Waking up in the protective comfort of Anubis’s arms was becoming a habit Ana?s was more than happy to incorporate into her daily routine—especially after such a restless night. The previous day’s events had kept her on high alert, with stress tormenting her muscles. She had spent half the night waking up every hour, constantly shifting in Anubis’s arms. Sometimes, her movements would wake him, and he would tighten his hold around her waist reassuringly. But even the God’s gentle attentions failed to lull her into a truly restful sleep.

  By the time the morning rays of sunlight crept into the room she now shared with Anubis, she was already wide awake. Her bed companion, however, wasn’t far behind, soon opening his eyes to scrutinize her face with concern.

  "I have to get up, but you should try to sleep a little longer," he advised, kissing her forehead before pushing the covers aside. "Finding the pieces in the marshes may not be as easy as expected without the power of the amulet... You’ll probably have to use your magic."

  Ana?s sighed at the mention of their mission for the day. As if the prospect of ending the day with a migraine wasn’t bad enough, they were heading into the marshes today—which meant humidity, mud, and a swarm of pesky insects hovering over all that water. And since nothing could possibly redeem this day, Anubis had informed her the night before that Isis would, of course, be accompanying them on their quest. It would likely be for the st time, as they only had to go to the temple of Pik after this, and she would then be busy preparing the ritual with Nephthys.

  "It’s almost over," Anubis attempted to reassure her while slipping on a loose tunic. "After these two pieces, we’ll have a bit of respite until the cenotaphs are completed."

  "And how much ‘respite’ will that be?" she groaned, burying her face in the pillow.

  "I don’t know, a few days maybe."

  "I’m not sure I’ll be able to rex knowing what’s coming as soon as the preparations are finished."

  "One thing at a time," he murmured, sighing as well. "I’ll come get you for breakfast—try to get some more rest."

  A suggestion she was utterly incapable of following during the extra hour and a half the jackal-headed god allowed her. Her body appreciated the reprieve, but her mind remained too restless to settle. Usually, she managed to suppress her morning grumpiness, but today, it proved particurly difficult.

  Not even Anubis’s handsome face could smooth the frown from her brow or chase the irritation from her lips when he came to fetch her for breakfast. When she caught sight of her outfit for the day—a simple, unadorned dress with no jewelry to accompany it—she let out yet another sigh. Unsurprisingly, there were no unnecessary embellishments to her attire, given that they were about to spend the day in a hostile environment. It was the first time since arriving in the Duat that her motivation and sense of adventure had felt this weak.

  "Ana?s?" the god called from outside her room. "We need to go."

  Even Isis refrained from commenting on her foul mood, simply greeting them respectfully despite their five-minute dey. Apparently, it was written all over Ana?s’s face that today was not the day to push her buttons—and that was just fine by her.

  Anubis had led them to the necropolis of Giza, a name that sounded particurly familiar to Ana?s. In the modern world, it was a highly touristic site, as the city of Giza, just a few kilometers from its downtown area, boasted famous pyramids like that of Khufu, as well as the world-renowned Sphinx. Yet, when they arrived, she found no pyramids in sight. There was indeed a network of necropolises, but none of the signature monuments of Ancient Egypt. This meant that history had not yet advanced far enough for them to have been built.

  When they reached the banks of the Nile, another surprise awaited her: there was no city on the other side of the river. If she remembered correctly, Giza faced Cairo, the current capital of Egypt. There were a few houses, but they resembled more of a small hamlet than a true city.

  Looking on the bright side: countless historians would dream of observing Egyptian life before the pyramids were even built. If I live forever, I might even solve one of the greatest mysteries of our modern era: were the pyramids built by humans, or did super-intelligent aliens pay them a visit? she mused with a quiet chuckle, ignoring the heavy stares of the two deities, who must have been wondering why she was suddenly ughing to herself.

  "Let’s take a boat with a canopy to protect us from the sun," Isis suggested as they arrived at the small port where several boats were waiting. "It doesn’t matter if we move a little slower."

  Ana?s didn’t necessarily agree at first, but she quickly came around to the goddess’s suggestion when, after about thirty minutes under the sun’s relentless rays, her skull began to overheat. The boat was wide enough for the three of them to sit in two rows, though a bit tightly packed, but at least they were shielded from the bzing sun. Four rowers worked at the front, paying no attention to their passengers, while another man oversaw the crew and occasionally discussed their route with Anubis when necessary. They had also brought along a supply of food and water, as they were going to spend the entire day traveling.

  "I wasn’t expecting such luxury," she admitted, unable to hide her relief. "Turns out, this won’t be as bad as I thought."

  "You’ll change your mind when we reach the marshes," Isis interrupted, "and by the end of the day."

  Great… Thanks for the pep talk.

  Isis hadn’t lied. The atmosphere changed completely the moment they entered the marshes, even though they were still following one of the Nile’s branches. On either side of the river, the swamps stretched as far as the eye could see, with a few animals prowling or fleeing at the sight of their boat crossing their habitat. Ana?s even spotted a few crocodiles vanishing beneath the water as they approached, and she hoped they wouldn’t linger near their vessel. It was unlikely they would attack, but the thought of being on a boat, floating over murky waters hiding massive reptiles, made her uneasy.

