Temple walls of painted hieroglyphs basked in the shimmering glow illuminated by cosmic colors. Fragments and particles of celestial energy danced and swayed in the dark, humid air like cotton in a gentle breeze. Many were apparitions of indescribable shapes while others formed into the characters and symbols of the first writing, the written text of the Egyptian scribes. These walls housed the private study of the being whom invented literature, he who created the practice of recording, who was one Ra appointed to write and remember the first moments of the universe's birth and so on. He who had sworn to protect all the secrets of the cosmos and to never forget a single event through the infinite wheel of time. The First Scholar, the Moon God, the Arbiter of the Damned; Thoth.
He remained still and silent, contemplating and concentrating as he stood surrounded by a swirling vortex of books scrolls, and papyrus like a sun orbiting its stars as more of the same shapes and characters seem to peel and rise out of the pages, as his elongated claw, seeping with raw magical energy, would carve more symbols into the paper. Even here, in this abnormal realm of Smite, he still wrote every occurring moment, studying and consuming all the information around him like a sponge of knowledge.
But that was not all that he was doing, as any proper scribe would, he was excellent at multitasking, some may argue he invented that practice as well.
He willed a translucent glyph into existence, facing him just at the corner of his ever observant eye. He opened his long, curved beak to speak, and as he spoke in a soft, intelligent voice, new characters began to etch themselves upon the glyph.
"Any progress from your efforts, Neith? What does your threads of fate tell of Anhur and his quest?"
When the glyph was filled, the lines of icons and symbols quickly diminished and fade like water on a painted canvas. But then they were steadily replaced with a set of new ones as they began to glow brighter than the previous ones and a warm feminine voice began to emit from the glyph itself. The voice was kind, maternal, carrying the merry tone of a mature woman. But there was a hint of distress in her words as she spoke.
"This realm is not like our own. The threads remain loose, tangled, vague to my perception. The threads I once weaved and bound to all the gods of our neighboring nations have become clouded to my eyes and my grip remains weak on them. I cannot say for certain whom or what shall transpire next. As for Anhur, he has made better progress, while my threads cannot tether as strongly to foreign gods, Anhur's string is still very strong with me. He has managed to recruit an Asgardian to his fold, the one called...Thor, I believe."
Thoth's beak almost frowns, "Hmm, yes, the Thunder God...I wouldn't say he would be my first choice, but I am not a strategist like Anhur."
Neith's voice breaths life back into the glyph with a new set of characters, replacing Thoth's again, "Do you have doubts for our soldier?"
"Theoretically? No. Logically though...given the history we know of the other pantheons, I find the idea of uniting all of them under a single banner extremely...improbable. It isn't Anhur who I doubt, it's the others I am skeptical of."
The glyph's translucent canvas begins to lose its symbols again, becoming empty and void for some moments before Neith's words swathe unto the glyph again as she retorts with, "Is that what your books tell you, or your heart?'
Thoth remained silent for some time, his writing claw stopping in mid stroke the magical fragments of shifting icons suddenly ceased in their infinite drift around him as the Great Scribe stared blankly at his papyrus. He spoke again, his work resuming once more, "My heart is irrelevant to this topic."
He then subtly changes the subject and inquires a different matter, "What of Osiris and Isis? Geb? Sobek? Are their threads still hidden?"
Reluctant to follow the transition, she respond wit her report, "Unfortunately still blind to me. Isis has conjured a powerful magic over them, which I am to assume that Sobek has indeed joined them as well, for I can no longer see he's either."
"What about Anubis?"
"He is still preparing the fortification spells under your instructions, Serqet is assisting him as well."
"That is not what I was concerned about, Neith."
Another pause crept.
"You suspect he will betray us as well...?"
"Suspicion is a cold word for such a description. But I do worry. He is Osiris's blood, and was his loyal servant, even confidant. Why he chose to remain at Ra's side instead perplexes me, and the more I ponder over it the more I dread what might be the reason."
"Perhaps it is because he is Osiris's blood, that he willing chose to stay."
"I fail to follow your argument..."
"Then perhaps instead you've left that beak of yours in those books for too long." The weaver jests harmlessly, her mirthful tone carried over even through the expressionless icons.
Thoth could not help but show weakness and curl a small smile, "Very well...Please continue your monitoring, if you may my lady. I shall also continue my efforts here."
"Have you yet to find what you are looking for?"
"No. But I can sense that I am very close to unlocking one of this world's secrets."
"And what secret may that be, if I may ask?"
"The summoning process, if I can harness it, even for only one time, I may be able to strengthen our power greatly.
"If that is the case, then who do you plan to summon?"
Thoth raises his claw from the papyrus, "Given our current state...", then glances at the insignia at the top of the page, it was the prime symbol of their home and kingdom, the banner of their great pantheon. The image of a beetle holding the sun disk, spreading the beautiful wings of a celestial bird, "It only seems fit to bring our greatest guardian to the front."