The moons shone bright on the sky as Set’s eyes traveled to the figure approaching him. The dry heat and the sand beneath his feet reminded him of Egypt, only it wasn’t. Leaving had been their worst mistake.
Apep slithered near him and transformed into his human form, “Your sibling approaches,” he said, then went back to his serpent form.
His siblings were always meddling in his business, just like they all did when they decided to leave the realm he was most comfortable in.
“Set! My dear brother.” Osiris’s easy-going facade made Set nauseous. “Horus tells me you’re up to something.”
That little brat had to get a better hobby than to spy on him. Maybe he needed to pay a visit to the charming Bast and see if she needed a real god to show her a good time, her consort obviously neglected her in favor or spying on Set.
“Your little sunshine is impertinent as ever.” Set turned around and looked at the moons again. “Not even a few millennia can change that. It’s a shame, since he’s one of the lucky ones with a consort to entertain him.”
The serpent coiled as a sentinel waiting for Osiris to strike but Set knew better. His sibling was not one to act harshly, nor was he a back stabber, such nobility was the reason they were stuck in this realm.
“We’re all concerned, Set.” Osiris’s worry seeped through their connection making Set feel dirty. “Isis sent me to check on you, she’s worried you’ll try to open a portal and you know the consequences that could bring.”
“Consequences?” Set turned and faced his sibling, his rage building. “What consequences, Osiris? The reason we’re in this disgusting realm is your sense of loyalty to a god that isn’t even here to suffer the solitude.”
They had landed in a realm with not a soul in sight. Having to spend eternity with siblings whom you despise had taken Set to the edge of the abyss, and he wasn’t the only one.
“We’re here on Ra’s orders, but there is a reason, and you know this.”
Reasons he didn’t share, superstitions and nonsense. “You mean to tell me you of all gods believe in the end of the realms? What could possibly bring our dynasty down?” The mere thought was laughable. “You believe that humans could bring the gods to their knees? We will rule any realm we encounter, Osiris. It has been so since the beginning of time.”
The prophecy was some ridiculous notion fabricated by Ra when they had misbehaved. No mixing with the humans he had warned when they crossed into the realm he so desperately wanted to return to, as if it was possible to see the devotion in the lesser species’ eyes and not take advantage of the pleasures they offered.
“Humans have changed, brother.” Osiris’s grave tone made Set’s blood boil. “They are not the naive people we encountered back then.”
“You speak of it as if they were not in full knowledge of what we were.” Set’s eyes narrowed and he stepped forward. He had always been taller than most, but Osiris didn’t step back, even when his energy penetrated him with all the hatred he could muster. “The humans knew well who they were dealing with, and they sought the pleasure as much as we enjoyed giving it to them.”
Osiris’s silver eyes were similar to Set’s, only his dripped with regret and penance. He was a fool, just like most of them were. But Set wasn’t about to rot in this realm forever.
“I don’t think you understand the true consequences of going back. They won’t worship you; they won’t follow you the same way they did. So why even risk the prophecy?” Osiris’s eyes narrowed as well; his tattoos shone brighter as his essence tried to figure out if he was lying.
Set laughed loudly, how dared Osiris try to manipulate him? “Oh, dear brother. Your little tricks don’t work with me, remember?” Set’s laugh turned to a grin. “I would never try to open a portal. I can’t even if I wanted to, thanks to Min’s little curse.” The mention of Min hardened Osiris’s expression. “Is he still visiting my dear sister, Isis?”
Hitting the soft spots his siblings had was a talent Set had honed over thousands of years, but it was still as effective as always.
“You can’t and you shouldn’t try to open that portal.” Osiris’s final words had the hint of pain Set craved. Perfect. He won’t be bothering him for a while.
After he was gone, Apep went back to his human form.
“Your lie convinced him,” Apep said.
“No. It wasn’t the lie.” Set’s eyes were back to the moons. “It was the truth that sent him away. We must pay a visit to my dear nephew and his lovely consort soon.” The moons were almost at their fullest, the pale yellow light they emitted paled in comparison to the Egyptian moon.
“Do we need any weapons to visit them?” Apep was always the practical one, that’s one of the reasons he kept him close, that and his thirst for freedom and chaos.
“We will take my spear. That should keep Horus busy and minding his own business while my plan comes to fruition.” Set’s plan was already underway, and if all played as it should, the Lancasters would be his solution to everything.
“What about Bast?”
Bast would be a problem, but he had plans for her. “She won’t be able to help her little Link. And that’s why I need my spear.” Set turned to face Apep. “The sun will shine upon us once more, Apep. We will see our kingdom again.”
If the plan worked, he would be stepping into Abu Simbel’s gates before the moons paled in the sky.
MJ Faraldo 