Chapter 5: Anubis Swims with Piranhas

Coming up with a plan on where to travel ended up being more difficult than I thought it would be. Anubis, Paws and I were gathered in the bridge, standing around the large map of the world. Right now the map was only covered in black tacks so that we could see the rest of the countries. Anubis was running a finger from the point we were at on the Mississippi to the west but I shook my head. "We can't stay in America. My aunt and uncle have probably already called the police. They'll be looking for me." I pointed my finger to the east at the islands marked as Ireland and United Kingdom. "Why don't we start here and work our way through Europe?"

It was Anubis' turn to shake his head. "We can't travel east. We can probably risk going south-east, but east and north-east are out of the question."

"Why not?" I was wondering what sort of superstition Anubis had with going east.

"Remember when I told you there is only one god who is angry with me?" I nodded. "His name is Duamutef. He is a god of the east. Since he's mad at me, he will not allow me to travel east easily."

My finger slowly dragged back to where it came from. "What did you do to make him mad?"

"No idea." We continued staring at the map. There weren't many options when excluding a whole coordinal direction. We were already too west to search Canada without having to leave part of it unexplored. Mexico was an option, but even being in a bordering country made me nervous. Could I be spotted there? I wasn't sure. As I looked over the continent, my eyes strayed further south.

"You said south-east is still okay, right?" I asked.

"Yeah. At least Imset still likes me. He won't let Duamutef interfere if we go in his general direction."

"Then why don't we start in South America." I ran my finger in a diagonal line till I reached the most eastern point in Brazil. "We start here and then just travel till we've covered the whole continent." My finger ran an up and down zigzag till it ended in Peru. "How's that sound? Or will we be going too far east to get to Brazil?"

Anubis' finger retraced the path I made. "I think we're far enough north that we should be able to make it there. Did you hear that Paws?"

Woof! Paws rounded to the steering wheel. He started turning the wheel with his mouth, covering it with slobber and adding new bite marks to the wood. It was a four day trip and most of it we would be traveling over the ocean. We made another stop at a grocery store to stock up as much as we could for the trip. Walking through the whole store I kept my head down to keep my face from being captured by the security cameras. We left the store with a cart over heaping with food as well as cooking magazines and puzzle books.

Not only was traveling in a floating boat a new experience, but I also had to adjust to living with no technology to entertain myself with and living with a roommate. It was great to have Paws to play with. The first day of our travel I spent two hours playing with him on the deck. After so many games of catch, tug-a-war, and just chasing each other, I was wiped. Anubis raised his eyebrows at us when we came in both panting for breath. "Looks like I'm going to be replaced as Paws' best friend."

I slept hard that evening. The next morning I stood in the shower for a long time just enjoying the hot steamy water. After the past two days, it had become a lot easier to except the new changes my life had taken. After leaving the duat, I knew there was no way I could live the life I had before. The world I lived in had changed completely. Now my world seemed to be filled with gods I used to fantasize about when I was young. Going to school and having a career was no longer something that I could see myself doing anymore. It was too… human. Even if I am still a human, my life was too wrapped up with the workings of the gods now.

I stepped out of the shower trying to find a towel when I saw a pair of copper eyes. I froze, shocked and embarrassed. Anubis stood up from where he had been searching the cabinets and looked at me with blank eyes.

"Do you need…"

"GET OUT!"

I pushed Anubis by his shoulders. I caught him off guard enough that I was able to push him completely out of the room and slam the door shut. I sank onto the floor with my back to the door. The floor was freezing under my bare skin. My whole body was flushed and shaking, and I didn't know if it was from the steamy shower or my recent encounter. But my thoughts were screaming in my head. What have you gotten yourself into? Not only did I run away from home, but now I'm living with a boy who doesn't know what personal boundaries are!

Outside I heard Paws making a sort of laughing sound at Anubis. "I don't get it," I heard Anubis' muffled voice say to Paws. My embarrassment and anger diminished a little bit. When I thought about it, Anubis probably didn't know how to be embarrassed. It was just one of the many pieces missing in his heart. But even my sympathy couldn't sooth my rapidly pounding heart and flustered mind. Once I felt that my breathing was finally steady, I stood and got myself dressed.

I felt like a thief peaking around the doors and moving slowly through the boat. It was easy to feel like a thief too since I still wasn't used to living in such a beautiful place. My face never lost its redness in the steamy bathroom. Even if it was from the heat, it kept reminding me of the moment before and fueled me desire to avoid Anubis.

