9

A TOUCH OF MAGIC

"He made heka (magic) for them, to use as a weapon for warding off occurrences,

And he made them dreams for the night, to see the things of the day"

-Instruction for Pharaoh Merikara, Dynasty 10

That night we camped on the edge of the sandstorm battlefield. Arpid tended the fire with what little kindling we had, while I tended to Mathayus.

First I cleaned the wound as best as I could with what little water we had left with us in our waterskin, once the wound was cleaned I tore at the hem of my robes to create a make shift bandage, then I wetted a scrap of cloth and dabbed his forehead in hopes of cooling him.

The arrows potent poison had thrust Mathayus into a terrible fever. He shivered as though cold, as beads of perspiration formed on his forehead. He would mumble sometimes in his deadly delirium, sometimes we would understand the words he spoke, but among those words where "Jesup", "Rama", "Memnon", and…

"Cassandra".

Every time he spoke my name it almost felt like a part of my beating heart was being ripped from me. It was at this moment I truly understood how deeply I felt for the Akkadian and I couldn't bear the thought of losing him. Not when I had my first vision of him, and definitely not now that I had fallen so deeply in love with him, in more ways than one.

I sat there by his side, pondering what to do when a sudden voice interrupted my thoughts.

"Tell me, Sorceress," Arpid spoke in a hushed voice. "Do you think you can save him?"

I turned to Arpid, a small ember of hope igniting inside my heart.

"Perhaps, but his fever is high and strong," I told him. "The poison was that of the scorpion."

I could see a wave of shock pass in the eyes of the Horse Theif.

"How can you tell? Was it from his signs of sickness?" He asked, stunned.

I shook my head.

"I just know," I replied. "This man is tied to the scorpion in some mystical way that only the gods truly know why. If his does live through the night, the blood and poison of the scorpion will forever flow through his veins."

Arpid looked to my curiously.

"The poison in his blood in a good thing?" He asked, eyebrows rasied.

"It may give him strength of the scorpion itself. As well as resistance to any further poisonings. Should anymore be attempted on his life."

Arpid took a sigh. I could see he had quickly made up his mind.

"Well, Sorceress, you better work your magic. He knows this desert better than the both of us combined. If he dies, then we won't be long in following."

I had naught to say to this. I certainly did not tell the Horse Thief that we had a sliver of a chance of Mathayus surviving even with my magic. I also had a mind not to tell Arpid what would possibly happen if I tried to heal him with every fiber of my soul and being. I knew this:

If I was to heal Mathayus, I was to take the essence poison into myself. This would prevent his soul from desending to the underworld. However, this was something that could kill us both if done lightly.

Iturned my gazeto the sky, as if asking the gods above 'what should I do?'. A full moon blazed like fireabove me. Looking at that silveryorb I felt a strong wave ofreassurance over come me like a warm blanket had been put on my sholders.

With a knowledge I couldn't explain, I knew I had to put my faith in the gods, and my magic. At that moment I could care less if I died, just as long as I knew that Mathayus would keep breathing.

"He will not die," I promised tomyself a loud. Not if I have any say in this.

"But you said that-" Arpid started, confused.

"Hush, little thief," I told him gently. "Do not interrupt."

"Interrupt?" Arpid repeated, even more puzzled than before. "What are you-?"

"Hush," I repeated.

I needed silence for this ceremony was to be, perhaps, the most sacred, the most important, and most dangerous one I would ever dare to preform.

I took a deep breath, and put my leg on to the other side of the unconscious Akkadian so I sat astride his hips. I lowered the scarf I wore from my head, letting it fall gently from my shoulders.

I crossed my hands across my chest in ceremony, my eyes to the moon, silently praying.

Oh Auset! Oh Selqit! Oh Djehuti! Please, hear my prayer

And come to my aid.

I cannot find it in my heart to let this man die, I must save him.

Please, help a daughter of your craft in her darkest hour,

guide me and help me in my time of great need.

I could feel a strange thrumming energy course through my skin, blood, and bone. I closed my eyes briefly and took a deep breath. I then leaned over Mathayus, uncrossing my arms. I gently opened his mouth, calling for the essence that was slowly killing him.

I could see a small sphere of golden light as it rose from the Akkadian and took it into myself. I could quickly feel a scorching sensation in my blood, suddenly my stomach clenched, and darkness suddenly clouded my vision.

I could slightly feel myself falling next to Mathayus, and I distantly heard Arpid call aloud.

"Sorceress!"

But I could not answer. I was falling forever into that darkness.

My life and Mathayus' life, now lay in the hands of the gods.

Author's Note-Auset, is the Egyptian name for Isis, the main goddess of magic, healing, and wife of Osiris. Selqit is the scorpion goddess, one prayed to for the cure ofscorpion stings. And Djehuti is the Egyptian name for Thorth the god of magic and medicine.