Some 400 miles or so to the south-east of Cairo lay Luxor, locals and tourists alike seated outside the many cafés and restaurants lining the Saharan streets, sheltering beneath the welcoming shade of a vast array of brightly-coloured parasols; the city still baking beneath the blistering heat of the early evening sun.

Luxor had a huge a historical past, the city known in ancient times to the Egyptians as Waset, whilst to the invading armies of Alexander the Great, arriving in the year 332 BCE, the settlement became known as Thebes; initially it was settled as a site of worship, its temples erected to the Egyptian deity Amun, the god originally associated with the sun, sky and air.

By the 11th century BCE, Waset had become a thriving city, fast overshadowing many other examples settled far earlier; for a time the area became the capital of the country following unification of Upper and Lower Egypt. By the time Tikeltootsi I ascended to the position of pharaoh, Waset had the highest population of any city in the world, however following the tyrant's assassination at the hands of a traitor, the capital was abandoned in favour of a new location, that of Akhetaten or modern day Amarna; her successor anxious to disassociate himself from the acts of unspeakable cruelty said to have taken place behind closed doors of the desert palace.

The modern day city of Luxor, smaller in size than Cairo, occupied an area of 160 square miles, home to a mere half a million people; however it had once been dubbed the world's greatest open-air museum due to the sheer number of archaeological attractions, with thousands of tourists flocking from all over the world each year to witness for themselves the many magnificent examples of ancient Egyptian architecture.

On the eastern bank of the Nile, the river snaking its way through the heart of the city, stood the Temple of Luxor, built around 1400 BCE, the sandstone structure strangely not dedicated to any of the Egyptian gods or pharaohs; possibly constructed purely for the purpose of crowning the ancient kings in a coronation ceremony during the time that Waset briefly became the capital of Upper Egypt.

To the north-east stood the Temple of Amun at Karnak, one of the largest sites devoted to worship the world has ever seen; housing the huge pillars of the Great Hypostle Hall, a sacred lake used by priests to purify themselves in the holy water and numerous sub-temples within its largely ruined walls. In ancient times only priests were permitted to enter the heart of the temple, home to Amun himself, it was believed; performing tasks of respect such as cleaning the great statue in hope that the god would continue to protect the pharaoh and his people.

During the reign of Amenhotep III, the ninth pharaoh of the 18th Dynasty, an avenue had linked the two temples, stretching some 1.7 miles in length, lined all the way with well over a thousand stone sphinxes; sadly such splendid examples of ancient craftsmanship now lay buried beneath the streets of the city, although plans to excavate the area in the hope of increasing the local economy were already well under way.

A short distance from the Luxor Temple stood the Museum of Mummification, home to all manner of relics relating to the ancient art of embalming, including the many tools employed in the process of mummification; specimens such as a series of hooks, savage in appearance, which when heated were then inserted into the nostrils in order to remove the mummy's brain, albeit in a liquified form. The museum also housed a collection of canopic jars recovered from the resting places of the pharaohs, not to mention mummified cats, crocodiles and fish; also an impressive array of ushabtis, funerary figurines carved in the human form from stone, designed to serve their masters in the afterlife in the time since the practice of slaughtering living servants had ceased. Also on display was the mummified remains of Masaharta; High Priest of Amun from 1054-1045 BCE.

Further north along the east bank of the Nile stood the Luxor Museum, its many exhibits including treasures taken from the tomb of Tutankhamun, as well as the mummified remains of pharaohs Ahmose I and Ramesses II; whilst an impressive statue of Sobek - the crocodile-headed god associated with pharaonic power, militaristic prowess and fertility - was displayed alongside the pharaoh Amenhotep III, the pair carved from calcite.

Outside of the city, on the west bank, lay the Theban Necropolis, its many Temple Mortuaries, also known to the ancients as Mansions of a Million Years, designed for the purpose of worshipping those deceased pharaohs dating to the dynasties of the New Kingdom, the holy ground guarded by the Colossi of Memnon; twin statues displayed in a seated position some 60 feet tall, fashioned from quartzite sandstone. Within the necropolis stood the Medinet Habu, the Mortuary Temple of Ramesses III; its walls depicting the defeat of the Sea Peoples in pictorial form, for the pirate raiders had proved a particular thorn in the side for the pharaoh.

Beyond the ancient burial ground, nestling beneath the Theban Hills, stood the Mortuary Temple of Queen Hatshepsut, the pharaoh herself no stranger to the art of tickling; for it was said that servants would softly stroke the soles of her feet with ostrich feathers as an aid to relaxation, or occasionally as a stimuli towards achieving sexual arousal. Beyond the temple, bordered by limestone cliffs, lay the Valley of the Kings; the sun now slowly sinking behind its imposing, craggy peaks as dusk descended.

Within the temple of Corvus, concealed beyond the walls of the tomb of Tikeltootsi, was seated the tyrant herself; perched upon a resplendant, bejewelled throne befitting her status, the golden headband, glistening in the flickering flames of the many burning braziers, now ensconced comfortably upon her crown as it had done more than three and-a-half thousand years earlier.