  "Ana?s, you’ll need to locate the artifact," Anubis announced as they spotted the Nile splitting into several branches a few hundred meters ahead. "I don’t know the best route to take—you’ll have to guide us."

  "Assuming it’s even within my detection range," she countered, not feeling particurly confident.

  They had already been traveling by boat for two hours. Ana?s had no clue where their destination was, and since the jackal god didn’t either… everything once again rested on her ability to control the amulet’s powers. She could only hope that this particur fragment wouldn’t require intense use of her magic. She doubted she could endure several more hours of traveling through the marshes with a splitting headache.

  Focusing her magic to use it like an antenna was becoming second nature, and the task proved even easier than before. It took her a while to locate the fragment since it was still retively far away, but she could feel that her detection range had significantly increased as she gradually mastered her powers. It was as if her energy had been rusted over during the first days of her existence as a newly awakened Akh. Now that she had properly warmed up, her magic flowed freely, and controlling it was becoming easier and easier.

  "There, " she indicated, pointing toward the rightmost branch of the river. "We’re still a bit far from it."

  "The vilge of Sephret is a few kilometers downstream," the overseer commented after giving instructions to the rowers. "There are endless papyrus fields there, a perfect pce to hide a valuable object."

  Isis had used her persuasive talents to convince the crew that their group was made up of two priestesses and a bodyguard, searching for two rare artifacts they had heard about through their connection with the gods. It was a simple enough expnation to be pusible and also justified Ana?s’s detection abilities, as priestesses were known for their capacity to communicate with the Egyptian deities—whether that was true or not.

  By the time the small houses of the vilge appeared on the horizon, the sun had reached its zenith. Ana?s’s stomach, as punctual as ever, began to make itself known within minutes, letting out discreet—so far—grumbles. Fortunately for her, the group had pnned to stop at the vilge so the rowers could rest and they could all have lunch on solid ground.

  "Ah, nothing beats solid ground!" Ana?s excimed, stretching after finally stepping off the boat.

  Her legs were grateful for the chance to move after spending three hours sitting on a wooden seat, despite the cushion meant to make the journey more comfortable. Her back ached, which did nothing to improve her already sour mood from the morning. Only the prospect of eating a good meal outside of the boat lifted her spirits somewhat.

  Only disappointment awaited her when she discovered that their meal consisted only of dried meat and a few fruits, such as dates and figs. There was no luxury food pnned for lunch, as they weren’t sure they’d be able to cook anything, and bringing other food would have been inconvenient. Oh well, she would have a proper meal tonight. And in the end, cold food and refreshing fruit weren’t such a bad idea, given the humid heat of the marshes.

  A few vilgers returning home for their midday break greeted them as they passed by, their curious eyes scrutinizing the fwless features of the two deities. Even dressed modestly, it was obvious they were not simple peasants. Ana?s hoped they included her in that observation, but she doubted it. She was pretty, but ordinary. Then again, her European features and skin, far too pale for Egypt’s hot climate, might suggest nobility—or at least an obvious exoticism. Even Anubis and Isis had bronzed skin, and though she had tanned since arriving here, she was still much paler in comparison.

  The group sat directly on the grass and dry earth to enjoy their meal. The crew had settled a few meters away from them, giving them a sembnce of privacy—an appreciated gesture, as it allowed them to talk in peace. Though Ana?s was getting used to the desert sand, she welcomed the change of scenery. Except, perhaps, for the swarming insects constantly trying to steal their food. She could hear the buzzing of their wings, especially the flies, which were desperate to get to the fruit as if their lives depended on it. A rare nuisance in the Duat, and one she certainly hadn’t missed.

  "That’s enough. Let’s keep moving," Isis ordered impatiently as she stood up. "I don’t want to return after nightfall."

  Ana?s’s break sted only about thirty minutes before she had to use her powers again. To do so, she remained seated, as the position was more comfortable for concentrating. For the second time today, she closed her eyes, allowing her mind to open to the surrounding energies to pinpoint the fragment of Osiris. As she scanned the area for its exact location, a slight headache began to creep in. She felt a familiar strain at her forehead and the bridge of her nose—a pain simir to eye fatigue. After all, it was as if she were using magical eyes.

  "We’ll need to cross the river and make our way through the papyrus fields," she affirmed, reopening her eyes. "It’s not that far, but I don’t trust the path. The fragment is at the bottom of a small pond along the papyrus fields."

  Anubis took a moment to think before advising, "Stay here, Mother. Ana?s will guide me; there’s no need for all three of us to go. Make sure the rowers don’t leave without us—just in case."

  For once, Isis, usually so eager to ensure that the pieces of her husband’s body were accounted for and intact, didn’t protest. It must have been the effect of the marshes—the damp air that clung to their skin and the thought of sinking her feet into the wet earth of the papyrus fields. Ana?s couldn’t bme her; she wasn’t particurly excited about trudging through the marshes either. Especially when her imagination so helpfully reminded her of the terrifying creatures that called these swamps home.Crocodiles weren’t the only dangerous beasts lurking in this kind of environment.