Chapter Text
Seth
Seth tried to focus on preparing his soldiers for battle, but he was constantly worried any moment that he’d run across Anubis on some errand. Only a few months before, he’d have ignored the boy if they crossed paths, in part because at least Anubis was safe in Heliopolis, away from Osiris, the battlefield, and often away from Seth. Now it gave him more fear than when he stepped into Horus’ tent every night, even after Horus’ good mood faded. The time it took to train up their army was seemingly frustrating Horus, and his conversations with Isis grew more heated. Seth and Horus’ conversations about strategy were still oddly peaceful, but one night after Seth swore he saw Anubis passing between tents at a distance, Seth was even more restless than usual, and Horus noticed. After their debriefing session, Horus grabbed Seth’s chin and said, “You’re too distracted. Do you think this is for sight-seeing? I think you’re forgetting this isn’t meant to be fun.” Then he pushed Seth under the desk and shoved his cock so far down Seth’s throat that Seth knew he’d feel it in the morning. It was startling, especially after Horus had been almost distant in their time at camp.
Seth hated it, but in a way he was grateful to have his mind focused on hating Horus than terrified of running across Anubis somewhere in the camp. Plus, it gave him more incentive to dive harder into battle preparations, just as Horus apparently wished. Though Seth wondered if he was the only person whom Horus was working off steam at.
Isis barely spoke to him, other than to watch critically as he directed their troops. Only in one briefing he attended did she speak to him directly, to say, “Be wary of their leader. He’s a fearsome, powerful god, and someone I believed could rival you at full strength.” She detailed their negotiations before the trial and up through the point of negotiations falling apart, ending with, “Don’t underestimate him.”
Seth was unused to her talking to him and asked, quietly, “Does he have any weaknesses?”
Isis snorted. “His pride, perhaps. You have that in common.”
Seth felt proud of himself for not visibly reacting, even as he recalled the night he'd begged her for help, and she'd clung to Osiris' reputation. If pride is a fault I have, I'm not the only one.
"Do we know if they have other gods leading their forces?" Horus asked, guiding the discussion in a different direction, which Seth was almost grateful for, though he imagined Horus didn't do it for him.
On the first day of real battle against the Greeks, Seth cut through their camps like a knife through soft cheese, with Horus at his side. Seth still had no idea where Anubis was in their formations – Horus wouldn’t tell him – but he fought like he would take on the whole army himself anyway. Horus thankfully wasn’t an encumbrance, and used his wind powers and swift blade to cut down anyone in his path. Seth couldn’t shapeshift walls of sand or sand soldiers to fight, but he could form his fingertips into claws, and between that, his khopesh, and his bow, he was practically unstoppable.
The Greeks fell before him, seemingly surprised the Egyptians who gave up on negotiations were attacking like this, particularly with a different god to lead them than the ones who’d led negotiations, on top of Horus joining the field of battle for real.
It was almost pleasant, to be able to just attack. To face no punishment. No Isis to glare at him. Just Seth and his powers, being used to the fullest he was allowed. When the Greeks used their own magic against him, he moved around it. Horus practically brushed off magical attacks, and sent tornadoes crashing through the Greek encampment.
The human troops followed in their wake, mopping up stragglers and cheering whenever Seth or Horus came to their rescue. Their commanders kept good control of the situation, but Seth could feel the thirst for battle still in the air. They followed where Seth led, like they had when this had been all he’d been in charge of doing. Simpler times.
I don’t need to remember how to be a war god, Seth thought as he cut down humans and the strange magical beings the Greeks brought with them to help in the fight. Blue, green, and red blood and gore soaked the sand beneath him, and Seth imagined he could reach the Greek ships soon enough, whether or not he had Horus at his back. This is what I’ve done for centuries before you were even born.
“So you’re the one who’s been annihilating our forces,” an unfamiliar voice said from nearby.
Seth had sensed someone unfamiliar watching him besides the mortal archers who kept trying and failing to shoot him. Seth could sense power from the newcomer, and was glad the man was seeking Seth out, rather than potentially focusing on somewhere Anubis was. He stepped back from the human he’d decapitated to flick his khopesh clean.
The newcomer was largely covered in a large brown robe, and walked barefoot, like Seth. Gold flashed at his wrists and calves, and he had shoulder length, wavy brown hair, and a beard. He smirked at Seth, and his eyes flickered gold. “I don’t recall anyone mentioning you at the negotiating table. Are you Isis’ husband?”
