Mana slips down farther into the vase, folding herself up like a piece of papyrus. She remembers it being much easier before, yet she muses that she has grown since she last hid in a pot. Her legs are longer, her feet bigger, her hips wider; she looks more like a woman than a girl. There are some things that haven't changed about her, though: her hair is still wheat-blonde, she still wears the same clothing, and her hair is tamed by her small cloth headdress. The newest addition to her look is the Millennium Ring which rests proudly on her chest, reminding her of her master, Mahaado, and his last gift to her.
"Mana!"
Quickly, she curls into a ball, trying to breathe softly to avoid detection. She is supposed to be at a meeting with the other priests and priestesses, yet Mana doesn't like the new members of the Royal Court. They are aloof and standoffish, and while they respect each other, they do not respect her. On numerous occasions, Mana is told that she is too young to be a priestess of Pharaoh Seto. The words always sting like the bite of a scorpion. In Mana's opinion, she should be just as respected as any other priest. She does plenty of work. However, her opinion is never accepted. What is the purpose of going to a meeting when one is certain that they're not wanted?
The footsteps disappear after a few minutes, and Mana slowly pokes her head out of the mouth of the vase. The palace corridors are tiled, bright, and warm, and being in the urn is even hotter. Mana climbs out with little noise and makes her way down the hallways. She passes by various servants and administrators, all of whom give her odd looks but say no words. The lower members of the hierarchy know not to disrespect her, yet those on par with her have no qualms with criticizing her. This is why Mana respects the other best: they are friendly, polite, and accepting of her behavior. Mana knows that she is not the most responsible priestess, but her enthusiastic approach to most tasks ought to have earned her some respect amongst her colleagues.
When she reaches the end of the corridor, Mana peeks around to make sure the coast is clear. When it looks safe, Mana lifts up her Ring. The power of her Millennium Item allows her to hone in on the location of anyone else with an Item, as well as place a portion of her soul into inanimate objects. Mana has sworn to never use the second power again – she has seen the destruction and horror it has caused – yet she enjoys using her first power to find the location of the Pharaoh, Isis, and the vizier… and all for separate reasons.
The cones of the Ring lift up on their own as Mana accesses the power of the Item. To her horror, the cones point behind her, and Mana only has a few seconds to turn around before the vizier is behind her and grabbing her shoulder, tugging her down the corridor. "Mana, I have told you before that you cannot skip a meeting. You are a priestess; therefore your presence is required. I don't care what business to which you must attend – you are coming to the meeting right now." For emphasis, he tugs hard on her arm. Mana nearly loses her footing.
"I don't want to go," she mutters.
"That is not an option," the vizier grumbles back. "As a priestess of Pharaoh Seto, you must attend all meetings and take part in discussions concerning the people. Responsibility, Mana, is something you lack."
"And respect towards colleagues is something the others lack," Mana says under her breath, but the vizier does not hear her. He drags her through the halls, passing sympathetic servants. Mana smiles tiredly at them. When they are out of vision, she snarls and tries to wrench the vizier's grip from her arm. His grip hurts, and she knows how to get to the meeting room.
The meeting room, properly called the Bureau of the Vizier, is a decorative room in the palace with a high ceiling, openings that serve as windows and are covered by tapestries, and is filled with people, most of whom Mana despises. The other priests in the room give her a dirty look as she enters, as though she is a disrespect to the country of Egypt by being a priestess. She is thrown into the room by the vizier, who takes his place at the head of the room on a stool; the other members sit on the floor on mats. Mana glumly gets to her feet and sits down next to Isis, the only member of the room who has a shred of respect for Mana…
It is a big shred, though. As the original Priestess of Pharaoh Atemu, Isis is the second most-respected woman of Pharaoh Seto, just underneath the vizier. Her knowledge, courage, and strategy have garnered her a high position in the court. Even the vizier honors her opinion, often asking for her input in political or administrative discussions. It doesn't surprise Mana that Isis is the most powerful woman of the Pharaoh: with her golden headdress, piercing eyes, and Millennium Torque fastened around her neck, she is just as deadly as her Ka. When she speaks, everyone listens. She is by far the wisest member in the Bureau of the Vizier, even more so than the vizier himself.
