Selected Volumes from Brightvale Library

     Preface by Scholar Phebiya:

     Sakhmet Tales is a popular book with families all across Neopia — this latest edition includes more folktales from the desert than ever before. Although there are some tales based on historical events, such as the founding of Sakhmet City, the accuracy of these accounts are suspect. Moreover, this is a collection of stories designed to amuse and entertain, and not for educational purposes.

     Phebiya

     How the Apis Got its Hump

     (This tale has been told in the desert since before records began — possibly even as early as the Geb Dynasty. This version is from Qasala’s Royal Library.)

     In the first days when the desert was young, there was a great drought and the oases dried up. The Petpets gathered together to discuss what to do.

     The Horus flew down and spoke to them all.

     “I have seen a great pool in the distant sands, the only water for miles around. I will fly there and be saved!”

     And off he flew. This caused a great commotion among the other Petpets.

     “I will run fast across the sands and be there by nightfall!” The Anubis said.

     And off he ran.

     “I will slither and slide across the dunes!” Said the Wadjet. “And beat all of you there!”

     And off she slithered.

     “Wobble wobble!” Said the Blobikins.

     And off he wobbled.

     This left the poor Apis all alone. He couldn’t fly, or wobble, or slither, or run fast — but he needed water all the same. So off he went, following the others at his own slow pace.

     A few hours later, he came across the Blobikins, who had wobbled to a stop. The poor creature seemed to have dried up in the desert sun.

     “Wobble wobble!” The Blobikins pleaded.

     “Don’t worry, Blobikins!” The Apis said. “There’s room enough on my back for you!”

     And so he scooped up the Blobikins and carried him forwards.

     A few hours after that, the Apis came across the Wadjet, slithering and sliding at the foot of a great sand dune.

     “Oh, bother!” She cried. “This dune is too steep. I slither up, only to slide down! I will never reach the oasis!”

     “Don’t worry, Wadjet!” The Apis said. “There’s room enough on my back for you!”

     And so he scooped up the Wadjet and carried her upwards.

     After another few hours, the Apis found the Anubis panting in the desert heat.

     “I ran so fast that I am tired!” The Anubis said. “Now that I have used all my energy, I shall never reach the oasis!”

     “Don’t worry, Anubis!” The Apis said. “There’s room enough on my back for you!”

     And so he scooped up the Anubis and carried him forwards.

     Only a few hours after that, the Apis came across the Horus, lying in the desert sun.

     “The oasis is only a little way away,” the Horus said. “But my wings are so tired that I cannot fly any more, and I cannot walk across the dunes on my small legs.”

     “Don’t worry, Horus!” The Apis said. “There’s room enough on my back for you!”

     And so he scooped the Horus up and carried him forwards.

     At last, they came to the oasis, and the Petpets ran from the Apis to play in the water. The Apis, exhausted from carrying the others, collapsed.

     Just then, the spirit of the oasis, a terrible genie, appeared.

     “Little Apis,” he boomed. “I have watched you coming from afar, carrying your friends. As a reward for your bravery and kindness, I grant you this hump on your back. You may fill it with water, and survive weeks without drinking, that you may never need to rush to water again.”

     Seeing the commotion, the other Petpets came over.

     “I would like a hump as well,” the Horus said.

     “And why should you deserve one?” The genie boomed. “You left this poor Apis all alone, never offering your help — yet you happily took his when you needed it. No, you will have to toil all your days for water.”

     And so, to this day, every Apis sports a hump. Though they gladly carry any load, those who use them should treat them with respect, lest the genie of the oasis see you.

     The Might of King Coltzan

     (King Coltzan only ascended the throne three short years before his death, but of course he was the de facto ruler of Sakhmet for much of his life, being Regent for his ailing cousin, King Galat-Ra. In preparation for Coltzan’s rule, the palace released the following tale some fifteen years before he took the throne. It is thought to be largely propaganda, but an interesting tale, regardless.)

     The people of Khaef knew nothing of war or evil for centuries until a fearsome beast rise up from the very sands of the desert.

