by Wall, Nathan
“If you wish to serve under our banner, then you must become a warrior.” He joked, “Did you Southern fools rest on your laurels?”
“Khnum filled himself with wine,” Anubis said, drawing their attention. Shiva seemed pleased to see him. “You have need for me still?”
“I do.” Shiva’s aurascales dissipated. He wiped the sweat from his body. “I would see you restored to your former glory.”
“That won’t take long,” Khnum laughed. He stood and cast an aggressive look at Anubis. “He was nothing more than Horus’ pet, which afforded him more patience and protection than warranted for a man with his brain. A pet Horus didn’t see fit to save.”
“My cousin loves me,” Anubis yelled, stepping forward with his fists tight. Shiva held a hand up. “I have a place—”
“—Here among us now. Yes, you do.” Shiva wrapped his arm around Anubis. “Let us not pretend events unfolded differently. Horus left you behind. I’d make you our equal. Fight under our star and ascend as far as your desires and ability will allow.”
“Again, his climb will be hampered by what he lacks between his ears,” Khnum added, drawing a laugh from the crowd. “I fear you’re wasting time with him. His brain is too shallow to overcome the hardness of his heart. He will not turn from his cousin.”
“You presume to tell me how my time is best spent?” Shiva squinted at Khnum. The crowd stepped away from Khnum to not be caught in the crossfire. “Perhaps a contest, to prove one’s loyalty and worth?”
“I’m afraid such an endeavor would be foolhardy.” Khnum knelt and bowed his head. “You’ve proven far more skilled and powerful than I could combat.”
“That’s not quite what I had in mind.” Shiva clapped. The doors to his gathering hall opened and a chained Sobek was escorted into the area. His sliced arm had a casing over it where a hand used to be. They removed his shackles and handed him a starstone. “Let’s see how worthy and loyal Anubis will be when faced by his former mentor.”
“Anubis against a deformed foe, even he could best that.” Khnum laughed, as did many others.
“Perhaps a steeper test?” Shiva looked at Anubis and smiled, giving him a gentle nudge forward. “Khnum, take up your sword alongside Sobek. Prove yourself against the grey skinned giant, and he against you. Let your skill be the measuring stick for what lingers in his head. Lest you think that too unfair, given your clear skill advantage?”
Khnum seemed unsure. He slowly grinned, staring holes through Anubis. Khnum stood equidistant from Sobek and Anubis. His aurascales radiated. The ram’s helmet and mallet returned with a fiercer glow than ever before.
“How can I defeat their aura?” Sweat ran down the side of Anubis’ face. “My starstone escapes me. Even still its radiance lacks when compared.”
“I saw the armor you wore in opposition to me.” Shiva circled Anubis, examining his muscular frame. “It was found wanting, indeed. Khnum regaled me with stories of your punishment. How you weren’t allowed to wear the colors of your people. Instead, past transgressions forced to bear the mark of a jackal made to appear black and grey.”
“True.” Anubis forced back tears. He wiped the snot from his nose. Khnum chuckled under his breath. Anubis opened his eyes with a focused rage. “I was never allowed to be their equal.”
“No longer so.” Shiva stepped in front of Anubis and presented a new starstone. “This is yours, if you accept me. Bear the colors of our banner within your aurascales. See a new form for your faceguard, if you so choose. However, if I might make a suggestion…”
“You may.” Anubis took the starstone and absorbed its power. Panic overtook Khnum’s body language. Aurascales surged over Anubis’ body, shining orange with more beauty and magnificence than he’d ever known.
“Wear the face of a jackal as a badge of honor. Let it remind you where you came from, so that you may forever claw yourself a new path and fight to never return to those despicable beginnings.” Shiva smacked Anubis on the breast plate. “Remember the pain and mistreatment the jackal stands for. Fight with rage so hot, steel melts in your wake.”
Anubis nodded, stepping into the fighter’s circle. His silver exoskeleton surged over his face in the image of a jackal. A large curved sword and shield erupted in his grasp. He towered over Khnum and Sobek, standing with concrete resolve.
“I won’t fight.” Sobek threw his sword to the ground. “I refuse to be your pawn.”
