Chapter 11: Making Deals and Hearing Voices

At the sight of us, the magician lowered on one knee and bowed his head. "Oh, Great Mother Isis and Warrior Horus the Elder. I did not expect to be in your presence."

"Stand boy!" The woman next to him snapped. "As long as you serve Set, you do not lower your head to his enemies."

"Are you Se-Osiris?" Isis asked him.

He grinned. "That was one of my names."

"I would ask if you were behind everything, but this seal makes it obvious it was you." Isis tapped her foot on the crimson spell under us. She gave Se-Osiris a confident smile. "I can easily break this seal."

"I am sure you can. The seal was only a precaution, and it served its purpose. I doubt I would fare well in a fight with the Winged Disk."

"Damn right," Horus replied. He turned his eyes to the woman next Se-Osiris and yelled, "Hey Uhat! I didn't know you babysit little magicians!"

She crossed her arms but kept her cold glare at him. "I'm just here to watch the show."

Anubis stepped forward into the front of our group. The seal on his skin was so pronounced now that half his skin color was obscured by its black and red glow. "Did you gamble Khonsu so that I would have to come here?"

Se-Osiris nodded.

Anubis was silent for a moment before continuing. "You want something from me, do you not?"

"I do, and it is not so easy to find you under even normal circumstances. I've heard about the plight with your heart. With you gone from your usual duties to recover it has made contacting you even more difficult. So I decided to find an old god that could do it for me."

"And now I'm here."

"And now you're here, because you can't lift that seal without me."

"What do you I need to do to have it lifted?"

"Anubis," Horus interrupted. "This guy is working for Set. You shouldn't just do whatever he asks."

"What choice do I have?" Anubis said and glanced over his shoulder at him. "It'll be fine."

Uhat was laughing under her breath from the exchange between Horus and Anubis, but Se-Osiris ignored her. "I have two requests."

"That's hardly even," Anubis countered. "I do two tasks for you when I only need one thing from you?"

"I thought you think that way. A god so close to Ma'at and the weigher of souls would seek balance. That is why…" he broke off, reaching for something in the small satchel hanging from his shoulder. He pulled out a small object and held it out. "… I will offer this as well."

Anubis' shoulders tensed. I stared at the canopic jar not believing my eyes. But it was there in his hands, with the Jackal head and all. I closed my eyes, but saw nothing but the strong red light through my eyelids.

"It's not real," I called out to Anubis. "You're hearts not in there."

Anubis nodded to me but at the same moment Uhat let out a shriek of a laugh. "Not real, the human says. This canopic jar he received from Set himself, and him from Nephthys."

"Is she your magician?" Se-Osiris asked.

"No, she is not," Anubis replied. "But she is an anomaly and has sharp eyes. Show me it that my heart is there or we done here."

"As you wish, Son of Nephthys." The boy screwed off the jackal head of the jar and poured the contents into his other hand. From the jar blood spilled out into his hand until finally a lump of flesh fell into his hand. It was small and fit into his palm easily. The flesh pulsed in an even rhythm. "You see. A fragment of a heart that continues to beat without an owner. You would be hard pressed to find another's heart in this state."

It was really his heart. Useless, was all I could think. My fear had come true. My ability was gone and I was no use in helping Anubis. I wondered if the others would reprimand me for my failure. For now they only had their eyes on the magician.

"Make your deal then," Anubis said in a low voice.

Se-Osiris glanced at Uhat for a second before speaking. "First I need you to confirm something for me. The second request… I need you to do something for me."

Anubis said nothing; only nodded. Uhat was squaring her shoulders, watching the magician with hawk eyes.

"You remember me from my first life. I am the magician Ousimanthor who served the Pharaoh Manakhphre, or Horus the Child, in protecting him from the Ethiopian king and his magician."

"I remember. That happened many millennia ago," Anubis responded.

"So it did. And you have been keeping a secret all this time haven't you, Anpu?"

Anubis was silent. Isis and Horus both glance at him before returning their attention to Se-Osiris.

"Tnahsi*. That is the name of the magician I had to face to protect my pharaoh. Then many lifetimes later I again faced a magician of Ethiopia when I was but a boy in that lifetime. Tell me, was that the same magician I had faced in my first life?"

