Field of Reeds

A deep growl rumbled from below. Adrian dared peak over the edge, and what he saw made his blood run cold. Glinting in the darkness, a long row of shiny teeth, sitting in the jaws of an utterly colossal creature. A mix between a crocodile and a lion, the size of a city, looking up to him with reptilian eyes, drool running from its maw.

He was staring into the jaws of Ammit. The eater of the dead.

With a sigh, he pulled his gaze away from the abyss and looked back to the Egyptian god, slowly lifting his arms and letting them fall to his sides.

"I died in that temple, didn't I?"

The god gave one slow nod.

"Well then. I guess...I guess the afterlife is real. Am I here because I died in that temple? I'm not sure how this wo-"

Before he could finish his sentence, the god's free hand snaked forward, puncturing Adrian's chest. From it, Anubis painlessly pulled out Adrian's beating heart, slowly holding it above the scales he held in his other hand.

"Oh boy," Adrian sighed. "Here we go."

The Egyptian god delicately placed the heart on the empty scale, and from a pouch on his tunic, a single feather. When they were both set, the jackal god held out the scale in front of him, his arm still and firm as a statue as both ends of the scales seesawed back and forth.

In a way, he was almost thankful the heart was outside his chest now. At least that way he couldn't feel it drumming against his sternum as his judgment was slowly made certain. With lightning-quick speed, he made a mental tally of all his good and bad deeds throughout his life, and silently cursed himself for the two men he'd killed right before his end. But it was self-defense, right? Surely that couldn't count against him. Surely that'd...

With a squeak, the scale base with the feather slowly sank downward, the heart rising as far as the scales allowed. The two weren't even remotely close to being even, and even Anubis seemed surprised, serenely arching a golden brow as the god brought the scale closer to its face.

After a moment of study, the god nodded, and gently took the heart of the scale, then none-too-delicately plunging it back into Adrian's chest, prompting a cough from him.

Another growl emanated from below. Adrian again risked a look over the side, only to see Ammit already in the process of retreating into the darkness below, its massive tail being the last thing he saw as it descended into the bottomless pit.

He looked up to Anubis. "Do I...what? Just walk forward?"

The god remained silent, and after a moment, lifted the scales. They disappeared in a flash of golden fire, and the jackal-headed god gestured towards the light beyond.

"Okay, but what do I do?" he demanded. "I never lived in Ancient Egypt! I don't really know how this works!"

Anubis spoke, his voice cool and icy. Like cold water in a desert. "Wait for the ferryman. They will take you to your fate."

And with that, the god began to fade. Adrian walked forward, trying to grab the god. "Wait!" he called out, "What does that mean?!"

He walked right through the god, and almost over the edge. Only at the last second did he scramble back, landing flat on his rump. From below, a roar bellowed. He stood up, dusting himself off.

"All right," he muttered, "wait for the ferryman."

He looked up at the light, as warm as when he first saw it. With a gulp, he walked forward, the light slowly enveloping him.

For a moment, he felt only warmth. Saw only white light. But slowly, his senses returned to him, and the next thing he realized, he was walking in a field of wheat. He stopped, looking up. On the horizon, he saw a sun just barely peeking over the horizon, not quite setting. The wheat around him, tall as two men, gently swaying in the breeze.

He looked back down, then resumed his walk. The sounds of running water grew more apparent as he kept moving forward, and after some walking, he finally reached the end, pushing the final stalks of wheat aside.

Adrian found himself on the edge of a river, its waters gently flowing downstream. And around that, what resembled an immense Egyptian wetland, islands of dense vegetation inside the shallower splits of the great river. And along the river and on the islands of the marshes, temples. Great pyramids, their sides white and capped with gold. Villages built around them, some rivaling cities. From where he was standing, he saw boats slowly coursing up and down the river. People on the riverside, idly gathering crops. Most olive-skinned or darker, white tunics around their waist.

Aaru. The Field of Reeds. It's where he was standing now; he could only assume the river that lay before him was the Nile as well, a river that flowed through both the land of the living and the dead.

He shrugged. He'd had dreams before that felt real, but this was something else. He still wasn't entirely sure any of this was happening; this was all just a hallucination brought on by his dying brain. A fever dream from a gunshot. But if that were true, his brain was certainly working overtime. And if that wasn't the case, then the other possibility lay wide before him: he was dead, and he was in the Egyptian afterlife.

