A Set Of Snakes

What is a ‘pharaoh’?

I lay there, tail curled up against my body while the cart shook the cage during its trek through the desert. I couldn’t tell what was going on beyond that thanks to the grey sheet the unicorn had thrown over the cage. I rubbed one of the tail feathers idly, amazed at how soft it was. What was also surprising was the fact that my skin was actually cold to the touch. I mean, it was kinda warm because I was under a dark sheet in the desert, but my skin was a little cold like if I was under an air conditioner.

They’re talking about their leader, King Trotenhamen. A deep voice rang through my head, jolting me from the ‘happy place’ I had gone into.

“Who’s there?!” I yelled, uncurling myself enough to use the bars nearby to pull myself to my figurative feet. I looked around my cage for the source of the voice, but couldn’t find anything that could speak..because the only thing alive in the cage was myself. Perhaps it was that creepy unicorn...but I doubt it. I mean, he didn’t look that powerful, and it didn’t sound like his voice.

Perhaps it was that Arabian horse. I mean, he looked like he was in charge, and had a kind of royal air to him. If he could control a unicorn, then who knew what he could do? He could be like that horse from Percy Jackson, that one that can run at basically the speed of light and eats gold and stuff or something….

I’m not either of them, idiot. The voice groaned. I can’t believe you forgot about me so easily!

Oh...wait, what voices in my head did I forget about? I mean, there was my imaginary friend Chris Dan Buddha...but I don’t think he sounded like that. I mean, he had a much nicer tone to him...didn’t he? I mean, I did stop thinking about him back when I was ten, so I did have seven or eight years to forget about what he was like.

“Yeah, I forgot about you Chris Dan Buddha. But that happened seven years ago, so deal with it already.” I sat down and leaned against the bars again, staring at the sheeted roof.

Chris Dan what? No, I am Set. Also, you can talk in your head so-

“Keep it quiet back there!” I heard what was most likely the horse yell from the front of the cart. I guessed the unicorn was the one pulling the actual cart, because I really doubted that the horse would be the one that would do something like get his hooves dirty and pull a cart like this.

Yeah...so that wouldn’t happen.

Alright, first question Mr. ‘Set’, where am I? I asked sarcastically.

Fix your attitude. I shall not be spoken to like if I was lower than you.

Fine. Where am I, Lord?

Better. You’re in Saddle Arabia, in the small kingdom of Egyptia.

I said it with the same amount of sarcasm, but apparently the title ‘lord’ is a good thing to call this weird voice in my head. Plus, Saddle Arabia sounds really familiar...like...wait, wasn’t there a Saudi Arabia parody called ‘Saddle Arabia’ by bronies? If I was somewhere near or in Equestria, that would explain the colorful unicorn…

Is that far from Equestria? I asked hopefully, hoping I was in the version of My Little Pony that had friendly ponies, not Xenolestia and the Conversion Beruos.

As the hawk flies, you aren’t really that far from the Equestrian border. If you really needed to get there, it would be quite the journey, though.

Huh...so I was in Equestria...or near it, at least. There was hope in my being safe from this ‘Pharaoh’! Now I just needed to get out of this cage...take out the horse and unicorn...figure out how to move around...and get to the border! Easy peasy!

I silently lowered myself to the floor of the cage and stuck my arm out of the wall of bars. I lifted up the sheet to see...a bunch of sand fly up from the ground in time to hit my face.

“Gak!” I yelped as I dropped the sheet to roll back and try to wipe the sand out of my eyes. Sweet Jesus that stung like Hell!

...how did I end up with a spawn like you? The voice sighed in frustration.

I would’ve answered if it wasn’t for the giant bump in the road that made my fly up from the floor before slamming back down facefirst. With a small groan I pushed myself back to the wall to lean on before I noticed something...we stopped moving. I pushed the sheet up far enough to look through again to see the horse talking to what looked like a giant bipedal canine….that looked really familiar.

Is that a Diamond Dog? I asked myself. What is he doing with the horse?

I tried to listen in on their conversation, but it was in some language I couldn’t understand. Reminded me of Arabic, though. I remember what it sounds like whenever I went shopping with Karim and he started talking to some guy he recognized…

Don’t think about Karim. The voice told me. Focus on what’s going on.

I focused back on what was going on to see the horse and the Diamond Dog start walking towards the cart. A second Diamond Dog’s head popped up from the side, looking down at me with a small smile. With a yelp, I dropped the sheet and sat up in the darkness of the cage.

I had little time to do anything else as that second Diamond Dog yanked off the sheet, still grinning like a kid on Christmas Day morning. Without the sheet blocking my vision, I could see that the horse and the first Diamond Dog had reached the edge of the cart, while the unicorn stood on the other side of the cart. The horse motioned with his hoof, and the second D-dog jumped onto the cart behind me before starting to push it. I yelped a little as my cage was pushed towards the edge of the cart before getting held up by the first diamond dog. The second d-dog took hold of the other end and they started carrying me towards what looked like a large mansion. Several other horses were walking around the mansion and barely glanced at the odd group that was walking into their home.

After several layers of stairs, gilded corridors and doors, we ended up at twin gold doors that looked like they were at least eight or nine feet tall and five feet wide...each. Two other horses stood guard on each side, both wearing armor. Looking at both of them, they looked really similar. Almost like...twins? Okay, that’s cool.

“Halt.” Said the guard on the right.

The horse snorted but motioned to the group to halt. The two D-dogs stopped, with the unicorn standing behind the second one. The horse then walked up to the guard, still carrying his arrogant smirk.

“State your business with the Pharaoh.” the guard told the horse, his voice dead and his face carrying the best poker face I’ve ever seen.

“I can’t believe you forgot about who I was!” The horse laughed. “I have something my father should see, Khopesh.”

The guard - no, his name is Khopesh - narrowed his eyes a little before blinking, his eyes wide. He motioned for his twin to open the gates while he himself bowed to the horse. The horse rolled his eyes as the guard bowed low enough that his face was pushed against the stone floor.

“Please forgive me for mistaking you, my prince!” Khopesh trembled a little as he looked up at who was apparently a prince.

“Khopesh, stand up.” The horse prince said, nodding as the guard stood back up to his full height. “I forgive you. Now, open the gates so I may converse with my father.”

The guards quickly moved to open the gates, the prince walking into the room while the D-Dogs and myself stayed outside. After a long...long wait, the prince returned with a very unnerving smile on his face.

“Come dogs, Father wishes to meet her.”