Chapter 19: Thoth Babysits the Child Gods

The sun was high in the sky over the ever stretching sands of Egypt. Of course the sun wasn't visible to us. Being on the Millennium Boat sailing through the sky we were the sun that all below could see. The mortals underneath drowning from the sweat on their brow looked to us in the distance cursing the heat but praising its light. It was a precarious balance. The sun's rays claimed the lives of so many but without life could not exist.

The source of the sunlight, the great god Ra, was standing near the ledge looking down at the scenery below. There were sounds of weapons clashing and shouts of rage and pain. These sounds were common to hear nowadays. Osiris, the king of Egypt, was dead. Set has taken his throne and the whole land was filled with monsters and beasts born from his chaos. It was a dark time to live in Egypt.

But I am no warrior or ruler. I couldn't fight battles alongside the other gods. What I can do is gather knowledge that will aid those who can fight. This was the task I set about now as the boat flows through the glistening air. Laid out on the table before me was a map drawn out to show important settlements, topography, and various land features. Although the mortals had many places they huddled together over the lands to keep safe from the dangers of the desert, they did not bother to name their homes. Large expanses were unmarked, blank, making it hard to describe in words the locations of all these settlements.

As the battle cries started to die and settle, I pondered this. It would be incomplete to leave all these cities without any sort of name. But as much as I pride myself in my ingenuity in the sciences, creativity is not my strongest suit. What names should be given to all these places?

"Ho man, Ra, did you see that?!" From over the boats ledge a golden haired man pulled himself into the boat carrying a scimitar still dripping in blood. His bronze skin had smears of blood mixed with sand but he was mostly unscathed himself. His eyes were full of spirit from the battle he had just come from victoriously. At least in these dark times the warrior god Horus was enjoying himself.

"I had, what, fifty or so of those serpent monsters on me. Then, WHAM, grabbed one and used it to beat up it's friends. I think I managed to fit twelve snakes on that one spear! Man, that was awesome!"

"You did well," Ra praised in a calm tone. "Your actions will help bring some peace in these chaotic times. This victory will be remembered by many."

"Of course they will!" Horus held his chest out in pride.

"They certainly will remember, Horus," I interjected. "In fact, from this day forward the people will call this land 'the city where Horus made an awesome snake kebab.'" To further demonstrate my point I started writing the name on the map.

"Thoth, are you seriously writing that down?"

I smirked and said nothing. Horus' grandiose manner deflated at the thought of being remembered in such a comedic manner.

And so it continued. As our journey through the sky marked the passing hours, Horus continued to leave the boat at the slightest sign of trouble. Each time he returned he would tell of some sort of thrilling feat he made. Ra would congratulate him while I would make yet another marker on the map.

"It will be known as 'the valley where Horus did a backflip that killed like twenty or so crocodiles.'"

"Please stop."

"And this shall be called 'the land where Horus gutted three hippopotamuses simultaneously.'"

"That doesn't even roll off the tongue."

"'The city Horus did an awesome uppercut to a monster five times his size' sounds like a decent name."

"I'll do an uppercut on you if you don't quit it!"

It carried on like this until I had a good portion of the map filled with new place names. Once I finish this I will give the gods a copy so they can better work out more battle strategies. It would be good to share it with the mortals as well so they can have place names deemed by the gods. I'm sure Horus will-

"AAAAAAAAAAAAUUUUUUUUUHHHHHHHHHGGGGG!"

And indescribable scream pierced the heavens. The female voice was so full of anguish and sorrow all who heard it felt unimaginable pain at its sound. The cry traveled all through Egypt even piercing the clouds to the sun above. So affected by it we were that the boat froze in the sky. The world froze timeless at whatever tragedy could bring such a god awful howl.

I abandoned my work and hastened to the boats ledge. All the gods who had otherwise been commandeering the boat also stood transfixed. Horus had my telescope in hand and offered it to me. "Isis," he said in a hush voice.

I didn't take the telescope. I wanted to see in person what had happened. I changed into an ibis and flew off the boat. Beating my wings with the current of the wind I came to a mountain crevice. Isis was there. It must have been her hiding place as Set hunted for her and her son night and day. She held the babe in her arms and wailed in pain.

I changed into a human shape and moved closer cautiously. I could now see the child's normally amber complexion had dulled. The round arm of the child lay lifeless at his side. His chest did not move.

A crowd of mortals and gods had gathered around weeping at her side. Isis continued to cry, "He's been bitten! My baby! My sweet child who I fashioned in my womb! Who I prayed for his life to be safe so he may save Egypt! He has perished! Why?! Why, my baby! Why…?!"

Her body shook from the sobs the burst from her bosom. From beside me Ra appeared and walked to her side. Horus stopped at my side, looking down at the scene in horror.

