Panting slightly, Nephthys looked nervously behind her as she hurried along the dark and grimy halls of the immense palace she shared with Set. She couldn't let him catch her coming back after being away for so long. And if he found out where she had been...well, she certainly didn't want to even think about what he would to her.
The goddess's body shuddered with fear and revulsion at that thought, and continued to hurry on. She had just come from a quick meeting with her sister and the other gods, where she told them of the plans she overheard Set was making with Apep and his other cohorts. When she heard them, it was then that she decided she had to do something to stop Set...to keep him from hurting innocent people. For too long...for far too many years Nephthys had stood by and watched countless gods and mortals fall under the greedy and merciless hands of Set. She had too long covered her eyes and ears whenever he had brought hopeless mortal souls and began torturing them for the pleasure of it. The echoes and cries of them were enough to send her mad on some days.
But today...today was enough. Nephthys's eyes misted slightly as she thought to times long gone, when she was proud to be Set's wife, when she was happy to take his hand in marriage and begin a family with him. Yes, he was ambitious, he was headstrong, but not to the point he would go this far. She remembered everything going so well, so perfect...until the night when she betrayed the love and trust of her only twin sister, Isis, and Set found out. Oh Isis, I'm so sorry! This is my fault...ALL of it!
Wiping away the trail of a tear from her cheek, Nephthys hurried on, until she was almost at her own personal chamber that Set wasn't supposed to know about. She stopped for a moment to catch her breath, sighing with relief. Then she opened the thick wooden door and stepped inside......and stopped dead in her tracks with a despairing gasp as she saw Set standing right in the middle of the room, waiting for her. Her eyes widened in complete fear as the god lifted his head and glared at her. His eyes glowed red as he sneered; he clenched his fists and walked meaningfully towards her. Then without breaking stride as he came up to her, he lifted his heavily muscled arm and backhanded her hard across the face, knocking her nearly halfway across the room.
The goddess grunted in pain, and fell with a sickening thud on the thick floor. Already she could feel blood rushing from her nose and down into her mouth and chin. With heavy lidded eyes, Nephthys watched as Set stalked over to her again. Weakly she sat up and tried to back away, but Set was already upon her. "Set..please..I..I.."
But her words fell on deaf ears as the evil god bent and grabbed her by her long hair at the back of her head, and picked her up off the floor. The goddess winced with renewed pain as her husband looked her deep in the eyes. "You think me such a fool, that I don't know what you have done, how you've cowardly run with your tail between your legs to those peace loving mortal lovers? Do you?" He squeezed tighter.
Tears squeezed out her eyes, even though she tried hard to hide them from him...the pain was just too much. "Set..I only did it for you...to stop this madness of yours! This is wrong! Please, this will only fail, and..and.."
Nothing will fail!" Set yelled into her face. He gave one last squeeze, enjoying her squirm all over in pain, then dropped her once more on the floor, disgust all over his face. "I will make sure of it!" His eyes narrowed as he looked down on her. I give this warning once and once alone...interfere again, and I will make you rue the day you were born, and make sure you spend eternity in torment!" With one last sneer, the god turned and stalked out the room, his massive form nearly filling the whole doorway.
When he was gone, Nephthys rose herself up to her knees and hugged herself, then finally allowed the tears to fall down her cheeks. Her body shook, but instead of just fear, it was shaking with determination and resolve. No Set, this is it, she thought bravely. Even if it means my life, I won't let your plans for destruction go through. And I won't live like this anymore!
With that, Nephthys got up and gathered her dignity, and with a wave of a hand, quietly closed her bedroom door.
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In the peaceful fields of Aaru, the wind blew gently across the land, bringing a sense of serenity that was almost unheard of in the mortal world. The wind blew all across the fields, then towards the grand palace where the rulers of this world resided. Leaves and grass danced freely in the wind, passing over laughing men, women, and children of various ages, each in the midst of either playing, working, or talking with one another.
Then the wind reached the cream colored palace, and began to dance around the large and empty courtyard. Suddenly, the wind began to blow harder, and the loose leaves and grass began to twirl faster and faster. Faster yet the wind twirl, until finally, there was a bright light and shimmer in the air, and when it died down and dissipated a few moments later, Tari...still transformed, stood there in wonder, along with the dark skinned Anubis.
Tari's eyes widened as she looked around the immense courtyard. "Whoa! Where are we? How did we get here?" She looked up at Anubis in curiosity.
Anubis looked down at her, and actually seemed to smile....but Tari was sure it must have been a trick of the light from the sun...she had never seen the god smile yet!
"Don't be afraid. We are someplace...safe for now." the god said, his face gone serious again. "We are in Aaru, the Land of the Afterlife...."
"Afterlife?" Tari looked around once more, her heart pounding. After reading about Egyptian mythology for so long, she had never in her young life imagined she would ever see anything like this! She looked up at the sapphire blue skies, and saw the many birds flying overhead. She looked behind her and saw the many majestic mountains, lakes, and hills out in the distance, followed by the clean and shiny rivers that ran passed the palace. Then finally, she looked in front of her and marveled at the beautifully constructed palace, with it's newly painted hieroglyphics, pillars, and columns. "It's...its beautiful!" she breathed out.
