Memphis thrummed with Ptah's hammers, but the forges screamed wrong.
The city-heart of Lower Egypt pulsed industry: pyramid-scaled workshops ringing khopesh blades, obelisk-blocks hauled Nile-ward, artisans etching divine cartouches. Pharaoh's Memphis expedition—viziers led by Ptahmose (Amenhotep's iron-fisted proxy), 60 Forgebind priests, Nile amplifiers humming—encircled Ptah's sacred anvil-slab beneath the temple's bronze gates. Air reeked oil-smoke; Maat strained under ambition.
Ptahmose, burly with Forgebind scars (Brand: metal-shaping via Flux-heat), slammed hammer to slab. "Pharaoh's will—free Sokar**, plague-forge! Crush Hyksos, arm Two Lands!"** Priests chanted, Flux amplifiers blazing—Nile essence fueling hammer-strikes. Wards cracked like cooling iron.
Seal shattered.
Anvil exploded rust-red mist. Sokar forged free—not god, serpent-spawn. Hulking 12ft frame plated necrotic bronze, furnace-maw belching plague-spores, hammer-arms dripping corrosion. Brand: Blightforge—corrupts metal/flesh into plague (25m radius), weapons rust mid-swing, skin sloughs to pus. Feeds decay; infinite under industry.
"Forge... breaks." Sokar growled, no servitude. Viziers' khopeshes rusted to dust; priests' Forgebind backlashed—flesh melting to slag. Ptahmose fired molten Bind-lance—Sokar hammered parry, beam reversed plague-hot (20 dead). Memphis panicked: forges jammed rust-growth, markets choked spore-miasma.
Sokar rampaged—plague spread. Workshops collapsed rust-cascades, artisans coughing black phlegm. Nile barges corroded mid-voyage, tribute sinking. Temple gates sagged liquid-metal. 300 dead in minutes—bodies rusting to skeletons.
Ptahmose fled chariot—reporting Pharaoh failure #2.
En route south—Pharaoh confrontation.
Amenhotep III's sun-chariot thundered Nile-road from Thebes, golden stallions Solar Crown-fueled (speed-burst 40mph). 100 elites trailed: Theban Amunflame guards, Abydos survivors pale from Setesh. Ptahmose's dust-courier met mid-road—breath ragged: "Sokar freed... betrays! Plague consumes Memphis!"
Amenhotep halted, Crown flaring rage—aura scorching sands 10m. "Twice failed? Abydos chaos, Memphis rust? The serpent lied!" Elites knelt; courier groveled.
Senen's crew ambushed perfect—oasis timing. Khesef Sandstride'd from dunes, Merit Dustveil cloaking 40 Wildborn clan. Senen crested: "Echo warned, Pharaoh! Six evils—serpent's spawn, not allies. Setesh fractures Abydos, Apep eclipses Heliopolis, Sokar plagues Memphis. Maat dies under your pride!"
Amenhotep dismounted, Solar Crown dome shielding elites—sun-fire ready. "Echo-traitor! Joren's heir sows doubt like snake. I rule gods!" Amunflame guards charged—flame-lances blazing.
Crew + clan countered light-to-dark.
Khesef Sandstride burst (loop-dodges, evac'd 3 clan). Merit Dustveil swarm—clan ghosts amid guards (daggers slipped, 8 down). Tamit Stonewhisper ramparts—sand-walls tanked flames (density +180%). Neferu Lightweave decoys (20 fake Suns)—lances misfired friendly (5 elites scorched). Senen Echo core—replayed guard tells (0.6sec lance-windup), called dodges: "Left arc—Dustveil now!" Clan inflicted 20 casualties, lost 5.
Pharaoh personal—Solar Beam barrage. Sun-lances punched Tamit's wall (half-melted), Neferu grazed (Flux 40%). Amenhotep roared: "Kneel or ash!"
Senen closed 20m—Echo replayed Pharaoh's doubt (Abydos fear-flicker). "Serpent whispers you too! Revive evils for power—Eden's fall repeats. Joren broke wars; I break your lie!" Dagger out (Abydos shard).
Crew flanked desperate: Khesef rammed guard-line, Merit veiled Senen path. Amenhotep Crown Dome (15m sun-shield)—Senen halted 10m out.
Stalemate—trumpets blared. Nubian scouts fled (Kush rebellion stirred?). Pharaoh glared: "This ends at Karnak—sixth seal mine. Traitors burn." Chariot wheeled south, elites covering retreat.
Crew stood bloodied, alive. Khesef clapped Senen: "Pharaoh runs!" Merit laughed shaky. Tamit patched wounds. Neferu beamed weak Ra-birds.
"Four seals left," Senen said. Echo whispered Karnak doom. "Thebes next—home of Amun."
Fellowship unbroken. Pharaoh tempted deeper. Evils multiplied.