Ra knelt in front of Isis. "Are you sure he is truly dead? Let us look-"

"He has no breath! His blood is tainted with the poison of Uhat! That scorpion has killed my baby!"

"It can't be," Ra said is disbelief. "You had our protection. All those on the Millennium boat has guarded you from Set and his allies."

"What good are your spells and incantations?! Horus is dead! He has no future now! None of us do!"

Isis shouted hysterically, but her words rang true. The child was destined since birth to grow and take the throne that had once been his father's. Without him there wasn't anyone who could rightfully take the kingdom back.

I walked to where Isis sat cradling her lifeless baby to her. I put a hand to her shoulder in reassurance, my hand trembling from her shaky sobs.

"There is still hope, Isis. Look around you." As I said this she did look up. By now a multitude of gods had gathered all around for there wasn't a single ear that did not hear her cry. They all watched in sorrow as our greatest hope lay dead in his mother's embrace.

I said to Isis, "All the gods have gathered but someone is missing."

"My husband…," Isis whispered with a choke.

"I do not mean your husband," I said now gripping both of her shoulders. "Death has not come for your son. Don't you think that once Anubis felt Horus' life slip away he would be the first here to give his souls peace?"

I locked her eyes with mine, "He is deliberately choosing not to come here to give Horus a chance to live again. Do not let this opportunity go to waste." I draped my hand over the infant's wound and began an incantation. The magic I called on was powerful; a spell I wouldn't dare to teach anyone. I felt the draw of life's energy from the sun god beside me, from all the gods present and all that lived on the Earth. They flew through me and into the child.

Slowly from the wound poison started to pour out. There was a shudder and the child gasped in air. The silence was broken by the cries of the baby now flushed and full of color.

Isis gripped the crying baby to her, silent tears streaming down her face. Cheers rang out as all those present celebrated their relief. Nephthys ran to her sister and wrapped her arms around Isis and her child. Although I felt strained from the intensive spell I had performed, I couldn't wipe away the smile on my face.

Among all the faces of joy, Horus the Elder's stood out. It was rare to see him so stone faced. Even in times when everyone else kept a serious attitude, Horus was always the one who stayed light hearted and jolly through it all.

Horus walked past the others and knelt down to Isis. His eyes were locked onto the child that bore the same name as him. As the child continued to cry Horus placed his fingers over each of the child's eyes.

"My precious nephew, I will not fail to protect you again. You are the same as me in name, and now you will share the same sight as I. Take my eyes so that I will see every danger that comes your way. There will never be a day that your safety is overlooked. I will watch over you forever."

"Thank you," Isis said, her face filled with emotion. I watched as the baby opened his eyes to look at his uncle. His eyes that had once been blue with magic like his mother's now shared the same colors as his uncle. His right eye bore the color of the sun and his left the paleness of the moon.

I wondered how the child would take this blessing in his later years. It is a great power to have, but now he will be blind in his left eye during the day and blind in the right during the night. Such is the curse that was inflicted on Horus by Set so long ago. But it was certain that Horus the Child would be protected. Every god here, and the one who did not come, would do all in their power to keep our new king alive.

Amun let go of my hand. I had a moment where I had to grapple with who I was and where I am. Okay, now I am Nakia, not Thoth. I'm at the hospital in China. We were attacked by Set but survived. Anubis is in the hospital bed across the room sleeping.

It wasn't so hard this time to pull myself back to reality. I was somehow getting used to jumping in and out of memories from the past. Amun had grabbed some gauze from a drawer nearby and started cleaning the blood on my finger. "I'm going to use a small healing spell. It won't affect your shoulder at all so don't worry."

I nodded. Of course Amun would somehow know about my refusal to heal my shoulder wound. At least he is more respectful of my wishes and not so baffled as the other gods. As he healed my small cut and disposed of any blood, I said, "So Isis feels indebted to Anubis even after all these years."

"It's more than that," Amun replied. "Anubis did everything he could to help Isis and her family. When Set had the pieces of Osiris' body spread all over Egypt, Anubis was instrumental in helping Isis find them. Him and his jackals have a way of finding where a corpse is hidden. He gave his throne to Osiris when he was reborn and then did what he could to keep his son safe on the Earth. Anubis is loyal to a fault. Isis wouldn't dare betray that loyalty."

Amun made the dirty gauze evaporate in the air and sat next to me on my pull out bed. "Your judge of character wasn't wrong. Isis can be manipulative. She had once tricked Ra into giving her his ren. She used his name to force him off the throne so Osiris could rule Egypt. She would concoct any devious plan necessary if it would benefit her family, and if Anubis stood in her way she would stop him. But it would never cross Anubis' mind to do so and she knows this."

"She would have no motive to take Anubis' heart then."

"Precisely."

I frowned. "But neither does Nephthys."

