Hi all. This is a sequel to Blood of a Pharaoh.
If you haven't read that, I suggest you do. It would be confusing if you didn't.
I'm using lots of Egyptian deities in this story, okay?
Enjoy.
*
'So this is the underworld huh?' Atemu thought to himself. 'Doesn't look too shabby.'
He was standing in a hall. A big hall. There was a pair of giant gold doors at the end.
Woven tapestries hung from the arched ceiling, depicting fierce battles of gods.
Atemu recognized Set pulling out Horus' eyes, Isis reassembling the pieces of her brother and husband, and Sekhmet murdering hundreds of men.
"Ew," Atemu said out loud, turning a pale shade of green. "These guys sure know how to make a visitor feel welcome."
"You are no visitor." A deep voice rumbled. A jackal-headed man stepped out from behind one of the tapestries.
"Anubis!" Atemu exclaimed happily. "What are you doing here? Oh. I forgot. You're going to weigh my heart aren't you?"
The tall god nodded. "Indeed, fallen one, for that is why I am here."
Another god joined Anubis. He wore a long white robe, and held in his hands a crook and flail.
The Pschent was perched on top of his head, and his skin was green.
"It is true!" Atemu said, eyes wide. "You really are the color of asparagus!"
The god grunted. "You are rude for a Pharaoh young one. Now then, give me your heart."
"But how? It's inside me." Atemu said, looked at the gods confusedly.
Anubis sighed, muttering to the other god about 'unintelligent brats'.
He placed his hand over Atemu's mouth. When he took his hand away, there was a small, shimmering cluster of red sparkles there.
Anubis placed the sparkles on one side of a pair of large, golden scales.
The other god, whose name was Osiris, placed a long, white feather on the other scale.
The shaduf wobbled a bit, and then the scale with the feather in it dropped down.
"Aha!" Osiris exclaimed. "Your heart is lighter than the Feather of Truth."
"And that means...?" Atemu said as Anubis gave him his heart back. "It means you are granted passage into the underworld, boy! Don't you ever listen to the scriptures?"
"Well not really. No offence to you guys though." Osiris smiled at Atemu.
"None taken, my boy. Now go. You need to enter the underworld before the gates close."
"Thanks!" Atemu said, smiling. He left Anubis and Osiris and headed through the golden doors.
"Asparagus boy," Anubis chuckled at Osiris, giving the older god a punch on the arm.
*
"I never knew there were so many corridors in the underworld." Atemu spoke out loud, keeping himself company.
It was dark in the corridors under the hall Atemu had just been in, and they were lit only by torches in brackets on the walls.
Atemu put his hand on the stone wall and ran his fingers along it. It was wet and slimy.
"Ew. Gross." Atemu pulled his hand away. "I wonder what I'm supposed to do here anyway."
As he rounded a corner Atemu heard laughter. There was light coming through a crack under a closed door at the end of the corridor.
Pushing it open, Atemu coughed, his eyes streaming. Incense hung thick in the air, the pink smoke coiling around figures sat round a table.
The people were laughing and talking among themselves. A woman spotted Atemu standing by the door.
She had long blonde hair, unusual for an Egyptian goddess. She was wearing clothes that Mai would envy, showing off most f her skin.
"Aw, look at the little one. Come here baby, and let's have a look at you."
She motioned Atemu forward. The goddess was holding a bouquet of flowers.
Atemu walked uncertainly forward, unsure whether these people were friendly or not.
As he entered the firelight, the deities gasped. "Oh, you're just gorgeous!"
The lady gave him a hug. "Don't be afraid, little one. We don't bite. Much."
She had a twinkle in her eye. "My name is Qetesh. And you are?"
"Atemu. And I'm not little either. I'm 15." Qetesh cooed over him even more.
"What a pretty name. And of course you're not little. Quite good-looking, actually."
The sparkle in her eye became even more profound.
"Oh shut up, Qetesh. You're older than him, for goodness sake." The speaker was a maroon-clothed woman with a cow head.
Atemu turned to stare at her. "By Ra! What happened to your head!?" He cried.
