Destroyer of Worlds

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters in this story from The Mummy (1999) except for my OCs.

Words to Know:

Anubis: The jackal-headed God who was the conductor of souls and the judge of the pure of heart in the Temple of Two Truths. He was the original lord of the Underworld and was said to have created mummification to resurrect Osiris when he was killed by his brother Set (or Seth).

Apep: The God of chaos and destruction. He was a 120-meter-long serpent who chased the dead through the Underworld, trying to eat their soul. He was also said to be the reason for solar eclipses.

Bes: God of fertility, motherhood, childbirth, music, and merriment.

Khepra: God with the head of a Scarab Beetle. He represented the morning sun and the rebirth of life.

Khonsu: Represented by a crescent moon or depicted as a young man with a side-lock of hair. The God of the moon, the protector of travelers, and the God of healing.

Osiris: Egypt's first pharaoh (according to myths) and the God of the world. Once Set killed him, he became the God of the Underworld.

Ra: The God of the Sun, the other gods, and the father of creation. He rode his boat across the sky daily, lighting up the world. At night he traversed the dangerous Underworld, attacked by monsters and Apep. Set guarded him.

Thoth: Ibis-headed God of writing, knowledge, wisdom, and science. He is one of the oldest Gods of the Egyptian pantheon, and Thoth himself alludes to the fact that he is originally a God from the lost city of Atlantis in his fabled Emerald Tablets.

All eyes do not see with the same vision,
for to one, an object appears of
one form and color
and to a different eye of another.
So also, the infinite fire,
changing from color to color,
is never the same from day to day.

Thoth, The Emerald Tablets.

Thebes, Late Fall, 1295~

Ancksunamun pulled her shawl closer to her body, trying to stave off the night air as she wandered the gardens behind the Temple. Stopping at a bejeweled bench underneath a carob tree, Ancksunamun sunk into the bench, her curves melding into the cool stone effortlessly. She felt exhausted, as she had not been eating or sleeping as much as usual. Not even bothering to go to the river most nights either, she had taken to wandering the gardens, hoping for a glimpse of Kher-heb, the elusive older man who intrigued her.

Ever since Safiya had told her of the Viziers' name, Ancksunamun had repeated it in her head. Imhotep…Imhotep…Imhotep. The name made her feel strange. Saying it out loud made her feel paralyzed, but in her mind, it felt electric, as if it carried some power over her. She was so tired of being confused, but she did not wish to speak with him. Something within her cautioned her against it. Almost as if an invisible force was simultaneously pushing her towards him and pulling her away, like a game of cat and mouse.

The sickle moon overhead did not lend much light to the garden, and she began to feel tired as the inky darkness grew deeper. The fresh air in the garden was almost sedative. Sighing, she closed her eyes against the cool moonlight and dozed off, the smell of tamarisk, carob, and the sweet scent of jasmine lulling her into the world of dreams.

She dreamed that she was floating through the clouds. The wispy vapor was backlit with colors of orange, pink, yellow, and blue and seemed to span forever. As she floated on, she reached down and ran her hands through the fluffy clouds, leaving behind a trail of mist in her wake. It felt almost effervescent to the touch. As she did so, a span of stars could be seen sparkling in the distance, beckoning her onwards. Ancksunamun did not know where the dream was taking her, but the scene felt magical. The sunlight scattered beams of light throughout the clouds, at times blinding her, and she seemed to be moving forwards without any effort of her own.

The air felt electric and humid, making her cheeks burn with the heat. A light breeze brought with it the scent of rain. Ancksunamun turned around and noticed that her body turned effortlessly as if she weighed nothing. All around her, she could make out nothing but the endless span of soft clouds. Eyes searching, probing deeper, she spotted a flash of movement ahead and attempted to move forward. The supernatural force which kept her at a steady pace did not budge at her attempts to push forward, and she tried again and again, to no avail. Finally giving up, she continued her slow pace through the heavenly landscape.

