Shamalan: Hellooooooo. How is everybody? I'm so tired that I've gone beyond it and feel really hyper. Yeah. Let's jump around like fools.
Maraschino: Save me from her.
Shamalan: Quiet. Let's start.
Maraschino: Sounds good.
Shamalan: The story begins in the time of Moses but will change to present time after a couple of chapters.
Disclaimer: I don't own the Mortal Instruments world. It belongs to Cassandra Clare. I am only borrowing it and putting it to good use.
Pairings: Some pairings are obvious since they were in the book. Clary/Jace, Magnus/Alec, Simon/Maia, Sebastian (Jonathan)/OC, and others. I haven't decided yet about the others. The ones listed are definite though.
A tiny child ran through the streets of Egypt, chasing a round leather ball. His laughter came out in high-pitched shrieks. His ball went down a dark alley and he bounced after it. His mother called for him to stay in sight but he had already disappeared into the alley. He saw his ball in the corner and padded toward it, his little feet making hardly a sound.
He went to reach for it, only to have it scooped up by someone from the shadows. His eyes scanned up the tall, slender body until they came to rest on the face. He stared in awe at the golden eyes that stared out of the face of a jackal.
"Doggy," he whispered.
The lips pulled back in a snarl. "I am not a dog."
"Not doggy?"
The creature bent down to be eye level with the little three year old. "I am Anubis, child. God of the Dead."
The boy reached out and grabbed the pointed ears giggling. "Lord Anubis doggy. Pick me up." He leaped up and wrapped himself around the god.
Anubis gave an affronted growl and jerked back but the boy was still clinging to him like a tiny monkey. He stared at the boy in surprised wonder. Most people who came face to face with the God of Death usually fell to their knees in fear, mumbling incoherent prayers. Yet here was this child, petting him between the ears and cuddling under his jaw.
A shriek brought both their eyes to the entrance of the alley. A woman was on her knees staring at them in shock.
"Mommy," the boy said.
"Please. May I have my boy?" She held out her shaking arms.
The little boy wriggled out of the god's arms. "Bye bye, Lord Doggy." He ran to his mother and climbed into her arms. She quickly got to her feet and ran away before the god decided to keep her son. Tears ran down her face.
Anubis stayed where he was, staring after the two in amusement. "What a strange child. I will have to keep an eye on him.
7 years later.
"My son dreams of him, Lord Priest. I do not know what to do. He insists on becoming one of his priests." The woman watched the priest with fearful eyes. Her son stood at her elbow, watching with fathomless dark eyes.
The priest, Akil, stared at them in scrutiny. The boy was young to join the priesthood, but it what the mother said was true, then it meant that he had been called by the god. "Once he comes into the god's service, he will no longer be your child. You will not be able to come and go as you wish."
"I understand, Lord Priest. I…I have had dreams as well. Calling my son into service. I cannot deny them any longer." She ran her hands over her son's soft hair. Tears had begun to flow from her eyes. "I love my son. I want to keep him with me always, but I know I cannot."
The priest watched as the boy's small hand crept into his mother's. His lips curled into a dazzling smile that would stop anyone who saw it in their tracks. He leaned in and brought his lips to his mother's cheek. "Everything will be fine mother. He will watch over me, just as he has always done since we first met."
"I know. It doesn't stop me from worrying."
The boy stepped back from his mother and over to the priest. The priest looked down at him. "Do you pledge your life to Anubis, child."
"And my death," the boy answered.
"Good."
5 years later
Lord Desian stood upon the balcony of the Pharaoh's palace and gazed upon the river below. His face was obscured by a mask of the god he served. Black eyes stared through the Anubis mask, watching what was going on below in curiosity.
The Pharaoh stood at his side. Anger radiated off his form. Priests ran around the two trying to understand what was happening.
The people of Egypt came out of their homes to stand at the edge of the river. Panic could be heard from the people on the river.
"My lord Pharaoh, it is all the water. Not only the river." A priest stood behind them.
"What is it?" asked the Pharaoh.
"Blood."
