The Flower of Anubis

Chapter IX : Bound

•) London, England (•

"Perhaps you will agree with me now that Steven Grant is useless?" Khonsu asked irritably.

Mina ignored Khonsu, kneeling and looking down towards the warehouse that was surrounded by a small crowd of people. They were all talking amongst themselves, smiling and sharing stories and food. It was strange. Had Mina just been a normal person walking by, she would have thought nothing of it.

"He's inside?" Mina asked Anubis who was peering down also.

Anubis sniffed the air, nodding. "He's terrified."

"Does she have it?" Khonsu asked, looking at Anubis, gripping his staff tightly.

Mina looked at Khonsu. "You don't trust me?" she asked, insulted.

"Of course I don't," Khonsu spat with no remorse, "but unfortunately, the gods cannot hold the scarab. The Ennead forbade it."

Mina looked away from Khonsu. "Sounds like an upstairs problem," she commented, staying loyal to the gods of the Duat.

Anubis chuckled quietly to himself, having also thought the same thing just a few days ago.

"Just find him, avatar," Khonsu ordered angrily before whipping away.

Mina let out a short breath, becoming irritated.

"Calm yourself, my flower," Anubis comforted. "Not much longer with him."

"You two are actually friends?" Mina asked, still unable to believe it.

"More-so business partners," Anubis explained. "He protects the travelers of the night while I . . . clean up the mess." He looked down below at the people, sighing as he read their hearts. "These poor souls are lost."

"I feel it too," Mina agreed, the overwhelming weight of deep rotting fear and false bliss veiling the people like a shadow. "Will they be saved if we succeed?"

"The ones who live, yes," Anubis said. "The others . . . that will be up to the scale's judgment."

Mina looked up, the moonlight shining brightly down from above. The clouds had moved. "Shall we make ourselves known?" she asked.

"I think it would be wise. These people are not ignorant," Anubis reminded.

Mina nodded, her eyes never leaving the moon. She missed Jake . . .

"My flower?" Anubis called gently.

She looked away, turning to Anubis. She stood then, the ceremonial robes taking shape onto her body. She turned around, waving her hand to create a portal, the inside of the warehouse and the voices from inside clear. She stepped through without thought, the portal disappearing behind her.

"But a child is not a diseased limb. Sorry, like, is that . . . is that what . . . you're all into that? Like, killing children and that? Maybe that's just me, but I kind of draw a line there at child murder."

Mina stopped in her steps, halting behind a tower of crates as she saw Steven before her sitting at a table. Another man was next to him, his hair, shoulder length, thinning, and grey. He was dressed in a red suit, a grey coat shrouding him. Beside him was a cane. She frowned, tilting her head.

"Do you know what this is?" the man asked, taking the cane.

"Um, it's a cane?" Steven asked, unsure of what the point was.

The man stood, looking down at Steven as he held the cane. "This is Ammit's gift to her first avatar."

"All right," Steven said, nodding. He was terrified.