     It was a Hydruplit, three leagues tall and two across. Now, while most Hydruplits can muster fire, this one had tamed the very desert. Wherever it breathed, terrible sandstorms swept the land — this, they named it the Sand Hydra of Khaef. Before long, the villager’s crops withered and died, and people began to leave their homes in fear.

     Word was spread of need for a hero to slay the beast, and though many stepped forwards, none were up to the task. The people of Khaef feared that their case was a hopeless one.

     Eventually, the refugees reached Sakhmet, and their pleas reached the ears of the noble Prince Coltzan. He could not sit idly by while people suffered, even if they were not his countrymen, so he vowed that he would slay the beast.

     Coltzan set off across the desert with only his trusty sword and shield emblazoned with the triumphant seal of Sakhmet. Khaef was many days travel away, and Coltzan was forced to make camp.

     In the dead of night, he was awoken by a strange sound around his camp fire. There, a dread Monocerous stood, scavenging for food. The vicious creature spotted Coltzan and made to gouge him against the rocks, but the Lupe was fast and strong. He dodged out of the way and the savage beast hit the rocks instead. Taking his sword, he struck at the beast, cutting its flank. Wounded, the Monocerous limped away. Coltzan took pity on the beast, as it had been scavenging and not hunting, and let it go.

     Many days later, the Prince reached Khaef and found it in near ruins. The Hydra, he could see, was attacking the farm nearby, and out of its mouth came a terrible sandstorm that blinded those trying to defend themselves.

     Coltzan understood, in his wisdom, that attacking from the front would not work. Instead, he stuck his shield in the sands, the brilliant seal of Sakhmet gleaming in the sun. The foul beast mistook it for another would-be adventurer and made for it, unleashing it’s terrible breath. Meanwhile, Coltzan snuck up behind it and, running underneath, cut its belly open with his sword. The Sand Hydra roared in pain before finally collapsing. Khaef had been saved, and the villagers were eternally grateful.

     When at last the Prince returned to Sakhmet, our King, Galat-Ra, pronounced him Defender of the Downtrodden, a champion of Sakhmet.

     When asked what he had said while facing the Hydra, Coltzan said, “I shall cower before no evil, and defend the virtue of my people against all enemies. Regardless of the outcome, at least I know that I have fought for a most noble cause.”

     Coltzan of Sakhmet

     (Such was the popularity of The Might of King Coltzan when it was originally published — as The Might of Prince Coltzan — that the Palace commissioned a second tale when King Galat-Ra was on his death bed. By this point, Prince Coltzan was married with two young daughters, so the subject chosen was how he saved his wife, Princess Lightfoot.)

     It was a time of great joy in Sakhmet, for it was approaching the wedding day of Prince Coltzan and Princess Lightfoot. The marriage had been arranged since birth, and the pair had been in love for some time. The entire city was ready for a grand celebration.

     But then disaster struck. A messenger arrived from the Princess’s home in the Upper Mentu. She had been kidnapped by the evil Baron Nehlaki who intended to wed and enslave her. The army of Sakhmet immediately rallied, led by General Palpus, but Coltzan ordered them to stand down. He knew all too well that the route to the Upper Mentu crossed territory belonging to the Khonsu Dynasty, and marching an army across it would lead to war. Instead, he elected to travel alone and free the Princess himself.

     Baron Nehlaki had an isolated tower in the Upper Mentu, and it was several days away. Coltzan only hoped he would not reach it too late, but the messenger assured him that the Princess’s family would do all they could to stall the nuptials.

     Alone in the darkness, Coltzan waited as he planned his next move. With the dark tower looming ominously before him, the warrior prince saw a swarm of hungry Scorchios circling in the night sky. Off in the distance, an unusual sandstorm was rapidly cutting its way across the open plain. It was a risky proposition — Coltzan figured that if he could time it right, the he could use the dust cloud for cover until he reached the tower’s gates.

     Staying as close to the whirling sand as he could, Coltzan saw that his chance had arrived. As he strained with all his might, the Prince swiftly raced under the cover of the swirling sand. As the bickered among themselves, the evil Scorchios failed to notice the shadowy figure beneath them. Breathless, Coltzan slumped against the cold stone walls of the tower. Now, he just had to figure out a way to get inside.

