by Chris Fox
"Isis?" Sekhmet called, voice quavering. "What are you doing?"
"Hush, near sister," Isis called absently, focused on her task.
It will not be long, the voice said.
Osiris's head gave a sharp jerk. Then another. His eyes flew open, their deep gray replaced by the same bright green as the gem. His mouth flew open and a beam of pure emerald light shot outwards. Then his back arched and he gave a low scream, the agony a spear in Isis's chest.
"Make it stop," she pleaded, but the voice in her head was silent.
The green light grew brighter, veins of the horrible light flowing down Osiris's neck and into his chest. They shot out, rapidly spreading across each of his limbs until the whole of his body bore a spider web of pain. The light flared brighter still, then faded. Osiris's body fell limp, all signs of life gone.
"Osiris?" she asked, stretching out a tentative hand.
Sekhmet was suddenly next to her, pulling her back. "Don't touch him. He is cursed. We should never have come here. We're leaving. Now."
"No," she cried, struggling to reach Osiris. Sekhmet dragged her backwards, the powerful huntress easily hefting her from her feet and carrying her to the door.
Osiris's glowing green eyes opened again. He rose slowly to a sitting position, the aged stranger peering up at him from those rheumy eyes. Osiris stared dispassionately at the stranger, no sense of recognition or compassion in his gaze. He lunged without warning, his greater weight bearing the stranger to the chamber floor and out of sight.
Horrible crunching noises came from behind the rejuvenator where they'd fallen. The stranger gave a loud yell, then a soft whimper. A pool of blood spread from the base of the rejuvenator, winding a slow path toward their feet.
"Run," Sekhmet hissed, shoving Isis through the doorway and into the central chamber. Sekhmet followed, tugging urgently at Isis's arm.
Isis refused to budge. She drew on the strength of the staff, willing herself to stand fast. "He will not harm us. If I am wrong, then I no longer wish to live. It will mean this place truly is cursed."
Sekhmet stared at her as if she'd gone insane, but after a moment's hesitation stood beside her. They waited patiently until Osiris's blood-drenched form appeared in the doorway. The changes were subtle, but alarming. His teeth were razored, like a crocodile only far sharper. The green light still lingered in his gaze, unnatural and frightening. Each finger now ended in a black claw, more cave lion than human.
"What have I done?" she whispered, almost hoping he would strike them down. She had only wanted to help, to return her chieftain to life. Yet the god had tricked her, had brought back this monster with Osiris's face.
Not so, Ka-Ken. He is changed, yes, but your Dun is much the same as he was. It will take time for his mind to regain full control, during which time he must ingest genetic material. Even now some of that control returns, in the wake of his feeding.
"Isis, Sekhmet," he hissed, low and alien. His gaze flicked between them. "Set will pay in blood for his treachery. I will feast on his heart. Come, we hunt."
Osiris sprinted past them, hurling up the stone ramp and into the darkness. Isis could do nothing but stare after, torn as to what course to take.
"What has he become?" she asked, certain she didn't want the answer but needing to hear it anyway.
His helixes have been shaped to be far more resilient. He no longer needs to breathe and his heart no longer beats. To sustain himself, he must ingest more genetic matter than your kind normally requires. Like you he now possesses a shard of Ka, a reflection of me.
"We should not follow him, Isis," Sekhmet said, delivering a sober look. "He will turn on us once Set is dead."
"He would never do that," Isis countered, shaking her head. She refused to believe Osiris would ever harm any of his people. He was a protector, a guardian.
She is wrong, Ka-Ken. We must pursue him. There is great danger in allowing him to feed. The mutagen could spread. Those he slays may rise again, just as he has.
Chapter 10- Hope
Isis pulled her cloak tightly about her as she left the passage's shelter for the thick snow falling across the Valley. Sekhmet trotted ahead of her, boots leaving a set of tracks that shadowed those Osiris had left just minutes before. His intermingled with two other sets, one larger and one smaller. Set and his last surviving hunter.