Horus was busy dealing with some monster the size of four tall people, and so Seth faced this strange god alone. Seth merely looked him over and recalled Isis’ warning. He tried to keep it in mind, given Isis and Seth used to strategize all the time, so he trusted her judgment. But this foreign god just looked like a furry irritant.
Furball tilted his head slightly in confusion. “Not going to talk? Do you just enjoy slaughter, then?”
“You refused to negotiate with Isis,” Seth said, watching for any surprises at his back. He hadn’t spotted Anubis at all as he moved across the battlefield, and hoped that meant Anubis was safe wherever he was, since Seth was in the thickest of the fighting. All he could hear was the sound of soldiers fighting, shouts of pain, and the sound of metal on metal. “What do you want to talk about?”
“Perhaps your surrender?” Furball offered, with an almost swagger, as if he thought it was a joke of some kind.
Seth felt his anger boiling. All the gods around Seth thought he was a joke. And maybe he was, given what had happened to him. Horus thought he was throwing tantrums and just needed to be brought into like an unruly child. Isis thought he was a liar and a bother. Osiris thought he was a pathetic weakling with no one to support him. Nephthys… Seth didn’t know what she thought of him, but it clearly wasn’t much of anything.
But Seth refused to prove them right anymore, no matter how much Horus ground him into the dirt, and he wasn’t going to take this nonsense from this trumped up furball. He wanted to protect Nephthys and Anubis, and that meant protecting Egypt from the invaders. “If you want an end to this conflict, take your soldiers, retreat to your ships, and leave Egypt, before I destroy your ships, too.”
Furball laughed. “I don’t think so. This place is too interesting for that.”
“Then die,” Seth said, raising his khopesh and leaping forward.
Furball leapt aside, clearly quite fast, too.
Seth spun and turned his khopesh into a bow and arrow, shooting at Furball. The other god was far too fast, and in a burst of speed, Furball punched down at where Seth had been crouching before leaping aside to dodge the punch. They played a game of cat and mouse for a time, both targeting each other and dodging aside. Seth grew frustrated, because he was making no progress to the boats, and he had to rely on the mortal army commanders to lead their troops.
As both gods landed a distance away from each other, Furball raised his hand up, “I realize I’ve been terribly rude. I forgot to ask your name.”
Seth raised his bow to aim for the god’s head.
Furball laughed. “Of course I should have introduced myself first. I’m—”
Seth fired an arrow at him, which the man dodged.
“I’m talking, you know!” Furball said with some annoyance as he ducked around the area, not staying still for long. “Don’t you want to know who you’re fighting?”
“I don’t care,” Seth said as he fired more arrows.
Furball made an overly dramatic wounded sound and then dove straight at Seth… only to move right into one of Horus’ tornadoes, which whirled off into the camps.
Horus was there in a moment, looking harried. He looked Seth over, demanding, “Are you hurt?”
Seth was surprised at the concern, given Horus’ lack of caring about any injury or ignominy Seth faced at Horus’ own hands. “I’m fine. You didn’t need to interfere.”
“You were wasting time with him,” Horus said with some vehemence. “Come on.”
They made good progress that day, but there were too many Greeks to get to their ships before it grew too dark, so Seth called a retreat, and their soldiers returned to their camps to rest and recover. Isis walked among the healer tents, distributing medicine and working over injuries. Seth would have asked why she could stand to be around soldiers who until recently had hounded her and her followers for years, but he knew Isis was practical: she needed these troops to expel the Greeks and maintain her own rule. She’d have let them die otherwise.
There was little Seth could do other than rally their troops for another day of fighting on the morrow. He returned with Horus to Horus’ tent and sat in his usual place by Horus’ desk.
Horus walked over to a small table where there was a large basin of water and towels. “Come here.”
Seth frowned and stood up, walking quickly over.
When Seth was close enough, Horus grabbed his chin, turning his face left and right to inspect it. Horus’ expression was angry, though Seth couldn’t pinpoint why. Was he still annoyed that Seth had wasted time fighting one of the generals of their opposing armies? Finally, Horus let go and said, “Clean yourself up. You’re a mess.” Horus, as a god, was already clean, but Seth’s powers were weakened, so his body was slower to do so.
Seth walked over to the basin, confused, but used the towel to wipe himself down.
