The Morning Sun

The image of a Goddess

Sitting bolt upright in her bed her heart pounding. Khepri felt  tears streaming down her face. Covered in sweat it had covered the bed sheets making her stick to them.Closing her eyes she felt sick and dizzy. She kept seeing the sword plunging into the princes and could see Seth's eyes as he turned to her, a deep blazing  red,there was so much blood.

 Shaking her head as another wave of nausea took hold, she opened her eyes again allowing them to adjust to the darkness. Tiny beads of sweat trickled down her body. Getting out of bed, she staggered out onto the balcony. In the moonlight she could see the lake, the water was still and calm, unlike her erratic heart. 

Leaning against a pillar she tried to calm herself down, closing her eyes she pictured when she was little. When she had nightmares Prehir always used to appear as if he just knew and would crawl into the bed with her, holding her in his arms while she wept. A small smile crept over her face as she remembered one time when Ebony had found him. They had both fallen asleep and the next morning Ebony came in, as she saw them a frown had crossed her face and she chased him out the room saying it was improper.

Opening her eyes again she looked up at the silver moon wondering if wherever he and Amunher were they would be doing the same. A gentle breeze touched her skin, her whole body shivered violently leaving her tingly as small goose-bumps appeared. Turning to head back into the chamber she suddenly stopped as she heard her name being carried by the wind. She heard it very clearly and distinctly. She recalled having heard the voice before when she first came to the temple, as she stood by the statue. Khepri stood rooted to the spot as she heard the familiar echoing sound of the goddess's laughter. 

A sound of a Sistrum rattled very close to her ear making her jump. Giving a small scream and gasping she ran back to the bed and pulled the covers over her tightly, as a light suddenly appeared at the end of the bed. The laughter continued, Khepri found she couldn't look away as the light grew bigger and bigger, silhouetting a woman's form she stepped out of the light and into the dark chamber.

She was the most beautiful woman Khepri had ever seen. With a long black sleek wig set with small golden stones that adorned her head, around the top of the wig was the Uraeus the cobras green eyes flashing as if blinking in the darkness, also on her head was a headdress of horns and a red sundisk which seemed to create its own light.

Khepri stared in amazement as the goddess smiled at her. Her face was unlike anything Khepri had ever seen, dark skin, that shone as if she was the Sun, beautiful emerald eyes, like gems, sparkled at her almost matching the cobra's. Her eyes outlined with the darkest kohl making her eyes stand out even more, high cheek bones and full lips as if molded out of clay.

Khepri blinked and rubbed her eyes to see if this was real or her imagination but the goddess remained standing, silently watching. "Am I dreaming?" Khepri whispered to the goddess. The goddess shook her head elegantly making the gems on her wig, twinkle and make a swooshing sound. 

She gave Khepri a friendly and enchanting smile and slowly walked around the bed, her movements so graceful, a beautiful blue gown fell to the floor, her feet were bare as she lightly stepped to stand beside Khepri. 

A golden Sistrum in her hand not making a sound as she walked " No this is not a dream, Lady Khepri. Daughter of Hasina and Neb-re" the goddess said, her voice melodic and soft almost as if were the wind.It truly was a beautiful sound, lyrical and flowing like the river Nile. Gracefully sitting down on the bed, her eyes  focused on Khepri as if looking deep into Khepri's soul.

 Khepri felt her heart rate decrease and an instant calm washed over her. "I am here to watch over you" the goddess said "But why?" Khepri inwardly cursed herself as she said it. She was speaking to a goddess, not Ebony she had acted so rude. The goddess as if sensing her thoughts laughed, the charming sound echoed round the little chamber mesmerizing Khepri.

 "My daughter that is not rude. If you wish to know something you must ask it, otherwise you will never know" Khepri fiddled with the blankets thanking every god that it was dark so the goddess couldn't see her blushing. 

"I made a promise to protect you my daughter, as long as you wear that pendant I will be here" her eyes fell to the pendant and she reached out slowly taking it. Khepri looked down as the goddess touched it, it glowed for a moment then went back to normal. "I sensed your pain and grief" Hathor  looked up into Khepri's face a sadness filled her eyes, "you know what your heart wants, what it longs for, my daughter" with that the goddess started to fade her hand reaching to stroke Khepri's face an overwhelming desire to sleep crept through her entire body until her eye lids felt so heavy she had no choice but to shut them.