Hush, little pharaoh, don’t you cry,
For the Daughters of Buto stand outside.
Blessed by the gods, they will defend,
You, my child, until the very end.

As you grow, little pharaoh, keep this in mind,
Obey the gods or lest you find,
A Daughter of Buto with a cobra in hand,
To send you on to the next land.

-Egyptian Lullaby


A dagger.

“This dagger has been given to you, my child, as a symbol of the gift bestowed on you.”

It was simple weapon that betrayed the power within. A carved snake twirled from the bottom of the hilt, and from the open mouth of the snake came the blade. Panya smiled, remembering how fellow guards would laugh at her simple weapon, but she did not mind, for they have not been blessed by the gods. They did not understand the power that was in her simple dagger. In the hilt of her dagger were several Erumpent tail hairs, blessed by the gods, that enabled her to use the gifts the gods had bestowed upon her. Panya placed her dagger in her belt; those without the gift would underestimate her power.

A tunic made of Tebo hide.

“Go south and track down a Tebo, its hide will be your protection.”

It took Panya three weeks to cross the Savannah and enter the African jungle. Once there it had taken her five days to track down an invisible warthog. The Tebo were very difficult to find and very dangerous when threatened, but a Tebo could not withstand to the gifts the gods had given her. Panya used her gift to blast the Tebo against a tree, and while it was stunned she slit its throat. She skinned its hide and made the tunic she now wore. When Panya wore this tunic, the eyes of those not gifted looked right past her, and the eyes of those with the gift had to concentrate to order see her.

A cobra.

“I hereby do bind Asim to Panya, a loyal Daughter of Buto, in recognition of the completion of her training, and her obedience to the will of the goddess Buto.

Among the gifts the gods had given her, was the ability to speak to snakes. It was that gift that marked Panya as a Daughter of Buto. Asim was an Egyptian cobra, her protector, and her friend. He helped her in guarding the Pharaoh and his family, and when necessary, delivered the will gods to those who had spurned them.

A mission from the goddess.

“Abubakar, the third son of Pharaoh Cheops, has incurred the wrath of gods.”

Panya sat beside bank of the Nile watching the sun go down. As soon as the world turned dark, she could begin her mission.

Asim slithered beside her; he tasted the air before looking at Panya. “Tension in the air," he hissed. “Tonight we hunt?”

“Yes,” she replied.

“Good, this one looks forward to a challenge.”

“If the Goddess wills it, we will succeed.”

“Don’t be so sure, Daughter. You have powerful gifts, but others have more.”

“The gods have given me the gifts I need,” Panya stated confidently.

“As you say, Daughter.”

When the sun finished its journey across the sky, Panya stood and turned to her companion. “Come.”

She walked swiftly and quietly through the sandy streets of the city until she reached the residence of the pharaoh’s disobedient son, Abubakar. She would have to be careful, for many sons of the Pharaoh lived here, and she had no wish to cause trouble for any of the faithful.

Panya stopped before the doors of the residence. There were two guards, though neither was gifted, and they looked right past her. The problem was even though they couldn’t see her; the guards would not fail to notice the doors opening.

Looking around, Panya spotted some water jars around the corner. She raised her dagger, and used her gift. When she slashed her dagger though the air, a loud bang came from around the corner. One of the guards grabbed his sword, and went to investigate. Panya waved her dagger again, and one of the water jars rose in the air. When the guard was directly beneath it, the jar burst. Feeling the water hit him, the guard let out a yell. Hearing the noise, the second raced off to help. Amidst the confusion, Panya slipped into the building.

Once safely inside Asim slithered down to the floor. Wordlessly, Asim started his duty. He looked around corners to warn Panya of dangers ahead, and led her to their prey.

Things were going very well. They had to dodge guards, but since none were gifted, it wasn’t a problem. When they reached the last turn, Asim checked ahead as usual. He quickly returned and motioned for Panya to come closer. Immediately, Panya crouched down beside him.

Asim hissed into her ear, “Three guards, one is a gifted Son of Knons.”

A Son of Knons, now that was an odd choice for a guard. They were known as Speakers of Truth who told oracles and interpreted destinies. Their gifts lay in spell-breaking and banishment of evil spirits. Did Abubakar fear an evil spirit?

Panya shook her head; these thoughts were irrelevant to the task at hand. Now, she had to think of a way to get past another of the gift.

“I will bite him for you, Daughter,” Asim said eagerly.

“No,” Panya whispered. “It is forbidden by the gods to kill another of the gift. I have a different idea.”

Panya grabbed her dagger, sprinted around the corner. Before the guards could react a jet of light traveled from the hilt and blasted the guards against the wall. Waving her dagger again, caused ropes to wrap themselves around the three guards. As Panya ran past them she turned the dagger around, and used the hilt to knock two of them unconscious.

“Watch out!”

