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Chapter Text

It hadn't always been this way. Osiris never used to have to fight for Seth to love him... but now every look, every word, even a touch, had to carry a certain amount of calculation. Osiris had to be careful not to show too much because She was watching him. Spying on him with her ever watchful Eye, waiting for the perfect time to strike! Osiris was going to have to strike at Her first!

It was a beautiful night out here in the desert, but when was it not? The rolling hills of golden sand became now a reflection of the night sky; shimmering like diamonds under the silver light of the moon. Nut smiled above them. The sky was filled with a canopy of stars that were too numerous to count, but it was fun for them to try. A task the two would often undertake after rolling around in the sand during a heated embrace filled with passion.

Osiris met Seth out in the desert, which was their favorite place to rendezvous. Keeping as far away from prying eyes as they dared to so that no one would come looking. It was bad enough that the time they had already spent together was looked down upon and did not go unnoticed by all those clucking hens in the palace. Isis herself disapproved of the attention Osiris lavished on Seth. If she only knew that the heart of her husband was never going to be hers.

He held his arms out to Seth, who came willingly into them, and Osiris wrapped his arms tight around that pale, lithe body, holding him close. Seth's skin was naturally warmed by the intrinsic heat that stemmed from the chaos living within him. He would always say it was for Osiris that he burned; those words driving the God of Life wild with need every time he would say them! Osiris would bury himself deep as a result, locking their bodies together as one until the heavens broke open, raining down on them those glittering stars.

No, their mother didn't bring the heavens crashing down around them in a punishing blow, admonishing their love; it was Osiris having an out-of-body experience, so taken by the pleasure he had continued to derive from the body of his beloved desert. Osiris rolled to his back, lying with eyes wide and unseeing as he worked to bring himself back from the greatest height of pleasure. Counting the stars helped, and he smiled as he heard Seth counting along with him. Reaching, Osiris laced his fingers through Seth's, a subtle display of his undying love.

"Will you stay with me tonight, my desert rose?" Osiris was finally able to ask once his heartbeat had slowed.

Seth situated himself until he had his head placed comfortably against the broad chest of his brother, his hand splayed out over one muscled pectoral. For some reason, he had taken to tracing a nipple with the tip of his index finger, and he sighed.

"I don't know if that's such a good idea." Seth breathed.

"Why, beloved... " Osiris couldn't hide the disappointment from his voice.

Seth lifted, seeking the lips of Osiris. The kiss he placed there was tender and understanding. "Isis has begun her campaign against same sex relations. You know how many eyes are upon us all now. We are to be her shining example for mortals to follow. You know that if we were found— "

Osiris silenced this protest with his mouth on Seth's, showing that he didn't give a damn about being caught, though he above anyone should! Isis was his wife, and this campaign that she was running was done in an effort to help his bid for the throne. Ra didn't care about such things, openly advocating for the abolishment of marriage. Let free love reign! It disturbed Osiris to share in the Sun God's belief, especially when She had tried so hard to keep them from being born!

Strange that those around them should fight so hard against same sex relations; but the pinnacle of Isis' argument was that it went against everything they believed about the duality of the cosmos. A male must have his female counterpart for the continuation of life. This was a belief supported by other gods, and the humans knew nothing but to follow. If Osiris was found to be cavorting with his brother in more than a playful way... who would support him as king? That didn't matter to him at present.

Seth was giving in to him, Osiris could feel it in the way his mouth moved, and how his body melted into him. They were going to make love again. He pulled Seth's body on top of his, a finger slipping into his hole, still slick with cum. He pressed in, curling his finger once he found that precious nub. Osiris pressed and rubbed the sweet spot with gentle pressure making Seth cry out into his mouth.

Osiris placed Seth on his back, replacing his finger with his engorged cock. With Seth's hole already primed, it was easier for Osiris to push his phallus in to the hilt; and it was easier for him to pound his cock into that tight hole with wild abandon. He didn't want to go easy and neither did Seth, who encouraged him with his breathy cries floating out into the night.