“If Khnum takes your life, I will pardon him from this duel and establish him as my second in command,” Shiva said. Everyone looked on in shock. “If Sobek kills Khnum and defeats Anubis, I will set him and those under his banner free.”
“And what does Anubis gain?” Khnum asked.
“A home and the satisfaction of destroying two figures responsible for his difficult past,” Shiva replied, grinning. “Show us your worth.”
Khnum attacked. His mallet fell like a meteor. Anubis rolled to the right, avoiding the blow which dented the floor. He sliced at Khnum’s feet, missing. His opponent skipped forward and kicked him in the face. Khnum knelt over Anubis, pressing the shaft of his weapon against the Angel-born’s neck, choking him. Sobek stood in a ready stance, refusing to grab a weapon. His eyes shifted between Anubis and Khnum.
“I will see the light fade from your eyes,” Khnum grunted. His arms quaked as he pressed.
“Not this day.” Anubis pushed back, easily lifting Khnum off the ground. He tossed his enemy over his head and rolled to his feet. His sword and shield melded together, forming a double sided battle axe with spear tips at each end of the shaft. The weapon dwarfed Khnum’s.
Anubis swung it with one arm and smashed Khnum’s shield, splitting it in half and knocking him across the floor.
“You haunt me no more,” Anubis yelled, sticking the bottom of the spear-tipped shaft into Khnum’s side.
“I yield,” Khnum cried as Anubis pulled the weapon from his hip.
“There will be no end to this contest until I give approval,” Shiva replied, waving for Anubis to carry on. “I want more.”
Anubis nodded and again thrust the pointed tip into Khnum’s shoulder blade. He lifted Khnum off the ground with the enemy stuck to the weapon, and held him high in the air at the midnight position. He turned, whipping the shaft towards the ground, channeling all the kinetic energy into Khnum’s body as he smashed him into the floor. Shards of slate-grey metal splattered along the ground, falling from Khnum’s armor.
“Continue,” Shiva called out. His eyes were filled with delight.
Khnum crawled for the exit. His fingers raked across the floor. Those looking on moved from his path, forming two rows to either side.
Anubis stepped with purpose and lifted the man responsible for much of his life’s pain by the shoulder plate. Their eyes were level, yet Khnum’s feet were at Anubis’ knees. Anubis smashed his forehead into Khnum and splintered the ram’s helmet.
He tossed his enemy back into the fighter’s circle. Anubis swung the axe as hard as he could. Sobek blocked Anubis from taking Khnum’s head off with a sword.
“Think of what you do, nephew,” Sobek pleaded. Armor didn’t cover his face. Tears filled his eyes. “Don’t be like them. You were the best of us. You deserved more.”
“He knows.” Shiva unfolded his arms and stepped toward the circle. He implored, “Remember what they did. Kill them and join me as a son.” Shiva lifted his hand to Anubis. “They fear the glory we hold.”
“You have family,” Sobek grunted, struggling to keep Anubis from Khnum’s neck. “You’ve beaten him and shown you’re better. Prove you’ve the better heart.”
“You’ve made it black!” Anubis yelled.
Anubis lowered his shoulder and knocked Sobek to the floor. He kicked his uncle in the face and stuck a dagger to his gut. Sobek’s eyes nearly jumped from their sockets. He pressed his forehead against Anubis’ shoulder plate and hugged him.
“Forgive us.” Sobek looked up, crying. Blood trickled out of the
corner of his mouth. “Forgive me.” He conjured a hatchet and raised it over his head. He slung it forward and hit Khnum in the collar.
“Your blood washes the stains from my past.” Anubis yanked the knife from Sobek’s gut and sliced it across the neck. He stepped on Khnum’s chest. “And your blood prepares my soul for the future.”
“Please,” Khnum stuttered. “Have mercy.”
Anubis looked at Shiva. “Do as you see fit,” he said.
The beaming jackal eyes turned back to Khnum. Anubis took him by the throat, squeezing the breath from Khnum’s lungs.
“Only as much mercy as I was ever granted.” Spikes grew from Anubis’ knuckles and he beat Khnum relentlessly until the Beta Guardian’s face was nothing more than a mangled blob of skin and broken bones. He counted the blows in his head. They totaled three dozen—the number of lashes Khnum had once left on Anubis’ back.