     Thankfully, he had not come ill equipped. A grappling hook allowed him access to the highest window, and there he found his Princess.

     “Oh, Coltzan!” She gasped as she ran into his arms.

     “Has he harmed you, my love?” He asked.

     “No, not yet. Though I fear what his plans for me might be,” Lightfoot told him.

     Just then, the doors were thrown open and the Baron himself strode in.

     “I knew you would come,” he laughed. “I have been waiting for you. She is mine now, leave and this will go no further.”

     Coltzan drew his sword.

     “I will leave, but with her by my side.”

     Nehlaki drew his own scimitar, and the two duelled. Even though he was exhausted from his trek across the desert, Coltzan still triumphed, making sure Nehlaki would never trouble the desert again.

     Coltzan and Lightfoot returned to Sakhmet and were married the very next week, and for his bravery, Coltzan was named Confident of Genies — one of Sakhmet’s highest honours.

     Chen-Ra, Son of the Sun

     (It is common knowledge that King Coltzan I founded Sakhmet City in 873 BN, but the city was sacked and occupied by the ancient Qasalan Empire soon after and its people forced to live a nomadic existence out in the wilds of the desert. This is the tale of Chen-Ra, a tribal leader who took the city back from Qasala in 500 BN, rebuilt it, and founded the city we know today.)

     It is said he was born of the great desert, that the Great River herself created him to heal a broken people, and that the sun gave form, and such power that Empires might bend their knee before him.

     This is the story of Chen-Ra, Son of the Sun. Our saviour.

     The people of Sakhmet had lived as nomads for three centuries, our homeland stolen from us, and scorned by other city states. They were dark times, and we fractured, turning in upon ourselves. Then he arrived, a Chia who people could not help but respect, and he united the tribes once more. We were Sakhmetian again, but we still lacked our homeland.

     At around this time, the Qasalan Empire fell into disarray when the current Emperor died, leaving no heirs. The nobility argued amongst themselves as to who had the greatest claim to the throne, and fearing civil war, the councillors serving as the interim government recalled the bulk of their armies.

      Chen-Ra was a smart and canny leader. He watched far more than trade routes and saw that the Empire was at its weakest in centuries. He gathered the nomads and marched on Sakhmet. The first glorious city had been sacked and burnt to the ground, and the Qasalans had erected a fortress to replace it. Even weakened in numbers, it was still heavily guarded.

     But then the desert spirits showed their favour to Chen-Ra. As he charged, behind him the sun shone brighter than it has done before or since, and the Qasalans were blinded. Chen-Ra’s soldiers were upon them before they knew what was happening.

     With the bickering and infighting, in Qasala it was weeks until the report about Sakhmet even got through, and by then it was too late to send reinforcements. Seeing Chen-Ra’s example, occupied cities across the Empire fought back, and Qasala’s once great lands were reduced to just their own city.

     If Sakhmet, Chen-Ra rebuilt the city, making it more glorious than before. He welcomed back all the nomads, and although some elected to stay in the wilds, to this day Sakhmet is still the most welcoming to the tribes.

     Chen-Ra went down as one of the greatest leaders in history. For his service, the great Seal of Sakhmet was made for him — with crosses swords around a crown, under a magical half sun, to signify his victory.

     The Fall of Qasala

     (This tale, originally penned just after the disaster that wiped Qasala from the map two centuries ago, is largely considered offensive now that Qasala has returned to the world stage and the truth of the curse is known. It was written by Sakhmetians still angry over their three hundred year exile, eager to paint the Qasalans as deserving of their fate. It is included I. This collection simply for historical context, and no offence is intended.)

     There is a city in this desert, so corrupt and void of goodness that should the Faerie Queen even gaze upon it, she would be taken ill out of shock. That city’s name is Qasala.

     Once, Qasala had been an Empire, with a military might that could not be equalled. But they were not a fair and kind people — they rampaged across the land, stealing territory and riches as they went and burning anything they disagreed with. For a time, it looked as though the Qasalan Empire might grow to cover the world. But then the will if the desert spirits turned against them.