He removed himself from Seth's body eliciting from him a desperate whine as he shifted their position. Face down and ass up, that's how he liked it the most! Osiris plunged into that tight passage like a man possessed, seeing what he could of the side of Seth's face, delighting in its ever changing expression with each long, hard stroke of his cock.

Seth's cheeks grew red, and as the tension wound itself to its breaking, his eyes flew open. His mouth was made into the perfect shape of an O as he cried Osiris' name while crashing hard into release. Seth flailed about like a fish caught on a spear, his body shuddering with delight. Each tremor forcing his passage to clamp down around Osiris' shaft, driving the God of Life to lose himself in his own desperate climb toward climax.

He was loud, perhaps louder than he should have been; but they were far out in the desert, away from prying eyes and ears. Who was going to hear them as they lost control, both of them allowing loud groans to come tearing out their throats as they came? His cock squelched through the cum left in the wake of his orgasm and even that made a loud noise, adding to the song of his cries as they mingled with Seth's. Osiris was brought to the realization that meeting in the desert was a wise idea.

Until he heard a little voice ask: "What are you two doing?"

The pair froze in a very compromising position. Osiris' breath stuck in his throat. What did they do? How did they turn this situation to their advantage?

"Herut... " Osiris said with a nervous and breathless chuckle, "... what are you doing out here?"

"I came looking for Seth. We have a dedication ceremony to be at in the morning, and it's my first one. I'm nervous."

"There's no reason to be nervous, my little scarab." Seth said, his voice trembling a little. They needed to get out of this position!

"Yeah... I know." Herut said with his head bent chin to chest. "So, what are you two doing?"

"We were wrestling." Osiris answered, looking around for his shendyt.

"Naked?" The kid asked, his voice filled with skepticism. Herut spent a lot of time with his intended wife, Hathor; and while he was still considered a child in the world of gods, he wasn't ignorant. "No one sounds like that when they wrestle. You two were having sex!"

"No we weren't!" Seth exclaimed, his hands pushing at Osiris' thighs.

Osiris came to his feet, walking back to pick up his shendyt. "The Greeks wrestle this way all the time." He called over his shoulder with a nervous chuckle, hoping to put little Herut's accusation to rest.

He was immediately thankful his clothing faced away from Herut so that the boy couldn't see how his cock was left glistening from the sex they said that they didn't have. Osiris was pulling the skirt up over his hips when to his ears there reached a terrible cry of pain. He turned in time to see Seth standing over Herut with a bloodied khopesh in hand.

"Gods!" Osiris cried, running up to where the child lay dying, genuinely confused. "What have you done, my love?"

Seth's ruby eyes were wide with horror, blood dripping from the curved blade of his weapon. "I... I don't... know!" He stammered in a hushed voice.

Herut lay on the ground, his life's blood flowing out to stain the pristine grains of sand. Blood gurgled in his throat, choking off any words he may have spoken. Osiris bent to pick him up and cradled their little brother in his arms. He could save him... couldn't he?

Osiris was gifted with the giving and even the taking of life, but did that extend to this little god here dying in his arms?

"I did this for you, Asar." Seth suddenly said.

"What? In what way was this for me, Suetekh?" But he already knew the answer to that question. Osiris' brows drew together, an angry line: "Do not pretend that you thought only for me! You stand to benefit too in keeping his tongue from wagging!"

It was cruel to say, and cruel to think. Of course, Seth acted out of impulse when he did this; and now that he'd said the words aloud, Osiris knew that it was better if the child died. He would tell and they would be parted! What did they do, though? Herut was growing weaker, his death was close at hand when a scream shattered the night.

Isis was there, running toward them. Her arms held out in front of her, and her eyes were filled with terror. "What has happened? What did the two of you do?!"

A strangled cry came from Seth's throat before he dropped his bloodied khopesh in the sand, turning to run away just as Isis reached them.

"Tell me what happened, Asar!"

Osiris fell to his knees with Herut held tight to his chest. "It was an accident." He whispered.

"He's dying! Give him to me!" Isis demanded.

