by Unknown
“Those are the ushabti I told you about. They remain aboard the rafts until they're needed,” Re indicated the shadowy forms crowding the rafts and I frowned at them. They seemed familiar, almost in a deja vu way. But then Re waved at the men across the river and I let it go, “And those are the gods who look after my followers.”
“You can't look after your own followers?” I lifted a brow at him.
“No, I'm much too important for that,” he winked at me. “Besides, I've already provided them with a beautiful kingdom to inhabit, I don't think I should have to look after them as well.”
“Uh huh,” I focused back on the river.
The river didn't really go anywhere, so I guess it was really a lake. Or maybe you could call it a dammed river (dammed not damned) since at both ends there were massive walls, stretching out to the riverbanks and cutting off the flow from both directions. The walls on our left went on endlessly through Re's territory but the walls on the right angled away, forming a box. I would have called it a building but it didn't seem to have a roof.
What it did have was a doorway; a passage which was right over the water but completely covered by tall, wood doors which extended down into the river. The walls on our left had a similar passage, narrow and tall, with wood doors barring the way, but they also had a pair of hooded snakes guarding them. Snakes as big as I was in dragon form... and they were breathing a constant stream of fire.
“Why is the fire sparking like that?” I waved to the snakes.
“They're venomous too,” Re said proudly.
“Nice,” I grinned and glanced back at the snake-free gate on our right.
“Within those walls lies the first country beyond the Gates to Aaru,” Re waved his hand to the walls I'd been contemplating. “Duat is considered a separate country within our connected territories and the gate provides passage for the worthy souls to get from there to here. It's similar to a tracing room, except you can only trace to one place and it's a one-way ride.”
“Interesting. So you can only travel down the river, not up it,” I returned my gaze to the snakes. “Are there more of these gates further down?”
“Several more,” he nodded. “Each gate opens onto another country of Aaru, or sub-territory if you'd prefer. I rule a couple of them but Osiris and Isis have the largest. They need it for the souls. There's also some other gods living here; Sokar, Khepera, and Apep... he's a snake-shifter, you'd probably get along well with him.”
“Snake-shifter? Like a naga?”
“Similar,” Re nodded but then the gates on our right opened and a sleek boat glided through on a rush of water. He waved towards it excitedly. “This is what I wanted to show you. The Heteptiu souls have arrived.”
“Really?” I looked towards the boat curiously.
The boat was of a simple design, sleek as the old Egyptian crafts were. There was no sail or oars but it still kept gliding down the center of the river, straight towards the snake gate. I could only assume that the rush of the previously dammed up water must have helped to carry it along. Either that or it was magic. Whatever the case, the boat moved onward, carrying its cargo of solemn passengers. Some of them spotted us and word spread. Soon, they were all standing at the railing, crying out to us.
“What are they saying?” I glanced up at Re.
“Oh, the usual,” he waved at them casually. “Hail Great Re, that sort of thing.”
“Go figure,” I rolled my eyes. “No wonder you're so full of yourself. Do you come down here everyday just so you can hear them worship you?”
“No,” he huffed, obviously offended. “I don't have to come here for that. I have servants, remember?”
“I'm going to slap you really hard,” I warned him. “Because you're obviously in need of a wake-up call or an intervention or something. This is ridiculous,” I pointed at the crying souls. Like literally crying, some of them were sobbing in joy to see their golden god.
“I think it's quite wonderful,” he protested.
“Of course you do,” I grimaced. “You're the Sun God -comma-Re. Re, the Great and Powerful. Re, the God of Chippendales. Re the Head of the Egyptian Pantheon. Re-”
“I'm sorry, what was that last one?” He asked with a smile.
“The Head of the Egyptian Pantheon?” I asked innocently.
“No, the one before that,” he insisted.
“The God of Chippendales,” I sighed. “Come on, I've used that joke on you before.”
“But being compared to male strippers never gets old,” he laughed.
