Bottom of the Nile

*While you read this, listen to "Bottom of the River" by Delta Rae*

Nepthys watched with suspicion as Set waved his hand and his his servants lowered the casket. Set bowed low in front of Osiris and spoke to the floor, "This casket is a gift for my king.
Only the strongest of gods can fit perfectly inside."
Nepthys frowned at the beautiful coffin, it was solid gold and ebony, inlaid with rubies and shining garnet stones. Her eyes kaledoscoped from her usual pale hazel into a dark shade of brown,
Set was up to something, what she didn't know. Nepthys continued to watch everyone carefully, Isis and Osiris seemed oblivious to the danger, laughing with the others as Sobek crawled
out of the coffin, his shoulder too wide to fit. She felt a warm hand on her shoulder and spun around, Set was smiling at her, "So this is were you have wandered off to."
She sniffed as he playfully twirled a strand of her hair around his finger, "I thought you wouldn't notice."
Set laughed darkly, "How could I not notice the dissapearance of my beautiful wife?"
His face darkened and he growled, "Particularly when she takes my firstborn son with her."

Hold my hand
Ooh, baby, it's a long way down to the bottom of the river
Hold my hand,
Ooh, baby, it's a long way down, a long way down

Nepthys stiffened, her thoughts racing to where she'd left Anubis sleeping in her room.  Set put a hand on her slim shoulder, leaning forward to whisper in her ear "Where is he love? Where is Anubis?"
She stumbled backwards, tripping over her long linen skirt. Set took a step forward, his scarlet eyes glinting evilly in his handsome face.
He froze and smiled, moving away from Nepthys, she turned to see Osiris lowering himself into the coffin....a perfect fit. Everything clicked amidst the thunderous applause.
Nepthys had taken two steps toward Isis when Set leapt into action. He vaulted over to a smiling Osiris and slammed the lid on tightly. He clicked his fingers, causing the coffin
to vanish in a swirl of sand.

If you get sleep or if you get none
The cock's gonna call in the morning, baby
Check the cupboard for your daddy's gun
Red sun rises like an early warning

Isis fell to her knees with a scream of hearbreak, Nepthys ran to her side and wrapped her arms around her sister's heaving shoulders. Set waved his arm, forcing a wall of sand out of the floor,
seperating the three from the rest of the court. He turned to face the two goddesses, "Now, down to business."
He pointed at them, sand swirling in small maelstroms around his feet and hissed, "Isis, you have a son, the one called Horus, as your new pharaoh, I demand him as tribute."

The Lord's gonna come for your first born son
His hair's on fire and his heart is burning
Go to the river where the water runs
Wash him deep where the tides are turning

Isis screamed in agony at the thought of loosing her only son, the only piece of Osiris she had left now. Nepthys tightened her grip on her sister's shoulders before standing.
Set watched with some amusement as Nepthys moved between him and Isis, "You know this is wrong Set, you know that killing that child will not give you peace."
Sand soared around her legs, constricting around her waist and yanking her feet off the ground. Set brought her to a stop in front of him and snarled, "Those two caused the end of the reign
of Ra, they forced him to relinquish his throne! They are villains Nepthys, don't you see that?"

And if you fall, and if you fall
Hold my hand
Ooh, baby, it's a long way down to the bottom of the river
Hold my hand,
Ooh, baby, it's a long way down, a long way down

Nepthys bit her lip, forcing herself to remain silent as the sand scraped against her skin, "Then you will be a villain if you do this Set, I love you, the real you, not this this chaotic monster you're
becoming."
For just a moment his eyes turned back to their old warm cinnamon color, the color she'd fell in love with when she first saw him, just as quickly the scarlett returned.
"I must avenge my king," he snarle, Set constricted his hand, the sand drew her closer to him so he could study her face. His face saddened and he stroked a finger down her cheek, "Tell me that you do
not support the villains my love."
Nepthys squeezed her eyes shut and drew upon her power as Set watched her. She opened her eyes, tears streaming down her face, to look at him, "I'm sorry."

The wolves will chase you by the pale moonlight
Drunk and driven by a devil's hunger
Drive your son like a railroad spike
Into the water, let it pull him under

Water slammed mercilessly out of nowhere, pounding Set into the ground. Nepthys screamed and forced her burning muscles to hold her up as she shoved Set against a pillar. She yelled to Isis, "RUN!!
Take Horus and Anubis and get out of here!"
Nepthys watched her sister flee, unable to bear the look of heartbreak and betrayal in her husband's face. She waited until she was sure that Isis was gone before sending one final wave into Set's
drenched form and running after her sister.

Don't you lift him, let him drown alive
The good Lord speaks like a rolling thunder
Let that fever make the water rise
And let the river run dry

Nepthys let the tears roll freely down her face, Set's voice called her name from somewhere behind her but she wasn't looking back.

And I said
Hold my hand
Ooh, baby, it's a long way down to the bottom of the river
Hold my hand,
Ooh baby it's a long long way down
Hold my hand,
Ooh baby it's a long way down a long way down