No one was in the bottom floor when I came out. I easily sneaked by the bedrooms and started up the stairs. Every creak in the floorboards sent a jolt down my spine. At the top I could hear Paws playing with a squeak toy in the living room. I carefully slipped into the kitchen as silently as a whisper.

It was a great distraction, making breakfast. I had already mastered the use of the fire oven. While I had a skillet heating within it I pulled out bacon and eggs. I was busy whisking away at the eggs when two pairs of eyes came up from under the counter. For no reason at all, my heart started speeding up and the redness colored my face. I buried myself in preparing the eggs. Then a tugging and ripping sound came from beside me. I looked over.

"Unless you're going to help me cook, don't get into the bacon."

"Why are you cooking them? They're fine the way they are." As though to prove his point, Anubis pulls out a slice of raw bacon and tears a piece off it. A rush of disgust and anger overcame me. I quickly snatched the bacon from him.

"Hey! I already have to watch you eat your own organs. Stay out of the raw meat until I've cooked them!"

"They're better without the fire," Anubis replied, but obediently left with a putout Paws trailing behind him. I sighed and continued cooking.

Small moments happened like this through our trip. It was trivial, getting used to living with someone I barely knew, but it helped us know each other. At our breakfast Anubis said that my perfectly cooked bacon tasted burnt. I started cooking Anubis' food at medium rare. I showed him the puzzle books that I had bought. When he complained that the crossword's boxes were too small, I looked over and saw that he had scribbled hieroglyphs in them. I lent him my Sudoku book and did mostly crosswords. There was a wall, though. No matter how much I tried to get along with him, I could never shake off the thought that I couldn't truly know him if he only shows a small fraction of his emotions.

After four days of traveling, we finally made it to land. Our first stop was Natal, Brazil. Coming out of the boat, I felt like I had jumped into a postcard from Cancun. The ocean was vast and blue. The pale beach was covered with tourist in bikinis and trunks. In the distance, skyscrapers rose into the sky. I inhaled the salty air. I had only once been to the ocean, and it wasn't as clear and beautiful as this one. But I still preferred the ocean I went to when I was younger. This one seemed too perfect that made it feel artificial. The ocean I remember had a deep sea green color and the sand was the color of, well, sand. And, most of all, my parents were in those memories. No, this beach couldn't compare.

Behind me, Anubis and Paws were coming out of the boat. I wondered if our boat alarmed anyone, but people kept walking past it as though it weren't there. Apparently it was invisible to them.

"We're just stopping to stock up on the things we need," Anubis said. "We can stay here for a while if you want, but I know some more impressive beaches than this one."

I shook my head, suddenly remembering the agreement I made to visit tourist sites. "I'm not interested in resorts. Beaches are everywhere. I want to see places like stone hinge and the great wall. And, of course, we have to see the pyramids. I bet you have some great stories about those," I said cocking an eyebrow.

Anubis grinned and nodded, but said nothing. We had to be careful walking up the beach and into town. The pools and sidewalks meant we were really at a resort, and we had no bracelets to show we were supposed to be there. Moreover, we had a dog with us and I didn't think people brought their pets with them very often. When I thought we were almost out, a pool boy holding a plate of cocktails stopped us. At first his angry face made me feel sure he was going to bust us. Then his face quickly slackened and he beamed at us. "Would you like a drink?" he asked.

"No thanks," we mumbled in unison. He walked off as soon as he came. "What was that?" I asked Anubis.

He tugged on the chain hanging from his neck. "Ma'at," he replied.

"Oh yeah, I forgot about that." I looked down at the charm of a feather hanging from his necklace. "What do you have to do to get one of those?"

"You don't need one," he said simply. When I gave him a confused look, he continued. "You won't need one as long as I have one." A waited for more but he didn't elaborate.

When we got into town, the scent of the ocean was invaded by another smell. My stomach growled when I took in the smell of the restaurants we were pacing. They were very simple stands with stools you can walk up to and order without leaving the street. Some of them were flashier for the tourists, but my eye caught the small stands being run by older women who looked like she had generations of family recipes at use.

"How about lunch first?" I asked. Anubis nodded and I directed us to the stall where the old woman was chopping beef into thin slices. Paws started barking when we approached the vendor. I looked over just in time to see him dart down the street. He was barking his head off as he ran, making the other people on the street leap out of his way as he barreled past. I started to go after him, but Anubis' hand stopped me. "Go ahead and order. I'll get him."

With Anubis running after him, I had no choice but to sit and wait for him to come back. The old woman smiled at me when I sat down. "What will you have, Miss?" she asked.