As she floated silently along, a faint twinkling sound could be heard as she passed by the stars, and the sounds of some ethereal voice was heard way off in the distance. Straining her ears to hear, she could not make out the words. Shaking her head, she wondered where she was. Suddenly, a boat whooshed above her head, narrowly missing her. Ducking down quickly, she nervously looked around to see where it went.

There up ahead, she spotted it! An ornate golden boat that blazed like a thousand suns was inside of it; it was blinding to look at. Golden writings adorned the sides, seemingly lit within, and appeared to sparkle and shine like all of the stars in the sky. The words moved and twisted, spells of some kind, she assumed. But the hardest thing to gaze upon was the mass of flaming light which drove the boat forward. Long, muscular arms rowed the boat across the sky, the sphere of light following with it. What is that? She pondered, trying to look deeper.

Rubbing her eyes, Ancksunamun struggled to see past the brilliant rays of sunlight emitted from the heavenly being. Suddenly, the profile came into view. Dark and obscured were the features of the falconine head, and within seconds, her view of him was gone; the boat dipped and disappeared within the clouds. The fractals of lights ricocheting off the clouds grew dimmer and dimmer until she could no longer see anything. It became cold. Bitingly cold, and suddenly, she was falling. The air knocked from her lungs, and her mouth opened in a silent scream as she careened downwards.

The fall did not last for long, soon, the velocity decreased, and she was dropped gently into a grove of trees. Her feet were bare as she floated down to the ground. The cool soil beneath her toes was damp and earthy; undertones of petrichor floated up and reached her nostrils. Shivering, Ancksunamun stepped forward and looked around. The trees surrounding her seemed familiar. In fact, where she stood seemed familiar, but she couldn't figure out why. Spinning around, the wet soil moved with her, muddying her feet. The bright moon hung overhead, taut and heavy as if lending her its light. Where am I?

A gust of wind rustled the leaves on the trees, and with it came shooting stars, which seemed to light up the wind and fly around her, sparkling with a dazzling luminescence. Dancing with the wind, she laughed as the stars appeared to play with her, inviting her to join in its courtship dance. Laughing joyously, she felt an inner peace she had not felt in a long time. Suddenly, the wind died down, and Ancksunamun stopped, confused, and looked around. Her vision seemed to shift, becoming hazy, as she looked to the furthest point ahead. The darkness seemed to be growing, but Ancksunamun did not feel afraid. In fact, her heart beat harder in excitement.

Her feet moved of their own accord, and suddenly it felt as if she was no longer in control. Her body felt different, moved differently, and even smelled different in the breeze. She continued to walk forward, a bright smile growing on her face as she felt a profound feeling of love blossom in her heart. The darkness ahead seemed to have tendrils leaching out into the grove, but she did not heed its warning. She stopped just before the end of the clearing, and from the darkness came a strong hand, which beckoned her forward. The hand was large, with elegant fingers. She took it, not knowing who it belonged to, and felt a jolt of electricity shot through her. Feelings of unrestrained lust, passion, and love threatened to drown her in their intensity, and the only thing anchoring her was the strong grip on her own.

She could not make out the face to which the hand belonged, and suddenly the hand began to move away from her, leading her somewhere. Her vision went dark, and she momentarily felt a sense of disorientation. As the light returned to her eyes, she found that she was now sitting on the ground. A delicate blanket lay on the ground, and two empty crystal glasses sat on it. The hand that had led her there was nowhere to be seen, and Ancksunamun looked around, frightened and confused. Swiftly, a hand touched her back, and a deep rumbling voice began to speak, startling her.

"My darling, my Ancksunamun." The voice purred.

Ancksunamuns neck broke out in goosebumps, and she shivered. That voice! It felt like nothing she had ever heard before, but at the same time, it felt like home. But whose was it? Wanting to turn around, she felt paralyzed to the spot. She was not in control of her body still and felt herself moving without control.

Turning around, her breath caught in her throat; all she could make out were the man's eyes. Dark, deep, piercing, and brimming with love. Sucking in a breath, Ancksunamun found herself

reaching out to touch the man's face, cradling it. Feelings of love fluttered in her heart, and she wondered, Why does this seem so familiar?

