Iset Awakens 1358 BC
The sun was high in the skies before Iset had awakened. The Queen had already instructed the servants to leave her daughter to her divination and leave her for a few hours before they sailed east over the Nile to the land of the living, Thebes.
Iset was addicted to her dreams. Her eyes flickered under long dark lashes, she felt like she could almost unravel the secrets of the vision. All Egyptians believed that all dreams were prophetic, but not everyone could understand them. Anyone who could would be very powerful indeed. Iset could not yet fully understand their meaning, but she was getting close.
She could see the Goddess Isis, her namesake, with obsidian black skin, seated on a black throne holding an ankh in her hand.
Iset herself was a baby, perhaps not yet born, crying while being cradled in the arms of a stranger, and into her mouth Isis placed the ankh, Iset could feel it hot on her tongue, her lungs swelled with her first breath, she could feel her chest expanding outwards, she became lighter than air, floating high above her own body.
She could see herself down below, no longer a child but a woman, she walks into Isis' body, becoming one together, seeing through each others' eyes.
The Goddess gestures to the throne, and Iset tries to sit on it, but her foot slips as she steps forwards, there is a pool of blood all around her feet. Osiris lies dead, cut into thirteen pieces, his crook and flail lie beside him, her heart aches and she weeps golden tears over his body, she tries to speak words of power, but she does not know the spells. She crouches down to gather the parts of his body and she tries to piece them back together, but there is a piece missing.
A booming voice echoed from the dark.
"Did thou forget the unseen?"
"Iiti? Who is there?" Iset calls out, standing up and looking into the dark, feeling it looking back at her.
"I am the complete one. The finisher of the world. I am hidden from the Gods, my aspect is unknown."
"Atum?" She sees nothing, she sees no one.
Laughter echoes from the dark.
"Where are the parts of his soul, khered? His ka is missing. His sah will leave him if you do not hurry."
"But I don't know how... tell me what to do, please." she begged, on her knees, as she wept over his body.
"You must be the anchor for Osiris, you must fulfil your destiny, only you can guide him back from the land of the dead. The way is dark, and the Duat is deep, conquer your fear. Look within to find your power. Only then will he resurrect, and only then will Horus rise. Ankhek Iset! Senebti."
Beautiful bright sunlight shines from the darkness, a golden cobra slithers around her feet, it spirals around, spinning faster and faster, encompassing her in golden coils, it ascends into the air, she can feel energy all around as wind whips her face and she hears a humming, a loud buzzing of bees. The serpent begins to devour itself. Iset looks down at herself, her toes are turning gold, followed by her legs, her abdomen and her chest.
My heart is strong, I am not afraid, weigh my heart, for it is light. I will give my soul.
Iset stands once more, awed by her own strength, she moves to Osiris who lies now on an altar surrounded by priests.
