Thoth was working hard on an impromptu Senet board. He was rather pleased with the results. Golden gilded features looked down on the markings he made in the dirt, this would be no permanent board. He found ten stones - five that held a light gray to silver look about them and reminded him of marble. Five that were more sandstone textured with streaks of black yellow and red brushed over them in uniform lines. His senet sticks were literally sticks. One side was stripped on bark to simulate the white side and the bark simulated the dark.

All of his supplies were laid out ready to be played, now he needed an opponent. He had only played a couple of times as a pup, it would be interesting to test himself again an older wiser wolf. The rules were somewhat complicated, and Thoth prayed that he remembered all of the important ones.

The Alabaster Ithuriel sat back on his heels, the day was coming to a close, but if someone happened by soon they would have plenty of time for a game before dark. Thoth wore an amused hint of a smile, his long ears perked and dual colored gaze half lidded. The last of the Redbuds lay scattered around him, an ancient ceremony was about to play out and the scene was set perfectly. Just as the mortal god planned it.

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Things had been going well for Tyranis as of late. He had defeated Hannibal, his children had been returned to him, and his pack had been purged of the traitorous wretches Hannibal had accumulated. He felt competent and sure of himself for the first time in well over a season and carried himself with the grace and renewed pride as a leader. He ventured to the nook, hoping to find Kai on the beautiful summer day. He remembered the nook well as the place his mother had told him of his origins and now he reflected on how that single moment had come to shape his life. He had been born a bastard and had by his own devices raised himself to the mantle of a king, he had fallen from grace, and returned to be met by his creator and had fallen into the madness of his pack. When Elias abandoned them he had chosen to raise his own pack and found that few of his own family were willing to aid him. By Elias’s second return he had carved a name for himself on the backs of wolves who would prove to be disloyal to him. As for Elias, he had left his supposedly cherished son to pick up the shattered remnants of his life without his aid. Abandoned just as his other children had been. Just as his father so often did. He shook his head to himself at his reminiscing and paced through the trees at a steady walk, above he heard the flutter of wings from his raven companion and around his neck coiled the cobra that was his familiar. The three traveled amicably in silence, each searching for Tyranis’s paramour but instead the storm wolf found a pale man, perched in front of…Well he didn’t know exactly what it was. Some kind of array of sticks and stones. The man seemed quite pleased with his creation and Tyranis, with piqued curiosity approached him. “Good evening.” He greeted with a cordial tip of his head. “Mind if I ask what you have there?” Word count:348 Speech Thought

Thoth was not surprised when he heard the quiet padding of another wolf into his little clearing. Precious metal gaze flickered open wider as he took in the wolf who was brought to him. The man was battle hardened, but held himself with pride. His voice was suave and masculine, polite in all of its strength. Thoth tipped his head in greeting, appreciative of the curiosity the stranger held. Silver and Gold eyes darted to the two companions that accompanied him and Thoth was reminded of the Ibis and Baboon that should have been at his side.

”Good evening, before me sits a game of strategy and luck. The eldest game: Senet.” The board consisted of three rows of ten spaces. Five of those spaces held symbols, hieroglyphs marking special houses. Across the opposite side the dual colored pieces were set up in an alternating pattern. ”Would you like to play?” Thoth’s eyes glinted as he was sure this stranger was one to take up such a challenge.

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He smiled at the marble hued male and settled down on the opposite end of the board, his two companions eyeing the man with interest. “How do you play?” He asked with a cheeky smirk and a slight tilt of his head. This game seemed interesting to him. How did the sticks come into play? What did the symbols mean? He waited for an explanation and took the opportunity to examine the man more closely. There was a look to him that struck him as eerily familiar but he kept the thought to himself for now, there was a scent on him that he recognized as well. Hannibal’s bitch. He kept his expression carefully neutral even as realization dawned on him of who the man was, or rather who he was related to. In his mind Thys had betrayed him every bit as much as Hannibal and Leera had, the three had after all conspired against him. He couldn’t say for certain that this man was any better, but perhaps the game would reveal more about him than Tyranis anticipated. He crossed his paws over each other, blinking in careful measures, appearing interested while internally he listened for the best way to beat him at his game. He was intelligent enough to account for strategy, but how much of the game was based on luck? Word count: 226 Speech Thought

The golden painted Ithuriel smiled at his opponent’s acceptance, he asked quickly how to play as he settled down for a round or two. Thoth watched him thoughtfully, not missing the way the strangers eyes looked him over. Surely they hadn’t met before. ”You are red I am white, the first to get all five of their pieces off the board wins. You move your pieces down the first row. With the hieroglyphs on your side, you move left. Once you reach the end of the first row, you turn a corner and proceed the opposite way down the second row.
Once you reach the end of the second row, you once again turn a corner. You then proceed the opposite way down the third row. Once you reach the end of the third row, you move your piece off the board. The number of squares you move at a time is based on how you throw the senet sticks. Toth offered the first part of the game.

