“Bloody…” Rigi starts as they watch the town, surrounded by a desert, coming into view from the boat ride. “Wow. Not bad.”

“They have a lot of art and culture, that is for sure,” Asherah points out as Sasuke as a harpy plays with her chick.

“It’s their life. This city has been marked as a tourist spot and they need to keep up the image,” Daring explains.

“No. More like this is the result of their piety for their religion,” Asherah says.

“I don’t deny that part,” Daring says sighing.

“So is she expecting us or has she used her powers to either see us or glimpse our coming in the future?” Asherah asks as Avasha grabbed his leg to maintain balance on the ship.

“I do not know about the last two, but she is expecting me…I just hope she is in a good mood,” Daring mutters.

“Gods are fickle things,” Rigi spoke up as Asherah picks up Avasha and holds her in his arms.

“You having better balance now with daddy?” Sasuke asks like a little kid.

Avasha chirps happily as Asherah pets her head and she nuzzles his hand.

“Come here little one. Time to eat,” Sophie says.

Avasha chirps and reaches toward her before Sophie takes her out of Asherah arms and carries her away. “She’s become a good matriarch,” Rigi says as he watches the city.

“Not sore those duties sometimes take away from what she does for you?” Asherah asks.

Rigi chuckles. “Please. It does feel like that at times, but after I told her she is like a mother, she accepts this whole thing about how she is like a MILF. And I am not complaining. Sure it’s less fun, but that’s why I have my other girls for that.”

“And the damn tribe?” Daring asks frowning.

Rigi grins to her. “Always wanted to know how I would feel like as a pimp and leader of a tribe. It’s fun and awesome.”

“Looks like she is expecting,” Asherah says spying the warriors at the port.

“Oh boy. Explorer lady, you are up,” Rigi says stepping back.

Daring gulps seeing them all. “We will be with you,” Asherah encourages neutrally.

“Yeah…but if it all goes to shit, we’re partly with you,” Rigi adds.

“You are not helping,” Twilight growls.

Rigi shrugs as the boat docks and the loading board is put onto the ship as the line of warriors steps onto the ships as they can see it is multiple guards wearing gold colored scale armor with what looked to be mostly ceremonially hats.

“Daring,” Asherah says looking to her.

“Wha…oh, right,” Daring says to herself as she looks at him for a moment before walking to the warriors. “Okay. I have arrived for…”

“You are to be taken to her holiness now,” the lead guard says grabbing her arm and pulls Daring toward them as the sound of swords being withdrawn is heard and Daring looks to see both Asherah and Rigi standing before them with their swords pointed toward the guards as the guards surround Daring and the lead guard.

“Easy you two. Their lands, their rules,” Daring says.

Both Asherah and Rigi watches the guards as they back off a few steps, but don’t put the swords down.

“These guys are with me and a few of them invited themselves to come along to meet her as they have business with her,” Daring says as they started to notice Twilight.

“An alicorn,” one says as some turn to look at Twilight.

“What do we do?” one of them asks.

“We let her holiness decide that,” the captain says.

“We have to keep the chosen one with us, correct?” another asks.

“Right. Straight to the palace,” the captain instructs.

“I am seriously stopping commentary,” Rigi says as they follow Daring and the guards who are now walking down a long and wide area that leads to a three floor looking stone palace that has a large square archway with round pillars lining the walls and floors as hieroglyphs and marking line all the walls and pillars. “Still, I can vacation here if the political system isn’t so god-like,” he says as he kept his swords out, but more relaxed.

Asherah looks around, spotting a few hidden archers that no one else hadn’t noticed before making a universal hand gesture, letting them know he saw them.

The archers steel themselves as they kept aim as they approach the palace and enter through the doorway.

“So none of you noticed the hidden archers?” Asherah asks, freezing the pharaoh’s guards.

“That is…” one of the guards starts.

“Say nothing,” the captain orders, keeping his composure.

Daring looks between them before looking to Asherah who is watching her carefully for anything.

‘So these ones are easily shaken. You though are not part of the mean, far more experienced and stronger,’ Asherah analyzes as they kept walking before coming to a chamber.

“Finally here. I have been waiting impatiently for you,” they hear and everyone looks up the long stone stairs that lead up to a four poster area that has a large golden chair, partially covered in whom silk cloth hanging from the edges around it as water flows down from the sides into waterfalls and forms rivers at the bottom that run straight past them on the wide walkway. On the chair sat a beautiful pegasus with falcon-like wings and golden colored coat, wearing a mix of white silk drapes and gold jewelry. “Bring her up here.”

“Yes, your holiness,” the captain says as he grabs Daring and pulls her up the stairs.