“Please tell me you're not the one who dances around that stripper pole in your bedroom,” I begged.
“No, of course not,” he huffed. “I don't need a pole to pose with while I strip.”
“That's a relief,” I sighed.
“The fact that my body is being revealed is entertainment enough,” he smiled wickedly.
“You know, I have to tell you; I've met a lot of egotistical gods but you take the cake,” I shook my head. “And that says a lot.”
“What kind of cake?” He lifted a dark brow. “Can I have it and eat it?”
“Knowing you, it would be one of those giant cakes with a half-naked woman popping out of it,” I snorted, ignoring his eating comment.
“Only if you'll consent to be that woman,” he licked his lips like he could already taste the frosting.
“Not happening,” I huffed but then movement caught my eye.
As we'd been talking, one of the six gods standing on the other shore, had rowed out to the soul boat on a large raft. The souls had left their boat for the raft and now they were being rowed to the shore.
“Where are they going?” I asked Re.
“To the afterlife I've provided for them,” he sighed. “Haven't you been listening?”
“But wait,” I frowned, trying to remember what I'd heard of the Egyptian afterlife. “I thought they had to pass through a whole bunch of gates before they got to their afterlife?”
“That's only for the followers of Osiris,” Re grimaced. “Just past those gates,” he waved towards the snakes, “is Osiris' Kingdom. His souls take another boat into it and they're met by a minor god, Akhabit. He leads them towards the Twenty-One Gates of Sekhet-Aaru, each one guarded by demons. They have to pass through the gates to get into Sekhet-Aaru, the Field of Reeds.”
“Okay, so some of the souls come here and the rest go into Osiris' Kingdom. I assume there are more god territories past that. But where exactly does the river lead?” I inquired.
“To Hell,” he answered soberly. “After that, it's cut off by the Aether, forced underground to return to its head and recirculate.”
“The Aether?” I blinked in surprise.
“There's a gate at the end of Aaru and going through it is like touching a tracing point. You'd be launched directly into the Aether, a situation which wouldn't be so great for a human soul but is rather convenient for us gods.”
“You're not worried about the souls making it that far?” I asked.
“They're met and guided by gods, so there's little chance of that happening,” Re shrugged.
“Wait... Hell?” I frowned. “I thought the evil souls got eaten by Ammut and destroyed. Isn't her name the Destroyer?”
“Yes but she's actually a connection to Hell,” he explained. “A physical gate. When Ammut consumes a heart, she takes a piece of that soul into herself and transports it to our version of Hell. The piece serves as both an anchor and a lead, pulling the rest of the soul to it. Unworthy souls don't get to ride either boat.”
“Through the mouth of a goddess and straight into Hell,” I mused. “That's horrifying.”
“I didn't come up with it,” he shrugged.
“Yeah, yeah, I know,” I sighed. “It's all humanity's fault. Us and our crazy imaginations.”
I looked back to the empty soul boat and saw that it wasn't actually empty. There was the ghostly figure of a woman standing on deck. Ironically, souls don't look like g
hosts. In the God Realm, souls could appear as solid as a living person, if they were joined to a god. If not, they were invisible. This woman did not look solid and yet she was still visible. But she was very wispy, her long hair trailing back into vanishing ribbons as she stood at the prow. Then the boat reached the gate and the ghost lady called something out in Egyptian. The snakes stopped spewing flames and slid back, the doors opened, and the boat sailed through on a rush of water.
“What was all that about?” I asked Re.
“Every gate in Aaru, be it one of Osiris' twenty-one or those on the watercourse, can be opened with the correct words,” Re grimaced. “But that's a lot to remember and even those Egyptians who've remained true to the old religion don't often recall them all. Personally, I believe that if you're judged worthy by Ma'at, you should get your afterlife. I'm not into testing the good souls, like Osiris is.”
“So what did you do?” I prompted.
