The Egyptian Gods and The Ten Plagues of Egypt

Chapter 19: Nephthys

Day 33 (Night, near midnight)

Nearing sunset, all the lice suddenly dropped dead. Not just that, the carcasses went beneath the ground, leaving no traces at all. It was good news, as the gods had been so exhausted, despite the fact that most gods had come to help. Now that the lice had all gone, they could fully cure everyone, without having to worry that these insects would bite them again. 

After the last person was healed, the gods dropped to the ground; they all tried to adjust their breathing rhythm. The exhaustion apparently made them care less about Geb, whose presence grew weaker beneath the ground. Worried about her father, Nephthys approached Ra.

"Has Yahweh intended to kill my father for his disobedience?"

"I'm not convinced he has that intention," Ra said. "If Yahweh has the habit of slaying to death anyone rebelling against Him, then I, Thoth, and the others who were also labeled The Fallen Angels, would be pulverized for our rebellion."

"Then will He heal father?"

"That I cannot answer. Nobody could ever dive deep into His way of thinking, not even The Seven Archangels."

Nephthys sighed in disappointment.

"If Geb decides to surrender, then probably Yahweh will restore him," Ra said. "As for now, I'd recommend you to just go back and take a proper rest."

"I will, Lord Ra," Nephthys nodded. "You should also take a proper rest. It's not that long until you have to deal with Apophis again.

"I have my loyal team here," Ra said as he glanced at Sekhmet, Bastet, Kephri and Atum. "They're also exhausted, but we will get back on our feet –"

"Lady Isis!!" someone suddenly shouted. Nephthys turned around, and she was instantly shocked upon seeing her sister lying down on the ground. She rushed to her and grabbed her right arm, attempting to sense the flow of the divine energy. 

It was not easy to feel the flow; almost like the heartbeat of a human whose soul was being pulled out by death. Nephthys quickly channeled her power into Isis’ arm, and so did Ra. He looked towards his team and exclaimed, “Get me Benben now!”

Sekhmet nodded and lurched towards Mandjet. Before long, she returned with Benben and handed the object to Ra. While hugging it to his chest, it glowed, obviously showing to everyone that Ra was absorbing the contained energy. With his hand still grasping Isis’ wrist, it was crystal clear that he was channeling the additional power into the healing goddess.

"Isis was the activator of the healing spell, yet her exertion was bigger than her limit," Ra said. But she’ll hold on for now. All she needs is sufficient rest.”

“Thank you, Lord Ra,” Nephthys bowed down her head. “You and your team are not in your prime, yet you sacrifice some energy in Benben to save my sister.”

“Don’t call it sacrifice,” Ra said as he stood up. “We cannot afford to lose someone whom we clearly could help.”

“I call it ‘sacrifice’ because in your and your team’s current state, it will be more challenging to fight Apophis. That’s why the dependency on Benben will get much higher than usual.”

“Once again, do not say that,” Ra said. “Besides, we still have some time to eat and rest. Furthermore, remember that we’ve done this thousands of times since the birth of Apophis. Surely we have enough experience to defeat him using the same strategy.”

“I sincerely hope the battle will stay smooth like the previous battles,” Nephthys said. 

“Bastet, please help Lady Nephthys carry Lady Isis to the chariot,” Ra said; immediately the goddess with the cat helmet did as she was instructed to.