Chapter 15

Bast - Goddess of cats, protection, joy, dance, music, family, and love

Sekhmet - Goddess of fire, war, and dance

Hathor - Goddess of the sky, dance, love, beauty, joy, motherhood, foreign lands, mining, music and fertility.

Serket - Goddess of scorpions, medicine, magic, and healing venomous stings and bites

Maat - Goddess of Truth and Justice

Tefnut - Goddess of Rain, Air, Moisture, Weather, Dew, Fertility, and Water

Mut - Queen of the goddesses and lady of heaven

Isis - Goddess of health, marriage, and wisdom (wife of Ra)

Ra – God of the Sun, the major god of Egypt

Set - God of storms, desert, evil, chaos and war.

Epaphus – Greek Mythology demi-god – Son of Zeus and Io and a King of Egypt

Ephus - the man, husband of Bast and all her sisters at present

Brothers of Bast and Sekhmet

Thoth - God of knowledge

Sobek - God of the Nile, the Army, military, fertility and of crocodiles

Anhur - God of war and the sky bearer - Full brother of Bast and Sekhmet

Horus - Ancient God of the sky and kingship

Min - God of fertility

Khonshu - God of the Moon

Apophis - God of Chaos and darkness

Shu - God of the wind and air

Karen - neighbor of Ephus

Tina - Karen’s daughter.

Dr. Quinn Markov - Doctor of ancient Egyptology and Mythology

Min stepped up as soon as Ephus was done with his declarations. Ephus held up his hand to stop him.

“I also wish to make sure that all of this is fair Ra.” Ephus told the male with the sun disk head gear that was sitting next to him.

A wry smile crossed Ra’s lips as he nodded. “I know that you are a truly honest man, now demi-god. Please proceed Ephus.”

Ephus moved to Min laying his hand on him a moment. The shock that was apparent on Min’s face was almost comical. “By all the females that I have yet to meet! Astonishing! I can feel the power flowing into me!”

Ephus approached Thoth who shook his head and pointed to the others. Moving on to Anhur and Apophis Ephus laid a hand on each of their shoulders watching as their eyes also flew wide in astonishment. “By all of the sky realm!” Stated Anhur.

“I haven’t felt this way in a very long time!” Shouted Apophis.

Nodding Ephus moved to Khonshu and Shu repeating the same thing. Smiling, when he saw that they too were shocked, at the amount of power that they now had. Past them, Ephus saw that Horus was waiting almost like a child with a long awaited gift to open.

“I am unsure of how much you need as you are one of the older gods.” Ephus told Horus hoping that he didn’t piss him off.

“What you give will be a welcomed increase from what I am now!” Horus said with a wide smile. Nodding Ephus laid his hand on Horus who at first showed no sign of feeling anything. Then just as suddenly his eyes were also growing wide as he started to glow a bit. Letting go Ephus had to steel himself up as he moved toward Sobek.

“I do not trust you, you who were human. If you think that you can win the contest this way you are sadly mistaken!” Sobek growled out as he refused to let Ephus touch him.

Suddenly Ra’s booming voice filled the room. “SOBEK! You WILL let Ephus power you like he did the rest of your brothers. I will not have it said that this trial was unfair either for Ephus or you! NOW! Let him power you or by the two realms YOU will be the next sentenced to one of the other dimensions of light or dark!”

Sobek looked at Ra with an icy stare but finally shrugged and stood still while Ephus placed a hand on his shoulder. Like Horus he showed no signs that he was feeling a thing then quite suddenly a small smile crossed his face then was gone. Letting go Ephus backed up.

Looking back when he heard a gasp he saw that all of Bast’s sisters were there behind him. A smirk came to his lips as he could imagine that they were ALL rooting for him.

Again Min stepped toward Ephus. Looking Ephus up and down Min finally spoke. “I find that fighting this one is a waste of valuable time, besides if he had Sekhmet coming back he is more than acceptable.” With a smile Min bowed to Ra then backed up.

