Prince Anhur gazed upon the burning throne of Ra and wondered how solid gold could catch fire. He spoke earnestly: "Father, this must surely be the work of your brother. He is tricking us."

Ra replied calmly, "No, this is not my brother's doing. Something dangerous is happening."

Anhur said urgently, "Could the Greek gods be causing this? Zeus, the king of Olympus, might want glory by attacking you."

Ra answered firmly, "That's impossible. The gods on Olympus know me well and respect my kingdom. I recently visited them, and we remained on good terms. We will never be enemies unless they attack me first."

Suddenly, a voice came from the fire as huge wings flapped and filled the royal hall. "I am a messenger of the mighty creator. I have come to warn you of your sins."

Ra answered, puzzled, "A messenger of the Creator? What meaning does this hold? And what sins have I committed? I have ruled my kingdom with utmost honesty and fairness."

Ra continued, "If you are some Olympian god, know that I will declare war upon your whole kingdom for this intrusion."

Removing all the fire surrounding the place with one blow from his mouth, the sacred creature talks, "I am not an Olympian god; I am a messenger, as I have told you. Your sins are clear to the blind. You and everyone else gifted with powers declared yourselves gods among the weak; you declared yourself to be the divine creator of everything. Isn’t that a sin, Ra?"

The strong king shuddered; his mind lost in confusion. For the first time since the dawn of days, one dared speak his sacred name aloud. His son, the warrior prince, sat in silent witness, at once honoring their mysterious guest and poised to strike at his father's command.

The king replied, "If this be sin, I care not. Hundreds have claimed godhood through the ages. But I rule with justice and purpose—to build an eternal kingdom that shall stand long after I have returned to dust."

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The sacred creature says," All who have claimed to be gods have been warned. So, you are not the only one to be warned. You can rule this kingdom as you wish; you might even kill anyone, but remember that at the end of the day, you will meet the Creator, and he will judge you for every single sin you committed."

Ra replies, Oh mighty messenger, if I stopped people from worshipping me and from creating temples for my worship, would I be free of the big sin? I care not about harming people because, as you have heard earlier, I am not a tyrant. I rule with modesty and justice."

"If you truly stopped the people from worshipping you, you will be ahead of hundreds of others. I have got nothing else to say. This is the message I was commanded to send you. Farewell, creature, and remember to use your gifts wisely. With great power comes great responsibility and trouble," says the mysterious messenger.

Before Ra could reply, the mysterious creature soared upwards, vanishing into the palace ceiling without marring its elegant walls.

Anhur stalked to the towering doors of the royal hall, ensuring that no observer was near to witness what had transpired. Ra ascended to his throne and summoned forth the Book of Law. Upon the cover was emblazoned an all-seeing eye, representing the divine sight of the radiant sun god himself. Once summoned, the book floats in the air. In an instant, the doors leading into the hall vanished from view as Ra opened the volume and grasped the pen between his fingers.

"From now on, the laws will change," Ra declared with certainty. "Any who claim divinity shall be put to death. I shall write this law in the Book of Law and ensure that none shall call themselves a god any longer." He looked pointedly at his son. "Do you understand?"

Anhur met his father's gaze evenly. "Father, it will take days for the people to accept such a drastic change. Execution seems too harsh. You cannot undo thousands of years of belief overnight. A gentler approach would be wiser." He paused before continuing. "Alter the law so that those with great power may still be called 'god', but they shall not be worshipped nor erected temples in their name. That is a fair compromise, one the people could adapt to in time."

"Very well, I shall consider your counsel," Ra said dismissively. "Now go ready the soldiers."

"Ready the soldiers?" Anhur questioned. "It needs only you, I and Shu to kill your brother. No army is required. We are powerful enough alone. An army would only cause needless fear."

Ra's expression hardened. "Then the news of my brother's half-mortal offspring shall spread!"

"What of the new law you spoke of making?" Anhur pressed.

Ra's eyes narrowed. "There is a change of plans. The new law shall come after my brother's spawn is dead, for I must put an end to the disgrace he has brought to our kin. This is war. This is the end of my brother's rebellious acts!"