In the twelfth year of the reign of Akhetaton two things happened: one was that the Pharaoh seemed to forget his beautiful wife Nefertiti, and put in her place his half-brother Smenkhkare, who had been his lover for a long time. Smenkhkare reigned together with Akhetaton, but while the latter continued to rule from his new capital Akhetaton, where he performed the daily rites to the sun god Aton, he sent Smenkhkare to reign from the old capital Memphis. This, it was said, to appease the priests of Amon; they still had a lot of power, despite the Pharaoh's fight against them.
The second was that, one day, Abana called Sembeb: "Pack your luggage, a long journey awaits you."
"Where are we going?"
"Not me. You are transferred to Herakleopolis, halfway between Memphis and Akhetaton. Over there is a large garrison of three companies, one of cavalry and two of chariots. Both Djedkara, the standard-bearer of the horsemen, and Irynefer, the superintendent of the garrison, are dear friends of mine, old comrades in arms who fought with me against the Nubians.
"I wrote to them, and they are waiting for you. Learn to ride a horse and to drive a battle chariot... make me proud of you, my son, don't disgrace your first teacher, the old Abana. After what I wrote about you, it would compromise my honour."
"If that is your decision, Abana, I'll do it. You're not old, and I will not make you lose face. I'll become a good horseman, even a very good horseman, as you have so decided. But I will miss your guidance."
"You don't need it any more, my son. But before you go, I will give to you one last piece of advice: three things a good soldier should always avoid. Two no's that a true soldier must observe, and one more: no hesitation, no cowardice and no mercy. Remember this, my Sembeb!"
The boy hugged the man who had been a father as well as a teacher, a lover beyond a friend, a companion as well as a leader. So he gathered his few belongings, his weapons, saluted his companions and left the garrison. Abana had refused to attend his departure and Sembeb realized that the man didn't want to show his emotion in front of others.
He walked briskly toward the north, along the great river. When he found a garrison along the road and showed his travel documents to the Supervisor or the Standard-bearer, he was granted the opportunity to rest and eat. Along the way he amused himself with some boys who were in the fields. Remembering his first time, though, he never forced them to have sex with him. Indeed, little by little he realized that if the boy took part with pleasure, for him the enjoyment became greater.
Finally he reached the city of Herakleopolis and found the garrison. It was bigger and more beautiful than the one he came from. He introduced himself to the scribe of distribution and the scribe of assembly to be registered, then went to present himself to the Superintendent Irynefer and to the Standard-bearer Djedkara. He was immediately placed in a team composed entirely of young soldiers like him, who were there to learn to ride a horse and to drive a chariot of war.
The Chief of Ten, called Akhenre, was a veteran with two golden bees on his collar. It was said that he had fought side by side with the pharaoh Amenhotep III, the father of Akhetaton and Smenkhkare. The horsemen were organized quite differently from the infantrymen. First, each horseman had a tiny room all to himself, in a block for each squad. In addition, each squad had ten slaves in its service to care for the horses and the chariots, as well as to serve the horsemen. A horseman had the prestige of a Chief of Ten in the infantry.
The trainings were very hard, but the discipline, perhaps because of this, was a little looser than for the infantry. Sembeb also realized another difference with infantrymen - while ninety percent of the infantrymen came from the lower classes, in the cavalry only fifteen percent were of humble origins, like he was.
Sembeb immediately loved to learn to ride. He found the training very entertaining, he had no fear, and soon he learned not only to control the horse that had been assigned to him, but also to perform real acrobatics on the animal. While at a gallop, he liked to jump off and climb back on in full run, to stay on it standing, lying, and kneeling. And he spoke often to his horse.
Among the slaves assigned to them, Sembeb soon noticed a boy of fourteen. His name was Chike and he was often seen apart from the other slaves, perhaps, Sembeb thought, for his shyness and his young age. Chike was thin, had short hair the colour of mahogany, and startling blue eyes. Sembeb decided to talk to him whenever he had the chance and ask his services more than of the others.
Day after day, Sembeb saw that Chike smiled at him more often and that he ran more and more quickly to serve him, at his slightest sign. When one day Sembeb praised him for how well he had groomed his horse and polished his chariot, the boy gave him a broad smile.
Looking straight into his eyes, he said: "Thanks, Sembeb. I love you!"