Mana respects Isis. In fact, Isis is the only person in the room that Mana respects. The woman is gentle, friendly, and amiable, yet she is firm in her opinion. She is a valuable asset to Pharaoh Seto.
"Now that all of us are here," the vizier begins, shooting Mana a scathing look, "we can begin." And thus begins one of the most boring discussions Mana has heard: reports. Each of the priests reports details of their sector's progress, financial status, and overall health. The vizier often asks for the opinions of the others: that is to say, he looks for the advice of Isis, and altogether avoids any of Mana's suggestions. As there are six priests or priestesses, this process is repeated six times. Isis' sector, medicine, is always a favorite of Mana's. The woman gives a solid, clear speech of her sector's progress, including qualms that she has faced and how she has overcome them. Mana watches with awe as the woman speaks, never faltering nor showing any sign of fear – until she gasps, clutching her neck and bending forward.
"Isis!" the room shouts. Mana, being closest to her, quickly grabs her by the shoulder and gives her a shake.
"Hey!" Mana cries. "What's wrong?" Behind her, Mana hears the vizier chastising her for shaking an ailing colleague, but Mana ignores him and continues to shake Isis until the woman comes to.
"I'm fine, Mana," Isis says, gently brushing her hands away and sitting up straight. "Please excuse me, High Vizier." She continues her presentation without any interruptions. The others seem to brush off her interruption. Mana does not. Isis looks paler and shaken. Her hands remain at her neck, clutched around her Item, and Mana wonders if perhaps she has had a vision.
While another priest discusses his sector with the vizier, Mana leans close to Isis and whispers, "Did you have a vision?"
"Not now, Mana. A priest is talking." Isis does not meet her eye. There is a blush coloring her cheeks, and Mana assumes that the vision has left Isis tired. It is also stifling in this room; Mana yearns to leave.
When it is her turn to present, Mana stands up, brandishing her wand like a sword, and dives into her energetic speech. Her sector is defense, which Mana believes she handles very well. Her childish mind allows her to think like a thief, so she has caught most tomb robbers and thieves before they can rob anything. Mana also has encouraged strong warriors to control their Ka, so that they may fight to protect the palace. She thinks her work has aided the overall prosperity of the palace, yet the vizier always says that she causes more problems than she can fix.
"Mana," the vizier begins, "we should not encourage the people to think like criminals. That is barbaric."
"But it helps them find the thieves," Mana argues. "You can't deny that the crime rate's been lower ever since the guards started thinking right." She grins happily at her success. Only Isis returns the smile, albeit shakily.
"That is not what we need, Mana," one priest says. "For all we know, those men could be planning a mass heist of a Pharaoh's tombs. Would you like to be responsible for the loss of thousands of priceless artefacts and the desecration of a royal tomb?"
"No," Mana admits. "I just thought it was a good idea…"
"Well, it's not," the vizier snaps. "Next time you speak with your men, ask them to work on sending more patrols out into the streets. They can catch the thieves in the act. Perhaps you should discuss your hair-brained ideas with the other priests before you put them to use, lest we suffer a massive heist." He sniffs haughtily before motioning to the next priest to present. Mana sulks glumly in her seat. She had thought that her idea was great – and it was. The crime rate in the city had decreased exponentially. More thieves were being caught and less were attempting to steal in the first place. Furthermore, the guards often won against the thieves because of their superior Kas. Why were her ideas always bad ones?
For the rest of the meeting, Mana looks out the window or watches Isis. The other woman is shaky and tense, always trying to avoid Mana's prying eyes. It is almost a game: Mana will make a face in an attempt to make Isis laugh, and Isis will look anywhere else, in the hopes that she will avoid Mana's silly expressions.
