{Heliopolis, Ancient Egypt}

It took me just under four days to sail from the spot that I had floated to in the Nile Delta, but finally as the moon was edging it's way over the horizon I reached home. The lights on the embankment near Heliopolis shone like beacons welcoming me. I wasted no time tying up the raft to the dock and leaving the attendant there with a couple gold coins Lord Sahib had put in my bag with the promise I would return soon. Passing through the deserted market stalls at night was one of my favorite things to do when I was younger, but instead of gawking I rushed past with a sense of urgency. The embankment was a good mile or two outside of the main part of the city, but my excitement at seeing Hemetre and Jade again pushed me faster with every step and I soon reached the entrance to the First Nome. Out of breathe I traced the doorway with my staff, and stepped back awaiting the Sphinx to arrive to grant me entrance.

It arrived alright pouncing out of the wall with the ferocity of a feral dog protecting his territory. Taken aback I threw my hands up, dropping the staff in the process to show I meant no harm.

The Sphinx squinted at me with its piercing ghostly eyes and then focused on the staff now laying in the sand, emitting a soft blue light from the sapphire set into its head. It pawed at the staff and I was shocked to see the staff actually move when touched by what I had previously always thought to be a purely ethereal figure. The Sphinx bent forward and sniffed it, then leapt back hissing as if stung.

"Bahari ya Kizazi." It muttered as if a curse, then it turned it's full attention back to me. "Young one, it has been awhile since you have returned home, the masters were starting to worry. And now looking at what you have brought back I fear they may have been right in doing so."

"Great Sphinx, I know you to be of great knowledge rivaling that of even the God Thoth, pray tell me what is it you mean." I inquired trying to remain as respectful as possible.

"Your staff, Bahari should not exist young one, though perhaps I was too rash in my judgement. I know you to be pure of heart and therefore I trust you to bear it. Just remember who your people are when the time comes." With that the Sphinx faded into the air and the doorway appeared. I scooped Bahari out of the sand where it lay and dismissed it to the Duat hoping to avoid anymore awkward encounters because of it.

I stepped inside and saw the braziers burning, they were flickering casting long shadows. I hurried to the chamber of the Chief Lector hoping to find my uncle by his side as he often times was. I passed several rooms and though it was late at night a couple magi were out and made hushed whispers to each other as I passed. Becoming painfully aware of the changes my body had undergone, I picked up my pace flying through the corridor until I reached the entrance to the Hall of Ages. Remembering the motion Hemetre had made with his hand I mimicked it and mentally pushed the wall. At first I felt a bit of resistance, as if my mind was pushing open a door and finally with a click I succeeded. The wall folded inward on itself, carving a doorway to perfectly accommodate my passing and as soon as I stepped over the threshold it started to close up behind me.

The eerie gold and silver light from the depictions on the wall shone bright as ever, however upon closer inspection I saw something that shocked me. It was a scene of me kneeling presenting the leopard skin to Chief Lector Ammon. I was so intrigued by this that I almost didn't hear Hemetre calling my name from where he sat next to the Chief Lector on the steps. I turned to him and he saw that it truly was me and ran to embrace me shouting jubilations the entire way. We met and all the tension I had been carrying since my encounter with the leopard melted away as I took comfort in his arms realizing that I was finally home. I pulled back to see his face and saw tears streaming down his cheeks.

"I'm so sorry my boy, I wanted to wait for you in Nubia, but Jade thought it be smarter to come back and try to scribe your location. And then when we couldn't find you with the bowl and with all the blood we saw on the cliff. Oh my boy I am so sorry." And he embraced me again squeezing me in only the way a father can.

"I do not blame you at all, I promise. I love you." I said with a trembling voice trying to convey my feelings to him. We broke from our embrace and he stepped back and then as if for the first time noticed the development my body had gone through.

"I see you have much to tell us young Perseus, please tell the Chief Lector and I what has happened." And he stepped back to take his position behind the Chief Lector on the steps.

