Days passed under the heat of the sun. The reptile's village on the edge of the great river, never moved that fast. And even if it did, Aaheru wouldn't know. Far away from the river's oasis, the farthest edge of the village wasn't privy to much, least of all knowledge. From the roof of his home though, he could see the towering buildings and stone courtyards that gleamed with shells. In the farthest distance, the palace stood. The leafy fronds of trees could be seen even from here as the village didn't have far to grow with the river and cliffs hindering it in both directions. That's why the buildings stacked so close onto each other, creating levels of homes and walkways on top of them, like another city atop a city.

The palace though, with it's square stone arches and carvings of warrior snakes always drew one's eye. As a child, Aaheru saw it up close when their current pharaoh succeeded. He could never forget that sight of one young man and lines of gleaming warriors. More than anything, he wanted to be like that.

Aaheru hopped down from the roof he crouched on, using the wide open windows as a stepping stone. The design let sunlight warm the sensitive bodies of those inside and in his opinion, made ladders obsolete. He once again carried his father's scimitar but in a grip with more confidence. It took days for him to escape his chores, but he'd been training in secret again and this time, he'd make something of it. Before anyone could stop him, he took off for the cliffs at a run.