Asherah almost followed but was stopped by Rigi’s tail grabbing his leg, making him look to Rigi who shakes his head before they both look back to Daring who is being inspected by the supposed god by grabbing her chin and turns her head around. “Good. Not a scratch still. I see my charm is working out well.”

“Yes, it also helped me find a very valuable treasure,” Daring says.

The pegasus hums and leans on her arm smiling. “And where is this treasure now?”

“Close,” Daring says.

The pegasus chuckled. “Good. I hope to inspect it myself soon. Now then, are you ready after such a hasty escort?”

“So what is the task you have i…” Daring stops as suddenly her clothes were transformed into a servant’s of a simple white silk bra and loincloth with gold connections and belt while some gold rings are on her wrists to signify her status.

The pegasus grins to her. “This is what I have in mind.”

“Hold it,” Asherah says walking forwards not letting this continue.

The pegasus raises an eyebrow to him. “What is this rabble? She made a deal with a god, she has to honor it.”

“Yes, but she can also do a task to repay it, correct?” Asherah says before catching an arm with a khopesh being held by a black furred jackal-like girl.

Rigi quickly wolf whistles as he walks up and holds the arm. “I’ll take defending. You can take the talking part,” he says holding the jackal back before feeling a burning sensation on his hands and looks to see it smoking. “How?!” he yells as he lets go of one hand and sees burn marks. “Is this your doing by making them this way?” Rigi asks up to the mare.

“You dare speak to her holiness in such a manner,” the jackal growls as the pharaoh takes note he either has great fortitude to still be holding her like that or…

“Daring, the amulet,” the pharaoh instructs.

Daring sighs. “Yes ma’am,” she says taking it off her neck and gives it to the pharaoh who looks through it towards and gasps as she sees two shocking things. One such a clean slate and other full of corruption, yet acting like nothing’s bothering him in any way.

“How?” the pharaoh breathes out, slightly shocked. Daring just smiles mischievously as the pharaoh gets this is the treasure she meant.

Asherah raises an eyebrow and looks to Rigi who is blowing on his hands and keeps switching his hands as he kept holding the weapon back. “Keep them off me,” he says, continuing to walk up.

“You got it, buddy,” Rigi says pushing the jackal back and rushes up and catches two of the guards’ weapons coming at Asherah.

“So am I correct or not?” Asherah says, almost challenging.

The pharaoh glares at him as she thinks this through before smiling. “Yes. It’s true. But no mortal has ever survived it.”

“Let me guess. There is a monster that has been hounding your people for a long time, but your duties here keep you from dealing with it? Don’t look so surprised. Merchants talk all the time,” Asherah informs.

The pharaoh tries to keep a straight face. “Want the job? The prize is her life, body, and soul.”

“I’ll take her debt as being paid as, even if I were to own it, it still doesn’t mean that she is absolved of her debt to you,” Asherah says.

“Nice fine print,” Rigi says bring him as he holds off an axe.

The pharaoh frowns slightly before sighing. “Fine then. You can have the job. But she stays here as insurance. I hate to lose her to the beast out there and lose my newest and very valuable servant.”

“Then watch me. I know it is to the south,” Asherah informs as the jackal stops, having knocked Rigi through a pillar, making the Pharaoh twitch at the destruction.

“Bloody! That dog sure knows how to punt! Oy! God mare! Can more than one go or only him?! Because it would get boring staying here and fighting dog girl!” Rigi calls from the rubble as he points to the jackal who growls.

“Oh, you want me to watch? Very well, but the rest stay here under house arrest,” the pharaoh says.

“You don’t have to involve my friends! That isn’t part of the deal!” Daring spoke up, madly turning to her.

“Hush,” the pharaoh instructs, making her go quiet.

“Very well, but the black haired and blond haired non-ponies come with us as well,” Asherah says, calling her attention to the two.

The pharaoh leans her head to Sasuke and Naruto and looks them over. “Fine. But the rest stay. You only get this one favor. Nothing else.”

“Done,” Asherah says, letting Rigi know the goddess was ignoring him.

Rigi taps his claws on the rubble as Asherah walks back down as the jackal growls and steps up to him. “I’m up for a spar sexy bitch. I’m kinda bored anyway,” he says crawling out of the rubble. “Good luck man,” he says stretching as Asherah walks past with Sasuke and Naruto following.

“Guards, take them to the guest quarters and Anubis, you are coming,” the pharaoh informs.

Rigi blinks surprised and points to the jackal. “This is Anubis?”

Anubis growls at him before following the Pharaoh with Daring.

Rigi keeps blinking before grinning. “Awesome! The male death god is a sexy bitch!” he cheers loudly.

“Come along you,” a few guards say before doing their best to drag him away to the guest rooms.

