The oracle led them through the temple, allowing Anaïs to take in her surroundings as they walked. The building was immense, with towering ceilings, long corridors lined with doors, and a gigantic hall adorned with massive pillars and paintings covering the walls and ceiling. Heavy stone statues depicted animals or gods in their hybrid forms. Beyond being a spiritual place, the temple was also an architectural and artistic marvel, a site well worth the visit.

The room where the head was kept had no natural light. It was not the only magical artifact stored in what served as a treasure chamber, but it was the only one carefully wrapped in a silk shroud, hidden from view. There was no security surrounding the piece, and the room wasn’t even guarded, which surprised Anaïs. Even though the priestesses were confident that the fragment would not be stolen as long as its existence remained a secret, it was still surprising that no precautions had been taken just in case.

"Here is the head," the oracle indicated, standing a few meters from the artifact.

Anaïs remained beside the woman, keeping her distance, while Anubis crossed the short distance to retrieve the fragment. As he removed the shroud to confirm the authenticity of the head, Amenâ’s piercing eyes settled on Anaïs’s face. A sense of unease crept over her beneath that intense gaze, which seemed not to be looking at her body but at her very soul. An unpleasant feeling washed over her as if the oracle were trying to read her, to probe the depths of her essence and analyze her magic.

"You have gained an interesting power, Akh Anepout," she murmured with a knowing smile. "Your magic and that of the god Anubis are linked. You should now be able to benefit from his gift of shapeshifting."

"I'm sorry, what?" Anaïs stammered, stunned.

The oracle ignored her confusion and shifted her focus to Anubis, who was returning, holding his father’s head in his hands. When he noticed Anaïs’s bewildered expression, he furrowed his brows but said nothing immediately. Amenâ had spoken just low enough that the god hadn’t heard, as if her revelation was a secret meant only for the two women.

"Let’s go," Anubis ordered, turning his attention back to their guide. "We shouldn't linger any longer than necessary."

Amenâ once again led them to the entrance of the crypts. She did not seem bothered by the god’s urgency to return to the Duat. After all, they had come in secrecy. Every passing second here was an additional risk, even if there was no visible sign of danger. She accompanied them to the location of the magical portal, then bowed respectfully in farewell.

"The priestesses of Abydos and I wish you luck and fortune in the continuation of your quest," the oracle declared formally. "Fear not, the secret of your visit to our temple will remain within our walls."

"And we are extremely grateful for that," Anubis replied, lowering his head in gratitude.

Anaïs followed his example, offering Amenâ a quieter, more hesitant thank you. She was still unsettled by the mention of this new power. And Anubis seemed just as intrigued by their exchange, for as soon as they stepped through the portal, he turned to her and asked:

"What did the oracle tell you?"

"She said that I should now be able to use your shapeshifting abilities since our magic is linked," Anaïs explained, still perplexed. "Does that mean I can transform into a jackal?"

She saw the astonishment flicker across Anubis’s face for a brief moment. Clearly, this revelation was just as much of a surprise to him as it was to her.

"Is it because of last night?" the young woman added, blushing at the god’s silence.

She had never been shy when it came to sex, but it was an entirely different matter when it involved Anubis. She couldn't deny it—her cheeks kept betraying her at the mere mention of any closeness between their bodies. Maybe it had to do with the uncontrollable attraction she felt toward him, or perhaps with the growing feelings she was finding increasingly difficult to ignore.

"Probably," Anubis finally replied with a smile. "Our energies merged, and my magical signature must have imprinted on you, since you don’t have one as an Akh, unlike the gods. Let’s drop off Osiris’s head at my mother’s, and then you can try shifting when we return."

That means we’re connected… Intimately… To the point that my magic has absorbed his symbolic animal!

A swarm of butterflies erupted in her stomach at the thought. It felt like the temperature around them had suddenly risen by several degrees.

Instead of heading back to Anubis’s villa, they had taken the path toward the outskirts of the city, where Isis resided. Opposite the oasis they had visited a few days prior, there was a prairie filled with various cacti and sparse grasses and flowers resilient enough to thrive in the arid climate. Beyond it lay cliffs and a canyon in the distance. The land was flat for about a kilometer before transforming into what looked like a natural playground. This was the location Anubis had chosen for Anaïs’s first attempt at shapeshifting.

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For now, they stood at the edge of the prairie, beneath the relentless midday sun. The harsh brightness nearly hurt her eyes, but the heat was surprisingly bearable. In the Duat, the magical climate allowed them to escape extreme temperatures, and Anaïs’s body had also become more resistant since ascending to the rank of Akh.

"You need to visualize your body transforming into an animal," Anubis instructed, though he seemed to struggle to explain it. "Honestly, it’s hard to put into words… For us gods, it happens automatically. Let your magic flow freely through your body—your mind must guide the transformation, just like when you channel your energy to your hands."

Imagine myself turning into a jackal… Anaïs repeated in her mind, trying to focus on the image of the animal with her eyes closed.

