Two years before Anpu and Horus meet
3984 B.C.
Anpu scrolled through the digital records. “I’m the crown prince and I’m doing secretarial work.” He glanced up. The royal library was dark. The light from the computer and lamp didn’t go far in the inky darkness. “One man. Father wants me to go through all these records to find one man. I don’t even have a family name to go off of!” He put his head in his hand. “I’m spending the early hours of the feast of Wag in the damn library.” Suddenly, a sound rang out in the silence. Anpu slowly stood up. “Who’s there?” The silence was deafening. “Show yourself. I won’t ask again.” There was no answer. “Dammit,” he mumbled. He plodded through the dark library.
Towards the back of the library was a large claw mark on one shelf. “What in the world…?” he murmured, gently running his hand over the mark. “No Morphian is big enough to make this… it looks like a larger version of Sekhmet or Bastet’s claws. That would make it a… giant lion? Unless it was… no… she’s not real.” He lowered his hand. “I think Wag is getting to me,” he said as he put his hand to his head. The people may honor Usir in secret for this festival, but it’s still the feast of the dead.”
Suddenly, a deep growl sounded from behind him. He whipped around and found himself face to face with a creature with the head of a crocodile, front legs of a lion, and back legs of a hippopotamus. “Ammit,” Anpu breathed. “N-no. She—she’s not—she’s not real.”
The creature—Ammit—growled again. Before Anpu could react, she leaped at him, claws pointed right at his heart.
“Anpu!” a female voice shouted.
He jerked his head up from the desk. “Wha-what?” He turned to see Nephthys—his mother—standing over his shoulder.
“Your servants went to your room to wake you up to prepare you for Wag, but you weren’t there.”
Anpu rubbed his eyes. “I must have fallen asleep at some point. I had a dream that Ammit tried to eat my heart.”
Nephthys kneeled next to him, hand on his shoulder. “Ammit only eats the hearts of the evil. You are not evil. Besides, Ammit isn’t real. She’s just a fairy tale. What did Set have you researching, anyway?”
“Some guy named Ash. He didn’t even give me an ancestor name.”
Nephthys slowly rose to her feet. “Ash?”
“Yes. Why? Do you know him?”
Nephthys fidgeted with her hands. “Did your father tell you why he wanted you to find Ash?”
“No… you know him. Who is he?”
Nephthys shook her head. “You don’t need to know. Go get ready for Wag.” She turned on her heel and walked away. As she was leaving, Anpu heard her mutter, “What are you up to, Set? Why are you looking for your old lover?”