Obelisk

Akil dropped the pair off for an hour of lunch before making their way to Obelisk at the edge of the city. Their base was literally connected to the wall of the city. It was a checkpoint for entering and leaving on the south side of the city. Much like Elvash, it was structured like a military base, with hunters as their main force.

Their arrival was expected thanks to Akil's quick work, and they were talked from the lounge into the back for clearance. Despite the heat of the desert outside, Zale recognized the cold, tense atmosphere instantly. "Why is everyone giving us the stink eye?"

"While I hold power in Egypt, I am not well-liked by the hunter's association. They believe they run the country, despite that I am the rightful king."

"The Pharaoh's faction and the hunter's faction, huh?"

"Precisely. They use their power wherever they can to get in my way. My father managed to hold things together, but the situation escalated when he passed. I'm not sure how much longer I will hold sway."

Zale pushed his hair back and thought. He was well-liked by his own company, but that protection wouldn't extend here. The cold stares weighed on him just as they did Shai. "I just don't understand all the underlying motivations of politics," he admitted with a sigh.

However, he knew the looks he was receiving. They were the same as when he was just a filthy beggar that couldn't afford to feed himself. They were the looks the tier 5 and 6 hunters gave him when they passed.

It was power. It was superiority. For whatever reason, they disliked the very floor he walked on as if they'd be infected.

"It's all right. Just follow my lead. Sometimes, you have to ply by their rules to get what you want," Shai explained.

He pulled his long dark hair back and donned his charming smile as they approached the clearance point. "Good afternoon, Charles," he said with an air of incredible authority.

"Pharaoh," the man at the checkpoint replied, his face plastered into a false smile.

"I have made a reservation to utilize the practice range between 3 PM and 4 PM."

"Certainly, allow me to check your reservation, then. Please wait for a moment."

It was all a farce; Zale could see it. The man moved with deliberate slowness as if he didn't trust the Pharaoh to be telling the truth. Zale was annoyed just watching him. The man couldn't bar them, but he would make the process as painful as possible. It was petty. "Ah, I see it right here. You have section three reserved under the Pharaoh's name. If I could just see some identification, I would be happy to allow you in," he finally replied with a most patronizing smile, as if he didn't already know Shai was the Pharaoh.

The audacity surprised even Zale, but he kept his mouth shut, tapping his fingers on crossed arms while Shai passed some form of identification. "Very well. I will also need your identification, sir," the man addressed Zale as if harassing Shai hadn't been enough.

Shai simply nudged Zale to oblige. Though resentful, he did.

"I see you are associated with another hunter union. I will need your hunter's identification as well," he said, a slight twinge on his face threatening to release a smirk.

Zale refused to be looked down on any further. Death was the only thing he feared. This man meant nothing.