"My love, you came!" Ancksunamun said, her fingers rubbing the man's cheeks, caressing his chin lovingly. Who is this man? She mused internally. And why am I calling him that?

"Of course, nothing could keep me away from you." The man answered, his lips partly in shadow.

Her eyes traveled there, and noticed how plump they seemed. Ancksunamun could not help but stare as he spoke.

"Now, my dear, let us celebrate." The man spoke again. He was dressed in a dark robe lined with gold thread and adorned with scarabs. Ancksunamun wracked her brain, knowing she had seen the robe somewhere before, but her memory was blank. Whatever was happening, it seemed as though this dream was set on her not remembering anything. She couldn't even remember what had transpired before this. Frustrated, Ancksunamun answered again, not in control of herself or her words.

"We have much to celebrate tonight." She replied.

The plump lips smirked, the rest of the face in shadow. His eyes blazed a hole through her and set her on fire. A growing heat in her abdomen began its slow burn. Who is this man? And why is he making me feel this way?

He kept firm eye contact with her and reached for her hand, turning it over and kissing each finger before standing up and leading her closer to the trees. Closer to the edge of the grove, his face was almost obscured in its entirety, and she struggled to make out his eyes.

The wind rustled again, making the leaves whisper on the trees, producing an odd sound. Her hand still enclasped in his, she looked up at the trees and did a double take. The leaves were hard and shiny. Perplexed, Ancksunamun pulled her hand gently from the man and reached up to touch them. Her fingers grazed the cold leaves, and she pulled away in shock. They were made of Jade stone! Looking around, she noticed the branches bowed under the heavy weight of the fruit it carried. Pomegranates?

Reaching out for one, the scene suddenly shifted, and Ancksunamun found herself once again sitting on the ground. The man sat next to her and turned away. She held a pomegranate made of Ruby in her hands and stared down at it.

Without warning, something in her ear whispered, "You must break it." The strange voice hissed. Shivering, Ancksunamun obliged, and as she did so, the stone fruit broke away and crumbled to the ground. She stared down at it, confused. Swiftly, the pieces began to swirl as if caught in a strong breeze, and one by one, the pieces plunked into the crystal glasses, turning to liquid as they went.

Grabbing for the glasses, she looked down at the newfound liquid and swirled it around the ornate glass, the crimson color leaving translucent stains around the rim.

Looking up at the man next to her, Ancksunamun felt a primal fear overtake her just then, gripping her insides and pulling her down into the earth.

The man next to her turned around, his dark eyes connecting with hers, as he raised the glass to his own lips, toasting her. Her hands shaking, she raised the glass to her lips and took a sip. Ancksunamun almost spat it out, for it was not pomegranate wine…It was blood.

Waking up startled on the stone bench in the garden. Ancksunamun felt a thin sheen of sweat covering her whole body, and she shivered as the cold fall breeze lightly brushed past her, wiping away the tendril of her dreams. All she could vividly remember was the taste of blood.

Grimacing, she pushed herself into a sitting position, wrapping her thin shawl around her tighter. She blinked and smacked her lips together, trying to rid herself of the taste. The moon that had been at the zenith when she had arrived was now low in the sky, almost nonexistent. Sighing, she stood up, her bones stiff, and stretched, still tasting the blood in her mouth. Shaking her head, she made to leave the garden but stopped short as her eyes fell upon the pomegranate grove just ahead. An eerie feeling made its way up her spine, and she shuddered. Walking towards it, she just had to check.

Reaching out for low-hanging fruit, she hesitated just before grabbing it and sagged in relief. It was an ordinary pomegranate! Wiping the cold sweat off her brow, she turned and trudged her way through the garden, confused as to what the dream meant. Was it some kind of omen? Who was that man who stirred up such feelings within her? And why did he seem so familiar?

So lost in thought, she did not even notice that she had exited the garden and began climbing the palace steps. Stopping short halfway up, she froze and realized she had snuck out that night. Glancing up quickly, she took note of the sleeping guards and ran down the steps as quietly as she could. She would have to go back the way she came.

Finding the small door that led to the servants' quarters just below the massive entry staircase, Ancksunamun quickly opened the door, looked around, and went inside.