With a faint flicker of amusement creeping across frosty features, the flexing forefinger of Tikeltootsi's left hand lolled lazily upon an armrest of the throne; atop the temple altar lay an acolyte, bound hand and foot with ropes, squirming in distress as the soles of her bare feet were stroked with the power of mental projection alone, apparently the young woman's punishment for displeasing her queen.

Of course, the sense of triumph, not to mention satisfaction, she had experienced upon being presented by her acolytes with her beloved headband had proved overwhelming initially; yet the moment had soon passed, for the petulant queen's impatience knew no bounds, boredom fast setting in as she awaited the arrival of the dawn, a new dawn in which she would pronounce herself ruler of the entire world.

"Please, majesty - have mercy! I beg of you!" implored the acolyte, writhing in torment as the teasing, tickling sensation continued to creep across her soles; hysterical laughter issuing forth from her mouth all the while.

"Be silent, snivelling worm!" snarled the sadist, her concentration shattered by the acolyte's interruption, "Your punishment will endure until I decide otherwise!"

One problem with achieving global domination immediately presented itself to Tikeltootsi, however; she had no real idea as to exactly how huge the world was. To explain such matters, she would require scholars as an addition to her ever-increasing court of subjects; scholars acting in an advisory capacity, capable of explaining in simple terms the strengths and weaknesses of her enemies, for already there was much about this strange new world which confused her.

Of course, there would be no need for the tyrant to approach the powers presently in control directly, detailing her list of demands; for finally, once she had reclaimed the empire of Egypt as her own, these new world rulers would come to her if they wished to engage in warfare. Again, another problem presented itself, causing the queen no little consternation; the lack of an army at her disposal. Naturally, in the days to come, many more followers would flock to her side once she had revealed herself to the world, she reasoned, an unending array of sycophants desperate to serve the schemer; yet for the time being she was forced to make do with those few already in her thrall. Frowning in frustration, her fingers flicked frenziedly at thin air, causing the unfortunate female further torment.

Yet according to her acolytes, the rulers of this world would not prove so easy an enemy to overcome, possessed of weapons far more powerful than swords, spears, arrows and slingshots; instead their armies wielded projectile weapons fired with an explosive force, the likes of which she had never before witnessed. No matter, from the safety of a magical barrier summoned to shield herself and her army, she could level an entire city with the destructive powers at her disposal; soon the world would tremble before her might.

And then there was the issue of where to begin building her capital to be addressed, she acknowledged, enjoying, the squirming, screaming hysteria of the acolyte all the while; should she retain Waset as the seat of her empire, or seek someplace new, she pondered, for soon the entire world would be hers to do with as she wished. Firstly, she would require a palace befitting of her position as pharaoh, its walls filled with the finest, freshest-faced serving girls for the tyrant to tickle torture; for now there would be no need to conduct her cruelty in secrecy.

The original palace, demolished by the dead queen's successor, had in its time been a true testament to ancient Egyptian architecture; a wonder to behold by all who had witnessed what lay beyond its high walls and tapering towers. Many secrets had lain within its walls, a labyrinth of passages permitting the tyrant to spy on her own people for fear that they may plot against her; the architects who had designed the palace were slaughtered to protect such secrets, as were the workforce.

At the heart of the huge stone structure lay a large lake, bordered by the many buildings that made up the queen's court and home to a half-dozen outsized Nile crocodiles; for when there were far too many feet to tickle, hapless felons were frequently fed to the ravenous reptiles instead, their cries causing the queen no end of entertainment as they were torn to pieces by powerful jaws.

To the west had stood the storehouses, kitchens and living quarters of the servants, while to the east lay the luxurious apartments of the queen's vizier, the royal treasurer and the many administrators tasked with the day-to-day running of the empire. To the south stood a great stone pylon, or gatehouse, the enclosed area beyond home to the palace guards, their sole duty to protect the queen and her people; whilst to the north, its architecture the most grand of all, was the throne room.

Upon approaching the throne room, one would first pass through the hypostle hall; its interior filled with many supporting pillars. Beyond the hall, at the head of an enormous council chamber, stood the elegant throne inlaid with gold and precious jewels, where sat the tyrant herself; frequently fanned by the welcome relief of ostrich feathers wielded by her servants. Beyond the throne room was the royal apartment, a private space within which only a handful of the tyrant's most trusted servants were permitted to enter.

At the rear of the throne room, concealed behind a set of ornate double doors inlaid with gold, lay the temple of Amun, an enormous effigy of the god gazing upon its impressive interior; within these walls, only the queen herself and the palace priests had the authority to enter unchallenged by the royal guards. Yet unbeknownst to all but a few faithful courtiers, there had lain a concealed passage behind the statue of Amun, leading deep beneath the palace before emerging into a second, secret temple; its far more magnificent interior dedicated to Corvus. It was here that the evil enchantress and her followers had worshipped the goddess, unseen by all unbelievers; human sacrifices upon the altar stone at the foot of the idol had been a frequent occurrence.

