Wandering north as recommended by a kind old lady, Kurou spotted from a distance a square-shaped structure that looked like a temple. The place was swarming with people, so he chose to hide until it got dark so he could enter the place quietly and see what he could find there.
Knife in hand, he was ready to stab to death any fanatics or zealots fool enough to try their luck with someone they just couldn't kill.
Unable to find shade, Kurou laid on the ground in a corner, on top of a small patch of grass, and fell asleep for a few hours, like a real bum.
When he opened his eyes, it was certainly past 10 p.m. The place was empty and the temple was apparently closed. Nobody seemed to care that he was laying down there. Good for the bums!
As Kurou approached the monument, he realized it was bigger and more magnificent than he imagined. There were carvings on the walls, with what seemed like pharaohs and their servants, and there were statues of falcons at the entrance.
The gate seemed too modern to fit in an ancient structure like that, so it was quite obvious that its intent was to keep people outside so as to charge tickets from them and consequently earn some money on behalf of their ancestors. That thought disgusted the hell out of him.
Since there was no one around, the gate was a piece of cake to trespass, so Kurou didn't even think twice.
He was then presented with a rather large courtyard, with several columns on each side, and another entrance, with two more falcon statues.
As he passed that gate, enormous columns were standing everywhere, causing Kurou's jaw to drop. "I didn't think I would be impressed so shortly after seeing Ramses old temple, but this is quite a gem", he said.
Many inscriptions were carved on each of those columns, some of them familiar even to an ignorant, like the Ankh, while others were complex hieroglyphs only a scholar could interpret.
After walking through a long corridor, Kurou shuddered. He was nearing something big and seemingly powerful. It was the inner chamber.
At the inner chamber was a magnificent structure with what seemed to be a falcon head attached to a small boat, with a chamber on top of it. From its looks, it was a funerary box.
As Kurou inspected the falcon head, a voice resonated in his mind.
"Welcome, Post-Mortal".
"SWEET MOTHER OF GOD! WILL YOU GUYS EVER STOP SCARING ME?", Kurou yelled.
"You're not going to die from a jumpscare, Post-Mortal", the falcon statue reverberated.
"Witty, aren't we? Who am I talking to, may I ask?".
"I go by many names, but the name most mortals call me is Horus".
"Wait wait wait wait", Kurou said, raising a hand. "Horus. The Egyptian God, Horus?".
"Yes, Post-Mortal, you are correct."
"And where are you? Why can't I see you?", Kurou asked.
"In the state you are now, seeing an Egyptian God of my stature wouldn't be possible. But in this place, I can at least share a bit of wisdom with you, which you will surely need in order to survive. This statue serves as a mere catalyst for me to interact with you".
"You keep calling me Post-Mortal, just like the old fart Ramses did. It means you probably know I can't die. Why are you giving me tips on how to survive?", Kurou asked.
"Because your current state is rather problematic, Post-Mortal. For some reason even I can't comprehend, your heart wasn't consumed by Ammit during the judgment", the falcon statue answered.
"Now you lost me. Who's Ammit?"
"Ammit, the Devourer, is the Egyptian entity in charge of devouring the hearts of those deemed unworthy of a peaceful afterlife".
"Oh, that sounds bad", Kurou said. "And what does that have to do with me becoming a Post-Mortal?".
It seems your judgment was delayed, Post-Mortal. I'm not saying you were given a second chance at life, don't get me wrong. But it seems someone wanted you to escape a restless death, throwing Ammit off-balance so you could escape the Weighing of the Heart, although in a state of Post-Mortem".
I could say it makes sense, but it doesn't", Kurou said, rubbing his temples. "Here I am talking to a falcon statue that claims to be an Egyptian God, and there's a Devourer entity out there wanting to devour my heart and send me to a restless afterlife".
"Yes, Post-Mortal, it is as you say", the statue answered.
"And how can I escape that entity? What do I have to do?" Kurou asked, impatient.
"Inpu knows the answers you seek. As for Ammit, it's known as a hybrid monster with the head of a crocodile, the torso and front paws of a lion, and the rear of a hippopotamus. If you see a creature with that description, I advise you to run, Post-Mortal. Your undying state won't help you against it".
"GREAT!", Kurou yelled. "Now there's a chimera coming after me!"
"You offend me by bringing greek myths to my Temple of Edfu, Post-Mortal".
"I didn't mean to offend you, Horus. I understand that you are a God and could smite me with a single thought", Kurou said, raising his hands in surrender.
"That's not exactly how it works, but it's good that you think that way. Don't disrespect Gods out of spite, or it will cause you trouble. I intend to help you on your journey, as long as you don't side with my enemy".
"And who could that be?", Kurou asked.
"Have you never read anything on Ancient Egypt, Post-Mortal? Sutekh is my enemy".
"Yeah yeah, that was written on all history books, but I always thought it was just a myth".
"It was supposed to be a myth. But as you can see, strange phenomena might occur in this world, and humans are never prepared to deal with them. For a strange reason, you seem rather calm for someone who went through at least a couple of death experiences. Maybe that's why you are here, after all".
"I can't say it wasn't traumatic, but I guess it's better than living the stupid life I was living before. You're the real thing, aren't you Horus? May I call you Horus, actually?", Kurou asked.
"It doesn't matter what you call me, Post-Mortal. What matters is what you do from now on".
"All right, I think I get it. I'll be careful with the crocodile monster and this Sutekh. Any more wisdom you would like to share with me, benevolent God?", Kurou asked, trying to be funny.
"First of all, refrain from this unhealthy behaviour your peers would classify as being a 'prick'. I could call you that in all languages you could possibly imagine, but I chose this one because it fits you best. Second, learn how to use your shadow projection."
"Shadow projection?, Kurou asked.
"That moment when you felt like an afterimage of your hand projected onwards. That was a shadow projection. If you practice that long enough, you should be able to manipulate that projection".
"Why is it called a shadow projection?", Kurou asked.
"Because it's a mirror image of your own soul. It's translucent, isn't it? Not that different from Ramses II's apparition, if you recall".
"Now that you mention it, it is quite similar", Kurou said, genuinely surprised.
"Shadow manipulation could save your life, or end someone else's. It all depends on your judgment. I'm afraid I won't be able to talk to you in a long time now, Post-Mortal. It was an interesting experience to interact with someone for a change, even if you're not the best sample of your kind".
"Witty for an ancient entity, aren't you, Falcon God Horus? I won't make a fuss because it feels like I have just experienced a miracle. Too bad that I have a monster in my wake, but at least now I know I should prepare. Thanks again, Horus. I hope I can see you again."
"Farewell, Post-Mortal. Treat animals well, and whatever you do, DO NOT anger Inpu".
"Again that 'Inpu'. Why all that fascination with that guy 'Inpu'"?
The falcon statue went silent. A gentle breeze crossed the inner chamber.
"Well, no fanatics this time, guess I should be going", Kurou said. "'Ammit', 'Horus', 'Inpu', 'shadow projection', 'Post-Mortem'...everytime I talk to someone, a goddamn piece of a giant puzzle gets thrown at my face".