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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Quatesh flicked his forked tongue, tasting the air of the catacombs. Like a hound in search of a scent, he took a right turn. His flowing hooded robe moved as if disturbed by a gentle breeze as he strolled ahead. The balls of light his little spies spotted at the imprisoned wife's cell bothered him. His snakes had informed him they were spared a single sighting before they disappeared.
What was their business with the woman? Quatesh was certain those balls of light were bad news and he wasn't one to leave an unknown variable alone. The littlest oversight could ruin his plan. He made up his mind to incite the pharaoh to kill the locked-up queen. But if she was killed, would their plan fail or would it further their purpose?
Gritting his teeth, Quatesh floated over the steep stairs of the place. He despised not knowing. And that vain priestess discovered nothing of importance during her stay in the cells as he had hoped.
Rubbing the bridge of his nose, Quatesh huffed and shook his head.
Focus, Quatesh. If he got this right, it would be a huge step in his bid to claim the principality of Egypt and face Ra when he finally comes around for a challenge.
"Master."
"What?" Quatesh snapped, irritation flaring at the intrusion. He glared down at the small floating serpent.
"I have news about the progress of Ra's search."
Quatesh beckoned the serpent forward. It sunk into his open palm, fusing with his skin and showing its message. He saw a picture of the Eastern Desert and what appeared to be a brawl between Sobek and Sekhmet.
A slow satisfied smile touched Quatesh's lips. They were busy fighting for dominance when their master was probably wasting away in one of Abaddon's pits. Good. He was deeply pleased at how smoothly things were going so far.
Quatesh's smile broadened when he stepped into his final destination. A tiny ball of red light winked into appearance. The light was a little heartbeat, lazily pulsating and bobbing before his face, and its dull glow cast deep shadows within the dusty tomb.
Hands clasped behind his back, Quatesh levitated a few inches above the ground, careful not to let his robe touch the bones scattered on the floor. He fixed his eyes on a shadowed figure at the extreme corner of the tomb and at the same time remained alert. Knowing who that figure was, a sudden attack would not be out of character.
"What do you want, Quatesh? Why are you here?" the dark figure asked.
Quatesh lifted both hands in a cheerful greeting. "Anubis! Brother. It has been quite a while. Do you not agree?"
Quatesh grinned as the god emerged from the darkness. A large jackal that stood nearly ten feet tall with thick black fur, and scars crisscrossed across his torso and arms. Rising to his hind feet, his body transformed into that of a lean-muscled man with gleaming black skin and claw-tipped fingers. Gold bands encircled each bicep and a bejewelled collar necklace hung from his thick neck. The god of embalmment still maintained the head of a jackal though.
"I could smell your treachery from a mile away." Anubis' tattered pointed ears twitched as he spoke, boredom heavy in his voice.
When Anubis stepped further out of the darkness, he glared down at Quatesh. "Do you know what you have done? Ra will rip you to pieces."
Quatesh's grin slipped, a frown immediately taking its place. "You know, Ra dared to fight Abaddon and now he is missing."
"Ra is missing? Impossible."
"Oh yes, he is. You really should leave these tombs more often. Look at you. The mortals don't ascribe worship to you anymore. They've gotten comfortable and think little of death...well, up until Abaddon took so many lives at once." Quatesh slapped the pulsing red light away from his face in annoyance. The thing had begun fluctuating in the most grating manner.
Anubis snorted. Quatesh took it as a sign to press his point.
"Ra is a bully. He takes all the worship for himself and dishes a few to Sekhmet, Bastet, Sobek and the rest who grovel at his feet. What about those like you and me? Don't we deserve to be worshipped? Don't we deserve to have our image drawn in every household? We deserve huge statues and temples dedicated to us!"
"What you say is true. Ra is a bully, but he is our prince. There is a need for order in every principality, you should know this," Anubis said in his gruff voice, tail swishing as he paced.
"Come on, Anubis. Where is this leader of ours now? Do you think the evil one would care if there is a little shift in power? I would take over and he would be pleased with my guts and wits," Quatesh retorted. "Join forces with me. Ra is no more." Quatesh urged Anubis in his most hypnotic voice.
Anubis flashed forward and snatched Quatesh by the neck with a large clawed hand.
"Never use your pathetic hypnosis on me. It irritates me to no end that you even attempted that!" Anubis barked in Quatesh's cotton-white face as he visibly increased in size. His eyes turned blood red and his grip even more vice-like.
"Brother, no need to get all hot in the head." Quatesh wheezed through a wide smile as he gripped Anubis' wrist with both hands. "You know it's second nature to me, I shouldn't be blamed for being who I am."
Anubis glared at him for a moment before releasing his neck as if he burned.
Quatesh wearily watched Anubis reduce to his near-human size before speaking. "So...are you interested?" He asked as he massaged his throbbing neck.
Anubis scoffed. "What do I stand to gain from this plan of yours? I know you, Quatesh. I can't take chances with that cunning nature of yours."
"Awareness is what I offer."
Anubis cocked a brow and waited for Quatesh to continue.
"Think of it, brother. I would make the Egyptians glorify the process of burial. They'll take embalmment much more seriously. I'll exaggerate the need and importance of appeasing you. They'll build temples in your honour. Believe me, reverence and worship come with great power."
Anubis silently regarded him. Quatesh was certain he was already considering his offer, so he rushed on to eradicate all suspicion from his mind. "Imagine if the worship is multiplied? Imagine the power we would get. I already have a few on my side, but I also want you by my side when I take full control as the head of the principality of Egypt. We would be brothers standing at par. What do you say?"