"Mana, enough," Isis hisses. Her cheeks are cherry-red, noticeably visible underneath her tanned skin. She attempts to cover her laughs by clearing her throat, but the attention is soon drawn upon both women.
"Is something wrong?" the vizier growls. His eyes soften at Isis, yet they harden when he notices how close Mana is to the other priestess and how she has her hands on Isis' legs. "Mana, will you behave for a moment. Your colleague is presenting and it is in your best interest to show some respect."
"He doesn't show any respect to me," mumbles Mana, yet – again – no one hears her.
"I beg your forgiveness, High Vizier," Isis says. She clears her thorat. "May I please be excused?"
"Yes – and take Mana with you." Mana can almost hear a 'she's not needed' tagged onto the end of his sentence. She sends him a virulent look as she leaves the Bureau of the Vizier behind Isis.
Mana wastes no time after they leave to confront Isis. She grabs the other woman's arm and tugs her back. "Tell me what's wrong," she demands.
Isis shakes her off, affronted. "It is none of your business, Mana."
"But something's wrong! Did you have a vision? What's happened?"
Isis' face reddens and she looks away. She seems to have a difficult time wrangling her emotions. Finally, she speaks, though her eyes are focused on a set of hieroglyphs in the wall: "That does not concern you. If it was related to the safety of Egypt or to the safety of the Pharaoh, I would inform the vizier. But it is not; therefore it is no business of anyone's but my own. Now, if you will excuse me." And before Mana can call her back, Isis storms off in a beautiful whirlwind of white robes and golden jewellery.
Mana watches her leave for a few minutes before chasing after her and sneaking around the palace. Like a thief, she knows how to conceal her presence from others. She is no pro at it, for many of the servants and scribes catch her sneaking around, yet none of them comment on her strange behavior. Perhaps they have come to accept it as the norm, or they know better than to ask.
Isis heads down the hallway and to her room, clutching the Millennium Torque in her hand. She stills at the doorway to catch her breath. Mana wonders what is wrong with her. She looks scared, which is a trait that Mana would never associate with the confident priestess. She must've seen a truly horrible vision. With those thoughts, Mana suddenly feels responsible to make Isis happy. She knows where the prettiest blue flowers grow – one that would match Isis' eyes. And she could put them in a little pot, too, so that Isis would always associate the flowers with Mana. And, if she was being especially creative, she could paint the pot, or wrap a bit of fabric around the neck of the pot.
The artsy thoughts make Mana's heart beat faster. She dashes off down the hallways, forgetting about stalking Isis, and goes in search of the blue flowers. When she gets those, she returns to her house. She lives near the palace, in her own private quarters. Her house looks like all the other priests', only hers is far messier. Mana tends to collect things and stick them around the house, but she never gets around to organizing anything. Pots, tablets, and chairs are scattered around the first level of her house. Her room, on the other end of the house, is covered by cloaks, robes, dresses, and leather shoes, as well as an assortment of fabrics and tapestries that she ought to hang up. The only room that is slightly clean is her upstairs bedroom, where she sleeps when it becomes too hot.
There are some things that are arranged nicely: a white cloth headdress sits on a stool and an ornamental vase rests in the corner. These are memories of the two most important people in her life: Mahaado and Atemu. She misses her friend and her master terribly. Pharaoh Seto is a good leader in his own way, but he does not appreciate her optimistic personality and childish behavior. The priests appreciate it even less. Her only surviving friend is Isis, who now seems to push Mana away.
Mana sets the flowers in the pot. She dips her fingers into her makeup and carefully writes 'Isis' in hieroglyphs along the side, then ties a piece of white linen around the neck. By the time she is done her work, it is approaching dusk and it is too late to give Isis her present today. Mana sulks, but only for a moment. She will give her the present tomorrow and it will make Isis' day. She can already picture the priestess' beautiful face smiling at her and thanking her for the beautiful gift – and what a beautiful gift it is. Mana was certain to find the best flowers in the gardens, and the vase has no chips or cracks on its exterior. Her printing is the best it has ever been; Mahaado would be pleased with her work.
