Once, in ancient Egypt, there was a Pharoah who believed in treating his servants well. He got to know
each servant well and shared some of his wealth with them, and in turn the servants loved the Pharoah.
They served him faithfully, and very well. However, one servant took his loyalty to the extreme, and
followed the Pharoah everywhere he went.
"I shall never leave your side for eternity, both as long as I live and though the Netherworld, be it
gloriously in the afterlife or condemned to the realm of Anubis," the servant, Scirrhi, often
proclaimed.
The Pharoah, struck by this loyalty, at first exhulted the servant, allowing him even in his personal
chambers. After many months of this constant attention, even the leinient Pharoah was at wits end. It
grew old that Scirrhi was with him everywhere, never leaving his side during EVERY waking hour.
"Surely, Scirrhi, you must tire of your undying work. For having served me so loyally for so long, I
allow you to go free, and you may the southern estate, by the royal pool, for you and your family for
all time."
"But Pharoah," Scirrhi stated, "nothing brings me greater happiness than being at your service. I wish
to live out my life in your command."
The Pharoah tried to convice Scirrhi into quitting, even offering him domain over a quarter of his
empire. However, stubborn Scirrhi persisted in his initial declaration. "I shall never leave your side
for eternity."
It was enough, Pharoah thought, so Pharoah had a alchemist create a sleeping drought to place half in a
goblet wine. "This will cause Scirrhi to fall into a deep sleep, without harming him. Then, I will take
him to the farthest outpost of my domain and leave him in a comfortable house. Although he is a
considerable irritation, his loyalty does not count for nothing."
Later that day, at evening meal, Scirrhi offered to taste his food as usual. "I lay my life down for my
Pharoah; I am ready to die for my Lord, whos generousity allowes me to eat food deserving of the gods."
After sampling a token amount of the ham, fine palm mash, honey grain, fruits, and other foods, he
poured a quarter goblet of the laced wine and breathed deep the aroma of the fermented grape. However,
he sniffed at the goblet again, and at the skin of wine with a horrified look.
"This wine is poison, Master!" Scirrhi cried, and threw the contents down over the side of the palace.
The Pharoah, slightly disappointed, ate his meal in silence as Scirrhi fetched another wineskin.
The next day, at mid-day meal, the Pharoah placed a considerably smaller amount in the wine. This time,
Scirrhi did not detect the odor, and grew disoriented.
"Here, my loyal servant, have more wine to distend any poison you might have ingested, to lessen it's
impact on you," the pharoah said, slipping half the remaining drought into the cup.
"Irm nawt whuuurthy of sutch ahn honor," Scirrhi said, messily gulping the rest of the wine down.
Scirrhi collapsed on the floor, and the Pharoah had Scirrhi and his family taken to the distant village
to live out the remainder of their lives in luxury.
Only two days later, though, Scirrhi was back at the palace gates. "I have returned, Master!" he
proclaimed. "I do not believe the lies my family has said about you deliberately leaving me. I remember
the maps of your domain, and journeyed back."
This time, the Pharoah set off to Greece with his servant, and gave him three gold coins. The worth of
the coins was barely enough for fare back to Egypt, but plentiful enough to serve as a ruse "Scirrhi,
please use this money to buy the finest olives you can find, and return here with your findings." As
soon as the servant was out of sight, the Pharoah made a hasty retreat back to Egypt.
Later that night, however, Scirrhi had returned with a large sack of olives over his shoulder. "Though
skillful negotation, I managed to buy more olives for less the price they are generally sold by using
your name. However, I had misremembered where you had birthed because I could not find your ship. So, I
paid a local fisherman some of the surplus olives and the rest of the money to quickly reach you before
the olives grew bad."
This time, the Pharoah was past his gentle settings to rid himself of Scirrhi. That same night, the
Pharoah, along with some royal guard, captured a small group of thieves. Instead of the execution they
expected, they were to be given a full pardon if they managed to kill Scirrhi. So as Scirrhi slept
unknowingly, the band of thieves snuck up on the dozing servant, weapons raised.
Scirrhi suprised them all by effortlessly brandishing a short sword, which outpowered the thieves'
daggers. Scirrhi dutifully reported to the Pharoah. "I had secreted the sword with me at all times, in
order to better defend you, and had spent tireless hours as you slept perfecting the warrior's form and
technique."
The Pharoah had had enough. "You must be tired after your ordeal, here, you have earned my...personal
elixer." The Pharoah drew out the remainder of the drought. "It rejuvinates the body and mind quickly,
and you have earned it."
Scirrhi, tired by exhaustion and the effort of fighting off the assassins, drank heartily without
pause. "I thank you, Pharoah, for this."
The Pharoah smiled, slightly tinged with wickedness. "It would do if you rested well, Scirrhi, elixer
is not enough for mortal bodies." The Pharoah guided him back to his bed.
"Yes, I feel refreshed, but I do need a small rest before I can se..." Scirrhi managed before he had
fallen victim to the drought, asleep.
The Pharoah had a wooden sarcophagus, one built soon after he had planned Scirrhi's death, brought to
him. The royal guard placed Scirrhi into the coffin, and had it brought out to the Nile's banks. "Go
well, so that you may serve another in the afterlife," the Pharoah said, using his staff to punch a
hole though the sarcophagus. The guards pushed the box out to water, where it sank to the bottom.
Similarly and equally tired, the Pharoah retreated to his personal quarters, where he had another servant bring a few of the olives that had recently been brought. Snacking on a few, he was content to sleep knowing the ordeal was over.
..
A slight sound roused the Pharoah. It was slightly warm, boardering on uncomfortable. Also, there was a wierd light for this time of night...Pharoah heard the sound again, a moaning. And another low, gravelly moan, and another. All sound was drowned out in the chorus of woe that pierced the soul...
Pharoah opened his eyes to a nightmare.
Instead of the polished stone, luxury bed, and pillars of his palace, there was blue fire, rising high into the air in jets. The earth was grey and scorched, and the air smelled heavily of sulfur and brimstone. But what stood out the most was the people. Everyone looked torn; their already scant clothes were torn and dirty, shambling along, and had shredded flesh, even arms dislocated or missing. Most were skeletal, and looking down at himself, he realized he looked the same. His once golden mantle was corroded and dull, and he could count the bones in his wrist.
Looking though the crowd in shock, he realized he had seen the form of Scirrhi; similarly mutilated, but still recognizable. The Pharoah tried to hide himself and run, but he found out that his legs refused full service as he hobbled along. The golden mantle, which once distinguished himself as a man of power, now gave away the once-Pharoah to his murder victim, and Scirrhi limped over quickly to Pharoah's side. "I shall never leave your side for eternity, both as long as I live and though the Netherworld, be it gloriously in the afterlife or condemned to the realm of Anubis..."
..
"The Pharoah is dead!"
"Who will be heir now?"
"The Pharoah died in his sleep?"
"Poisoned olives, they say."
"And where did the Pharoah's most loyal servant go to?"
"He's gone, too, but no one knows where."
"I wonder who would do such a thing to the Pharoah."
"The olive seller is the one, he admits selling the olives at a lower price to lure the king's buyers."
"A shame they're both gone, those two looked to be near inseperable, that's how close they looked."