"We were sparing, and did not see him there." Osiris said as he handed the limp body over to Isis. "He wasn't supposed to be out here– none of you are!"

Isis rebuked Osiris: "Don't you yell at me! There are plenty of safe places to spar inside the palace. The two of you don't need to come out here to do it! I came after him, now I wish that I had been faster in getting to him!"

They both stilled at the sound of Herut's final breath, and Isis could not stifle the wail that wrenched itself free of her throat. Gods, it was a terrible sound, and it tore at Osiris' heart. He looked out into the desert, his eyes searching to find Seth; but of course, he would not be near to this tragic moment. His tender heart must be so tattered right now! So broken. Osiris needed to find him. He needed to comfort his desert and get their story straight.

As he watched, his magical wife gathered Herut's soul in her hands. It glowed an eerie blue as she held it there, hovering soundlessly in the night.

"What are you going to do with that, Aset?" Osiris wondered, an uneasy feeling washing over him.

"SHE is going to do nothing with his Akh." Ra called out, manifesting before the kneeling pair. "I will take him."

"Why?" Isis asked with tears streaming down her face.

"Because a storm is coming, Aset. This Akh was intended to be a Sky God, and that makes him mine. I shall take him into myself and add to my strength." Her hands held out, ready to receive the Akh of Herut.

Isis held her hands out to Ra, sobs emitting from her in an open display of her broken heart as she watched Ra absorb her little brother's Akh into her body. Osiris put a comforting arm around her shoulders and Isis turned to bury her face into his chest. This was not the one he longed to comfort, and the smirk on Ra's face told him that She knew this already.

"Take your wife back to the palace. She will need to grieve, as will Nephthys when you tell her of this tragedy." Ra said to him, a knowing glint shimmering in Her golden eyes.

"What about Seth? We need to find him!" Isis eeked out of a constricted throat. "He must feel so terrible!"

"I will see to his well-being." Ra assured her, but Osiris knew better.

"I can find him." Osiris said, coming to his feet.

"But, I want you to take me back home!" Isis whined.

Osiris had to grit his teeth at the sound of her complaining. Seth needed him, and he needed Seth! Herut may be dead but he wasn't gone. He was in the worst place possible if a secret was going to remain a secret: being housed within the body of Ra Herself! But, he could not turn away from Isis, especially with Ra there casting upon him a weighted gaze. Did She already know why Herut was dead? Of course, She did... those perfect smirking lips told him so.

Osiris went with Isis back to Heliopolis, wondering all the while how Ra had even come to know of this tragedy. They arrived back at the palace, and Osiris made sure to get Isis settled into bed after having a quick hit of crushed blue lotus. Once she was asleep, Osiris went to find Seth, calling out to Ra and demanding his whereabouts to be disclosed to him.

"Certainly, Asar. I will bring him back to you soon, but first, there is an upgrade that must be made." The Sun God told him.

"What? Is he ready?" This could be a good thing, for both he and Seth.

"He will have to be."

"I don't understand. He has to be ready for the ascension to happen, doesn't he?" Osiris felt sick to his stomach.

"I have my ways, Asar. You should know this." The arrogance in Her voice frazzled his nerves. He just knew that something bad was going to happen!

She talked to him no more, and Osiris had such a hard time sleeping that night. It was more than his worry for Seth, he could also hear the wailing of Nephthys.

'Gods, I wish she would shut the fuck up!'

Finally, it got to where he could stand it no longer. Osiris went to her and forced a shot of blue lotus tea down her throat.

"Sleep, sister." He murmured soothingly as Nephthys gradually lost consciousness.

This allowed him to walk the empty halls, his shadow stretching out before him as if to reach toward eternity. Of course, he was devastated by the loss of Herut, but he felt more the absence of Seth. Tears began to well up in his eyes, dripping down onto the ground beside the garden he'd come to stand by.