"Impossible." Ramses narrowed his eyes on the form of his once-brother Moses, standing at the edge of the river. He turned and disappeared into the corridors. "We will not let the people go," he yelled behind him.
Desian turned and left the balcony. He beckoned the other priests of his order with a wave of his hand. The others ran to follow him. Desian was the High Priest of Anubis. The only priest that wore the mask at all times. Only few of his order have seen his face. Even the Pharaoh had never seen under his mask. He stepped into the sun and made his way to the temple of Anubis where all his priests resided.
The priest's voices were a constant babble behind him as they walked. His robes swept around him with each step he made, brushing his feet.
"Lord Desian," spoke a priest to his left. "Has Lord Anubis spoke to you of any of this?"
Desian shook his head and continued walking. The doors of the temple towered over him and he disappeared through them. His priests stared after him.
Several days later and Desian stood in the middle of the field surrounded by dead livestock. The smell was overwhelming.
"How many more?" whispered a priest behind him. "Our water was turned to blood; we have had frogs, gnats and lice, then flies. Now our livestock dies. How much more do we have to go through?"
The Pharaoh was shaking with rage.
"All you have to do," said a voice from behind them all, "is let my people go. Brother…"
"I am not your brother anymore," the Pharaoh growled. He turned to come face to face with Moses. "You will destroy Egypt for this?" He swept by Moses with priests and nobles in tow.
Desian stood where he was, watching Moses. The man watched the Pharaoh leave, pain evident in his eyes. He turned to find himself being studied by Desian.
"It won't end until he frees my people." He kept his eyes on the masked face of Desian as he came closer to him. Soon they were standing face to face. He felt nervous as he looked down into the eyes of the small figure before him.
"He does not know your god," came Desian's voice from behind the mask. "Surely you cannot ask him to simply do as you say." He reached out and placed his hand over Moses' heart. "You are asking him to free thousands of people as if it is an easy thing to do."
Moses felt his heart beat erratically. "It will only get worse," he whispered in pained horror.
"And Egypt will suffer. You made your decision, Moses. Do not stray from it now." Desian took his hand from Moses' chest and brushed by him.
The next day came boils. The people of Egypt were covered in the painful boils with nothing able to cure them.
Next was thunder and hail. The noise was constant and the hail the size of a grown man's fist. People were afraid to leave their homes, lest they be killed by the violent weather.
Then came the locusts, so thick as the cover the ground. They ate all the crops that had survived the poisoness death of the livestock, the changing of the waters, and the punishment of the hail. People wailed as they found all of their food gone.
Darkness was next. On the third night of darkness Desian was sealed in the main temple at the feet of the statue of Anubis. He had locked all of the other priests out so he could pray in peace. Only one other person was in the room. In the corner sat Moses.
"Please convince him, Lord Desian. The Lord has already spoken to me."
Desian turned toward Moses, his eyes glinting. "And what has he said?"
"About midnight will I go out into the midst of Egypt: And all the first born in the land of Egypt shall die, from the first born of the Pharaoh that sitteth upon his throne, even unto the first born of the maidservant that is behind the mill; and all the first born of beasts." His voice quivered as he spoke this.
Desian's eyes returned to the face of Anubis. "He will be busy, then." He stood and came to sit beside Moses.
"People will die. Can he not just free my people and end this." Moses clutched Desian's shoulder. "Stop him. I have heard that the Pharaoh respects you. Surely he will listen."
"You over estimate my importance to him. As the Pharaoh, he will do as he wishes. You have struck fear in his people, Moses. And in him. That makes him even more determined to deny you what you want." He reached out his hand to brush the tears from Moses' face. "Be with your people Moses. It will soon turn ugly."
Moses brushed the rest of his tears from his face and rose to leave the room. "Thank you for speaking with me, Lord Desian. I pray that I see you again."
Desian watched him go. As the door shut behind him, he whispered, "You will not. Farewell Moses."
"Are you afraid?" came a voice from behind Desian.
He turned to come face to face with Anubis. "I am fine, Lord Anubis." He came to stand directly in front of the god.
