War Of Egypt

49: Pride of the Underworld

  "You brought us here? Why?!" Exclaimed Nefti, gawking at the god of dead. Anubis stood with his dreary expression, looking twice the god of dead he usually was back in the land of the living. Dressed in black and silver from head to toe, a gold and black crown upon his head and his staff in his hand, Anubis moved aside and lifted his arms to the doors of his palace. The gigantic black and silver hieroglyphiced doors started to groan loudly and slowly they opened wide to show the gleaming darkness of the hallway leading into the assumingly empty palace.
   Bhhzzzzt!
   In the blink of an eye, Nefti lifted her sword and reflected the lighting bolt off before it reached the ground beside Ametis. The goddess did not flinch or show any sign of a reaction, she only stared at Anubis in silence. Nefti stared up into the darkness of the louds and eyed the flashes of bolts that cut through.
   The god of the dead smiled darkly and stepped aside, gesturing to the open door before them. "Nice show Nefti my dear, however it tends to get worse after a while so I recommend you step inside or else join my line down in my valley. One strike from these lightning bolts and you are dead; immortal or mortal."
  "Gods do not proceed with death as humans do," remarked Nefti, holding onto her sword and approaching Anubis. He let her pass through into the palace.
  "You know what I mean Nefti," Anubis said and looked at the three deities left remaining outside after Nefti entered his palace. His eyes danced along their faces and he took in their expressions, particularly the Princess's. "Ametis, do not start this before it has begun. Besides, it is your duty to introduce these two fine gods to me."
  "Of course, forgive me lord Anubis." And with that, Ametis turned to her sons and nodded in agreement. Ahmes went in first, Ametis followed and Atenosis waited until Anubis started closing the doors before he quietly walked in and followed behind the god. The doors groaned lowly behind them as they close shut with a final thud.
   The Palace of the Dead carried the same air as the rest of the Kingdom and the ruler did. It was dark; built on black crystals, the only other course of light within the palace other than the torches was the gleam of the fire reflecting off the diamonds embedded in the polished walls and floors. The silence was thick. Every step could be heard and every tinkling of the jewelry worn by each of the gods could be heard as it brushed against it's wearer. Anubis walked ahead of the other gods and led the way into his throne room.
   There were three black thrones present. All three shaped from the crystal foundation of the palace, molded to the floor itself, and shimmering eerily with the forbidden gems of the Underworld. Anubis walked up and instead of sitting, he lingered nearby and looked upon the three thrones. Something told Ametis he was not going to take his spot on the throne.
   Anubis chuckled deeply, but there was no sense of happiness or emotion in his laugh. "Three thrones for three people. I built this when I came into being as the lord of the dead. For certain, the living can not enter the land of the dead, but it is the thought that counts."
  "What are you speaking of lord Anubis?" Asked Nefti.
  Anubis tossed his cloak off his arm and pointed at the thrones starting from the right, "Nephthys, Set, Kha, and Anubis." After his own name, the staff lingered in an empty spot beside the last throne. Everyone looked there.
  "There is no fourth throne," Ametis stated with a slight raise of her head. She was smart, "you destroyed it."
  "Yes. Yes I did," responded Anubis closing his eyes. "They were just representations of the people who mattered the most, even though they would never set foot in the land of the dead. These thrones represent power. After the first battle, I wanted to destroy them and was stopped by Amiid but not before I destroyed my own. He said it that a new successor would accurately fill all the remaining thrones. I assumed that was him, as I assumed it was Kha before and me previously. But you see we never made it and I wondered how Amiid's words were true...until this evening when you were born."
    Ametis followed the direction Anubis's staff was pointing and came face to face with Atenosis. "No. His name is Atenosis, meaning gifted one of the sun!"
  "You switched names. Ahmes is referring to the moon and Aten is to the sun; darkness and light. But perhaps there was no mistake," continued Anubis with serious eyes, "the moon is a symbol of tranquility and balance while the sun represents power and direction. These two gods represent you and Kha perfectly and they balance the good and bad in the world."
  "Evil—you mean," said Atenosis in the back as he watched Anubis carefully.
  "No dear Atenosis, there is a difference between bad and evil and you know it. I know about your situation, that is why I brought you here easily. Even the Underworld itself seems to understand the significance and importance of your presence my nephew, otherwise it would have been tricky to drag your living souls here."