Qetesh laughed. "I'm liking you more and more, Atemu. Don't mind Hathor. She's just grumpy that I'm prettier than her."
"Am not!" Hathor glared at Atemu and returned to her conversation with a cat goddess.
The cat turned to Atemu and smiled, showing off her fangs.
"You look lost. Be a good kit and come over while I introduce you to everyone."
"Why does everyone call me a kit? It's so unfair." Atemu said as he grumpily sat beside the goddess.
"Now then, kit, I am Bast. This is Nephthys, Horus, Isis, Amen, Sekhmet, Ra, Khons, and Sobek."
"Do I have to remember all those names? They're so long." Atemu complained.
Bast laughed. "No little one, don't bother yourself with trying to remember all those names. You'll have too much to occupy your time here."
"What do I exactly do in the underworld Bast?" Atemu asked curiously.
"Why, you can do lots of things." Said Sobek. "Like eat all the birds you want."
"Ew," Atemu said, listening to the crocodile god.
"Or you can eat all the meat you want!" Said Sekhmet. "Speaking of which," the lioness said looking at Atemu hungrily, "I rather fancy some fresh meat myself!"
"Sekhmet, no!" Ra dragged the goddess back just as she was about to take a bite out of Atemu.
"Leave the kit alone! Dinner isn't until seven, remember!" Sekhmet growled and wriggled out of Ra's grasp.
She sat at the table, licking her lips and muttering "soon, soon..." while watching Atemu hungrily.
"But," said Qetesh, giving Atemu a cuddle, "you have to prove yourself worthy of staying here."
"And how do I do that?" Atemu asked dubiously.
"You must complete the tasks set by different gods." Isis answered. She gazed at Atemu steadily, her brown eyes warm and friendly.
"And when I complete the tasks I get to stay here for as long as I want?"
Horus nodded. "Only then can you ascend to godhood." He said, looking at Atemu strangely.
In fact, all of the deities were watching him differently. Atemu didn't notice.
"I get to be a god?" He asked, excited. "Cool!"
If you haven't read that, I suggest you do. It would be confusing if you didn't.
I'm using lots of Egyptian deities in this story, okay?
Enjoy.
*
'So this is the underworld huh?' Atemu thought to himself. 'Doesn't look too shabby.'
He was standing in a hall. A big hall. There was a pair of giant gold doors at the end.
Woven tapestries hung from the arched ceiling, depicting fierce battles of gods.
Atemu recognized Set pulling out Horus' eyes, Isis reassembling the pieces of her brother and husband, and Sekhmet murdering hundreds of men.
"Ew," Atemu said out loud, turning a pale shade of green. "These guys sure know how to make a visitor feel welcome."
"You are no visitor." A deep voice rumbled. A jackal-headed man stepped out from behind one of the tapestries.
"Anubis!" Atemu exclaimed happily. "What are you doing here? Oh. I forgot. You're going to weigh my heart aren't you?"
The tall god nodded. "Indeed, fallen one, for that is why I am here."
Another god joined Anubis. He wore a long white robe, and held in his hands a crook and flail.
The Pschent was perched on top of his head, and his skin was green.
"It is true!" Atemu said, eyes wide. "You really are the color of asparagus!"
The god grunted. "You are rude for a Pharaoh young one. Now then, give me your heart."
"But how? It's inside me." Atemu said, looked at the gods confusedly.
Anubis sighed, muttering to the other god about 'unintelligent brats'.
He placed his hand over Atemu's mouth. When he took his hand away, there was a small, shimmering cluster of red sparkles there.
Anubis placed the sparkles on one side of a pair of large, golden scales.
The other god, whose name was Osiris, placed a long, white feather on the other scale.
The shaduf wobbled a bit, and then the scale with the feather in it dropped down.
"Aha!" Osiris exclaimed. "Your heart is lighter than the Feather of Truth."
"And that means...?" Atemu said as Anubis gave him his heart back. "It means you are granted passage into the underworld, boy! Don't you ever listen to the scriptures?"
