Gods and Queens

Chapter Eight

Two gold lamps hung on each wall of the bedroom, their amber glow exposing the sleeping sons of the pharaoh. The heir slept with his spidery legs spread apart, the second slept on his side and the last curled in a ball. Ra sighed in relief. They were still alive.

"Why do you keep trying to stop the inevitable?" Asked a raspy voice from the shadows.

Ra turned sharply to his left. He looked around the room with slight confusion; he could see no one.

The light from the oil lamps cast deep shadows about, making it hard for Ra to pinpoint the location of the destroyer. His eyes narrowed to slits when a shadow shifted behind a white curtain.

Ra took a battle stance and growled. "Show yourself!"

Ra chose to appear as a typical Egyptian, complete with a white kilt and a gold hoop earring. He flexed the muscles of his shoulders and waited for Abaddon.

When he heard low laughter and a faint shuffling, panic rose within him. Even though he was no match for Abaddon, he refused to cower. It was against his nature to do so.

He knew of Abaddon's ability to precisely carry out whatever assignment he was given. Not once had he failed. Ra had a notion that the destructive angel appeared as a human just for the fun of it.

"One would think after all Egypt has suffered, you'll come to your senses and give up." The destroyer's voice was a bored drawl and his words echoed unnaturally, hovering above Ra like floating rocks.

Ra remained where he stood, unmoving. He scowled when Abaddon emerged from the shadows with suave grace, hands clasped at his back, and staff floating before him. The edge of his robe resembled wisps of black smoke and his eyes were like blue fire.

"Do not insult me by attempting to stop this. Soon the land will be filled with weeping, and these sons of the man whose heart is as dark as yours will not escape death."

In a blink, Abaddon appeared above the sleeping sons and peered down at them like animals on display. Not wanting to take any chances, Ra bolted forward and summoned his spear. Raising the weapon over his shoulder, he hurled it at the destroyer.

Without taking his eyes off the sleeping sons, Abaddon swiftly blocked the blow with his staff. Ra's eyes widened as the force from the little collision pushed him ten feet back.

The destroyer didn't spare him the courtesy of a glance as he went about his business. With blazing eyes still fixed on the sons, he retrieved his floating staff but did not wave it.

Ra lurched forward again but realized no amount of speed could have stopped what came next. It happened in a flash. Three shadows of death burst out of Abaddon's staff and in a blink they raced downward, a blur of smoke and dull red flame.

They settled on the sons like blankets and dispersed almost immediately, leaving husks behind. The sons looked pale with maps of black veins fanning their lifeless bodies. Ra stared at the corpses in silence. His fingers flexed on his spear as he forced himself to think past the rage of defeat.

When Abaddon turned to face him, he spoke with the grace of a cultured prince. "There is a judgment coming. And you bring it speedily with your own hands. You incited your profoundly foolish pharaoh to feed the Nile crocodiles with newborn Hebrew babies! You should be glad they died this way." The destroyer gestured at the dead sons with a careless hand.

"Believe me, I tried to convince the Holy One to make this a bit gruesome but my request was denied. Their death means nothing to you. It is the lost faith, abandonment, and disdain of the people you try to fight away. Their abandonment is what strikes fear in you. No more adulation and reverence. About time, I think," Abaddon said with a dismissive air then turned to leave.

Wrath consumed Ra like flames on dried leaves. His true form tore through his human disguise, ripping the skin like a threadbare garment. As he morphed, the spear in his hand was replaced by a thorny mace, and heavy chains encircled his torso like metal snakes. He exhaled a gust of smoke when his black feathery wings pushed through his back.

Without giving a thought to reason, Ra flew forward and struck Abaddon with his mace, effectively shooting the dark angel through the roof. Giving off a harsh call, he flapped both wings and shot out of the room like a caged bird set free.

Innumerable shadows of death still whizzed about like a swarm of angry hornets. They filled the air with mismatched sounds of wild laughter and screeches. They hampered Ra's concentration, killed his patience, and fanned the flame of his rage to scalding heights. Snapping his hooked beak in frustration, he swatted them out of his way. He looked around, desperate to get a glimpse of Abaddon, but all he saw were shadows and more shadows.

"I love to fight fair, and I never turn down a challenge. But I must say, I feel gravely insulted by your action."

The shadows parted for a moment and Ra got a glimpse of Abaddon hovering a few feet away from him. His robe had two strips that floated behind him, giving the illusion of restless wings.

Without so much as a shift of his staff, all the shadows sped towards the destroyer like hawks diving for prey. As they zapped into the staff in droves, the noise they generated gradually faded to silence, and Ra was awakened to the reality of his failure.

The sound of wailing filled the air. There was not a single house without a lamp on; the people were screaming his name and those of other gods. They didn't speak their usual words of reverence and praise, instead, they wept at the gods' betrayal and abandonment.

"You have failed, Ra. Not that you ever stood a chance to stop what was coming." Abaddon's voice was cold and flat, and the sound of it fuelled Ra's burning rage.

"Take a look at your household. It has turned against you." The destroyer gestured to his left.

When Ra glanced in the direction Abaddon pointed, he balled his fist as an understanding of what he was witnessing dawned on him. The other gods had retreated, and Quatesh seemed to be the one leading them away. It was impossible not to make out the betraying lesser god; his white serpentine form shone as bright as his treachery.

"Don't you think it's wise to give up now? Your house has abandoned you but you still challenge me..."

Ra wasn't listening. He couldn't think past the rage, the betrayal. As the months of back-to-back defeat filled his mind, his pride bled and at that instant, he threw caution to the wind. He would fight, and even though he got crushed, he would still fight.

Ra gave a sharp battle cry as he sped towards Abaddon but drew to a stop when the destroyer vanish. He looked around in confusion. Had he bailed? Ra allowed a small smile of victory to touch his lips.

A sudden shadow fell over Ra. His smile evaporated and his mouth hung open at the... the creature before him. He didn't know when his mace dropped from his hand and disappeared.

A forty-foot sphinx flew above Ra with his tail thrashing about like a whip. The only resemblance the sphinx had with Abaddon was his burning blue eyes. Huge white wings beat the spiritual air steadily and his golden fur gleamed in the moonlight. Ra was an ant before him and for the first time in centuries, he admitted his own foolishness.

Abaddon was right, he should have counted his losses and left.

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Image attached is Abbadon, but a hundred times bigger!

When I saw that photo on pinterest, I was like: "OMG! This. Is. It!" 😢
Whoever drew that is mega talented and imaginative.

I know sphinxes have human faces, but let's just sweep that little detail aside and admire the picture, shall we? Haha

Soooooo...what do you guys think of this chapter?
Votes and comments would be appreciated.