Miriam softly smiled as she dabbed at Ezrae's forehead with a dry towel, helping to clear away the sweat from his brow. Moses sat nearby, gently napping in a chair in the corner of the recovery tent.
It had been an incredibly difficult night. Ezrae had entered into a state of shock, due to what he had experienced. "A recurrent form of trauma, brought about from watching his grandfather die, I think…" As Aaron had said to Moses.
All throughout the night, Ezrae was unconscious, but was violently thrashing, tossing and turning; and mumbling insane ramblings, in his state of unconsciousness.
It had been about 12 hours or so, and Ezrae had started to relax, right around the time that the sun had begun to rise. He was mostly still now, but occasionally would start mumbling and thrashing; and most of it didn't make any sense.
Aaron entered the tent, carrying a bowl of water, towels, and a sheathed dagger. Miriam stood to meet him and assist him with the things he brought, and the slight bustle of noise woke Moses up. He grumbled and rubbed his eyes, looking at his siblings with disdain.
"I'm sorry, big brother. Aaron returned with the things I asked him to bring… I'm ready for the ritual, if you are. It's simple, really. I just need a drop of Ezrae's blood, and the holy water will allow me to see into his soul, and hopefully figure out what's wrong with him."
Moses nodded. He wasn't new to blood, many different types of sacrifices had to be made to Yahweh, according to the Torah; but magic… made him uncomfortable. He cleared his throat before saying,
"Miriam… My beautiful, wonderful, Elder sister… Where is it, exactly, that you said you learned this, now?"
Miriam scoffed at Moses while she was setting up her things for the ritual, responding with,
"Come now, Moses. This isn't the time to have second thoughts, or be anxious. If Yahweh didn't want me to do this, he wouldn't have let me learn it in the first place. Besides, you and Ezrae do magic all the time."
Moses sighed and shook his head, rubbing his temples, before responding with, "Miriam, we've had this conversation a thousand times… Please don't try to justify your inane theories behind Yahweh's Covenant… And for the last time, Ezrae and I don't do magic, we have blessings that were…"
Miriam crossed her arms and looked angrily at her youngest brother, while cutting him off, saying "-'that we were granted by Yahweh, Blah Blah Blah.' Listen. If God created everything, then everything is good. It all has its use, one way or another! It's about how you use something, not what it is.
What I'm saying is… your 'Blessings' are just magic that isn't innately harmful or occult.
Look at what I'm doing, for instance. I'm not trying to cast a spell on someone, hurt somebody, or be a heathen.
I'm trying to help a young man that we ALL love dearly. So knock it off, and let me help.And if it's really that relevant to you… I learned it from Nailah."
"NAILAH?! Like, Nailah from the tribe of Levi, Nailah?? MY Nailah?!" Aaron cut into their conversation, enraged by what Miriam had said.
She rolled her eyes and flicked him in the forehead. "Yeah, idiot. She wasn't always YOUR Nailah. And she's only half an Israelite, in case you forgot. She used to be a wife and personal slave to Ahmed, the traveling Merchant."
Moses raised an eyebrow at that, "Ahmed? Wait.. Ahmed, like… Taza's Father, Ahmed? Wow…I guess that would make sense… I was unaware that they were one in the same.
I think we should all probably have a talk, after this is over. I don't approve of what is happening, so I cannot help you, or participate."
He stood up, dusting off his clothes and straightening himself up, before continuing,
"Besides, if I don't do something about the shortage of water, soon, the Israelites are going to string me up from a cactus."
In his left hand, he grabbed his staff, and in his right, he grabbed his cloak, while he and his siblings lightly chuckled together.
"Let me know what happens, or what will be necessary, in order to help Ezrae. I love you, both of you…
Don't fall victim to the demons of this world, and do your best to bring our boy back." He smiled and lovingly placed a hand on each of their shoulders, as he made his way out of the tent.
Miriam sighed again and shook her head, turning to Aaron. She had placed the towel, and the bowl of holy water on a small table she had set up, next to Ezrae's bed.
"Are you ready, little brother?" Her voice was soft, and slightly scared. She wiped her brow and took Ezrae's right hand in her own, as Aaron nodded at her, and pulled the extremely sharp dagger out of its beautiful golden and emerald-laden sheath, to give to Miriam.
The dagger was golden in color, with markings all over it, in Egyptian Heiroglyphics. If one took the time to study it, they would discover that it was in fact, a ceremonial dagger inscribed with prayers and dedications to Anubis; the Guide to the Afterlife, the Egyptian god of Death.
In its pommel was a radiant emerald gem, embedded in a small sculpture of a scarab beetle. It sparkled dully in the low light of the tent, as Aaron handed it carefully over to Miriam.
She took the knife and began chanting in Egyptian. Aaron cleaned off Ezrae's hand with one of the towels and held it over the bowl of holy water for Miriam.
Meanwhile, as Moses made his way away from the tent he had a deep and dark pit in his stomach. He was absolutely uncomfortable with everything going on.
He didn't want to lose Ezrae, but he didn't want to lose his siblings to blasphemy, either. He shook his head, banishing the negative thoughts from his mind, and focused on the only thing important enough to tear him away from his family: The Israelites.