Kensa

"I'm telling you, Bayek, I am so close to my dream. If only I was given the chance, I know I could become champion. I mean, wealth, luxury, fame! What more could a woman want?"

―Kensa, on her life as a gladiator, 48 BCE.^[src]^-[m]

Kensa (born c. 85 BCE) was an Egyptian gladiatrix and a friend of the Medjay Bayek, during the reign of Ptolemy XIII.

Biography

Early life

Growing up Kensa became friends with Bayek and taught him the ways of her tribe, hunting and trapping.^[1] Eventually Kensa's tribe had to move on. Several years later in 70 BCE Kensa met up with Bayek, Aya, and a street urchin Tuta in Thebes, as Bayek was there searching for his father, Sabu. They learned that Menna, a grave robber who had attacked Bayek's home years earlier, was nearby in Thebes. Alongside Aya, Tuta, Seri and Neka (two of Kensa's family) they begun their hunt for Menna.

Neka was captured and tortured, before being rescued by the others. During the battle Menna escaped on a chariot. He was pursued by Bayek and Kensa, the latter felling his driver with an arrow – Menna ultimately perished in the chariot crash.^[1]

Kensa got word that Sabu was being held in a pit on the island of Elephantine; she joined Bayek and Aya in their search for Sabu. Under the cover of a sandstorm the group infiltrated the island, but instead of Sabu, they found a deranged man in the pit. After they escaped the area guards, Sabu revealed himself to the group. Bion, the man hunting the last of the Medjay, arrived at the same trap and was injured, but escaped.^[1]

Later life

During the Ptolemy XIII's visit to Siwa in 49 BCE, Kensa was taken as a slave and exploited by Lucius Septimius and his clan. She eventually managed to escape and fled the village, making her way to the city of Krokodilopolis, in the Faiyum Oasis. There, she was taken in by Felix Martialis, the owner of the Krokodilopolis Arena, who trained her to become a gladiator.^[2]

A year later in 48 BCE, Kensa was reunited with Bayek, who had come to the city in pursue of Shadya's killer and the Order of the Ancients member The Crocodile. Catching up with Bayek, Kensa helped him gain access to the arena, where they formed a team known as the The Guardians of Siwa. Together, Kensa and Bayek fought and climbed the ranks to challenge the arena champions, Diovicos and Viridovix. After defeating them, Kensa learned of Bayek's true motives for entering the arena; Bayek believed them to be responsible for Shadya's death. Kensa offered to help him, though Bayek refused and left the arena.^[2]

The next day, Kensa was employed as a bodyguard by Berenike, Shadya's true killer and a member of the Order of the Ancients known as the Crocodile, though in this task Kensa ultimately failed.^[2]

Trivia

Whilst it is not required in order to complete the mission, Kensa may be killed during the assassination of Berenike; regardless, Kensa is not mentioned again.
Even if Bayek killed Kensa, a papyrus informing that Kensa was still a gladiator in Faiyum can be found in the Bureau of the Hidden Ones, indicating that she survived the encounter.
The name Kensa is derived ultimately from Arabic كَنْز (kanz) meaning 'treasure'.