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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Ra stared down at the bird writhing on the desert sand. A good number of his feathers had been plucked off and he had barely made it to their location before collapsing. He had seen the scout teleporting weakly from a distance, disappearing and appearing without coordination or bearing.
It was clear Quatesh had a hand in the bird's suffering. The nauseating worm. And Ra knew Quatesh did it to pass a message. He scoffed and nudged the exhausted bird with a foot.
"What did he say?"
The bird released a weak croak. "H-he, I..." Grib panted, his beak hanging open.
Ra gritted his teeth in impatience. "Speak!"
"He s-sai..."
Grib's eyes grew dimmer; the creature would collapse to dust and vanish if Ra did nothing. Sighing in exasperation, he bent and picked the limp crow by his feet. The bird looked more like a shrunken chicken than a large scouting spirit. His feathers were pitifully sparse, and he spotted patches of bleeding grey skin here and there. A few tiny plumes still fell off and the bird could barely keep his eyes open.
Ra shot jolts of heat through the disintegrating bird and watched as his feathers grew back and his eyes came to life.
"What is the message?"
"What?" Grib looked around in confusion. Eyeing the other gods who stood a distance away. He spread his singed wings and stretched.
"The message...Idiot!" Ra spat.
Grib flinched in fright. "He said he was willing to meet you at the western desert." The bird lowered his voice and avoided Ra's gaze.
"No. I want his exact words."
Grib groaned and bowed his head. "He said I should tell the fool who sent me that Egypt was his and if you wish to challenge him, he would be waiting for you at the western desert at the forenoon. Tomorrow in our time." Grib finished with an audible gulp.
Ra let go of the bird's feet and burst into loud, blusterous laughter. He threw his head back and laughed some more. He couldn't get the image of the white serpent passing down his message.
The speck! Ra scowled.
"He is different, master...he is so far removed from who he was before." There was terror in the bird's voice. No doubt, Quatesh must have planted the fear of the evil one in the scout.
"Shut up, Grib." Ra turned and beckoned for Sekhmet.
"But, master I saw—"
"You have done your job," Ra said with a bite. "When Sekhmet gives you the worms, leave."
After instructing the war goddess about Grib, Ra walked away from the rest. He needed to think. They were at a spot in the Western Desert he was certain Quatesh's meddling spies would not think to look at.
