REMORSE

If one word could describe this place, it would be hot.

Yes, yes. Laugh. The goddess of sun and ruler of all could catch heatstroke. I insist you get whisked away by a magic mirror to a distressingly arid desert, then we shall see who is laughing.

Well, perhaps ‘arid’ might be too extreme; while I now walk in a rugged town with streets littered with sand, blue beacons of oases bless the townsfolk running about their business to-and-fro.

I can see some citizens occupied with some manner of stone etchings (that I can’t read), men and women - separately, oddly enough - dancing to some sort of reed-like instrument’s tones, and some manner of wooden game.

Then my eyes drew to a bird’s head. Or rather, the man it was attached to. I knew tanuki were wont to shapeshift, but this man’s partial transformation is unusual.

The tall, tanned man surveyed the streets. There were two others with him, but my attention lingered on the man’s exotic countenance: a waist-cloth of some kind shining white and gold, bands of inlaid sapphire borne on his limbs and neck, and his head that took the shape of a falcon’s, holding atop it a headdress in the likeness of… Is that a sun? Was this man a sun deity as well?

I think I need to lie down…

Before I could, though, I realized two things: 1. My bed was at home. 2. I hear something in the alley behind me.

“Who’s there?” I unconsciously called out, but then I reminded myself that no one could hear me.

Regardless, it was a woman, giving an envious gaze towards the bird-man. A tamer tan than the bird-man’s coated her body, garbed in the same bands he wore and a deep red dress. She also carried two items, a spear and a small bottle of liquid.

“Holy Father, Ra…” she muttered. “Holding the might of the sun so audaciously, immune to all injury, scrutinizing your subjects…

“Let’s see how you fare with an injury of your own…”

The woman laid the spear upon the sand and slathered it with what I could now discern as…saliva.

Ew.

“Fire, come forth…” She chanted, and both spear and saliva baked in broiling flame…sparking from her hands? She didn’t have the aura of divinity. She must be some sort of sorceress…

Certainly enough, like magic, the spear changed shape into a serpent! I could not label what kind, but it appeared vicious.

Cautiously carrying the snake, the woman tossed it into the street, right into Ra’s path! Its scales blended into the sand, so none could see it. None could stop it from…!

A soul-shattering scream ripped out. Ra collapsed to the ground, pale as a ghost, a swollen snake bite on his right foot. Those at his side asked what ailed him, and a myriad of things poured from his mouth: his origin as a divine descendant, a secret name that granted him power, and the sheer unnatural pain he felt.

“My friends!” Ra howled to his two companions, “Gather all of my subjects! This despair will hopefully reach the heavens through their words!”

A sea of people soon surrounded the scene like moths to a dying flame, and a cacophony of chants erupted, pleading for the sovereign sun deity’s safety.

I crept through crowd – thankful for once the mirror made my body intangible – to better witness Ra’s eclipsing life.

“Holy Father!” That cry…it’s that woman! She suddenly rushed onto the scene… Are those tears? What manner of…?

“This wound… A snake bite… One of your creations has done this!” she uttered, sorrow lacing her voice.

“Oh, Isis, my child…” Ra drawled, “My sight grows dark…my body burns…”

Isis crept to Ra’s face with determination in her eyes. “Holy Father, I can remedy this with my magic, but alone it is not enough!” She cried penitently. “Your hidden name should provide the power needed to vanquish the venom! Please! Utter this name to my ears!”

Though her words cried sorrow, her eyes cried anticipation… Her behavior… Wait…

“Very well…” Ra croaked. “Isis, receive my sacred name from my heart, and entwine it with yours…”

A stream of light flowed into Isis’ heart and she began her work her magic on Ra’s wound. My vision faded in that moment, but not before I saw Isis’ satisfied smirk.

I was back home…

… That…witch…!

I nearly believed her remorse to be genuine, but all beasts are capable of crying crocodile tears! The falsities they leave behind are just as painful!

Isis… She was no better than my fellow gods on that day!

I once shied from the world in sorrow after Susanoo flew into a rage and left the heavens. I secluded myself in a shoreline cave. I sat there for days…alone…and afraid.

One day, I awoke to some absurd commotion outside. I tried to ignore it, but it just got louder. Eventually I got fed up and stepped outside, finding my divine peers laughing and dancing with Uzume, the Goddess of Laughter.

I demanded to know the reason behind it: they presented to me a framed image of a new ruler they rejoiced in. They took advantage of my anger, fooling me into becoming jealous of my reflection. I left the cave to get a better look, and in my recklessness, Taji-Karao, a god of great strength, sealed off my retreat with a boulder…

Perhaps it was for the better, to bring sunlight back to the world, but I cannot tolerate deceit any longer since then!

Isis…! That day…! “Argh! Does no genuine kindness remain in the heavens?!”

“Lady Amaterasu?”

Oh… One of my family’s retainers… She came through the door right as I yelled…

“I…came to report that it is dinner time… Is…something the matter, milady…?”

“N-No… Apologies…” I stutter. ”Actually, I request to have dinner in my quarters, this evening.”

“Are you certain…?” she asked.

“Yes, please...”

I…really need to lie down for now…

AUTHOR'S NOTE

My plan for this story was initially very different: I was originally going to turn Isis into a remorseful figure to illustrate to Amaterasu the capability of gods to show regret over their actions. As I researched Isis more on Wikipedia and ran over the source story one more time, I thought of a more interesting direction to take: stay true to Isis' deceitful nature and provide another link to Japanese Myth in the story of how Amaterasu was retrieved from the cavern, which will set up for the next story in this book. I thought it would be more interesting to give Amaterasu more struggle rather than simply having another "learn the moral" message.

My problem here was finding what details I wanted to include to get the points of drama across. There's some material in the original story with Isis' son Horus, but does not detract from the point I wanted to make in this instance, so it is omitted. The ending also relied on Amaterasu's reception of the subject matter, so I decided to write some of her reactions of being overwhelmed and so as not to give away her final thoughts at the end. This is by far the most awkward story I've had to adapt for the book, but I'm looking forward to writing where this story goes with that ending! I predict at least two more chapters left in the time I have to write this!

EDIT 4/2/17

Tanuki are real animals, but Japanese mythology often characterizes them as supernatural beings with the ability to shapeshift, often with the intention of tricking people or simply because shapeshifting is fun for them.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Romance of Old Japan, Elizabeth Williams Champney

Egyptian Myth and Legend, Donald Mackenzie

IMAGE INFORMATION

Saharan Horned Viper by H. Krisp, taken from Wikimedia Commons