At the large dig site located just outside of the Giza Plateau which hosted the world famous Giza Pyramids, all was quiet and serene as workers and archeologists set about their work, dusting off artifacts found in the tombs thousands of years old and quickly documenting them. Each was too busy with their own works to allow for any friendly chat or conversations, and frankly...it was just too hot to do so. All heavy machinery and trucks were left alone for the day, and everyone made it their mission to limit their movements to absolutely necessary...that is, except for one person.

A group of about three archeologists were quietly sitting at a table, looking over a pottery set that was just dusted off...when a figure of a medium height young woman rushed by them, sending up dust and dirt behind her and making them look up in surprise and slight annoyance. When they looked to see who it was that was in such a hurry, they shook their heads and smiled, thinking that they should have known it would be the energetic Tari rushing about as usual. How she could find such energy on such a hot day, they didn't know, but it sure wouldn't hurt if she could lend them some of it!

Tari ran as fast as she could to where she knew her father would be, hoping she could catch him before it got too late in the day. In her hand was the rolled up document paper she had promised him she would finish copying down before he would allow her to leave the dig site early. As she ran, she recalled the conversation she had with Isis the other night; Set had once again attacked a group of children in his mad quest to find his brother's reborn soul and destroy it, but Tari, along with the help of the other gods, thwarted his plans, and the children kept safe.

But later on that night, Isis had appeared to Tari in her room as she requested, and Tari told the ancient goddess of the little boy she had met just moments before the attack, and how she felt such a strange yet familiar aura coming from the child. The boy had never said a word, but Tari could see...could feel the sheer intelligence coming from him, especially from his eyes. Isis's eyes grew wider and wider as Tari explained, and with a hand on her heart, she told Tari that because of the crook that she possessed, there was a slight possibility that Tari would be able to feel the essence of Osiris himself, as it was as much a part of the ancient god as the very hairs on his head. In the crook flowed some of Osiris powers and aura. Tears misted in Isis's eyes as she said that, hoping beyond all hope that it was true.

With that, Tari vowed to herself that she would go back to the small orphanage she had passed by and look for that little boy. If she could somehow lock in on Osiris's soul and find out where he is, then so could Set, and there could be very little time left. The next morning, she had begged her father if she could leave the dig site early that day and head back into Cairo with a few of the team members, and he agreed reluctantly...if she could finish the work he had assigned her early.

So distracted was she by her reflections of last night, that she nearly ran past the tent her father was in, and she skidded to a stop, sending up more sand in the air. She opened the large flap and rushed in just as her father was getting up after talking with another of his sponsors. She skidded to a halt once more, nearly tripping, but stopped herself just in time. She looked up and grinned embarrassingly as her father sighed and shook his head at the unladylike fashion of which she came in.

The sponsor chuckled quietly to himself, then turned to Tari's father and nodded his head. "Well, I see we've finished just in time, as the young lady here appears to urgently request your presence. Until next time." The middle-aged man nodded once to Tari, then made his leave, winking at her as he past her out the flap, as though thanking her for the amusing entrance.

As soon as he was gone, Tari rushed up and presented the document. "Okay Dad, all done, just like I promised! Can I go now...please?"

The older man raised an eyebrow. "Well, good afternoon to you too, Tari. Nice of you to ask me how my day went." he said, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Oh..err....right, good afternoon!" Tari chuckled, "Sorry, it's just...I'm in a bit of a hurry, and the others are getting ready to leave...so,"

"I know, I know," her father sighed. He took the paperwork from Tari, looked it over, and nodded his head. "Alright, looks good to me." He looked up at her in curiosity. "Now, if you don't mind me asking...just what's so important that you have to leave now to go into the city?"

"Well..." the dark-skinned girl searched frantically for an answer that would satisfy him. After the fight they had a few nights ago when her father couldn't find her, their relationship was only recently patched and still thin, and she didn't want anything to compromise it again. But I can't very well tell my dad I'm about to find the lost soul of some Egyptian god to save the world, can I? she thought.

Her father stood patiently before her, and she decided that if she was going to lie, it had to be a simple lie any girl would tell. "Umm...well, I have to go shopping, don't I? I need new clothes, and Jake and Jessica's birthday is coming up. I just wanted to see if I can find some more things to send them. Besides, I wanted to get downtown before it gets really busy!" She grinned tensely, hoping he would buy it.

Malcolm looked at his daughter for a moment, tied between letting her go, and making her stay here where it was safe. After the reports he kept hearing about giant snakes and now powerful beings fighting in the streets, he wasn't too keen on letting her out of his sight. But he also knew he couldn't keep her under lock and key. He sighed one last time and nodded his head. "Okay, if you must go, then you must. But...you make sure you keep yourself safe, alright? And remember the time we agreed that you'd be home, and..."

