Chapter 12 chapter Ten

As soon as the sun came out, groups of hunters set off for the western desert.In addition to taking care of the dog that Ramesses had paid him, Amene decided to solve the mystery of bad ink sticks.He grilled the manufacturer throughout the day, trying to find a clue to catch the culprit who had made the mistake. Xie Na saw the hunting party off in his tall sedan chair.He did not go with him, but prayed to God to bless the warriors who were responsible for bringing back the game. The hunters got into a light carriage driven by an old soldier in sequence, and Ramses was very happy to see the wild goat, the African gazelle, the duiker, the lion, the jaguar, the deer, the ostrich, the hyena, the hare, the fox... All kinds of animals that live in the desert and are afraid of human attacks.

The hunting captain did not spare any animals, and the trained hounds followed the carriages. Some of the supply vehicles carrying food and drinking water were also in the ranks.People even prepared tents in case they had to spend the night here.The hunters carried lassoes, new crossbows, and a large handful of bolts. "What kind of hunting do you prefer," asked the coachman, "shooting or capturing?" "Alive capture." Ramses replied. "Then, you use the rope, and I use the bow and arrow. Hunting is necessary, and no one can avoid it in order to survive. I know you are Seti's son, but when we are in danger, we are equal."

"wrong." "You think you're so superior to others?" "It is you who are superior because of your experience. As for me, this is my first hunt." The veteran shrugged. "Stop raising the bar again. Watch carefully, and let me know as soon as you find your prey." Soon after, the closely linked hunting team parted ways. The prince took aim at a herd of antelope. "Great!" his companion yelled, running wildly in pursuit. Three of the antelopes, old and sick, broke free from their companions and rushed into the bed of a dry river that snaked between two rocky cliffs.

The carriage stopped. "Go down and walk." "why?" "The ground is so uneven that the wheels will be damaged." "But the antelope has run away." "Don't think so, I know this place well. They should be hiding in a cave, and we can catch them easily." So they started walking.After walking for more than three hours, their tense mood was about to collapse, and they had already lost consciousness of the weight of hunting gear and food.When the sun was too hot, they rested in the shade of the succulent-covered stone steps and ate something to replenish their strength.

"Tired?" "No." "Then you have something to do with the desert, and it either holds you back or gives you a kind of energy that regenerates when you come in contact with the hot sand." Rocky boulders fell, tumbled into crags, and crashed into heaps in dry river beds.How can it be imagined that there is a clear river, some trees and patches of fertile cultivated land in the middle of this barren red land?The desert is another world in people's minds, and Ramses also experienced the instability of life and the ability to transmit natural forces to silent souls.God created the desert so that human beings could learn to hold back and listen to the voice of the mysterious fire.

The veteran examines the flint-tipped bow, the rounded fins on either side accentuating the end notches. "These aren't the best, but we're pretty satisfied." "Is the cave still far away?" "There's almost an hour left, do you want to turn back?" "On the road." There are no snakes or scorpions... nothing seems to live on this wasteland.Perhaps they hide in the desert or among the rocks, waiting for the cool nights to come before moving. "My left foot is uncomfortable," complained Ramses' companion. "An old wound has recurred. It's best to stop and rest."

Whenever night falls, humans begin to suffer. "Sleep," he advised Ramses, "the pain keeps me awake. I'll let you know when I feel sleepy." At first it was a gentle caress, and then, it quickly turned into a scorching heat. The sun only left Dawn with a short period of tenderness, and then it emitted great heat. Ramses woke up. His companion has long since disappeared.The prince was alone, without food or hunting gear, a few hours' walk from where the hunters had parted.He hit the road quickly, trying to keep his pace steady so as not to waste his energy. The man who abandoned him hoped that this kind of forced walking would make the prince unable to survive.What kind of orders did he obey?Who was the instigator who disguised this murder as a hunting accident?Everyone knows this young man's drive. Once he starts chasing his prey, Ramses may put his life and death at risk, and even get lost in the desert.