  "What are you talking about?" Ahmes said and looked over at his brother, "what situation?"
   Ametis stepped forth and looked Anubis directly in the face, "what are you hiding Anubis?"
   The god of the dead sighed and started walking towards Atenosis. Ametis knew he would not harm her or her sons, but Nefti's instincts clicked and she moved closer to the twins. Her hand always on her sword as she took in the approaching god. Anubis stopped in front of Atenosis and gazed at him in silence. "Princess, your son has different colored eyes to the sacred gold of the gods. His is silver and...he is blind."
  "Blind?!" Exclaimed Nefti throwing a quick gaze to Ametis and back at Atenosis. "That is impossible, Atenosis can see perfectly."
  "Shapes—the color fades off while after while," corrected Ahmes for his brother. "He is not blind in the sense he does not see at all, but in another way we assume."
   Ametis looked down at the black floors of the palace and glanced at her reflection in the crystal surface. "You have something to tell, lord Anubis." She said quietly before lifting her head up and gazing over to him with her gold black eyes.
   The god looked at her for a while, at Atenosis and then slammed his staff into the floor of the palace. The same black mist appeared and started to swirl and transition around the gods before centering itself in the middle, Anubis looked at Atenosis with a smile. "It is time."
   Atenosis slowly nodded, as if he was just understanding. Anubis raised his staff to the middle of the dark vapor and as he did so, images formed and a scenery was produced forth. It was the Temple of the Gods with the inhabitants still inside.
   Nefti craned her head forward and gazed at the vison. "This is in the land of the living as we speak?"
  "Yes, and this is right now in the land of the dead," droned Anubis before twisting his staff on the images and causing them to fade and reappear with the bleak and dreary scenery of the underworld. The lost souls making their way through. "This is what you see anyway; you three."
  "I do not understand." Ahmes voiced his concerns.
  "To have you understand better, this is what the eyes of Prince Atenosis looks upon; the living first," the scenery changed back to the Temple of the Gods and everyone watched in utter silence. The imagery was all grey and distorted, a moment later, the imagery became clear and colorful for a while, then returned back to the original grey and distorted.
  "This is what you see?" Murmured Nefti quietly to Atenosis, taking in the note he probably could not see her well right now. Atenosis nodded with a small smile.
  "And now; the dead," Anubis announced and the images transitioned into the Underworld. This was even unusual, for the Underworld was in clear and colored view.
   Scratching his head, Ahmes looked at Anubis and shrugged, "I thought you informed that you would be showing us what he sees in the Underworld."
  "No Ahmes...this is what Atenosis sees in the Underworld," stated Ametis quietly with a raise of her head. "And there is a reason behind the changes, is there, Anubis?"
  "Atenosis belongs in the Underworld. Your son is my successor."
  "You cannot keep Prince Atenosis here. He is Ametis's successor! He will rule the living not the dead."
  "Living and the dead. His eyes sees the abyss of the Underworld even in the realm of the living. He will see who has reached their end before they have and he will see souls leave the living for the dead. That is why he he seemingly is 'blind' in the land of the living. He belongs here just as he belongs there."
  "All right," Ametis huffed and held out her palms to quiet down the talking. She shook her head slowly, "I understand but you cannot keep him here against his will—"
  "Not against my will," came the voice beside Ametis. She turned around and gazed at Atenosis. He squared his shoulders back, something Ametis noted that Kha used to do, and slipped a hand through his dark locks. "I will stay here with Anubis."
   Ametis shook her head, "it is not that easy Atenosis. You cannot just disappear."
  "You know," Anubis said flicking his staff to ward off the dark vapor, "I chose to stay in the Underworld all my life unless I have a important matter in the land of the living to which I then return. I am not taking Atenosis from you Ametis. He will be more than capable of traveling back and forth from the land of the living; his work is here."
  "I need some time," Ametis rolled her head to the side and looked up at Anubis with her black hair cascading down the side of her face. Her eyes dark, she sighed, "but he is not leaving my side any moment now."
   Ahmes moved closer to his mother's side and placed a protective arm around her waist, "as Ametis had said, it will take a while to understand. But...thank you uncle."
   At the last three words, Ametis's head shot up and looked at her son before slowly trailing over to Anubis. The god looked baffled as he stared back at Ahmes. A small smile lifted his face and he nodded.
  "Till next time," he said.