Walking down the narrow corridor, Ancksunamun crossed her arms over her chest, trying to rid herself of the coldness that seemed to permeate her bones. The thoughts in her head swirled, and she wracked her brain to figure out why the man in her dreams had seemed so familiar. She was sure she had met him, but where?

Still lost in thought, the breath was knocked out of her as she collided with something hard.

"Oh!" She exclaimed, startled, knocked backward.

Looking, she was astonished to see who it was. "Kesi! What are you doing here?"

Kesi had been living in the Pharaoh's quarters for many moons, and Ancksunamun was confused to see her down in the servants' wing.

Panting, the girl in front of her looked wild-eyed and panicked, taking great gulps of air before answering. Her wide eyes connected with her, and Ancksunamun was shocked to see the purple bruising outlining her eyes.

Ancksunamuns own eyes widened, but before she could speak, Kesi finally broke her silence.

Gasping for air, she replied, "Ancksunamun! I'm so glad to see you! Quick! We must speak, but there isn't much time!" Kesi said, nervously looking over her shoulder, wincing as she did so.

It was then Ancksunamun noticed the thin trickle of blood coming from beneath Kesi's dress.

"Kesi! Slow down! What is it that you must tell me?" Ancksunamun said, grabbing Kesi's shoulders and looking her deep in the eyes. "And quickly! We must get you to the infirmary!" As she said this, she looked down and began to panic, noticing how much blood seemed to be seeping through Kesi's thin dress quickly.

Still gasping for air, Kesi croaked out, "I need to tell you something," She repeated.

"Yes, what is it?' Ancksunamun said, holding Kesi by the shoulders to keep her upright, searching her eyes for answers.

"I–" Kesi began before she was overtaken by a fight of coughing, leaving her weak, and she slumped in Ancksunamuns arms, growing paler by the minute, her eyes dull.

"We must get you to the doctor," Ancksunamun said, "You can tell me later. Come…" Grabbing the other girl's waist, Kesi and Ancksunamun walked gingerly toward the palace exit, walking as fast as Kesi's weakened state would allow.

Panting from exertion and fear. Ancksunamun heaved Kesi up the thousands of stairs leading to the Temple of Osiris. Stopping at the top to catch her breath, Ancksunamun looked around the courtyard, noticing how small everything below her seemed. Kesi moaned in pain, and Ancksunamun turned her attention back to the other girl, holding her upright.

She had not initially known where the infirmary was located and had to find a guard and ask. When she learned of its locale, Ancksunamun had grown just as pale as Kesi. She had hurriedly thanked the guard and ran off to where she had left Kesi sitting propped up on a stone bench in the servants' quarters.

Now, here they stood, and Ancksunamun felt selfish. The fear she felt of having to see the Vizier was almost as strong as the fear she felt for Kesi's condition. But that was silly, wasn't it? Shaking her head and feeling queasy from the night's events, Ancksunamun and Kesi slowly and steadily made their way through the Temple. Ancksunamun was in awe of its simplistic beauty.

Massive columns ran throughout the great hall, each painted with spells and murals of the afterlife. The ceiling was a collection of paintings of the stars' location and astrological positions in the sky. The moon's positions and transition across the sky made up most of the ceiling. Ancksunamun had paid little attention to what the Gods represented. Still, she could make out depictions of Khepra, Khonsu, Anubis, Thoth, Osiris, and the demon serpent Apep across the lower walls and was shocked at how detailed and beautiful the paintings were. Sparkling writing could be seen on some of the columns, and she marveled at the shiny gold paint, wondering at its significance.

Tearing her eyes away from inspecting the room, Ancksunamun began looking around for the infirmary and found that she could not see any doorways leading towards it. Kesi began to slump harder against her, and looking behind them, Ancksunamun saw the thin trail of blood they had left behind. Panicking, even more, Ancksunamun looked around, becoming more and more afraid that she could not see where the infirmary lay. Suddenly, a short bald man appeared from behind one of the alcoves. He sauntered, scratching just below his loincloth on his back thigh, and yawned, trodding slowly out into the main entrance.