Panya responded to Asim’s warning and dodged a jet of light coming from the Son of Knons, who had managed to cut himself free.

She sent a blast of light his way, which he easily deflected. The light bounced back and flew toward her. Panya raised her dagger in defense, but failed to use her gift in time. Her body flew into a wall, and her dagger scattered across the floor. The Son of Knons raised his own dagger against her, and Panya was powerless to stop him

Suddenly, he staggered and Panya dived across the floor, grabbed her dagger, and jumped to her feet. She was about to use her gift when she noticed Asim slithering toward her. Panya placed her dagger in her belt; the guard would be dead in fifteen minute.

“You shouldn’t have done that,” Panya stated. “The gods will not be pleased.”

“Fear not the gods,” Asim countered. “I did what was necessary.”

“The war…” moaned the dying man.

“What?” Panya asked the Son of Knons.

“The war between the gods has begun.”

Panya stared at him. Normally she would have ignored his words as mutterings of a dying man, but this was a Son of Knons, a Speaker of Truth. It was said that they could not lie.

“Hurry,” Asim hissed.

Panya turned her thoughts to the moment at hand. She still had a mission to accomplish, and more guards could appear at any moment. She grabbed her dagger, used it to unlock the door, and entered into Adubakar’s room.

The room was silent, expect for the breathing of the sleeping man on the bed before her. Panya turned to Asim and nodded.

Asim slithered silently onto the bed and came up beside Adubakar. While the man continued to sleep, he sank his fangs into the man’s arm. Poisonous venom flowed into his veins. Adubakar woke up and sat bolt upright in bed.

Panya opened her mouth and spoke in a voice that filled the room. “Abubakar, third son of Pharaoh Cheops, you have incurred the wrath of gods. Face now your punishment and your fate.”

“ASSASSIN!” Abubakar screamed. “I know you call yourself a Daughter of Buto, but an assassin is all you’ll ever be!” His eyes scanned the room but he could not see her, so he continued to yell at the air instead. “I know my father put you up to this!”

Panya stood frozen in the room, filled with rage. Normally, her victims would beg and plead, not say what this man did. His accusations rung in her ears, but she just fulfilled the will of the gods. She was not a killer for hire.

Asim slithered to his place on her shoulder. Panya turned on her heel, leaving this room and the dying man’s words behind.

Panya appeared on the western bank of the Nile. She would find peace in the river’s waters.

“So you have come.”

Panya turned toward the voice, and she saw an old man sitting behind her. Asim hissed in fear. “He is a Son of Anubis, he shouldn’t be here.”

Panya bowed in respect of her elder and asked, “What do mean, loyal Son of Anubis?”

The old man laughed, “Call me Rashidi, for I do not believe in the gods.”

“What! But you are one of the gifted. How can you…”

“Peace, Daughter.” Rashidi interrupted. “Do you not remember the words spoken to you tonight?”

“Words of dying men,” Panya countered.

“One of whom is a Speaker of Truth.”

The war between the gods has begun.

“You said there were no gods.”

The old man sighed, “At least not in the way you know them.”

“What do you mean?”

“Have you ever spoken to the goddess you now serve?”

“Only to the Voice of Buto, the Voices are the only ones who speak to gods.”

“That is because the Voices are the gods.”

Panya started, “That’s…

“Blasphemy, I know,” finished Rashidi. “Perhaps you will be more convinced if you read this.”

Rashidi handed her a piece of papyrus which Panya unrolled and read:

“Voice of Buto,

My son Adubakar has sided with the Temple of Knons against me. Take care of him.”

Beneath the words was the Pharaoh Cheops’ seal.

Seeing Panya shocked face, Rashidi continued. “The Temples have split into two alliances: one with the Pharaoh, the other with some of his sons. The winning side will hold great power and influence, but that power will be won through the blood of the gifted. The gifted will fight until there are no more, I have foreseen it.”

“How do you know what you saw is real?” asked Panya, her voice shaking.

“I was once the Voice of Anubis. When I refused to join a side I was forced to flee. Now, if you wish to save our people, you must flee with me.”

“He speaks the truth,” hissed Asim.

“Are you sure Asim?”

“Yes.”

Panya turned back to Rahidi. “What can we do?”

“As long as we are present in the lives of those not gifted, we will be used and manipulated. We must disappear into the wilderness, and forge our own lives apart from the ungifted. If we do not, we will not escape this war.”

Panya thought of her life. She thought of how she was used as a weapon both to protect and kill those in power. How her gifts had been taken advantage of, and how she had never been able to make her own choices, but told to follow the will of the goddess.

Panya looked into Rashidi’s eyes and declared, “I will join you.”

“Do not forget this one,” insisted the snake.

“Asim will come, too.”

The old man smiled and the three of them journeyed off into the wilderness as the Egyptian sun began its own journey across the sky.