After paying a generous sum to the old man as thanks for his information, Anubis and Anaïs left the premises and headed toward Amon's Tears. They had a meeting with the goddess in about twenty minutes, but there was nothing left to do as they had already explored the souk and completed their investigation. Anaïs was almost relieved that they had been able to wander while still coming back with answers to their questions. This way, she wouldn’t have to face Isis’s reprimands for spending part of their morning shopping.
"You’re early," noted the goddess, who was waiting for them in one of the wicker chairs around the table for four outside the tavern.
A large canopy shaded the terrace from the sun, allowing customers to enjoy a cool beer in comfort. All the other tables were occupied, which was no surprise since the establishment also served food and it was nearly lunchtime. What was more surprising, however, was Isis’s presence, sitting in front of a wine goblet, seemingly having waited for some time.
"How long have you been waiting for us here, Mother?" Anubis asked as the pair settled beside the goddess. "You’ve found some useful information, haven’t you?"
"My falcon spotted something that might be a lead," she explained without delay, "but we’ll need to confirm it before acting. Emsaf has a daughter, and she appears to suffer from rather violent daily seizures. Setep overheard his servants complaining that the poor girl can’t live a normal life because of her illness."
"Then we’ve reached the same conclusion," Anubis confirmed, glancing at Anaïs. "We came across the family’s physician. He told us that Emsaf’s daughter has been ill since she was very young and that her mother died of the same illness. They don’t know what it is and are completely powerless against it. If he cares for his daughter, perhaps he’s trying to save her..."
"Then he’s aware of the origin of what’s in his possession," the goddess deduced. "If he knows the pieces belong to a god... he must be trying to use them to heal his daughter."
"And does it actually have that kind of power?" Anaïs couldn’t help but ask.
"No, but you can’t fault him for thinking so," Anubis replied in his mother’s stead.
As she thought of her own world and how lucrative the trade of mystical objects and religious promises was, Anaïs wasn’t surprised. Some people spent thousands of euros on spiritual guarantees or supposedly miraculous artifacts, even though magic didn’t exist—at least, not as described by those religious figures. Yet the demand was so high that a slew of charlatans appeared one after another. Perhaps monotheistic gods were as real as the Egyptian ones, but she did not doubt that the vast majority of so-called mystical events were fabricated or outright lies created for a specific purpose.
"It’s still the same in modern times; some things never change."
"I thought the humans of your era no longer interacted with the gods?" Anubis asked, visibly curious about the topic. "That’s what you told me, isn’t it?"
Isis was also listening intently, her expression unreadable. After all, the discussion touched on their decline.
"Direct interactions, yes," she explained in more detail. "But that doesn’t stop many people from still believing in monotheistic gods. There’s a cultural, social, and traditional aspect to religion in these believing communities. To make matters worse, many ill-intentioned individuals use these beliefs to gain money or power, reinforcing the faith of believers with fake miracles. It makes them more manipulable. It’s no secret that when someone is desperate to believe in something, they’ll see signs proving their faith in anything, even the most absurd things."
"You mean the gods are absent, and humans use this absence to pretend to speak on their behalf with bad intentions?" Isis interjected, astonished.
"Yes," she confirmed with a grimace.
"Humans never cease to disappoint me," the goddess sighed, taking a sip of her wine.
Can't argue with that, Anaïs thought, choosing not to voice her agreement aloud. The goddess already seemed hostile enough toward humans; there was no need to confirm her assumptions.
The next hour was spent sipping a cup of beer and leisurely eating the house specialty: falafels served with stewed fava bean purée, called foul. There wasn’t much difference from modern recipes, except there was no doubt about the freshness of the ingredients. Anaïs understood why Amon's Tears was such a popular tavern in the city. The food was delicious, and the beer was mild and refreshing—a perfect moment of relaxation that they savored before heading back to the collector’s home. During the meal, they had decided on their course of action, eventually resolving to rely on the information about his daughter. They had no other leads, and this one seemed solid.
In the early afternoon, the trio found themselves knocking on Emsaf’s door once again. His butler greeted them immediately, letting them into the hall after explaining that his master had gone out for lunch and would return shortly. He then led them to his office, where they were seated in the same place as that morning to wait for the merchant’s return.
"A servant will bring you some tea and sweets shortly," the butler informed them, positioning himself against the wall near the door to keep an eye on them.
He was just doing his job, but his presence was undeniably uncomfortable. Of course, they hadn’t expected to be left unsupervised in such a collection-filled space, but the way Khephren stood straight and motionless, staring ahead as if attempting to provide the illusion of privacy, only succeeded in doing the opposite. Anaïs focused on her cup of tea and the small pastries brought in by two servants ten minutes after their arrival.