"Yes Dad, I know, call you if anything happens! Come on, you can trust me!" She gave him a quick hug and kiss on the cheek, and rushed out of the tent before he could say anything else.

Outside, the sun seemed to just get hotter and hotter, even though it was barely afternoon. Tari only just had time to go to her tent and pick up her backpack before a jeep pulled up, and she was beckoned inside by the group of college students that was headed to the city of Cairo.

The ride brought a much welcomed breeze to Tari as she sat in the back and let the wind rush through her hair. In her mind, she couldn't forget the look on Isis's face as she told her about the little boy she saw. It was a look of such hope, such aching that she knew was reserved for someone deeply in love. Before she could help herself, Tari silently wished she could find love like that. But just as quickly as she thought it, she pushed it out of her mind and narrowed her eyes. After the terrible experience she had with it, Tari promised herself she would never fall for something so trivial as love again. Love fooled her once, and it would never fool her again. At that thought, she closed her eyes and focused her mind on finding that little boy once more.

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Taking deep breaths to try and calm himself, Set lowly sat down upon his black throne, then closed his eyes and exhaled. He opened them again after a moment, and looked around him. All around lay dismembered and broken bodies, poor unfortunates who were unlucky enough to be around when the black-hearted god of chaos needed to vent out his rage. For the entire night, Set did nothing but hack and slice with is sword, still seething from his crushing defeat in the hands of the gods and the betrayal of his wife.

It should not have taken this long just to find an insignificant, mortal little boy! Why was he made a fool of by those simple gods, and that mortal girl that fought with them? He clenched his fists as rage threatened to overtake him once more. Soon...soon he will show them that no one stands in his way and lives. He was close to finding Osiris's soul, he could feel it, but it always seemed to elude him, especially when that girl....he paused as the realization dawned on him.

That's it! Every time he came close to finding that boy, that girl whom the gods call Tari always seemed to arrive and interfere with his plans! And Isis and her pathetic followers seemed to be stronger, bond more when the girl was around. An evil, manipulative smile slowly spread across Set's blackened face. Well then, if that's what happens when she's around, what would happen when she was not? A plan formed in his mind, but before he could think on it more, two figured slowly materialized before him. When the figures were solid, they fell to one knee before Set.

"My Liege, we have returned," said Nak.

"You asked us to spy on the gods and the mortal girl, and we have a bit of news." said Sebau. At the nod of Set's bald head, he continued. "Last night, we followed the girl to her home, and we listened outside and heard her tell Isis about a young boy she met, and how she felt some strong energy from him..."

"They both think it might be the child which contains Osiris's soul. The mortal girl has now just left to see if she could find him once more where you last attacked." finished Nak, bowing his furry head.

Set's eyes widened just slightly at the news, then narrowed them once more. "Is that so? Good work then, my loyal servants. Go, follow her once more, and if it is true they have found that child, you know what to do. Apep is still recovering, so it is up to you both to stop them. I have.....something to think about in the meantime." He nodded his head. "Go, NOW!"

The baboon and coyote-headed gods bowed their heads, placing a fist over their hearts, and disappeared.

When they were gone, Set smiled once more as his plan to rid himself of Tari continued to form in his disturbed mind. Yes, when she is gone, then he will be free to destroy his hated brother once and for all, and no one will be able to stop him!

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Tari nimbly jumped over the jeep car door, then turned and waved goodbye to the group of tired archeology students as they drove off, grateful for their help in getting her to the city and keeping where she really was a secret from her father.

Then with a sigh, she turned and walked towards the small yet neat looking orphanage what was just across the street. The small park near it that was damaged during the recent attack was still cordoned off from the public. She could already feel her heart pounding..for what, she didn't know. I shouldn't be this nervous just meeting a kid! she admonished herself. But then again...what if this "kid" turns out to actually be king of some of the most powerful gods around! How would I even act?

She had crossed the street and reached the front door and nervously rang the bell. After a moment, the door opened and a tall, handsome man, looking to be about in his early to mid-30's, opened the door. When the man looked at her curiously, Tari nervously waved a hand and smiled.

"Err, hi! I'm Tari, and I was wondering if you could tell me if you have a little boy here...about 8 and..." She stopped herself as a thought came to her. "Umm..I'm sorry, do you speak English?"

The man chuckled softly at the look of guilt on Tari's face. "Yes, as a matter of fact, I do happen to speak English," he smiled. "I am called Fahad. Please, come in."

