Chapter Text
Seth had initially been wary of letting Isis into the labyrinth. There was always the risk, even with his sand sha guiding her, that she could get lost, and she was Nephthys’ only hope of getting uncursed. She was also smart and there was a chance she could memorize the path to lead Horus out, or perhaps give him instructions to get out. And Seth wasn’t precisely worried about Horus getting out, since Seth could hunt him down in the desert, which would have its own entertainment value, but it was something to ponder.
Of course, Isis had pushed that she couldn’t continue her work without seeing Horus, so Seth had obliged her, with conditions. The sand sha would not accompany Horus out, only Isis, so Isis would have to explain things if that was her plot. But unless Isis and Horus had some shared private language Seth couldn’t detect through the sand sha, that didn’t happen. Isis and Horus just talked about other things.
Some of which were rather alarming.
“You look very calm for a servant who should expect punishment from his master,” Seth said as he glared at the demigod. Horus stood taller than Seth, but that didn’t mean he was stronger, or that Seth feared him. Osiris was taller than Seth, too, and look what happened to him! And Seth had faced even larger and fiercer opponents in his time.
Horus only gazed back, his true expression difficult to read under his blue khat and falcon mask. He just seemed distant, if anything. His injuries from the match had already healed, likely form the medicine Isis insisted Anubis bring with him. And he still stood strong, despite all he’d been through thus far.
Seth scowled, disliking this, and how much it reminded him of dealing with Osiris. He wanted to rip Horus to pieces for manipulating the truth about his encounter in the mirror… But Horus seemed to believe the plan was still worth it, and not just to hold up the farce with Seth. And Isis had seemed to believe it, too.
“You’ve had ample opportunity to punish me,” Horus replied, completely unconcerned. “But you have not done so.”
Seth laughed, finding the haughtiness amusing. “And miss out on you imagining what I’d do? It’s certainly done wonders with your mother.” Isis had clearly imagined all kind of horrible things Seth would do to her and Horus. And Seth’s followers had done a great deal to hers, giving her ample fodder for such beliefs. But since Isis had been in the palace for the trial, after that harsh introduction between them, the two had avoided each other.
And now Seth’s hands were tied with what he could do, at least until what was wrong with Nephthys was dealt with.
Horus didn’t reply to that, but Seth had the vague impression he was not happy.
Good, Seth thought. That makes two of us.
“Why did you stay quiet about Nephthys?” Seth demanded. “You had more information to offer. You should have told me.”
“You could have asked instead of trapping me down here,” Horus replied, clearly still unafraid.
Seth scoffed before saying, “Ra is your ally, but Sekhmet, her own daughter, told me to be worse to you.” He hated admitting she might have been right about something. Horus’ attitude needed work. He was a servant, not Seth’s equal! Let him feel as lonely as he should! As abandoned as he truly was! All the other gods save Isis, Maat, and Thoth had fled Heliopolis, afraid of Seth’s wrath. Horus was virtually alone now, out here.
“And yet you aren’t doing as she says,” Horus noted.
Seth glared, annoyed Horus was misunderstanding him, before saying, “I don’t take orders from her.” And he didn’t need her recommendations. He’d run the fighting games with the humans. Gotten drunk and slaughtered as he pleased. He could throw Horus back in a pit, drag people here to fight him. Exhaust him from it all…
But what if he dies? Seth wondered. It should have been what he hoped, but it would make Isis unwilling to help with Nephthys. And it would make people whisper that Seth needed humans to kill Horus.
“You still came here,” Horus said. “So you clearly listened to her.”
The sand from the floor whipped up around Horus’ ankles, chaining him to the ground and making him stumble forward, catching himself with his hands.
There was something almost comforting about watching the brat bent over, unable to hold himself properly. No more taunting. No bravery. Just weakness Seth could exploit.
“She wanted me to be like your father,” Seth noted. “To take my revenge on you, to parallel what he did.” The option was there, as ever. It would be easy, with Horus at his mercy… The demigod wasn’t unattractive: it wouldn’t even be all that terrible an experience, probably.
But the idea of stalking over and doing it all… Of taking Horus apart. Of demanding Horus serve him in such a way, when Seth’s memories of such things were tied up in Anubis, and all the moments he’d had with Nephthys felt like lies…
Well, Horus could talk. Isis might notice somehow. And Seth didn’t need that.