The wait felt unbearable and excruciatingly long, but Emsaf finally announced himself in the hall, searching for his butler, who joined him to inform him of his guests’ presence. They had waited forty minutes and gone through two cups of tea, which had frayed Anaïs’s nerves. She was eager to know if their sole lead was the right one.
"Ah, I didn’t expect to see you back so soon!" the collector exclaimed as he entered his office with enthusiasm. "Have you decided on another artifact from my collection?"
Isis took a long breath before locking her determined gaze on the merchant’s. She remained the best negotiator among them, being older and more experienced, despite their cover being effectively blown. Anubis trusted her, and Anaïs trusted Anubis.
"No, but we’d like to propose a new exchange," she began, her voice unwavering and confident. "If I told you we could help your daughter, would that be a sufficient price for what we’ve traveled so far to obtain?"
Emsaf’s eyes narrowed into thin slits, his face betraying no surprise, only incredulity. Naturally, he didn’t believe them. If even the best physicians had failed to diagnose his daughter’s illness, he wasn’t likely to think that three strangers could do anything to help her.
"And what could you possibly do that the best healers in Egypt couldn’t? I’ve consulted them all, from the royal physician to humble spiritual healers. None have been able to relieve her."
"Allow me to try nonetheless," Isis insisted, her gaze never leaving his silhouette.
Anaïs couldn’t tell if it was the almost divine aura radiating from the goddess at that moment or Emsaf’s desperate need to believe in a cure for his daughter that finally swayed him, but after about ten seconds of reflection, he sighed and turned his gaze to the false couple.
"I’ll accept on one condition: reveal your true identities and why obtaining these artifacts is so important to you. I want the truth. I won’t let strangers with unclear motives near my daughter."
Isis’s eyes landed on her son, who nodded, encouraging her to continue the discussion. Revealing their divine status was a calculated risk they had discussed over lunch. While it was dangerous—since even if they succeeded in helping his daughter, there was no guarantee Emsaf would keep their secret—it was a gamble they were willing to take.
"I am the goddess Isis, and I am searching for the pieces of my husband Osiris. My son Anubis and the Akh Anepout accompany me to help fulfill this mission. As his wife, my husband’s remains rightfully belong to me."
To say Emsaf was skeptical would be an understatement. It was understandable, of course. It wasn’t every day that three individuals showed up at your door asking for magical pieces of flesh while claiming to be gods. Faced with the merchant’s disbelief, Anubis opted for a more direct approach. Rising from his seat, he transformed into his jackal form—a sleek, coal-black animal. In an instant, a majestic beast replaced his human figure, gracefully stepping onto the table while carefully avoiding the teacups and plates of sweets.
For the first time since meeting the collector, Emsaf struggled to mask his surprise. His body sank into his chair as if trying to meld with the furniture and disappear from the room. His face reflected his astonishment, but his instinctive recoil also betrayed the fear that froze him for a moment as he found himself face-to-face with the god Anubis in beast form. When he regained his composure, hope burned brightly in his eyes, and a tentative smile began to form on his lips.
Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.
"My apologies," he said, standing and bowing to the trio. "Had I known I was in the presence of spiritual beings..."
Anubis resumed his human form and sat back down beside the two women. The display of power was over. Anaïs herself was surprised, noting that Emsaf’s reaction stemmed more from the unexpected nature of their identity than from encountering gods. It seemed that the citizens of ancient Egypt were aware that deities were real and walked among them, which made their veneration much more logical. She wasn’t sure how Akhou were regarded, but she guessed they were nearly as respected as gods, given their semi-magical nature. This assumption was quickly confirmed by the collector’s respectful posture and gaze, which included her as well.
"We rely on your discretion not to reveal our identities if you wish us to help your daughter," Isis said, her tone polite yet firm, as they now held the upper hand.
"You intend to resurrect him, don’t you?" the merchant couldn’t help but ask, his eyes gleaming. "I assume Seth is unaware of your plans. Don’t worry, I won’t say anything. Better yet, I’ll help you find the other pieces if you can help my daughter."
No one responded to the collector’s probing questions, wary of revealing too much and jeopardizing their mission. He was correct in his assumptions, but it was better not to confirm it and to leave a veil of uncertainty. To his credit, Emsaf didn’t press further, apparently understanding that such matters were not his to inquire about.
"While I diagnose the affliction consuming your daughter, I’d like you to retrieve the pieces and show them to us before proceeding with her treatment," ordered the goddess in an uncompromising tone." Forgive my mistrust, but one can never be too cautious."
