ANUBIS

Okay, if you want a rough summary, all I can tell you is that my tale is based on the various stories of Anubis, as well as the very famous tale of Osiris (you'll see how all this ties in soon enough). Though limited, what we DO know about Anubis really is amusing, if not somewhat astounding. So, I thought I'd re-tell the stories in a single, chaptered fanfiction.

Also, I should tell you that this story isn't COMPLETELY accurate with the actual myths, though they are very close. The main reason I leave errors in is to make the story work well. Most of them are here because these stories contain aspects that often change, depending on which texts people choose to read. However, I have inserted my OWN errors as well, usually because of details that the Egyptians didn't bother to explain in the original myths. If I can tell you an error without giving away the plot, I will (and you can qoute me on it, too!).

Well, that's all I have to say. On with the myth! ^.^

I: DEATH OF A KING, BIRTH OF A PRINCE

All was quiet in the land of Kemet. With the cooling winds and the absence of the morning sun, more wildlife started to emerge from the desert. The sky dimmed, and the starry night was soon visable. Everything seemed perfect...

Suddenly, two figures came out from a large palace nearby- both females, one trodding ahead of the other. If one were to look closer, though, he'd soon see the difference- the woman in front was lavishly dressed and seemed to be with child, while the girl behind her wore plain clothes and carried a stack of towels in her arms.

As they continued towards the wilderness of Kemet, the servant managed to reach her hand through the mass of cloths and touch her mistress' shoulder. "Lady Nephthys, are you sure of this?" she asked. "Perhaps Lord Set will understand-"

The mistress stopped abruptly, and turned to her servantgirl in anger. Indeed it was Nephythys, an Egyptian goddess. "Lord Set? Understand?!" she barked. "He despises Osiris enough as is- we need not bring a child into the picture."

With that and a snort of annoyance, Nephthys continued in the direction of the desert. She was really not expecting a pregnancy so soon; indeed, she wanted children, but she wanted to wait until Set's own plans went better. Knowing her violent husband, she could not have the child and her life. Though a tough decision, she finally decided what to do about this child.

Her servant, however, was not so sure. "Mistress, while I understand the circumstances involved, why choose a method so... harsh?" she inquired. "Why not ask Mistress Isis for assistance, or give the child to me or another maidservant?"

"Isis would be infuriated if she knew I was with child by her husband," Nephthys pointed out. "Even if I lied about the child's parentage, neither Isis nor any servantgirl in Set's house has shown sign of pregnancy. Unless I want Set to kill the child in some violent manner, this is the only way."

Yet another question came to the servantgirl's mind. "Pardon me for saying such, Lady Nephthys, but could you remind me again why you went unto Lord Osiris?" she requested.

Sighing, Nephthys began to re-tell her story to the forgetful maidservant. "You know that Set has never given me a child," she reminded. "I realized this one night, so I went to the temple of Osiris and wept there. Moments later, Osiris found me in his temple and consoled me, though in the darkness he mistook me for his wife Isis. We slept together that night, and I left before he could awaken and see me for who I really was."

By now, the goddess and her servantgirl had walked far from the city and were now in a dry desert wasteland. Few plants were visable, but they were used to the lack of water.

The maidservant laid the towels down near some tall grasses. "If this is something you're sure of," she said with a heavied sigh, "then I won't stand in your way, Mistress."

Nephthys crouched down and laid down on the towels. "I'm glad you finally see things my way," she replied, contented. "For now, let us wait for this child; it won't be long..."

"Nephthys did WHAT?!" shouted an angry Set from his palace corridors.

His servant, standing before him, crouched in fear of the angry god. "I- I know it must seem quite upsetting, Lord Set," he stammered, "but it's only second-hand information I've heard from the servantgirls. You know how much they tend to gossip- it may not be true anyway!"

Set did not respond; he only looked outside, towards the rest of Kemet. His face, the head of an unidentifiable animal (though some have thought it be of a donkey, jackel, or dog), was emotionless for a moment. He thought of his brother- ever since the kingdom began, Osiris had always managed to make him jealous. Just about everybody liked Osiris! Every day he'd walk down the streets of the city, hearing things like "Osiris is such a good leader," and "Osiris is so wonderful to Kemet." Osiris this, Osiris that! He was tired of hearing about Osiris- what about him?!

Fury burning deep within him, Set picked up a nearby clay pot and threw it to the ground. He then picked up the small table on which it once sat and smashed it against the wall. His anger continuously building, he let out a mad cry that seemed to echo through the palace.

