Jabrosky
Banned
The following plot outline evolved from a novel I started a couple of years ago and have now considered salvaging. The setting draws heavily from our world's ancient history but is more fantasy than strictly historical.
The Egyptian princess Ouggiri (concept art here) was trained in the martial arts from a young age, but has never received an opportunity to apply her skills during her father Pharaoh Khenti's peaceful reign. That changes when a tribe of desert bandits known as the Crimson Lions attacks Egypt using steel swords that are superior to the Egyptians' bronze weapons. Khenti goes out to punish the bandits only to be killed in battle. A grieving Ouggiri becomes the new Pharaoh with the throne name Sekhmethotep, and she swears to avenge her father's death.
However, Sekhmethotep/Ouggiri knows that she can't crush the steel-armed Crimson Lions without help, so she forges an alliance with the handsome and brilliant Athenian general Cleon. The two leaders are immediately attracted to one another and grow a relationship as they trek across the desert in search of the Crimson Lions' den. Once they finally bump into the Lions and defeat them with the help of Cleon's tactical skills, they find out that their steel swords are of Indian origin. The Lions' ringleader confesses that he acquired the swords from Savriti, an infamous Indian pirate queen who operates from the jungle island of Singapore. Sekhmethotep and Cleon organize an expedition to Singapore, stopping to resupply at the Indian coastal city of Mumbai along the way. The Pharaoh is disgusted by the Indian caste system, which has dark-skinned people ranked underneath lighter-skinned people, and is offended when the Mumbai rajah asks how a black woman like her ever earned a position of power. The rajah reveals that Savriti is his sister and threatens to invade Egypt with his army of war elephants if Sekhmethotep kills her.
Sekhmethotep's expedition reaches Singapore and must traverse treacherous jungle before reaching Savriti's fortress. Recalling a Trojan Horse-style tactic her father once used in a war, Sekhmethotep feigns surrender to Savriti, who invites her and Cleon inside for a recuperatory dinner. Savriti hits on Cleon, which riles Sekhmethotep up and triggers a battle within the fortress. During a swordfight, Savriti calls Sekhmethotep a "black bitch", which makes the Pharaoh explode and kill her---an action she immediately regrets.
The Mumbai rajah eventually finds out about his sister's death and furiously sends his war elephants after Egypt.
[CONTINUED IN NEXT POST]
However, Sekhmethotep/Ouggiri knows that she can't crush the steel-armed Crimson Lions without help, so she forges an alliance with the handsome and brilliant Athenian general Cleon. The two leaders are immediately attracted to one another and grow a relationship as they trek across the desert in search of the Crimson Lions' den. Once they finally bump into the Lions and defeat them with the help of Cleon's tactical skills, they find out that their steel swords are of Indian origin. The Lions' ringleader confesses that he acquired the swords from Savriti, an infamous Indian pirate queen who operates from the jungle island of Singapore. Sekhmethotep and Cleon organize an expedition to Singapore, stopping to resupply at the Indian coastal city of Mumbai along the way. The Pharaoh is disgusted by the Indian caste system, which has dark-skinned people ranked underneath lighter-skinned people, and is offended when the Mumbai rajah asks how a black woman like her ever earned a position of power. The rajah reveals that Savriti is his sister and threatens to invade Egypt with his army of war elephants if Sekhmethotep kills her.
Sekhmethotep's expedition reaches Singapore and must traverse treacherous jungle before reaching Savriti's fortress. Recalling a Trojan Horse-style tactic her father once used in a war, Sekhmethotep feigns surrender to Savriti, who invites her and Cleon inside for a recuperatory dinner. Savriti hits on Cleon, which riles Sekhmethotep up and triggers a battle within the fortress. During a swordfight, Savriti calls Sekhmethotep a "black bitch", which makes the Pharaoh explode and kill her---an action she immediately regrets.
The Mumbai rajah eventually finds out about his sister's death and furiously sends his war elephants after Egypt.
[CONTINUED IN NEXT POST]