church." orders Atem.

Without a second thought, they all board their ship and prepare to sail back while the members of Atem's navy approach Julius' body in order to dispose of it.

"Isis, pen a letter to the Pope and explain to him that due to an unfortunate circumstance a traitor to his Church managed to sneak aboard the ship and had to be put down. Tell him that he does not need to thank me, and that I was more than happy to contribute to the Church." orders Atem.

"Such a tragic incident." comments Isis with a deadpan voice. "Do you wish me to send it with the returning missionaries?" she asks

"No. I want him to receive the letter before they arrive." he answers before turning around and flying home with a hungry Bastet in tow.