The servant hid behind a pillar. He REALLY didn't like seeing his master like this, but just the same he decided to offer some advice. "Master, if I may interrupt," he said, "I know for a fact that Lord Osiris is outside his palace for the evening, and Lady Isis isn't with him, but rather at the palace with their son Prince Horus."

Though surprised, Set was excited to hear such news. "Where... where is Osiris?" he queried, turning to the servant. "I demand an answer from you!"

"I believe I heard he was last seen in the palace of Ra," the servant informed his master. "From what I hear-"

Cutting him off, Set started walking back to his quarters; he had an idea. "Get all the other servants!" he ordered. "I have something special planned for my dear brother..."

Hours past since Nephthys and her maidservant had arrived in the wilderness; eventually, though, the time came for the young one to be born. When released from his mother's womb, the newborn child let out a yelp of alarm, not entirely sure of what was going on. This was a strange new place to him; all he knew was that he wanted mother!

As the servantgirl dried the young one with the towels, she took a moment to look him over; he seemed to be a perfectly healthy baby boy. However, she couldn't take her eyes off his puppy-like face. It made him seem so... helpless, needy for a caretaker, if not his birthmother.

Wrapping him in swaddling clothes, the servantgirl smiled at the newborn. She handed the young one to Lady Nephthys, saying, "You have a beautiful newborn son, mistress."

Nodding, Nephthys moved the cloths away from the child's face, to look upon it. She was shocked, to say the least, of her son's appearance. "This- This is my child?!" she shrieked. "How can this be?!"

The servantgirl leaned forward and touched the nose of the young one. "True, it doesn't resemble Lord Osiris or yourself," she commented, running her finger over his brow, "but you must admit, Lady Nephthys, he is quite adorable."

"Adorable?" Nephthys questioned sharply. "Perhaps you don't understand why he looks that way- you see, all children are born looking 'adorable', but that quickly changes as they grow. The cub of a lion, the pup of a jackel, the young of a crocodile all look adorable, only to grow into deceptive, horrid, violent monsters!"

Before the servantgirl could reply, she and her mistress heard the yapping cries coming from the distance. It was a family of jackels, and they were probably starving for a taste of fresh meat, and what fresher meat than that of a newborn child?

Nephthys laid her young one in the tall grasses and stood. "Let us go," she requested. "If we're gone too long, Set will begin to suspect something of us."

Sighing, the servantgirl began to pick up the towels. She looked into the bushes and saw the child, wriggling in the grasses. Just thinking about what was going to happen, she let a tear escape her eye. "Oh, Ra," she silently prayed, "please be with this young one; guide him to a new mother, if Lady Nephthys should not change her mind. Have mercy on him, Lord Ra..."

Tapping her fingers nervously, Nephthys waited for her servant. "Come now!" she ordered. "We cannot stay here for eternity!"

Though she didn't want to leave the child, not alone like this, the maidservant was obligated to do her duties. Reluctantly and teary-eyed, she left the newborn in the brush and followed her mistress back to Set's palace...

Atop a hill, the highest point in Kemet, sat the palace-shrine of Ra, the sun god. It was a grand, magnificent place, whose glory alone could give daylight to the city.

Within the walls of the temple, three gods rested in the dining hall. At the head of the table was, of course, Ra; seated to his left was Osiris, his good friend and pharoah of Kemet, and on his right was the god Thoth, another good friend and often times an assistant. For a while now, they had talked of politics and other such affairs, and all seemed well.

Suddenly, Ra thought he heard a voice. An image came to his mind- the body of a helpless newborn child, rustling in a patch of grass. Taking his attention off his friends for a moment, he listened carefully to the prayer:

"...Oh, Ra, please be with this young one; guide him to a new mother, if Lady Nephthys should not change her mind. Have mercy on him, Lord Ra..."

"Lord Ra?" said a different voice.

Ra lost focus of the prayer and looked into the faces of his two friends. "Yes?"

Thoth seemed to be the most concerned. "Lord Ra, is all well?" he asked. "Not a moment ago, you were as joyous as we were, yet now you seem distressed."

Though he was still somewhat upset, Ra straightened himself, as to look more composed. "I'm well, Lord Thoth," he assured. "I've just had contact with yet another mortal's prayer, and it does seem dire."

Hearing that, Osiris leaned in closer. "A mortal's prayer?" he repeated. "Tell me of it, Lord Ra- I live among these mortals, and if indeed it is dire, then I must know."

