River Nile

<I>{Along the Nile.}</I> <I>”Yeah I don’t like to be petty but...you know, it could help, anyone come to mind?” It was a very peaceful location Billy Batson found himself three days after the Antarctic adventure. He was sober, as worse for wear as he had been looking but the area he found himself was...something different, something that seemed to have every inch of itself die, come back to life, ‘life’, then die again as if it was in a constant loop of sorts, a loop of time. Oddly enough Billy was fallowing someone, an old bearded man with a harvesters scythe dressed in a loose hanging white toga. The man stopped at this question, white face contorting in thought as he pondered the question brought to him. “One, but there is a specific way to see him, all of them in particular, without having to travel the realms. It’s outside of range from His country so you’ll probably be safe.” The old man reached with his free hand and plucked a peach out of a tree. Much like everything around the old man and Billy, it did that looping process only quicker as the old man carefully brought it up to his mouth and took a bite at its ‘Sprung to life’ phase. He repeated the gesture a few times until the fruit was eaten and Billy nodded, hands pocketing themselves. “...Why not? Who’s uh, the fellow? Anything I should look after, <B>Chronos?</B> “ The Deity thought about it and shook his head, turning to eye Billy, leaning on his scythe as he knelt down and planted the center of the peach into the ground. From seed, to sapling, to growing stump then to tree then death went the tree, only to repeat the process. The realm of time was a weird place. “You might meet Thoth as well given the two were linked. I imagine you won’t have any problems if you use the direction I give you, who knows what doors it could open for you.” Billy nodded and took a peach the Deity offered, taking a bite of it as somehow it seemed to stop doing its loop while in his hand. He took a bite from it. “...About those other things I mentioned to you...think it’s possible?” Chronos looked thoughtful for a second before nodding. “Such things are meant to develop, change, and evolve over time. I’d check with the others first, Zeus especially. Now come I shall draw you a map.” Billy nodded and fallowed the deity along that road they both walked.</I> ...FOUR AND A HALF DAYS LATER...We zoom in on a Northern chunk of the Nile River. The directions one Billy Batson took from ol’ Chronos’ involved heading down to the Southernmost tip of the Nile River connected to Egypt, landing five miles south of that then walking towards that point. There a very Ancient Egypt dressed ferryman with a cats head greeted him, offered him a ride and, armed to the brim with supplies and water for the long trip, Billy took it. Only take what was offered, drink after it was offered and stick to the supplies you brought and fish only when the ferryman offered his fishing rod to use. Four and a half days was a long trip to take by boat but luckily the ferryman was not only chipper, he could sing and genuinely liked talking to people after you gave him your desired location. The days were long, sun turned to moon, moon to sun, sleep was troublesome given the ‘bed’ and thought process of his mind but Billy got a few hours and eventually the boat landed on the shores on the part of the Niles Neck closest to the city Memphis, nodding and watching Billy as he hopped off the boat, backpack now rather empty slung on his shoulders. “You were a pleasant guest young Batson! If you are to ever need another trip such as this, you knew where to go...oh? For me? Much much obliged young man!” Said the Ferryman, taking and instantly eating the fish Billy had caught and saved for him in one big SLIGHTLY disturbing gulp. Bowing to the Ferryman the Ferryman bowed back and watched as the boy went, a curious expression on his face. “How the deities turn, but he should like you, young Batson.” The Ferryman pushed off and vanished seconds after his boat hit the center of the Nile. For Billy? It was a long trip along the sandy planes of Egypt. Peering down at a piece of sheep-skin parchment, directions were fallowed as he went up the remaining length of the Nile River and took a gradual turn northwest from that point. Up and up and up Billy went, determined as ever until he could visibly see the step Pyramid of Djoser over the horizon. Miles were breached, sweat lined his brow and once he was a mile out from the pyramid he looked at the piece of sheep-skin parchment real closely. “...Half moon by East until you can see the temples then turn right and walk forward...” And that odd direction written upon the sheep-skin parchment was taken down to a T. His eyes occasionally wandered to peer at those mentioned temples before completing the directions. “Ho there young Batson.” From the distance were two figures Billy somehow knew only he could see. One was a tall figure with the body of a man and head of a bird-