As I recounted my experiences from the time spent on the mountain I went into great detail, and the Chief Lector raised his eyebrows at the finding of the sheep. However, for some reason I felt inclined to leave out the parts of the story, such as the encounter with Janus, Horus, and Caliande. My meetings with these deities were something that I held to be personally ordained and therefore kept to just myself.

I summoned Bahari to explain away the changes to my physicality. "I was surrounded by a strange red aura when I first picked up Bahari." Which technically wasn't a lie, I just didn't go into great depth about how I discovered Bahari in the first place. They didn't seem to take much notice of the lack of explanation, they were to caught up in the artistry that went into creating such a weapon. Hemetre turned it over looking for inscriptions, but finding none he asked me how I came up with the name.

"When I entered the First Nome, the Sphinx guarding the door called it the 'Bahari ya Kizazi' and it stuck I suppose." And in response the staff hummed with an excited energy.

"The Sea of Ancestry, interesting..." Chief Lector Ammon said looking at the staff with such intensity that I feared he knew what else the Sphinx had said. In my fright I recalled the scene I had seen on the wall. I knelt down in front of the Chief and the sudden formality caused him to set aside Bahari.

"Chief I present to you a tribute to honor you and all of Egypt. I give you the coat of the Demon Leopard of Nubia, slain by my hands to protect the people. Please accept my offering and recognize my resolve." I said with my eyes glued to the ground unable to make eye contact. I knew not where the words were coming from just that they were flowing out of me like a river.

"Usually we have a big ceremony for this, but I sense the truth in your words and your heart." The Chief Lector said as he accepted the skin. He draped it around his shoulders and with a flash of dazzling light it bound itself to the purple cloak he already wore. "I inquire to the Gods upon their thrones in the heavens above to bless this initiate as he becomes a full fledged member of the First Nome."

As he was talking the hieroglyphics floating around him intensified becoming as bright and as radiant as liquid gold. "King Horus upon your throne guide this man through his life and bestow upon him the fury and passion that you posses. Queen Isis bestow on your servant your guidance through the dark. King Osiris from your throne below the earth, aid him to make the hard decisions on a king can." As he was speaking one symbol in particular burned bright and stabilized in the air.

"Extend your forearm Perceus." I heard Hemetre whisper to me. Doing so, I brandished the bare skin to the air and the symbol descended down until it was floating just above my arm.

"Do you accept the sworn duty to preserve and protect your people?" Chief Lector asked.

"I do."

"Then accept the mark of the First Nome, and be branded a scribe of Egypt!" He said his voice growing louder with each word. I smelt the burnt hairs before I felt the mark brand itself into my skin. It sizzled before completely taking control and settling. I looked down at it and thought to myself, "That wasn't too bad."

I wish I hadn't thought that.

The dimmed hall started to fill with a heavenly aura, and I at once recognized it came from the throne. Thinking that this was just part of the ceremony I stayed kneeling, but Hemetre and the Chief Lector fell prostrate before it. I heard the call of a falcon and then with a bang the throne was suddenly occupied.

Not by Hor-Aha, but by a bigger figure. He look regal in the throne as if he was born to be king. He raised his head and my eyes met his and with a shock I recognized for the second time who it was. The two different color eyes made him unmistakable. Before me in the throne sat the king of the Gods, Horus.

"Hello Perceus, I heard someone invoke my name and wanted to come see what it was all about. Fancy seeing you here again, told you you would survive the fall." He winked at me and walked over where I was still kneeling with my forearm extended. "Let me give you a little gift, a graduation present if you may."

He looked me in the eyes one last time and then grasped my forearm with his hands and pressed his palm against it. At first it felt warm, but then it soon became unbearably hot to the point where my very blood felt like it was evaporating. My body was having a war with itself, and I did the only thing I could to survive, something I had become much too good at. I fainted.

A/N: Sometimes I think we have to take a step back to truly value what we've been given and I did that. Granted it was quite a big step back, but I've eventually, slowly and painfully have worked my way back. Thank you all so much for being the amazing audience you are, I couldn't do it without you. Please as always read, review, and share it and I promise to see you back here soon.