The necropolis was similar to the first one she had visited on the day of her death, except it was much smaller and more discreet. It wasn't very far from other burial sites and temples, unlike the Giza necropolis, which was relatively isolated. On the horizon, Anaïs could see the city of Ouaset below and its sand-colored stone walls. In some places, large colorful sheets hung over the wall, providing the inhabitants with shaded areas. The city seemed relatively populated, much more than she had expected when considering ancient Egypt. It was teeming with life and busy citizens, to the point where she could almost hear the murmur of their conversations.

"The two closest pieces are with a collector in the wealthy district of Ouaset. There are three more on the western bank in the Valley of the Kings. I haven't been able to locate the others yet."

Isis's gaze at her son was filled with skepticism. She strongly suspected that something had happened, preventing them from locating the remaining pieces of Osiris. However, it didn't really matter that they hadn't pinpointed the other thirteen pieces that same night, since they wouldn't be able to retrieve them all in a single day anyway.

"Maybe it would be better to start with the Valley of the Kings, don't you think? There's no guarantee the collector will give us the pieces just by asking. He might take the opportunity to turn us in or something like that..."

Anaïs's anxious imagination made her cautious. They had already been easily discovered the first time, so it was fair to think that another betrayal could happen. She didn't want to die a second time or get stabbed again. Besides, she'd seen too many action movies to know that the worst always happened faster than expected. It was better to stack the odds in their favor.

"Walking through the desert will take us hours. We’ll need to cross the river and use camels."

"We don't need to reveal our identity for that, as long as we have money," commented the young woman. "It might be less risky."

Isis watched them debate without adding anything, almost too shy to interject in their conversation. It was clear, by looking at them, that a form of camaraderie had quickly developed between them over the past two days. Evidently, keeping them apart was becoming increasingly difficult for the goddess, to the point where she was no longer as resistant to their relationship as before. Perhaps it was also because Anaïs was now part of the expedition, and she couldn't distract Anubis if she was literally by his side, focused on the same quest. In any case, the mother's presence at least tempered Anaïs's ardor and reminded her to stay grounded in reality rather than getting lost in her fantasies, as she had that morning. Anyway, Anubis's attention was entirely focused on their mission, and he behaved in a completely professional manner towards her. He was almost too distant for her liking, but she tried to dismiss that trivial concern.

"Let's deal with the desert first," he finally decided after studying the map again. "It will probably take us the whole day."

The trio had no trouble blending in with the few villagers and fishermen they encountered along their path. No one paid attention to them here, as they were close to the city of Ouaset, which was regularly visited by nomads and traders. There were enough passing strangers for no one to question them or even glance their way. Well, except for some mischievous young girls with a big smile on their faces who didn’t hesitate to watch the jackal-headed god as he passed by, whispering gossip among themselves before being called to order by their elders. Some things hadn’t changed, even after thousands of years.

Their destination was a small fishing village about twenty minutes from the necropolis where they had arrived. Some people took advantage of tourism and trade to ferry customers to the other side of the river, allowing them to earn a few extra coins in addition to their fishing income. Yet, they weren’t particularly struggling compared to the farmers working in the fields: in these ancient times, fish were plentiful, and being a fisherman wasn’t a bad position. The Nile wasn’t a dangerous ocean likely to sweep away their skiff—a small, light boat—and it teemed with life.

"Three people for a crossing," Anubis called out to the young fisherman waiting like a taxi next to his boat at the designated dock, sitting on a wooden log.

"Do you have the means to pay?" he scrutinized them, lingering on the figures of the two women.

Anaïs didn’t know how old Isis was, but there was no denying she was a stunning woman, and her confident aura commanded respect. Even with clothing that didn’t reflect her status in the slightest, it was hard to hide her aristocratic and elegant air. There wasn’t a single wrinkle on her face, as if her body was frozen in time. In addition to being immortal, did they also enjoy eternal youth? If so, now that Anaïs was a magical being, would she stop aging as well? If that were the case, she wouldn’t complain. In her early twenties, she was at the peak of her beauty.

"A gold deben should suffice, right?" Anubis asked, rummaging in his satchel to pull out a coin.

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

The ferryman couldn’t hide his surprise at the jackal god’s offer. Anaïs wasn’t familiar with the currency system of ancient Egypt, but it was clear from the fisherman’s expression that a gold deben was far too much for such a service. However, the man quickly recovered, adopting a neutral expression, and accepted the coin without a word. Of course, he wasn’t going to tell them the offer was too generous, but it had now piqued his curiosity. If not just anyone could afford to pay such a price, the trio immediately became suspect in the eyes of the villagers, despite their attire. If they loved gossip as much as the young girls did, the story of their presence here would spread like wildfire.

"For your silence as well," Anaïs added, fixing him with a firm gaze.