"That you know of." Amun leaned closer to me wearing a grin. "So I helped you with your favor. Now will you do a favor for me?"

"Why would you need a favor from me?"

"Because I need your help with something. Or do you think because I'm a god I can do everything myself?"

"Ummm, yes." I pulled away from him a bit. Gods have unimaginable power and can do some crazy things humans couldn't dream of. If he's asking a human like me for a favor, it seemed more likely that he was trying to manipulate me than ask for help.

"Well, it isn't true," he insisted. "There are many things humans can do that gods can't. And I can't do anything about this problem."

"I'm still not buying it."

Amun sighed and looked away. His gaze was to the window, though it was pitch black outside so there wasn't much to see. I wondered if I should cut him some slack. Anubis wouldn't be in a hospital bed if I had listened to him before. Despite that he answered my question, even if he seemed to do it for his own amusement. His smug attitude may be annoying, but in his own strange way I think he is trying to be helpful.

He pulled his eyes from the starry sky outside and said, "How about if you owed me? Would you do me a favor then?"

"I guess but I don't owe you anyth-"

"Alright, so when you're in a red hallway and you see a room marked 'Machine Maintenance', go in there. You'll want to look specifically at the hard drives. I'll think you'll find something very interesting about them."

"...what are you even talking about?"

"Advice!" He chirped happily. "Some friendly advice that will help you out in the near future. That way when you take my advice you'll think, 'Man, that was really helpful. Amun is such a good friend. I should really pay him back with a favor.'"

"I doubt we'll suddenly be friends."

"So once you take my advice-"

"I never said I'd follow your advice."

"When you do," Amun persevered, "all I want you to do is this. The next time you're on a boat in the river, just jump into the water. That's it."

I looked at him blankly. "I've been in rivers. I don't like being in rivers. I've never had a good experience with rivers. I've seen Anubis got mauled by piranhas, I nearly lost my arm to a giant crocodile, and a snake in the duat ate me. And you want me to just throw myself into one."

"Don't be so dramatic. You'll be fine! Even if there was anything dangerous, there will be plenty of gods around to help you out."

"That's… no. No, that's not reassuring at all!"

"It's one small favor. Come on, you owe me."

"You haven't done anything for me yet!"

"I've already done a lot for you," Amun protested. "I'm teaching you about magic. How much magic has Anubis taught you, hmm?"

"You explain one thing about magic I barely understood and now you're basically some great teacher," I argued sarcastically.

"You can see into memories. Open a person's mind and they won't be able to hide anything from you."

"That's your magic-"

"And yours," He said. "You can do it too, you know. Your eyes have been closed all this time, have they not? It's time you open them." He got up from where he sat and looked back at me. "Also, I really hope you don't keep that temper of yours like that with Anubis. With his anger, he may accidentally kill you." He started making his way to the door.

It chilled me when he said it. He wasn't threatening, but it reminded me that the one I relied on most was always changing. I couldn't depend on him to always be the same person I knew before.

"Amun," I called out. He stopped in front of the door and looked back to me. "Why are you even helping me?"

He paused, then he smiled. Not his smug looking smile he usually does. This one looked more genuine. "You've been growing on me. You're my lucky little flower. I'd like to see you get through all this."

He went through the door and it clicked shut behind him. A moment later I heard his muffled voice from the hallway. "I know, ten minutes. I'm leaving now. Thank you for letting me stay. And for helping my brother too-" His voice disappeared down the hall.

He left me feeling confused. He has always been annoying, invasive, and egotistical since the day I met him. He isn't afraid to invade my personal space, and he always raises more questions than answers them. But is he being friendly? Why get involved just because he's taken a liking to me? He must have a greater purpose than that, right?

I didn't want to think much more about it. I was tired and still reeling from the new memory that wasn't mine. Isis' scream; it pierced through my brain like a scar on the flesh. It's not easy to get rid of. I punched the pillow on my makeshift bed and tried to get some sleep.

I may have dozed off, but it felt like no time at all when I was woken up by Anubis groaning. Paws was whining and I felt his head nuzzle mine. I tilted my head to the side to look. Anubis' legs were twisted in his sheets. He was turning about with his eyes tightly closed and clearly in pain. I jumped out of bed and then stumbled as my vision filled with snow. Once the slight dizziness faded and I could see again, I went to his side.

Up close I could see the sweat crystaled on his forehead. There were some machines he was hooked up to, but none of them were acting differently than before. Was there a crackling sound coming from them? It was faint but I could hear something. I was definitely out of my league here.

"Umm, maybe more moonlight could help…" I went to the window and pulled the curtains apart as wide as they would go.

"Snoo… muu…" Anubis tried to speak but I couldn't make out his words through the oxygen mask over his mouth.

"What what that?" I asked moving the mask to the side so he could talk.