"Kesi, I will be right back." She said, looking deeply at the girl's face. Her eyes were dull and rolled back, and she barely held her weight. "Stay right here," Ankcsunamun said dumbly as she sat Kesi down on a small seat, knowing that Kesi was not going anywhere.

Running across the room, Ancksunamun startled the portly man, "Where is the infirmary?" She said, panting hard from anxiety.

The man blinked slowly, pointed towards a dark alcove to the room's right, and went on his way, not even bothering to assist her with Kesi. Huffing, Ancksunamun called out to his retreating form, "Thank you!"

Hastily running back to where said had left Kesi sitting, Ancksunamun gathered the other girl under her arms and made the arduous trek across the room toward salvation. By the time they reached the alcove, Ancksunamun was feeling weak herself.

As soon as they entered, Ancksunamun was greeted with a wave of warm air, and the room that lay within was dimly lit and cozy, albeit there was a pungent stench of sickness in the air. Wrinkling her nose, Ancksunamun looked for anyone to assist her, turning in circles slowly with her friend, but all the men seemed preoccupied. Panic coursing through her as she looked at Kesi, Ancksunamun spotted an empty mat on the far side of the room and delicately led Kesi towards it, helping her lay down on the padded surface.

Brushing back the sweaty hair from Kesi's face, Ancksunamun was taken aback by how skeletal Kesi suddenly appeared. Pulling back, she grabbed Kesi's hands and rubbed them between her own in an attempt to return some blood flow. A rush of air whisked past her, and suddenly one of the small, portly men kneeled beside her, tsking lightly.

"She is not long for this world." The man said matter of factly, tsking once more.

"What? You cannot mean that?" Ancksunamun said, pulling her hands from Kesi's, wide-eyed at the strange man.

"Well, she is with child, and it does not seem viable." The man said again, reaching into a small satchel across his waist. "I can give her some herbs to be comfortable, but that is all I can do until her body decides it is time."

"Time for what?" She asked, not wanting to hear the answer.

"Time for the baby, or time for her to meet Osiris, one or the other." He said, shrugging casually.

Ancksunamun felt anger rising within her at the man's blase tone. "Can't you do something more than just some herbs?" She hissed at him quietly, mindful of the other patients in the room.

The stout young man looked almost bored at her question and stood slowly. "I will see what more I can do. Wait here." He said, and he walked away, disappearing behind a gauzy curtain.

Turning back to Kesi again, Ancksunamun held vigil over her friend until she felt another presence next to her. Opening her eyes, she immediately snapped them shut once again. This cannot be happening! I must be sick myself! Perhaps some Nile disease! She thought.

Steeling herself, she cracked her eyes open once more and was met with a haunting pair of dark eyes, ones that seemed to see into her very soul. Swallowing loudly, she tore her gaze away and looked forward. The feelings from her dreams came back in full force and slammed into her, almost keeling her over. A mixture of acute fear, revulsion, and desire fought for dominance in her gut, making her feel nauseous. Swallowing again and looking anywhere but his eyes, she looked to one of the numerous candle flames around them and spoke.

"Hello…" she said, choking on the word. Stupid! She internally cursed herself.

"Hello." Was the simple reply, his voice deep and strong, almost shy in nature.

That voice! It reverberated around in her skull, making her feel dizzy, and she fought against it passionately. It is the man from my dream! But why? And why must it be him?

Her head was spinning. The taste of blood filled her mouth, and she remembered the man from her dreams. Could it be him? It couldn't be! Could it…?

Imhotep awoke that morning with one of his infamous headaches. He rolled over on his small mat, his eyes crusted shut, and groaned. The pounding in his head was relentless. It had not stopped since he had seen the Goddess in the throne room. His throat dry, he coughed and pushed himself up, cracking open his tired eyes. He felt as if he had aged one hundred years overnight. Struggling to his feet, he looked out the window and grimaced, the sun burning his eyes.

Turning away, he noticed that his father had already left for the day and shook his head, smiling slightly. The man was either obsessively reading up on curses, meditating, or tending to the Temple. Imhotep never knew what to expect from Kher-heb. He danced to the beat of his own drum.

