Dust and Blood

{2962 BCE, Kahndaqi Border}

'.....what happened?' A man thought, laying down in the ground with dust and blood covering his body and armor. He continued to lay there with his eyes closed, his bodily functions coming back to him steadily and rapidly. Until eventually, his eyes fluttered open and with a gasp he sat up. His ears were ringing, his sight blurred, and his body having been sore. He inspected his surroundings to find blurry figures bashing away at each other with ancient weapons. With a groan, he blinked several times as his sight came back to him. Almost immediately he began to remember what had happened to him, he was in the midst of battle. Facing off against the invading Egyptians and leading his fellow Kahndaqi countrymen. He found the enemy general that lead the Egyptians, the famed Bashari who had never known defeat.

Their fight was intense, proving to be one that could have been won had Bashari not proven to be the better warrior. The man had lost to the general, and was stabbed in the chest by him. Glancing down, he found that his wound had been....removed. As if not even a single trace of it existed, as if the gods had decided that his time was not now. Deciding that now was not the time to thank the gods, the man rose to his feet rather slowly. He glanced around to find his own countrymen, their morale had been shattered. Some were either preparing to flee or their morale had prepared to face their death. Looking down in his hand, the man found a sword that was bloodied from fresh blood. The grip on his sword became tighter as turned his attention towards the one who had slew him. He had been given a second chance, one that he would not squander.

"BASHARI!" The man called, and found the Egyptian general turn upon hearing his name. The Egyptian's face contorted from confusion to shock. His own body was littered with cuts and several bruises from both the battle and the adversary that he had thought had been slain. With a serious coming to him, he raised his sword ready to face his opponent once more.

"So you still yet live, Solomon?" Bashari questioned amongst the cried of battle around them.

"The gods have decided that I be returned to the land of the living...your gods are false and I will show you here and now!" Solomon shouted with determination, and with those exchange of words he charged forth. Bashari stood ready and watched as the Kahndaqi came at him with a diagonal swing. He moved his own sword, a Khopesh, to parry then returned with a swing of his own. Solomon quickly blocked Bashari's blade, then sent a fist into the Egyptian's jaw. He then took advantage of the stunned Egyptian general and moved his own blade to try and cleave the Egyptian in two. Bashari quickly tried to block, and was barely able to keep Solomon's blow from being a killing one. Sparks from their blades spewed from the exchange, though Solomon's blade was able to cut across Bashari's chest.

With a deadly glare pointed to Solomon, the Egyptian general sent a roundhouse kick into the Kahndaqi's chest. Solomon stumbled backwards, then raised his sword just as Bashari followed with a downward slash. The blade was halted, but not before it struck his shoulder. Solomon hissed in pain, feeling fresh blood spew from his new wound. Then while gritting his teeth, he grasped at Bashari's sword arm and held him still. He then swiped at the Egyptian while he held the man in place. Bashari punched Solomon in the face, intending to get the man to release him. Despite being struck in the face, the Kahndaqi held the Egyptian firmly. His blade bit into Bashari's hip, causing the man to cry out in pain. The Egyptian grabbed Solomon by his hair, his fingers gripping his scalp fiercely. Then sent his bald dark skinned head forward and bashed it against the Kahndaqi's face.

Both generals released the other, stumbling back to recover themselves. Bashari panted slowly, watching his Kahndaqi adversary place a hand over his shoulder wound. Then with a grunt, Solomon rose to his feet and balled his fists up. Bashari did the same, and was the first to charge at Solomon. Solomon followed up with his own charge, letting out a battle cry as he came at Bashari screaming bloody murder. The two warriors tackled each other, grappling and bashing at one another. When Bashari would send a gut punch into Solomon, the Kahndaqi would return with a knee into the Egyptian's fresh hip wound. When Solomon would try to gorge out Bashari's eyes, the Egyptian would send a punch into his fresh shoulder wound. The two seemed equally matched, equally ruthless, and equally determined. Unfortunately, Lady Luck must smile upon one of these mortal men.