Anubis stepped away from the squirming body. His foe was alive, so he counted him spared. His promise of giving Khnum what he once received was kept.
“You’ve easily proven your worth, Anubis.” Shiva applauded. “I fear old Khnum is now nothing more than a redundancy.”
Khnum made gargled groans not resembling anything remotely close to coherent thoughts. His fingers and legs twitched randomly.
“Take him to the infirmary,” Shiva commanded. “If he lives, see that he’s sold on the market. I’m sure many would pay a handsome fee to see a Beta Guardian fight in the arena, wounded though he may be.”
Anubis grinned with satisfaction while Khnum was dragged off by the feet. Those who’d previously laughed now stood in fear, shocked at what they’d witnessed. For the first time in his life, Anubis actually felt taller than everyone else.
“Anubis, there is much power within you. Let me give purpose to it,” Shiva implored. He wrapped his arm around Anubis’ back. “What you lacked in skill you compensated for with tenacity. With my guidance and adoption of my discipline, you can be a great and mighty warrior. Perhaps, one day, head of your own Corner. Would you like that?”
“I,” Anubis replied, hesitating. His mind wandered elsewhere. He wasn’t sure what to think. Shiva’s kind words were well received by his heart, yet a portion of him yearned to be with Isis and Horus, those familiar to him. “I’m not sure.”
“Train with me. Submit to my authority, and you’ll never give pause to uncertainty again. Women will spread themselves to your desires.” Shiva stood in front of Anubis, firmly rubbing his arms and shoulders. “Your father will rejoin us and learn of the man, fighter, and leader his son has become. A reunion far more valuable, and much longer in the making, than returning to be with a cousin and aunt who don’t hold you in high regard.”
“Yes.” Anubis knelt and bowed his head. Shiva placed a hand to his shoulder, smiling with pride. “I submit to you.”
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Madame Patricia III
The star over the realm of Ra never gave way to night. Despite its large and imposing position, the temperature remained steady and inviting. Winds never raised above a gentle breeze. Even though the physical anomalies were alluring and comfortable, Madame Patricia had never been more uneasy.
She stood on a balcony that protruded from the side of a steep cliff. Entrance to the balcony could only be gained by two circular pathways melted with precision into the mountain and carved into long corridors. The mountain disappeared into the sky above her, extending further than she could see. If one squinted they might see the top, but even then they were likely imagining the pinnacle. A sheet of clouds below made it impossible to know if there was a beginning to the mountain. Ra’s home seemed like a floating castle.
“I’ve not been here long, yet already this is my preferred retreat.” Hathor entered Madame Patricia’s peripheral vision, clothed in delicate night robes. “Though I wonder what’s beyond the horizon, and under the clouds, I feel content to gaze at such a brightly burning beauty above.”
“Given time, you’ll grow tired of just about anything.” Madame Patricia kept her face forward, but monitored Hathor out of the corner of her eyes. She didn’t trust this Angel-born. Hathor held a sleazy, jealous, and weak disposition: a dangerous concoction. “I suppose you’ve not experienced many great sights.”
“Until just recently, I’d never left the confines of my father’s Armada cruiser.” Hathor lost her gaze in the star. “All that lined the views of my home were cold, steel walls, black, uneventful skies, and a shattered moon that remained stationary until it turned and battered the planet on which we clung to life.”
“I can see how a hole in the side of a mountain could be so entertaining.” Maybe the most annoying thing about this kid was that she wasn’t playing the game her adult counterparts were. That made her naive or stupid. “It’s been a few hours since supper. Aren’t you tired?”
“I am. I just couldn’t stand another second of Isis’ incessant moaning through the walls.” Hathor looked at Madame Patricia, who returned the gaze. “Will I be as such when Ra takes me for the first time?”
“If you know what’s good for you.” Madame Patricia took Hathor’s hand. The unapologetic ignorance Hathor exuded was actually just a beaten in disposition by her father. The young lady seemed confused. “Isis likely puts on a nothing more than a good show. It helps build a man’s confidence and makes them more agreeable. While Ra gradually became a better lover over the course of my days with him, I doubt he’s turned into an expert since we last parted ways. You could probably learn a few things from Isis.”
“Am I beautiful like Isis?” Hathor asked with sincerity.
