Chapter Text
Seth and Isis found Nephthys sitting in the dark of her cell, gazing listlessly ahead. Her skin and clothes were dirty, likely from sitting and crawling around, but she was largely otherwise neat-looking, for someone who hadn't done much in hundreds of years, thanks to the blessings of godhood.
Seth remembered how she used to be so clean and pristine. How she used to have big baths with Anubis for fun and delight in new clothes and jewelry. Now she looked faded. Listless.
He wondered if Hathor or Osiris or both had done this to her. And why?
Nephthys looked up in surprise at Seth and Isis’ arrival. Her eyes went to Seth, and he could see the slight alarm there.
Seth knew it was deserved. But he hadn’t touched her since he learned the truth, when he’d held her arm as she verified what he’d heard from Sekhmet. And he’d never touched her in a way that caused harm in the entire time they’d been together.
He remembered Anubis’ plea that Seth not abuse Anubis before Nephthys, and wondered if Nephthys thought Seth was just waiting to turn on her, too.
He supposed that was deserved, too.
Isis stepped forward, facing her sister, and said, “We have questions for you, Nephthys.” Her voice was commanding rather than sympathetic. If she believed Nephthys was a victim of some plot, she did not demonstrate it.
Seth had thought she’d wanted revenge for what Nephthys had done to them all those years ago. And perhaps this was part of that.
Nephthys looked between them both, with a bit of fearfulness in her eyes. Then she finally asked, “Isis, it’s been a while… You’re… working together?”
“For now,” Isis said as she waved her hand dismissively, clearly not wanting to touch on whatever temporary truce she and Seth had come to, or talk about Horus’ bargain. Or pretend she and Nephthys were friends. “The trial has become complicated.”
Seth kept his expression neutral. He didn’t know how much Isis was planning to explain, or lie about in order to get what they wanted. They had to be careful here, in case Nephthys really was a fake, or something else was going on. There were spells that could alert the caster, and perhaps even just talking to Nephthys might trigger it.
And based on Osiris showing up at the start of the trial, he thought, if he is to blame for this, perhaps he could come here for that, as well.
“You never gave me the full story of you and Osiris,” Isis said, making Nephthys’ eyes widen in surprise before they darted to Seth in alarm. “Tell me when you started falling in love with him.” Her eyes narrowed. “When you started hiding it.”
Nephthys swallowed and looked nervously between them, though neither Seth nor Isis were granting her any safe haven. And she could only move so far back in the relatively small cell, even with the increased darkness. “When it started? I don’t…” She frowned. “I thought… I mean…” She shook her head, as if warding off a bug. “For as long as I can remember.”
Seth pressed his lips together. All the time we flirted and lay together, and you never said anything! Why?
He thought he’d come to peace with it. That he’d put her behind him. But this just hurt.
“So you’ve always loved him?” Isis asked. Her tone hadn’t changed. If she was shocked, she didn’t demonstrate it.
“No, I mean… yes… I mean…” Nephthys put a hand on her head. “I’m… not sure…”
“You must have loved him deeply,” Isis said. “To go to him for a child just after Seth proposed to you.”
Seth kept his face calm, no matter how distressed Nephthys looked. No matter how much Seth hated all of this.
Nephthys clenched her fists together before herself. “I… Yes, I loved him. I mean… I wanted everyone to get what they wanted… Or…” She bowed her head. “I’m sorry… I don’t know what to say. It’s hard to think back to that time.” She reached up to rub her forehead, almost like she was in pain.
Isis sighed. “I suppose I should be grateful. It’s in part because of you that my son exists.”
What does that mean? Seth thought.
Nephthys raised her head in surprise. “You have a son?”
“Ah,” Isis said, almost casually, “right, you haven’t met him. His name is Heru.”
…What? Seth thought.
Nephthys smiled. “Ah, what a lovely name! I’m sure Anubis is happy to have a… um…” She glanced at Seth and then away, clearly nervous. “I’m happy for you.”
Brother? Seth thought. Not cousin? He’d accepted it all already. His words had been to antagonize Isis into action, no more. Horus was Isis and Osiris’ son, and that was the end of the matter. And Anubis was Nephthys and Osiris’ son.
His left hand twitched.
Isis studied Nephthys for a while before turning and saying, “We’re done here,” to Seth, before walking off.
Seth didn’t glance at Nephthys as he left. He didn’t want to see her suffering more.
When they were far enough away, Seth called out, “What did you figure out?”
Isis paused and turned back to him. Her expression was frustrated. “She has no idea who Horus is. Whatever Horus saw, it’s largely disconnected to her. To maintain that kind of illusion is hard…”
Seth supposed that was true.
“And I could detect traces of what I think is a curse,” Isis said. “It’s subtle, but there if you know to look for it. And it makes sense, far more than Nephthys taking an interest in a god she had no such interest in before.”
“What makes sense?” Seth asked. His heart raced a little, and he hated that he was almost hopeful. Even if something in the mirror made Nephthys change her mind about things, he wasn’t sure he wanted her back. Not after everything.
Not after he’d left her alone to suffer.