I was struck by how well she spoke English, but I was still distracted by Anubis' disappearance. I didn't even bother to look over the menu. "Just two of your most popular dish, please."

The woman chuckled. "My, you speak Portuguese very well."

I raised my eyebrows. "Sure… I mean, yes. I do. Thank you." I had forgotten all about Thoth's amulet till now. Suddenly it became obvious that everyone here shouldn't all be speaking English even though that's all I heard. The old woman started working busily over a pot full of a savory smelling stew. I sat back on my stool, twisting the seat back and forth.

As I waited, another man came to sit next to me. I saw a flash of blonde hair and knew it wasn't Anubis. Instead of choosing from the many empty seats, he sat in the seat directly next to me. I felt uncomfortable, but tried to act like I wasn't and just stared at an empty spot on the counter. "Well, aren't you pretty," said the man next to me.

I looked over to see who this guy was talking to, only to find him staring directly at me. If the dictionary ever needed a definition for arrogance, they would only have to put a picture of this guy's face in it. He had a smirk that screamed 'I am the greatest person alive and I know it too'. It was enough to make me want to punch him just for smiling like that. It took another second to see the face behind the expression. He was beautiful, which made me dislike him even more. His blue eyes were like ice, so pale that they were almost white. Even his hair was pale and only the sun hinted at it being blonde instead of white.

Whatever face I was making, it only served to broaden his smirk. "What big eyes you have," he said. Normally I would have found the comment flattering if this guy wasn't such a jerk. I acted like I didn't find his compliment impressive and replied, "All the better to see you with."

"Obviously," he replied back with heavy sarcasm in his voice. I was incensed at the nerve of this guy and wanted nothing more than for him to leave.

"If you're trying to pick me up or something, you're doing a horrible job at it," I spat at him.

His laugh was light but had the same effect as nails to a chalkboard. "What made you think I would be interested in you. I only came while following a rumor I heard." He leaned closer to me, as though he knew that I was repulsed just by him sitting next to me. "They say a mortal came into the duat while they were still alive. That's never happened before. I had to see this for myself. And who do I find but a naïve girl who sees too much."

My heart stopped when I took in his words. This person wasn't just an arrogant jerk, but he was a god. My mind froze, and I only stared back at him wide-eyed. Pleased by my reaction, he pressed on. "Did you have fun running around in our underworld? Do you think yourself special because you're the only mortal to visit the duat and live to tell the tale?"

"I never thought that. I only went because Anubis brought me there."

His eyes narrowed at the mention of Anubis' name. "Is that so? How heartless of him," he said with a snear. I don't know what emotion rose into me, but I abruptly stood from my seat and glared hatefully at him.

The man cackled a laugh at my response. "Touchy, touchy. What do you think you're going to do, hmm?"

I slowly sunk back into my seat. He was right, no matter how much I hated to admit it. What could I possibly do against a god? After I was back in my seat, the man leaned over to look around my shoulder. "Speaking of Barker, it looks like the dogs are coming back." He stood and gave an over exaggerated bow. "It was a pleasure meeting you, Nakia." Before I could ask where he found out my name, he was already leaving, holding my gaze until he was swallowed by the crowd.

On cue, Anubis and Paws returned. Paws came trotting with a large, dead bird in his mouth. "Is that a seagull?" I asked.

Anubis nodded. "It had a broken wing and Paws spotted it right away. It was going to die anyway. Now we don't have to feed him."

Paws laid the dead bird at my feet and wagged his tail waiting for my praise. I shook my head. "I'm never going to catch a break," I muttered. With the encounter of the god of arrogance and a warm plate of beef stew and rice in front of me, I didn't pay much mind to the crunching of bird bones from below us. I already felt worn out from today's ventures and couldn't wait to finish our business here and be on our way. But, in the back of my mind I couldn't keep this question out of my head and I didn't know why.

How did that bird break its wing?

It was a week later that I felt it. My stomach twisted with anxiety. My fingers started to tap rapidly and I couldn't stay sitting. I bolted from my seat and went straight to the deck.

The air outside was humid and wet. We hadn't left Brazil yet. We had to travel in tight zigzags because neither of us knew how much range my GPS has. For the longest time our boat drifted through desert land that was scattered with green plants as though the desert didn't even know how to be a desert. Since yesterday the terrain turned into rainforest. I spent much of the past day observing the large, wild forest, catching sight of tropical birds and monkeys jumping through the trees. For the moment, I couldn't look for those things. I closed my eyes and looked around me till I saw it. There in the distance was a small green glimmer.