Quickly dressing, not even bothering to go to the Palace kitchens for breakfast, Imhotep made his way to the infirmary to check on his patients. Upon entering, he donned his leopard pelt, splashed his face with moon water, and began to tend to the sick. Many of those who came to the Temple for healing were simply lazy merchants from the city who came here to rest for the day, pretending to be ill.

Most of the time, Imhotep could see no wrong with any of them, but occasionally the streets brought in those desperately needing healing. Today seemed to be one of those days. An old man had come in just before he had arrived, complaining about a sore rib and weakness that would not go away. Imhotep walked over to the man's mat and kneeled beside him.

"What ails you today?" Imhotep asked, his eyes sharply looking over the old man, looking for any outward signs of trauma.

The man coughed and hunched over from where he sat, holding his side. Catching his breath, he answered. "I have not been able to feel my right side all morning" He gestured blindly to his side and continued, "And my ribs have been hurting on the left side."

Imhotep nodded, gestured for the man to lie down as best as he could, and began his evaluation. Noticing that only the fifth and sixth ribs seemed to be bruised and not broken, Imhotep relaxed his shrewd gaze and took a deep breath.

"What happened to cause this?" Imhotep asked, continuing to feel along the man's rib cage lightly.

The man coughed again and grimaced in pain before responding. "I work in the fields just outside of the city walls. I fell while doing the morning chores, and I have been coughing since."

Imhotep nodded again, "You will be fine. I have some herbs here to help ease the pain." Imhotep reached into his satchel and procured some herbs, mixing them on the small table nearby in his mortar and pestle, gently bruising the herbs to release their juices. Saying a quick incantation, Imhotep added some fresh water and handed the mixture to the man to drink.

"Good," Imhotep said, "Now I think you should take the day off and rest."

"I cannot do that, my Lord." The man said respectfully, and he sat up painfully. "I must finish the harvest for the Pharaoh before the next full moon."

Gently touching the man's shoulder, Imhotep laid him back down into a prone position. "I will talk to the Pharaoh on your behalf, and you shall be granted an extra week of preparation, do not worry."

"Oh! Thank you! Thank you!" The man said joyously, trying to sit up again, and broke into a coughing fit.

"It is my duty," Imhotep replied. "You should rest for the day." He said sternly, his eyes serious. Nodding politely at the old man, Imhotep stood up and turned around, instantly besieged by one of the other priests.

"Lord Imhotep," the priest bowed. "There is a very serious case that I wish for you to assist with."

Imhotep lifted his hand and beckoned for him to show the way, following the younger man. Nodding at the old man once again, Imhotep was led away. The headache was growing stronger and stronger by the minute. He swallowed harshly as they weaved through the infirmary, wishing for the day to be over.

The priest suddenly stopped at a mat in the far corner and beckoned Imhotep to come over. Imhotep instantly saw that the girl lying on the mat was in grave trouble, and his eyes widened. A layer of blood stained the front of her dress. A girl with long dark hair sat vigil over the sick girl, her head bowed in silent prayer.

Imhotep immediately halted. A prickling on the back of his neck signified danger. Suddenly the girl with the long hair looked up and made eye contact. It was the Goddess! She is here! He gulped painfully, remembering all of the times he had seen her in his dreams. Haunting him, taunting him. He remembered her taut body at the river and her twirling visage in the throne room. His mouth opened and closed numerous times, like a fish, not knowing what to say. The Goddess thankfully broke the silence.

"Hello," she said simply, avoiding eye contact with him. Her voice was like the twinkling of the stars reflecting on the Nile, heavenly, lilting.

A shiver ran down his spine, and his mouth dry. He responded, "Hello." Stupid! He thought to himself. You finally meet the woman who has haunted your dream for months, and that's all you can say?

They stared at one another for a moment before he realized he had important work to do. Swiftly breaking eye contact, Imhotep kneeled down and sucked in a quick breath. It was the Pharaoh's mistress!

Imhotep turned to look at the other priest, his eyes signifying that this should be kept secret. The priest nodded and pulled a gauzy curtain to shield them from view, faithfully taking a standing watch on the other side.