He half opened his eyes and spoke again. "No… moon…"

"No, Imhotep said, he said the moonlight would heal you. It must be out." I looked out the window to see it, but all that was visible were city lights. This city had no stars, and from what was visible, no moon. "It might have set already or something. Let me check my app…"

Paws whimpered at the side of the bed as I crossed the room to get my tablet. I loaded up an app for constellations but also showed the sun and moon. Once I calibrated it to my location and where north was I held it out in front of me. I turned to the window and the app showed the moon to be directly out the window where it would be visible from here. But the moon wasn't there when I pulled it down.

"The smog must be blocking it… this city is really polluted so-"

"Aaargh!"

Anubis cried out in pain. I turned to see him clutching at his chest wounds through the sheets. The crackling I heard before was louder now. It hadn't been coming from the machines. It was coming from his chest.

My whole body filled with goosebumps. I had already seen his skin rotting from the wound before. Was it deteriorating more? Was he going to turn into a corpse like the dream I had? There was an instinct to look but I knew the sight would make me sick. My imagination was enough to have my stomach turning.

"Hold on, Anubis. I'll see if the nurse can page Imhotep. Stay here, Paws."

I ran out of the room and nearly tripped over a large mass just outside the door. I hopped and grabbed the wall to keep my balance. Curled up next to the door was a blonde man with his knees pulled tightly to him.

"Horus, you nearly killed me… Horus!"

"Huh?!" He snapped awake and looked up at me startled. Horus the Child pulled himself from the floor sluggishly. He rubbed his eyes slouching against the wall. "Where's the fire?" he slurred.

"What are you doing here?"

"I was too worried to sleep so I snuck in to check how he was doing. You were asleep." He yawned. "I guess I fell asleep out here…"

"Well, there's a bit of a problem. I think Anubis said the moon is gone."

Horus' drowsiness vanished instantly. He went straight into the room and I followed close behind. Anubis was still clutching at his chest and twisting in the bed. Horus' eyes widened, but he went around to the window. I jumped when he started shouting, "Khonsu! You gambling old geezer! What the hell?!"

"Is the moon really gone?" I asked. I went to Anubis and started rubbing his shoulder. I didn't know what else I could do for him. Paws stood at his bedside and started licking Anubis' clinched fist.

"Yes! And it's a full moon too! What the hell kind of stunt is he pulling?!" He ripped the curtains shut and started pacing the room.

"I'm gonna get Imhotep…" I said pointing out the door.

"Okay," Horus said but I wasn't sure if he was listening. I stepped out of the room to find a nurse.

"The healing incantations are losing their hold. His wounds are starting to revert back to their original state. Most of the poison has been burnt out of his system but what lingers may have an affect on his body again."

We sat together in the waiting room as Imhotep explained Anubis' condition. Anubis had a sleeping spell put on him and Paws was with him so he wasn't in immediate danger. With the moon gone, though, his health would only worsen.

Horus rubbed the bridge of his nose. "So the poison will become a threat on his life again?"

"No, there isn't enough to kill him. It could keep him out of commision until we can get an incantation to stick."

"Fine," Horus said standing up. "I'll go see Khonsu and get the moon back"

Imhotep rubbed his sleeve sheepishly. "Don't take this as being rude, my pharaoh, but the only god known to be able to outwit Khonsu is Thoth. I don't think going alone would be a wise decision."

"Did you see how angry Thoth is with me? He's not going to do me favors any time soon."

"We have to try," I said. "We can't run in without a plan. It'd just make things worse."

Horus sighed in frustration, scratching his head making his hair flop up and down as he did. "The moment he sees me he'll probably lock me into library purgatory."

I looked at his furrowed eyes as they stared deep in thought and had an idea. I wasn't sure if it would work out, but it was the best I had. "Let's just go to the duat and talk to him," I suggested. "Unless there's a way that Khonsu will help us without outwitting him."

"No." Horus and Imhotep said in unison.

"Right. Okay. Thoth would be the easier to persuade. Let's do that."

Horus and I stood outside Thoth's office. Imhotep promised to keep an eye on Anubis and let us know if his condition changed. Paws also stayed behind glued to the foot of Anubis' bed.

Getting to the duat wasn't difficult, but I could tell Horus wasn't a fan of this place. We sped past each gate until we reached the judgment hall. Even then, Horus kept a brisk pace weaving through the halls without stopping. I had to lightly jog to keep him in my sight.

"This isn't going to work…" Horus groaned staring futily at Thoth's door.

"It will, but we need a plan."

"I've. Got. Nothing," he said emphasizing each word.

"I have one."

Horus looked taken aback and turned to me. "Really? What do you have in mind?"

I paused and looked sternly into Horus' eyes. I prepared myself knowing this would be the hardest part of my plan. "Horus, if you want Thoth's help you're gonna have to apologize to him for the library thing."