“If the mirror can create illusions,” Isis said, “then perhaps it created the illusion of love in Nephthys’ mind.”
Seth’s eyes widened in surprise. “A mirror could do that? For such a long time?” An illusion in a fixed location was one thing, but Nephthys would have had to be fooled by the illusion for thousands of years.
“Anything is possible,” Isis said. “Especially if Ra and Osiris are involved.” She sighed. “And something like that warping the mind of the god of peace would lead to the kind of destabilization I saw in that cell.” She looked at him again. “I need to study the mirror and get a better picture of what we’re dealing with.”
“Fine,” Seth said. “You do that.” It’s not like he would be of any help to her, even if she wanted it. This kind of magic was beyond him. And if Isis saw some destabilization in Nephthys, it wasn't something Seth understood. She seemed no different than what he knew of her.
Clearly, he was useless in this.
Isis looked at him with a frown, then shrugged and turned away.
Seth had little else to occupy himself, and the other gods had made good on his threats and largely vacated the palace, leaving it mostly empty. It felt weird to walk around the place being so quiet after the activity from the trial, but comforting in its own way, too. He knew few gods cared for him. And he felt the same towards them.
But with little else to do, he went to Horus’ rooms, where the pigeon was sitting around, rather than escaping, for whatever reason.
Seth supposed maybe he really was loyal to keeping his mother alive. That was something.
Horus stood up when Seth approached, and eyed the older god with an unreadable expression. It was dark now, though there was a lit torch in the room for light.
Seth crossed his arms and leaned against the wall, eying Horus. “So, you’re my servant now.”
Horus bowed his head in acknowledgement. He was tall, broad-shouldered, and had the bearing of authority his parents carried. He didn’t seem used to hard labor, but he was a demigod, so that wasn’t abnormal. Seth had seen him working hard at those stones before the second match, and he'd fought well enough against Anubis in the arena.
There was a lot Seth could use him for. The issue was choosing. But thankfully, Anubis had recently given Seth an idea.
“I have a job for you,” Seth said. He stood up. “Come along.”
Horus obediently followed Seth out of the room, and they walked through the halls of the palace quietly. Servants avoided them, as usual, fearful of Seth.
“Did speaking with Nephthys go well?” Horus asked.
“I wasn’t aware a servant could inquire into such things,” Seth mused as he faced the path ahead.
“…I merely wish to know where things stand,” Horus said. “Nephthys is my aunt.”
Seth snorted, thinking that Horus had never even spoken to her that Seth was aware of, and said, “Ask Isis sometime. She’s the one working on the mirror.”
Horus stayed quiet then.
They ended up leaving the palace, which surprised Horus. Seth summoned a sand chariot to stand in and said, “Follow me.” Then he whipped the reins and set off towards the deeper desert.
Horus spread his wings and raced after him.
The desert stretched before them, illuminated by moonlight. The wind was bitterly chill, but Seth didn’t mind; he was used to the sharp changes in temperature, and he was a god, so it never bothered him. There were dark places, where moonlight didn’t reach, but he could see just fine, and any animals left them alone.
They traveled for some time, with only the sound of the wind of their passing filling the air.
Seth wondered if Nut looked down on him, perhaps taking a moment to think about her designated savior losing to him. If she was ashamed. She’d done so much to support Horus and Isis, and now…? She hadn't even protested when leaving Heliopolis. Neither had Geb.
Seth scoffed and sped up his chariot, making the winged crocodiles race faster. The wind made his white khat whip the air behind him.
Seth pulled his chariot to a stop and dismissed it once they reached a dark cave poking out of the sand. The moonlight didn’t reach deep inside, leaving it like an intimidating maw of a great beast, open and ready to devour any who entered.
Horus landed nearby and walked over, clearly wary.
Seth walked closer to the side of the entrance, where tools to light a torch were placed on a small stone column. Seth grabbed them and lit a torch, before heading into the cave.
Horus was at least smart enough to take his own torch, and followed. If he was going to attack Seth now, he didn’t seem ready yet, though Seth planned to keep his wits about him.
It didn’t matter that Horus had done so well during their fight in the match. It was clearly a fluke and luck, and purely the result of gaining so much aid from others. But Seth wouldn’t be bested again.
The interior was pitch black, and the floors were made of pressed sand and even stone. The echoes of their footsteps filled the air. Soon enough, they were simply surrounded by darkness. The walls kept running ahead but led around seemingly random corners.
Despite the darkness around them, the air never became rank from the scent of the flames. Seth knew from past experience that it was something with the magic in the walls of the place.
“Uncle?” Horus asked. “Where are we?”
Seth scoffed and said, “What, your mother never told you about this place? How I trapped her here after she rejected my offer before she fled Heliopolis?”
“…The labyrinth?” Horus sounded surprised.
“That’s correct,” Seth said as he kept walking. He remembered first discovering this place, several hundred years ago, thinking it was so intriguing. Even Isis had been wary of it, but Seth had viewed it as a challenge. “It’s going to be your new home.”
