Immortal

Nadia's Kin

Those eyes. Nadia's eyes.

"Well?", brown eyes asked of Isis, he looked furious.

"Elsie knew I was visiting today. She obviously did not deem it fit for you to know about it. Now if you don't mind, I grow weary of this conversation and would like to enter your abode to see Elsie."and with that, Isis breezed past the male into the room.

Brown eyes looked at me, but I averted my gaze and stepped after Isis. He sighed angrily and slammed the door behind us.

The room was small compared to what I was used to. Crammed with several shelves around the room full of books, a handful of treasures and multiple plants and animal enclosures. There were a few other doorways leading out from the room into other areas, but it was obvious  I wasn't welcome to venture through them.

I studied brown eyes from the corner of my eye. He was tall, dark-haired and muscular, tanned from working in the sun and the way he was standing, obviously angry with Isis. For what reason his anger was placed upon Isis, I was pondering until he made an outburst.

"I'll ask again. What the hell are you doing here? I told you not to come back after you filled Elsie's head with bullshit last time you were here. We don't need your mythical hope, we just need to survive and be normal humans living in a normal world. Not your crackpot joke of a world."

Isis sat down precariously in one of the many armchairs in the room. They were all covered in books or papers or both. "I'm here to help her", Isis murmured and looked toward one of the doorways.

I turned and walked towards one of the shelves filled with tomes, or as they were now called, books. I'd always been a lover of tomes back in Egypt, but as a woman I hadn't been allowed to read or touch them. I'd once snuck one into Nadia's and mine chambers but it had been a boring read and I discarded it promptly. I ran my fingers along the books, relishing in the feel of the various covers; leather, material and paper. I was free now and could read all I wanted.

The reality hit me. Free. But where would I go after this encounter? What would I do with myself? With the knowledge given to me by Isis, I knew every country that made up the world. I could travel, see the world, heal it as I go. I sighed. What would become of me after an eternity healing the earth. Would I lose myself? My sense of being? Maybe it was better being lost since Nadia was lost to me, why not lose myself?

"Khafte!", I spun at the sound of my name. Isis was looking at me sternly, and I realised she had heard my thoughts. "Khafte, this is Damien. Damien this is Khafte, I know you have heard of her through the tales of your family, this is the very same woman from those stories. Khafte, Damien is under the belief that magic and power isn't a gift but a curse thrust upon him by his family and lineage. So I doubt the two of you will become well acquainted. His younger sister Elsie, however, believes this is a blessing and has embraced her lineage and powers and hopes to be able to better the world and perhaps save it."

"Save it? From what?" I asked.

Damien snorted, " What, have you been living under a rock? Save it from humans, from the political leaders only out to make money and profit off of other people's suffering. They don't care if the planet does or not so long as they have money and power! But you won't care about that, just as Isis has done, you will stay away from that mess and just further your cause and mess with Elsie! You should just leave her alone! She's a kid and kids need to be kids for a while. She's not your slave or pet!"

I looked at him with wide eyes. He glared back.

I looked to Isis for an explanation. " I thought you would've helped guide people along a better path at least. Not let them run amok and ruin lives and the earth."

Isis sighed, " we can only do so much. That's why I've brought you here. You're going to be the change this world needs. You're going to change it for the better .. or.."

I could sense  what that or signifies. 'Or we will have to cleanse the population and earth'. I frowned at Isis an opened my mouth to voice my displeasure , but was interrupted by the arrival of a small dark girl not even 8 years of age, bouncing into the room with excitement.

"Auntie Isis! You're back!", the girl squealed and jumped into Isis' lap. I was shocked, the goddess treated this child as if she were her own or part of her close family. But then I guess she was in a way. Nadia and I had been given a part of her essence when we were made immortal and given powers. It would make sense that Nadia's descendants would also be carrying a portion of that essence also.

I looked back at Damien, his face was a mask of contorted anger. I wondered why he was so adamant about keeping Elsie away from Isis. She did not look as though she were suffering from the contact or connection.

"Elsie, this is your aunt Khafte. Remember I told you about her and how I would bring her to you. She will be your guide and teacher. She will help you master your powers and together you shall save the earth. Be gentle with her, she is still very sad but I know you will make her smile again." I turned as Elsie looked at me from Isis' lap. She was looking at me with awe in her eyes. I watched as she slowly stood from Isis' lap and approached. Stopping two feet away she bowed.

"I'm honoured to be your student, Auntie. I hope to do you proud and in extension to do my mother Nadia proud." Elsie looked up at me and smiled.

"Nadia is not your mother! Your real mother and father died in a car crash! Nadia is just someone  Isis made up to get into your mind!" Damien raged.

I stared at him in shock. " how dare you! Nadia is the only reason you're here today. She gave her life to save me and her children. She was my life companion. We had been friends since we were taken by slave traders to be sold to middle class Egyptian families! She was my only friend, and I hers,  through our tough childhood as slaves! When we were being sacrificed to the gods she was the one to hold my hand tight and tell me everything would be ok! And you stand there saying she never existed!" I spat, " you don't deserve to be her descendant or child, you don't deserve to have a sister blessed with Nadia's gifts!"

Damien stepped forward and slapped me. " you don't know what I deserve",  he said murderously.

I was shaking with rage. Not just at this brown eyed boy, so like Nadia and I when we had our innocence taken away, but at Set causing this to happen, at Isis for allowing everything to have happened to Nadia and I, at the family who had attempted to sacrifice Nadia and I to the gods when they wanted to keep their livestock for themselves.

"How dare you touch me", I muttered. 

I sensed Isis stand and pull Elsie away from me, "Khafte, calm down, please, we don't want to cause trouble."

But I was beyond that, all I could see was the red of my rage, the heat of the fire burning the pits of my stomach. It was the danger of the power Nadia and I had been given. We could control the elements, help nature grow, cull or destroy it when needed for balance. But our emotions could affect it, as my emotions were effecting my power now.

My rage transformed into flame, I felt the lick of them down my back, the caress of flames along my arms and legs, the heat brushing my face. I couldn't see past my rage. All I knew was that I wanted to hurt someone, something , for all that had happened. I needed release.

I screamed in rage and launched forward toward Damien. And stopped short. Elsie has escaped Isis' grasp and planted herself in front of Damien, who was desperately trying to hide her behind him but failing.

"Auntie Khafte , please, he's my brother . He's big and stupid and shouldn't have hit you but please don't hurt him. He's all I have, just like Nadia was all you had."

Her words but me like a punch to the stomach. Just like that my fire went out. My rage simmered away. I was left standing in a burnt circle of soot with tatters of my robe left. Isis sighed and snapped her fingers. New clothes appeared on my body and I was clean of soot. The floor however was still damaged and a mess.

Elsie ran towards me and hugged me around my middle.

"It's ok Auntie, we will avenge mother Nadia. But first I need you to be happy and teach me and live like Nadia wanted."

Her words broke me. For the first time in centuries, I wasn't alone when I cried.