As Ra was about to begin his explanation, the doors at the end of the hall creaked open and a new face approached them. "Brother!" he called out.

Osiris stood and walked over to the newcomer. "Set!" he welcomed, hugging his brother. "Brother Set, what brings you to the courts of Ra?"

Set smiled, patting his brother on the back. "Brother Osiris," he explained, "your kingdom is prospering so well. I thought I'd present to you a special offering, celebrating your success."

The ibis-headed Thoth exchanged glances with falcon-headed Ra. "Do you sense an alterior motive in this instance?" he whispered.

"Indeed, Lord Thoth," Ra agreed. "Set has always despised his brother greatly; I wish I could detect what he's planning on now."

On the other hand, Osiris was very flattered. "An offering, in my name?" he said with much joy in his voice. "Set, you have never done something like this for me in the past. Why now?"

Taking his hand, Set lead Osiris out of the dining hall. "I prefer to think of it as something I should have done a long time ago," he replied. "Come, brother; your offering awaits."

The doors closed on the dining hall, leaving Ra and Thoth to themselves. However, neither of them saw it fit to leave Osiris to his brother's devices. Immediately, they ran outside the dining hall and into the corridors, but already it was too late; not even the guards knew for sure where Set was taking his brother.

Ra turned to Thoth. "We must act fast," he remarked. "Let us search the corridors of the palace; Set couldn't have gone far..."

A family of jackels bounded over the sand dunes of Kemet. Their eyes were aglow with the midnight moon and their appitite had steadily increased. At this point, they'd attack anything!

Then, hearing a rustle come from the tall grasses, the lead jackel crouched down and crept over to the area. Just as he was about to unleash his teeth, he stopped and looked down at what should have been his next meal- a baby, and a strange one at that. He had the body of a human child, but his face was likened unto their cubs.

Wondering what was going on, the other jackels soon joined him. Sure enough, none of them desired to devour the child, not even the most sickly of them.

When the mother jackel saw the child, she turned to her mate (the lead jackel) and gestured that he go and find a sutable mother for it. He agreed and soon left in the direction of the city. Later, the mother jackel took the child to her den; the young one must have been quite hungry, and she had plenty of milk left for him to savor...

The sun god Ra scanned the hallways of his palace. He knew exactly what Set was up to; those two, moreso Set than Osiris, had been at each other's throats since the kingdom began. He just hoped he wasn't too late.

As Ra passed by a small darkened room, a cold chill went down his spine. He stopped and turned towards the room, fearing the worst.

Opening the door, Ra noticed something in the room that hadn't been there when he last saw it- a large golden chest, adorned with jewelry and several ingravings of Osiris himself. Ra approached the chest and lifted the top off, then seeing the real treasure that lay within.

"Osiris!" Ra gasped, then coming to the doorway. "Lord Thoth! Come quick! Something's happened!"

Not a moment later, an ibis soared through the corridors and landed near the room Ra was standing in. Assuming his deity form, he asked, "Lord Ra, have you found Lord Osiris? Is he alright, or have we arrived too late?"

Ra hung his head and sighed heavily. "I wish I could say that he is alright," he replied, disappointment in his voice. "However, I am afraid that our dear Lord Osiris is no more."

Thoth shook his head. "How tragic," he commented. "I realize that Set's kingdom has been faltering since the harvest season, but to do something like this so suddenly... it pains me."

Raising his head, Ra looked past the pillars of the corridor, to the midnight sky. "Let us not mourn for the untimely passing of Lord Osiris quite yet," he reasoned, turning to the wise ibis-headed god. "We must tell Lady Isis of this tragedy..."

Later that evening, Ra and Thoth arrived at Osiris' palace and told Isis the terrible news. To say the least, she was quite upset, as the gods took the time to let her weep on their shoulders as they comforted her.

Drying her tears, Isis drew her attention to a nearby bedroom, where her son Horus lay peacefully asleep in bed. "My son," she whispered, "how could I ever tell you how this happened? You're too young... too vulverable..."

"Perhaps, Lady Isis," Thoth offered, his hand on her shoulder, "you should wait until an appropriate age. In many aspects, you are right about the boy- he's too young to deal with such a travasty, and the greif could overcome him. Telling him at a later date may cause him to be bitter, but at least he will be able to execute his anger in a more useful fashion."

Isis nodded, turning to the two gods. "Indeed I will ponder your thoughts, Lord Thoth," she agreed, her eyes filling with anger. "Mark my words- the wrath Lord Set has unleashed upon Lord Osiris will be repaid tenfold! If not by me, then by the doctrine I teach Horus, the consequences will be dire."