"Well not really. No offence to you guys though." Osiris smiled at Atemu.
"None taken, my boy. Now go. You need to enter the underworld before the gates close."
"Thanks!" Atemu said, smiling. He left Anubis and Osiris and headed through the golden doors.
"Asparagus boy," Anubis chuckled at Osiris, giving the older god a punch on the arm.
*
"I never knew there were so many corridors in the underworld." Atemu spoke out loud, keeping himself company.
It was dark in the corridors under the hall Atemu had just been in, and they were lit only by torches in brackets on the walls.
Atemu put his hand on the stone wall and ran his fingers along it. It was wet and slimy.
"Ew. Gross." Atemu pulled his hand away. "I wonder what I'm supposed to do here anyway."
As he rounded a corner Atemu heard laughter. There was light coming through a crack under a closed door at the end of the corridor.
Pushing it open, Atemu coughed, his eyes streaming. Incense hung thick in the air, the pink smoke coiling around figures sat round a table.
The people were laughing and talking among themselves. A woman spotted Atemu standing by the door.
She had long blonde hair, unusual for an Egyptian goddess. She was wearing clothes that Mai would envy, showing off most f her skin.
"Aw, look at the little one. Come here baby, and let's have a look at you."
She motioned Atemu forward. The goddess was holding a bouquet of flowers.
Atemu walked uncertainly forward, unsure whether these people were friendly or not.
As he entered the firelight, the deities gasped. "Oh, you're just gorgeous!"
The lady gave him a hug. "Don't be afraid, little one. We don't bite. Much."
She had a twinkle in her eye. "My name is Qetesh. And you are?"
"Atemu. And I'm not little either. I'm 15." Qetesh cooed over him even more.
"What a pretty name. And of course you're not little. Quite good-looking, actually."
The sparkle in her eye became even more profound.
"Oh shut up, Qetesh. You're older than him, for goodness sake." The speaker was a maroon-clothed woman with a cow head.
Atemu turned to stare at her. "By Ra! What happened to your head!?" He cried.
Qetesh laughed. "I'm liking you more and more, Atemu. Don't mind Hathor. She's just grumpy that I'm prettier than her."
"Am not!" Hathor glared at Atemu and returned to her conversation with a cat goddess.
The cat turned to Atemu and smiled, showing off her fangs.
"You look lost. Be a good kit and come over while I introduce you to everyone."
"Why does everyone call me a kit? It's so unfair." Atemu said as he grumpily sat beside the goddess.
"Now then, kit, I am Bast. This is Nephthys, Horus, Isis, Amen, Sekhmet, Ra, Khons, and Sobek."
"Do I have to remember all those names? They're so long." Atemu complained.
Bast laughed. "No little one, don't bother yourself with trying to remember all those names. You'll have too much to occupy your time here."
"What do I exactly do in the underworld Bast?" Atemu asked curiously.
"Why, you can do lots of things." Said Sobek. "Like eat all the birds you want."
"Ew," Atemu said, listening to the crocodile god.
"Or you can eat all the meat you want!" Said Sekhmet. "Speaking of which," the lioness said looking at Atemu hungrily, "I rather fancy some fresh meat myself!"
"Sekhmet, no!" Ra dragged the goddess back just as she was about to take a bite out of Atemu.
"Leave the kit alone! Dinner isn't until seven, remember!" Sekhmet growled and wriggled out of Ra's grasp.
She sat at the table, licking her lips and muttering "soon, soon..." while watching Atemu hungrily.
"But," said Qetesh, giving Atemu a cuddle, "you have to prove yourself worthy of staying here."
"And how do I do that?" Atemu asked dubiously.
"You must complete the tasks set by different gods." Isis answered. She gazed at Atemu steadily, her brown eyes warm and friendly.
"And when I complete the tasks I get to stay here for as long as I want?"
Horus nodded. "Only then can you ascend to godhood." He said, looking at Atemu strangely.
In fact, all of the deities were watching him differently. Atemu didn't notice.
"I get to be a god?" He asked, excited. "Cool!"