"They cannot be far ahead," Sekhmet called back, low enough that her words were nearly swallowed by the storm. A few threads of scarlet had pulled loose from her ponytail, writhing about her as the wind played with them. "Are you certain you wish to do this? I do not know what Osiris has become, but it is some sort of demon. My weapons may not even harm him."
"This will come down to the magic the god gave me," Isis explained, certain it was true even if she didn't know precisely what she could do to stop Osiris. It killed her both that she had brought him back and that she must be the one to subdue him.
The cold pierced her furs, yet a curious warmth suffused her entire body. Whatever this conduit was apparently conferred many benefits. She kept pace with Sekhmet, something that would not have been possible even a single day before. They ranged through the snow, eventually topping a rise.
Below lay a shallow ravine, its base hidden in the gathering darkness. Anything could lurk within. All three sets of footsteps disappeared down a steep trail, one made even more treacherous by the snow.
"We can still turn back," Sekhmet offered, gaze searching.
Isis understood. Osiris had been the strongest hunter, the fiercest warrior. That was before the dark magic Isis had unleashed. Now he was even more powerful. Who knew what strange abilities he might possess? Or even if he could be killed. Entering that ravine might mean both their deaths.
Green light flared from below, briefly illuminating three figures. The largest leapt upon the smallest, Osiris's form bearing Set's final companion to the ground. Set didn't come to the man's aid, instead turning to run. He sprinted through the ravine, but the snow slowed his pace. There was a sharp crack of bone, then Osiris rose to his feet.
"Set," he roared, taking a step forward. "Will you really die with your back to me, fleeing like the coward you've become? The brother I remembered was strong. Loyal. Fierce. Has the wretch who has taken his place fallen so far that you are afraid to meet death on your feet?"
That drew Set's attention. He turned to face his brother even as the eerie green glow around Osiris dimmed. "I saw you die, shade. Whatever you've become, you are not my near brother. You are not Osiris, and I'll not stand here and be lectured by you. I outlived my brother. Whatever you are is a demon that spits on his memory. If you've come to kill me, then let us dance."
Set's eyes flashed in the dim. He took a step toward Osiris, brandishing his spear. Isis began to slide down the trail, using the staff to prevent her from falling.
"No," Sekhmet hissed, seizing her shoulder. "Let them fight. Osiris deserves his revenge, whatever he's become. You can use your magic after they've settled the matter, there will be time yet."
She was right. Osiris had become a monster, but that didn't change what Set had done. He would reap the fate his actions had sowed.
The green light flared, a corona of power around Osiris. He leapt skyward, coming down atop Set like a cave lion, claws extended. Set was a gifted warrior, and he saw the blow coming. He rolled backwards, bracing his spear against the ground and aiming it at Osiris's chest. It cut a bloody furrow from chest to shoulder, but Osiris twisted to avoid the weapon.
He landed atop his near brother, claws scything down once, twice, a third time. Each blow drew a panicked cry of agony from Set, but there was nothing he could do. Osiris's larger form pinned him in place, and the strange green glow seemed to infuse her chieftain with enormous power.
Then Osiris began to feed. He took Set's head in his hands, mouth opening to reveal a sea of jagged teeth. He lunged, fangs sinking into his brother's neck. He ripped loose a hunk of flesh and wolfed it down. It was the single most vile, most
terrifying act Isis had ever seen.
Isis fell to her knees, dropping the staff. Her stomach heaved, and then she was emptying this morning's meal noisily into the snow. She was dimly aware of Sekhmet doing the same a few feet away.
Recover yourself, Ka-Ken. He will soon finish feeding, and you will be his next prey. You must subdue him and quickly.
The voice was right. Isis gripped the staff and used it to heave herself to her feet. The glow around Osiris intensified as he fed, until the light was nearly blinding. At long last he rose to his feet, blood and bits of flesh coating his face and neck.
He turned to face her, a demonic grin spreading across his features. Then Osiris leapt, the motion carrying him far further than any man had a right to jump. He landed in a crouch atop a snow-covered boulder a little distance away.
