In sacred ground...

It was an ordinary morning,just like the others. Amisi, a young girl who lived with her family in a village near the city Bubastis, was getting ready for her everyday walk to the Temple of Bastet, that was located in a small forest near the village. The members of her family, just like the rest of the villagers, were dedicated to protect the Temple of the godess and take care of it.  

The sun was about to rise.The young girl got ready, taking with her the offerings for the godess,which was mostly rural products, a clay vase for water, a bow and arrows. The area where the Temple was located was known of being attacked by wild animals and thieves.

Before she leaves the house, her younger brother shouted at her:
"Take care sister! There are many bad men out there!"
"Don't worry my caring brother. I have a bow and arrows with me. If anyone tries to hurt me, I'll hurt him first", she replied with a wide smile.
"We'll be waiting for you to return!", said Amisi's mother."May the godess protect you on your way".
"Thank you mother!",Amisi replied and hugged her mother before leaving.
Then, she greeted the rest of her family and set for her morning walk.

Refreshing, the morning air made her long hair lightly floating as she made her way through the forest. Nature had awaken, birds were singing, the water was gurgling in the small river nearby the path. Everything was peacefully wonderful, just like a dream.

The godess' Temple was deep within the small forest. Just like all the Temples that had been builted in the name of the godess Bastet, it was surrounded by three sides of water, set in a place described by vivid growth. Being the protector of rural products and wild nature,but more importantly the "Eye of Ra",or "The Lady in Flames" as she had been called, she was a very important deity to the villagers and Lower Egypt in general.

Once Amisi had almost reached the Temple, she heard a faint noise. She went to check.The noise was coming from a badly wounded animal, who was lying in the ground, some metres away from the Temple. She went closer. It was a lioness. A big,badly wounded lioness that was breathing heavilly. She felt sympathy for the animal. It looked like it was wounded by another one,full of furiousness, during a fight.

The girl sat near the wounded lioness. She lightly caressed the animal in the head. Then, she left the things she had brought with her on the ground, proceeding to tend the animal's wounds. There was no danger to face.

Moribund, the lioness moved her front foot a little. The girl was almost done with the lioness' wounds. The lioness was able to stand up now,even if she looked so powerless. She licked the girl's left arm as a "thank you". The girl felt delighted. She gave her some of the stuff she had brought with her to eat. Then,she got up and went to the river to fill in the clay vase with fresh water.It looked like she was being blessed by the godess.

During the time Amisi had gone, a poisonous snake appeared behind the wounded lioness. The animal didn't notice it and it decided to fall back on the ground,resting herself. Unfortunatelly for the animal, it fell upon the snake, that went mad and bitten the lioness in the tail. The lioness, full of pain and rage, jumped up, noticed the snake and killed it with her right foot. But,the damage had already been done. The poison had spread through the animal's tail. The lioness' mind steamed up. She started acting violently, not knowing where she hits, just hitting for making the pain go away.

Returning from the river, to the girl's surprise, she founds the lionless being furiously angry. She's in great panic. She doesn't know what to do. She throws the clay vase away and runs to the godess' Temple. The lioness, being blinded by rage and pain, hunts her down.

Reaching the Temple, Amisi hides herself behind the altar. She has to find a way to escape. A quick flash-back reminds her that she had brought a bow and arrows with her. She searches for them, but cannot find them. She left them back at the forest. What can she do now?

The lioness finds her smell and follows it, entering the altar. The girl does her prayers to the godess, being prepared to die. She closes her eyes and waits. Then, she hears something falling from the ceiling. She opens her eyes and sees a bow and an arrow. The lioness is about to attack her. She has only one chance to live and she must act quick. Could it be that the godess is testing her? She gets the bow and the arrow and aims straight to the animal.

A noise full of pain is heard. A noise of a dying wild animal. The lioness falls down. The girl has succeeded. She had aimed right. With tears coming from her eyes she moves closer to the dying animal. Now, she is peaceful again. She's no longer angry. She breaths deep and heavily. Her eyes are about to close. Amisi lightly caresses the animal once again. The lioness, with a little power left, wiggles her tail. Then, seconds later, she closes her eyes peacefully and stops breathing. The girl breaks into tears and prays to the godess that she may rest the animal's spirit.

Emotionally broken and knowing that killing a sacred animal is a heavy sin, she enters the Temple and cries. Nobody is there to comfort her. After some time, she goes outside and with a heavy heart, she burries the animal's body near the Temple. She leaves some flowers upon the grave and prays again for the spirit's rest and forgiveness.

While praying, another flash back crosses her eyes. This time, the lioness seems to be playful and fully cured, while she's with a woman who's dressed in light. The woman tells the tiger that it's fine and that she was waiting for her to come by her side. Then,she turns to the girl, thanking her for sending her such a beautiful spirit. The girl, being moved, breaks into tears, wishing to the godess for hearing her prayers and resting the animal's spirit, forgiving her from her sin.

The girl feels tired. She's exhausted by what the day brought her. She cannot get out of her mind what happend in that place. Once she is done with her duties in the godess' Temple, she sits next to the altar. There, she closes her eyes for another time and dreams of her playing with the lioness' spirit.