A thought suddenly occurs to Mana. She pauses, contemplating it, before deciding upon it and waving her wand over the pot. The flowers soon turn into a rainbow of colors: reds, oranges, yellows, greens, and blues flicker across the petals, changing every few seconds to a new color. The overall effect is magical.
Mana claps her hands excitedly. She sets the pot on her bedside table so that it will be the first thing she sees when she awakes. Then she quickly gets ready for bed and promptly falls asleep. In her dreams, she imagines sitting with Isis in a beautiful oasis, holding her hand.
The next morning Mana is awoken rather rudely by the vizier, who lifts her up by her shoulder and shakes her until her eyes open. "Mana, wake up!" he shouts.
"'M awake," she mumbles, rubbing her eyes and yawning loudly. When she does open her eyes, she finds the vizier's own face inches from her own. He looks agitated, tense, and it frightens Mana. She has never seen this expression of the vizier's face before. She has seen him angry numerous times, but none of her antics have ever frightened the vizier.
Unfortunately, she still does not hear him speak, and he is forced to repeat himself.
"Mana," the vizier snarls, "Priestess Isis is missing!"
"Huh?"
"Missing," the vizier repeats. "Did you see her yesterday?"
"Well, didn't everyone? She was at the meeting –"
"After the meeting," he growls. Mana senses that he is regretting asking for her opinion. "Mana, did you see Priestess Isis after the meeting?"
"Yeah…"
"And did she seem different? Did she act strangely?"
"She looked kinda pale," Mana admits. "She looked scared, too, like you are acting now. I… I thought she might've had a vision."
The vizier's eyes widen. "She deserted her palace and the Pharaoh?"
"No!" Mana shouts, balling her hands in fists. "No, Isis would never do that! I'm sure she just went out for a morning walk to clear her head. I swear she'd never abandon the kingdom." Anger surges inside of Mana at the accusation of the vizier. How dare he accuse Isis, the most loyal priestess, of abandoning her Pharaoh? "I'll go find her," Mana says quickly. She grabs her vase off of the table and a dusty cloak from the ground. "I'll bring her back. I'm sure she's just out for a walk. I know how to find her!"
"Mana, I don't think that's necessary," the vizier says, but his voice is drowned off as Mana rushes down the messy hallway and out the door. Mana hurries down the streets and out of the palace, grinning madly. She should be worried like the rest of the priests, yet Mana knows that Isis is in no trouble. Furthermore, if there's anyone who can find Isis, it's Mana. The girl yanks the Millennium Ring out from under her robes and accesses its ancient magic: the cones magically lift up and point left. Mana's smile widens. The vizier and the priests always underestimate her abilities, yet Mana knows that she's good as some things, and these things include finding her friends.
The Ring leads her out of the palace gates and down the sandy mounds of the desert. Mana is glad that she packed her robes with a hood, for the wind whips up an awful storm that stings her eyes and cuts her face. The Ring points forward, though, and Mana can only guess why Isis would choose to walk this way. Surely there are better parts of the palace… ones that are inside the palace walls, too. Yet Mana is determined to bring Isis back. Then the other priests will respect her and her inventive thinking.
With a soaring heart, Mana perseveres. Her feet squish into the hot sand and she soon becomes sweaty and tired. Her travels lead her through the desert and to the mouth of a giant, rocky ravine. Its imposing presence reminds Mana of another time, but her thoughts are hazy (possibly from heat stroke) so she trudges on. The heights of the walls of the ravine are chunky and occasional chunks of rock tumble from the top and crash on the floor. The sights begin to scare Mana, so she blows green sparkles in the air with her wand to cheer herself up.
As Mana descends deeper into the ravine, though, she begins to recognize the walls of the ravine as the Valley of the Kings. This puzzles Mana further. Many priests often go the tomb of the ancient Pharaohs to pray or seek guidance, but Mana can hardy fathom Isis – who knows everything – to search for advice from the wise spirits. She is sager, smarter, and stouter than anyone else Mana knows. Mana contemplates this further as she continues walking. If Isis is going to the Valley of the Kings for guidance, she could be seeking advice for the vision she had. This would work with Mana's hypothesis.