Sekhmet scrambled to her feet, drawing her stone axe as she positioned herself between Isis and the thing that had once been Osiris. "Stay back, demon. Your vengeance has been slaked. There's nothing further for you here. Be gone, or we will defend ourselves."
"Be gone?" Osiris replied. He looked genuinely confused, his eyes widening as he looked down at himself. "By the spirits..." he trailed off, and when he looked up again his expression was forlorn. "I do not know what magic you used to bring me back, but it was tainted. This place truly is cursed. I am sorry for bringing us here. Better that we'd died than suffer such a fate."
He dropped from the rock, landing in the snow near them. Osiris fell to his knees, pulling the furs back to expose his chest. "Do what you must."
Isis froze. She couldn't kill him, not again. He sounded like himself. Surely there was some chance he could be redeemed, become the man he'd been before. She just had to find it.
"We will not harm you, my chieftain," she said, stepping up next to Sekhmet and placing a hand on her friend's shoulder to stay her wrath. "We will escort you back to the Ark, that's what the strange mountain is called. Inside there are magical chambers called rejuvenators. I have been gifted with great magic, and may be able to use these to cleanse the darkness from your heart."
"Isis," he whispered, a single scarlet tear sliding down his cheek. "If it is possible I will try, but I fear it is not. There is a voice in my head, slithering through my mind like a serpent. It whispers dark things. Tells me to feed."
"Are you chieftain or not?" Sekhmet snarled, taking several steps closer. She pulled the fang necklace from her neck and tossed it at Osiris's feet. "This voice is not your master. Listen to my near sister. She does possess great magic and if a way exists to save you then she will find it. If it does not then you will learn to master this evil. Return to this Ark. Fight, as any warrior would."
"You are right," Osiris said, picking up the necklace and sliding it around his neck. "As long as I have the will, I shall continue to fight. I will return with you to this...rejuvenator. Isis, my love, you will find a way to cleanse me."
Isis rushed forward, throwing her arms around Osiris. She didn't care about the blood or about the strange green glow. After all, she was different now too. Together a way could be found. They could be happy, could rebuild their tribe.
There was hope.
There is still a matter to tend to, Ka-Ken.
Isis disengaged from Osiris, unsure what the voice meant.
We must be certain that the mutagen has not spread. Look to the bodies of the fallen, ensure they do not rise as your Dun rose.
She raised her staff, commanding the sapphire to glow with the brilliance of the sun. It illuminated the bodies below: Set and his final companion. The scene was ghastly, but the bodies were still.
Chapter 11- Despair
The creature's eyes snapped open and it rose slowly to its feet. Snow fell all about it, yet curiously it did not feel the cold. It felt nothing, save hunger. The creature knew that it was a walking corpse, a dead thing that should not be. Such things were unnatural. Evil. Cursed. How was this possible?
When you were slain, the mutagen spread to your body, as it will in turn spread to those you kill, a voice whispered, dark with malice. The creature accepted its presence without question.
It gazed around, licking its lips as it saw the pool of blood drenching the snow all around it. The creature fell to its knees and lapped eagerly at the blood. The tangy liquid tasted of life, of power. The blood was gone all too soon, and the creature looked around for more. Its gaze fell on a figure in the snow only a little ways away. That figure had begun to stir and even now was rising to its feet. It was familiar somehow, this figure. It was short and male, with a graying beard and dull lifeless eyes.
Your former companion, the voice whispered in the back of its mind. Feed upon him and your strength will grow.
So the creature did. It charged the smaller figure, bearing it to the ground and smashing its head against a rock again and again until it stopped moving. Then the creature began to feed. The flesh was cold, but each mouthful filled it with strength, though it did nothing to sate the awful hunger.
Yes, feed and grow strong, the voice said, a proud father. Find others of your species. Consume them.
The creature fed, but as it feasted a troubling thought flittered through its mind. It had a name but could not remember it. What was it called? This lack of identity was troubling.
You are called Set, my host.