“Yeah, yeah assholes. I’ll stay calm if you let me stare at that jackal ass all day,” Rigi says chuckling deviously as he follows too.

They heard another growl from Anubis at that point.

“This is it,” the Pharaoh says at a huge sea of sand.

“So this is where it is at,” Asherah says in the same neutral voice as they stand on the platform.

“Yes. I hope you have fun dying,” the pharaoh says grinning a bit.

“Sasuke, Naruto, watch her and make sure none of them pull a fast one,” Asherah says starting to walk.

“You got it,” Sasuke says watching all around as Naruto just watches the pharaoh.

Asherah kept walking till stopping when a guard started striking a gong. ‘Ah. Trying to get its attention, huh?’ Asherah thinks before seemingly disappearing from his high speed right before, where he was standing, the sand was swallowed up by something.

The pharaoh frowns as watches the pit stop sinking and something moves under the sand it goes around the area.

“Where did he go? Did he teleport?” a guard asks watching before they heard a loud boom.

Loud screeching is heard before a large worm-like creature bursts out of the ground, feelers on the sides of it and circles of teeth in its mouth as it screeches all around the area. Trying to find the offender.

“A worm, huh?” Asherah asks looking at it before moving away as the worm went for the sound he made.

Naruto shivers at the sight of the thing. “Man. Now I hate to be down there.”

“Hum…how about you two become mine like Daring here after he dies?” the pharaoh asks.

“Fat chance!” they both yell.

“Oh, I don’t know about that,” the pharaoh says before the worm starting shooting blunted spikes everywhere, making her raise a shield blocking them as they watch as Asherah barely dodges one as the force from it tears his top apart before he sees the second on an interception course and blocks with his left arm. It was clear to all who watched it was broken but it was a shock that he deflected the spike and he didn’t die from it.

“How…?” the pharaoh starts.

“This is bad. I never seen him injured like that,” Sasuke says getting worried.

The pharaoh looks to her at that. ‘He hasn’t been hurt that much up to this point? Who is he?’

“Bastard,” Asherah growls showing a new emotion to them, anger before an aura starts covering him.

“What is that?” a guard asks.

“His nen?” Naruto asks.

The worm, hearing him, was about to dive at him but suddenly stops, feeling a new energy and with the others, his anger. “Know your place,” Asherah says before the aura exploded outward, letting even those who didn’t know how, to both see and feel his aura.

“What is going on?” the pharaoh spoke up after a while.

Then the aura suddenly stopped and Asherah was covered in some sort of garb, reminiscent of pictures that Twilight showed them while teaching them about this word. If memory served Naruto and Sasuke, it was what Twilight called the ancient inquisition. Even though the aura had vanished to them the feeling of dread was still there, even though Asherah was over five hundred yards away.

“This is…” the pharaoh tries to say.

“Atone for your misdeeds. Pain Retribution,” Asherah says the aura reappearing briefly forming into a ball of energy before shooting into the worm. “Burning implosion,” Asherah finishes before suddenly the worm screeches in pain as smoke start rising from it. They all watch as it shrivels up and soon something starts burning through its back before shooting up, at first glance, looking like a mini sun before dissipating.

“This is so much power…what is he?” the pharaoh asks out loud as they watch the destruction.

“Well…that explains what happens if you get him mad,” Sasuke says smiling proudly with Naruto.

Asherah turned to the cliff and started walking, holding his broken arm with the other, letting the entire world see without a concern.

“You got the aid kit?” Naruto asks worriedly.

‘Daring was right, you are a prized child of Ra,’ the pharaoh thinks.

Asherah scoffs as he steps up to them and Sasuke and Naruto immediately start to help fix his arm. “Now the deal.”

“Yes. A deal is a deal. For your service, I release Daring Do from my service,” the pharaoh says as all the Decresians looked at him with new respect, even Anubis.

Asherah huffs. “Let’s go home and take Daring away. No more business ever here,” he mutters the last one to himself as he walks back to the palace to tell the others.

“Wait. I believe one of your group is an alicorn, correct? Maybe it is time to talk to them,” the pharaoh says.

“Do it on your own time. All I want is to take Daring away from here,” Asherah says frowning.

“Asherah, we can’t do that,” Daring says.

‘Why do I have a bad feeling about this?’ Asherah thinks.

Soon word had spread around the palace and trickled out into the city that the sand worm was dead with the rumor that claimed Asherah was the child of Ra with his creation of a sun to kill it.

“Next time we head out and we have a job where you kill a monster and it gains you the respect akin to a god, I’m taking the next one,” Rigi says frowning slightly as he rests and leans his head back against a wall.

“I don’t care,” Asherah says as Twilight was using her magic to heal his arm as much as she could.

