Goddess

Part 7: I am Isis

Chapter 11

~Amunet~

This is it.

Today I become Isis.

Today Isis will take my name and I will take hers.

Today I become the Goddess of Magic.

Isis has picked out a special gown for me. It has gold all around the neckline, and the shoulder gold clasps are enlaid with black pearls. The long cape-like sleeves billow past my feet and drape to the ground after being loosely banded at the elbow. The sleeves flow so gracefully in the slight breeze that they feel like wings waiting to take me away. The gown fades as it cascades down to my golden sandals from a creamy white, and to a brilliant white that shimmers like white sails gleaming on the Mediterranean. I have gold armbands above my elbows that match my shoulder clasps. My golden neck collar is light, and is enlaid with black pearls and blue sapphires. My hair is left down but is covered by thin strands of gold. A servant applies my kohl around my eyes, and traces my eyebrows in a careful design. She stains my lips red, and I watch in the reflective obsidian mirror as she applies a golden dust to my eyelids. She then bows and walks out of the room. I gawk at myself in the mirror. I hear the door creak open. I ignore them and continue to gaze at the girl that faces me through the obsidian mirror.

A man clears his throat. It slowly pry myself away from the mirror and turn to face my visitor, or visitors.

I tackle my father with a hug. Then my mother. And then all of my brothers. The only one missing is my sister. I step back from them and just look at them.

"We are so proud of you Amunet." Says my father.

"So proud." Echoes my mother.

I feel as though I am talking to strangers. Has it really been a month? Can only a month be such a distance through people to where they must reacquaint themselves with each other? I shake my head.

"Tell me," I say, attempting to break the obvious tension. "How are you all? What have you been doing this past month?"

My mother just walks over to me and hugs me again. The hug last for at least a minute before I return it. One by one, my brothers join the hug. All of them piling around me. My father stands firmly in front of my, a firm expression on his face. I smile at him and after a minute, he too joins our hug.

We just sit there, for what seems like forever until a guard comes and escorts them to their seats for the ceremony. I stay there until another guard comes to escort me. I follow him numbly, running my fingers along the painted walls, feeling the ups and downs in the ink and oils preserving the figures. We approach the outdoor pavilion and pause behind the heavy door.

The guard reaches for the door handle.

"Stop." I say. He backs away from the door and walks to the side. I close my eyes and throw my hands out. The doors mimic my hands and open dramaticlly. I walk smoothly to my spot in the large opening of the pavilionnext to Ay, and another boy, the heir to Osiris. His name is Djedefre. He was second in line for the Southern Crown.

I saw my sister standing near the other side of the room, the heir to Sehkmet.

The sun begins to grow hotter and hotter. It's rays becoming visible, taking on substance. I saw Isis smiling at me through one of the rays. Before she dawned her crowned mask of a kite. I saw many other animal headed gods and goddesses as well. There was a crane, a hippopotamus, and a crocodile. Some of them have human heads, but you can tell that they are not human. The first god to aproach us is short. He looks to be the size of a small child. When he lifts his head up, I see beastly features that shock me. His nose is knarled and twisted into hi cheekbones and his eyebrows curl and fuzz up into his hairline, which consists of nothing more than a few wisps, and him stubby legs end in mangled toes. Bes, a protector god who scares away the evil spirits. He walks up to a small child, no, by the look of his face he is much older, and he motions for him to bend down a little bit, since he was still a bit bigger than Bes. Bes reaches out to the boy's forehead and places his middle finger, index finger, and his thumb firmly in the center.