“What did my father do?” Horus asked, sounding confused.
Seth wondered just how much Isis had told Horus. And why neither of them had used it against him. Isis knew nearly everything, after all. And Horus had used half-truths before. If he was pretending ignorance now, Seth was none the wiser. Unlike Isis, Seth didn’t have an ability to tell if someone was lying.
He thought of asking about the army. To demand answers from Horus about it. But Horus could lie about that, too. In time, Isis would realize Seth knew, but if she returned here, Horus could tell her Seth had asked about it. And Isis would likely confront Seth about it or try to run, perhaps to ensure the army went elsewhere, if possible, in an attempt to outwit Seth, and Seth would have to go after her again.
But would she leave Horus behind? Seth wondered.
It was all an irritating mess, and giving him a headache. Destroying Egypt had been easier than this.
“Osiris was an arrogant fool,” Seth said. “And it led to his ruin. I won’t be so foolish.” He didn’t need information from Horus. It would be no more trustworthy than what he heard from Thoth. And if the fool thought he was going to be rescued, then he would soon see wrong. Or be left wondering, forever, why no rescue came.
Seth turned and left before Horus could say anything. Seth dissolved his body into sand and floated back out to the desert, where the fresh air was bracing.
After racing through the desert for a while on a sand chariot, Seth returned to his rooms in the palace, done with whatever gatherings Thoth had planned for the day. The bird had created a whole schedule for Seth, and it was wearying. Outside prepping the army, Seth had no patience for anything else. The humans managed most everything, and he left them to it.
I should have punished Horus, Seth thought, miserably. Though he was still worried. He could bar Isis from the labyrinth. Letting her go had earned him knowledge, but at what cost? If he stopped her now, she could refuse to work again. And if she kept visiting, that decreased his chances of punishing Horus properly in peace.
Seth felt like a hostage in his own palace. He hated it.
A jar in the corner of the room that was somehow in one piece nearby shattered as sand crushed it.
Seth thought of the match, when he’d almost let his anger cut the boat open. He could have just dealt with it that way and Thoth wouldn’t have bothered him. He might not know about this new army until they were at his doors.
I can handle them, he thought. Though he knew he’d be better prepared now.
He breathed in deeply. I cannot be like Osiris. I have to stop and think. Plan. Letting Horus survive for now is fine. I can wait. Killing him immediately won’t help anyway.
He wouldn’t be like Osiris. Not like what Sekhmet wanted. And not like his frustrated mind kept pushing him to. That path led to failure.
He wondered if he should get drunk. It would help ease some of his frustration.
A familiar scent tickled his nose and Seth turned to the entryway and saw Anubis step forward, gazing up at him. “Father. I wish for an audience.”
Seth scowled at Anubis, who stood his ground. It seemed he’d kept that boldness about him.
“What now?” Seth finally demanded. He assumed Anubis would enjoy being far from him, yet here he was. Seth hadn’t heard any reports about the human slaves Anubis looked after, but he hadn’t had time to watch any fights, either. He was too busy recruiting humans and overseeing training, or checking over the city’s defenses, which were rather pathetic since Seth had let them rot and sent the defenders to other tasks, like hunting down Isis. Trade had also taken a great hit, and recovering it was a difficult task.
Anubis breathed in deeply, as if to prepare himself, before replying, “I wish to be involved in rebuilding the military. I can better serve you that way than in my current duties.”
Seth raised an eyebrow in curiosity. “Who will look after the imprisoned humans, then?” It was true that Anubis might be better suited to military matters. Seth had trained him in combat, after all. If nothing else, Anubis could train others in fighting techniques.
“I’ll free them,” Anubis said. “Let them return to their families.”
“To die?” Seth asked. “They were gifted to me. The humans likely won’t be kind to them.” Anubis cared about such weak creatures, after all. Would you use and discard them like Osiris used people? Like he used your mother, to get to me?
Anubis frowned. “They could work in the palace doing something else, maybe? As servants.”
“Servants who know they live or die by my word,” Seth said. “We could never trust them, stupid as humans may be.” He’d dealt with assassins before. Human ones were no trouble. He could crush them before they even got to him, and their weapons never harmed him. But it was a waste of time.
Anubis frowned, disliking the tangle he’d created, just like any child.
“And who would feed Horus?” Seth asked. Anubis had lived for centuries, but not as a strategist. Seth had been lax in his training since taking the throne, and certainly his own rule had not been a shining example of anything, by design.