"It will soon be over," rumbled Anubis.
"I know." Desian watched as the god vanished in shadows.
Days later and Egypt slept fitfully. Desian was once again locked in the main temple. It was close to midnight and Desian stared into the face of Anubis. Screams suddenly broke the night silence. The Pharaoh's horrified shout resounded through the palace and to the temple. Desian stood and turned to face the door. They burst open and the priests ran in, panicked.
"Lord Desian. People are dying. What is happening?"
Desian tried to answer but seemed unable to breathe. He slowly sank to the ground as his priests stared in horror. He breathed out and could not breathe again. His vision blurred and went black.
"No, no, no," groaned an elderly peace. He made his way to the body of their high priest. The others crowded behind him.
"What has happened, Akil?" muttered another priest.
Akil reached down and pulled the mask from Desian. The rest of the priests rocked back in shock. The face behind the mask was young.
"I do not understand, Akil."
"He was chosen by Anubis to be a priest." Tears were flowing down the old priests face. "He is only fifteen. He is his family's first born." He pulled Desian's body into his lap and rocked him.
The temple darkened. "Akil, my priest. Give him to me."
Every priest fell to their knees at the sound of the voice. Akil turned to see Anubis standing there in all his glory, watching him with golden eyes. He slowly made his way to his feet. He was clutching the small body of Desian to his chest. His eyes met those of Anubis and he slowly passed over Desian's body.
"What will you do with him, My Lord Anubis?"
"He is my chosen. I will see to him myself." He cradled the body of Desian to his chest and watched his priests. "Egypt is about to become chaos. Prepare yourself." He stepped back, melting into the shadows.
Anubis stepped out of the shadows several hundred miles away. He had come to the City of the Dead, Hamenaptra. He carried Desian's body to a deserted area where no one would see him. A blink of his eyes and there was a hole big enough for Desian's body. He lay Desian down and covered him again with the sand. He stood back and waited.
Cold began to seep into everything. Anubis quickly retrieved what he had brought earlier. In his hand he held the throat of a struggling man. He was a criminal that had already been sentenced to death. Anubis had decided to put him to use. "Silence." The man fell still.
Both turned at the noise coming from the small grave. The criminal began to struggle again in terror. The sand bulged and a hand came through. Soon Desian had dug himself out and was looking around with wild eyes. His teeth bared. Black eyes turned to take Anubis and the man in. The man was babbling. Anubis grinned and threw the man toward Desian.
The man tried to run but Desian leaped onto him, his mouth latching onto his throat. His teeth tore into him and he gulped the blood that flowed into his mouth. The man screamed and tried to shake Desian off of him. Desian only clutched him to him tighter. The man's struggles became weaker until he stopped.
Anubis watched the entire thing with pleasure. The criminal had been filth, a child rapist. It pleased him to watch this man die. His eyes went to the small figure slowly raising his head from the dead man. Blood was splattered on his face and the front of his robes. He walked over and placed his hand on Desian's shoulder. "I could not let you die, but this came at a price."
Desian raised his head to meet with Anubis' eyes. "I murdered."
"He was going to die anyway. He was a bad person, Desian. He lured young children away from their parents and then raped them. He would leave their bodies on their family's doorstoop." He knelt down and took Desian into his arms. "I will be by your side forever now."
Desian buried his face in Anubis' chest. "I will follow you to the ends of the world." He looked up to meet those golden eyes and a spark of amusement lit up in the dark pools of his eyes. "Where do we go, Lord Doggy?"
"Everywhere."
Shamalan: So that chapter took awhile, but I'm happy with it. Desian is my own character and it is pronounced Deh-zee-en. Akil is my own as well. It means wisdom; I thought it fit for an elderly priest.
Maraschino: Are you going to finish this story?
Shamalan: Maybe. Are you going to stop being an ass?
Maraschino: Maybe.
Shamalan: Ignore him. Enjoy the story my peeps. Review if you want, but you really should. No really, review. I'm serious, review. I said review. Grrrrr.