Passing by the old tombs reminds Mana of Atemu and his tomb. While his body is gone, there is a regal sarcophagus within the Valley of Kings next to his father's tomb. Mana has been there numerous times to pray and reminisce; she wonders if Isis has gone to Pharaoh Atemu's tomb, too.
Those thoughts disappear from Mana's mind as she sees a lone stone tablet standing in the middle of the valley. Nearby is the entrance to a tomb – Pharaoh Akhenamkhanen's tomb, in fact – but it is the stone tablet that brings tears to Mana's eyes. Her feet suddenly feel heavier and she stumbles forward. Mahaado's stone tablet glows in the sunlight, as bright as a beacon, and Mana remembers the polite, serious face of her master. She's knelt before his tablet many times, gazing at the majestic figure of the Black Magician etched into its smooth surface.
It seems that someone else has similar ideas. As Mana stumbles to Mahaado's tablet, she catches sight of a crouched figure before her master's resting place. The figure is dressed in dark robes that shroud her body, but Mana knows the golden headdress well.
"Isis!" she cries. In her excitement, she drops the pot, smashing into large pieces and letting the beautiful, rainbow-colored flowers touch the sand. Her legs feel much stronger upon seeing the other priestess, and Mana bursts forward, tackling Isis to the ground. "I found you!" she crows, hugging the other woman tightly. "Everyone said you deserted the Pharaoh, but I knew you were better than that. I knew you didn't leave!" For emphasis, she hugs the other woman tighter. The tears in her eyes begin to fall as she realizes why Isis is here. Is the other woman still sad over Mahaado's death? He had been her lover; it would only be right that she was upset over his death.
"I wouldn't leave," Isis says. "My duty to the Pharaoh is eternal." She tries to pull away, but Mana doesn't let go. She likes being with Isis and holding her close. The other woman makes her feel secure, and though Mana is in tears, she does not feel upset. She is happy to be with Isis.
"I used the Ring to find you," Mana says after a moment.
"That was smart." Mana is sure that Isis would have expected her to. After all, only Isis has faith in her abilities. "Why is everyone worried about me?"
"You were acting strange yesterday and you left! The vizier thought you ditched – and how dare him! You wouldn't leave. But…" Mana pauses to take a breath and wipe her eyes. She is glad that she and Isis are still holding each other, though the embrace is becoming slightly awkward. Mana doesn't want to let go, though, as she is scared to see the woman's face. What if Isis is angry at her for coming? What if Isis herself is crying? "But… Why did you leave? Why are you here?"
"Guidance," Isis replies. Unlike before, she does not seem ashamed to admit anything.
"For what?"
"Love."
Mana swallows and tightens her arms around Isis. It is about Mahaado. As his lover, she must felt awful for losing someone close to her. Her heart is probably still broken and sore, not mended from the break it received from his death in Pharaoh Akhenamkhanen's tomb. Mana isn't sure how she can help Isis recover. She herself has never been in love besides the teenage crush, and none of these crushes ever became a relationship. How do you console a colleague who has lost their soul mate?
"Maybe we could go to Hathor's temple," Mana suggests. Hathor is the goddess of love, so Mana assumes that if they pray to her, she will give guidance and support to the other priestess. If not, it is the best suggestion Mana has. Isis does not seem to hear her at first, but then she stiffens and inhales sharply. Her whole body seems to quiver, and Mana wonders if Isis is crying, too. She is not, for when she speaks, her voice is powerful.
"Yes, I think Hathor may be able to help me."
They awkwardly break apart, with Mana furiously scrubbing her eyes and Isis looking away, ashamed. The two women do not meet each other's eyes until they are both smiling and relaxed. Now that they are apart, Mana can see that Isis is still shaking and that the woman's cheeks are bright red. She must've been out for hours and may be suffering from minor heat stroke. Mana offers Isis her flask of water. Isis gratefully accepts and takes a sip before returning it to Mana.