All was still. I could only see Anubis back, but I could feel his tension coming off in waves as he silently stood facing Se-Osiris. It was a long moment before Anubis softly said, "Yes, that was Tnahsi."

"Is he still immortal?"

"…yes."

Se-Osiris glared at Anubis with intense hatred burning in his eyes. I wondered why Anubis kept a secret like that. Two rivals from the ancient past have been living immortal lives and yet Se-Osiris had lived unaware the other still lived. Was Anubis trying to prevent him knowing? If he had, it has now been undone.

Se-Osiris turned his eyes again toward Uhat, but again held Anubis in his gaze. "If Tnahsi does still live, then I will lift your seal and give you your heart fragment if you find him for me."

"That was not the deal you made, magician!" Uhat yelled at him. "Your patron god gave you instructions and you will follow them!"

Se-Osiris didn't move but stared to Anubis. I could see Isis and Horus tensing, their eyes darting between the goddess and the magician. Anubis very slightly nodded his head.

Just from that small gesture chaos broke out. The magician pulled out a paper scroll that instantly burst into light. The light connected with Anubis in a bright thread and the hieroglyphs on his skin shattered off him like glass. At the same time, Isis grabbed at the light of the red circle at our feet. She lifted it up and quickly threw it back into the ground. It too shattered and disappeared.

Uhat had let out an angry shout during this and a large black limb twice the size of her materialized from her back. It struck at Se-Osiris, but the blow was blocked by Horus who appeared in an instant between the two. She pulled it back and I realized the limb was the tail of a scorpion.

Se-Osiris nimbly jumped back from Uhat. Now both Anubis and Isis were running to where Horus and Uhat fought. Perhaps it was the suddenness everything changed, but feeling the familiar adrenaline running through me I instinctually pulled my blindfold over my eyes. But this time the world became black and white and I saw the green glow of Anubis' heart lying on the ground forgotten in the commotion. Without thinking I ran for it. As I came closer a black figure rose from the ground and blocked my path.

"Ah!" I shouted as it grabbed me. I struggled against its hold but its grip stayed firm. I looked down to stomp down on its foot and met a strange sight. The figure had no feet. Instead its legs continued until they went under my feet. "My shadow?" I cried out in surprise.

As though to confirm my shout, I saw Anubis in the distance closing in on Uhat. As he ran his shadow as well as Isis' rose from the ground and ran with them, eventually passing him. The shadows of Anubis and Isis leaped at Uhat, but instead of grabbing at her figure as my shadow did, they sank into the ground and held Uhat's shadow into place. Uhat struggled against an invisible force as her shadow fought against its captors. At that moment a tall tower of red light and wind swept around the magician. The storm of wind swept away from him and collided with Uhat. The ground began breaking away from the winds creating a swirling hole in the ground. The sands pulled the struggling Uhat in the ground, red lightning erupting all around her. Before her figure disappeared, she screamed, "You will pay for this!" And then she was gone.

The storm lasted for a few more seconds before disappearing once more. The shadow that held me let go and sank back into place on the ground. Horus was to first to make any sound, laughing at the spot Utah disappeared. "'You will pay!' If I could count how many times I've heard that one."

"I fear I may be killed by her this time, if not Set himself," said Se-Osiris.

"About Set," Isis said approaching Se-Osiris, "what was the promise you made with him?"

Se-Osiris raised his eyebrows and replied, "In exchange for his sa, Set wanted me to bring Anubis to him. For what reason, I do not know, but I agreed so I could use magic to find Anubis. I never had any attention to fulfill Set's wish, however."

"Se-Osiris," Anubis called to him. "I will help you find Tnahsi, but I can't set out immediately to find him. I still have more fragments of my heart to recover before I do anything else."

"I understand, God of Funerals. I have lived for many lifetimes. I can wait a little longer. As for your heart…" His eyes swept the area to finally rest on me. I already had that heart fragment kept beating softly in my hand. Se-Osiris titled his head, looking for a moment like the young boy his body was.

