The second day of training began before sunrise. Kael-Ankh rose in the pre-dawn hush, the village still wrapped in cool darkness. The Spear of Montu rested beside his sleeping mat; the Djed amulet lay warm against his sternum. He slipped out quietly, leaving Senet and Meret curled together under a shared blanket, their breathing slow and even. Nefertari had returned to the Bastet shrine after midnight, promising to join them at dawn.
He walked to the riverbank alone. The Nile had settled after the storm, its surface mirror-smooth under the fading stars. Mist rose in thin veils from the water. Kael knelt at the edge, cupped a handful of river water, and poured it over his head in silent purification—old habit from his Earth days, now instinct.
Today they would train the guardians' true power.
Ptahhotep waited at the grove again, this time with a low stone altar already prepared. On it sat a small canopic jar of alabaster (empty, symbolic), a roll of fresh linen bandages, a bronze hook (the brain-removal tool of ancient embalmers), and a miniature set of four jars shaped like the sons of Horus—Imsety (human head), Hapy (baboon), Duamutef (jackal), Qebehsenuef (falcon).
Anubis's tools.
The elder greeted him with a nod.
"Before we descend into the Duat, you must understand the path of the dead—and how to defy it when needed. Anubis is not merely the weigher of hearts. He is the first embalmer, the one who preserved Osiris so resurrection could occur."
He gestured to the altar.
"The mummification rite was born from necessity. When Set tore Osiris apart, the body would have rotted in the marshes. Anubis came—jackal-headed, silent, skilled. He washed the pieces in natron water, anointed them with cedar oil and myrrh, wrapped them in linen strips soaked in resin. He placed the organs in canopic jars guarded by the four sons of Horus. The heart remained in the chest—seat of the soul, weighed against Ma'at's feather. The rest was preserved so the Ka could recognize and re-enter the body in the afterlife."
Ptahhotep lifted the bronze hook.
"This is symbolic today—no brains removed—but the rite teaches precision. Every bandage knot is a spell. Every oil drop is a word of power. Anubis's rituals were performed in silence except for the incantations: 'You shall not decay, you shall not rot, you shall live forever in the Field of Reeds.'"
He handed Kael the linen roll.
"Wrap the canopic jar as though it held your own heart. Speak the words. Feel the fragment respond."
Kael knelt. The linen was cool, faintly scented with myrrh from storage. He began wrapping the jar in tight, overlapping spirals—each layer deliberate.
"Anpu em wabet, kheper em djet." (Anubis in the place of embalming, become eternal.)
The words felt heavy on his tongue. As he tied the final knot, shadow coalesced around his fingers—not hostile, but protective. Black-furred paws seemed to guide his hands for a heartbeat.
System Notification – Ritual Aid Acquired
Artifact: Symbolic Canopic Set (Training)
Type: Mummification Conduit
Effects:
• +25% resonance growth speed for Anubis's Silent Vigil
• Active Invocation Upgrade: Anubis's Preserving Touch
• Cost: 18 Heka
• Effect: Temporarily preserve a living ally from decay/poison/bleeding (extends life by 600 seconds in critical condition) OR reinforce undead/chaotic resistance on self
• Flavor Text: The jackal binds what death would unravel. Resonance Boost Applied: Anubis's Silent Vigil → 12% → 24%
Kael exhaled. The fragment felt cooler now, more anchored—less watchful shadow, more steadfast guardian.
Ptahhotep continued.
"The resurrection had variants across dynasties. In the earliest tales, Isis simply reassembled Osiris and conceived Horus. Later versions added Thoth's magic—spit mixed with clay to restore the eye. In some Delta traditions, Nephthys helped weave the linen; in Theban texts, Horus himself performed the Opening of the Mouth ceremony with an adze to give Osiris breath and speech again. The Greeks added Dionysian elements—Osiris as dying-and-rising god of grain. But the core remains: love and knowledge defeat death. Isis's cunning, Anubis's care, Horus's vengeance, Thoth's wisdom."
He placed a hand on Kael's shoulder.
"You carry echoes of all four. Use them wisely in the Duat."
The others arrived as the sun cleared the horizon.
Senet carried the bow; Meret spun the khopesh in lazy circles; Nefertari arrived last, sistrum in hand, eyes bright with anticipation.
Training intensified.
Kael drilled with the Spear—thrusts paired with Horus's Striking beam. Each strike ended in a flare of solar vengeance that scorched practice targets (straw dummies painted with red Set-eyes). Senet loosed arrows that curved mid-flight to strike vital points. Meret flowed through sword forms, khopesh whistling; Nefertari's sistrum waves clashed with the strikes, creating sonic barriers.
By noon they were drenched in sweat, laughing through exhaustion.
They broke under the fig trees. Water jars passed hand to hand. Dates split open, juice running down chins.
Senet leaned against Kael, head on his shoulder.
"I feel stronger already. Like the bow chose me."
Meret stretched, muscles gleaming.
"This blade sings when I swing it. I could dance through an army."
Nefertari crawled into Kael's lap without warning, straddling him, knees bracketing his hips.
"And I just want to feel you move like that again," she purred, nipping his jaw.
The grove was quiet; the others had moved to the river to wash. They were alone.
Nefertari's hands slid under his kilt, fingers deft and insistent. Kael groaned softly as she freed him, stroking slowly while rocking her hips against him.
"No waiting," she whispered. "I want you now."
She rose just enough to guide him inside her—wet, ready, tight. They moved together in slow, deep rolls at first, savoring the stretch and heat. Then faster—her nails digging into his shoulders, his hands gripping her ass, pulling her down harder with each thrust.
She rode him fiercely, breasts bouncing under the thin linen, beads in her hair clacking. Kael thrust up to meet her, one hand sliding between them to circle her clit with his thumb. She gasped, head falling back, throat exposed.
When she came it was sudden—body clenching, a low feline moan escaping her. Kael followed seconds later, spilling deep inside her with a muffled growl against her neck.
They stayed locked together, breathing hard, sweat mingling.
Nefertari kissed him—slow, lingering.
"Every time better," she murmured. "One day… maybe."
She didn't finish the sentence. She didn't need to.
Kael held her close, feeling the quiet promise beneath the words.
Later, as the sun dipped lower, they rejoined the others.
Ptahhotep had prepared a final rite for the evening—reading from the Book of Breathing under torchlight. The words of resurrection echoed across the grove, wrapping them all in a gentle promise: death was not the end.
Kael looked at his companions—Senet's steady gaze, Meret's fierce grin, Nefertari's satisfied smile, Ptahhotep's quiet pride.
Tomorrow they would step into the Duat.
Tonight they rested—bodies entwined under the stars, hearts aligned.
System Note – Pre-Descent Bonding Peak
Harem Resonance:
• Senet: 58% → 68%
• Meret: 49% → 61%
• Nefertari: 62% → 74% (non-formal, emotional anchor deepening) Heka Capacity: 200/200 (full) Anubis's Silent Vigil Resonance: 24% → 37% (mummification rite)
The threshold waited.
They were ready.