None were, but that answer wouldn’t help Hathor. She analyzed the young lady’s features and found them appealing and cute, but nothing that anyone would deem overtly sexy. “You are a lovely young woman, I’m sure both inside and out.”
“I fear many wouldn’t agree with you.” Hathor feigned a smile. “I’ve made mistakes that I can never overcome.”
“We all make mistakes. Eventually we overcome them.”
“I’m afraid once you’ve turned against someone too many times, you prove incapable of loyalty.” Hathor stood on her toes and leaned over the railing. She put one foot on the mid-rail. The wind held her robe up. Madame Patricia thought about pulling her back, but maybe if the girl leapt it would provide a decent distraction for her escape.
“You’re speaking of a boy.” Madame Patricia gazed intently at Hathor’s body language. Chastising remarks, or the wrong questions, might encourage her to jump. Not even she was that cruel. “Is he handsome?”
“I know not what you say. I love Ra.” Hathor’s eyes widened as her second foot stood on the middle rail. She lifted both hands and her breathing quickened. “I have eyes for one only.”
“I trust you do.” Madame Patricia smirked. “But that man is not Ra, though you fake it well. Do you really love Ra with all your heart, or do you simply play your part like a good child?”
Hathor swayed in a circular motion over the drop off. Her left foot slipped. Was this her chance to escape? Hathor caught herself and went rigid, crying.
“I’m afraid my heart belongs to another who will never see past my misdeeds, or his purpose in life.” Hathor stepped down from the rail, wiping her face dry. Obviously she was too weak to end her suffering. “So I’ll offer it to Ra. With him, I am no longer under my father’s hand. He can’t make me do those things anymore, or play his games for power.”
“Ra is no less a warden than Amun.”
“At least I’m used to it. The job will come with title, cause and power.”
“Your only cause will be to bear him a son. When you fail or pass that assignment, Ra will discard you.” Madame Patricia stayed an arm’s length away from Hathor, despite the latter’s body language suggesting that she needed a hug.
“How do you know this?”
“Because it was no different with me,” Madame Patricia replied, speaking quietly and calmly. “Keep up spirits.
Better days are ahead.”
“How are you so certain?” Hathor seemed a little too excited. “What word is there?”
“Only the firsthand account of pieces on a chess board.” Madame Patricia walked back into the side of the mountain. It was best to be vague with Hathor until she proved strong enough to form a partnership with.
Isis meandered down the hallway, walking towards a joint connection in the cavern that met up with Madame Patricia’s journey. She was covered in only a bed sheet, sweaty and disheveled. A hand print was seared onto the side of her neck. The two ladies exchanged nods. Their eyes did all the talking they needed.
Madame Patricia held no discriminating thoughts towards Isis. The former muse had used what talents she had to gain position, though she was given no real choice in the matter. He may have been a powerful, sadistic, and dangerous man, but at his very core Ra was simple and easy to please. He needed to feel dominant and in control of all things. This was in response to his normally gruesome look and God’s oppressive thumb which had left Ra no room to be what he wanted.
“You must have impressed. He lets you walk without chains.” Madame Patricia kept her body and focus trained ahead, walking side by side with Isis.
“I’m not without skill.” Isis smirked, examining Madame Patricia. “So you, too, are an Architect. I believed my husband crazy when he spoke of such things.”
“He wasn’t.”
“Yes, an answer plainly given by my sight,” Isis quipped while wrapping the sheet over her shoulders, chest and around her waist, tying it off. “He said you held the key to all of our freedoms. What did he mean by that?”
“Probably that the Architects would be no more than a symbol to rally more of your kind to his cause.” The two approached the dining hall where already the table had been replaced, and the debris created in Jaden and Ra’s exchange cleared. Madame Patricia sat, gesturing for Isis to join her. “Only I doubt it would have done any good. The problem with you angels is that you can never unite under a single cause. Not too unlike humans in that regard. You’re either busy following a fanatic like Gabriel or heeding Zeus in his explosive endeavors. This was no more evident than in the Pride Rebellion, when Lucifer’s small yet focused taskforce nearly decimated the scatter-brained defense helmed by those opposing him. Strict rules and regulations have always been your best leaders. Absent focused purpose, you always end up prisoner, hiding, or dead.”