"What? Why? He's already making me work in his stupid book prison! He should apologize to me for making me waste my time!"

"Horus, you destroyed his books. Books are, like, his favorite thing. Have you seen his office?" I said gesturing to the door.

"But he doesn't take me seriously. Ever. I asked for his help with something and he brushed me off calling me a kid. Horus the child. You need to grow up. He had it coming," he argued jabbing his finger to emphasize each point.

I crossed my arms "You know, only a kid argues this much about having to only say 'sorry.'"

"Come on, Nakia. Not you too," Horus said with some irritation.

Whoops. I pressed a nerve there. "Listen," I said trying to make my voice more soothing. "I've… read some stories about the old days. From the sounds of it Thoth saved your life that one day you nearly died."

"Everyone always brings that up. 'Be nice to Thoth. You're alive because of him.' I was a baby. I didn't ask for his help."

I had underestimated how difficult it would be to persuade him. He really has a chip on his shoulder when it comes to Thoth. "Then how about Anubis. He did you a huge favor that day. And now he needs you. If you don't want to do it for Thoth, do it from him."

Horus looked at me suspiciously. "I don't remember any of the stories including Anubis in them. He likes to be left out of the legends."

"Oh, you know," I tried to think on the spot while not looking like I was scrambling for an excuse. "It's just a feeling I got while reading it. You were dead there for a moment. Dealing with the dead is his thing and all."

"Mmm…" He seemed accept my excuse, but he still looked reluctant as we stood in front of the towering door.

"Just make it simple. Fast and quick like a bandaid. I can take the rest from there, but I'm not going to be able to convince him of anything if you two are glaring at each other the whole time."

"...I hate your plans," he protested, but nonetheless he pushed the door open and I followed after him.

His office was a wreck as ever. It's hard to tell if the piles of papers and books were any taller since they always seemed so tall they were ready to fallover. Thoth was at his desk scribbling away in a notebook. One of his paper stacks precariously balanced a mug and tea kettle on it. He took a sip from his mug without stopping from his work.

I peeked around his book stacks trying to find a place to put my feet so I was at least close to his desk. "Hey Thoth," I said but he didn't look away from his work. Remembering how absorbed he gets in what he's doing, I leaned half my body over just to reach close enough to wave in front of his eyes. "Thooooth," I called to him.

He blinked and finally pulled his eyes off his writing to look at me. He was surprised as he said, "Oh, Nakia! I was not expecting you. Shouldn't you be at the hospital with Anubis?"

"We'll get to that, but first Horus has something he wants to say." I went to Horus and goaded him forward. He took slow reluctant footsteps to Thoth's desk, his head turned refusing to look at Thoth.

Thoth looked unimpressed. "If you are trying to get out of your service to me it won't work. My decision is final and-" Horus made an incoherent mumbling sound that cut Thoth off. "What was that?" Thoth asked. I pat Horus' back in hopes that it would encourage him.

Horus spoke up but sped through the words. "I'm sorry I blew up your books and scared the humans. I won't do it again. It wasn't as funny as I thought it would be anyway…"

Thoth looked at him stunned. He didn't seem to know what to think. He looked back and forth between him and me. I smiled awkwardly wondering if Thoth would accept the apology even if it was obviously my idea. Thoth's scrutinized me with his gaze. "Are you using magic on him?"

"I don't know how to use magic."

"It was my idea," Horus added.

"No it wasn't," Thoth said crisply leaving no room for protest. Thoth seemed baffled but pleasantly so. The corner of his mouth tugged into a smile as he looked at Horus in disbelief. "I'd never thought I'd ever hear the word 'sorry' pass through your lips."

"I've said it before," Horus huffed. Even if he was angrily defending himself, the way he did made it sound like 'sorry' isn't a word he uses often.

"That was a real treat." Thoth leaned back in his seat and regarded me. "So, Nakia, is there a reason you're here and not with Anubis."

"Yeah. The moon has disappeared from the sky and now Anubis isn't healing so well."

He pressed his fingers to his temples with an agitated sigh. "You two want me to go and gamble with Khonsu I take it."

"Please?" I asked.

Thoth gave one last sigh before rising in a defeated manner. "Let's get this over with," he said waving a hand to one of his bookcases. It clicked and started to swing open. All the books and papers that would otherwise be knocked down by the massive shelf fluttered up and reorganized themselves into other piles. He walked through and Horus and I followed behind.

Beyond the bookcase the office opened up to what I thought was another office, though vastly different. The walls were white and pristine with no mess in sight. We walked through a hallway which opened up into a large library. There were people reading at tables, using computers, or searching through the bookshelves. There was sunlight pouring through the windows outside and I noticed all the signs were in English.

"Where is this?" I asked.

"Las Vegas."

