“I am not going to lie, I had no idea we would be coming here,” Dan said, as he and Aby walked along the top of the sand dunes. Aby was in a fairly foul mood, seeing as she could do nothing to dislodge the woman of shadows that even right now was clinging onto Dan’s neck.

“Where do we need to go?” Aby asked, the quicker they were out of this first trial the better seeing as that would get rid of this pesky goddess of deceit and lies.

“Go?” Apate asked she looked up from her resting place at the other woman. “You cannot go without my permission,” she said. “I would normally just send you on your way seeing as he has already passed my trials and I have seen him for what he is, but I have found it is lonely and I do not wish him to go so early.” Apate said, as she shifted around like smoke and light, like a second shadow of Dan’s that moved with its own will.

“So there has been no purpose to our wanderings for the past couple of hours?” Abyzou asked, her left eye twitched slightly,

“None.” Apate laughed.

“What exactly do we need to do to get you to release us to the next trial?” Dan asked, stepping in, Abyzou had to realise this was Apate’s realm, and she could do with it as she pleased, he almost shuddered at the thought of the haunting scene of Amani at his grave.

Almost.

“Hmmm, I wonder,” she said, there was a slight playfulness in her words, something that was creeping in that toyed with the ears like a whisper tickling your mind, he didn't like it. “No, that would not do I will not tell you.”

“You will not tell us?” Aby hissed.

“Consider this your modified trial,” Apate laughed, “Seeing as the first trial is all moot, offer me something, anything, and should I feel as though it is a fair trade for your freedom then I will let you go.” she laughed softly.

Dan looked at her, or at least he looked as closely as he could seeing as she was made of smoke and shadows. “You know you would be a whole lot easier to gage if you looked like something.” he sighed shaking his head. “I can't tell when you are being serious or not, can't make out any facial expressions.”

“Is that so?” she laughed. “I have many forms, I am a goddess of deceit after all, I would need to deceive anyone I needed to and appearance is a good part of that.” she chuckled to herself. “What would you have me look like? Hmmmm?” she asked floating around him towards his front and wrapping her ghostly thighs around his waist.

“Why don't you look like yourself?” he asked.

“LIke myself?” she responded, it was the first time she had ever sounded actually confused that he had heard.

“Yeah, how do you see yourself?” he asked, as he trudged up the sand dune, dragging the exasperated Abyzou along behind him by the hand.

“How do I see myself?” she said, in a ponderous tone that was more directed at herself than at Dan or anyone else. While she thought of it he looked up at the sky, it was a velvet black dotted with silver pinholes pressed in the luxurious cloth that stretched overhead. The blood red moon shone, much too large to be like anything at home.

“Beautiful.” he said, looking at the moon, and though he was indeed looking at the moon Apate froze. It didn't take a genius to realise that though he was looking at the moon, he had been doing so by looking through her, as she had wrapped herself around his front.

She thought he was speaking to her.

“I-” he started to explain, and to Abyzou’s credit she seemed to understand what he had meant as he pointed to the moon. Apate however didn't seem to see his motion, and completely cut off his explanation by sealing his lips with a soft kiss.

“No one has ever spoken to me like that before...” she said softly. “I have been here for countless millennia, and that is the first time anyone spoke to me in this way,” her shadowy form shimmered, turning slightly blue, causing her to stand out against the background of the moon in sharp contrast. “You don't even know what I look like and you call me beautiful.”

Aby’s eyes narrowed dangerously, but she didn't speak at all.

“What do you look like?” he asked, choosing not to clear up the mess, it might help them get out of here faster, he would deal with the consequences later.

“What do you want me to look like?” she asked, he felt her shadowy caress on his skin, almost like she was made of a light wind.

“I want you to look like what you want to look like.” he said, once again dodging the question.

“I - I need some time...” she said, pulling away from him and hovering away to float in front of him, and just like that she vanished.

“We need to talk.” Abyzou hissed, pulling Dan around to face her.

“What about?” he asked looking the now angry Lamia in the eyes.

“How do you know this Apate?” she asked, “You seem quite familiar with her, and I have never heard of this woman or this location.”

“Yes you have,” Dan said with a laugh, “You don't remember? When we went to get the treatment for Bastet, the trial I had to go through to get Anubis to give it to us?” he said, remembering the trial he had to face and shuddering. He still remembered the first time he had crossed paths with Apate, it was still harrowing.

“That was the Demon that harassed you and made you live false visions?” she asked, her eyes growing more and more angry, but this anger was no longer directed at him but rather at the non present Apate.

“That would be she.” he nodded.

“I can't believe we have to work with her.”

“It is her realm, her trial.” he responded.

“I know it's just...” she stopped, remembering that he was here risking his life for her, he was here for her and her alone. A warm glow lit up her insides as she thought about this. He loved her so much that he was willing to drop everything and attempt a trial that he had no previous knowledge on. Slithering forward she wrapped herself around him. “I love you,” she whispered softly. And he hugged her back, pulling her into him like he wanted the two of them to become one person.

“I love you to, now let's figure out what she wants so we can leave this place.”

Abyzou looked at him as though he was an idiot, “Really? You can't figure it out?” he shook his head and she sighed, “You know for someone who is so damn smart you are pretty stupid,” he was about to open his mouth the protest the insult, but she placed a finger over his lips and shushed him. “She is lonely. She has been here alone forever.” she looked around the vast desert that seemed to stretch on for all eternity, there was not even plant life or animals around. “She has never had anyone speak kindly to her, she wants to go with you...” she said, even if it was hard to say, and honestly speaking there was no one besides herself and Amani who would understood Apate better, no one who understood the isolation and loneliness more..

“I-” he started but as he was about to speak Apate reappeared, she was different now, still ghostly and see through but was now a distinct figure of blue, she had long hair that fell down her back, on top of which a ghostly veil floated, and she was clothed in loosely floating white cloth that seemed to hover and fly as she did, concealing her upper torso and below her waist, in one hand she held a lantern that was rectangular and had eloquent scripting and scroll work on it, the lantern radiated a ghostly blue light, adding to her specter like quality.

her delicate nose, small face and almond shaped eyes looked at him nervously. “So,” she asked, the crazed madness she had once exhibited tucked neatly away. “How is this form?” she asked, smiling uncertainly. The moon shown through her, causing her blue tint to form a purplish color.

Abyzou sighed, and gave him a little shove in Apate’s direction, reminding herself that he was here for her, and that everything he was doing was for her benefit, even if it did make her slightly jealous...