Once they are both ready, they bow to Mahaado's tablet and depart without a backwards glance. As they walk away, Mana remembers her flowers, which are still lying on the hot sand. She quickly runs back to scoop them up.
"I almost forgot – these are for you!" She presents them to Isis with a warm smile, unshed tears in her eyes. They are slightly dust and dirty, and they had looked much better in the pot, yet Isis seems to appreciate the favor. She takes one in her hand; with her other hand, she leads Mana back to Mahaado's tablet. Both women kneel before the Dark Magician.
"Thank you, Mahaado, for protecting us," Isis says. She lays the flower down before his tablet.
"Thank you, Master Mahaado, for teaching me how to be such a great magician," Mana says. She, too, lays her flower down. Mahaado's grave no longer looks so lonely and desolate: the bright flowers give it an aura of life. It makes Mana smile, and she grabs Isis' hand and tugs her back towards the palace. Now they need to go to Hathor, in the hopes that the goddess of love can offer advice for Isis' dilemma.
The sun beats down on them from high in the sky. It is midday now, so while the town will be busy, the temples should be quiet and placid. For now, the two women are alone as they walk through the Valley of the Kings. Mana remembers riding on horseback to Pharaoh Akhenamkhanen's tomb when they heard that Mahaado's was going to fight Bakhura. She'd been young then, and by the time she'd arrived, his Ka was already etched in the tablet.
"So why'd you go to Mahaado first?" Mana asks to dispel the tension. "Why not go straight to Hathor?"
"I don't think that concerns you, Mana," Isis replies tersely. She pauses to take a breath. "But I wanted to see him again. I needed his guidance, too."
Mana shrugs. It makes sense, in a way. If Isis is seeking love-counseling, she ought to go to her past lover. Hathor is the all-powerful love doctor, but even she may not be able to give the right advice to Isis. Furthermore, there may be another reason for going to Mahaado. Mana can't ask, though: Isis seems rather guarded about the topic. The reasoning behind this eludes Mana; however the girl knows not to push Isis. The other priestess may be calm, cool, and collected, yet when she is upset, she lets loose a fire even deadlier than that of a dragon's.
"So do you think I'll get a reward for finding you first?"
Isis looks up. "I wouldn't think so. I wasn't lost, nor did I leave for a long period of time. You also used the Ring to find me – wouldn't the vizier expect you to be capable of finding me?"
"The vizier doesn't think I'm capable of anything," Mana grumbles. "And no, he didn't even think of that. He came this morning and woke me up, demanding when I'd last seen you. Then he tried to wrestle me back into the bed, but I ran out and went looking for you. I knew I could find you if I tapped into my powers." Proudly, Mana puffs out her chest. "And I did! It wasn't even that difficult."
"That's very good, Mana. I think, though, that you are belittling the opinions of the other priests. They do respect you –"
"No, they don't," Mana interrupts. "They don't have a shred of respect for me."
Isis sighs. "They just haven't seen you in action."
"… What do you mean 'in action'?"
"Tapping into your powers, finding me… Being a priestess."
"I'm a priestess every day," Mana deadpans.
This makes Isis laugh, though the woman's cheeks flush red. "Yes, you are. What I am trying to say is that I have seen how brave and strong you are, Mana. They haven't witnessed that yet. When they do, I assure you that their respect for you will rise exponentially."
For some reason, the words seem genuine. If anyone else had said it to her, Mana would've told them they were lying, but whatever Isis says is always true. Perhaps that is why she wears the Millennium Torque, whose power is to see the near future. Thinking of this, Mana suddenly wonders if yesterday Isis had had a vision of the future. Her interest peaks, and before she can wrangle the words back, she blurts out, "What was your vision about?"
