Sept 25th - Incantations

[Nailah Weaver]

Nailah is in her sanctuary in the Lighthouse. She's going over her notes one last time, mentally preparing herself and going through the incantations. She's wearing a simple white dress that contrasts with the golden jewelry she's wearing in it's simplicity. She paces a little, double-checking a print-out showing star charts and various astronomical calculations regarding the sun, making sure that today is still within the phase of autumnal equinox.

On the floor a large geometrical drawing with 4 distinct sides sits inside a circle drawn with charcoal burned in the fire-bowl containing Altamira's eternal flame.

[Samantha McManus]

"Now," Samantha says from the doorway, "I've gotten all my nonsense out of the way. Is this something you just want me in attendance for, or would you rather I be... in attendance?"

At the moment she looks like she headed over straight from the office.

[Nailah Weaver]

"That's up to you, but I'd feel more comfortable if you showed a little feather." she smiles nervously.

[Samantha McManus]

"I wouldn't have offered if I wasn't willing. I'll be right back, aye?"

She nods to Nailah and heads back down to get changed in the lavatory.

[Nailah Weaver]

Nailah paces back and forth a bit and goes through her notes again while she waits, making a couple last-minute footnotes.

[Samantha McManus]

Before long, Samantha returns. Barefoot, clad in a long, flowing dress of black feathers. Something's a bit different about her body language as well, but Nailah is likely used to it.

"Alright. I'm ready to be... in my official capacity."

[Nailah Weaver]

"You look amazing." she says with a wide grin and picks up the Shadow Urn she borrowed from Roland. Carefully stepping across the lines of the ritual circle she places it right in the middle, then moves back out to drop a prepared mix of incense into the fire-bowl, a strong, aromatic smell of herbs begins to fill the room. "I'm just about ready to start. If you would stand on the north side of the circle and bear witness?"

[Samantha McManus]

"Happily," she says, making her way around the room to stand where indicated.

[Nailah Weaver]

Nailah pours water from a vial into a small bowl and ceremonially washes her hands in it before picking up an assortment of paraphernalia. Four spots are spaced evenly around the circle. Nailah steps up to the Western one and pulls out a sharp dagger. Pricking the tip of her finger kneels down and draws a symbol into the circle with her own blood. "Formed from a single drop I surrender my Ib to the Urn that would contain it, hold my heart safe so Ammit may not devour it."

Moving to the Northern side she raises the dagger to her head and cuts off a strand of her hair. She pins it to the head of a small, pitch-black figurine that she places down in the circle. "My Sheut, Effigy of me that is cast by the Sun and mirrors me into the world of the Gods, I cut you loose so my shadow may hide where Apophis cannot destroy it."

Moving on to the Eastern side she takes a small brass plaque with an engraving on it and wraps a short piece of rope around it several times before placing it down in the circle as well. "My Ren, the name that was given to me at birth that will live on through the mouths of others so it will not be forgotten and lost in the depths where Set dwells."

She moves to the Southern side of the circle, and spreads her arms wide.

"All the evil which was on me has been removed.
I was cleansed on the day of my birth in the two great and noble waters.
'Eternity' is the name of one; 'Sea' is the name of the other. They are the Lakes of Natron and Maat.
May I have power in my heart, may I have power in my arms, may I have power in my legs, may I have power in my mouth
May I have power over invocations, may I have power over water ... air ... the streams ... the lands ...
Over men who would harm me ... women who would harm me... in the realm of the dead ... those who would give orders to harm me upon earth."

She reaches up to her shoulder and grabs a handful of her ritual robes. Bringing up the dagger she cuts through the fabric and let's it fall away so she's only clad in her jewelry.

"Great Anubis,
I come before you with my mouth unfettered by my name,
my limbs unfettered by my shadow, my body unfettered by my heart.
I am prepared and strong in opening his portal!"

A glow spreads through the circle, enveloping the items placed in the cardinal directions and converging in the middle where the open Urn is sitting. The light seems to pour into it and when it clears the three items, blood, effigy and name, have disappeared.

"I shall sail rightly in my bark, I am lord of eternity in the crossing of the sky.
I am not afraid in my limbs, for Hu and Hike overthrow for me that evil being.
I shall see light-land, I shall dwell in it...
Make way for me, for I have gathered my Ka and Ba so I may become the immortal Akh who passes by the guards...
Those who know this spell, they will be like Ra in the eastern sky, like Osiris in the netherworld.
They will go down to the circle of fire, without the flame ever touching them!"

There's a bright flash of light that seems to swirl above the Urn in a pulsing cloud, blurry shapes visible inside it before it too disappears into the Urn, seeming to sweep with it all the light in the room. The window and walls seem to stretch away and disappear beyond the edge of darkness, only Nailah, the fire-bowl and Sam giving off a faint glow. Nailah appears to be frozen in time, her hair suspended, even the faint trails of smoke coming from the fire-bowl have stopped like grey smears in the air.


A huge shape seems to loom just outside Sam's perception, only noticeable by the sheer weight of his presence as his shadow envelops them. Faint impressions of brilliantly white and shapr teeth gleam in the darkness in a long snout that rumbles as it speaks.

