Trial of Anubis

٢: WRAITH

      Anuka adjusted Azizi's body over his shoulder as they stood in front of CLEOPATRA A'LA NILE. The glass crunched underneath their boots as the three men stood there, wondering what to do. The building (if you could call it that anymore) had the top half blown out and the outside wasn't any better―the chances of tourists and locals seeing it was slim, but if they happened to stumble across the hotel, the condition could attract suspicion.

      "At least the kid didn't put up much of a fight," Anuka grunted.

      Wraith kicked up the sand under his feet, "Can you use your Ancient Arts to fix this?"

      "My Arts cannot manipulate Ungifted territory. I could fix an Apis bull's temper, but not this," Isfet shielded his eyes with his left hand and turned to look at the hotel.

      "We better get out of here before Ungifted spot us. . .I hate Luxor," Anuka growled.

      "I told you already, my cloaking spells work fine and in your disguise? Nobody would ever suspect you as a Son of Anubis," Isfet shot back defensively.

      "You gave me a fez," Anuka snarled in annoyance.

      "I'll give you a moustache next time," Isfet flipped the cover on one of the pockets on his vest and glared at his comrade, taking up the un-implied challenge.

      "Anytime now ladies," Wraith pinched his brows. "We need to reach the Cynopolis before sun down, and even with an Ancient Art it will still take time on foot. I do not want to keep Anubis waiting."

      "Ancient Art!" Isfet slammed his palm against a small pale scroll that unfurled at his touch. Sand erupted from the small rectangle and Anuka's body, along with Azizi, dissolved into small grains of sand which were sucked into the golden rectangle.

      "Your turn Wraith," Isfet gestured.

      "One moment," Wraith pressed his tattooed palms together and focussed his inner energy, "Ta."

      Wraith spoke the Egyptian word for earth and tapped two fingers against the sand beneath his feet. Three circles of mud swirled anti-clockwise by his toes for a few moments before three large blobs of clay spewed out. As the clay solidified and took shape, their images became clear; three black jackals with iridescent amber eyes growled in anticipation at their master. 

      Wraith cut his palm with the side of the Khepesh and let three drops hit the ground. In doing so, the jackals kicked up the sand beneath their slender paws.

      "With this blood, you shall be connected to me. Be my eyes and ears to warn me of more worthy souls," as he dismissed them, the jackals lapped up the specks of blood. The Shabti split off in different directions, moving faster than what an Ungifted eye could capture.

      Wraith then nodded at Isfet to continue the Ancient Art; he closed his blowing eyes and as he did so, Wraith felt his body become light as the sand vortex swept him away to the Cynopolis.

• • •

      The marsh of Hermopolis sloshed under their boots. The papyrus and lotus plants tangled around the Sons of Anubis' legs as they waded to the west back of the Nile. The green that clung to them looked dark in the fading light of day; they only had a few hours before the sun set over the Red Lands.

      "You could've at least transported us to the right bank," Anuka glared at Isfet as he adjusted Azizi's limp body once more.

      Isfet looked a little offended by his remark, "I did! You just decided to swim across towards the west instead of the east!"