From those tears sprang a new vine, and it was aggressive in its will to survive; reaching and winding, and suffocating all that grew in the garden. Was this the result of his grief? Life that was so invasive nothing could withstand it? Osiris hoped not. He killed the vine hoping to never see its like again. The sun began to rise and it made his stomach tighten with dread. Who was he going to find upon Seth's return? As a god, would Seth love him still?

His return was a silent one, Osiris finding him standing on the balcony which could be accessed through the throne room. The sun shone through the silken strands of his crimson hair like a flickering flame about the crown of his head.

"Suetekh... " Osiris said, his voice soft and unsure.

Seth turned his head to the side, not even bothering to face Osiris completely. "Hey, Asar." He said, pulling his pouty lips to the side in a cheeky grin. "Have you ever seen something so cool?"

Osiris came to stand beside Seth and saw that he was building things in the sand just by the mere thought of it.

"Beautiful." Osiris murmured, lifting his fingers to stroke the red strands of Seth's hair.

"I know." Seth said with an arrogant huff, and then he slapped away Osiris' hand. "Stop that, man!"

Pain stabbed at Osiris' heart when Seth did not wish for his touch after such a traumatic incident. "I just thought— "

"Thought what? That I'd want you fucking with my hair? Since when did I ever want that, bro?" Seth complained.

So this was it. This is how Osiris would be punished. Seth no longer wanted to be touched by him. Osiris tested the extent of this by trying to pull Seth into his arms.

"What the fuck, man! Did your cat die? Why are you hanging on me like this?" Seth snapped, struggling to be free of his grasp.

"My cat? No... don't you... " Osiris was stunned. Seth, it seemed, did not even remember the brother whose life he had so impulsively taken. "Do you feel nothing, Suetekh?"

Seth's lips puckered, "I feel... hungry! Is it time for breakfast yet?" Taking a couple of steps away from Osiris, Seth turned and asked: "Why would you ask that? Am I missing something here?"

It was as thoughtful a question as his little love could ask, but there was no recognition within his heart. Seth truly wondered what he was supposed to be feeling.

Osiris looked at him, his dark gaze revealing nothing of the ache in his heart. 'Guilt, shame, a tremendous need to be in my arms.' Words that Osiris did not give voice to, saying instead: "Nothing important... just go and find yourself some food."

Seth left him standing there, and his mouth dropped open in disbelief. His little sand master was no longer his; taken from him by the Sun God who used their tragedy to cripple the heart of Osiris. Did She think that he would crumble? That he would just give up? Oh, no, that was not his way! Osiris would have his beloved back if it was the last thing he ever did!

As time went on, Osiris made his plans and watched as his little brother had difficulty finding his place in their dynamic. As a god, Seth had to find what it was that he was best at, and so far, that only included pottery and glass blowing. It was beneath him, and Osiris could see that Seth struggled to find meaning in these miniscule gifts while also trying to strengthen his skill at conjuring by his will alone, things from sand that could be useful to him.

Osiris felt his mounting frustration; he could see that Seth's wanderlust was beginning to return, so secretly the God of Life began to suffocate that which he was in charge of flourishing. Let the desert grow! Let those who would suffer under its scorching heat and withering crops come in search of a place that offered a plentiful bounty; and when they did, Osiris would give Seth his purpose.

"I dub thee the God of War, Suetekh!" Osiris bolstered for all the gathered Gods of Heliopolis to hear. "He has proven himself with this one great battle, earning this prestigious title as the Supreme Protector of Kemet!"

Seth stood with his arms crossed over his proud chest. Even with the sacred hood of the Sha covering his most alluring features, Osiris could not catch his breath as it was lost to the beauty of his precious heart. No one questioned his decision to make Seth their God of War; no one would dare, not even his lovely sisters.

On with his plans, Osiris would go, building for himself a place of secrecy in which to concoct his ideas for making Seth his in the truest sense of the word! It wasn't enough for him to return the memory of his lover– no –Osiris wanted more! He wanted Seth to be his mate, to have his... children...

Of course that was preposterous! Wasn't it? It could happen. All he had to do was come up with a way to make it happen; but the more he tried, the harder it was to accept his failure. There was no way for a male to have a child. Without the Power of Creation, the result was an abomination.

