By morning, both my companion had in essence forgotten what the young Princess could do. I explained to her quickly in her mind so she would understand to be cautious around them if we happened to meet again.
“I will miss you Uncle Melchia.” she stated. “How will I reach you if you are needed once more?” she whispered mentally back to me.
“Call upon me and I will come to side my niece whenever you need me.” I responded calmly. “You know how to make your words nothing but the sound of the wind to the other gifted ones.” I mentally added. She smiled up at me before I embraced the newly weds. I turned slowly to walk with Sert and Meli back into the world to discover my actions and the origins of my companions had become words on the wind blowing ahead of us.
Priests and priestesses lined our pathway from the temple to the nearby town where some of the residents joined them on the sides of the dirt path. They hailed us as bringers of light into the world causing my companions nervousness and embarrassment. I reinforced my mental programming from the night before trying to calm them. Once pass the town, the trip become calm just to have more priests and peasants on the streets upon the next day as we crossed through a village. Only near night fall did I accept the priests' or people's offer for lodging. The temple big or small exalted us as “great guests from the mystic isle” while the normal Egyptians were more quiet about have such “noble guests accept their humble offer”.
I must be frank that my accepting the temple's offer had a secondary purpose than just giving us a secure place to sleep. Temples had library from which I could spirit away a few tomes of knowledge to keep Meli preoccupied during our voyage. I was surprised that neither of them had complained about the camel ride which they seemed to take in stride as the learned and saw wonders like nothing they had before in Atlantis. Being upon the “ships of the desert” did not dampen their enthusiasm as the rolling wave like gait of the camel beneath them went unnoticed.
We reach the delta of the Nile a week or so later in a small fishing town where we would cross over to Troy and the Roman lands. Here we would spend our last night in Egypt but not in a temple, I had a better place where an old friend could give us proper shelter. Little thunder had flew ahead to return with a resounding “I know!” from the owner of a unseemly looking inn. My only fear was the reception we might receive at Troy with rumours of war whispering in their ears.
I sent my companions to find the Blue Narcissus while I laboured at finding us passage to Troy. I sent little thunder to keep an eye on them during my absence. I rarely have felt my luck turn ill but that day nearly made me believe in true misfortune.
“I am telling you that you ask something that none but foolish would venture into.” the second skiff captain told me. “With the Greeks on the move, we know that a war at Troy is inevitable.” he explained sadly.
“Their ships are slower and you would have time to deposit us on the beach before they arrive.” I countered. He waved me off.
“Not enough gold in this world for me to risk that.” he added before walking away. I stood fuming for a few minutes. Half of the coins I had collected during my last few trips sat in Meli's hands making it even harder to purchase a skiff ride but most captains I knew accepted a promise as long as gold was in hand before they left port. I had already lost money when I sold the camels for half their worth but it would be easier then trying to have them transported to Troy.
Knowing that the rumours of war were coming into flesh did not annoy me much. I had not planned stopping at Troy itself. Many small villages far from the potential battle field made much better a location to stay than a city that could be under siege. My adoptive Greek and Roman “mothers” had been working very hard at keeping those two nations focus on each other and not the greater world around them but it did cause me minor problems now that I returned into their lands. Night had fallen as I found an old skiff with only a pair of deck hands upon it. Their captain was sitting at the end of the dock with a pole in hand attempting to fish.
“I seek passage to Troy.” I informed him bluntly.
“Not the best place to be heading at this time sir.” he replied casually. “If you have not heard, the Greeks are going to raze Troy to the ground because of some woman.” he added offhandedly.
“They are not upon Troy yet and it is built to handle a siege better than any other city ever built.” I returned quickly. “Dropping us upon the beach should keep you clear of any violence.”
“The port of Troy is the beach sir.” he retorted. “Fifty solid gold coins and we have a deal.” he added with a chuckle. This was more than I had planned but greed was but one effect of the corruption in the world.
“That is truly a high price to pay.” I countered pensively. “And it would have to be paid in the morning as me and my two companions board your vessel.” I mused slowly. “Or two hundred dinars now and thirty gold in the morning to secure our passage?” I hazarded.
“You have yourself a sealed agreement sir.” he returned. “I leave a little later than the others but best you be here for dawn none the less.” he continued. I nodded to him as we shook hands. I left without any other words rushing to find my friends safely in the Blue Narcissus.
Midnight passed as I reached the inn to find scenes I had not expected. Sert shadow spared with one of Anubis' guards while Meli opened a book from one of the three stacks that sat before her on the table. Anubis' dead priestess was covering him as he doze in a chair awaiting my return. I moved to the side of the priestess touching her forehead gently. The milky film poured from her eyes in white tears rolling slowly down her dried face.