- and the other was shorter, completely human looking and bald. Both wore ornaments you expect ancient Egyptian Royalty figures to wear; elaborate, gold, shining but somehow tactile at the same time. The first to greet Billy was the bald human looking figure. He was not looking at the boy at first, his hands were constantly moving and softly running up the steps of the pyramid in question, and the bird headed figure kept quiet but constant eyes on Billy as a whole. Looking down at the sheep-skin parchment made one key detail abundant, mostly because it was underlined: ‘Walk slowly if Thoth is there’. Mentally nodding the boy was unhindered and unassailed as he paced up to the two, promptly bowing once fifteen feet away. In a very swift fashion the bald figure turned and bowed right back and the bird headed figure audibly clicked and tilted the long beak of its mouth up. “You braved the Nile well, and I am aware of why you are here. Chronos, as all-time Deities, are one of the few connecting friends to all our realms...aside from our far eastern bretheren.” Billy stood up and nodded as the bald figure stepped past Thoth and took his hands respectfully. To quote Chronos: Asias ‘Pantheon’ of Deities was...something between a Mess and something that made Chaos blink at the madness of it all. “I digress! It has been many a moon since I’ve had even a chance to speak to one such as yourself, let alone grip and touch your existence...Thoth! ...! Ah...” The Bird Headed figure literally took a step towards the west and ceased to exist. Billy frowned though, much like his bald accomplice, he was not surprised. “...Forgive Thoth he...has never been one to agree with the others on such topics as this. Those of our kind regarding Death and Mortals tend to be as such, I am still to this day surprised at how willing Hades was when you approached him.” Wasn’t everybody? Billy nodded and was led forward by the bald figure who kept a light grip on one of his hands. “Now, we both know why you are here, Chronos sent me your idea and I agree to it. I’ve seen what you’ve done just with what the Wizard gave you and I full heartedly approve thus...” Finally letting go of Billy, the bald figure touched ten man sized stone cubes scattered about the area. They all noisily fell apart into perfectly symmetrical cubes. Returning to Billy, the bald figure held up free fingers, a tan colored light forming on the tip of his middle finger before turning into a shade of orange. This light he threw at Billy and the minute it made contact with him it vanished, making the boy blink. The figure lifted a hand to the dissimilated cubes. “Utter my name, Billy Batson, and let your idea come to bear.” Billy nodded and parted his feet a little, biting his lip. “...Imhotep...” Bzzt...CRACK! Orange lights formed and left his person and struck each of the dismantled blocks. Within seconds, each one formed back to their proper shape and form, no detail going unnoticed, no trait left behind. The figure, Imhotep clapped and patted his shoulder. “Good good! This also works on people as well, so now I believe you have more than one healing capability to rely upon. Mathematics and medicine knowledge are also at your fingertips, etc...Use it as you see fit when you can Billy Batson.” Billy nodded and offered the Deity of Architecture a drink, which he gracefully accepted and sipped from. “...Was it...as odd being a mortal soul then transcending to a deity, Imhotep?” Ah yes, Imhotep was expecting that question and promptly nodded to him. They shared that after all. “Indeed. Ours are different but the same at the same time; whereas mine came from my fallowers and workers belief over time, yours was...a combination of your Deity given power and will, we are bonded in this way as my soul is permanently like that but can change at my whim whereas you can do the same to a lesser extend. Both say something, both are equal and...I am happy to have someone to relate to on the matter.” The two exchanged a handshake and Billy legitimately smiled. “Thanks I’ll uh...keep in touch, I appreciate you giving me the time of day.” A bow was exchanged and Billy turned, Lifting a hand to the Deity as he began pacing away. Imhotep returned the wave before pausing, frowning. “Mr. Batson.” Billy paused and looked over his shoulder. “...You know this as well as I do; Anything can be fixed...don’t forget it.” Billy frowned, peered down and sighed through his nostrils. Imhotep was right and this word of simple wisdom hung over his head as he opted to sleep along the mortal plains of the Nile River night. Tools; hands, mind, body, soul.::