Djedkare gave Jack a blank stare, and quietly rose from his seat. Djedkare, shaking ever so slightly, advanced on Jack with nothing but sorrow in his eyes. With his leathery whip of a hand, Djedkare gave Jack a dope slap. The sound of his ancient hand striking Jack's forehead made a hollow 'thwap'. There was sorrow in Djedkare's voice as he stared down at Jack.
"Your presumptuous nature betrays your lack of awareness, boy. Do you not think that I know of war and loss? It was I who led the doomed scouts of the Fifth Dynasty into Punt and Byblos. It was I who fought and bled in the war against the Demons of Smokeless Fire. All I have done for my people, I have done at the cost of my loved ones. And yet, here we are!"
Djedkare's tone became altogether more venomous. His fists clenched and unclenched as he paced around Jack.
"I, the Pharaoh of the Fifth Dynasty, have lost
everything in death! I, who have passed the Trials of the Forty-Two Judges. I, who weighed my heart against Maat and was found without sin! I, who have passed beyond Anubis with a smile on my face, only to awaken in a sealed sarcophagus! I, who was released into the world to see my works returned to the shifting sands from whence they came! All you have seen of your people's destruction is
pathetic compared to the horrors shown to me in the afterlife! The pain you have felt as you groped blindly through the world as a babe set loose in the reeds is
nothing compared to the unending nightmare that was my revivification!"
Djedkare at last got ahold of himself, and sighed deeply.
"Listen, boy. You have suffered a great injustice, and you do not have the experience to handle it. If you take anything from our meeting, it is this: cling not to the past, lest the present evade you. That sword of yours is an emotional crutch that will do nothing but prevent you from moving on; it will forever be a wound in your side that your enemies will gladly abuse. You should never think that you are alone in your misery; there are many lost souls out there, and the only things preventing them from finding their place is their own guilt. You would do well to settle down and find a safe place. Do as I do and avoid calling attention to yourselfs. I'll be glad if I can help."
@Warlord297