Minutes passed, and nothing happened. She furrowed her brows and finally opened her eyes, frustration written all over her face. It might have been instinctive for them, but apparently, it was far from easy for a former human. No matter how hard she tried to picture the form she was meant to take, it just wouldn’t work.

"Give me your hands," Anubis instructed, holding out his own. "Maybe merging our magic again will help you direct yours."

The moment their fingers intertwined, warmth spread instantly through Anaïs’s body. A familiar heat coursed through her limbs—the result of Anubis’s energy seeping into her being. Normally, she was the one sending her magic into him, not the other way around. Experiencing the other side of the exchange was entirely different. She now understood why he usually erected barriers to protect himself. Feeling a foreign magic infiltrate her body truly felt like an intrusion, akin to someone attempting to peer into her mind.

And yet, he had allowed her in.

All at once, the gesture carried even greater significance, and she realized that merging their magic was far from trivial. Of course, she had suspected it wasn’t something to be done with just anyone, but she hadn’t grasped just how deeply intimate what they had shared truly was.

Focusing solely on her transformation was difficult, but she still managed to initiate some changes in her body: her nails had grown considerably, resembling claws, her pupils had shifted in shape, sharpening her vision, and her teeth had become noticeably sharper. Her hearing was undoubtedly more acute than before, and her sense of smell now detected new and unfamiliar scents. Some were particularly unpleasant or overwhelmingly strong for her formerly human nose, triggering a brief coughing fit. Her senses had adapted to those of a canine, yet her body remained human. Frustration crept in again—she simply couldn’t do it.

"I can't seem to visualize the transformation properly," she sighed. "Maybe if I use yours as a reference..."

"Let's try that," Anubis agreed, releasing her hands.

Before her eyes, Anubis's humanoid form vanished in an instant, replaced by his jackal form with sleek, jet-black fur. His animal shape was just as impressive as ever, not only because of its unnatural color but also its size—far taller at the shoulder than natural jackals. He was as large as a wolf, but his body was leaner and more refined, with an elongated snout and long, pointed ears. A keen intelligence gleamed in his dark eyes, and he held himself with dignity, ever aware of his surroundings yet not tense.

Anaïs sat beside him to match his level and reached out to run her fingers through his fur. The god pressed his muzzle affectionately against her fingers, making her smile tenderly. It was still bizarre to think that the animal before her was actually a deity, but she was slowly adjusting to her new life and all its strange realities.

She stroked his fur for a few moments before deciding to try again. After imprinting the image of Anubis’s beast form in her mind, she hoped her consciousness would finally be able to grasp the transformation. She wasn’t disappointed—within seconds, a tingling sensation spread throughout her body. It felt as though her limbs were being pulled toward her center of gravity, though thankfully, the transformation was painless.

In the blink of an eye, she found herself at the same height as the jackal. Her hands and feet had turned into paws, each tipped with sharp claws that scraped against the ground. A thick black fur coat had replaced her skin, and her upright human stance had shifted into a quadrupedal posture. Her beast form was slightly smaller than Anubis’s, but aside from that detail, they were identical—proof that Anaïs had succeeded, thanks to the fusion of their magic.

A bit unsteady at first, she carefully took a few steps in her new form. With each movement, her confidence grew. It was an entirely new world opening up to her, yet the sensations felt oddly familiar—at least to her body and magic. Her mind, on the other hand, was completely overwhelmed by how different everything felt between human and animal perception. The transformation was exhilarating, and euphoria quickly took hold of her.

"Come on," Anubis invited, slightly parting his jaws.

She could have sworn she saw his eyes reflect a smile before he leaped forward, sprinting across the prairie at full speed. She followed, hesitantly at first, then broke into a determined run, chasing after him toward the far reaches of the grassland. There, rocky cliffs loomed ahead, marking the edge of the terrain. Anubis began scaling the rocks, leaping from one ledge to another with effortless agility.

Hesitant at first, Anaïs decided to trust that her body knew what to do—and it did. Instinctively, she understood where to place her paws to avoid slipping and how high to jump to land safely on the next rock.

When they reached the top of the cliff, Anubis sat facing the vast expanse below, and Anaïs mimicked him.

The sight that greeted her was breathtaking. Her sharpened vision allowed her to perceive far more detail than her human eyes ever could. From here, they could see the entire prairie and a distant portion of Imentet. On the other side, a vast canyon stretched before them, with a turquoise river winding through its depths. The sun was still high in the sky, but it wouldn’t be long before it began its descent, promising a stunning sunset.

"Jackals typically bond with only one mate for life," Anubis stated calmly, his dark eyes locking onto hers.

"Do gods follow the same customs as their symbolic animals?" Anaïs couldn't help but ask.

Had she been in her human form, her cheeks would have burned red. Thankfully, a jackal couldn’t blush.

"It depends on the individual," he replied simply, offering no further explanation.

Interesting.