Remheb was riding on a camel, feeling dizzy from the scorching sun.
Strong winds brought yellow sand all over the sky from time to time, but he could only clamp the saddle pad with his legs and control his body balance with the rhythm of the camel's steps.
He pulled the reins habitually, and at the same time he had to avoid the tuft of hard hair on the camel's neck.
This was the first time that Remheb had ridden a camel so far away from the capital, and he was not quite used to it.
However, he knew that although the camel's shaky steps were slow, they were steady and could step firmly on the soft sand. Moreover, they were much more energy-saving than horses for long-term movement.
In his hand he held tightly a roll of worn parchment, which was one of the few pieces of information about the two cities that he had been able to find when the King of Cairo was browsing ancient books.
When the sandstorm stopped, he opened his eyes, cleared his throat, and began to introduce the destination of this trip to his companions:
"The two cities ahead are Siwa and Bahariya. They are located in the oasis west of our Holy Egypt."
"The place called Sivana is far away from our capital. It is located deep in the western desert and is surrounded by a sea of sand."
"The people of Siwa live on date palms and springs. Although the city is not big, the terrain is relatively hidden. It is difficult to find it without a map."
"As for Bahariya, it's closer to us, and there's an oasis there, which is different from other places."
"There is a place called the 'Golden Mummies Valley'. It is said that there are thousands of noble mummies buried there. Some of them are said to be gilded."
When Remheb said this, the people who were accompanying him all opened their mouths slightly.
These are things they don’t understand.
Even Nan Tong smiled and nodded, then Remheb paused, glanced down at the parchment in his hand, and sighed.
"I have read a lot of files, hoping to learn more about these two cities, but unfortunately the information left in our capital is very limited."
"I heard that these two cities fell into the hands of the Hebrews a long time ago. I can't find any information about when and why they fell."
At this time, a slightly older follower added.
"When the Hebrews invaded Cairo, a lot of information was burned, so the files you found are incomplete."
"If those materials could still be preserved, we might be able to figure out what happened to these two cities."
When Remheb heard this, there was a hint of regret in his eyes.
He gently rolled up the parchment and stuffed it into the cloth bag on the side of the camel. Then he turned and looked at the person next to him.
Southern tung.
An old minister of Holy Egypt and the guardian of His Majesty the Holy Pharaoh.
Full Moon Magician.
Remheb looked at him and asked tentatively, "Lord Nantong, do you know anything about these two cities?"
"I always feel that you must know more than me."
Nan Tong raised his head and narrowed his eyes slightly under his cloak.
But he just shook his head: "Siwa and Bahariya, these two places have been separated from Egypt for too long."
"These two cities had nearly escaped Egyptian control several times in the early days before the Hebrew Empire conquered them."
"At that time, the previous pharaoh was also busy dealing with the invasion of the Hebrew Empire. He even had difficulty coping with the Nile River region, let alone the energy to manage these remote cities."
Having said that, Nan Tong turned his head and looked seriously into Remheb's eyes.
"That's how you can understand the painstaking efforts of Saint Pharaoh."
“Although traditional believers still exist in the city, I’m afraid they are no longer the mainstream.”
"Foreign culture and power may have already penetrated into the bones of these two cities. That is why the Hebrews chose to return these two cities first."
"I'm afraid the danger will be far beyond our imagination."
"This is also one of the reasons why His Majesty the Holy Pharaoh sent me to protect you."
Remheb frowned and unconsciously tightened his grip on the reins.
"You are right."
Nan Tong saw Remheb's expression but just smiled.
"But don't worry, Remheb."
"Just do what you want to do and complete the task assigned by His Majesty the Saint Pharaoh."
After Nan Tong said this, the powerful magic made his eyes sparkle.
Remheb was stunned for a moment, then grinned, "Yes! Lord Nantong!"
"With you here, we have nothing to fear!"
"You have defeated the Great Moon Magician who is from the Gods!"
The team continued to move forward, crossing the vast, endless desert.
Crossing one sand dune after another, Remheb just squinted his eyes and occasionally recalibrated the team's direction.
Hundreds of turbaned soldiers and more than a dozen camels carrying water bags and dry food.
Their goal was to reach Bahariya first, take over, and then turn to Siwa, which was not far away.
After traveling for two full days, Remheb finally spotted some strange shadows on the horizon.
They were some huge black rocks scattered in the sea of sand, like the skeletons of forgotten giants.
After approaching and confirming the stones, Remheb pointed ahead and shouted, "This is the Bahariya Black Stone! We are almost there!"
Everyone was cheered up and quickened their pace.
Later, they found scattered vegetation beginning to appear on the sand, including a few dry bushes and some drought-resistant grasses.
In the distance, the shadows of a group of date palm trees swayed in the sand, and the green color looked dazzling under the scorching sun.
That is the symbol of the Bahariya Oasis.
Spring water seeps out from the ground, forming large puddles on the sand.
The puddles reflected the sunlight like mirrors scattered in the desert.
Remheb reined in his camel and stood on a high ground overlooking the oasis city.
Bahariya was smaller than he had imagined.
The city walls were built with mud bricks and stones, and some parts have even collapsed due to weathering.
There were hundreds of low houses scattered around the city, with roofs covered with straw and palm leaves.
Compared with Cairo, it is like heaven and earth.
Near the center of the city, there is a small temple with vague reliefs on the walls, but it is no longer possible to tell what it represents.
"It seems that there is no danger now."
After hearing what Remheb said, Nan Tong did not rush to answer.
Nan Tong just glanced around and then stared at several houses in the city.
After observing for a moment, he whispered, "Don't be fooled by appearances."
"Look, there is a group of Hebrews."
At this time, some Hebrew soldiers who were shaking palm leaves in the city slowly stood up and put on all their armor and clothes.
Then, they slowly walked towards Remheb.
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