Chapter Text
Horus was already standing when Seth appeared out of the darkness of the labyrinth. As the torches ran low, Horus’ intuition told him someone would appear, and it wouldn’t be Anubis or Isis.
So when Seth appeared, Horus braced himself. Although he hadn’t been personally tortured by Seth or Seth’s servants -other than being bothered by Anubis – being stuck in the labyrinth was draining on its own. Horus missed the sunlight. He missed being able to go where he pleased. And not being able to keep track of time was slowly whittling away at his patience and calm, leaving him unmoored and more on edge than he’d been in years.
He’d never wondered before just how long his mother had stayed here, and asked her painfully little about the place. Now he regretted the decision, for all he didn’t have Nephthys to get him out anyway.
How many days now? Horus wondered as Seth stood tall before him, gazing at Horus with an unreadable expression beneath that black mask. But I can’t ask him. He’ll use it as a weapon.
It was hard to be around Seth like this. Horus would have liked being a proper servant, in Heliopolis, able to be around Seth. But here, once more, they were at a painful distance. Perhaps forever. And being around Seth, even at a distance during the trial, had been so exciting… it was hard to give up now.
“You’ll join Thoth in scouting for enemy soldiers,” Seth said. “We’re going to ensure your army doesn’t get far.”
“My army?” Horus asked, confused at the comment. “I don’t have an army.” Seth had sent everyone away when he’d told them to get lost after the second match. And that barely counted as an army, anyway. Supporters, perhaps, but not Horus’ army. Unless Geb counted on that front.
Seth scoffed and replied, “You expect me to believe that?” He sounded oddly tired as he spoke, which was unusual.
Horus frowned and asked, “Why do you think I have an army?”
“Thoth said that Isis got one from far away,” Seth replied. “To arrive during the trial and fight me.” Seth smirked. “But that’s not happening now.”
Only years of keeping himself collected under Isis’ worried gaze kept Horus calm as he thought of this. Mother got an army? And she never told me? He remembered when she left him in Nut’s care and traveled, alone, a long way. And she’d never told him all of what she’d done while she was gone, other than search for allies. That must have been when she found something…
“Do you think they’d shoot you down as a prize?” Seth asked with a smirk. “If they’re strong enough to fight me, you’re nothing to them. And I doubt foreigners care that much about who’s an ally right now.”
Horus supposed it was a possibility, though he imagined Isis had given her potential allies strict instructions. Still, he asked, “You’ll free me to die out there?” Seth seemed to have a personal stake in Horus perishing. If nothing else, Horus was the son of Seth’s main enemies, after all.
Seth shrugged and replied, “I’m only freeing you temporarily, and I imagine you’ll weasel out of dying in what’s to come.”
It was almost comforting that Seth seemed to have that faith in Horus’ abilities.
“After this is dealt with,” Seth continued, “I think I’ll send you back here to rot.” He still sounded non-committal, like he was still treating this like a game. And Horus knew that was obviously his right, but…
“This isn’t the first time you’ve spared me,” Horus said. “When you could do much worse.” It wasn’t like the labyrinth was easy. But for someone like Seth, it was very forgiving.
Seth simply gazed back at him.
“Why do you keep doing that?” Horus asked. “Sparing me? You should want me dead.” He knew Seth was conflicted over Anubis, while trying to retain his position, but he didn’t know Horus. He likely didn’t remember the time they’d met in Khemmis, as he believed he’ seen Anubis, not Horus. Seth attacked his siblings, his parents, his grandparents, great-grandmother, and peers… He’d destroy the whole of Egypt if he had the chance.
Horus was the son of Isis and Osiris. Seth should have wanted him dead, after everything Horus had been a part of. And yet… Seth didn’t kill him. Or torture him personally, imagined terror or not. This couldn’t be Seth’s answer to how to dela with Horus.
“Are you calling me weak?” Seth demanded, and Horus could feel the desert god’s anger growing. It had been distant before, almost like a nascent, early storm. But Seth was bristling now. The sand shivered at Horus’ feet, ready to turn into spikes or perhaps jackals to tear into Horus’ flesh.
There would be nowhere to go in this tiny room if Seth lashed out. Fleeing into the labyrinth was a slower death of a different kind, and they both knew it. But Seth hadn’t needed this to kill him, especially since Seth seemed to want to make the death personal and where Seth could witness it: but unlike the gladiatorial arena, Seth wouldn’t see Horus die in the labyrinth. And even just fighting here was too private. Seth, who clearly had his pride, would want Horus’ death to be public.
Horus considered, again, appealing to that moment of softness he’d seen in Khemmis. Recalling their shared past. But the god before him looked too furious for such things.
“I think you were trying to play fairly,” Horus said, recalling when Seth had been calm enough to allow Maat to find answers. “Which is commendable. Or… there is something else going on.” It was possible Seth took pleasure from this somehow, but Seth seemed too miserable in the moment to take pleasure here. He’d really only been happy while they were fighting on the boat.