I ran to the bridge where Anubis was spending his time with Paws. My sudden nerves made me slam the door open. They both stopped whatever they were doing to stare at me. "I see one," I said as soon as I came in.

Without a word, Anubis jumped up immediately and went straight to the world map. He marked our current location with a blue pin. "Which direction is it?" he asked.

I closed my eyes and looked again. I pointed directly where I saw the faint glow. "I don't know what direction that is, but it's that way." Paws immediately went to work redirecting the boat. The boat drifted into the direction the green light was. Even if it was from the rush of adrenaline, I couldn't help but be excited. It has only been two weeks yet we have a canopic jar in sight. I was relieved too. In the back of my head, I was having doubts that I wouldn't be any help. What if it was a fluke? What would I do if we sailed around the world and I didn't see any jars? It has been my greatest fear. One that I didn't have to worry about anymore.

We had to prepare before we got to the jar's location. I went into my room and changed into light-weight clothes. I was worried about wearing shorts and having my legs exposed. As I pulled on my pants, my uncle's voice spoke from a distant memory. 'Those pants don't look very sturdy. Are sure you want those? You don't have to pick out the cheapest ones.' I suppressed the memories and focused only on tying my boot laces. Those memories weren't helpful right now.

It took five hours to reach the spot, which was both wonderful and agonizing. It was good to know that my GPS or whatever it is has such a wide range. We were traveling faster than we usually did and it still took some time to get there. But the wait! I had that psychotic anxiety that couldn't keep me in one place for two seconds. I paced and paced. Anubis and Paw's eyes followed me, probably questioning my sanity. But the worst part was that there was nothing to do but wait till we got there. I was dying for something to keep me busy. Even filing my teeth on a cheese grader would feel more rewarding than waiting. I'd happily do it if it meant I wouldn't have to endure this.

When the time came and my sensibility had poured slowly out of me like sand in an hourglass, I could see the green glow coming closer. Finally! I tied a bandana over my eyes to keep them closed.

"We're close," I said.

"Slow down, Paws." From the corner of my eye I could see Anubis appraising me. "Why the blindfold?"

"Just easier to keep my eyes closed." I never looked at Anubis as I spoke, my eyes intent on our goal.

The boat glided closer. As the glowing grew brighter, the monotonous landscape revealed a break ahead. It was as though the rainforest had a scar running through it where the trees didn't grow. Once we were closer, the break revealed a long, wide river running through the forest. I gasped.

"Oh no," I whispered.

"What's wrong?" Anubis asked, no hint of emotion in his tone.

"The jar is in the river."

"What's the point of having a boat if you don't use it in water?" I grumbled.

We were sailing the Amazon River. When our own perfectly capable boat came to a stop at the riverbed, Anubis disembarked on his insane search for another boat we could sail in. The whole time I tried to make him hear reason that just because our boat is always sailing in the air doesn't mean it can't do the same in water. No matter how much I explained, questioned and, eventually, complained, Anubis didn't say a word. He did find what he wanted. Some ways up the river were wooden boats filled with nets and spears. Before I could throw a new complaint about stealing, Anubis grabbed me around the waist and hoisted me into the boat. As I opened my mouth to retaliate, he had the boat off the banks and sailing down the river.

Any excitement I may have had before was now diminished. Now I was irritated. Even though Anubis' annoying silence was the largest reason for my mood, it wasn't the only thing. The weather here was getting to me. The humidity was so thick I was practically breathing water. My clothes were moist and clung uncomfortably to me. It felt like I had dunked my boots in the river before putting them on. Add to that the sun burning every exposed part of my body and you get one seriously moody, teenage girl.

I was glaring at Anubis with my arms crossed over my chest. I expected him to ignore my question just as he had with all the ones before. He surprised me when he turned around. I don't know why I expected an unemotional face. Maybe it was all the long hours I had seen him stare blankly into space. I couldn't say I was used to it, but it bothered me for reasons other than how creepy it looked. But now he looked, was it excitement? Eagerness? It was familiar yet completely new. It had taken me aback.

The look faded some as he seemed to ponder my question. "It was part of the conditions for borrowing the boat. I can't sail it in water. I'm also not allowed to damage it, cover it in graffiti, re-decorate or rearrange the rooms, store it in one place for a long period of time, or touch anything in the lower deck."

"The other conditions seem somewhat reasonable, but I still don't get what is so wrong with using a boat for what it's made for."