"You have my word," the ferryman concluded respectfully, inviting them to board his skiff.

Anubis didn’t comment on the young woman’s intervention, unlike his mother, who thanked her with an approving nod. She understood the necessity of making such a request and appreciated the initiative of their new companion. Anaïs smiled, pleased that the goddess recognized the usefulness of her action. An overactive imagination was certainly helpful to prepare for all eventualities. No one could accuse her of not taking the situation seriously now.

Hesitant, she climbed into the skiff, which swayed each time someone took their seat, and slowly sat down on the bench between Isis in front and Anubis behind. The seats were just wide enough for one person, but there were enough for each of them to sit comfortably, along with the ferryman who occupied the back of the boat to row. Anaïs was not reassured by the skiff's stability, unlike the two deities, who seemed to enjoy the little trip. They weren’t moving very fast, which eventually calmed her anxiety about ending up overboard. She had very little desire to plunge into the Nile.

The trip lasted about ten minutes before the fisherman docked on the other bank, helping his female passengers disembark without getting wet. The dock was similar to the one on the opposite side, though slightly smaller, and another young man waited nearby for customers to appear, his skiff tied to one of the many papyrus posts. Anaïs suspected that the fishermen stored their boats along the dock at night, avoiding the need to push their vessels across the sandy shore every day.

A few fishermen lived on this side of the river, but the village was much smaller, and for a good reason: the eastern bank was fertile and green, with plowed cereal fields along the Nile, while the western bank was merely an extension of the desert. On this side, sand dominated the greenery, except for a few palm trees, but it also offered a beautiful beach of fine, warm grains. So close to the river, the temperature was pleasant, but Anaïs did not doubt that as they moved away from the cool water, the sun would become increasingly harsh.

This time, Anubis followed Anaïs's lead and offered another gold deben in exchange for three dromedaries and the stableman's silence, who worked in the nearby village. Anaïs was relieved they wouldn’t have to walk after having to travel a kilometer upstream to obtain their mounts. The weather was bearable when they weren’t exerting themselves, but exercise under this harsh sun was a different matter entirely.

"Have you ever ridden a dromedary? I didn’t see this type of transport in your world," the jackal god inquired.

"I took a dromedary ride in Cairo during my vacation in Egypt, but... I wasn’t very comfortable."

"I’ll help you mount."

As the animal lay flat on the ground to allow its rider to climb on, Anubis helped her mount the saddle by holding her hand, then stabilized her while the dromedary stood up, as the action tended to be a bit jarring. He didn’t give her the reins but instead attached them to his saddle so that the animal would only have to follow his lead. Isis mimicked her son’s initiative, holding onto Anaïs’s saddle before mounting, so she wouldn’t need to guide her mount either. Besides, only Anubis knew the direction they needed to go.

Before taking his seat, the god rummaged through his satchel, pulling out two waterskins—goat-skin bags used as canteens—and tossed one to the young woman. She thanked him, relieved that he had thought to prepare all these supplies for her as well since she had come as a complete tourist.

"Don’t drink too much; it has to last until we find a freshwater source," Anubis advised as she took a few sips of the liquid.

Drinking about a third of the waterskin didn’t quite quench the thirst that had surged at the mention of potable water, especially after the several hundred meters they had already walked since departing from the Duat. Anaïs had to force herself not to drink more and simply handed the container back to Anubis. She had nothing to carry it with, and in any case, she didn’t trust herself not to drain it in one go the next time she had it in her hands. Rationing was not her strong suit.

The rest of the morning passed under a scorching sun, despite the relatively bearable temperature of the desert, which was not as intense as she had expected compared to her trip to Cairo. It was hot, and she had no doubt that she would have a mild sunstroke by the end of the day if they kept up this pace, but it was nothing like the oppressive heat of modern Egypt. Was this due to climate change? There was more life and even some patches of greenery, far from the barren sandy expanse she was familiar with.

They found the first piece of Osiris in a fennec’s burrow, not far from the Karkheh Oasis, which was their destination for the second. Isis, losing patience, had suggested that her son simply kill the little family. Anaïs had then pleaded on behalf of the mother fennec, who was valiantly defending her young and didn’t want to let the gods’ hands reach the depths of their shelter. Anubis listened to the young woman, simply pulling the sand foxes out of their burrow long enough to retrieve Osiris’s flesh, earning a few superficial bites and scratches in the process. She refused to start her quest with the needless sacrifice of innocent, cute animals, which annoyed the mother goddess, though she maintained her composure and didn’t openly show it.

"It’s a hand," Anubis announced to the two women as he stowed it in his satchel.

"Doesn’t the flesh rot?" Anaïs asked, having seen the limb in perfect condition, though slightly dirtied by its journey.

"The bodies of gods are immortal," Isis explained as she mounted her dromedary again. "As long as we gather all the pieces, we can bring Osiris back to life."