Seth only snorted before he replied, “Then keep imagining whatever you want.”
It felt like a dismissal, and Horus could have let it go: Seth needed him to investigate this army Isis had found, and Horus wanted answers on that front, too. After all, if the army was real, Isis had never told Horus. And what value would there be in Thoth sending Seth on a wild goose chase, unless it was some distant play to get Horus out of the labyrinth? An unlikely one, unless Thoth used his own ability to see the future to see if it would happen.
But what value do I have free? Horus thought. Thoth knows I’ve pledged myself to Seth as the loser. And even if Thoth knows my feelings… why help me with them?
Horus needed, and wanted more answers than he had, and more than he was currently given. He didn’t want to come back here, not just out of fear, but also because this was one step closer to his goal: staying at Seth’s side, for good. And perhaps for that, he should have let things rest.
But he’d been in the dark for too long.
“We don’t need to be enemies,” Horus insisted. “Our contest is over, and you’ve won. You gain little by killing me, and I have never desired your death, or even just your suffering!” When Seth didn’t reply, Horus continued, “I fought for my mother, to restore her rights, but that’s all. I know from what my mother’s told me and what I’ve read, that both of you have gone through much… And I do not wish to see you keep fighting. If Mother obtained an army, it was not with my knowledge, and I will put a stop to it.”
Seth frowned at him, then.
Horus stepped forward and knelt before Seth.
Seth stiffened, seemingly in surprise.
“You are siblings,” Horus insisted, recalling all the carvings he’d seen of their exploits. The stories Isis had half-told before turning back to bitterness. The letters he’d found and carefully gone through, precious word by word. “You share the same blood. And once more, you work towards a shared goal: healing your sister. This contest can be ended once and for all, before more people are hurt and killed between you both.” He clenched his hands at his side. “I cannot speak for my mother, but I meant what I said: that I would happily serve you with sincerity. For all eternity. If you’ll only let me.” Meeting Seth at the arena had been a shock: Seth had seemed at once so small and so much grander than Horus remembered. And seeing his creativity and determination during the trial and the matches had been shocking, scary, and wonderous.
Horus wanted to know that god. Now, as they both were. And maybe Horus would be destroyed, but he wanted to try, all the same. A part of Horus was afraid, but also thrilled. He wanted more, whatever Seth would give him. Not to be trapped out here in the dark, so far away. And perhaps, given time, Horus could prove himself. Maybe even give Seth chances to show that he wasn’t as terrible as he could be, like he had with the second match. That he could be the god Horus knew him to be. The brother and peer Isis loved. The guardian god Horus was awed by.
After a moment, Seth scoffed and said, “Isis would sooner kill than befriend me. And if you weren’t a fool, you’d know she even has a right to it.”
Horus had seen firsthand what his mother and her followers had gone through at Seth’s hands and the hands of his followers. He knew that there were harms beyond the pale, beyond simple forgiveness. It was not Horus’ place to force Isis into anything. He solely cared about her survival. And he did not want her to be miserable in her survival, either. But it was all he could do, for now.
But he recalled Seth’s jibes at the opening of the trial, and wondered how a god like that could believe Isis had a right to try to kill him. Again, he speaks of fairness. That is not the mad, evil god Mother has warned me of, time and again.
A part of him had hope, hearing that.
“Get up,” Seth finally ordered, clearly finished with the conversation, “we have an army to deal with.”
“I believe negotiation is better at this point than all-out war,” Thoth said to Seth as they stood in a meeting room in Heliopolis, with Maat standing nearby, watching. She’d also been roped into the talks, which only made Seth more irritable.
She was so thrilled to hear from her precious Osiris, Seth thought, with frustration. He could just remember the way all the gods were so happy to hear from that damned monster. Precious Osiris, who was so much better than the evil Seth.
If I can’t be better, Seth thought, then I’ll be a worse monster. But he didn’t want Egypt to crumble to foreign invaders, all the same. Not just because it was his duty to guard against such things, but also because it felt like further insult to his power, and like letting someone else do the work.
If Seth wanted to crush Osiris’ legacy, then he’d do it himself.
Seth sighed and said, “Fine. If Negotiations dissolve, I’ll just slaughter them all.”
“Ah, yes,” Thoth said, nervously.
“Isis’ deal is moot,” Maat noted. “She’s no longer in a position to fulfill it, now that she’s…” She looked at Seth for a moment. “Here.”
Busy with Nephthys, Seth thought. Not quite my prisoner. But not quite not, either.
“We may need something else to bargain with,” Maat said.
“We have plenty of treasure,” Seth noted. “If you think that will sate them.” It wasn’t like he cared for trophies. That had always been Osiris and Isis’ thing. Seth was content with weapons, and he barely bothered with those anymore.
Maat nodded, but replied, “There may be other options before us.”