The young soldier smiled, taking this exclamation as the excess of a child and he thought not longer of it. But at night, alone in his bed, he remembered the moment and the half-naked body of the slave, his little pink nipples... Slowly and pleasantly he masturbated, imagining being with the boy.
The next day, when after training he brought his horse into the stables and entrusted it to Chike, the boy asked: "Can I come and see you tonight, after dinner?"
Sembeb looked a little surprised, but said, "Uhhh... yeah..."
Late in the evening Sembeb had just entered his cell, when the boy came to the door: "Sorry, Sembeb, can I come in?"
Sembeb nodded, put the lamp on the chest, sat on the only seat and motioned for the boy to sit on the bed. The boy sat on the edge, his hands clenched between his knees. He looked up and said: "Sorry, Sembeb..."
"Speak."
"You think I'm weird if I'm not interested in girls?"
"No. There are people who do not care about girls."
"But my friends always talk about girls and tease me..." the boy said, dejected.
Sembeb saw that he was going to cry, so he got up, sat next to him and put an arm around his shoulder. "Come on, come on; don't cry. There is nothing wrong if you are not interested in girls."
The boy wiped a tear, looked at him and with an almost inaudible voice, said: "You can't understand... I wish I were a girl, so maybe you'd take me with you... But I cannot, because I'm a boy."
Sembeb smiled: " If you were a girl, I wouldn't be very interested in you. I always liked to do it with boys..." He said and began to get an erection.
The young slave, who was looking down, saw Sembeb's loincloth swell. He raised his face to look at the young horseman. "It's getting hard!" he exclaimed softly, almost in amazement, then asked: "Can I touch it?"
Without waiting for an answer, the boy put his hand between Sembeb's legs, and when he saw that he did not react badly, he slid his fingers under the cloth and seized the young horseman's member. He looked again at Sembeb and saw the young man smile, so he also broke into a broad smile.
"I can pull it off, Sembeb? Please?"
The soldier lay on the bed without answering. Chike's hands, fast and daring, untied the soldier's loincloth, freed the already semi-erect member and began to caress it.
"It's big, so strong... so beautiful," he murmured.
He bent and his lips encircled the tip of Sembeb's member, who instinctively pushed up his pelvis, to make his penis slide into the boy's hot mouth. Chike began to suck it with a passion. Sembeb pulled him onto the bed and removed his small loincloth, then took possession of the boy's member. It was not very big yet, but hard and erect.
Chike rose, sat astride the crotch of the young horseman, with his legs imprisoning Sembeb's hips, and looked at him with a serious expression in his eyes.
"Sorry, Sembeb..."
"Speak."
The boy buried his face against the strong chest of young man and said in a choked voice: "I... I have never taken a dick back there... Will you do it, please?"
"You want me to fuck your ass, boy?"
Chike turned his head a little, so he only could look toward the soldier with one eye, and said with a pleading voice: "Please... put it all inside me!"
It was the first time someone "pleaded" Sembeb to fuck him. He hugged the boy while one hand went down to caress his ass and tease his hole with a finger. The boy shuddered, let out a moan and hugged him tightly. Sembeb slowly pushed his finger inside. It was incredibly tight and hot. Chike lifted his head and slid over Sembeb's body, until he could lay his lips on those of the young horseman.
The little slave began to timidly explore the mouth of the young, strong horseman with his tongue. Then he seemed to take courage and their tongues began to play and dance, now in the mouth of one, and then in that of the other.
"I must prepare your little hole to receive me, Chike, if you never took it there. You have to get on all fours," Sembeb whispered.
Chike moved nimbly beside the handsome horseman and assumed the requested position. He rested his head on his crossed arms and pushed upwards his pretty, pink, perfect little ass.
Sembeb got out of bed, took a little jar containing the ointment that he usually spread on his skin to protect himself from the strong rays of the sun, and applied a little on the pink waiting hole. He carefully massaged it in and out by first inserting one finger, then two, turning them round and round, to lubricate the boy and making him relax.
"I like it Sembeb, it's good... More please," the happy young slave muttered.
Sembeb saw that the boy again had a strong erection. Evidently he was enjoying this preparation a lot.
He whispered: "This night is yours, Chike, I want you to remember it forever."
