Prologue

R

A

Hall of the Gods

September 23rd

"I accept the throne," Horus announced, holding up what had once been his crook and flail. "Ra has given me the authority to lead the gods and magicians in times of crisis."

Horus sat in his human form, overlooking the crowd from the golden throne, his mother standing by his right side, looking at her son haughtily. As she did eons ago, Isis had once again got him to become the Pharaoh of the gods and magicians. Fortunately, I was not poisoned by her in the process of getting what she wanted. My most loyal subject now stood as the trusted steward of Horus, holding his iron staff, his red skin gleaming from the throne. He held himself firmly as if ready to serve his new Pharoah, but his amused smile betrayed him. For thousands of years, they had fought a war without an end, and now he was the trusted steward of the Pharaoh. It was an entertaining sight to observe from where I was bowing.

"But for now, we are at peace," he added. "The magicians can rebuild and expand the House of Life to its full now; we will depart to the heavens until we are needed once more. For now, we must retire and depart from this world, for we have lost centuries of tranquility, and now is the time to live as we did before the problems" As he finished announcing, he rose from the golden throne and bowed his head to the gods who had fought against Apophis.

The gods started leaving one by one until only six of us were left. The hall of the gods changed back to my Sun Boat. It was like me at the moment, broken down and creaking with every movement it made across Duat. I felt the boat and my bones creak with each step I took. The battle had weakened my body while my mind raced toward the plans I was putting in motion. I snapped my fingers, and my crew of glowing orbs quickly came forward with drinks for them. Horus leaned, sat on the boat's edge, and swiftly downed the wine he was offered. They chanted Isis's name angrily once they saw her, making her uncomfortable. The first one to break the silence was Isis.

"Why did you call us here for Lord Ra?" she asked, standing upright as she accepted the wine from the orb and peered warily at it.

"Drink, Isis," I insisted, waving my hand dismissively at the orbs. "I, unlike others, don't have to poison others to get what I want."

Bast snickered and took a swig from her drink, "Now that I am back to my senses once again. I noticed things didn't go as they were supposed to occur." Everyone bowed their heads, knowing what I was talking about. After all, they had witnessed what it had caused a few hours earlier.

"And what do you expect us to do?" Asked Isis; she did not even try to wipe off the smirk on her face. "We may be gods, but the laws of time are something we cannot change."

"Oh, but you had no problem breaking some laws to change the future," I said, looking straight at her. "Causing the disruption of Ma'at and the rising of Apophis. It is something expected from humans; we see their mistakes, hear their pleas for help and mercy from the effects of such arrogance and selfishness."

"Now I am not the only one to blame-"

"You're not," I sneered, gripping the armrest tightly. "Then where is everything we built and guided for Egypt? Where is the nation that worshipped us? That respected us? All of it is underneath the sand! Forgotten! Gone because of your actions that let our world fall to chaos!"

"How dare you accuse me alone of these actions" she exclaimed.

"From the moment you poisoned me, Isis, you have continued to go to great lengths to get what you want," I said, looking down for a second at the scar on my ankle. "When your husband no longer had my position when I was gone, you took Anubis's rightful place as king of the Land of the Dead in Duat so you could be the queen of something that was never meant to be yours. And that was not enough. You had to coerce the last queen to try and merge with the Romans, only for our empire to fall. Were you not imprisoned for centuries to recognize your transgressions."

"You are saying that as if I forced him? Anubis did that on his free will," Isis remarked snidely. "Besides, I took him in as my son."

"And in return, bossing him around in any decision that could benefit you," I remarked, getting up and switching my attention to Horus. "Do you also let your mother tell you what to do?"

"Of course not," he muttered, looking away guiltily from his mother, "I am the Pharaoh of mortals and gods."

"Since you are now Pharaoh," I said, holding his gaze, "I believe it is important that your mother not have more control over me than you can ever."

Horus stood silent, understanding what I was requesting, for a moment before the crook and flail appeared in his hands. "Well, since my mother poisoned you and you asked so nicely." Crossing them over his chest, he said, "As Pharaoh of mortals and deities, Isis, you must renounce Ra's secret name."

Immediately Isis's face turned into bewilderment as she looked at her son, and as she opened her mouth, he stopped her with his finger and frail in front of her face.

She sighed deeply and looked back with fury written on her face." I give you back your name," she seethed, and at once, I felt part of me come back to my soul.

"Also, Mother, do not try anything against Ra." Isis began opening her mouth but was cut off by Horus's harsh glare. "Not a word or action, or there will be consequences."

Seething, Isis summoned a portal to the heavens quickly, leaving us and not bothering to give her goblet of wine. It remained open for Horus, but instead of going, he looked back.

"I'm not sure what you have planned, Ra, but if you decide to do anything that questions or deliberately attacks my rule, you will wish to have remained in that serpent's stomach." his face changed quickly into an ecstatic one. "Since that's over, I'll leave you to your business while I see my wife."

With that, Horus quickly rushed into the swirling portal and disappeared.

Once they were gone, Set whistled, "Well, that was entertaining; never seen a ruler be so accommodating and agreeing with his competition. But I do not blame him for going off to see his wife not being together for so long." He sighed dramatically, "So when do you plan to overthrow him."

We heard Bast gasp behind us, making us turn to her, "But Ra, you promised-"

"I am the true Pharoah," I answered, "he is merely in my way at the moment, and you two, my most trusted allies, will help as we get back the glory that was taken from us."

Bast remained quietly sitting at the arm of the throne. Sitting down, I grabbed Bast's hand and looked at her, sighing. I summoned a white sand portal. "Go and say your farewells to Sadie and Carter. Once you are done, meet me at the tomb before dusk. And don't worry, for you now have to guard someone else," I said, summoning a portal.

"That's what I'm worried about," She said, pressing a kiss on my cheek, "It's good to see you again" before she vanished through the portal.

"No kiss for me, how disappointing," Set said as he reached for another chalice of wine. "Looks like she is into weird gods."

"Was she not interested in your son all those years ago?" I asked jokingly. "Who knows, maybe she'll turn her interests towards you as you share pale skin."

"He looks so much like Nephthys; he has her hair and smiles" He gulped down his drink, "The only thing he had ever said to me was 'Shut up, Father.' and well, that one time in the desert when he prayed for a favor."

"See, he recognizes you as his father. That's a good sign." I raised my hand to stop the orbs from handing him another goblet of wine he was reaching for.

"You still want me to talk to him?" He asked.

"Yes, and I don't want you to be drunk while you do it."

"Fine, looks like you've won." And finally, he left to have father and son bonding time.

I was finally left alone to watch the Lake of Fire and come up with preparation for my next move while remembering the laughter that had once filled this place that was now filled with silence