A second passageway had connected the concealed temple with the palace dungeons, where Tikeltootsi had heard the confessions of her foes, prior to having them put to death. Confessions were frequently gained by blackmail, for the tyrant would warn her victims that if they did not admit to their guilt, their feet would be tickled for all eternity by Maat; the ancient goddess associated with justice and wielder of the Feather of Truth. However upon providing a complete confession, the victims were often tickle tortured to the point of death; a steady stream of unsettling screams continuing long into the night.

Secondly, she would order the construction of a great temple, far larger in scale than that of Karnak, and far grander in its design; its sacred walls dedicated to the worship of Corvus. Soon, further temples would be built all across the empire, each erected in honour of the goddess; for the punishment for those found to be worshipping false idols would be death by tickle torture. As the tyrannical ruler reflected upon the pleasures of inflicting such punishment, a wicked smile spread across her cold, cruel features; fingers caressing the air as she continued to tease the exposed soles of the helpless acolyte stretched out upon the altar.

All enemies of the empire would meet a similar fate at her fingertips, she reassured herself, stroking the bare soles of those that opposed her will until such time as death intervened; purring in pleasure, Tikeltootsi plucked the plume of a raven from an awaiting acolyte's grasp, flicking at the air with fervour. As her hapless victim writhed and wriggled in increasing hysteria, the queen was overcome by a strong sense of satisfaction at the acolyte's humiliation at her hands; concentrating intently as she caressed the arches with the power of mental projection.

"Forgive me, majesty - but don't you feel she has been punished enough?" impeached an impassioned acolyte, a young female feeling pity for her fellow follower; with a withering glance from her queen, she at once rued the folly of her words.

"And you would rather take her place, is that it?" quizzed the cruel queen, adopting an accusatory air as she addressed the acolyte.

"No, o-of course not, m-majesty!" stammered the acolyte, not daring to meet the tyrant's gaze, "Please f-forgive me!"

However for the unfortunate female it was far too late, for with a wave of her hand, Tikeltootsi ordered that the insolent young woman's wrists be bound behind her back by a bodyguard before being bundled away; to be imprisoned until such time as the tyrant could punish her. Yet now that the negative influence had been removed from her sight, a sudden thought occurred to Tikeltootsi, one that caused the queen some concern; there were far too many feet to torment and not enough hours in the day in which to do so.

During the first incarnation of her existence, she had called into question the matter of her own mortality on many occasions; it had occured to the queen that one lifetime was not enough to achieve each evil ambition her heart had desired. Immortality was the solution, and such an eternal state of being was well within her reach if she were to beseech Corvus satisfactorily; as the earthly representative of the often forgotten goddess, she was sure her prayers would be answered, albeit at the cost of many souls sacrificed upon the altar in ritual worship.

Naturally some sign of her worthiness would be required if the great goddess was to bestow upon her the gift of eternal life, she acknowledged; fingers flexing all the while in an unrelenting burst of abuse upon the bare soles of the struggling, screaming acolyte.

And so it was decided, the destruction of Cairo; no less a display of her militaristic prowess would impress the goddess sufficiently. She would march upon the capital in spite of the fact she commanded only a fairly small army of followers; yet soon, upon witnessing first hand for themselves her might, many more would join her ranks.

One potential thorn in her side, she pondered, was the young woman she had encountered in the Cairo museum; who was she, this fair-skinned stranger? Did she still seek to hinder her schemes? The queen was forced to confess her foe had fought well, yet should the tyrant find herself faced once again by the female, she would have the upper hand; bound upon the altar, bare soles stroked without mercy, the stranger would soon be begging for forgiveness.

With great power often came great paranoia, all manner of suspicions soon flooding the siren's thoughts. The stranger had seemed unsurprised to discover that she had returned from the dead, she noted, so were there others out there seeking to put an end to her ambitions before they had even begun? It seemed likely, for once upon a time she had believed herself to be utterly omnipotent, the earthly embodiment of a god, but that was before her untimely death; a traitor putting paid to her plans of conquest.

As a scathing expression spoiled the pretty features of her face, Tikeltootsi's fingers flickered into an exhaustive frenzy of activity as the memory of her past defeat caused her a great deal of bitter resentment; the restrained ankles of the acolyte writhing in agony in response to the tyrant's rage. Finally, the by now laboured breathing of the acolyte ceased; with a wave of her right hand, the queen ordered that the limp body be removed from the altar by a pair of crimson-clad servants.

Making a mental vow to seek out this stranger who had dared to lay claim to her beloved headband, Tikeltootsi chose to retire for the evening, as outside in the Valley of the Kings, dusk descended; casting all matters of conquest and revenge out of her mind until morning, the tyrant remained unaware that all the while her enemy was in fact far closer than she could ever have suspected...