“We must find him quickly. The minion of the Dark One has him in his clutches at this very moment. I fear there is little time,” Asten explained.
“Then we will rescue him, Brother.” Ahmose patted Asten’s shoulder.
The three of us had just turned to Dr. Hassan, who was explaining his idea for escaping the oubliette, when suddenly Ahmose and Asten screamed, falling to their knees. The last thing I saw before Asten’s light went out was the two of them cupping their hands over their eyes, blood streaming between their fingers.
As rays of sunlight burst over the horizon, the god Anubis appeared. He did not come in the form they expected—a deity with the head of a jackal and the body of a man—but as a human. Anubis was beautiful by any standard. He seemed a benevolent god, reserved in manner but kind all the same. At his side was a faithful companion, a large dog, black, with brown markings. The dog was muscular and noble in appearance in a way that echoed the god. Sitting obediently at his master’s side, his pointed ears tilted up, he whined quietly, echoing the mood of the people surrounding him.
Anubis motioned for the kings to stand and, though speaking primarily to them, addressed the crowd. “People of Egypt, your great loss is ours. Seth has done much damage this day, and though we cannot undo what has been done, we can offer you this.” He paused as his eyes swept the crowd.
“We will protect the young men of Egypt by keeping the Dark One at bay through a ceremony that must be enacted once every thousand years. Because your young sons of royal blood were willing to sacrifice themselves for their people, we will honor them. Instead of spending eternity in servitude to Seth, they will devote themselves to protecting those they love—a noble enough cause to gladden the hearts of any mortal, I should think.
“Though they are dead, they will be called back each millennium and will be granted a short reprieve from death so that they may continue to do the work of the gods until such time comes that the gods”—he gave a faint flourish of his hand—“and Egypt, of course, need their services no more.”
The kings and queens fell to the feet of Anubis and wept in gratitude. The bodies of the three young men were brought to him. When he came to the first, he said, “Prince of Asyut, son of Khalfani, I, Anubis, god of the stars, have answered the cry of your people, and to protect them, I grant unto you a portion of my power. You are now scribe, mediator, celestial magician, cosmic dreamer, and speaker of words. Henceforth, you will be called Asten, which means ‘a star newly lit.’?”
Anubis cupped his hands, and when he opened them, tiny stars swirled between them. The god blew on his hands, and the stars sped toward the fallen prince, settling on him like delicate dandelion snow before sinking beneath his skin, leaving in their wake little pulsing lights that eventually faded.
Then the Egyptian god moved to the second brother. “Prince of Waset, son of King Nassor, Khonsu, god of the moon, has granted unto you a portion of his power. You are now healer, master of animals, pathfinder, and bringer of storms. Henceforth, you will be called Ahmose, which means ‘a waxing moon.’?”
After he spoke, Anubis put his wrists together, and in the space between his palms and fingers, a soft silver light grew until it formed a crescent. Once it had solidified to his satisfaction, he took the object between his fingers and flicked it. The tiny moon circled in the air like a discus until it struck the forehead of Nassor’s son. There it grew brighter upon his skin until, like the stars, it, too, sank, and the light diminished and disappeared.
Finally, Anubis stood before Heru’s son. At a worried look from the king, the god paused and put a hand on his shoulder. “Both the great god Amun-Ra and his son, Horus, wish to bestow gifts upon your son.” Anubis addressed the queen. “Your special prayer for your son will be answered, but this will happen in our own time, and in a different place. Is this agreeable to you?”