Horus jumped in snidely asking, "How come everyone else has to use the rivers to get in and out of the duat but you get a magic doorway straight to the surface?"

"Perhaps if you understood the magic behind it you could do the same yourself."

"How can anyone understand how to do it if you don't teach it to anyone?"

Thoth just smirked as we exited the building. I had spent so much time traveling with gods in magical floating boats, flying winged disks, and the back of giant cats that boarding an MTD with two gods felt laughably normal. And yet here I was showing them how to pay the coin acceptor and sitting between the pharaoh of Egypt and an old lady who wheezed every time we hit a bump. Thoth stood for the ride clearly keeping his distance from Horus. Either he was trying to keep the peace or the apology didn't quell their disagreement too much.

We got off the bus when we reached the most congested part of Las Vegas. The street was lined with towering buildings all with elaborate and unique shapes. Dramatic signs lined the street ways competing for attention. There were many gardens filled with palm trees, grand water fountains, and even artificial waterfalls.

Many of the businesses here were hotels or resorts that doubled as casinos. Passing all the various establishments, each one more extravagant than the next, we got off at a bus stop in front of a hotel that didn't look as fancy as some of the others. The building was large in size and was shaped like two books standing at a right angle to each other. We walked under a giant arching sign as we made our way into the entrance.

We entered the lobby. There was a mix of people from tourists to more lavishly dressed patrons. The noise from the casino spilled through the doors to the casino as well as the smell of greasy food.

Thoth went to the front desk where a receptionist welcomed him.

"Are you here for the hotel or the casino," she asked.

"I actually need to speak with Khonsu. If you could call him here I would appreciate it."

"Of course. Just one moment, sir." The woman turned away and picked up a phone at another desk.

As we waited, I admired the interior. The space was very wide and spread out for a lobby but was necessary for the amount of people that filed this way and that. Everything seemed to glow golden in the light. All around the floors and counters were made of marble with dark polished wood lining the desks and siding. There was a centerpiece in one area that featured a lion sculpture in a bed of yellow flowers. I wondered if the statue was made of real gold or if it was just for show.

"I wasn't expecting you, Thoth. And the young king is here as well." A large group approached us from the casino. All of them were body guards except for the young boy they were guarding who led the group. I had met Khonsu once before when he came to deliver Se-Osiris' curse to Anubis. His demeanor then had seem cold and distant. This time he seemed to be in a more joyful mood and full of confidence. Instead of white robes he was dressed in a white suit. The cuffs and lining were done in silver thread with subtle pattern of card suits and numbers. Otherwise, he still had the white hair, silver eyes, and clouds of moisture that poured off him to the floor.

Thoth looked at him skeptically. "You disappear from the sky and you didn't expect anyone to come?"

"I wasn't sure who would come first. I had my guesses but of all the gods I'm surprised you came. And with Horus the Child. Are you two getting along now?"

"How can you call me a child when you're barely four feet?" Horus said in disgust.

"I don't act the part," Khonsu said with a laugh. Horus glared at him. He really wasn't getting it easy today with the whole 'child' thing.

"Let's make this quick," Thoth interjected. "We need the moon back in the sky, so I'll play your little games for it."

Khonsu shrugged. "Sorry, can't do that."

"Why not?!" Horus spat.

"I lost a bet and now I have to fulfill my part of the deal and keep the moon out of the sky for one whole cycle."

"No moon for a month?!"

"A lot of gods rely on the moon's light," Thoth reasoned. "It was irresponsible to put something that valuable as a wager."

"I didn't think I'd lose," Khonsu said with a scowl but quickly recovered his grin. "But there's nothing that can be done now. Unless there is something else you want from me I think we're done here."

Thoth sighed under his breath, "Why do I have to deal with all these children? Fine. I'll gamble you for a vial of moonlight. Or did you lose the moonlight to someone else too?"

Khonsu snapped a finger and at once one of his entourage leaned down to his level. "Prepare my private lounge for our guests."

"Yes, my lord." The guard briskly walked away with a hand to his ear giving instructions.

Khonsu's eyes glowed with excitement as he cheerfully said, "I accept the wager. And what will you give me if I win?"

"My life," Thoth said in a dull tone.

I was shocked and cautiously said, "Um, Thoth, isn't that a bit extreme?"

"Just let him show off, Nakia," Horus said seeming already fed up with the whole ordeal.

There was a bounce in Khonsu's step as he leaped to Thoth to shake his hand. "It's a deal then. I hope you're prepared, Thoth. The game's about to begin."

Chapter 19.5 : Heartless

The first thing I remember was looking at the carpet. It was a deep blue and had a pattern of thin gold lines, green and red flower buds outlined in white. I don't know how much time I spent tracing with my eyes all the different shapes. Yet my eyes would always end up resting on the wet, black stain that interrupted the pattern.

