The priests retired for the day, putting their training aside. Seth and Akhenaden kept watch over the kingdom. One stood guard, while the other made rounds and reported back. Isis turned her attention to searching for Mana.
Thankfully, she did not have to search long. The apprentice sorcerer was hiding nearby, in one of the larger pots.
"I knew I would find you here." The priestess stood over the pot, and peered inside. Mana almost jumped out of the pot with fright. When she recovered her senses, Mana slowly climbed out.
"You can find me just as well as Master Mahaado." Mana hung her head.
"And that is exactly what I wanted to ask you about. After we sent you to find your master, he arrived to the practice arena…" Isis began. Mana pretended that she had never found her Master, and listened with great intent. "He did not appear to be well, and when he stood up to engage Seth's ka in a mock battle, he nearly lost more than the match."
Mana could not help but gasp.
"Mana, if you know what happened, you must tell us."
The apprentice sorceress scraped her boot along the bricks. She glanced down, choosing to look away from Isis' face.
"Mana. Something is wrong. His heka is very powerful. For something to have depleted almost all his life force, it had to be equally powerful, indeed. The safety of our kingdom depends on knowing what might have happened to your master."
Mana had been instructed not to tell.
"I…" she didn't know what to say. "I need to see my master! Where is he?"
"Kalim and Shaada carried him to his quarters." Isis answered. Before she could even ask another question, Mana had turned away from the priestess. Her destination was clearly the private quarters of the high priests.
Mana's heart fluttered with panic. She knew her master wasn't well when she let him go, and now, she was even more worried than before. Whatever spells he was casting, they were depleting his heka far faster than he could recover it. Another night in the secluded courtyard… Mana dared not even think such thoughts. Could he survive it?
"Master?" she shouted, rushing into the west wing of the palace. "Master Mahaado!"
She brushed past the rooms of the other priests, ignoring anyone who might have passed by.
"Master Mahaado, are you all right?!"
As she reached his quarters, she quickly fell silent. Her jaw fell slack, her voice stuck in her throat like a freeze spell that she could not quite undo. Her knees shook. Her body trembled as she beheld the sight in front of her.
"Oh Ra…" she gasped, finally finding her voice. "Master!!"