Adrian smiled, despite himself, looking at some of the spirits further down the shore, who were gazing back at him with mild curiosity. He wondered when the last time it'd been that a "new arrival" had shown up; wasn't like the Egyptian pantheon was seriously widespread anymore, even in its native country.

He remembered what Anubis had told him: wait for the ferryman. He'd wished the God of the Dead had been a little more specific, but since he was now standing on the banks of the Nile, he assumed it was a good a place as any to wait.

Taking a breath, he walked forward to the river's edge, kneeling and cupping his hands in the water. He splashed the liquid against his face, and sighed with relief; the water was cool and fresh, a welcome relief from everything that recently transpired.

After a few more splashes, and dunking his head in the water for good measure, he rubbed down his scalp, making one last attempt to make sure this wasn't all a dream. When he'd finally shaken away as much water as he could from his hair, he noticed something float in front of him, gently rippling the waters.

Glancing up, he saw a dark-skinned individual an ornate tunic standing on a reed boat, pole in one hand.

And a falcon's head in place of a man's. They were looking down on Adrian, an almost curious twinkle in their eyes.

None of the other boat pilots had animal heads, so Adrian made a guess. "Ferryman, right? Uh, Nemty, if memory serves?"

The ferryman spoke. A voice nothing like Anubis'; it was plain, almost human, slightly accented. "Strange times on the great river these days."

"I wouldn't know," Adrian replied. "I...just got here."

"I am aware. But a minor god does enjoy musing. Especially out loud. Especially to Creten strangers he's never seen before."

"From Patras, actually."

"Ah, how interesting. Well then, shall you come along?"

"I'm guessing you're the alleged Ferryman Anubis told me about. You got here quick."

With a flash of pride, the god lightly tapped the side of his boat with his pole. "Aaru is not a place of hurry, but I've always believed that's not an excuse to dally."

"Words to live by. If I was still living."

Nemty chuckled. "Shall you come along?"

He held out his rod, motioning for Adrian to grasp it. After a moment's hesitation, he did so with one arm, and the god lifted him up like he weighed nothing, then gently lowering him onto the other end of the boat. When he was fully aboard, the god pushed them away from the shore with his pole and began to slowly guide them through the Nile, pushing and pedaling them along.

"So," Adrian began, "where are we going?"

"Upriver."

"Well, that's vague. Where upriver?"

"To Qetesh. She kindly asked me to bring you to her."

That wasn't the news he was expecting, but he knew by now being skeptical wasn't going to help him. "Why?"

The god chuckled knowingly. "I suppose she wants to meet the mortal that defended her temple with his life."

"Oh. That. Yeah, that was�look, I didn't want those guys to get it. I think most people in my situation would've done the same."

"Many in your situation would've already been carrying out her treasures before those men even arrived. That you stayed and studied speaks volumes about yourself."

Adrian shrugged. "I guess? If nothing else, I guess Anubis' scales don't lie."

"They do not."

Adrian ran out of questions and simply rested against the raised end of the boat, watching the river pass by. It seemed to go on forever, both the river and the marshland, giant pyramids and pristine temples dotting the landscape, people engaged in various activities along the shoreline. Farming, fishing, even leisure activities like dancing and playing music.

The spirits of the dead seemed content; at ease. In a lot of ways, it was peaceful, and for the second time, Adrian nodded off.

When he stumbled back awake, he half-expected to be looking up at the stone ceiling on the slab he'd laid down on, but such a thing did not come. He was still on the boat, still being guided by the ferryman.

As he stirred from his nap, he noticed they were slowly being guided to the right, down one of the river's main branching paths. Away from the main body of the Nile, they slowly navigated the papyrus wetlands, passing the rows of tall reeds. Ahead of them, he saw the scaly heads of crocodiles and hippos part ways ahead, disappearing under the murky water as they approached.

Nearby was a stony temple ahead, painted alabaster white, colored hieroglyphs carved high on its surface. Growing closer, Adrian saw that the river led to the front of the large temple-city, one bank of the tributary sided with polished white stone, leading to a great open courtyard,

surrounded by buildings. As he'd suspected from afar, a temple, surrounding by its attendant city.