"I see before me one who seeks to avoid the Scales and the Gate in the presence of another. I recognize you, Battle-Crow. Why are you guarding what would be mine?"

[Samantha McManus]

"She isn't yours, any more than those who die in battle are mine. We are guides, Jackal."

"She's not bound for the West yet."

[Narrator]

"She's cast off her earthly fetters into a Jar of Shadows, yet instead of bathing in Ra's Light she invoked the Opening of the Mouth to free her Ba. She is not dead yet but why should I not take what it offered to me, Crow?"

[Samantha McManus]

"I could boast that you don't want to deal with me if you tried, but let's look at this here."

"You're not a beast any more than I am. You've got more impulse control than Ammit."

"Feel it out, Jackal. I'm not the only one guarding her."

[Narrator]

Anubis snarls but it is answered by a snarl from somewhere behind Nailah. "Before me the dwellers in chaos are dogs, their chiefs merely wolves. She's not yours and she shan't be." another voice calls out at Sam's urging. Her voice sounds like a tensed coil, a glimmer of light igniting in the dark and illuminating the head of a lioness beneath it, casting it in stark shadows.

"The cat and the Bird join forces. Have you two no shame? Quit meddling in affairs that aren't yours." Next to Sekhmet his voice sound almost emotionless. Cold.

[Samantha McManus]

"Meddling would imply that we weren't invited, aye?"

"You've behaved as a greedy bully since arriving. You're better than this, and we're here to make certain you maintain your... sterling reputation."

[Narrator]

"You come before me with browbeat and blackmail? I admire your courage in questioning my reputation. You are the ones aiming to cheat me out of what is mine. Where is the justice in that, Arbiter of Ma'at?" he asks and is only met with a growl from Sekhmet.

"Where is the honor in denying her a death in battle, Crow? Are you two not merely being selfish?"

[Samantha McManus]

"What is yours is to test, and to guide. Which is this?"

[Nailah Weaver]

"There's nothing to test, she's hid her Heart away. I will not fight you two only for Ammit to go hungry regardless, but I won't be thwarted this easily!" He steps out of the shadows, a Jackal-headed man towering above them. He points at Nailah's frozen form and speaks a single word that booms through the darkness, dispelling it. And as the light floods back he dissipates along with the darkness. The Shadow Urn begins spilling over with blood, spreading on the floor in volume much larger than what should fit inside the urn to begin with. At the same time Nailah starts to move again, convulsing as she falls to the floor.

[Samantha McManus]

"Damn, it no... No!" she cries out, rushing to Nailah's side.

[Nailah Weaver]

Nailah is twitching but alive, her chest is heaving and she starts coughing, choking and gagging. Her mouth opens, wider than can be comfortable, as a colorful head with twitching mandibles moves in her throat. Another choke and the huge beetle pushes itself further out of her throat and with a final gag Nailah spits the giant Scarab onto the floor and the growing puddle of blood, specks of it spattering it's golden shell.

[Samantha McManus]

"What does... what does this even mean?" She asks, though she's not sure who she's asking, or if there's even anyone left in the room other than Nailah now that Anubis has bugged out.

[Nailah Weaver]

Nailah is still coughing between drawing hungry breaths of air while the scarab crawls to and fro. The flow of blood slows and eventually stops, though it covers a significant portion of the floor before it does.

"That... that was unpleasant..." Nailah chokes out.

[Samantha McManus]

"That's an understatement. I don't suppose anyone here can tell me what just bloody happened?"

[Nailah Weaver]

"I saw... crows above the desert and... a jackal and a lion circling each other... And the sun started to burn in my chest..."

[Samantha McManus]

"From my perspective, Anubis approached, we had an argument, and in a fit of pique he had you vomit up an insect as he left."

[Nailah Weaver]

"Not just a bug... A kheprer. Scarab." she mumbles, still a little out of it. "I think it worked... stopped fading..."

[Samantha McManus]

"There wasn't this much blood in the jar, was there?"

[Nailah Weaver]

"Just a little drop..."

[Samantha McManus]

"It started overflowing as soon as he left."

[Nailah Weaver]

"'s alright... I'll bleach it out of the carpet..." she mumbles, apparently briefly forgetting that the floor is stone. "Little tired... Nap time..." she mumbles drowsily and slowly slumps down. She's starting to look a little pale.

[Samantha McManus]

"This... took a lot out of you, didn't it?"

She wants to believe that if something was really wrong with Nailah she'd be able to sense it, but she's not at all sure of that.

[Nailah Weaver]

Nailah mumbles something but it comes out slurred. Turning her attention to it Sam would feel Nailah slowly fading. There's a lot of blood on the floor, close to what would fit into one adult human being, come to think of it.

[Samantha McManus]

"Oh no..."

"No, damn it..."

"You! You're the one who told her this was okay! Help her!"

[Narrator]

"An offering has been accepted and sealed in blood." a faint voice growls.

[Samantha McManus]

"...do it myself, then." She mumbles, gathering Nailah up in her arms.

"You don't leave until I say."

With haste she hurries off to the infirmary.