Seth turned when he smelled Horus approaching, and they all watched Horus appear at the door, looking concerned. The demigod had cleaned up since he’d left the labyrinth with Seth, and kept up – just barely – with Seth on the journey back to the palace. He’d then gone to speak to Isis.
“My mother is in a strange slumber,” Horus reported. “And I cannot wake her.”
Seth frowned and asked, “What?” A strange slumber? What the fuck was she doing? It was too odd a thing to lie about, but Seth was still wary.
Horus looked at him and said, “I ask permission to bring Nephthys to help. She’s helped Isis with similar things before.”
Seth supposed that was true to a degree, though he’d never been involved with such matters. He knew Isis definitely felt more comfortable talking about magic to her sister than Seth. And Nephthys had some healing ability.
Seth finally waved a hand dismissively. “If Nephthys wishes to help, she can. She’s always been free to go where she pleases. The door to the cell has never been locked.” If Horus thought to somehow use his newfound freedom to allow his allows to collude with each other, he was mistaken. Nephthys was already free to collude anew with Isis if she so wished. If she thought she could.
Horus’ eyebrows rose in surprise.
“Really?” Thoth asked. “But… I thought you imprisoned her?”
Seth rolled his eyes. “Of course, because every evil thing in this world is my fault, isn’t it?” Over the centuries, he’d tried to ignore Nephthys. To the best of his ability. It hadn’t worked well. Even now, knowing she might be something else didn’t help.
It was lonely.
“Because I make all decisions for everyone,” Seth continued. “And not a single one of you, not even my wife can make decisions without me. All of you are so incompetent on that front.” He snorted in disdain. Nephthys’ life was her own to ruin. He’d stepped out of it as much as possible. That she was still here after everything, well… it wasn’t his business.
Thoth looked away, clearly nervous as ever.
“Is it safe to allow her to work on your mother?” Seth asked Horus. “After all, she’s… whatever she is right now.” The creature had left Anubis alone, so he wasn’t worried about Anubis, but surely Horus would be concerned about Isis?
“I believe she will help,” Horus said. “I’ve seen that her being at my mother’s side will do good.”
Seth wasn’t sure to trust that, and for Nephthys’ sake – the true Nephthys, whatever happened to her – he almost went against it. He didn’t want anything bad happening to Isis before she was able to break the curse or whatever was wrong with Nephthys, after all. And what if the cursed or fake Nephthys got rid of Isis to ensure the curse remained as it was? Then Nephthys could be trapped forever!
So what is my solution? Seth wondered. Ignore it until it goes away? What good did that ever do? Anubis never left my side. He only dragged everyone I despise back. Even Osiris.
“We don’t need to be enemies.”
“Fine,” Seth said, wishing away Horus’ naïve voice. As if hoping for peace actually led anywhere. “Let’s fetch her then. We have work to do, after all.” The approaching army wouldn’t wait forever.
Seth, Thoth, and Maat joined Horus in collecting a confused Nephthys from her cell and taking her to Isis.
Isis was, indeed, resting on her bed, and nothing Thoth did could wake her, either.
Seth stood back, observing it all. It was strange to be in Isis' chambers again. He'd avoided them since he became king. So it had been centuries since he'd been here to any other space of hers. He used to be so curious, but after Osiris killed himself and Isis abandoned Seth, the spaces became too painful.
Seth hated his fear. It's just a room.
Nephthys stepped forward and looked Isis over, worried. After a while, Nephthys said to the gathered immortals, “I… am not as strong with such things as Isis, but she seems to be in some sort of coma.”
Thoth nodded, looking uncomfortable, before adding, “There’s nothing any of us can do.”
Seth glanced at Horus, wondering where this magical help Horus had promised would occur.
But Horus said nothing, merely watching Nephthys and Thoth gazing back at him.
Nephthys looked sad as she glanced between Isis, Horus, and Seth. And Seth hated the pitiable look on her face. He’d avoided her for so long and now he kept seeing it.
I wasn’t the one who strayed! He thought, furious. I did everything I could! I tried to be the best I could!
He breathed in deeply, cooling himself. What was past was past. He didn’t have time for this.
“Fine,” Seth finally said. “Nephthys will stay here and see what she can do. And Isis at least will not interfere in our other plans.” He didn’t need her working mischief with the army, after all. He looked at Horus, who was watching him. “We have work to do.” He glanced pointedly at Thoth and Maat and nodded, before heading out of the room, leaving Nephthys and Isis behind.
If the Nephthys here and now does something, he thought, I guess I’m no worse off than I was. And at least I won’t have to figure out what to do with Isis after all this is over.
Horus, for whatever reason, didn’t appear bothered by leaving the two goddesses alone. If this was some trick of his, he didn’t speak of it.
And if Isis pulls something, Seth thought, or if Nephthys does, like last time she helped Isis, I’ve still got Horus. So Isis gains nothing by escaping. Even as things fell apart at times, he was still strong, and still held the reins of power in his hand.