Sembeb rubbed oil on his hard member that quivered waiting to do its pleasant task. He knelt behind the boy, his two hands parting the tender and small buttocks, and placed the tip of his penis on the small waiting hole. The boy slightly moved his pelvis to make it accommodate better. Finally Sembeb began to push and the little slave pushed back to impale himself on the powerful rod which, slowly but relentlessly, began to penetrate the untouched hole, sliding in with very little effort.
When the tip was inserted properly, Sembeb took the boy by the waist and started to penetrate him completely with rapid but controlled movements. The handsome soldier's thick tuft of the pubic hair rubbed against the boy's soft buttocks. They moved in a faster and stronger pace, and every time Sembeb pushed forward, the boy pushed back.
"Yes, like that, Sembeb, like that... fuck me... fuck me..." the young slave moaned with a more and more excited voice. "Make me feel all your fine staff, your strong spear, your brave sword... Fill me with it, Sembeb, make me totally yours!"
It exalted Sembeb to feel so desired. He thought he had never experienced such intense and beautiful sensations. After a few minutes of that strong ride he pushed it all inside with vigour and unloaded his seed in the tight, hot depths of the boy, for whom it was a first.
He lowered himself on the smooth little body. The boy lay down and, as his hard member touched the surface of the bed, he too came in a series of strong contractions. Sembeb slowly slipped out of him, turned the boy over in a cuddle, hugging and kissing him passionately. Then Sembeb turned on his side and extinguished the lamp. The boy leaned his head on the fine horseman's breast and fell asleep almost immediately, with a happy expression on his face.
The next morning the boy jumped off the bed, kissed with devotion the member of the young horseman, girded his loincloth and ran to carry out its tasks, cheerful and happy. Before the training, after having thoroughly washed, Sembeb went to his chief Akhenre.
"Chief, I must ask you a favour..."
"You know I don't do favours, Sembeb," the man replied without harshness.
"Yes, everyone knows your sense of fairness and justice. However, I still have something to ask. Listen to me, please."
"Speak."
"I would like the young slave Chike to be assigned to me personally."
"Only chiefs and higher up can have a personal slave, Sembeb, you should know that."
"I don't ask that he only deals with me. During the day he would continue to perform all his tasks, though in fact it is always he who takes care of my horse and chariot."
Akhenre smiled mischievously: "I understand. What you are asking me is that at night he only deals with the horse that you have between your legs, and you would be the only one to use his little chariot..."
"Yes, Akhenre, that's right. I wish that none else could ask him this kind of service and that if one day I will be transferred, Chike can follow me."
"For the first thing, I can grant it to you. As to the second, see to deserve to be chosen as a Chief of Ten as soon as possible then Chike will be completely yours. But I didn't know you were so keen for the male graces, Sembeb..."
"I am. And I like Chike too much to give him up."
"You could buy him from the barracks, by paying a fair price for him. In that case, nobody could say anything. He would belong to you and to you only."
"You know that I have no wealth at my disposal, unlike most of my comrades."
"Come, I'll teach you to play senet and aseb."
"Play? Why do you want to teach me to play? I don't understand."
"Don't you know that a good player without money can easily stock it up, challenging his comrades or the fools down in the city? Especially if he's smart enough to lose the first matches so to make the opponent believe he is not such a good player?" Akhenre said with a smirk.
So Sembeb learned from Akhenre various games, and also how to make believe the others he was not very good at them... As in all his things, he was an excellent student and soon surpassed his teacher. Several days passed, during which the sweet Chike often spent the night in Sembeb's bed, until the day came when the young horseman could go by the scribe of the garrison. He gave him a few coins to ingratiate himself, and so with the remaining sum he could buy Chike as his personal slave.
Chike was happy. If previously he had already served the young and handsome horseman with care, now he served him with full dedication, both during the day when Sembeb entrusted him with a thousand duties, and during the night, when gave himself to the young man with total abandon and participation.
Then the old Akhenre retired from active service, to enjoy the revenues of his life as a soldier with his family. He obtained without difficulty that the young Sembeb became the new Chief of Ten in his place, and that he was to train the new soldiers who wanted to become horsemen. In fact, Sembeb had become one of the best horsemen of the garrison, despite his young age.