“Great priestess?” I whispered to her. She turned to look at me with the eyes of the living. “Have you not been released from your servitude in death?” I asked quietly. She gazed at me half nodding and half shaking her head trying to communicate truthfully to me where the ability to use words lacked her.
“She refuses to leave and be judged by Thoth.” Anubis answered for her. I glanced at him realizing quickly that he still slept even if he spoke for the dead. “She will not explain why Thoth's judgement scares her so to me directly.” he uttered. My gift flared around me as I touched her mind finding only memories that held her trapped in this state.
“Taking in the child of your god's sworn enemy because she was alone and helpless is not a crime for he you serve or for Thoth.” I whispered calmly.
“Her cousin adored the chance to meet and play with her.” Anubis sleep-talked. “No crime in protecting and making a child happy if only for a time.”
“And it was Seth's daughter that stopped you when he came to reclaim her.” I muttered softly. “She wished to go with him so no harm would come to her cousin and all that were within the temple.” I added.
“You did all as you had been instructed, my priestess.” Anubis snored. She began shaking her head at his words. “Thoth will find you worthy to claim eternal bliss.” he continued. His eyes remained closed and his chest lifted slowly as he slept while defending the death as is his right. The priestess shook her head more violently in disagreement. She mouthed words soundlessly as frustration filled her eyes.
“Then let another judge you.” I stated darkly. “Let a being that stands high above your deities judge you worth to live or die once and for all noble priestess.” I continued. The shadows solidified into a cloak figure that moved to stand at my side. The unoccupied guard interception was cut short by Anubis' words.
“Let the Old One Death judge her if she will not submit to Thoth.” he stated harshly.
“With one touch from him you will either live once more cleansed of your past life but you must let Thoth judge you for that new life you are given once it reaches it's end.” I explained. Death held out a skeletal hand toward her in total silence. “Or you will die the final death and be no more.” I continued. Death stepped toward her with his outstretched bony hand. “Do you allow him that is above all to judge you?” I asked softly. She nodded turning fully to face Death nearly throwing herself at his his hand.
As his boney hand meet her dead flesh, swirls of darkness enveloped her from head to toe. A musical chuckle escaped Death as he withdrew his hand taking the darkness with it. She stood alive once more with a look of shock and amazement on her face. Tears of relief bubbled from her eyes washing the milky white tears stains from her cheeks. She took a long deep breath knowing with absolute certainty that she truly lived once more.
“Judgement passed my cousin.” Death stated musically. “She is more than worthy in her soul though fearful in her heart.” he added. He turned to face me fully.
“I thank you cousin for coming to my call even if our families cannot see peace between us.” I returned solemnly.
“The war is long over even if the Ancients still consider us few Old Ones as enemies.” he returned with a musical lilt.
“One day you will be called an Ancient One dear noble cousin.” I answered with a short bow. Death returned the bow to me before returning to disappear into the shadows. “Now do you wish to remain here to serve Anubis?” I asked his former priestess.
“Yes.” she said softly. Anubis jumped awake at her words. His gaze locked upon her as his jaw dropped.
“Favour returned without asking.” I stated to him. “One reformed priestess to serve you willingly old friend.” I added with a chuckle. Sert was suddenly moving toward us as Meli's face finally pulled itself away from the book in her hands. They looked bewildered as the spell that had kept them entertained finally dissolved from them.
“How?” Anubis whispered. His eyes remained locked with those of his priestess. “What happened while I slept?” he added suddenly. I could feel him attempting to look away from his priestess but her eyes kept him a prisoner.
“You spoke for the dead as is your life's duty.” I returned still chuckling. “My cousin Death was called to judge her so she could live once more to serve you.” I informed him. “But she must be judged by Thoth once this gifted life expires.” I concluded. Sert and Meli were at my side in silence. I could feel their confusion as they waited patiently for orders or an explanation.
“Death?” Anubis interjected. “The Old One Death here?” he exclaimed. His tones had risen nearly two octaves in pitch as he spoke.
“Yes my Lord Anubis.” the woman replied calmly. “He came to Melchia's call and I allowed him to judge me to have one more chance to serve you properly.” she concluded smiling.
“Should I call him back so we may sing you to sleep Nuby?” I asked with a louder chuckle. “He does love to sing so very much.” I added mirthfully.
“We missed a god showing up?” Meli stated aghast.
“All I remember was trading sword techniques with the guard while you indulged in the written word.” Sert comment back to her. “When did everything else happen?” he asked bluntly. He stared from me to Anubis but Anubis seemed too taken by his priestess to notice anything else.
“To bed both of you.” I ordered still chuckling softly. “The skiff departs early in the morning and costs too much for me to get a second one.” I added. I sighed once more about the events I was about to lead them into but life is not made to be simple, at least not life as it comes to me.
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