"Anubis, here." I said to him outstretching my hand. Everyone was looking at me, probably wondering why I was walking around blindfolded, but I didn't mind them. I only kept my eyes transfixed on Anubis as he took the heart fragment and watched the green glow go down his throat, settle in his chest and fade away. I pulled the bandana back around my neck.

"Thank you for recovering my heart, Se-Osiris," Anubis said to him.

Se-Osiris bowed to him and replied, "It was my honor, Anpu."

"My honor to blackmail you, you mean," Horus said in an undertone.

"I assure you, it was all a show for Uhat. Had Anpu refused I would still find a way to return his heart. I do not wish for him to suffer a fate so much like his father's." Horus crossed his arms, not buying it. With a final bow, Se-Osiris said, "I should take my leave before Set takes his sa back from me. Hail Anpu, Isis, and Horus." The boy took some steps back, and then fell backwards with his arms outstretched. The moment his body hit the ground it turned into grains of sand that scattered in every direction. A cloud of dust formed from the impact. It twirled and twisted in an unnatural way until it dissipated.

I felt Anubis hand touch my shoulder and turned to him. "We should return to Paws," he said.

"Okay," I nodded. I turned to the others and saw Isis staring intently at me.

"Isis?" Anubis said when he noticed.

She looked to him and said, "I can see your sa within her, Anubis. Did you know this?"

Anubis shook his head looking confused. "That can't be. I never lent my sa to her."

"Still, it is there, though in a different form… I'll have to discuss this with Thoth."

"What does that mean?" I asked.

"The power you have is dependent on Anubis. When his sa was sealed, so was your ability. But it's strange for this power to manifest without his knowledge."

"Will you be going to the duat then?" Anubis asked Isis.

"Yes, I have much to discuss with Thoth." She paused for a moment and said more seriously, "Beware, Anubis. Set has never been your enemy before and I worry over what brought this change. He is a fierce enemy. Do not take him lightly."

Anubis nodded. "I will take caution, thank you."

She held his cheek in her palm and bent to kiss his forehead. She turned towards me smiling kindly. She tucked the strands of hair in my face behind my ear as she said, "Take care of him and stay safe, Nakia."

"Sure thing." I said, biting the inside of my cheek. Her touch was so much like a mother's it tore at my heart. Just before she withdrew her hand, I thought I saw something blue flicker in the corner of my eye. But nothing was there when I looked.

I blinked and she was gone. I looked around and there was no one but Anubis and me. I furrowed my brow. "Where did Horus go?"

"He left as soon as Se-Osiris left. After Little Horus no doubt."

"Oh, I didn't even notice."

"Come on."

Behind us Paws boat was sailing in the distance coming to us. We walked toward the boat through the barren landscape. I felt tired and was looking forward to lying down in my bed. Suddenly, my body stiffened. My vision became hazy and I felt a hundred degrees hotter. I was distantly aware that my body was sinking to the ground. I couldn't see or feel anything but the heat, but I heard a voice that vibrated through my entire being.

I was Yesterday and –was– called Sef

How to let through the Petals to a flower?

But the Petals know the Seed, not the Drought

The Wind is meaningless but carries the Petals

Meaningless Prophecy, what storm have you stirred?

And the Petals –

"…prophecy?"I murmured through the heat. The center of my vision began to burn the darkness away, creating a hole that I could see the ground through. I heard a muffled voice that became crisper as the heat faded away.

"Nakia? Can you hear me?" I blinked and I steadily felt power coming back to my limbs. I lifted my head and saw Anubis crouched to the ground holding me by my shoulders. His face was devoid of emotion as was his voice. A shadow loomed over us and saw that the boat had sailed in front of us.

"I can hear you… I … heard someone talking…"

"Can you stand?"

"Y-yeah."

I lay in my bed, trying to clear my mind and failing miserably at it. So many things had happened in so little time. We encountered the immortal magician, Anubis' seal was lifted with the promise of hunting his enemy after his heart was whole, I had the lovely experience of being held against my will by my own shadow, we recovered a piece of Anubis' heart, and learned that Set is trying to lure Anubis to him.

But through it all I keep going back to the voice. It happened out of nowhere. Anubis wanted to ask me what happened, I could tell. But one glance at me he had stopped himself and said, "I think we both need some rest."