”If you have three bark sides and one bare side, you can move one house and toss again. If you have two bare sides and two bark sides, you move two houses and then lose your turn. If you have three bare sides and one bark side, you move three houses and lose your turn. Four bare sides means you move four houses and toss again. Four bark sides means you move 5 houses and toss again.” He explained how movement worked, and how to read the senet sticks.

”Only one piece can occupy a house at a time, you will sometimes be in a situation where a house is blocked by me. There are ways to capture blocked houses when playing Senet. There are also ways to protect your own pieces.
If you land your move on a house occupied by me, you can capture the piece. My piece will be moved back to the house your piece was on at the beginning of your turn.
However, if two or more of my pieces are next to each other, that house is protected. It cannot be captured and you will not be able to complete your turn.” He began to get into the deeper strategy of Senet.

”On a senet board, there are six houses with hieroglyphs on them. If you land on one of these houses, there are special rules you have to follow.
The House of Happiness or Pretty House is marked by what looks like three upside down stick figures. All of your pieces need to pass through this house to win. You must land on the house exactly. If, for example, the House of Happiness is located on square 26 and you're on square 25, if you do not roll in such a way that you'll move exactly one house you have to stay in place until your next turn.
The House of Water is marked by three zigzagged lines. If you land on the House of Water, you have to move straight back to the House of Rebirth. The House of Rebirth is marked by three sideways stick figures. Your piece remains on the House of Rebirth until you choose to remove it again.
The House of Three Truths is marked by a drawing of three birds. If you land on this house, you can throw your sticks again. If you have three bare sides up, you can automatically remove this piece from the board.
The House of Re-Atoum is marked by two dancing stick figures. If you have land here, throw your sticks again. If you have two bared sticks facing up, you can remove your piece from the board.
The last house on the board is marked by a leaf-like drawing. When you reach this house, you must toss your sticks again. You cannot remove your piece until you toss your sticks and only one bare stick is facing upwards.” He finished explaining, simplifying the rules as best he could.

Thoth nudged the senet sticks towards the stranger, indicating that he had the first turn. He would begin with the red piece at his left of the board, while Thoth would begin with the white piece at the opposite side on the right.

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He listened intently to the rules of the game, the end of his tail ticking restlessly from side to side as the gears in his mind slowly began to work out a strategy. The dependence on the sticks left much up in the air, but there were more strategies in the world than those that could be played on a board. He lifted his head with a small smile on his features, exuding confidence. “Alright then, let’s play.” Through every move Tyranis held a cheerful and self-assured disposition, even when he fell behind early into the game. He simply shrugged his minor defeats and continued to play, straight forward and apparently with little malice toward his opponent. It was little surprise to him when he won but rather than lord it over the pale wolf he simply commented: “Good game.” He rose and shook out his fur they hadn’t played for any stakes, there was nothing to be won but the sake of winning, but only after the game finished did the barest flicker of competitive fire burn in his eyes. “I don’t believe I caught your name.” He said simply, wondering if the man knew who he was, had the man’s freak relative shared that information with him? Or would his name simply linger in his heart as the man who had beaten him at his own game? Word count: 229 Speech, Thought, You

Thoth nudged the sticks towards the stranger and the game began, it was looking rather good for Thoth at first, he had almost all of his pieces from the first row when he started to lose his lead. He remained calm as Tyranis finally removed his last piece from the board and claimed victory. Thoth wasn’t completely satisfied with the way the game had played out, if he were a lesser wolf he might have blamed it on beginners luck. Instead he nodded towards the stranger with deep respect. The game was done, and as Thoth continued to lounge in his place, the stranger stood and shook himself of the dust that had settled during their match.

Before he turned his attentions back to the world before he had stopped to speak with Thoth he asked his name. Thoth felt the power move as he chose not to reveal his own name first. The divine boy couldn’t honestly say he had no idea who this man was. Nephthys had been quiet about her life beforehand.

”Thoth Ankh Ithuriel,” The young Egyptian boy said with practiced grace as he lowered his head in a mock bow from his lounged position. The mortal god had no reason to harbor animosity towards his opponentIf they met again Thoth would have enjoyed a meeting down the road. Tyranis seemed an intelligent beast, and he could offer much in the way of knowledge. ”And yours?”

“I am Tyranis Praetor.” He said with a slight dip of his head having exchanged courtesies with the man.“I’m sure in time we will meet again Thoth.” He said with a slightly ominous tone, then turned his back on the male the cobra weaving under him with her head raised while the raven circled overhead. The air smelled of fire and faintly of storms, a fitting departure for the lightning king as he strode with regal grace away from the man. It wouldn’t be his first encounter with a would be god, nor would it be his last, but the demon of lightning felt less than whelmed in the alabaster male’s presence and showed it with his grand exit.   -Exit Tyranis- Speech Thought