"You are absolutely in your rights," Emsaf agreed, snapping his fingers to summon his butler. "Khephren, I entrust this task to you. I will escort our guests to Inefer’s room. You know what to do."
Emsaf’s love for his daughter was entirely evident in his decision to accompany her instead of the artifacts. He left the task to his butler, a choice that betrayed what he valued most. While it was touching to witness the man’s paternal devotion, it also meant that what they had come for was left in the hands of a mere servant.
He must have complete trust in his butler, Anaïs reassured herself. After all, if he stole the artifacts, his daughter would never be cured.
Emsaf led them to the second floor, passing through the grand hall and then into a long corridor lined with rooms Anaïs assumed were bedrooms. When they arrived at his daughter’s door, he knocked before opening it slightly to announce the presence of guests, ensuring not to catch her off guard.
"Father? Who are these people? More healers?" sighed a little girl of about ten years old.
She had long, dark brown hair and deep, soulful brown eyes that adorned a face still marked by youth. Light freckles dotted her nose and cheeks, and her small, upturned nose gave her an adorable air. With her long lashes, petite frame, and colorful dress, she looked like a living doll. It was hard not to feel sorrow at the thought of this child growing up in isolation due to her illness. When Anaïs glanced back at Emsaf after taking in the sight, a wave of sympathy swept over her despite herself. It was difficult to believe that a father so desperate to heal his little girl could be a bad man, though desperation could drive one to drastic and immoral measures. She couldn’t help it—perhaps it was naïve to think this way, but the situation tugged at her empathy.
Inefer sat comfortably in a cushioned chair, a book in hand. She set it down on the small table in front of her as her father entered her sanctuary. Emsaf allowed them to step into the room after him, and Isis moved forward without hesitation, lowering herself to meet the child at eye level.
"I am the goddess Isis," she introduced herself, her confident gaze locking onto Inefer’s, "and I’ve come to heal you."
Not a word escaped Inefer’s lips, but her tear-filled eyes spoke volumes. Anaïs wasn’t initially sure the little girl believed the goddess, but the glance she stole at her father, who smiled in silent affirmation, didn’t go unnoticed. Three seconds later, the child broke eye contact with Isis, burying her face in her hands to hide her tears, though the trembling of her shoulders betrayed her.
"Will I finally be able to live a normal life?" she sobbed, her timid voice muffled by her fingers.
"Yes," Isis confirmed, taking Inefer’s hands in her own and smiling warmly.
Inefer allowed it, smiling back through a sniffle as she wiped away her tears. Relief was etched into her face, her eyes shining with hope. Letting her down was unthinkable after such a moment. Anaïs earnestly hoped that fully healing the girl was possible. Isis seemed confident she could help, but to what extent?
"Lie down on the bed," Isis advised as she stood up.
Obediently, the young girl leaped from her armchair and settled onto her cushions. The goddess sat at the edge of the bed, her chest facing her patient, while the father stood on the opposite side. Anaïs and Anubis stepped back to position themselves near a wall, recognizing their roles as non-essential in this stage of the quest.
Isis leaned down, low enough for her hand to touch Inefer’s forehead, prompting the girl to immediately close her eyes. She placed complete trust in the goddess and seemed relatively at ease, undoubtedly soothed by her father’s presence nearby. Emsaf, on the other hand, was visibly tense, nervously picking at his cuticles. His gaze shifted back and forth between his daughter and Isis’s movements. The goddess’s eyelids were closed to enhance her focus, yet her gestures remained precise despite the lack of sight.
For the next two minutes, silence dominated the room. Everyone waited for the goddess to complete what Anaïs assumed to be her diagnosis, as previously mentioned. A faint light surrounded Isis’s fingers, evidence of her magical workings.
"Interesting," she finally remarked, opening her eyes and fixing them on the collector. "Your wife suffered from the same ailment, didn’t she? The convulsions appeared well after birth, not from the start."
"Yes, her convulsions began a few months after Inefer’s birth," Emsaf replied, his grimace betraying deep thought. "She passed away four years later, and Inefer’s convulsions started a few months after that. I initially found the coincidence suspicious, but no healer could make sense of it. Was I right all along?"
"The affliction consuming your daughter is not biological. She was cursed, likely inheriting it from your wife. Do you recall any magical artifact your wife might have come into contact with in the weeks before her convulsions began?"
Emsaf placed a hand on his smooth-shaven chin and lips, stroking them absentmindedly as he delved into intense contemplation. There was no guarantee he’d remember such a distant event. Yet, after about twenty seconds, his face lit up.
