The Feast of The Tail Ch. 02

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.

The blood from the floor flows upwards and droplets circle around her, it seeps into her skin rejuvenating her.

The Goddess reappears behind her, and she whispers.

"I AM the throne. I am the resurrection. Magic is what I am. You, my daughter, have the power to make a man the Pharaoh, and you will be Mother and Wife of the Gods."

Iset sees herself through the eyes of the Goddess. She sees her own perfect black skin shrouded in leopard skins over her shoulder, on her neck are two marks, shining like pure white light in the night sky, the morning and the evening stars, Tioumoutiri and Ouaiti.

Atop her delicate head she wears the blue crown of Egypt, the gold cobra Uraeus on the crown is alive and swaying to the chanting of the priests.

She walks over to Osiris who has been wrapped in linen, the head priest hands her a metal instrument to open the mouth, she gently prises it open and speaks the ancient words.

" My mouth is opened by Ptah,

My mouth's bonds are loosed by my city-god.

Thoth has come fully equipped with spells,

He looses the bonds of Seth from my mouth.

Atum has given me my hands,

They are placed as guardians.

My mouth is given to me,

My mouth is opened by Ptah,

With that chisel of metal

With which he opened the mouth of the gods.

I am Sekhmet-Wadjet who dwells in the west of heaven,

I am Sahyt among the souls of On."

The priests gather the body and place him into his sarcophagus. Iset steps forwards and kisses his lips, she can taste blood in her mouth. A golden light slips out as a breath of air from her lungs, it floats in the air and into his mouth, awakening his heart once more.

She looks back at the black throne at the end of the room, on a dais down a walkway surrounded by black water, she walks over to take her place as Pharaoh. Torches burst into flame in sync with her footsteps as she walks down the path, but as she reaches the throne she sees her brother, the crown prince Djhutmose sitting in her seat, his skin is green.

He smiles at her and says.

"Dua Netjer en etj."

"Thank you for what?"

"Shemes ibek, sister. Chase your dreams."

She wakes up in her bed in her room in the House of Rejoicing, disoriented and confused by her vision.

Djutmose? Why did I dream of him? I must remember the dream. I saw Lady Isis...I'd better tell Nefi. I must go to the temple and find her.

"Nedjem!" She cried out, calling her maid's name.

Her door immediately opened, a slightly plump young lady hurried in.

"Yes, Nebeti, I am here. What is your wish?" She asked, bowing her head slightly.

"Dress me quickly, Nedjem."

"Of course, Nebeti." She said, smiling sweetly. "What do you desire today? Perhaps your nehkbet necklace?"

"You decide, Ned. Not my finest today. I don't want to overshadow Sita, you know how she gets." Iset replied, giggling, sharing a secret smile and giving her maid a knowing look. "Something blue, and perhaps the uraeus necklace."

"Yes, Nebeti. Although you will surely be more beautiful than Sitamun today, as you are every day." She said slyly, as she began to pour water for her mistress, preparing oils and perfumes, and picking out wigs.

Iset laughed loudly, the sound bouncing off painted walls, depicting papyrus reeds, rushes, hyacinth, blue lotuses and flying ibis.

"Of course." She said smugly. "You know Ned, I had the strangest dream last night."

"Oh?" Replied Nedjem, as she lathered oil onto her mistresses arms.

"I dreamt of Netjer Isis. She became one with me, I think she was showing me how to unlock the secrets of magic, but it's so strange because Djutmose was there, I was Isis and he was Osiris, I had to piece him back together."

"That is not strange, Nebeti. When he becomes Pharaoh you could be God's Wife at his side." She said as she scraped the oil from her skin, shaving her pubis and applying the sweet scent of myrrh to the wrists and neck of her lady, so that the fragrance may waft throughout the day from the warmth of her veins.

"Yes... I suppose so. God's Wife... it suits me well."

Iset stood silent for a while, allowing her young attendant to clothe her, fit her wig and cover her with jewels.