The Loyal God

Isis' Return

Hundreds of years later, Neith's relationship with her brother had only gotten more strained. She held out hope that he would... someday change and return to her as he once was. She knew that Nephthys and Anubis were holding out for the same reason, knew that was the only reason Nephthys had refused Anubis' offers of escape. But, she also knew that the seed of doubt had been planted in Anubis' mind. With each passing day, he grew more and more calloused towards his father. She knew it was only so long until he cracked.

Her son, Anubis' cousin, only grew more impatient, more powerful, and more and more attached to his mother. Neith knew that one day she would no longer be able to contain him to her chambers any longer.

Neith hid in the shadows of the place where Nephthys was being held, watching silently as Anubis pleaded with his mother to leave. She would not tell Seth of this. Seth may have been her King, but Nephthys was still her sister, and Anubis her nephew. It hurt her to see them both in such distress.

"You've done enough Nephthys," Anubis sighed, standing in front of his mother's cell.

The woman herself lay on the floor of her cage, looking at her son forlornly.

"You've done everything in your power. Please stop and leave this place. I'll help you," Anubis pleaded.

"I told you before... I'm not going to leave," Nephthys spoke, her voice quiet, almost broken.

"If you do as I say, you can get to the ocean. Actually, if you can just get out of the desert, Geb and Nut can look after you. If you can do that, then..." Anubis spoke solemnly.

"Please, give up now... This is my ordeal to endure. Neith and I must both stay by Seth's side. If either of us were to leave him as well..." Nephthys murmured.

"Don't worry about that, I'll take care of the rest," Anubis promised.

Neith shook her head from the shadows. Nephthys was a loyal god. If there remained any hope in her heart, her brain would not think rationally enough to realize the truth of her son's words. She truly believed that Seth would change if she just waited it out, that Sekhmet's words would just... vanish from his mind, as they did Neith's.

"What are you saying! Don't do anything you're going to regret, Anubis! You know this just as well!! This is all because of Sekhmet's curse!" Nephthys claimed.

Neith frowned. There was little truth in Nephthys' words. She'd be lying if she were to say that Nephthys' time in her cell had left her just as sane as the day she was thrown in there. Her solitude had addled her mind, messed with her thinking.

"Because of that, I've been holding back for hundreds of years! But is it really a curse? Are you sure that's not how he normally is? If it was a curse, it should have broken by now, like it did with Neith!" Anubis accused.

"Stop this. You've done enough," Anubis demanded.

Neith frowned once again. It seems the days of Anubis' placant obedience had finally ended. It was all well enough. She could sense trouble brewing on the horizon. Something was coming to intervene in her brother's reign of terror, and she would be there to accept her punishment alongside him, just as she always had.

"We're running out of time. Come with me," Anubis pleaded.

"Anubis... Please... You must have faith in him," Nephthys whimpered.

Neith could sense that Anubis' heart would not budge, even at his mother's behest.

"Everything will come to an end soon. Wait just a little longer. Your father still..." Nephthys began.

"Mother, I'm begging you!! Rid yourself of those lingering affections!! I'm telling you, the Father we used to know no longer exists!!" Anubis shouted, fed up with his mother's foolish adamancy.