As Osiris tried to figure out a way to bestow upon Seth his child, Isis' campaign against same sex relations was heating up, and Seth had come to Osiris with a request for Nephthys' hand in marriage. It broke him to do it, but what choice did he have? He could try saying that Seth was gone too much to take a bride, but in seeing how happy the two were (yes, Seth and Nephthys had somehow managed to find love ), he had no choice but to agree.

Their love burned in the belly of Osiris like a chunk of coal, fueling his ambition! He worked ever harder now, only, there was something he had yet to do. A deed to ensure that Seth sired no children with his soon-to-be sister-wife; for that honor belonged to Osiris. Nephthys would have no choice but to come to the God of Life, seeking a child; and for this gift, he would ask for one in return...

To enact one part of his plan, Osiris needed to get Seth drunk. So, on an evening dubbed perfect for brotherly bonding, he set out to do that very thing (which was no small feat), promising the brewmaster who feared having served his god too much, that there would be no repercussions. Osiris offered to escort their beloved God of War safely back to his chambers. The night drew to a close and Osiris honored his promise, at one point having to carry the intoxicated Seth. It felt good to have his desert in his arms like this again, and he savored every moment, picking the furthest room he could find in which to take him. So far, everything was going according to plan.

Osiris was careful as he entered one of the rooms meant for palace guests, unable to take Seth to his own rooms, for fear of being caught before the job was done. To think of it ran a shiver through him, imagining Nephthys bursting through the door to ask the same question Herut had asked, and paying the same price! Osiris shook himself free of that thought while laying his sleeping beauty down on the softness of the feathered mattress. Seth groaned, doing a complete roll until he came to settle on his back in the middle of the bed.

Osiris smiled as his thoughts turned lecherous, eyes roaming over the perfection of Seth's godly body; and he felt a sudden deep craving for the feel of his hand curling around Seth's cock, and the taste of Seth's cum on his tongue. A desire he had every intention of indulging as he eased his large body up next to his drunk brother.

The room was dark, and a cool breeze floated through the billowing curtains to fill the room with the gentle fragrance of the lotus flower. Osiris kissed Seth's shoulder, his lips gliding toward the dent in his neck, perfect for cradling a tongue that longed for the salt of his skin. Seth moaned, breathing out the name of his wife, and it was like a kick to the gut for Osiris. Did Nephthys often taste him there? It was a pleasure Seth had learned from him, not her!

Osiris swallowed his fury, reminding himself that he was here for a purpose; and while he wanted nothing more than to kiss Seth's pouty lips, he kissed his way down to the band of Seth's shendyt instead. Osiris had a purpose that went beyond reminding Seth who it was that taught him what he liked a lover to do.

His tongue followed every contour of Seth's stomach, and because he was dead drunk, his desert rose would never know that the pleasure reaching through his subconscious was a memory of Osiris' teachings. Seth loved a great many things, but what drove him to the brink during every encounter was to be taken by the mouth of his lover.

He loved to be licked, and sucked, with special attention being paid to the head of his cock by tongue and lips; and Osiris was only too happy to remind him, lightly flicking the underside of the head with the tip of his tongue before wrapping his lips around it and gently sucking. Even intoxicated, this move brought Seth's hips up off the bed and a sultry moan from his lips.

'Yes, remember me, brother.'

Osiris took him further into his mouth, hollowing out his cheeks and bobbing his head. With each pass, he took more and more of Seth's cock into his mouth, until it reached the back of his throat. He took no breath, he didn't need it. Instead, he pressed further, choking himself on the girth of Seth's phallus, smiling inwardly when his desert rose bucked up into his mouth.

'Remember me... ' He silently begged.

The name that fell from the lips of Seth as he came was not Osiris', but that of Nephthys; and at first it pained his heart. From this tortured blow, Osiris would double down on his efforts to bring Seth to him. The taking of his seed was only the beginning.