Suddenly, a yipping howl interrupted her pondering. Isis, Ra, and Thoth looked below, seeing a wild jackel pacing anxiously at the gates. Clearly, something was wrong, and the presence of a wild animal indicated it probably had nothing to do with Osiris; it may, however, had something to do with Set.

Ra then remembered the prayer from earlier- about a child in the grasses of the wilderness, about protection and security, about... Lady Nephthys? Ra knew that Lord Set had never given her children, and if the child was abandoned, then Lady Nephthys must have concieved from another man... Lord Osiris?! True, it explained why Lord Set had been so quick to act, but even he thought he might be jumping to conclusions.

Changing into a falcon, Ra turned his head towards the god and goddess. "Lord Thoth, Lady Isis- let us depart," he urged. "Something tells me that this jackel has some valuable information for us..."

The jackel bounded over the horizon, headed in the direction of his pack. Behind him flew three birds- a falcon, an ibis, and a kite. They had been following the animal since the early morning; however, the sun wouldn't be rising for a few hours yet, which bought the falcon Ra some time.

Soon, the jackel and the deities arrived at a large sand dune naer some scarce brush. The other jackels happily greeted the gods as they returned to their more natural forms.

Then the mother jackel approached them, and in her teeth was a small squirming object. When laid at the her feet, Isis and the other gods found it to be a baby, though the face was more likened unto a jackel's than a human's. He squirmed in his swaddling clothes, whining and letting out a cry of urgency.

Immediately, Isis picked up the small child and held him to her breast. "Oh, don't cry, young one," she cooed, rubbing the newborn's back. "Lady Isis will soothe your pains."

Calming down, the young one curled up in the warmth of this new body. Opening his eyes for the first time, he looked up and saw Isis' smiling face. She cared so much for him- this had to be his mother!

Ra and Thoth came forward to see this new child. He seemed better, now that he had been nourished through the mother jackel's milk, and especially since Isis had comforted him.

Confused, the newborn looked at all these new faces, wondering who they could be. His large eyes blinked twice before he turned his attention back to Isis. He tried to say "mommy," but all he could do was try to mouth the word.

Smiling, Isis scratched behind the young one's ear. He giggled, as he was quite ticklish behind that ear. Still, when the goddess drew her finger away, he quickly grasped it and brought it to his mouth, sucking on it like a pacifier.

Thoth let a smirk cross his otherwise solemn face. "The young one seems to have taken a liking to you," he said, lightly touching the baby's brow. "Have you considered adoption?"

Isis looked at Thoth, surprised. "Adoption?" she repeated. "Lord Thoth, I would gladly take this child into my care, but I already have one son to worry about."

Sighing, Ra pressed forward; he still wasn't sure of his assumptions, but he wasn't about to take that chance. "Lady Isis," he addressed, "Lord Thoth and myself, as well as the other gods, will gladly help with Prince Horus' education. Whether you choose to take the child in or not is your decision; however, with the offer I present to you, I strongly urge that you reconsider."

Silent, Isis looked at the two gods, then at the young child half-asleep in her arms, and then back to the gods. "Perhaps I shall take this child into my care," she replied, bringing the newborn closer to her. "I cannot- no, I will not let him die here. This poor young one needs the care and support of a mother, and though he is not my birthchild, I shall treat him as such."

"I am glad that you have chosen to support the child, Lady Isis," Thoth agreed, looking at the child. "What shall you call him?"

Caressing the young one's back, Isis noticed his swaddling clothes. "Look how tightly he's been wrapped in these clothes," she remarked, bringing the weary child to her face as she gently kissed his forehead. "I shall call him Anpu, for his birthmother cared enough to wrap him in these swaddling clothes to guard him from the cold."

Nodding, Ra noticed how early the morning was and excused himself from the meeting; he had duties to attend to. Assuming his falcon form, Ra soared upward into the heavens and toward his abode, to begin his daily journey.

Ra thought of the name Isis had given the child- Anpu, or "he who is in his funeral wrappings." Perhaps it was a fortelling of the child's future, but for now he had to get one with the matters of the day. Still, the name echoed in his mind...

"... Anpu... Anubis..."

So, how was it? I bet some of you found a few errors. Well, as much as I know you'd like to, I would appreciate it if you could NOT mention them; I'm very well aware of the errors, and I can assure you that by the time I finish this story every error will have been dealt with. For now, though, just sit back and enjoy the ride...

Please review! I'd love to see your insight! ^-^