Isis, the most graceful and steady woman Mana knows, stumbles. "Pardon me?" she says, as she gets a hold of her footing and continues walking. They are nearly out of the Valley of the Kings and both women put up their hoods. Just before Isis' face is covered by the hood, Mana sees the red tinge to her cheeks again. Did Isis have a romantic vision? If so, it could be why she sought guidance from Mahaado. And, if it was about Mahaado, then perhaps the vision was about her romance with Mahaado. Could Isis be falling in love with someone else?
"What was your vision about?" Mana repeats meekly.
She is not at all surprised when the words, "Mana, do not be nosy", fall from Isis' lips. Once again, the conversation spirals into an awkward silence. Mana kicks the sand with her sandaled feet, ignoring the blistering heat upon her back and the sweat sticking to her body. She does not like travelling across the desert except for important trips – and while this is important, it is now uncomfortable to be walking in silence with the other priestess. Mana continues to shoot her looks, hoping that Isis will commence a conversation, but no words are heard. Mana sighs.
When they reach the palace, Mana has never been more grateful to hear the words of the villagers. She tugs Isis forward and leads her to Hathor's temple. It is, actually, the Temple of Hathor at Maat. Only important people are allowed inside the Temple of Hathor and Maat, so Mana feels important as she struts through the doors. The stone walls were wholly bland on the outside, but inside is a mural of the goddess' feats, from her birth to her depiction as Hesat, the sky-cow. Behind her, Isis follows, walking with her head held high and her arms at her sides. If Isis is the human form of respect, then Mana is naivety: she skips through the courtyard, gazing at the beautiful paintings and hieroglyphs. She has never been to this temple before; every villager knows of its location, but only a handful of people – mostly the Pharaoh, his vizier, and high priests – are allowed to view the inside. Even during festival times, she has only been in the courtyard, which the most any villager will ever see.
The courtyard is still hot, but once they step inside the first room, Mana removes her hood and looks around. The hypostyle hall, with its tall columns and strips of light from the overhead windows, is the first of the holy rooms inside the temple. Hieroglyphs are painted or etched into the columns, while larger scenes are painted onto the walls. Mana is not given much time to look around, as Isis takes the lead and brings her to the second room. Like the first, there are many columns and paintings, but it is harder to see these, as there are no windows in the ceiling. Mana attempts to skip forward, but is held back by Isis.
"Mana, be respectful," she whispers.
"Yes," Mana replies, looking down at her feet. She takes Isis' hand quickly, worried that she will lose the other in the dark. Isis stiffens and her arm becomes rigid, but the woman leads her into the sancturary.
As they enter, Mana gasps. The room is alight with flames hanging from the walls, and every painting, sculpture, and piece of gold shines. The paintings of Hathor and Maat make her heart beat faster, but instead of going up to them to get a closer look, Mana's feet are rooted to the ground. She is sure that Isis would not chastise her should she move, yet her legs do not listen to her. Isis' hand lets go of hers, and the woman kneels before the shrines of Maat and Hathor, touching her head to the floor.
For a while, Isis remains in the position. Mana eventually regains control of her legs, and she moves to pray next to Isis. She is not sure what to say, but the dim lighting in the room coaxes her to close her eyes. Mana settles for thanking Maat for trusting Atemu's judgement and giving him justice to have an afterlife, even though he spent three millennia trapped within the Millennium Puzzle. She then thanks Hathor for the love that she learned from Mahaado and Isis, and prays that they both find what they want. With nothing else to say, Mana sits up and moves to open her eyes – and feels a pair of lips upon her own. Her eyes swiftly open to find Isis' face in front of hers, the woman kissing her tenderly. Isis' eyes are closed, her head tilted to the side, and her hands pressed to the ground: there isn't a part of her that looks uncomfortable or nervous.
Mana kisses back, unsure what else to do. She cannot lie by saying that she dislikes this, for her heart is soaring, her head is in the clouds, and her eyes are filled with stars. She cannot deny that she has never had feelings for Isis… she's just never come to terms with them. After all, Mana never thought of Isis as a woman to love a rebellious girl such as hersef, or to love someone in general after her past lover's death.