"He's going to ruin my carpet."

"Who cares about your fucking carpet?! Get a new one!"

"Son…"

There were voices talking. I may have known them. I didn't think on it. I was still tracing the patterns, finding new colors delicately blended in.

"Anpu." A name. My name. The one only a few still used. But the sound passed like a breath of air. There was a green flower bud the black liquid had swallowed.

"Anpu, look at me."

I looked. Silver eyes, greying hair, white robes. It was a third-quarter moon.

"Do you recognize me?"

I nodded. I did recognize him.

"Who am I?"

"Osiris…" I answered.

His lips pulled up. He had some wrinkles around them. "Good, good… Can you tell me who did this to you?"

"…" I looked at him for a while, but I didn't know what he meant by "this". There was a spot of red liquid on his sleeve. I looked at the rest of the sleeve, but there was no red spot pattern.

There was a loud crash in the room. Osiris turned away and I couldn't see his sleeve anymore.

"That is my anthology of subterranean species you are destroying!"

Loud footsteps trampled the carpet's flower field. The feet stopped on the black lake. Two hands held firmly on both sides of my face and lifted my head up. The face of the feet's owner had two different colored eyes. One gold and one silver. I knew him too. His eyebrows were scrunched up but didn't make as many wrinkles on his face as Osiris.

"Anubis, was it Set? Did Set take your heart?"

At the mention of 'heart' I remembered the cold spot in my chest. It was easy to focus on because it felt different from the rest of my body. All the other parts of my body stayed warm but that place continued to stay cold.

"Anubis! Was it Set?"

I focused on the person in front of me again. I remembered Set. But I didn't remember my heart being taken.

"I don't know…" I said.

He lowered his hands to my shoulders a shook me a little. "Come one, Anubis! You know! Who did this to you?"

I didn't know anything. He had a gold armband on his upper arm. There were twenty-two small diamonds visible around the rims.

"He doesn't remember anything, Horus," a third voice said. The room smelled like old paper. "His attacker would be smart enough to make sure Anubis didn't remember."

Horus stood up and turned to the other people. I followed him with my eyes, counting the diamonds in the now visible back of the armband.

"He doesn't need to remember. We all know who did this."

"We can't know for sure - "

"Dad, how can you even say that after what he did to you!"

"Osiris is right, Horus. If a god stubs their toe, you would say it's Set's fault. You are too quick to blame him for everything that happens."

"Because most of the time it's him!"

I had already figured out his armband had 64 diamonds on it. Now I was listening to how their voices echoed through the chasm of bookcases.

"You need to calm down, son."

"I can't when he's like this! I don't understand how you two can just stand there and talk like Anubis isn't sitting on the floor like a ragdoll!"

The echoes stopped. I waited for new sounds to start but it was a while before they started talking again.

"I'm going to find Set and get Anubis' heart back." There were footsteps that slowly faded away. They weren't loud enough to echo that much.

"He obsesses over Set."

"His battles against Set keep order and chaos in balance. It's a part of who he is."

"It's still childish."

There was a sound that wasn't words. "That is also a part of who he is. I suppose he gets that from me."

"What is there to do now?"

"Imhotep should be here soon. Isis has gone to tell Nephthys what has happened. I expect she'll be here soon as well." There was a break in the echoes before the same voice echoed, "There is still the dead to worry about. We will need someone to fill in for Anubis. There were several gods that assisted Anubis in the past. One of them should be able to perform his duties."

"I'll get on that. Is there anything else?"

"No… no that is enough for now."

"Alright. Then if you will excuse me."

"Thank you, Thoth."

Another pair of footstep sounded across the room. They made a clipping sound that echoed better than the other's feet. The other person in the room walked to me and knelt down. He took my hand and ran his thumb across it again and again. I watched the wrinkles and veins in his hand flex and move as he did this.

"Oh, Anpu," Osiris said, "I hope you don't suffer the same fate as I."

I was waiting for it. There was a city in the distance. It was full of mortals. Soon, most of them would be dead. Until that happened, I had to wait. I thought of other things.

It has been 47 years, 3 months, 17 days, 9 hours, and 10 minutes. That was when I first saw the date and time in Imhotep's office after losing my heart. Back then, Imhotep had been explaining to the other gods in the room how my body was staying alive despite the absence of my heart. I was counting how many times the colon flashed on and off. His explanation took 194 flashes.

In the beginning, there had been many years I didn't leave the duat. I didn't do much then. Other gods would come and talk to me or I would be by myself. When Horus came, he would always ask if I remembered who took my heart. He still asks me that when he sees me.

There was a day when Osiris started sending me out to collect the souls of the dead. At first, it was only for a short amount of time. Then it grew longer. Within a year I was always out collecting the dead. It was rare for me to have to return to the duat.

