A God's Bargain (EgyptianGod!Brothers and Reader)

Chapter 10

"Djedet," I muttered the city's name under my breath, looking up towards the progenitor deity with resolution, "I wish to go to Djedet."

"Very well," Atum stood up with a fluid motion, a long golden staff now nestled in his grip as his yellow eyes glowed vibrantly against the dark.

"I also want your assurance that I will not be harmed while Neithhikret's poison is in my veins," I stood up, the blankets clinging to my form as I visually challenged the deity. It was a gamble, but I needed every bit of help I could squeeze from the deity.

The demand seemed to catch him off-guard for only a moment, a mischievous grin tugging at his lips, "And why would I grant that?"

"You want to reprimand Nephthys? If I die before she is removed from my body, she'll just jump into another host and the cycle will only repeat itself."

I had no clue if it was true, but it wouldn't hurt to assume it could happen.

"Are you willing to bet your life on that?" The deity gave a thoughtful hum, the staff shifting between his hands as he continued to look down at me.

"I'm willing to bet our lives on that."

The silence between us grew with each breath before Atum let out a huff of amusement.

"I give you my word that no physical harm will come to you until the poison has been bled," With a swing of his staff, the darkness of his realm instantly gave way to the blinding brightness of the desert sun.

My feet dug into the warmed sand, the sun thankfully much lower in the sky as it slipped behind the horizon while casting its last brilliant rays onto the thinned clouds that spoke of a vicious wind much higher in the atmosphere. The thin veneer of silk was still wrapped around my frame, the threads and beads from the dress I had worn in Memphis clinging to my shoulders and waist despite the damage they held. Grasping at the fabrics to keep my body as clothed as possible, I trudged through the sands towards the highest mound I could see.

Atum had promised that he would put me close to my destination, but my definition of distances never seemed to line up with what the gods had in mind.

I stood on the crest of the sandy hill, lips pressed shut to keep moisture locked in as I looked carefully all around me. The town was harder to spot than I imagined, hoping that the setting sun would start some kind of nighttime procedure for Djedet.

Only when the sky faded from the deep reddish orange to a darker blue did I see the town's torches light up, quickly making my way towards the town no larger than my thumb at its current distance.

----

No one cared who I was.

I had found a place to stay for the night by bartering my labor to clean out the stables, never speaking a word of complaint against the chore and enduring the longer glances at the state of my clothes. I could only hope that Atum's word was good against any assaults while I slept, furrowing my brow and finishing up my labor.

The room was less of a formal room and more of a small closet that had been emptied for the time being. Still, I slept with my back against the wooden door that swung inwards, further ensuring that no one came in.

I had provided a new name: 'Amenti', a Coptic word meaning 'afterlife'. While 'Ahti' meant 'chaotic', I didn't want to give any hint to Pharaoh Neithhikret that I was alive.

I further bartered my labor the next day for a simple bolt of white linen, immediately discarding the shredded bead dress and wrapped the linen around my form to create a more appropriate dress. The silk shawl was sold to procure some funds, but the major hindrance was my hair.