The Egyptian Gods and The Ten Plagues of Egypt

Chapter 11: Nephthys

Day 22: around 10 A.M to 11 A.M.

Intending to apologize on behalf of his father, Nephthys decided to pay Sobek a visit. She finally found him outside Pi-Ramses, standing at the side of the River Nile. His focus was on the toppled boat in front of him. As he was chanting the spell to drive away the crocodiles, the humans could safely try to turn the boat back, and could safely gather the scattered objects. These humans surely had given burnt offerings that successfully satisfied him, who most likely was not in a good mood after being strangled by Geb the day before. Without his protection, not even a single wooden crate would survive the crocodiles' attack.

The crocodiles had a tendency to approach anything or anyone that happened to be near them. Sobek once explained that his pets did not have good eyesight, and depended mostly on their other senses. However, he also emphasized that they could still see and would possibly go for an object if it piqued their interest. With this fact, it was a mystery on how baby Moses, who was kept inside a rattan basket unprotected by his magic, did not attract the attention of these ferocious predators. It made most gods have their eyes on him, until he ran away from Egypt after killing a guard. Now that he had returned as Yahweh's emissary, the gods could finally take down the mystery that had been hung for so many years. Not something relieving, as what's lurking behind it was Yahweh's major plan to free The Hebrews.

After the boat had been turned around and the objects had been distributed to another boat, Sobek stopped chanting the spells, making the crocodiles curious again with these humans. He then immediately went to Nephthys. "My Lady Nephthys," he said as he bowed down.

"I'm sorry for what my father did to you yesterday."

"Ah...," Sobek responded awkwardly. "It's... not a problem..."

"You know you can be honest with me."

Sobek took a little while before he spoke again. "It's... shocking though," he said. "And actually...," he paused and glanced to the left and right. "I'm... quite angry."

"My father is in Aaru, and none of his troops or servants are here. Therefore I believe none will overhear your confession."

Sobek nodded a few times. "But I do understand why he reacted like that," he said. "So I guess... I won't consider it a problem anymore."

Nephthys smiled. "You have such a big heart," she said. "Honestly saying, this side of personality doesn't suit your crocodile helmet."

Sobek chuckled. "Everyone always says that only Ammit fits the crocodile helmet."

"You can't blame it though. She has to always deal with the sinners since her birth."

"Faster!!!" A guard close to Nephthys and Sobek suddenly exclaimed, making both look towards him. He grasped a whip and flogged the empty sands near him, causing the dust to float everywhere.

"If your quota can't be fulfilled, you will all work until night!" another guard exclaimed.

The Hebrews grunted, but there was nothing they could do but to obey the order. Carrying two or three stacks of straws, they hobbled towards the mud brick production site.

"Early this morning, I heard a bunch of people were protesting against Moses because of this additional task," Sobek said.

"That wouldn't be strange. Just two days ago they just had to concentrate on making mud bricks. Now they could no longer depend on the taskmaster to manage the straw collection."

"Do you think they will still listen to Moses or Aaron?"

"I hate to say it, but I do believe Yahweh will have His ways to change the situation."

"You may have your water break now!" two guards exclaimed. The Hebrews immediately dropped their stacks of straws and drank from their water pouches. They all drank the water to its last drop, making them hurriedly refill it from the river.

"It's just the second day and it's already this exhausting!" a slave said as he dropped his bottom on the sand. "And we can only rest for a short water break before resuming this endless work!"

"We have to trust Moses," another slave near him said. "He will carry out the mission Yahweh entrusted to him."

"Let me remind you that Moses is the reason why our tasks are doubled now," the first slave said. "I'd rather we stay here until death, than we have to toil like this."

"Have your faith in him, as he is the emissary of Yahweh."

"If I have to have faith in him, then I want to have faith that our work will return to normal again."

"I can't promise you that our work will return to normal again. But just for your information, Aaron and Moses are going to see Ramses again today."

"Today?" The first slave raised his neck and looked towards the second slave. "They won't do something that makes our work tripled, right?"

"That I also can't promise. But one thing I'm confident is Yahweh will demonstrate His power again through Aaron and Moses. I believe they might even be at Ramses' private dock now."

"Ramses' priv –"

"You two go back to work now!!" The guard exclaimed at the two slaves. "I'll flog if you don't get up on your feet now."

The second slave bowed to the guard. He then faced his friend again and helped him up. "Let's get back to work now," he said. The first slave only sighed, before he picked up the straws again.

"Aaron and Moses will come to visit Ramses again?" Sobek asked Nephthys.

"I think so," Nephthys said. "There's only one way to know," she paused as she turned to her chariot. "We have to go to Ramses' private dock now."