Perhaps all he’s learned is how to screw things up, Seth wondered as he watched the demigod.
“Horus is a demigod,” Anubis said. “He can survive for a time without sustenance. I have.”
Seth wondered what that meant, but recalled he hadn’t paid as much attention to Anubis during his own reign. There were long stretches of time he hadn’t even seen Anubis, while he was traveling to hunt Isis or just get air away from the city that felt too full of Osiris’ memory. Or Isis or Nephthys.
He’d also tried to prepare himself for Anubis to leave and find his own path, but Anubis, stubborn as ever, had refused, and stuck by him. More dutiful than smart, unfortunately.
“I’ll feed him when I can,” Anubis continued.
Not willing to give him up entirely, then? Seth wondered. What are you plotting next with him?
“Do you think to take over the army for yourself?” Seth asked. “They will not respect an untested boy. Even if you are my son.”
Anubis’ frown darkened, as if the obvious wasn’t true. Word had to have spread of Anubis’ gambit. The humans would know he’d tried twice to unseat his father and failed. And if Seth’s followers stocked the army, they would be wary, at best, of Anubis as a result.
“The last time you had any command over an army,” Seth mused, “you dragged it to my doorstep. To get rid of me. What makes you think I’d trust you with another?”
Anubis breathed in deeply, and Seth knew he was angry. But Anubis didn’t try to attack him. Instead, he cried, “If you distrust and hate me so much, why not let me risk my life against the forces Isis called to deal with you? Maybe I’ll die that way!” He sounded like he almost wished it were so.
Seth’s heart ached as he thought of Anubis facing armed humans or foreign gods and their unknown abilities. There was a time he’d have fought tooth and nail to keep Anubis from any pain. But Seth knew that he was the primary pain now in Anubis’ life. Not good enough of a father or an enemy, seemingly. But still cruel and distant. Because much as Seth tried to put on a show, he was too much of a coward to tell the truth. To watch Anubis turn his back any more fully than he had and embrace the monster who’d taken Anubis’ life before.
Because Seth still loved Anubis. “I don’t want you dead.”
“When you beat me near to death, you didn’t seem to have that issue!” Anubis retorted. His eyes almost burned.
“But you didn’t die!” Seth replied, angry, too. What was he supposed to do? Ignore what Anubis had done? Let things slide? Let people think Seth couldn’t control one demigod? Let alone two?
He could hear Osiris’ mocking laughter.
Anubis looked furious. “I thought I was going to die! Not that you care. You mocked me for it.”
Seth recalled his own anguish against Osiris, who didn’t care about his pleas. And Osiris’ mockery. Seth may try to avoid mimicking all of Osiris’ behavior, but he didn’t entirely do so.
Every path Seth dared to walk seemed so hard to see through. And he’d thought just going where his feet took him was easy, watching Egypt dissolve around him. Osiris’ pride and joy crushed. But it was hard, especially when it meant gazing, soberly, into Anubis’ eyes, and seeing all the pain Seth had caused him.
Seth’s fingers bit into his palms, and he turned away. “Fine. You can oversee training. Or whatever. Speak to Thoth, since you’re so close already. Use it to overthrow me, if you can. I’m sure you’ll try.” Perhaps then he could rest, properly.
Anubis was silent for a time, but eventually Seth heard him turn away.
But, rather than leave, Anubis paused and said, “Mother still believes in you for some reason.” He sounded frustrated.
Seth chuckled, hating everything. Which version of her? “If you’re asking me why, I don’t know.” Did a part of her, somewhere, actually love him?
Seth didn’t think so. Hoping just hurt.
Anubis made an annoyed sound before finally leaving.
Seth felt like a string was cut somewhere inside him. Like something was bursting. In the past, he and Anubis had been close, and gone hunting together. Trained together. Seth had taught him stories and went walking with him and Nephthys. Seen him grow tall and strong.
Seth had dreaded the day when Anubis might hate him, even as he felt it was inevitable. And that day had long since come. And no amount of believing it was right, that Anubis should pull away while he could, to escape, made it feel better.
His face grew hot and he put a hand to his eyes as tears fell down his cheeks. He breathed in sharply, keeping himself quiet. What good were tears, anyway?
Seth's focus and pain ensured he didn’t see the small orange bird hidden behind a corner of the window of his room, watching.