Imhotep was nervous. No one was allowed to touch the Pharaoh's women, and he was sure the girl was not allowed to be there. Usually, when one of his concubines fell ill, they were disposed of quickly and left on the outskirts of the city. Imhotep felt sadistic at the thought of all he had done for Seti.

Shaking his head violently, the headache miraculously gone, Imhotep set to work, looking over the girl and assessing her injuries. Noticing her distended stomach, he blanched and froze. He was definitely not allowed to touch this woman without permission, but the growing stain of red on the front of her dress told him otherwise.

Imhotep looked to the Goddess and said, "Where did you happen upon her?"

Seemingly startled, the girl was slow to reply. "Kesi? Oh, she was down in the servants' quarters. Though I'm not sure why." She replied, not making eye contact.

A concubine down in the servants' quarters? That could not be right. Concubines were not even allowed to leave Seti's side of the palace.

Imhotep's mind was a mess. Parts of him were focused on the Goddess sitting so close to him that he could smell the sweet smell of Jasmine tickling the air, and parts of him were focused on figuring out how to help the Pharaoh's concubine... He knew he needed to focus. Shutting off his emotions, he quickly got to work again, the Pharaoh's rules be damned.

Quickly pulling up Kesi's dress, he almost cried at how much blood was pooling on the mat beneath the poor girl. Pulling out two amulets of Bes and Hathor, he placed Bes upon the girl's forehead and Hathor in her hands and folded them on her abdomen.

Grabbing for his herbs, he took out rush, khep-wer, arnica, nettle, carob, honey, and a small vial of moon water. Mixing up the herbs, Imhotep opened the prone girl's mouth and encouraged her to drink down the mixture. Kesi was not very responsive from the blood loss, and Imhotep hoped that the nettle and arnica would reduce her bleeding soon.

While he waited for the herbs to take effect, he prayed to his patron God Osiris to keep her from the duat and then prayed to Bes and Hathor for protection and assistance. Imhotep knew that Kesi was pregnant with Seti's child, but it was too soon in the gestation period for the baby to be born yet. If he had to guess, it had only been a few months at the most.

Sick with guilt at what the girls went through at the hands of the Pharaoh and even more afraid of what would happen if the girl did happen to make it, Imhotep felt his head swirling. Suddenly, the girl on the mat began to scream in agony, and Imhotep knew the herbs were working. Holding the girl's hands, he assisted her the best he could with the process.

It was over before it had started, and the girl lay back on the table, pale and spent, as Imhotep swiftly removed the evidence of the Pharaoh's offspring. Tears pricking his eyes, Imhotep took the babe and handed her to the waiting priest on the other side of the curtain. Without words, the priest nodded and disappeared from sight.

~Somewhere between time~

Thoth sat deep in meditation, floating upon a cloud of selenite in the space between worlds, between time. His brow furrowed, and his faithful quill floated next to him in the blustery air, quivering with excitement as if wanting to tell him something.

Deeply concentrating, Thoth was hit with a sudden feeling of knowing, and he grabbed his quill with his eyes closed and began to write, a green light emanating from the pages of his papyrus scroll. Finally opening his eyes to gaze upon what he had written, he was taken aback. There on the page was a drawing of a child, and the drawing itself sprang to life and floated away, leaving Thoth looking after it. What could this mean? Was this an omen?

Closing his eyes once more, he shook his large head to clear it, some feathers drifting down onto the cloud on which he sat, absorbed by the hunk of crystal he resided on. Snowflakes fell gently on his back, melting once they made contact with the radiant heat of his heavenly body. He sat and pondered for a long while, and an itching inside his mind forced him to open his eyes again. Thereupon the pages of his scroll were the words, He Who Comes In Peace Shall Be The Destroyer Of Worlds.

It was then Thoth knew the reason why he could not say anything to the young priest who had called upon him many moons before. A deep feeling of fear settled in Thoth's gut, and he swallowed. This was not divine interference. Something had been tampered with. With a wave of his hand, his scroll and quill dissipated, and Thoth stood. He must convene with his brothers.