"One of my long-time artifact hunters gifted my wife a jade sphinx to celebrate Inefer’s birth. A fisherman had it in his possession and sold it for a third of its value, unaware of its true worth. It’s not uncommon for an artifact’s origins to be untraceable, but the circumstances of its discovery were extraordinary. It’s not every day an item that valuable is found at the bottom of the Nile. If I had to wager on an artifact, it would be that one."
"Do you still have it?"
"Yes, it’s stored in one of my safes. I’ll have Khephren bring it to you once he’s retrieved your husband’s remains."
He paused briefly before continuing, his gaze full of hope as he looked at Isis.
"Can you free her from this curse?"
"Yes," she replied firmly.
"Why was it transferred to my daughter and not to me or one of my servants?"
"Curses act like parasites, seeking the best host. Your daughter must have been near your wife when she became too weak to sustain the curse’s energy. To survive, it latched onto her instead."
A few minutes later, the butler returned with a wooden box adorned with colorful hieroglyphs and handed it to his master, who quickly opened it to reveal an eye and a hand wrapped in a shroud. While Anubis was tasked with verifying the authenticity of the pieces, Emsaf explained the goddess's findings to Khephren and instructed him to retrieve the jade sphinx promptly.
After his inspection, Anubis nodded to confirm to the two women that the fragments were indeed Osiris's. He then closed the box and handed it to Emsaf. As per their agreement, the pieces would only be theirs once Inefer was cured.
"Will it hurt?" the little girl nervously asked.
"No, but you’ll feel tired for a while," Isis explained in her softest voice—a tone almost maternal, one Anaïs rarely heard from the goddess, even with her own son. 'I’ll extract the curse from your body and transfer it into the sphinx. I recommend destroying the artifact this time.'
Her final remark was directed at Emsaf, who nodded without hesitation. Despite his love for his collection, keeping an object that had cost him his wife’s life and nearly his daughter’s was far too risky. He didn’t seem greedy enough to endanger Inefer’s life again by deciding not to destroy it.
When Khephren brought the sphinx, no larger than five or six centimeters wide, Isis took it and examined it closely by the window to observe it better under the sunlight. Her fingers brushed the stone, searching for something she quickly found.
"It’s subtle, and only a careful eye would notice, but there is indeed a crack," Isis observed, turning back to the young girl and her father. "The curse was likely released when the sphinx was damaged, probably dropped by your wife."
The goddess moved her free hand close to Inefer’s face without touching it, then closed her eyes to focus. Her hand began glowing as before, her energy flowing into the girl’s body to drive out the curse. Inefer’s veins emitted a faint light in response as Isis’s magic coursed through her. When her entire body was enveloped by the light, it abruptly ceased, and her veins darkened.
The dark substance flowed in waves toward her head and the spot where Isis’s hand hovered, as if the curse was being called out of her body. Gradually, a sphere of black smoke formed between the goddess’s fingers, growing as the magical parasite relinquished its host, though not without resistance. While it wasn’t technically alive, its energy resisted confinement, evident from the small trickle of blood that began to flow from Inefer’s nose. A grimace of pain crossed her face, but she remained silent.
When the last wisp of dark mist left Inefer’s body, Isis’s hand began to tremble. Her face displayed intense concentration as the extraction took its toll. Slowly, she guided the sphere toward the sphinx statue in her other hand, forcing the smoke into the artifact, which briefly glowed before dimming again.
Inefer was breathing heavily, visibly drained. Her father quickly fetched a piece of cloth to wipe away the blood still trickling from her nose. Dark circles had formed under her eyes, as though her body hadn’t rested in days. Her vital energy had been drained along with the curse, explaining why Isis had predicted she would feel fatigued for the next few days.
"The crack has been repaired," the goddess announced while carefully examining the sphinx from every angle. "The curse is once again sealed within the artifact. Entrust it to a priestess; she will know how to destroy it without releasing its malevolent energy. Your daughter should regain all her strength within a few days."
"Thank you so much!" Emsaf exclaimed, his eyes shining with emotion." My little girl is finally cured…! The fragments of your husband are yours, as promised. As a token of my immense gratitude, I will help you find his remaining parts. I have information that might be useful to you..."
"Perhaps we should let the little one rest..." Anaïs suggested, noticing Inefer nodding off and slipping beneath her silk blanket.
"Yes, I’m so tired… I’ll take a little nap…" she murmured weakly, letting out a yawn.
"Rest well, my sunshine," Emsaf whispered, placing a kiss on the top of her head. "Let’s talk in my office."
Anubis took the box and slid it into his satchel since the fragments were now officially theirs. They had added two more to the collection of pieces they already possessed, making six in total.
This brings us closer to halfway… and without Seth discovering our quest. Let’s hope it stays that way.