Semet/Reflection

Reflection

The sun was setting in the distance. It was a rare moment in my life to find myself so far from the sea, unable to watch the celestial orb sink into the waters as Ssta cast her nocturnal veil. Kneeling before a plain that lay below, I closed my eyes, resting my hands on my thighs with my head tilted slightly forward. Taking a deep breath, I sought to forge a deeper connection with the Six.

I hope my words reach your greatness. Even here. For the past few months, I have been traveling with the leader of Koperdam, a man named Percival van der Berg. Despite his obsession with knowledge, he remains pleasant and rather gentle. He seems to appreciate my company as much as I appreciate his. He is a worthy traveling companion. By his account, we are currently heading toward a sort of hive - a largely subterranean place called Grusaak. Percival does not seem to know much about the location, yet, his curiosity always wins out, and so here we are on the road. He claims there is no danger, though I hardly know what to think after the mishap we have just endured. And yet, I feel…

My eyes snapped open as I sensed his presence. Standing between two trees, he was watching me pray, unsure of what to do. I chose to close my eyes again without resuming my prayer, listening to the sound of the wind in the grass and, more importantly, the noise of his approaching footsteps. Percival knelt down just as I had and closed his eyes as well - something I noticed when I stole a furtive glance, curious about his actions. He remained there in the grass beside me, as silent as I was. I could not quite manage to reconnect with the Six. I was unsettled, yet pleasantly surprised by his attempt to honor the gods of Kedet. I let my mind wander then, drifting into a state of meditation rather than a true invocation of the Six.

"Semet, stay behind me!"

My thoughts returned to the moment of the attack, near that strange ghost village. More precisely, to the exact instant Percival shielded me by stepping between my assailant and myself - I, who stood with spear in hand, ready to defend myself in the name of Thoth. Instead, I was treated like…

"A mere princess," I finished aloud.

The ruler of Koperdam opened his eyes again, looking inquisitive.

Percival remained seated for a moment, looking up at Semet with an expression of genuine confusion.

“A mere princess?” He said, tilting his head slightly. “I don't understand.”

There was no offense in his voice. If anything, he seemed more curious than anything else.

"During the attack, you saw me as nothing more than a princess... A weak person whom you felt duty-bound to protect. In the name of some notion of chivalry, or perhaps out of prejudice?" I said, sounding subtly annoyed as I rose to my feet.

With the sun at my back, I towered over Percival, who remained seated. The sun, hidden behind me, cast me as a massive, crowned silhouette - a figure looming over the young man, topped by two glowing orange orbs lurking in the dark.

"I warned you: do not treat me like just anyone, and certainly not like just any woman. I cannot say for certain what your intentions were, so consider this a simple warning. Watch your actions, as I have little patience for misunderstandings.

“What does it matter that you are a woman?”

He tilted his head slightly, genuinely puzzled.

“I don't treat my companions differently based on whether they are men or women. A companion is a companion, is it not?”

“If I thought you were some helpless princess who needed protecting, I doubt I would have invited you halfway across the world with me in the first place.”

He paused, considering his words.

“I knew perfectly well that you could defend yourself. I've seen you do so.”

His gaze drifted briefly toward the horizon.

“When that creature attacked, I simply saw my companion in danger.”

Percival lowered his gaze for a moment, recalling the incident.

“In my family, there is an old saying: ‘There is no one more important than those who stand beside you. Even when they can defend themselves, protecting a companion at the cost of your own safety is an honor surpassed only by the pursuit of knowledge.’”

A faint smile crossed his face.

“It is something my family has always taken rather seriously. If a companion is in danger, you help them. Whether they need it or not is almost beside the point.”

He looked back toward Semet.

“So no. I wasn't trying to treat you like a princess.”

His smile widened slightly.

“I was treating you like a companion.”

For a moment, Percival simply watched her turn back toward the setting sun.

“Although...” he muttered, almost to himself, “I hadn't considered that you might interpret it quite so differently.”

He gave a small, amused smile before looking back toward the grass. I eventually let go of my irritation, looking at how he was reacting.

“That said… since there is a chance you indeed acted out of pure kindness, I also wish to thank you," I added, my posture relaxing slightly. "That little creature was hardly a threat, yet you took the risk for my sake regardless. So… thank you."

I turned away to admire the final rays of the setting sun, now almost entirely swallowed by the horizon. "If you wish to converse with the Six, I suggest you start with Ib-Deben. She is most certainly the most approachable, and also the one who can teach you the most," I remarked without looking at the person I was addressing. "I’ll leave you to it."

“So, Ib-Deben was the one to start with…” he muttered.

The artificer closed his eyes once more, settling into the same position as before.

“Interesting.”

And with that, Percival attempted the prayer again.