"Yes," Anubis nodded, looking around with her. "And you should be honored...you are one of the very first living mortals to ever set eyes here."
"I am?" Tari blinked at him. "You mean..I'm alive? I mean...if this is the Afterlife, doesn't that mean...?" She felt her heart quicken.
Anubis raised an eyebrow. "Relax, young one. The powers of the bracelet you have not only protects you, its essence...which is part of us...gives you the aura of a god, and thus you can be here for a short time....but only when it is activated." He nodded at the shining bracelet on her wrist.
"Oh," Tari sighed in relief, and gently stroked the bracelet. Just then, a voice cried out in joy, and Tari looked up to see Isis rushing towards them, followed by Hathor.
"Anubis, you found her, you brought her here safely!" Isis said in relief. The tall god with the dreadlocked hair nodded as Isis gathered Tari in her arms for a hug. "Thank goodness you're safe!"
Hathor smiled as she too hugged Tari. "Yes, we never figured Set would have started his search so soon. We thought we had at least a little time.....time to teach you a bit more about your new powers and even train you a little. But at least you're safe now."
When the hug was done, Tari leaned away and blushed slightly. "Thanks. It was really tough for a moment there." She then looked up seriously. "But I don't understand...how did you know Apep was going to attack, and how did you know where I was?"
"It was my sister Nephthys," Isis replied, nodding her head. "She overheard Set talking with his thugs." Her eyes turned slightly sad. "Set has decided to attack anyplace that holds large amounts of children. That includes schools, orphanages, parks...everywhere there are children."
"Nephthys..." Tari thought for a moment, trying to remember. "Oh, your twin sister, right? And...and Set's....wife." Tari eyes should a little pity.
Isis smiled and nodded her head. Then her eyes turned serious. "But I'm sure the information my sister gave us has cost her dearly. I only pray that she realizes that she doesn't have to live like that, and that she could come back to...me."
She was quiet for a moment, then she shook her head, and looked at Tari's swollen wrist. "You're hurt!" she said, gently taking Tari's hand in her own.
"It's not that bad, really," Tari winced slightly. "It must have been when I feel fighting Apep."
"No problem, I can easily fix that!" said a new voice. With a flash of soft white light, Thoth appeared next to Isis with a wink, followed by another woman that Tari had not seen before.
Gently Thoth took Tari's painful wrist, and looked over it. "She's right, it's not that bad..at least it's not broken, but sometimes sprains and twists can come to be worse than breaks if not properly taken cared of." The light skinned god closed his eyes, and gently passed over his right hand over her wrist. A soft glow surrounded the sprain, and Tari could feel warmth spreading all along her wrist down to her shoulder. When the light dissipated a moment later, Tari smiled to see that her wrist was no longer swollen, and didn't hurt when she moved it.
"Thanks!" She grinned at Thoth, and he chuckled and jerked his thumb towards himself.
"They don't call me the Thoth, also the god of medicine, for nothing!" he grinned back. Tari couldn't help giggle softly, liking this young looking god more and more.
Just then, Tari heard the sound of children laughing, and going over to a low wall, looked down from the courtyard to see a group of about six to eight children running after one another in the green grass as a few adults looked on and smiled. She smiled as she watched them, then a disturbing thought came into her head. She looked back at the group with a concerned look. "Wait...if this is the afterlife, then that must mean those children..they're...they're..." She gulped.
"Yes, but please do not be saddened," said the taller woman with a deep voice. She came up to Tari, and she almost gasped when she saw that the undersides of her arms were lined with feathers. "Greetings, Tari Baltimore. I am Ma'at, the Goddess of Justice and Balance," At Tari's nod of recognition, she continued. "Unfortunately, in times long ago you mortals call ancient, many children did not make it past their seventh to tenth year. Aaru was once filled with the souls of children lost to disease and unsanitary living conditions." She looked at the children rushing off in the distance, and then turned back to Tari with a smile. "But now, many of them have been reborn in your time, to a new life and new families, where they will have a chance they did not before. Only a fraction of the souls of those children from that time are left. Those will be reborn soon, so please do not despair."
At Tari's relieved smile, Ma'at turned to Isis. "And now, Your Highness, if you permit it, I believe it is time Tari saw what it is she is helping to fight for. It would help if she saw him for herself." Ma'at bowed slightly to her.
For a moment, Isis was silent, her eyes nervous.....then she looked up at the other gods, and saw their supportive and encouraging faces. She looked at Tari, then Ma'at, and nodded. "Yes..yes, you are right. Tari, please follow us."
Curiously, Tari followed the group, going up a grand stairs to inside an elaborately decorated hall and corridors. Tari almost gaped at the wonderful and fresh-looking paintings and hieroglyphs on the cream walls, the beautifully designed tapestry that aligned and hung in intervals between large, expansive windows. Soon, after walking down the long corridors and turning left, they came upon a large and decorated wooden double door. In front of them were large and dangerous looking guards, their skin dark against their white cotton loin clothes. Their spears were nearly as large as they were, and Tari blinked her eyes in nervousness.