Xie Na... must be Xie Na, he is the most cunning and treacherous!Because his brother was unwilling to leave Memphis, he pushed his brother to the brink of death.Ramesses refused to accept the fate imposed on him by others.He has an excellent memory of the road he has traveled, and walks forward with the tenacious personality of a conqueror. An antelope ran past him, followed by a ibex with curved horns. They stared at the foreign visitor for a long time before fleeing.Did their presence mean that there was a source of water nearby, and that the Prince's companions had not warned him?Either he would risk dying of thirst by continuing on the same route, or he would trust the animals.

The prince chose the second solution. When he saw wild goats and antelopes, and a turtle-shaped object about ten meters high in the distance, he planned to keep walking on instinct.That is a tree.It was a tree with thick branches and gray bark, with small fragrant green-yellow flowers, and an edible fruit, soft and sweet, ovoid, up to four centimeters long, Hunters call them "desert dates."The tree has formidable arms, some very straight long spines with pale green ends.This beautiful tree brings a little shade to the earth, and beneath it hides a mysterious water source that overflows from the depths of the desert and is blessed by the god Seth.

A man was sitting on the ground with his back against a tree trunk, chewing and eating bread slowly. Ramesses approached him and recognized him as the head of the groom who had abused his friend Amene. "God has favored you, my prince, have you lost your way?" Ramses' lips were dry, his tongue was stiff, and the top of his head was on fire. The only thing he could see was the sheepskin bag with clean water placed at the left foot of this unkempt man with messy hair. "You should be very thirsty, right? Forget it, why waste such precious water for someone who is already dying?"

Ramses was only ten paces away from his "savior". "You insulted me because you are the king's son! Now, my subordinates are laughing at me..." "Don't lie, who paid you?" The head groom gave an evil smile. "...When your hunting friend gave me five oxen and ten flax horses to spare you, I immediately accepted his terms. I knew you would come here, and walking without water is tantamount to suicide. You thought the antelope and ibex saved your life, but you were actually their prey." The man stood up with a knife in his hand. Ramesses resisted as his opponent imagined, expecting the same fight as before, against an opponent trained in aristocratic jousting.Unarmed, physically and mentally exhausted, and parched, the young man had only a paltry skill against a brutish opponent. At the same time, he has no other choice but to make good use of this technology. Ramses let out a roar, released all his energy, and rushed towards the groom.The latter was so shocked that he didn't even have time to swing his knife, and he fell back after being hit. His whole body was forked into the thorns of the tree trunk, and those thorns penetrated into his flesh like a sharp blade. The hunters were overjoyed, and they captured a ibex and two antelopes alive by their horns.One hunter carries a nascent antelope on his back, while another clutches a wriggling hare by the ear.A hyena's limbs were tied to a bamboo pole carried by two assistants, and the hopping hounds tried several times but failed to bite it.The animals will be sent to specialists who, after observing their habits, will try to train them.The force-feeding of hyenas is to obtain their fat and hypertrophic livers. Although the previous results were not significant, some people still persist.Many other game animals would be supplied to temple butchers, and after offering sacrifices to the gods, they would comfort the viscera of humans. All the hunters returned to the assembly point, except Prince Ramses and his carriage, and the groom.The clerk in charge of the hunting trip could not find his whereabouts.Waiting is of no avail, and carriages should be sent to search for those who are missing, but in which direction should they go?In case of misfortune to the prince, the responsibility would have fallen to the clerk, and his career might have ended; and although Prince Ramesses was out of favour, his disappearance would still be conspicuous. The clerk and the two hunters waited patiently until the afternoon, while their companions, who had to return to the valley with their game, reported to the Desert Police. The clerk nervously drafts a report on a clipboard, then scrapes off a layer of lime, rewrites it, and then gives up, unable to hide behind platitudes.No matter which style of writing is used, two people are missing, including the king's youngest son. When the sun was high in the sky, he seemed to see a shadow moving slowly in the sunlight.In the desert, hallucinations are common. The clerk asked the two hunters for confirmation, and they also believed that there was a figure walking towards them. Little by little, the man who escaped death became clearer. Ramses finally escaped from the trap.