Thoth walked to Ephus standing before him a moment. “I have found that this one knew of things that I did not. I therefore cannot fight him as I need this knowledge he has!” Smiling, Thoth nodded to Ra and moved to stand beside Ephus.

Anhur was next as he moved to stand before Ephus. “This one has freed both of my sisters restoring them back to this realm. He has also removed them from my realm of the sky. I therefore cannot fight him as I owe him several favors. A position I am unused to.” Smiling at Ephus he too nodded to Ra and backed to beside Min.

Apophis walked to Ephus looking him up and down. Then he walked all the way around Ephus looking at him with a scowl. “I find this one to be irritating but having cleared Bast from my realm of night has lessened the burden there. I also owe this one and therefore have no desire to fight while I owe him.” With a sly smile to Ephus, Apophis turned to Ra and nodded then backed to beside Anhur.

“Bah!” Sobek suddenly shouted. “It is obvious that none of my brothers are going to fight this one. We should just move mine up with him and...”

Ra’s booming voice again filled the space. “Are you assuming to tell me how to conduct this trial Sobek?” Ephus watched as Sobek quickly backed off the subject and almost seemed to shrink. “I thought not! Now then continue!”

Khonshu stepped out and slowly approached Ephus. Finally he stopped in front of Ephus. Staring into Ephus’s eyes for several moments he finally smiled. “For freeing my sister I thank you I do not require a fight to see that you are good for her and us.” Turning he nodded to Ra and backed to beside Apophis.

Shu was the next as he hesitantly walked toward Ephus. Stopping he shook his head, “I only agreed to this all those years ago Ra because I thought you would relent, freeing your daughters. I have no patience nor the stomach for a fight. I have far more important things to do than battle. I adore my sister, both of them but I am no warrior.” Nodding to Ra he also backed ‘til he was beside Khonshu.

Horus took a step toward Ephus then stopped. Contemplating a moment he resumed his approach. “I also owe you.” With that he threw a bolt of energy at Ephus. With a surprised look Ephus flung it away as if a fly, making Horus smile. “So you have learned to defend” Throwing a different energy at Ephus every few seconds Ephus was concerned at first. Each he slapped away was strong but not overpowering. Finally possibly twenty minutes later Horus nodded. “It is good I accept your defense.” Turning Horus nodded to Ra then backed to beside Shu a huge smile on his face.

Ephus could only shake his head, what in the hell was that? Finally it was Sobek turn. Ephus could see that he had almost been chomping at the bit to get his chance at him.

Sobek stood away from the others and pointed at Ephus. “Now human! We will see if the blood of gods truly runs through your veins. We will see if you really are the one that was said to free us all, as well as Bast and Sekhmet! Defend yourself for I will not stop ‘til I know!” With that Sobek released a titanic blast of energy toward Ephus.

Ephus tensed up when he saw the energy coming toward him, reaching out he slapped at the blast surprised when almost all of it returned toward Sobek! Looking over at an extremely wide smiling and nodding Horus, Ephus finally understood. Horus hadn’t been attacking him, not really. He’d been helping Ephus to strengthen his defenses and offense!

Ephus now with a smile on his face, could see that he really had a fighting chance now. No matter how slim he most definitely had a chance!

Sobek howled when his own attack returned to strike him, so the human was going to play it that way huh? Changing tactics he started to ricochet blasts off the walls, cursing when they also were returned. Looking over at Horus, Sobek scowled, “You were helping him! Here I thought you wanted the truth!”

Horus bowed a little replying, “I already know the truth brother. You are just too blinded by your mistrust and hatred to see. Really brother, after all this time one would have thought that you had learned!”

“I have learned!” snarled Sobek. “I’ve learned that we cannot trust the mortal world. I have learned that if he is a god that he has to prove his self! I have learned...”

“You have obviously learned nothing!” Thoth suddenly stated. “All of us can see it except you. The mere fact that he has a power that none of us have ever had nor seen, should be enough. The fact that Ephus is a fair combatant is another that you have seemed to have ignored! As our brother Horus said you are indeed blinded to what is plain to see.”