After two years of Smenkhkare's regency, Pharaoh Akhetaton died. A year later the life of Smenkhkare also ended. Akhetaton's son, the little Tutankhaton, only ten years old, became the new Pharaoh, under the regency of Aye who was, at the time of Akhetaton, the "divine father" of Nefertiti, the "commander of the horses of His Majesty", and the Pharaoh's personal scribe.
It was a year of great changes, marked especially by the fact that Aye, being the grand vizier of the boy-pharaoh, changed his name from Tutankhaton to Tutankhamon, thus restoring the worship of the god Amon that his father had unsuccessfully tried to eradicate. Another change was that the new capital of Akhetaton was abandoned and that the new Pharaoh and his court moved to Memphis.
In the same year Sembeb was transferred to the cavalry garrison that defended the capital on the side of the desert. As the worship of the old gods was allowed again, Sembeb decided to change his name to Horembeb, taking in the name of Horus, whom he had always secretly worshipped.
In the new garrison Horembeb, now twenty-three years old, was awarded the rank of Master of Fifty. Mindful of the lessons of both his first master Abana and those of Akhenre, he established a strict discipline, but at the same time took care of his men personally, ensuring that his platoon soon became one of the most efficient and united. His men respected and feared him, but also loved him.
Horembeb had become a tall and proud young man of remarkable beauty. He took great care of his appearance. He had not only learned to read and write fluently, but he was taking delight in reading all the literature that he could lay his hands on. Chike kept his growing personal library in order. Horembeb was also slightly vain, so his jewels and clothes, although not showy, were always beautiful and in perfect order. He had also learned the art of make-up, discrete but stylish. No one would suspect he had rural origins, as Horembeb never spoke of his background. The mystery of his true origins made him all the more fascinating.
Normally Horembeb took his pleasure with his faithful Chike, but sometimes he conceded to some adventure, taking his pleasure with a pretty boy in the fields, or in the city among the lower classes. But Horembeb had made it a point of honour to never rape any of the kids who attracted his attention and aroused his desire. He knew that most of the time it was enough to flatter them, to make them yield to his demands, some more eager than others.
One day he gathered his men and told them to never go hunting with two or three, and never to force a boy or a girl to yield to their desires with violence. The men protested at first: to take their pleasure with a girl or a boy was part of their privileges from time immemorial. But Horembeb convinced them by reasoning, and when the majority agreed with him, he gave strict orders not to rape boys or girls in the fields.
Actually it should be noted that, as this practice was quite common, when boys and girls saw a soldier approaching, if they did not want to do it, normally they hid or ran away. If they were found or caught, almost always they yielded, without trying to resist the soldier's desires. So in fact nothing changed very much.
In the third year of the reign of Tutankhamen, Horembeb became the Standard-bearer of the horsemen of his garrison. With his twenty-five years he was one of the youngest Standard-bearers in all the Army of the North, and the youngest in the cavalry.
What happened at court during the reign of the young Pharaoh did not seep out to the cities and villages, nor to the garrisons. Aye, with his wife Tye, was in fact ruling the Kingdom of the Two Lands. The cult of the old gods had been fully restored and Aton became a lesser god, now almost forgotten. The high priest of Amon had free access to court, and the god's coffers, barns and temples were filling up again.
Horembeb had witnessed all these changes and he realized that, after the court, the caste of priests, especially those of Amon, was becoming the most important, next to the military. Indeed, all the land of Egypt belonged for one third to the Pharaoh and his court, for one third to the temples and priests, and for one third to the military in its various degrees of hierarchy.
So Horembeb began attending the House of Life that was not far from the garrison, to spend some time to weave a good relationship with the priestly class. His other reason to go there was to borrow the papyri with ancient stories, myths and poems that he was so passionate about.
Horembeb wanted Chike to learn to read and write, so he made him spend more time at the House of Life. His aim was to make Chike his personal scribe. The boy applied himself with good will, also in this new role. He always did his best to please his master in every way.
The soldiers were generally paid in goods - wheat, beer, meat, and cloth. For the higher ranks it was often made up of land, slaves, jewels or money. Horembeb had always refused land or slaves, preferring to be paid in jewels and money, that he regularly deposited into the coffers of the temple of the god Horus. So he was accumulating a small fortune, without being bound to fixed assets, thus maintaining a greater freedom of movement and action.
Sometimes Horembeb did loans to noblemen and merchants, obtaining additional revenues and increasing his capital. It was Chike's duty to keep the records and documents.