I was trying to remember all the words it said. I knew it had just happened only an hour or so ago, but it feels like a faraway memory, like one from early childhood. The one word that stuck with me was 'prophecy', but I couldn't remember anything about it. I remember petals were mentioned more than once. And I think it mentioned either a 'drought' or a 'flood'. I'm leaning toward 'flood' since I vaguely remember it saying something about a 'storm' too. But what is any of it supposed to mean? I was desperately trying to remember the words I heard but the more I recalled it, the more meaningless… meaningless it felt.

I heard a low groan from the boat. The only time I ever heard this sound was if the boat was making a sharp turn. I looked out a side window and, enough, the boat was changing course. I threw on my jacket and left my bedroom.

"What's going on?" I asked when I entered the bridge. Paws was there with his teeth digging into the wood of the wheel as he turned it. Then I saw Anubis leaning against the wall. "Hey, are you okay? You should stay in bed!"

Anubis was as white as a sheet and sheen of sweat coated his forehead. I remembered the last time I gave back a part of his heart and the sort of attack he had. "Come on. We're taking you back to bed." I grabbed at his shoulders to direct him out but he pushed my hands away.

"I can't. We're going to the duat."

"Why?"

"A soul has made it through the gates and wishes to have his heart weighed."

My thoughts ran in images. The multiple times I've seen the carving of a jackal god by an old scale. The giant scale I saw on two occasions I had visited the duat. Se-Osiris saying to Anubis, 'A god so close to Ma'at and the weigher of souls would seek balance.'

"The Weighing of the Heart ritual."

Anubis nodded. "It has been almost seven years since the last one. I wonder how this one will fair."

"You're giving the dead pizza and coke?" Anubis asked when I came in with the food for the dead. Since Anubis is in a miserable state, I couldn't let him go out to fulfill this errand before entering the duat so I volunteered to go on my own.

"Don't tell me all they ever give them is bread and water? That's so boring."

"Nearly every culture has bread, and water is universal so it's most likely to be satisfying for all."

"But everyone likes pizza," I replied. Anubis sighed and said nothing. I shrugged my shoulders and added, "And they're already dead so I doubt they need to worry about their arteries."

"If Osiris finds out, I'm telling him it was you."

We sailed down the river in a new boat until we came to the place of the floating doors. As we passed the pillar with the empty basin I quickly left the offering of pizza and coke. The boat floated past without stopping so I could only hear the doors colliding to form into one large one from the distance as we passed through the gate to the next chamber. This was the same for the next two chambers until we came to the flaming lake. The flames died in our approach and we came to a stop at large flight of stairs. Light glowed from the room above that held the giant black scale.

"Paws, stay with the boat. We shouldn't be long," Anubis ordered. Paws barked in reply. We got out of the boat, but Anubis stopped me. "I will be taking another route to where Osiris is. Just go upstairs and wait for me. Thoth should be up there waiting as well."

"You're not coming with me?" I asked. It felt strange going anywhere without him.

He grinned while walking away, "I think you can climb a flight of stairs by yourself." He turned and left, disappearing into the darkness. Something about his reaction felt odd. After Anubis spending the whole day making sure that I never left his, for him to leave me to go out on my own in the duat didn't feel right. I shrugged off the feeling and climbed the stairs.

I was greeted with the familiar hall of open space that eventually turns to hallways that lead to the many rooms of the other gods. In the center was the large, onyx scale towering overhead. It was noticeably quieter than usual. The varied gods and goddess that normally roamed in and out of here were all absent.

There was one god. Thoth stood underneath the scale, unusually balancing a laptop of all things in one hand while he typed with the other. There was another person with him. It looked like a teenage boy. I could see the back of his black hair and his black leather jacket. Then he turned to face me, and I was confronted with a familiar face.

"Andrew Darnell…"

*Tnahsi isn't his original name from the legend. His name was Horus, son of Tnahsit. However, my story has enough Horus's so I decided to give him the name of his mother, dropping the 't' at the end to make the name masculine.

Author's Notes: To read the author notes, go to my profile. In it includes comments about the chapters, explanations of why this was so delayed, and a recommendation for you god lovers out there.