“I created Heka, Goddess of the Word, to lead my followers through the gates,” he grinned sheepishly. “She's a magical hologram, programmed with specific greetings, trigger words to respond to, and instructions to impart. She speaks the proper words at each gate so the souls can just relax and sail through.”
“That's nice of you,” I watched the snakes slide back into place. “But why so many gates, if your souls stay here and Osiris' get off in the next territory?”
“The watercourse wasn't meant for just the souls,” Re sighed. “This is the journey I am supposed to make every night, lying dead in a boat.”
“What?” I lifted my brows. “That's a little macabre.”
“You're right! It absolutely is, enough of this,” he declared and took my arm. “Time for more pleasant pursuits.”
“Already?” I lifted a brow. “I thought we'd spend a little more time talking first.”
“Not those pursuits,” he laughed. “I want to introduce you to the Spirits.”
“Oh,” I nodded sagely. “Yes, the Not-Children of the Corn.”
“Yes, them,” he slid his gaze over to me as we walked and I held it.
It struck me then how easy it had become to look at him. Now that I knew I could have him, his beauty was no longer a taunt. I could simply enjoy it... though perhaps I should try to do so surreptitiously so I wouldn't add to his astounding ego.
We came to a sprawling collection of buildings in the middle of an orchard. There were several varieties of fruit hanging from the trees and beyond the orchard were fields of barley and wheat. They made a gentle shushing sound when the breeze picked up. It was calming, as was the scent of ripening fruit, and I found myself smiling. Re led me up a crushed stone path to the front steps of the main building and I glimpsed a vegetable garden going around the side. We climbed the steps and went to the front door.
“Where's the corn?” I asked Re as he knocked.
“It's in the back,” a woman said as she opened the simple, white door.
I flinched, startled. “What were you doing; waiting right behind the door?”
She was a tiny thing and I'm only five-foot-three, so that says a lot. She barely reached my shoulder but she had a huge presence and an even bigger smile. Her teeth were shockingly white against her coffee colored skin and the look in her dark eyes matched the warmth of her grin. Her hair was pale yellow, almost white, and very long, trailing almost to the floor in a thick braid. She had on a bright white tunic, belted with a gold cord.
“I saw you walking up,” she confessed. “I'm Besa,” she held her hand out to me and I shook it.
“Vervain,” I said. “Nice to meet you.”
“Come in, please,” she waved us inside. “I'll fetch my sisters.”
She wandered off while Re led me into a comfortable living room. There were woven rag rugs, overstuffed couches upholstered in floral fabric, lace doilies lying beneath crystal baskets, and a stack of wood near the fireplace. Not at all what I was expecting from Egyptian spirits.
There was a bit of a commotion from the back of the house with the sounds of exclamatory voices. I frowned at Re but he just shook his head with a smile. Then two women rounded the corner into the living room with Besa trailing after them. They both had the same coloring as Besa; dark skin and eyes, with that pale, butter-colored hair. They were also dressed the same; in white tunics and gold belts.
“He does have a woman with him!” One of the new ladies exclaimed. She was much taller than Besa, willowy thin and very graceful looking. Her hair was up in a bun on top of her head, emphasizing her angular features.
“He sure does!” The last woman peered at me like I was a rare plant, her dark eyes wide and her little mouth starting to hang open. She was of a height somewhere between the other two and her features seemed to be a blending of the tall one's angles and Besa's softness; a sharp nose with rounded cheeks. Her hair hung free so that I could see how fine the strands were, and how wispy. The lifted a little in the breeze like fluff... or cornsilk. That was it; they had cornsilk hair.
“And this is shocking?” I asked them.
“You don't know the half of it, honey,” the tallest one walked forward and stuck her hand out at me. “I'm Tepu-yn and this is my sister, Nepra. Are you really the Godhunter?”
“Word travels fast,” I shot a look to Re as I shook her hand.
“Servants talk,” Tepu-yn shrugged. “So it's true?”
“Yes, it's true,” I confirmed.
“The same one Anubis captured?” Nepra came forward.