"Please forgive me," Isis whispers around Mana's lips.
"Why would I forgive you?" Mana returns. "You haven't done anything wrong."
Isis pulls away. Mana's heart drops at the loss of contact, but the buzz in her mind is still there. She was just kissing Isis, the glorious and magnificent Isis who can make the vizier quiver with a cold stare. Priestess Isis, who had once been in love with Mana's former master and teacher, is now in love with her. The thought is unfathomable.
The other woman wrings her hands together. The blush returns to her cheeks, yet she holds Mana's gaze. "I cannot be in love with the apprentice of Mahaado…"
"I think you can," Mana argues back. "You kissed me!"
"And that was wrong, Mana. You must disregard my actions –"
"But I liked that kiss! I liked kissing you and I liked you, and I don't want to 'disregard your actions'!" Mana took a deep breath. "Master Mahaado is gone and there's nothing either of us can do that will bring him back. We have to move on, and that means you have to accept that you might fall in love again. It's strange that you've fallen in love with me, but I fell in love with you, too. So… just love.
"But do the gods allow that, Mana? Do the gods allow you to fall in love again?"
"The gods want you to be happy, and if that means falling in love, then they ought to let you. You can't be heartbroken for the rest of your life, unable to raise children or fall in love ever again. That's cruel and should not be wished upon anyone, much less a priestess of Ra in flesh." Unable to speak with words, Mana grabs Isis' hands and squeezes it forcefully. "What do you want?"
"Guidance," Isis says evenly. "And love."
Mana smiles brightly. "Well, I can give you one of those, but I don't know about the other…" She smiles cheekily before continuing: "You'll have to figure out which one I can do."
"Thank you, Mana."
Neither speaks for a moment. Mana still holds the other's hand, though her grip has become slack. It feels nice to hold Isis' hand. Mana feels secure and safe when she holds Isis' hand. It reminds her that, though most of the priests may dislike and disrespect her, there is one person who cares about her and values her opinion. And one person is enough for Mana, because, in her eyes, Isis is more than just one person. She represents the challenges Mana has overcome and how she, too, survived the war. She represents Mana's ideal self: a woman of power, confidence, and beauty. She reminds Mana of Mahaado, and that there is now someone in her life who wants to see her laugh and play and be herself. For if not for Isis, who would respect her?
Eventually, Mana speaks: "What was your vision about?"
"You are nosy, Mana –"
"I know," Mana interrupts. She doesn't even bother to apologize; she's not sorry for asking
"– but it is you and I am certain I cannot change it," Isis concludes. "I had a vision that I would fall in love with you. The outcome was unforeseen, but I saw us together. I was upset that my feelings for you, the apprentice of Mahaado, were becoming my reality, so I went to Mahaado for support."
"The Torque showed you a vision of me?"
"A vision of us," Isis corrects.
With a corny smile, Mana says, "Even the Items think we were meant to be."
Isis still laughs at her joke. "Yes, I suppose so. I saw you with the Torque, and you found me with the Ring. The Items must've been trying to help us come together."
Now Mana is laughing at Isis' corny humor. "Come on," she finally says, helping the other priestess up. When they are both standing, Mana places a chaste kiss of Isis' cheek before leading her outside and back towards the palace.
The tall obelisks in front of the temple gleam brightly in the sun and the world seem to be alight with a heavenly glow. Both women walk across the sand, hoods pulled up to cover their headdresses. Mana's heart beats wildly in her chest and she holds her head high. She feels proud to be in love with such a woman. This relationship has given her the courage to stand her, to be like Isis instead of worrying if she is pretending to be another woman. When she gets back to the palace, Mana thinks she will begin teaching the guards how to use theirs Kas, and maybe even teach the entire city. Her ideas are worth it; she's worth it.
As both women cross the desert, Mana thinks about guidance, and what brought her to Isis. Perhaps the golden artefacts did bring them together. After all, it was the Ring that guided her to Isis.