War and Healing (Gods of Egypt)

Chapter Twenty

Sekhmet sprinted toward the Nile where Apophis was following the winding waters. She ignored the pain, her time was running out considering there was likely internal bleeding.

In her natural form, she was able to run faster. Her body gleamed with the shatters of lightning reflecting off her metallic body. Like the other gods, her human likeness was replaced by an animal representative. A lioness.

She growled once nearing the dark cloud that surrounded Apophis. Black smoke and lightning surrounded its massive body. The water of the Nile was sucked into the mouth that seemed to be unending with rows of teeth.

Unsheathing her sword, she leaped into the abyss of the beast. She must find the heart.

☀

Horus heard the shrieking of the approaching beast as he climbed the obelisk. He attempted to ignore the sounds as they only reminded him of Sekhmet. Would she succeed? Would she be a cold, empty shell when he saw her?

He reached the top of the tower which finished with a small pyramid. Set stood at the top with his back toward Horus, the spear of Ra in his hand.

Creeping up the stairs, Horus ignited his double-edged spear. Before he could reach the flattened top, Set unexpectedly turned and shot the fire of the sun at Horus. The heat seared his skin as he was barely able to avoid it.

Just as the line of fire was extinguished, Horus sprinted and swung his spear at Set. With each collision of their weapons, a charge of red energy exploded around them. The energy within the spear of Ra, pushed against Horus until he was thrown down the steps.

"You should have stayed under the sand." Set looked down at Horus as he remained at the tip of the obelisk.

Horus swung his spear. "I can understand killing for a crown, but this is madness."

Set held his arms out with a frown. "Of course you don't understand. How could you?" He walked down the steps toward Horus. "Favored son of a favored son!" With the last word, Set swung the spear at Horus.

Their fight resumed, each side fueled by their own emotions that were entwined throughout their whole life. Love seemed to be quite the fuel. Set, furious for never being loved, and Horus, enraged by losing all he did love.

☀

Bek finally reached the roof of the obelisk after fighting with Set's master builder. The man who killed Zaya had met the same fate.

Swinging his grappling hook, Bek waited for Horus' signal before letting it fly through the air.

Set had Horus pinned on a ledge. Ra's spear was flaming, ready to be lodged into the throat of Horus until it was pulled to the side.

The enraged god looked up to find the smirking mortal. "Now you're just becoming a pest," he stated while transforming into his natural form. Although, the form that flew at Bek was no Set. No. Set did not have wings, a glowing eye between his own, or a brain holding all knowledge.

He hammered the hakus of the gods he slayed into himself. He was stronger.

Bek was grabbed by the mutant god and pinned against a nearby wall. Despite this, he wretched Horus' eye from Set and stabbed a dagger as a replacement.

In exchange, Set threw the mortal to the other side of the tower letting him slide to his death.

Bek screamed Horus' name, throwing the stolen eye at the god.

Horus watched as both his eye and Bek slid from the obelisk's slick, angled roof to the distant ground. He knew which was more important, so he jumped for it. His body stretched as he hung over the edge which one hand gripped. The other kept Bek from falling to his death.

Set watch in amusement before plunging the spear into the golden roof. Ra's fire melted the gold, making it run to the edge where Horus hung from.

"You don't think your eye might have been more useful than a wounded thief?" Bek shouted.

Horus groaned in pain. "Probably, yes." He glanced down at Bek despite his twitching muscles and the approaching molten gold. "I'm sorry for everything I've done to you. Including this."

"Accepted," Bek whispered.

☀

The goddess sliced through tunnels of black meat. Apophis' whole being was saturated with the moist scent of decay and acid. Lightning crackling within the skin of the monster was the only light to guide her steps.

She stopped her arm in mid-slice and listened. Along with her own breathing, there was a faint beating. At first, she thought it was her own heart pulsing in her ears but it wasn't. She was getting closer to destroying this creature. Closer to saving the people and Horus.

☀

As Bek and Horus fell toward the ground, the god was engulfed in a blinding light and transformed into the form of his haku. Wings grew from his back to match his symbol of a falcon.

Just as Bek was about to smash onto the ground, Horus swept him into his arms and laid him on the ground in a safe area.

Bek laughed despite the pain in his side. It seemed he had met a fate similar to Sekhmet's. "I told you I'd steal your other eye. But you could have saved me some trouble and told me you didn't need it."

Horus kneeled next to the boy, looking at him with an amused smile. "Ra showed me the way but I didn't listen," he said softly. "I believed I needed my eye to transform, but my journey isn't to seek revenge at all costs. It is to protect my people."

Bek was proud of the god but he needed to focus on the task at hand. "Stop congratulating yourself. You've got more protecting to do."

Horus looked at the human with unmatchable gratitude. He had truly come to... love this mortal. The god stood to return to the fight.

"But Horus?" The god looked back to Bek. "Get your revenge too. For Sekhmet."

Horus paused before nodding firmly, flying off to meet Set in the air.

The two gods soared throughout the capitol before returning to the obelisk made in Set's honor. Set shot blasts of fire through Ra's spear while Horus dodged, thinking of a plan to kill the god who had the upper hand with such a weapon. Horus' own spear had been broken by the blasted thing.

Set shot another blast, creating a hole in the obelisk. Horus flew in with Set feet below him. Another blast created a cloud of smoke, allowing Horus to sneak upon Set and slam him through the walls. Flying toward the sky, Horus ripped the wings from Set's body. Wings that had belonged to Nephthys.

Set fell to the ground, shooting sporadic blasts in an attempt to hit Horus. This decision only caused the obelisk to crumble over the god it was made for.

Blood poured from Set's body as he crawled from the rubble. Horus stood over the dying god, revealing his face of human likeness. The spear of Ra was now aimed for the throat of Set.

"Behold the new king," Set coughed weakly.

"I thought you were the greatest of all gods. Now, look at you. You have nothing." Horus stared at the god with disappointment.

Set groaned in pain. "I am the greatest god." Horus raised the spear ready to kill this evil god. Set became desperate. "I spared you once. Huh? I showed you mercy."

"I won't make that mistake."

And as the spear of Ra plunged into the body of Set, the hands of Sekhmet plunged into the heart of Apophis.