Anubis shrugged, turning his eyes to the rainforest. The boat was gliding through the water with no help from us. Probably another of Anubis' parlor tricks. I kept my eyes on the green glow ahead, ignoring as best I could the strange sensation of seeing with a blindfold on. We were getting closer now. I made my way carefully to the front of the boat doing my best not to trip on any of the nets. I may still have been able to see, but the lack of color made some things harder to make out.

"We need to go right some," I instructed. The boat obeyed. Anubis' eyes were focused in our new direction, trying to see the jar invisible to him.

"Stop," I commanded softly. We came to a halt, the jar directly below us. Now that we were here I could only think one thing.

Now what?

That was when a shirt landed on the bench next to me. I turned around to see Anubis taking his shoes off.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm going to get the jar."

"You can't just jump in there! I've heard horror stories about this river. The water is infested with parasites that will get inside you and make you ill."

"I'll be fine," he said showing no concern.

"Can't you just do some hocus-pocus to get the jar out?"

"Nope." Without another word he dived straight into the water.

"Be careful…" I muttered. If I was anxious before it was nothing to how I felt now. Maybe it was because I had nothing to do but wait until Anubis came back. Or it could be having to sit still and try not to rock the boat too much. That certainly did take a lot of will power. Despite all that, something about this river made me very uneasy. I couldn't shake off this feeling that someone was watching us from the depths of the shaded forest around us.

It had been about thirty seconds since Anubis jumped in that I saw the jar move. It moved suddenly, as though something jerked it. Then it drifted slowly to a stop, moving farther away from the boat. My heart started racing wildly and I rubbed my hand together till they felt raw. I couldn't see anything happening in the river. The water was too murky. It was unsettling, the silent peace on the boat knowing something bad was happening below me. I focused on the jar as well as keeping myself from jumping in the river. Like I would be of any help.

A sharp gasp escaped me when the boat suddenly tilted to one side. I turned at the splashing behind me. Anubis was pulling himself onto the boat, but he wasn't alone. All over his body were red and grey fish clinging to him by their mouths. It took me a moment to figure out why he was bleeding all over. Even when I saw the teeth in the jaws of the fish it took a second for my mind to make since of it. Then it clicked. They're piranhas.

When Anubis managed to get himself entirely in the boat, he vanished. In his place was a large, deep tan dog with black markings on its ears, back and tail and covered with piranhas. It was the dog of my childhood. The one I chased after. Even when Anubis had said he was the dog I was surprised to see this dog again.

The dog was frantically biting at the piranhas. There was a sound of crunching when his muzzle met with one of the fish. He kept ripping them off, taking large chunks of fur and flesh with it. The piranhas thrown to the floor laid motionless, silent, but the dog kept growling and snarling, yelping when he ripped another jaw out of his skin.

The bottom of the boat was full of mangled fish bodies with blood seeping from their mouths. The dog was frantically pawing at his head now, the last piranha latched onto his long ear. I made my hands unclench and moved closer to the dog. My move jostled the boat. The dog's eyes caught mine and a sharp growl escaped him. I stopped a moment but didn't stop my approach. He wasn't angry. Any hurt animal would react that way.

"Don't you growl at me. I'm gonna get the piranha off your ear."

His eyes focused on me, unmoving and controlled. He laid his head down, whimpering as he did. I tripped on a rope as I climber over the benches to him. I caught myself, and the dog flinched. The jaw of the fish would not budge. Trying to keep his ear in one piece, I tightened my fist around the fish's head trying to break its jaw. With a sickening crack, I felt the fish's grip loosen beneath my hand. I gently pulled the fish off his ear.

"Anubis?" I whispered lightly petting him on his head, the only place not soaked in blood. He didn't respond. He only tucked his leg closer and started licking one of his wounds. I was at a loss at what to do. I didn't know any first aid. And even if I had, how would I treat a god transformed into a jackal? I wanted Anubis here, in human form, so I could ask him what we should do. Sadly, it didn't look like I would be getting that wish granted anytime soon. I had no idea how much of Anubis was still in this dog. He won't be able to help me right now.

I at least decided on one thing. We needed to get back to land. Maybe there was something in our boat that would help.

When I was about to act out on my thoughts, a thud next to my foot stopped me. I looked down, expecting with dread that a piranha was still alive and dangerously too close to my foot. Instead my eyes found a harpoon with a rope trailing behind it. The harpoon wisped away and stopped as it held tightly onto the edge of the boat. Then a wave of them came crashing into the boat, latching onto every inch of the boat's side. Gripping the dog closer to me, I saw three boats in the river across from us. Dark skin, black hair, body paint and fierce eyes were the features they all shared. I gulped as the panic started to set in and my mind screamed

we've been captured!