Osiris left Seth there to sleep it off, taking a vase from a housing table, throwing out its contents, and replacing it with a mouthful of Seth's cum. Now... he had to work on getting Nephthys pregnant, and he knew just what he had to do to have her begging for him to plant his seed in her belly.

Chapter Text

My beloved desert....

There were quiet times when Osiris would ponder the moment in which this all began. The death of Herut. Oh what a blessing it must be: the gift of memory loss that gave Seth the ability to forget what he had done to keep their secret safe; but there was one who knew, and She would not hesitate to use it to her advantage.

Ra used it now to keep them apart, moving the pieces on the Senet board to keep Seth away from him. What did She know apart from the encounter that Herut had witnessed? Did She know how deeply the two had loved one another before all of this went down? If she did, Ra should have been the first in line to protect their love; instead, She lurks in the shadows like some smirking jester, playing Her games and laughing all the way!

Osiris no longer recognized himself with the things he had done and the lengths he would go to in order to bring Seth back to him and to give him the child who would bind them in body and soul. He has taken the seed of his little brother so that, on their wedding night, there is no possibility of Nephthys getting pregnant. All he needed to do now was wait for her to become desperate enough to come to him.

"Why wait?"

Her voice slithered its way along his spine, and Osiris squirmed uncomfortably in his seat, casting her a side glance as he brought a chalice up to his lips. He took a large sip, holding it in his mouth and absorbing all the flavors of the wine with his tongue before swallowing. He did this in an effort to appear uninterested in her reason for coming to him.

"What are you doing here, Sekhmet?" He breathed, making sure to sound annoyed by her presence.

The Goddess of Destruction spread her red lips into a wide smile, the golden eyes of her lioness hood glimmered with mischief.

"I thought you would never ask." She purred, her claws crawling across his back, shoulder to shoulder. "I can feel that you suffer, God of Life, and it pains my tender heart so... "

Osiris shrugged off her arm, which had come to rest over his shoulder. "I didn't know that you even had a heart to be pained, daughter of Ra." He said, rolling his eyes.

Sekhmet tossed her head back, a laugh which caused him to grind his teeth together, grates on his ears. "Oh, you are so funny, grand nephew. But, in all seriousness... I have felt your pain, and I want so much to help you ease it."

Osiris faced her fully now, slamming his palms onto the table in front of him. "What is this pain that you keep going on about? I have everything I could ever wish for. What is left to pain my heart enough that it brings you to my side?"

He had to at least try to play dumb. As the daughter of Ra, Sekhmet would know what her mother knew, and there was no doubt that she was here now to do the bidding of her mother.

Her lips puckered as she propped her upper body against his shoulder. "Awe, you have me all wrong, sweetness. Just ask my darling husband who was the champion of the people, long before you rose to take the title. Ptah will tell you that I am deeply empathetic."

It was Osiris' turn to laugh; and laugh he did, right in her face. "You are many things, Sekhmet, but one who bears a heart full of compassion you are not!"

"You wound me, Asar." She whined, "But you do upset my plans as I have only come to help."

"I don't need your help!" Osiris growled.

"Seth is lost to you." She announced, quite suddenly.

He was offended by her words, his dark eyes wide as he stared at her. So, it was as he thought, Sekhmet knew what her mother knew, and now she had come to toy with him on Ra's behalf!

"I don't know what the fuck you're talking about, and I no longer wish to indulge in this little game you've come to play." He stood, and the sound of his chair as it scrapped along the marble floor rang loud throughout the room. "You would give with one hand while seeking to take with the other."

He was turning to leave when she made her offer: "What if I told you that there was a way to get him back– a simpler way? Would you want what I offered then?"

Osiris stood, his feet firmly planted and unable to take one more step that would carry him away from what was sure to be a mistake. He has made so many in the days since the death of Herut. So many in his pursuit to win his beloved desert back to his side. He should have just scooped Seth up into his arms that night, instead of the dying Herut. He should have scooped him up and ran far away from here.

Osiris sighed, "How?"

"There is a mirror... " Sekhmet sweetly purred.