Every day, every hour, every minute was the same. I go somewhere in the world, mortals die, I collect their souls. Repeat. Sometimes a god or goddess would pull me out of the cycle. They would clean me; give me clothes, food, a bed to rest in. They usually told me take a break from the cycle to take care of myself. Then they would let me go. I would restart the cycle, and it wouldn't stop until another god interrupted it.

47 years, 3 months, 17 days, 9 hours, and 11 minutes later I'm standing on the roadside. A man driving an ice truck passes me. I won't be collecting his soul today.

I was alone, but now there is another in the field with me. A goddess here to break the cycle. She was shorter than me. Short black hair that unnaturally shined in a green hue. Dripping wet yellow eyes.

"Anubis." She said my name in that small voice of hers. Kebechet's eyes dripped more. "Anubis, I'm sorry. I'm so…"

She wrapped her arms around my torso. She was having difficulties breathing which made her voice hitch. A wet spot was forming on my shirt I could feel on my chest. It wasn't long before she pulled away from me.

"You smell terrible," Kebechet said. "When was the last time you've been in a shower?"

I thought back and remembered a room lined with shower heads. "3 hours ago. The shower was full of dead bodies."

Kebechet's face changed when she looked at me. Her eyes looked like the eyes I see in a mirror. "I've been in those. They're terrible."

"People leave flowers for the dead," I added.

"Huh? Yes, they certainly do…" Her eyebrows scrunched up and then she looked away to the city in the distance. "I'll take care of the dead here."

"There will be 521 souls to collect," I told her. Kebechet isn't as fast as me. Usually jobs that get over 100 I will help her with. Small scattered deaths are best for her. She didn't take her eyes off the town.

"You need to go to the duat right now. Horus the Child is there. He found out something important that you need to hear."

I nodded. There was a sound of propellers. She would be working soon. I was going to leave but Kebechet stopped me.

"Anubis, I…" she stopped and looked away. The hum of engines grew louder. She made a breathy sound. "If only I didn't have a heart."

Explosions thundered and the distant town was doused in fire.

I could hear all the voices in the throne room as I climbed up the stairs. The first thing visible was the large onyx scale that centered the room. It overshadowed all yet overpowered none.

Then I saw the gods gathered. Osiris was in the center, white haired but still standing taller than the rest. Both of the Horuses were there. Horus the Elder was speaking with Osiris. Horus the Child was sitting on the scale's pedestal with his head resting on his knees. Thoth and Isis were speaking to each other in whispers close by. Only Osiris and Big Horus' words were audible.

"She's covering for him. That's all this is," Horus said.

"Why would Set let her? It wouldn't be like him to let someone else take the credit for what he did?"

"He probably has something else up his sleeve. Something that requires her to lie in order for him - "

"What reason would she have to follow along? It's not something she would lie about."

Thoth noticed my arrival. He tapped Osiris' shoulder and they stopped talking. I didn't stop for them. I only saw them from the corner of my eye as I passed. I stood where Little Horus was. I said, "Kebechet told me you had something important to tell me."

He looked up after I spook. His eyes were wide and his eyebrows were scrunched up in a weird way. His hair was messy, and he had scorch marks across his arms and neck.

He looked at me, then at the others. He said to them, "I shouldn't be the one to tell him."

Thoth replied, "Should we find Nephthys so she can tell him?"

Little Horus flinched and looked at the ground.

"Should I find my mother?" I asked.

"No! No, don't…" Horus was hunched over again running his hands through his hair. After a moment he said, "Sit down, Anubis." I did as he told me.

Thoth waved at the other gods to leave. Horus the Elder was quick to walk away. It was Osiris who lingered for a second, but finally left when Isis took him by the arm. Even gods standing near the halls watching from a distance scattered. It was just Little Horus, me, and the empty thrones.

"I didn't believe him when he told me," Horus said while his head still rested on his knees. "I was fighting him, trying to get your heart back. I didn't do so hot this time." He shrugged his arms making his burns shine with the movement. "Over and over I kept demanding him to tell me where your heart was. Finally he told me that he wasn't the one I should be asking.

"I asked him what he meant. He said, 'My precious wife had his heart all along.' He told me that he saw it; your heart divided into 12 pieces and within 12 jars. 'She had it all along,' he… taunted me.

"So…" Horus continued. "I went to find Nephthys. I don't know if I expected her to really have your heart. I thought maybe she would know something that would help me. When I found her, she… she showed me your heart. It was small and severed, but still alive. And she wouldn't give it to me. She said you had to be the one seeking them. There are eleven canopic jars, and you have to look for them all before she'll give you the heart piece she possesses."

He looked at me now. His eyebrows were still scrunched up but in a different way than earlier. "It was her, Anubis. Your mother was the one that took your heart."

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