“Well, you should. You got a god’s attention. One that was on Daring a moment ago. Which means you should watch out,” Rigi warns.

“I know,” Asherah says wincing as the wonderbolts held him still.

Rigi grins slightly. “Actually, I’m slightly disappointed, but two gods.”

“Are you here to make comments or to tell us why you didn’t come back with fruit from the market like I asked?” Twilight asks working on Asherah’s arm as it looked a lot better when she first started working on it considering the main damage was to the elbow area. It having been broken and the arm was bent too far in the wrong direction.

Rigi opens his eyes and looks to them. “Only the fact that I have it all and it’s with the others,” he says getting up and turns back to them. “And I’m going to spar,” he says before spitting out a glob of red spit and makes it land on his arm. “Antibacterial and dragon warmth. Helps with aches,” he explains before walking off.

“So Twilight, is she being honest and opening talks with you?” Asherah asks seriously.

Twilight sighs. “Yes. She is trying and I sent a letter to Princess Celestia.”

“So does that mean we will be staying for an extended period?” Asherah asks as Soarin was less restraining him and more like tracing his muscles as his top remains were destroyed in the heat of his attack, leaving him topless.

“Yes,” Twilight groans, hanging her head. “We are stuck here for a long while.”

“I see,” Asherah says as Spitfire slapped Soarin’s hand and gives her a look to get serious.

Twilight sighs. “Well…we can try to enjoy the city once we have a chance. Enjoy after dealing with the fact of a god watching us.”

“Like your mentor and her telescope,” Asherah says, recalling reading about it from the letter he read over her shoulder.

Twilight frowns. “Yes…like Luna and her telescope.”

“It is Celestia’s. It has a sun insignias from the letter,” Asherah reminds.

Twilight frowns to him and presses at a certain spot and makes him wince. “Either be quiet now or you aren’t getting this fixed up.”

“I don’t mind either way,” Asherah says making Twilight nearly trip up.

“Jeez. Your attitude is sometimes annoying. More so than Rigi,” Twilight complains as she goes back to healing him.

“How would you prefer I would act? Quite frankly, I am surprised you haven’t asked me what my power is as you beat both Naruto and Sasuke up over learning what their special abilities were when they made them,” Asherah says.

Twilight frowns. “That is not true.”

Asherah gives her a blank stare as Twilight looked at him as a single thought crossed her mind. ‘This is the first time I have seen his full face,’ Twilight thought as she was so accustomed to his look, she forgot he had a lower face.

“Man. He is still hotter looking without it on,” Spitfire spoke up as they all looked him over.

“What about Daring? What is she up to?” Asherah suddenly asks.

“Um…” Twilight quickly shakes her head and gets back into it. “She’s talking it over with the pharaoh. She’s trying to help explain the dealings that may happen and make sure we aren’t bothered that much.”

“So she is trying to act as a cultural bridge then?” Asherah asks.

“Mostly, yeah,” Twilight explains as she knocks his arm gently a few times.

“So what is your take? Will any real progress be made or will it be endless talking in a circle?” Asherah asks.

“Like any other politician,” Twilight says frowning.

“Yeah, I am staying clear of that. You can’t pay me enough to get involved in that crap,” Asherah informs.

Spitfire guffaws. “He knows his stuff.”

“Yeah. So you can’t just throw him at the problem like you did with me,” Soarin says.

Spitfire frowns at her. “Shut up.”

“Not you, the princess here,” Soarin says.

“My family has a habit of throwing mares at things,” Twilight nonchalantly says.

“Then why did you do that with me?” Asherah asks, reminding her he was neither a pony or female.

“Because the other option was going with Rigi and none of us wants that for Soarin,” Twilight explains and makes Soarin frown at the mention of his name.

Asherah growls and rubs his head as no one noticed Fleetfoot was watching Soarin’s tail this entire time curiously.

“He is trouble…but if it wasn’t for his…slaves…we wouldn’t have found out about some things they were planning,” Spitfire says frowning.

“Anything to add FleeTFOOT!” Soarin, her voice going a few octaves higher, asked when her tail was grabbed.

Fleetfoot quickly let’s go. “Sorry.”

“What was that?” Spitfire asks.

Soarin quickly curls her tail around herself. “Fleetfoot grabbed my tail.”

“Oh, right. Your tail is very sensitive,” Asherah says, making Twilight get that mad look in her eye when she wants to study something.

Soaring quickly grabs her spade on her tail. “My tail! Back off!” she yells to Twilight.

“Leave it Twilight,” Asherah instructs as Spitfire couldn’t believe what Asherah just told them.

‘How can a tail be sensitive?’ Twilight asks herself.