“I didn’t expect to see you struggle like that with the foreign god,” Horus said from behind him.
“If I’d been at full strength I wouldn’t have,” Seth said, wiping a particularly annoying bit of blood off of his lower chest. “He wasn’t that powerful.”
“He was holding back,” Horus said angrily. “I met him while Mother was negotiating with him. Even then I could tell he was strong.”
“You hate him,” Seth said, glancing over at Horus, who was staring at Seth’s back.
Horus snorted and put out a hand. “Give me the towel.”
Seth hesitated, recalling the last time Horus had bathed him, which resulted in the irritating cock ring Seth still wore. Thankfully Horus hadn’t used it, and it hadn’t distracted Seth in combat.
Horus scowled. “Give me the towel. Your back is filthy.”
You never cared whenever you made it filthy, Seth thought as he handed over the towel, knowing there would be punishment if Seth refused.
Horus reached out to scrub it over Seth’s back, peeling off dried sand and other muck. “Yes, I hate him. I hate that Mother went to him. Thankfully I ascended around the time, so she felt we wouldn’t need them in the end. But it was too late by that point. They knew Egypt was potentially weak, and were ready to come here to invade.”
Horus seemed like the jealous sort, so that made sense. But beneath that he felt something else. “…You blame yourself for the army being here?”
Horus’ hand paused. “I’m not the one who made them decide to come where they’re unwanted.”
“Of course not,” Seth said, quietly. That would be stupid, after all.
Horus continued scrubbing.
One spot he rubbed stung, and Seth winced.
Horus pulled the towel away, and Seth jerked slightly as he felt lips on the spot that stung. Finally Horus said, “You were incredible today. I can see why the soldiers revere you so much.”
Seth simply stared ahead, not sure what part of this would be punishment. He was tired from the day’s fighting: fighting Furball had particularly gotten to him, and while cleaning up the troops, he still hadn’t seen Anubis at all. He hoped Isis would tell him if anything happened to Anubis, if only to mock Seth for failing to protect him, but she hadn’t said a word.
“I dislike when you’re injured, though. Be more careful not to do that in future.” Horus grabbed Seth’s shoulder and turned him around so that they faced each other. Horus dissolved his headdress so that Seth could clearly see his bright blue, angry eyes. “I’m the only one who’s allowed to hurt you. Understand?”
Jealousy indeed, Seth thought. “I’m a warrior,” Seth reminded him. “And I’m weakened. I can only do so much fighting like I know how to fight, which is with a stronger body with more power than what I have, bound down by Maat’s spell.”
Horus’ grip on his shoulder tightened. “Then I’ll punish you for every cut, and maybe that will teach you to do better.”
Seth scowled. “That doesn’t make any sense. I fight at the skill I have, I’ll only be weaker if I try to avoid ever getting hit.”
Horus dragged Seth to the cot Horus never used and pushed him down on it. Horus knelt overtop Seth, his gaze fierce. “If I could, I would just drag you back to Heliopolis and bury this place in a windstorm until there was nothing left. But the destruction to Egypt would be worse than if we stay here longer. And I hate it.” He leaned down and pressed his lips to Seth’s, hard, making Seth grunt in pain. When Horus pulled back he was still glaring. “Do you do it on purpose? Let yourself get injured so you can die this way? Like you let me beat you during the trial?”
Seth’s face burned. “I didn’t let you beat me.”
Horus smiled. “You’re still lying.”
Seth glared at him.
Horus laughed. “There you are. I’d wondered if I’d beaten you somehow. My great uncle, the war hero, somehow cowed at my feet by a ring on his cock and the son he despises hidden away somewhere in the camp. Anubis survived the battle just fine, you know. I had my birds watching him for you. Because I’m such a good master.”
Seth was a mix of overjoyed at the news and furious at Horus’ language.
“You should thank me,” Horus said with a smile. “For my kindness.”
“Or what?” Seth demanded. “You’ll put him on the front lines so he can die?”
Horus’ gaze narrowed. “Why? Would that make you more biddable?”
Seth looked away, trying to hide a spike of fear. Considering what Horus had said of Anubis, Seth wouldn’t put it past him. “He’s gone through enough. He doesn’t need that.”
“Is that shame I hear?” Horus asked thoughtfully.
Seth pursed his lips.
“Are you ashamed of what you did to my mother?” Horus asked idly, running a hand over Seth’s left cheek. “Or what you did to my father?”
