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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Wings spread as he circled the sky above the wilderness of Zin, Grib watched for any unusual movement. Sekhmet was the latest to summon him for scout duties. If he gets no information, he could get no tasty worm reward. Frustrated with his search so far, he had wandered into Zin to give a last stab at the assignment.
A single muscular arm burst through the earth, sending sand and chunks of rock flying. When another arm emerged, Grib swooped down and perched on a tall saguaro cactus a distance away. This may be it. He would finally have something worthy to report to the cranky goddess. Craning his neck to get a better view, he stared, transfixed as clawed fingers gripped the earth and pulled a familiar form out.
Ra! Grib's pitch-black eyes widened.
The prince's chains twisted their way out to freedom and danced in the air for a moment before plunging and piercing the earth. In seconds, they easily pulled out the rest of the bleeding god's massive body.
Grib—being the curious bird he was—flew closer and landed on another cactus. It was truly Ra. The dark prince appeared tormented by the pain his many wounds caused, and black blood leaked from numerous grey gashes across his chest.
Ra growled and dragged his frame across the sun-baked earth, trailing blood as he headed to a nearby boulder. When he rested his back against the rock, his wounds began to slowly close up.
"You, come here."
Grib cocked his head at the command. He glanced around, searching for who the god spoke to. Not wanting to hang around to find out if Ra was speaking to him, he spread his wings and shot to the sky, trailing yellow fire in the wake of his swift movement. But moments before he could burst into flames and appear in another location, scorching metal gripped his foot. Letting out a harsh cry, another chain encircled the large bird's neck and roughly pulled him down.
Grib screeched, fighting against the burning bind. He flapped his wings and darted about like a stringed beetle, desperate to slip out of the flaming hold of the chains.
"You heard me the first time, yet you chose to feign ignorance. Cease your struggle, idiot!"
Grib's terror doubled. He whimpered and fought even harder against the suffocating hold. His struggle was useless, the ground was coming closer and closer. Not willing to give up, he increased his fight. Flapping his wings madly, he pleaded with Ra to spare him.
"Don't test my patience." The sound of Ra's enraged voice was too much. Grib cawed, clawed the air with his feet, and did not stop flapping his wings. As he struggled, black feathers fell off, but fire engulfed them immediately, turning them to ash. Losing more feathers would make him weaker, but he was familiar with Ra's wrath. Giving up was not an option.
"Enough!" The prince's voice rumbled at the same moment the air around Grib swished. In seconds, he was slammed to the ground, his body indenting it.
"Please!" Grib wailed in between sporadic screeches. Semi-gaseous liquid poured from his mouth and eyes as a result of the impact.
"I'm not trying to harm you," Ra spat then leaned against the boulder with a heavy sigh. "Any news from Egypt? Did you by any chance see Abaddon?" Ra asked, chest rising and falling with his laboured breaths.
"No, master. I haven't seen the destroyer," Grib managed to say. He was in a world of pain. The chain at his neck had dropped but the one around his foot still burned.
"Is that all? What about my principality? What happened since my absence?" Ra's voice was raspy and his blood-red eyes kept shifting as if he was contemplating something.
"Quatesh. He took over! It has been weeks since the Israelites left Egypt, and since then so much has happened. It was when the other gods set out to look for you that Quatesh made his move," Grib gushed, hoping Ra would be pleased with his cooperation.
"What!" Ra sprung to his feet with surprising agility. Clenching his fists, he glared down at Grib. "Repeat what you said."
Grib sobbed in terror. Please, don't hit me... don't hit me.
The furious prince yanked Grib forward, encircling the chain around an arm as he did so. Ra's wounds began healing at an even faster rate. Torn flesh moved and merged, closing like lips and leaving jagged scars behind.
Ra glowered at Grib. "Speak or I'll rip off your bloody feathers until you resemble a plucked chicken." He grabbed Grib by both wings, squeezing tight.
"H-he set up temples dedicated to himself. The people worship him under the pharaoh's command, and some gods are also with him. That's all I know. I swear."
"Argh!" Ra's shout blasted across the wilderness. Black fumes seeped from his body in waves, and right before Grib's eyes, he doubled in size.
"I will destroy that crossbreed of a worm and pig, I swear it!"
Ra's face kept morphing between that of a kite and a man. Large black wings that resembled a stork's sprung from his back and black flames blazed around him. His red eyes shone amidst all that darkness.
Ra lifted Grib to his eye level. "I have a message I need you to deliver. If you fail at this simple task, the pits would seem like a sweet dream compared to what I will do to you." His eyes shone with restrained anger and his jaw was set in a hard line.
Grib gulped. "Y-yes master. What is it you want me to do?"
"You will look for those who seek me and tell them where I am..."
Ra stopped mid-sentence and sniffed the air. A cold smile touched his lips before he let his burning gaze rest on Grib once more.
"It appears they've already found me. Your assignment has changed. I want you to go to Egypt and find out all you can about what's happening."
"Yes, yes. Of course, master. I will do as you say if you could just let go of my wings... please," Grib begged in a small voice.
Ra grunted before letting go. "Be sure to do this quickly and return. My patience wanes."
Grib flapped his tired, burning wings. "Certainly, Prince Ra."
As Grib flew higher into the sky, he wondered how he would be able to spy on Quatesh. The information he gave Ra was only what he heard from another of his kind he bumped into the day before. He was not looking forward to spying on a spy.