Adrian's attention went to the two massive statues that flanked the gates to the city. Statues of the goddess, carved in stone.

The ferry god pushed them to the side of the small dock. "And I believe we're here, mortal."

"And where's 'here'?" Adrian asked.

"Qadesh," Nemty explained. "The city of Qatesh."

Picking up his paddling rod, he once again held it out to Adrian, who grasped it and let the god pick him up and lower him over to the dock. When he was safe and sound on the ground, the ferryman pushed off, beginning his paddle downstream.

"Hey," Adrian called out, "wait up. Now what do I do?"

"I would head into the city if I were you!" Nemty answered. "It's not every dynasty a mortal is summoned by a goddess!"

The god kept rowing away, until he pushed himself back to the main body of the Nile, slowly shrinking on the horizon of the golden waters. With that, Adrian turned around, hands on his hips as he looked up at one of the statues. Just like the ones in the temple, he thought. Statues of a goddess that reminded him of an Egyptian-Nubian princess, lips chiseled into a serene smile as their stony eyes stared out into the expanse beyond.

The statue of a goddess that wanted to see him, apparently. With a shrug, he stuck his hands in his pockets and began his march through the gates, unsure what awaited him. As he pressed onward, he looked up to the skies, noting that the sun hadn't budged at all from its fixed position in the sky. He wondered if it ever set.

He passed buildings and minor temples, walking past the souls of the dead that now seemed to be taking a passive interest in him. Like most of the people he'd seen so far, most were tanned or darker, men wearing white linen skirts and women simple sheath dresses, though a few walked around topless.

And though his appearance was a curiosity, most simply let him be, returning to their tasks with little fuss. When he approached the center pool, dotted with lilies and reeds, his steps slowed. Sitting in front of him was a table with chairs, sitting upon an intricate rug placed before the pool.

He stared at it for a moment, not sure what to make of it, until he realized that he wasn't alone standing there. Looking to his left and right, he realized that, apparently out of nowhere, two guards had appeared next to them. Women guards, gold-tipped spears in their grasp, golden armor that didn't conceal much. A small sun crown on their head flanked by two horns, signifying where their loyalties lay.

Slightly shorter than Adrian with athletic builds, without a word the both of them brought the tips of their spears to Adrian, who backed away towards the table, arms held up defensively.

"Hey," he assured. "I was invited here. I think."

"That you were," one of the guards confirmed. "Now, sit."

Even if he was in the Field of Reeds, Adrian wasn't keen on finding out what happened if one got stabbed in the afterlife. He backed up, sitting down at one of the chairs. "Alright," he breathed. "I'm sitting. Now what?"

The guard pulled away, turning around and facing the courtyard with her counterpart, both of them flanking the small setup in silent vigil.

Adrian looked down at the table, noticing two cups were sitting on it. One on his end, and one on the other, both filled with what appeared to be red wine. It seemed like someone else was due to arrive, but with all that had happened, he thought he deserved a small break. Picking up his cup, he brought the liquid to his lips and gulped down. It was tart, cool as ice water and just as refreshing. He downed the contents in one go, and halfway through, he began to hear murmurs from nearby.

Still committed to his drink, he finished it off, letting out a heavy relieved sigh, wiping his sleeve and looking up to see what the commotion was about. People around him were looking towards the temple, a figure descending from its steps, flanked by two more guards. The people they passed bowed in respect, giving the three of them a wide berth as they approached.

And as they drew near, Adrian's jaw slowly gaped open. Between the two guards, was a dark woman with an hourglass figure, her skin the tone of bronzed cocoa, clad in golden jewelry that hid absolutely nothing. She was completely nude, her hourglass figure filling out in all the right places, a hairless tight slit resting between her thighs.

Her hourglass figure oozed sexuality, her large firm breasts wiggling with every step. When she drew closer, Adrian realized the nature of the jewelry she wore; all too apparent on her dark skin, serving no other function than to draw attention to her figure. Snakelike gold bands around her arms and legs, rings on her fingers and toes, a small Ankh necklace sitting between her thighs, and golden rings lining her neck, her black hair braided with gold bands and filaments.

