War Of Egypt II • The Persians

Prologue

    The orange fiery tinge burned the horizon in the sunset. But it was not the rays of the sun, nor was it the colors of the desert maidens who crossed the earth every night in beauty. Smoke and fire blackened the skies, the earth and the streets through the city. The mortal buildings collapsed; screams of terror, the wailing of women encased the night that had fallen upon Egypt. Set had scorched the land.

    In the palace, high up on the hills overlooking the desctruction. Two gods stormed across the balcony; one pleading, and the other, oblivious. The goddess finally reached out and grabbed the god as he was about to disappear and he stopped in his tracks. The growling of the jackal lowered into silence and instead of the symbolizing jackal head, the form faded away to reveal a handsome but grim god beneath the heavy war attire. He sighed and turned back to look at the goddess on her knees before him.

   "Please," she pleaded with heartbreak. "I know it is hard, but you have to help me. You have to help your aunt Isis, the goddess of the earth. Your father brought great destruction to Egypt and without his brother Osiris, Isis cannot do her part to mother the earth. The crops have started to whiter and the animals continue to die—the mortals even!"

   "It is not my part mother," responded the god as he placed a hand upon her shoulder and gazed over her head.

   "Help us, son. You will be a hero, your name will be forevermore. Do not aid you father by doing nothing, Anubis. Do not."

   "If only the gods realized how weak he truly is, then he can be defeated easily," stated Anubis. And when Nephthys, the goddess of protection said nothing, he then noticed the heavy gold shawl around her shoulders, shielding her down to her feet. Anubis clenched his staff and moved around her figure. Slightly lowering his body over her, he made for the shawl but before he could reach it, Nephthys moved with godly speed and calmly stood at the opposite end of the balcony, far from his grasp. She hugged the shawl closer to her, Anubis could see a dark pain clouding her gaze.

    His eyes narrowed as he caught the sight of gold-like liquid seeping through the shawl on her back. In a flash he made another attempt for the cloak and this time succeeded. Nephthys wailed and fell to her knees before her son. Anubis dropped the cloak into the wind and stared down in horror and sadness at his mother. Her back was shining as inchor streaked down her shoulders, her wings—they were gone.

    Anubis's ghastly roar, alike to that of a thousand underworld demons, filled the temple. This was going to end, there was no way he would let his father get away after he had taken something so important from his own mother. Nephthys was the goddess of beasts as well as protection, she relied on her wings more than the other gods did. The only one to destroy Set would be Horus, the son of Osiris, but first Anubis had to help his mother. The only way to Horus was through his mother and father.

   "I will seek the Enneads to restore Osiris," he promised and knelt down beside his mother. "Set will pay for what he has done. I am just glad my little brother is not around to witness this...I...I am sorry mother."

   "Will you help me...help our family?"

   "Whatever it takes, mother."

♕ 🌟 ♕ 🌟 ♕ 🌟

—Exact time in a kingdom far beyond the sands and skies of Egypt—

  
   "My lord, my lord we cannot aid them, oh glorified one. We have sent back word no such thing will occur, not while our own empire is in turmoil. Please my lord, the Egyptians will understand. And—and they have many allies that will come to their aid."

   The scribe trembled and delivered his message, instantly stepping back and bowing his entire figure to the cold hard golden floors of the gigantic palace. He flipped his head to the side and saw his companions almost to the point of tears. They could hear it resonate through the floors even though the footsteps were soft and gentle. The scribe could feel the presence of a powerful being engulf him into a mixture of conflicting feelings; fear and terror as well as honor and amazement. He closed his eyes and trembled, the sweat dropping onto the polished floors.