The Ka

The day passed by uneventfully after Falco visited the Chapel of the Earth Bull. When night fell, Falco was in his bedchamber with Rowena playing chaturanga while Kenneth lay beneath the table that the board was upon. The objective was to checkmate the other player's king. The first time Falco had ever played, he had taken his mother's counselor, which could one step diagonally in any direction, with a foot-soldier. The first time Rowena had ever played, she had a similar result, but instead she had taken her father's counselor with a horse.

Rowena had just taken one of Falco's chariots with an elephant, when she commented: "It is not like Taurus to sleep during the day. Do you suppose he is ill?"

"If he is, it is probably not what is afflicting my father." Falco replied, moving a horse back. "I think Minos may have something to do with it. With his father having been the court herbalist, he would not what concoctions would make someone ill."

"Especially if it is not enough to kill Taurus." Rowena said, moving a foot-solider forward so an elephant could move forward on her next turn. "That Minos wants the throne just as much as Taurus is common knowledge, but he probably wants to successfully usurp before he slays Taurus."

"If that is true, Rowena, he probably intends to show up to a bedridden Taurus, wearing the crown to show his leader who the Divine Deucalion is." Falco moved a foot-soldier as well, aiming to get it to the end of the board to promote it to horse.

"He is such an idiot!" Rowena exclaimed, moving her elephant forward five spaces. "Everyone knows that Taurus sleeps with that axe in hand. If Minos shows up to a bedridden Taurus wearing the crown, he is going to get it embedded into his chest."

The High Priest of the Earth Bull's badges of office included the bull mask that the High Priest wore and a double-bladed axe that required the use of both hands to carry. Taurus did indeed sleep with one hand gripping the axe, making any foolhardy assassin who woke him up a dead man.

Chuckling, Falco uttered: "Yes, he really is."

Extending a hand to move an elephant of his own, Falco paused when to his and Rowena's complete surprise, a transparent green hand took hold of the piece and moved it forward six spaces, taking Rowena's counselor.

The two redheads looked up to see the owner of the hand. It was a Ka, a spirit, belonging to a man of four and forty twelvemonths with a sagging stomach, broad hips, thin legs, thick thighs, large, approaching delicate bosom, a thin, exaggeratedly long front, thick lips and an elongated head. He was wearing a loincloth and nothing else, while his expression was stone-faced.

Rowena uttered an astonished: "Who are you?" The Ka answered not. He merely set his eyes on Falco, causing the Daughter of Alfred to inquire: "Do you know him, Falco?"

"Rowena, I think I would remember having ever met someone so... distinguished in appearance." The Ka's expression remained stone-faced. He merely walked towards the doorway of Falco's bedchamber and then gestured at the Crown Prince to follow him. Baffled, the young man asked: "Why?" Again, the Ka answered not. He merely stood there watching, his eyes upon Falco, not even looking down as Kenneth approached. Sighing, Falco stood up, saying: "Alright, if you won't answer, I suppose I have no choice but following you."

"I'm coming too!" Rowena exclaimed, standing up and adding: "I am not letting my best friend be taken along on some journey by a distinguished-looking Ka with just Kenneth to accompany him." The Ka made no comment. He merely nodded and stepped through the doorway.