In the aftermath of nine devastating plagues that ravaged ancient Egypt, a high priestess desperately seeks to prevent the impending tenth plague. Still, her efforts fail, leaving her at the mercy of an enraged pharaoh. Meanwhile, the pharaoh's son...
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All the gods and spirits of Egypt had returned to the Luxor Temple.
"You need to listen to me." Quatesh implored the gathering. "Ra is probably in the outer darkness by now. Egypt is in a vulnerable position, one of us has to assume leadership." He raised his voice to get their attention.
"And who would that be? Do not tell us you wish to assume this position," retorted Sekhmet. She was a hairy war goddess with the slender body of a woman but the head of a lioness.
After regarding Quatesh with open disdain, Sekhmet turned to address the others. "Surely, he must be joking," she said. Resting her large bronze axe upon a shoulder, she continued speaking. "For all we know, Prince Ra could still be out there. If anyone is to take the helm of authority in the meantime, it should be one who knows what it entails to lead this principality. This snake" —she pointed at Quatesh with a clawed finger— "has nothing to offer. He might argue that his quick thinking saved us, and some of you may agree, but a leader does not rely on wits alone."
Sekhmet faced Quatesh with a broad smile, canines flashing and large feline eyes sparking with the threat of violence. "A leader needs courage and we all know you are lacking in that area... don't we?"
Quatesh stared Sekhmet in the eyes and hissed in her face. He would not be belittled. Slithering the bulk of his large frame forward, he addressed the murmuring gathering. "Yes, some may say I exhibit cowardice and they may be correct to say so. But is it wrong to know when a battle is worthwhile and when it is not? I will—"
"No. This is not an issue up for debate!" Sekhmet cut in. Her coy smile had vanished, and now she growled at Quatesh as the hair on her arms and face bristled.
Sekhmet hurled her axe, burying it in the ground mere inches from Quatesh's bulk. "Ra treated me and me alone as his second in command. Do not test me. Do not, or I swear by the pits, I would tear off your head from your body. Try me, if you dare. We would have none of your trickery and smooth talk. A lesser god can never rule us. If you find this hard to live with, get out!"
Refusing to wilt before her fiery rage, Quatesh looked past her and observed the silent gathering. None seemed to be remotely in support of his proposal. It would seem he had to carry out his plan alone. "Very well, I shall leave. But mark this day. You all will regret your decision." In silence, Quatesh winked out of sight.
***
I must run away. I must run very far away now.
Shutting her eyes and clutching the pendant of her chain, Rai inhaled deeply as she fought for calm. Her memory had stopped when she told the Pharoah the gods' condition to protect Egypt. Then she came to herself in her chambers and noticed her feet and fingers were covered in blood. The shaking had begun then. Since the pharaoh's guards hadn't been banging at her door, she surmised she hadn't hurt the king.
Feeling greatly disgusted, she had scrubbed her body so thoroughly that the skin on her hands and feet grew red. It was a first. All the times she lost pockets of memories as the gods used her as a channel, she had never returned to her mind covered in so much blood.