     The evil Emperor was smote where he stood, leaving no leader in his place, and the enslaved and defeated peoples of the desert rose up and took back their lands. Qasala was forced back, and would never again be as powerful.

     The nobles of Qasala, wicked and desperate to claim the Emperor’s throne, turned to more drastic measures to outwit their rivals.

     Blackmail, theft, fraud and muder became commonplace. Until, at last, those schooled in the dark, forbidden magics claimed the throne. This dynasty put down all rebellion against them, and for a time there was a horrible, wicked peace.

     Then came Razul, the latest of the corrupt and dark line, who took the throne as Emperor. He was a skilled wizard of the dark and twisted, and under him the people of Qasala willingly sold what little goodness they had left to genies, demons, and other foul, dark things. For a time, it seemed that Qasala’s terrible Empire might rise again, with Razul bewitching Coltzan II of Sakhmet to promise a daughter of his line to the Prince of Qasala, Jazan. But again, the spirits of the desert looked upon Qasala and saw nothing worthy of their glory, and cursed it anew.

     Razul saw the coming famine, and fearing he would be smote as the evil Emperor before him, sought to become stronger than the spirits themselves, and overcome death. Deeper into his madness he fell, with ever more evil and blasphemous magics rolling from his tongue — at last, he made the ultimate bargain. He sacrificed his own people, his entire city, that he might gain immortality.

     But then, the Great River and the Almighty Sun looked upon him and said, “Razul, nothing on this mortal plane, strive as it might, can ever eclipse our power. You have become a thing so wicked as to destroy your own people. You are not greater than a mortal, you are lesser. We curse you to the very depths for all time — May the scarabs feast on your bones for eternity.”

     And so Qasala was wiped from the map, and Sakhmet took her rightful place as the true power in the desert.

     The Gebs and the Desert

     (Even now, after years of archaeological research across the entire desert, the mystery of the ancient Geb civilisation and why it disappeared so suddenly remain. Equally, biologists are uncertain why a species of Petpet capable of speech, constructing cities and the vast Gebmids, would regress to a form where they cannot. This remains a popular, if baseless tale which attempts to explain both.)

     In the ancient days before Neopets came to the desert, the Petpets held dominion over the sands, and there were none more capable than the Gebs.

     Under their direction, the other Petpets worked and toiled while the Gebs, natural thinkers, spent time on greater things. The Gebs were the first to recognise the power of the desert spirits, but thought they were trapped in the dunes. They sought to help their stranded gods, and so set about building bodies for them to inhabit.

     Of course, no god could have a body like any mortal Geb, so instead they created great pyramidal towers, the Gebmids, that they might come alive and stride across the desert. When the first was finished and this didn’t happen, they thought the failure their own and constructed more, each larger and more impressive than the last.

     After the passing of the great King Sutek, the Gebs came to rethink their beliefs. At last, their eyes were opened to the truth, that the spirits were not trapped in the desert, they were of the desert itself. Thus, the Gebs realised that to become closer to their gods, they would have to leave their cities and enter the wilds.

     And so, overnight, Geb civilisation was abandoned, and the Gebs disappeared into the dunes. Over centuries, they sought enlightenment in the desert, until at last the Almighty Sun spoke to them.

     “Little Gebs, I have watched you for many days now, how you seek us with ever more fervour. But know this, sometimes what you seek is not what you want. If you wish to be closer to us, I will grant your desires, but it will come with a cost.”

     After years searching, the Gebs did not heed the Almighty Sun’s warning, and each of them readily agreed to the offer. At once, the Gebs were transformed, and could see and hear the desert spirits in their true forms. But it was a sight so radiant and glorious that they were stunned, unable to speak, and dumbfounded at their previous ignorance of the world. Thus, the Gebs lost that which set them apart and became the Petpets we know today.

     When Neopets came to the desert, they found the little Petpets wandering and confused. Hearing the whispers of the desert spirits, they took pity on them, and took them in.