As Isis approached, she nodded to them, and the guards stepped aside. As if by magic, the double doors opened, and the group walked into the bejeweled and wonderfully decorated throne room. As she walked in and looked around, Tari gasped out in delight and wonder, hardly believing what she was seeing. Sunlight poured into the large room, bathing everything in brightness and what seemed to be rainbows. She spun around and laughed, unable to help herself. She was about to say something when she happened to look up front. Her laughter stopped when she saw the slightly green skinned figure sitting on its golden throne, and recognition rushed through her when she saw the traditional Atef crown, and the flail clutched in its right hand.
She turned to look at Isis, and saw that her eyes were slightly shimmering with tears. Then with her head held high, Isis walked forward the figure, and Tari, knowing it was what she wanted her to do, followed. When they both stood before the sitting figure, Isis turned to the young woman beside her. "Tari...this is my husband," she said, her voice shaking slightly.
Tari looked up at the majestic figure, feeling so small compared to him. "Osiris," she whispered out. She felt miniscule, unworthy in front of such an important figure. Here was the being that practically brought humanity out of savagery...brought humanity knowledge, compassion, civilization, and helped lay the very foundations that shaped her world, her time to the advances it enjoyed. But despite all that, when Tari looked into the staring eyes, she saw that there was nothing there, that the body sitting on the majestic throne was just about empty...cold and void of true life. That was no way for anyone to live. Now Tari understood why Isis was so sad at times, and so determined to stop Set from destroying his lost soul. Tari then felt she had to do something...anything to show her respect, so not knowing what else to do, she fell to one knee before the figure, her body filled with awe.
"Do you understand now, Tari?" Isis said, turning to her as Hathor moved to stand next to her. "Do you see how important it is that we stop Set, and that we need your help?"
"Yes, yes I do." Tari nodded, standing up. "And I accept this task that you have given me now more than ever." She looked at them nervously. "But...I can't do this alone."
"Yes, we know, and you won't be alone, like we said many times." Hathor smiled.
Tari chuckled, and looked all around her again. "You know, this is amazing! If my dad could see all this..." She stopped, then slapped her forehead with exasperation. "Oh no, my dad! He said he was coming back to the city to pick me up! He must have been there already, and he must be going crazy! Guys, I have to go back home, now, or he'll kill me!" She looked at Isis imploringly.
"Of course." Isis turned to Anubis, and with a quick nod, he moved next to Tari and gently touched her shoulder. With a flash, both disappeared, leaving behind a group of gods with a renewed faith in their young, mortal charge.
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In the apartment she shared with her father, Tari appeared in a soft shimmer in the air with Anubis in the spacious living room. A moment later, after making sure they were alone, Anubis nodded his head, and disappeared once more. Tari breathed out a sigh of relief, and after concentrating, was back in her regular clothing, complete with her backpack around on her shoulders. She took it off and tiredly dropped it to the ground.
Then, barely seconds later, the door to the apartment flew open, and Tari's father and Sajid came in, their faces tense with worry. As soon as he entered the living room, and his eyes fell upon Tari, the archeologist gasped out in relief. "Tari! There you are! Where have you been? Where did you go? Sajid and I looked everywhere for you for over an hour! There were reports of some..some reptile monster down in Cairo was terrifying everyone! Do you realize...."
"Dad, I'm fine!" Tari said, going up to him and placing a reassuring hand on his arm. "As a matter of fact...I..I wasn't even in that area. I decided to go somewhere else, and...I got a ride home, and..."
"You should have called!" Dr. Baltimore looked down at her with anger, mixed in with a little fear. "This is serious Tari! Strange things have been happening ever since we found mustaba, and now it's getting damn dangerous!" He shook his head. "I'm sorry, but from now on, you're to remain here until further notice. You're to go nowhere except with Sajid or I, and that's final!"
"What?" Tari stood outraged before her father. "Are you kidding me? Do I look to you like I'm still five years old? I told you I was fine, and in case you haven't notice, I'm not a child anymore!"
"I don't care! You're with me, in MY house, and I'm responsible for you! I can't risk anything happening to you!" He looked pleadingly at her. "Do you think I want to face the possibility losing you again, like that day when you almost...when you tried to..." The older man stopped himself just in time, but he could tell it was too late...Tari had known what he was about to say.
Tears misted in her eyes for a moment, and unconsciously Tari touched the almost unnoticeable scar on her wrist. She shook her head as she backed away from him, "That wasn't fair, Dad...that wasn't fair!" With an angry sob, Tari turned away from him and rushed to her bedroom. The sound of the door slamming shut erupted a moment later.
The archeologist doctor groaned in exasperation, then plopped down heavily into his large, cushion sofa. He looked up to his confidant, his assistant, and bodyguard with pleading eyes. "Am I wrong, Sajid? Am I truly so wrong to just want to protect her?"
"She is young, my lord," Sajid said, standing beside him. "She has yet to understand what it is like to have responsibility of someone else's life like a parent does. Give her time."
"Oh my friend, I hope you are right," Malcolm Baltimore sighed. "I hope you are right."
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To be continued.....
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