Ancient Magics
By: Silverdust
Chap 1. Sekhmet
There's always a time to changeWhen nothing stays the same
Like the ocean's changing tides
When past and present collide
When nothing is as it seems
And the real truth lies in dreams
***
The midnight sky of Cairo, Egypt, once the blackest velvet was now a smoky gray lit with orange and red. The screams and gunshots echoed through the cold night air, and blood flowed in thick crimson rivers down the cobbled streets. Bodies littered the ground like autumn leaves.
A young woman with raven black hair ran through this hell of fire and pain. She moved silently and quickly. Like a frightened animal she bided her time in each alleyway, waiting for the safest time to run across. She was a slip of a shadow, running unnoticed through the chaos.
She swung around another bend into a sheltered basement room. The soldiers had already been here, she would rest here awhile. She turned to the bundle sleeping peacefully in her arms. It was a miracle of Ra that the infant could sleep so well. As she gazed at the angelic, slumbering face, a tear rolled down her cheek. She would have to give up her own daughter, her own child! Why Ra why? She would have gladly died in her house, the child shot in her arms, and their souls would rejoice in the afterworld forever…
Shaking the thoughts away she sighed. No it wouldn't be right. A baby should be able to grow, to live, to love. And it was a mother's love and duty to ensure that, as she would now.
She rose from the spot by the wall. Silently, she slipped out again. Fear and sorrow gripped her heart once more as she ran toward the edge of town, where a giant, marble temple stood. She ran inside.
Thankfully, the soldiers had not reached here yet. The woman threw back her hood, revealing her as Anektiri, High Priestess of the Temple of Sakhmet, The Lion Goddess of War. Placing the baby at the feet of the giant statue of Sakhmet and kneeling, she prayed in sorrowful, pleading Egyptian that the goddess take her child, take her to a place safe until the time would come for her to be returned to Earth.
The woman stood up, tears streaking her face. She walked over to the baby and kissed her forehead lightly. Then remembering an old song she heard at the market once, she sang softly:
I will be leaving
But not for too long
Just in your heart
Remember this song
For when I return
To see you again
I want you to love me
As I have my friend
Then she ran from the temple. Outside the temple there were voices, an angry man, and a woman. They argued in heated Egyptian, then a gunshot, a scream, and silence.
In the temple a light began to show. Just a tiny streak of silver in the shadow, like a row of stars. It opened wider and a lady stepped out. This lady had the head of a lioness, sleek and dangerous, but it held a mysterious beauty all its own. Her golden eyes flickered when she saw the bundle. She walked over to pick it up.
"Hm," she growled when she saw the baby. "You're a tiny little thing, aren't you?"
The baby, who had just begun to wake up, yawned and gazed at the goddess with piercing silver eyes.
The immortal smiled. "Yet you show no fear of me?"
The baby continued to gaze at her, a small smile on its lips. "Very well. I'll take you up to the Heavens with me, as your mother wished."
Sakhmet smiled slyly. 'Won't Horus have a fit when he sees this?' she thought wryly as she and the infant disappeared into the light. 'I bet he'll just about die.'
***
"YOU BROUGHT A WHAT HERE?!?!?!?!?!?!" Horus screamed. The falcon headed god looked down in shock at the bundle nestled in Sakhmet's arms, who was now whimpering from his loud voice.
"Shhh," whispered Isis, taking the child and rocking her back and forth. "You should never use loud voices around babies."
"It's a human!" hissed Horus. "An H-U-M-A-N, human. It's a human!"
"It's a girl," said Thoth calmly.
"I don't care!" Osiris cried. "It-she shouldn't be up here!?
"SHHHHHH."
This time it was from all the goddesses. Horus grumbled.
"We should let Ra decide," suggested Bastet, purring as the baby smiled at her.
"Good idea," agreed Osiris. "Oh great Ra of Heaven! We call you to pass judgment upon this child!"
The clouds in the sky parted, and a man glowing with golden light entered. His eyes reflected the wisdom of the ages, and he walked with the air of royalty.
"Ra," said Isis (A/N: This is the goddess Isis, not Malik's sister Isis) warmly. "We welcome you."
Ra nodded, then bent over to examine the girl. She smiled at him and laughed joyously, reaching her hands up to touch the shiny thing above her. Ra's face softened.
"We shall keep her."
Horus started to argue, but was quickly silenced by a glare from the Sun god's eyes. "You ALL, yes Horus too, will have responsibility of her. Make sure she is raised well."
With that he disappeared back into the clouds with the higher gods. The baby gurgled.
"What shall we name you?" asked Isis coochy-cooing the infant.
"Nefertiri!"
"Basten!"
"Teana!"
"Jono!"
"Sakhmet found her," said Anubis calmly. "So therefore she should name the child."
Sakhmet looked at the baby and purred. "She showed no fear when she looked at me, and many a grown man has died of fright to see me. So I give her one of my names. I name you Sekhmet, The Fearless One."
The baby laughed when she heard the name. The goddess's instantly went into their mother mode, while the gods only rolled their eyes. Unbeknownst to them, Ra was watching from above. "Little do they know of her, oh so little do they know."