     How the Desert Came to Be

     (In every civilisation, of those recorded in history at least, there is an attempt to explain the world and our place in it. In the modern age, we use science to explain such things, but our ancestors had no such luxuries, so explained them through storytelling instead. Those on Lutari Island speak of a battle between light and dark, whole in Tyrannia they look to Ugg, the great Rock Father. Here, in Sakhmet, there is a popular tale of the Lost Desert’s origins.)

     In the first days when the world was dark and formless, the great spirits were born from the rock and shaped the world as they saw fit. The Almighty Sun scorched the earth with his stare, and the Great River drowned the world in her majesty. The Wind of Ages swept across the plains, and the Ground Genies rocked the mountains from side to side.

     The Lady of the Pale Moon watched from a distance, until one day she approached the Almighty Sun.

     “Oh, powerful Sun,” she said. “I have watched and seen how you and the others have moved this still and quiet land, but now you grow tired, for there are only do many times the earth can be scorched.”

     “What would you have me do differently?” asked the Sun.

     “Together, we may make something that may move upon this world by itself,” she said. “That it might entertain us.”

     The Almighty Sun agreed that this was a wonderful idea, and gathered the spirits. Each borrowed a small magic from the others to make their own creations, and Petpets were born. In the north, the Great Ricer froze the waters to make land for her creations, while the Ground Genies lifted the mountains still higher for their kind. The Wind of Ages gave his things wings that they might fly, while the Almighty Sun scorched the earth to yellow dust for his creations to play in.

     The Lady of the Pale Moon watched and despaired, for the small magic the others used had only made small creatures that would not amuse the spirits for long. Instead, she plucked the darkness from the sky and wrapped it in the dust of the Ground Genies’s magic to give it form. She took the magic from the wind and the river to make her creation fast and nimble, and finally she took a spark from the Almighty Sun and placed it deep within the darkness, where it roared like a fire. When it was done, she whispered life into the creature’s ears, and the first Neopet was born.

     The other spirits gathered round and agreed that by far, this creature was the most entertaining, as it spoke and tooled and built. The Almighty Sun declares that he was so impressed that he would let it live in the scorched yellow place, his favoured land. And so the Neopets came to settle in the desert, as the spirits watched on.

     Albu and the Sandstorm

     (This short tale originates from the Khonsu Dynasty, but was taken up and popularised when it reached Sakhmet as it taught children the basics of navigating by the stars, and important skill to learn in a desert before compasses were commonplace.)

     Albu was the son of a trader in Khaef, and would often go with his father on long trips across the desert. On one such trip, they headed south towards Qasala, only for a terrible sandstorm to kick up. There was no shelter for miles around, and the Apis was not quick enough to head back.

     “Albu!” The boy’s father called. “We must brave this storm! Stay on the Apis and you will be fine!”

     When the sandstorm hit it was terrible, nearly lifting Albu clean out of his saddle. He could only see just in front of his eyes, with his father’s hand holding the Apia’s muzzle as he guided it forwards.

     But then Albu’s father’s hand slipped, and he disappeared into the storm. Fearing his father would be lost, Albu shrieked and tried to reach forward, only to tumble off the Apis instead. Blinded by the sand, Albu could not find his way back and though he shouted, the roar of the storm drowned him out.

     When at last the storm passed, Albu was all alone, with nothing but sand dunes in sight. The poor boy broke down and cried until nightfall. Then, the Lady of the Pale Moon heard his sobs and took pity on him.

     “Albu,” she said. “Look into the sky — I shall light a lantern for you, and it shall always be in the north. Follow it and it shall lead you home.”

     As Albu looked, a bright star appeared in the night sky, brighter than any other save the Lady herself. Albu followed it, and by morning he found his way back to Khaef. There, he discovered that his father and the Apis had also returned, and they were all together again.

     (That concludes this collection of tales. I do hope they were enjoyable. Of course, many others could have been included, which is to say nothing of those tales told beyond the walls of Sakhmet, but there simply was not enough room for them all. Perhaps in a future edition.

     Phebiya)

     To be continued…