Bashari and Solomon rolled away from each other, but Solomon was quicker to get back to his feet. The Egyptian general looked to find Solomon's armored sandal coming down to stomp his face in. He rolled to dodge, but the next stomp from Solomon's foot collided with his stomach. The wind had been knocked out of him and had him holding his stomach. Solomon panted heavily as he glared down at Bashari, then turned to see his sword in the sand near several dozen dead Egyptian's and Kahndaqi. Slowly, he walked over and took up his sword once more. Then he turned once more and marched his way over to Bashari. The Egyptian was turned over to the side, his back to his tenacious Kahndaqi nemesis. When Solomon reached Bashari's proned form, he raised his sword intending to cleave the Egyptian's head off. Just before he could bring the blade down, Basahri struck. The Egyptian general spun while on the ground, and with a bloody dagger in hand he shoved it right into Bashari's chest.

Solomon gasped, and felt himself pause. He remembered this pain, the same one that had been the death of him before. Bashari had used this dagger to kill him the first time. The Kahndaqi general looked into his nemesis' eyes, finding a smidge of sympathy in those black irises. The Egyptian said nothing for a moment, allowing his dagger to do it's work once more. "You fought well Solomon...but rest and know that your people will be respected", Bashari assured gently through panted breathe, "My gods will watch over them and guide just like they did-"

Bashari did not get to finish his sentence, for in a swift move during his speech, Solomon struck. The Kahndaqi dropped his sword and grabbed the Egyptian by the sides of his head. Then with his thumbs, he gorged out Bashari's eyes, causing the Egyptian to cry out in utter shock and pain. His voice seemed to stop the nearby Egyptians and Kahndaqi who now took notice of the two generals. The battle around them slowly coming to a halt as all eyes landed on them. For the Egyptian warriors it was shock and horror, for the Kahndaqi's it was shock and hope. Both had seen Bashari defeat Solomon in single combat, they had seen Kahndaq's soul defender fall. Now here he was, on his knees, gorging out the man who had slain him just moments ago. Solomon released Bashari, allowing the man to fall back and roll around in the bloody said. His hands covering his now missing eyes that were either drooled away with the blood that dripped from his eye sockets, or were now on Solomon's bloody thumbs.

Panting, Solomon looked down at the dagger still in his chest. He grasped at it then removed it from himself. Now with Bashari's dagger in hand, he got onto his knees and with gritted teeth, he shoved the blade into the Egyptian's throat. Bashari gurgles made his voice unable to be understood as Solomon stared down into the Egyptian's bloodied face. It would take several long seconds before Bashari's body finally go limp. The life having been taken from him as Solomon left the dagger in his nemesis's throat. Slowly rising to his feet, he turned towards the now horrorfied Egyptians who gaze upon him like the devil incarnate. With bloody hands, he pointed to them with bloodied hands. "Your general is dead!", he announced with a dark tone, "He was said to be unbeatable! I have bested him, I have slain him! You come to Kahndaq to conquer us, we are not so easily broken! Tell your false gods this, I am Solomon Adam! You! Are! Next!"

As soon as his warning was said, the Kahndaqi soldiers all let out a cry of triumph. Their morale had been reinvigorated, their hope having been brought back to them. Then they began to fight far more fiercely than before as the Egyptian warriors were now on the receiving end of their wrath. Solomon watched as his fellow countrymen pushed back against the Egyptian invaders. He watched as one of the flag bearers charged alongside the other Kahndaqi warriors. A small smile came to his lips as he watched, he had won. He believed that this was why he had been sent back by the gods, to ensure that Kahndaq would remain unconquered. Just as his body's strength left him, he fell backwards and into the bloody said. His back colliding with it as darkness crept into his vision. Solomon felt accomplished, he felt as if he had done what was expected of him. However that was not the case, history had been changed this day, and he was now destined to continue to do this...

{Kahndaqi Palace Infirmary}

"How is he?" A male voice questioned with hint of worry. Solomon could hear someone speaking, a familiar voice that he wasn't expecting to hear.

"We were able to save him my king", Came a female voice, "It is a miracle that he had survived for as long as he has. The gods have gifted us a boon for allowing prince Solomon to survive until now."

The Kahndaqi groaned, his body numb and aching. His eyes fluttered open, finding the light to be blinding. As he did, his vision was blurry once more for a second. Then it cleared as he found himself staring up at a ceiling. Blinking once, Solomon turned his gaze towards two individuals standing nearby. He was laid in a bed with his body covered in many bandages. He recognized one of the faces who was speaking. "Teth..." Solomon called, and watched as the man turned and felt his eyes widening. Then with a quick stride he rushed to Solomon's side.