Set smiled grimly, for with knowledge of his name memory came flooding back. The world would pay a furious price for the wrongs it had heaped upon him. He would slay them all, and as they died, they would rise again. A glorious army of the dead, united in their service to him.
He rose and wiped blood from his chin, smiling as he walked away from the Black Mountain and into the storm.
Epilogue
Ka was more satisfied than she'd been in nearly three eons. Her plan had two segments, a primary way to seed the world with new Ark Lords, and a backup plan, should the first fail. Both had succeeded.
She watched as the new Ka-Ken led her companions back into the central chamber, pausing by the central obelisk. The woman slammed the primary access key against the floor, then called out to the air around her. "Show yourself, Ka. I would have words."
Her anger was clear, as was the reason. The mutagen had transformed her mate in ways she, no doubt, found disquieting. They ran contrary to nearly every life form that had graced the planet.
"I am here," Ka said, willing a holographic representation to shimmer into existence not far from the Ka-Ken. "Ask your questions and I will answer as I am able."
"What have you set in motion?" she asked, eyes hard. She gestured at the Dun. "This mutagen you had me craft, tell me exactly what it has done to Osiris."
Her fiery-haired companion lurked behind her, standing on the balls of her feet as if she might attack. It would be fruitless, of course. Ka's current representation had no substance.
"The mutagen combined helixes from many species, primarily primate and simian. However, those alone would not have been sufficient to restore your Dun to life. That required a cellular activator, one that could restore necrotic flesh. Such a creature lived during the warmer epoch that preceded this one, approximately seven million years ago. Its body adapted to process a special band of solar radiation that could restart mitosis even if the body had been inert for years."
"What of the voice in my head?" Osiris roared, taking a step closer to Ka. His eyes flared green, clear proof that his body had been infused with the proper radiation. Excellent. He would be even stronger than she'd anticipated.
"Just as I gifted your Ken with a shard of my own existence so to do you possess one," Ka explained, experiencing another surge of satisfaction. Such an unexpected victory. "It contains a part of my knowledge and will guide you as I would guide you, even if you stray far from the Ark."
"This voice," Osiris said, grip tightening on his spear. "Tells me to feed on the flesh of my mate, to slay Sekhmet and feast on her corpse. It. Is. Evil."
"That is unexpected, yet the concept of go
od and evil are arbitrary and defined by your own morality," Ka countered. "Ultimately your own mind should retain control and your shard should serve as nothing more than an advisor. It seeks your preservation, and the mutagen ensures that your strength will grow as you feed. This is why it recommends such seemingly harsh actions. They are merely a means of ensuring your continued survival."
"Is there no way he can be rid of it?" Sekhmet asked, venturing a little closer. She seemed afraid of Ka, but mastered that fear. Impressive.
"It is a part of him now. The mutagen has permanently altered his genetic structure. Even if it were possible to remove doing so would kill him," Ka offered, understanding that her words did not please the hominids, but also understanding that their approval meant little. What she'd set in motion would echo across millennia, transforming their entire species regardless of what they chose here. It was too late for them to interfere.
The Ka-Ken cocked her head as if listening, then her eyes narrowed. "The voice in my head claims that the mutagen spreads like a sickness. That those killed by Osiris could rise just as he did. Is that true?"
"It is," Ka admitted, nodding.
"Why?" the Ka-Ken asked. "You've created a plague. One that could wipe out the few of us left."
"You are incorrect on two points," Ka countered. "First, I did not create the mutagen. You did. I merely guided you, but the act itself was yours. Second, it will not wipe out anyone. Merely reshape them into a form much more adept at surviving the harsh environment outside the Ark. This glaciation has lasted for eleven hundred years and could persist for several more millennia. The mutagen provides an unparalleled genetic adaptation that may allow your species to survive where it would otherwise perish."
"It turns our people into walking corpses," Osiris said, eyes flaring green. His hands trembled and Ka had no doubt that if she possessed a throat this hominid would attempt to choke her. Then his eyes widened in sudden realization. "By the gods. You say that any slain in this way will rise. That means that Set..."