Something about the whole situation was so similar to what Osiris had done with Anubis that Seth involuntarily stiffened on the second question.
Horus lowered his face to Seth’s ear. “Ah. You have regrets. Why? Do you feel sad you killed him?”
“No,” Seth half-snarled. “I don’t regret anything that I did to Osiris.”
“You hated him so much?” Horus asked. “Do I remind you of him?”
“You’re worse than he was,” Seth said. “But at least I respected him once.”
Horus laughed. “You don’t respect me at all. The ring and my threat to reveal your status was the first time you granted me any thought in that direction, because you’ve realized there are real ways I can hurt more permanently and publicly.” His gaze grew angrier. “My mother always compares me to him. But he’d have lost this war if he were here on his own. I know it.”
Seth snorted. “Yes, he would have. At least some of the time you’re smarter than him in some ways. So there’s that for you, if you’re so desperate.”
Horus considered him for a moment, before asking, “How am I worse than him?”
Seth blinked in confusion, and then recalled what he’d let slip earlier. He wasn’t like Horus. He wasn’t good at lying in that way.
Horus’ hand went to Seth’s neck, pressing lightly. “How am I worse than him?”
Seth’s heart was racing, but he refused to reply. This was too close to everything else.
After a time, Horus said, “I’m going to gag you, and you’re going to present your ass to me, and open yourself up for me. Or I’ll turn the ring on until after you fall unconscious.”
Seth shut his eyes. That was at least more bearable. Horus left and returned with a gag, which he wrapped around Seth’s mouth, to keep him quiet. Seth stayed still only because he knew it'd be easier to keep quiet, and not call attention from the rest of the camp. Horus was going to hurt him anyway, Seth might as well make it easier for himself. As Horus moved away again, Seth dissolved his shendyt and turned over on the bed. He got up on his elbows and knees on the cot.
“You would rather let me fuck you than talk about Osiris?” Horus asked with a snort. “Spread yourself then.”
Seth let his head fall on the cot and reached back to grab his ass, spreading his cheeks. He’d done this a few times already for Horus, so at least he was getting some hang of it. He felt the air on his hole, and it wasn’t all that pleasant.
Horus stepped up to him and shoved a finger unceremoniously inside, making Seth wince. The finger was at least slick with something, either saliva or water from the basin, Seth assumed. “What makes you so unwilling to speak of my father? I’d expect you to bad mouth him all the time, but all you ever say is that you hate him, not why. I find that rather strange.” Horus thrust his finger in and out, making Seth bounce back and forth on the cot. “You could talk about his arrogance, his weakness, anything. Instead, whenever he comes up, you go silent. Perhaps you’re silent because how you killed him is embarrassing.”
Seth snorted at that.
Horus pulled out his finger. “Ah, found that amusing? Perhaps that’s not why then.” Horus’ cock replaced his finger, always never giving Seth enough time to adjust. He shoved himself inside Seth’s hole, making Seth grunt against the gag and his hands tremble. Horus placed his hands over Seth’s, pushing them to spread his ass more. Then he began to thrust leisurely in and out. “You know I asked him how he died, and he said you used a cowardly trick on him, but he would never explain what it was, which I chalked up to him being ashamed for falling for it. He always said he wanted to focus on punishing you for it. That’s what mattered.” Horus snorted. “He was patronizing, as well. Treating me like a child instead of his vehicle to get revenge. Mother never explained, either. She was just furious with you. I’m so. Very. Tired.” He emphasized each word with a hard thrust, making Seth gulp on each one. “Of being kept in the dark on these matters. I am king, and I should know them.”
Like a spoiled child with a toy. He hated how much it reminded him of the years he’d spent after discovering the truth about Nephthys and Osiris. How furious he’d been about being lied to. Was he any better than the spoiled wretch behind him? At least Horus focused all his fury on one person, not a whole country. Not everyone he ever cared about.
For a time, Horus was silent, clearly focusing on angrily thrusting in and out of Seth’s ass, sometimes shifting the angle of his cock to make Seth’s grunts louder. When he finally came, he pushed deep, squeezing Seth’s ass around him.
Seth breathed hard, tired from the day’s events, worrying about Anubis, and knowing he’d made a mistake revealing as much as he had about Osiris.
“I’m going to figure out what you’re hiding,” Horus said, his hands still resting over Seth’s. “Even if I have to tear you apart to do it.”