"Rest little brother, you have done enough for today." Teth ordered softly, watching as Solomon take in his surroundings.

"The battle..." Solomon uttered with a hint of worry.

"Was won, you slaying General Bashari took the fight out of the Egyptians...you won."

Solomon began to relax, his eyes closing as Teth gave him a small smile. "You've done admirably little brother....rest now." Teth said with a tone laced with pride.

Solomon could hear his older brother walking away, his footsteps sounding his exit. With his eyes opening once more, the Kahndaqi prince looked to the nearby window. He could see the sun beginning to rise on the horizon. Kahndaq was safe once more, his people was safe. Breathing deeply, he wished that he could pray to the gods. He wished that he could bow his head and plead to the gods to spread their blessings across all of Kahndaq, he wad but one man.

"I see that you are doing well." A female voice commented, causing Solomon to look and find nothing there. His brows furrowed in confusion, when he turned his gaze back to the window he found a pale white eyes staring back at him. His breathe hitched in his throat as his eyes widened. It was a female of some kind, a woman who looked to be tall, made of nothing but stars, and bore a charming smile upon her face. "I'd thought that you would actually die in that body. But you surprised me by just being too damned stubborn to die. So I couldn't just let you bleed out, Sean."

Solomon gazed up at this godly woman in shock and confusion, causing her to chuckle lightly. "I've already forgotten, you don't even remember your own name anymore. Maybe you will, maybe you won't, who knows? Ah right, I'm here to reward you upon staying alive for more than a day. So this is the only time that I will give you something...Wisdom. I give unto you the very concept of Wisdom, do with it what you will. Oh and by the way, I look forward to seeing what kind of bloodshed that you'll unless."

Before Solomon could form words in his mind, a white orb appeared over his body. Then it slowly descended and entered him. He felt as if his very soul was being manipulated and turned. What this goddess had said confused him beyond comprehension. He didn't know who this Sean was, nor what she was speaking about. He didn't even know who this goddess was. The Kahndaqi's eyes gave off a white glow as his veins hued with a white glow underneath his skin. The Goddess who had appeared before him had long gone, having left him with his supposed gift. Once Solomon's body returned to normal, his entire attitude had changed, not even that but his own thoughts were even different. His thoughts were littered with ideas and concepts that had yet to be thought of. Weapons that could hardly be made, structures that would take hundreds of years to be built, even theories of science that could not be proven at this time.

Solomon breathed deeply, his mind trying to wrap itself around whatever was happening to him. The Goddess who had visited him said that she rewarded him for surviving. She had called him by a name not his own, but in his mind he felt as if he faintly recognizes it. Each time that he tried to remember it, or even search his memories for it. A mental block kept him from making headway from discovery. To him this meant that there were secrets about himself that he didn't know, mysteries yet to be solved about himself. He knew that his name was Solomon, but why was it that he had a different name? One that he couldn't even remember?

Was he Solomon or was he someone else? Was he the younger brother of King Teth Adam, or was he a different man altogether? The questions built up more and more in his mind, making him feel as if he were about to have a headache. Pushing those thoughts to the side, he decided to focus more on mire pressing issues at hand. Kahndaq had achieved victory for the first time against the once unbeatable Egyptians. They would retaliate, he knew this to be true. Kahndaq needed strength that would allow them to survive the eventual wrath of the Egyptians and their false gods. Solomon needed the power to save his people...

At that moment, a thought entered his mind. One that showed him something that he wasn't prepared for. It showed him a mineral that he hadn't a clue as to what it was. It had a sleek black design to it, making him think that it must have been some mystical element. Then that was when he was reminded that he had seen this before, roughly five hundred miles outside of Kahndaq's borders to the north. With a resolute glare coming to his face, he knew what he must do. No matter how fiercely that he fought, no matter what plans that he could make, they would never be able to beat the Egyptians and their false gods. However, if he was able to obtain this element, then he and Kahndaq would be safe.

Though it did make him think about this element, for he had no name for it. Only that it was nigh indestructible and capable of carving a swath through anything that it touches. Even so, a plan was already formulating in his mind. A plan to retrieve this element by any means nesscessary...