Horus said nothing to this, and for his part, didn’t stop or move back, either. He probably knew that if he did, Seth would abandon him. Perhaps Horus had a torch, but attempting to backtrack in this place would do little good. “Don’t you have more convenient cells in Heliopolis?”
“I do,” Seth said, “But considering how brief a stay your mother had, I feel it’s appropriate you pick up the slack, especially since our ridiculous arrangement may give you the impression you’re the one holding the chains in this relationship.”
“My mother is a god,” Horus said. “I am not. Wouldn’t it be more burdensome to keep me alive here?”
Seth scoffed and said, “Anubis will be in charge of that. And the place where Isis stayed is livable.”
“You’re sending Anubis in here?” Horus asked, clearly surprised. He didn’t sound that scared, either, just curious. “Is that your punishment for him? Looking after your defeated enemy?”
Seth rolled his eyes. He noted that the labyrinth was still largely devoid of animals: they didn’t like the stone the ancient gods had used to create this place. “Yes, it’s part of his punishment.”
“Even though he helped me before?” Horus asked. “Aren’t you worried he’ll help me again?”
“Last time he helped you,” Seth said, “you lost. I can't say I'm that worried.”
Horus didn’t have a reply to that.
Seth grinned and continued, “And this time, he won’t be able to help you. Beyond feeding you, anyway. And perhaps sharing whatever gossip he cares to from the palace.” He imagined Anubis would go begging to Isis any time now, to learn what she knew of Seth’s deal with Horus.
“What do you mean?” Horus asked, clearly confused.
Seth didn’t answer.
Eventually they arrived at the center of the labyrinth: an open area with a stone floor and a fountain running at the center, in the shape of a walled circle about knee-high. Seth moved to set his torch on one of the unlit torches around the sides of the fountain, lighting the area up. Whatever magic was in the torches spread across the circle and then to the walls, showing that there were four exits, including the one they came through. There were carvings on the wall in ancient script and art, but otherwise, the place was quite bare.
He remembered Isis studying the place, centuries ago. They'd managed to interpret some of the carvings, learning stories of the ancient gods who'd made the place.
“The light will last five days,” Seth said to Horus now. “Then it has to be renewed.” He looked at Horus, who still stood firm, holding his own torch.
He wasn’t running, and still hadn’t attacked Seth.
He’s of strong will at least, Seth thought, absently.
“Mother won’t work on the mirror if I die here,” Horus said.
Seth scoffed and said, “You won’t die. Anubis will actually bring you food, if nothing else. And the water here is purified, so you can drink it.” Isis had explained the magic to him centuries ago. It was one of the few still-functioning spells in the place, besides the main one that maintained the walls. "You'll help Anubis maintain the place." It would keep Horus busy, anyway, and out of Seth's hair.
“And if I escape?” Horus asked.
Seth laughed and said, “Then I’ll be impressed. I doubt you memorized the path to get here. And even if you did, the labyrinth rearranges itself throughout the day.”
Horus’ eyes widened in surprise. “What? How?”
“Its own magic,” Seth said with a shrug. “There’s a trick to it, of course. Maybe you’ll learn.”
“How are you planning to stop Anubis from showing me the way out?” Horus asked.
Seth made a show of reaching up to put a finger to his chin, as if he was thinking really hard. “Hmm… threats, maybe?”
Horus just watched him, clearly wanting an answer.
Seth chuckled. “You really did lose, in case you forgot. Perhaps you shouldn’t trust him so much.”
“Are you planning to have him poison me?” Horus asked. “Like how you had Osiris drink himself into unconsciousness?”
Seth’s lips twitched. “If you refuse to eat or he poisons you, that’s your call.” Seth shrugged as if it didn’t matter to him. “I doubt he’d poison you, though. You’re right in that he probably still plans to use you somehow. But he’s my son, so who knows?” He grinned at Horus. “And I am the evil god.”
Horus gazed at him for a moment, then glanced around, as if truly taking in his surroundings.
“I would also be wary of trying to break the walls,” Seth said, imagining that was Horus’ next thought. “There’s shielding on them that Isis studied for her own magic, but it’s stronger than what she can make. You’ll likely either injure yourself or bring the roof down on your head if you do anything. But that’s your call.” Isis couldn’t blame him if Horus brought about his own downfall.
Well, she blames me for everything anyway, Seth thought.
“I could serve you some other way,” Horus insisted, gazing at Seth once more. “You need only ask.”
Seth laughed and said, “Is the stalwart Horus finally afraid? How novel.”
Horus grimaced and replied, “This is a truly harsh punishment. But… as it’s what you did to my mother, I’m not surprised. Especially after our match.”
Seth scoffed and started walking towards the edge of the room, to another exit.
“You’re not taking a torch?” Horus asked, confused.
“I don’t need one,” Seth replied, dismissively. He’d learned the way the labyrinth worked years ago, after all. It had been a challenge for a while. And once, a place of hope. And still later, crushed dreams.
A reminder that hope was foolish. It was just a place for his enemies, now. That was all.
“Good luck,” he called back, mockingly. If Horus did make it out, at least it would be entertaining while he waited for Isis to solve the mirror. Then Seth dissolved his body into sand and flew off into the dark passage.