Superman: Legend of Isis - Henry Cavill/Superman Fanfiction

Part 9: Sect of Sethos

NAPANA POV

I watched the television accounts with mounting rage.

Isis alive? And our Sethos is not?

I looked over at the unmarked sarcophagus which was found in a shaft near Amenhotep III, though he was buried later. Those archaeologists would have found out if we hadn't stolen everything and killed a few people. It was fate that we found it-that they did. We'd not had the body for a year.

"How can we bring him back?"

I stirred from my thoughts to see Ahote, standing and staring at the sarcophagus.

"Work is being done as we speak," I told him. "As soon as Isis made her appearance, I sent Powaqa to the revival site." He smiled. "We have potential allies already on their way to meet with us."

"Who?"

"Terrorists, of course."

Ahote frowns. "Terrorists?"

"From Syria?"

Ahote's face lit with understanding. "Ah."

"I told them they would come to us one day, needing our help," I nodded. "After the goddess attacked them for their name, I knew it was a matter of time."

"So what are we doing?"

"We will meet the Syrians at the temple."

"Mount Catherine?"

"No," I shrugged. "We are going to the temple." I took a deep breath and leveled my gaze at the young man before me. "We can summon the heavens to strike Sethos alive."

"What?"

"That is the plan," I told him. "Syrians are bringing the life water, and we have the ritual to perform."

It took many men to move the stone sarcophagus, but we had enough. Many were tired of Isis coming back from the dead and trying to tell us what to do, and who to be! And why didn't Chinzara tell me? I thought, even though we did not protect the same deity, he would tell if we could bring back any of the days of old.

But no matter. I found out, and did what I must.

When the moon rose, my men and I began our journey to the Valley of Kings with Seth. The temple awaited in silence in the night as we prayed to all who could hear that we needed help to complete the mission. We knew of pharaohs and kings who worshiped Set if only to keep chaos and destruction at bay, calling to their graves to raise their voices to allow Seth to rise again.

When we arrived we praised the night. We walked through the temple entrance, feeling small as we walked man made canyon walls that presented only the sky as a nightlight. We gravitated toward the moon steadily as though we could catch it. Carrying Sethos, we believed we could.

We could see the others up ahead. They looked anxious as the skies thundered above us but did not yield a drop of rain.

"Pahana! Ahote!" I called. They nodded and headed the movement of the sarcophagus to the altar. They leveraged it with strong leather pulleys and lifted it onto it. From the shadows came a group of men, one leading four guarding a dozen men with huge jugs "You have it?"

A dozen men each held large jugs looking at us. One stepped forward, partially removing his head garment. "Yes. I see you have come through as promised."

I gave a small smile and looked to the heavens. "Shall we start?"

We hurried to an altar and lifted the sarcophagus onto it. The men anxiously poured the water into the sarcophagus, emerging the body as I read from the Book of the Dead. I had the spell and prayer almost memorized; it was part of me. My chants grew louder as the darkness seemed to envelope the heavens. The skies became starless. Even the moon seemed to dim in retreat watching what was about to happen.

And my heart sang. How long had we been looking for Sethos? How long had we been separated from him who brought us victory thousands of years ago, even though it was short lived? It was genius for them to hide him in an unmarked shaft grave in the Valley of Kings. And yet, as if fate had deemed it so, we found him, and Isis was even alive, no less!

"O you sycomore of the sky," I prayed loudly to the heavens. "may there be given to him the air which is in it, for it is he who sought out that throne in the midst of Wenu [Hermopolis]. I have guarded this egg of the Great Cackler. If it grows, he grows; if it lives, he live: if it breathes air, he breathes air."

The lightning began to blink in the sky, a sign that once again, this was meant to be.

"Oh you sole one who shine in the moon, O you sole one who glow in the sun, may Sethos go forth from those multitudes of yours who are outside, mahy those who are in the sunshine release him, may the Netherworld be open to him when Sethos goes out into the day in order to do what he wishes to do on earth among the living!"

Everyone backed away from the altar as the lightning seemed to be closer than ever. I kept changing and then lightning struck. We were all thrown back by the power.

Then, someone sat up!

Others retreated in fear, but I slowly crawled to altar.

It was him! It was Sethos!

He looked about tiredly and then down at me. "Servant."

I bowed deeply. I was already on my knees.

"How long has it been, loyal one?"

I breathed a sigh of relief. "Too long my lord, too long."