“No, the other Godhunter Anubis captured,” Tepu-yn rolled her eyes.
“Does everyone have to bring that up?” I grumbled.
“Nepra,” Besa chided. “She's right, that was rude.”
“I just wanted to know,” Nepra pouted.
“It's only of note to us because that was when Re first met you,” Besa explained. “And we recall his interest from back then.”
“It's surprising that he has waited so long to bed you,” Tepu-yn nodded and took a seat across from us on one of the couches.
“And this conversation just keeps getting better,” I groaned.
“Ladies please,” Re held up his hands. “I didn't bring Vervain here to be harassed. I just thought you'd like to meet her.”
“Since she's the first woman in ages who's held your interest for longer than a night?” Nepra asked.
“In ages and ages,” Besa added.
“Like since we've known him,” Tepu-yn nodded. “What did you do to him?” She leaned towards me conspiratorially. “Was it something with your tongue?”
“Tepu!” Besa smacked her sister in the arm.
“What?” Tepu-yn growled. “It's a valid question.”
“Was it?” Nepra took over.
“Um,” I looked to Re for help but he was too busy trying to hold back his laughter. “I don't believe so.”
“Our magic blended,” Re finally was able to speak. “It was phenomenal.”
“Your magic?” Besa blinked and looked to me. “What do you hold that would blend with the Sun?”
“The Moon,” I said soberly.
All three women inhaled in delight and sat back to smile at us.
“Absolutely,” Tepu-yn said.
“Perfect,” Besa added.
“You were meant for each other,” Nepra surmised.
“There are other sun gods,” Re chided them.
“None like you,” Besa huffed.
“And other moon goddesses,” I added.
“None that have held his interest,” Nepra shook her head.
“Well, it's rather soon to say that I've held his interest,” I chuckled. “It's only been a couple of days.”
“Didn't you hear me say he's been captivated by you since Anubis had you?” Besa asked with lifted brows.
“What?” I looked to Re for confirmation but he was busy giving Besa an irritated scowl. “Is that true?” I demanded his attention.
“You're an interesting woman,” Re sighed. “But I could hardly sed
uce you after Anubis mistreated you so horribly. It would be taking advantage of a vulnerable woman and I'd never do that.”
“And I had all my other men,” I noted.
“That too,” he took a deep breath and looked back at the Spirits. “If I'd known you were going to divulge all of my secrets, I wouldn't have brought her here.”
“Hardly a secret,” Tepu-yn huffed.
“That you found her attractive,” Nepra finished.
“You like strong women,” Besa nodded. “It's not surprising that the Godhunter would pique your interest.”
“But what is surprising,” Tepu-yn started again.
“Is that you're still interested,” Nepra added.
“Even though she has multiple lovers,” Besa turned to me. “He's never been the jealous type but we think that's more due to apathy than ego.”
“Well, he's not lacking in ego either,” I grimaced and the women laughed.
“Exactly why we're so surprised,” Tepu-yn declared.
“If you're important enough to bring here,” Nepra mused.
“Then you're important enough to possess,” Besa concluded. “And be possessive with.”
“Could you please cease your efforts to embarrass me?” Re sighed. “You know it won't work.”
“Hmmm,” Tepu-yn pondered the Sun God, Re. “I think he's up to something.”
“He's always up to something,” Nepra agreed.
“He's never up to anything,” Besa rolled her eyes. “Which means that he's so bored, he's probably up to something this time.”
“Are you up to something?” I asked him with twitching lips.
“Yes,” he admitted instantly. “I'm trying to lure you into my life by introducing you to my friends. Unfortunately, they're acting like ninnies at the moment.”
“Ninnies?!” Tepu-yn gasped.
“Uncalled for!” Nepra exclaimed.
“Unacceptable!” Besa declared.
“I like them,” I nodded.
“Oh, we like you too, Godhunter” Besa instantly turned a warm smile in my direction.
“You're lovely,” Nepra added.