A small crown resting on her head, showing a sun flanked by horns. A face of irresistible Egyptian-Nubian beauty, a black tattoo of the eye of Horus sitting on her right eye.

Almost the mirror image of the statues he'd seen, and he realized who he was looking at.

Qetesh. The goddess Qetesh.

She approached the table in a striding, confident walk, the murmurs of the crowd picking up as she approached.

Wordlessly and with a smile, she sat down across from the table, crossing her legs and looking to Adrian.

Even with everything that happened, a naked woman just sauntering up to him as a little too much to take in, and he found himself lost for word.

"Uh," he stammered. "You're-"

She looked up to one of the guards behind Adrian and nodded. The guard moved up with a large jug, refilling Adrian's cup of wine, then pulling away as soon as the drink neared the rim.

The goddess gestured to the cup. Adrian sipped at it, far more cautious this time, waiting for the naked deity to say something.

"So," he murmured, his voice muffled by the rim of the cup, "I've got a fairly good idea who you are."

After a pause, she spoke, her voice like smooth chocolate. "Then tell me."

"You are...Qetesh?"

She nodded. "I am. Lady of the Stars of Heaven. Great of Magic, Mistress of the Stars."

The goddess picked up her cup, sipping it daintily as she lightly bounced one leg off the other, looking to Adrian with a smile.

"And why am I here?" Adrian asked. "I believe the ferryman said you wanted to see me."

"Indeed. I asked him to bring you here; Nemty is an old friend of mine. And Anubis, well. I asked him to forgo the weighing of the heart and bring you here directly, but he insisted."

"I think I passed it," he said with a smirk.

"You did! Anubis said it had been a long, long time since he had seen a heart so light. But in truth, I was not surprised."

"How do you mean?"

She leaned forward. "I wanted to bring you here to thank you. For saving my temple from those looters."

"Even though I died. Wait, am I here because I died in an Egyptian temple?"

"Dying in my temple, in my defense, gave me the greatest claim to your immortal soul. And so I judged to bring you to the Field of Reeds."

"Well, thank you, I suppose. I never dreamed any of this was ever actually, you know, real."

"It's real," she intoned, and reached forward, lightly grabbing Adrian's hand. Before he could fully process what was happening, his hand was laying on her dark breast.

"So very, very real," she purred.

Adrian yanked his hand away, his heart racing. Already he could feel a growing tightness in his pants at the goddess's action and her uncovered body.

"I'll take your word for it," he muttered. "And I guess I should ask: why are you naked?"

She arched a brow, looking down at her glorious body. "I've never worn clothes. So...restrictive. And beyond that would be a cosmic crime to cover this, don't you think so?"

He gulped. "Can't find a counterargument."

With another sip of her cup, she laid it down and stood up. "Adrian, was it?"

"Uh-huh."

"Then I must bid my farewell for now, Adrian. But please, I invite you to live in my city. I only request one thing from you."

"And what's that?"

"I'd like to meet you in more...private circumstances. Soon."

"How soon?"

"I will send someone for you when it is time. Until then, you may wander the city and take in its glories."

She turned to leave, but not before turning her head sidelong at him, and running her tongue across her lips. The gesture made Adrian's chest turn knots; he was so stiff now he was worried he'd rip right through his pants. The goddess walked away, two the guards joining her as she walked back to the temple, ascended the steps, and disappeared from sight.

Leaving Adrian with a massive hard-on. He scrambled up from his chair, backing away from the guards, both of them serenely watching him leave and making no attempts to stop him.

"I've got to...take care of something," he grumbled.

--

With another splash, Adrian brought the cool water of the Nile to his face, scrubbing it vigorously.

For what felt like the last few hours, he'd been trying to wash away the memory of Qetesh from his mind, trying to cool himself down before he exploded like a failing rocket. With the last splash, he finally felt himself calm down, his member no longer straining against his pants, the aches of desire fading,

He wondered if there were prostitutes in the afterlife.

With a shake of his head, he dismissed the thought as soon as it came. No, he thought. When in Rome, sure, but he should probably get a tour of the city first. He'd barely gotten the chance, in his frantic quest to cool his rising desire for the Egyptian goddess.

He splashed his face on more time, looking down into the reflection below. When the ripples faded, he realized one of the guards was standing over him, and he jumped backward, nearly falling