"Thanks," Tari smiled back. She walked inside and was at once met with a poor, yet homely setting. There was a common room and lobby that had faded but clean sofas and furniture that gave it a somewhat private living room feel. On the floor was an elaborate Persian rug, filled with more colors and designs than Tari thought possible. To the side was an old yet still usable desk piled with paperwork and small stationary. Spread out around the rooms and on the floor were a few scattered toys and dolls, giving evidence to how popular it was to the children when they wanted a little quiet time. At the back there was a long staircase that Tari knew led to the many rooms and restrooms the children used.

Tari almost forgot the man standing next to her until he cleared his throat. "So..you were saying you were looking for someone?" the orphanage worker asked.

"Oh! Yes, I...err..was looking for a little boy here that might have witness that attack yesterday at your park? I....I just wanted to ask him a few questions, that's all." Tari clasped her hands behind her and hoped she looked innocent enough for him to trust.

"I see. Perhaps you can describe him? We have many young boys here." The man nodded, encouraging her to continue.

Tari thought for a moment. "Ummmm...kind of small for his age, large eyes, curly brown hair, seems really smart. Does that help? He didn't seem to speak English."

The man calling himself Fahad chuckled softly once more. "Sure...that only describes about over half the boys here about 8 years old!"

At Tari's groan of disappointment, he decided to take pity. "Tell you what, it's recess time, so most of the kids are in the building yard in the back. Perhaps you might see him there."

He beckoned her forward, and together they walked to the back and into the spacious yard where during school time in the orphanage, the children played. When they walked outside, there was a group of young looking boys playing basketball to the side, while other children played soccer or dodge ball.

"Not all the children are here, but...perhaps you might glimpse him here, or one of the children might know him." Fahad said, nodding his head.

"Thanks!" Tari quickly made her way to where the boys were playing basketball. She took a deep breath, hoping not make the kids nervous. She was just about to introduce herself when the basketball bounced off the hoop, and made straight for her. She raised her hands, jumped, and caught the ball expertly

All the boys turned to look at her curiously, having not seen her come up. "Errr...hi!" she grinned nervously. "Umm..can I play?"

The young boys looked at one another for a moment, then they shrugged and nodded, as though saying "sure, why not?"

With a smile, Tari put down her backpack and began dribbling the ball, her time playing basketball in school coming back to her. She wasn't the best, but she was really good, and was more than eager to show these boys how good she was!

The boys rushed forward, but she turned and twisted and ran past them all quickly, dribbling all the while. She faked left, right, and began doing little basketball tricks she learned to keep the boys from taking the ball from her at the last second. Then with a sly grin, Tari dashed forward toward the basketball hoop, jumped up high, and slam-dunk the ball through the net. When she landed a second after the basketball, all the children were looking at her in wonder.

"Whoa! Miss, you're good!" said an older looking, straight haired boy, looking to be about 11 or 12.

"Thanks!" Tari chuckled. "I didn't know I could still do it, it's been a while since I played!"

"Do it again!" said another little boy.

She gave him a regretful look. "I'm sorry, I can't right now, maybe later....I'm actually here looking for someone, a friend of yours. He's about 8 or 9, really shy, curly hair, and he might have seen what happened yesterday at that park next door. Do..any of you know him?"

All the children once again looked to each other, some thinking, others translating what she had said. After a moment, one little boy, slightly chubby, came up to her. He spoke quickly in Arabic and gestured with his hands.

"What did he say?" Tari looked to the other little boy next to him.

"He..he said, you might say about..talk about Alim. But he no here," the child said, struggling with his English.

"Do you know where I can find him? It's very important that I talk to him." She looked at the children with urgency. Oh, if only there was someway she could tell just how important it is! But she certainly didn't want to scare them with any stories about evil gods and giant snakes!

"If you are looking for Alim, he might be in the nurse's ward. He's been very sick." said the straight haired boy that first spoke to her.

"Really? Thank you, that really helps!" Tari quickly grabbed her backpack and put it on as she turned to leave. "Sa'laam!"

She was just about to dash off back into the orphanage, when there was a slight tremor that made her pause. The children also felt it, and looked around curiously.

Oh man, not now, not when I'm so close! Tari thought desperately. A feeling of dread overtook her, and she knew right then that if she didn't get the children out of here, they would all be in danger.

"Everyone!" she shouted, "You have to get out of here, NOW!" The children just looked at her in confusion for a moment...until a fissure suddenly cracked and opened up right in front of them and Tari. A glowing erupted from it, and it began to get bigger and bigger.

It was then that the group of children began to scream and run back towards the building. They had barely reached safely inside before two figures jumped out of the now wide open fissure, and landed right in front of the now alone Tari.

"You will not find the child before us!" yelled out Nak, growling deep in his throat and baring his teeth.

"What? How did you...?" She never had time to finish her question as both animal gods pulled out their swords and encircled Tari, their shadows quickly towering over her as she looked on in shock.

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To Be Continued...

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