There was to be a great celebration today, and the city was alive with preparation. A royal wedding for the God of War and his princess, the Goddess of Harmony and Peace. Some were apprehensive of this match, hoping that the goddess would not soften her husband too much. Egypt still needed protecting, after all.

Osiris had to hide his irritation at having to stop with his experiments (no one knew of them anyway) to be present for a wedding he was loathe to attend. Yet, if he didn't, his absence would raise all kinds of questions, and it would be Isis who interrogated him! If she were to do that to him on this day of all days, he would lose his temper!

To Osiris, it seemed that he was the only one to remember Herut, and according to Sekhmet, Ra had planned it that way, to remind him of his indiscretion.

'She told me that you would know what that is.' Sekhmet told him, feigning ignorance.

Osiris was no fool. If she came to him already knowing that his heart was for Seth, then she had to know why Osiris was cursed to remember the death of his little brother when none of the others seemed to care about it. She did try to get him to say it out loud, but he refused, telling her to ask her mother if she wanted to know so badly!

Sekhmet had told him of a mirror that had special properties. It had the ability to make the looker feel either lust or love when gazing at the image of another using this mirror. He asked why it had to be one or the other, and she said that she didn't know; the mirror had been a gift from her mother to Hathor, and love as well as lust were the coins of her realm.

'Why would she need such a gift? Hathor is the Goddess of Love, could she not inspire either lust or love without the use of a trinket?'

Sekhmet shrugged one shoulder, 'She is terrible at love, but lust, now that she has down pact!'

'One can often be confused for the other.' Osiris murmured, glancing over to see that Sekhmet smirked at him.

Always smirking, like her mother, and it was infuriating! She could stand to let someone in on the joke once in a while!

Already Osiris was trying to figure out a way to broach the need for him and his army to go to this temple called Nekhen-Re, near Saqqara. He had to think of a way to keep Seth out of it because Ra would fight dirty, no doubt, and Seth would be the pawn by which She won her victory over Osiris. He already had his excuse... he was ready to take the throne; and Isis was ready for him to take it, amassing many followers in support of him.

"My Lord Osiris!" He looked to see a servant come running up to him, fighting to catch their breath.

"Go on, say what you came to say. I am very busy, you know." Osiris gently chided.

"Seth... h-he needs you... " The human breathed.

Osiris felt his heart lodge into his throat as he raced off to find Seth. Had he waited, he would have been told exactly where he was supposed to go, but he has never really needed direction when it came to finding Seth, he just sort of always knew where he was.

"My beloved— " Osiris stopped, horrified with himself as he saw Seth's weirded-out expression.

"Beloved?" Seth said, sounding slightly disgusted.

"The look on your face stopped me, beloved brother." Osiris made sure to emphasize the word to clarify what he was going to say. Truthfully, it was a slip, but Seth didn't need to know that. Osiris walked up to Seth, and with his hand on Seth's shoulder, he said, "You know that you are beloved by me, right? As are all of you."

"None more than Isis, though." Seth said, a smile playing at one corner of his mouth. "I'm about to feel that way about Nephthys... but I'm so nervous! Tell me what to do about that, please! I don't want to make a fool of myself tonight!"

Seth was so dismayed, it delighting at Osiris' heart. His darling didn't remember that he was an excellent lover, but Osiris thought that he and Nephthys had been bedding one another these last weeks. They sure acted like they were fucking.

"Have you and Keku not been intimate already?" Osiris wondered, searching Seth's face for the answer.

Seth looked to his feet. "We mess around, but Keku wanted to wait for our wedding night to go all the way." His eyes returned to Osiris, and there was concern in their depths. "You don't think that she doesn't like me that way, do you?"

Osiris pulled Seth into a hug, and he savored the feel of this warm body so close to his. "There is no way. I bet that she loves you, and she wanted to wait so that she could show you how precious you are to her."

His face brightened, and Osiris thought he would come unglued. He wanted to take his darling by the shoulders and shake him in an effort to rattle those memories free from whatever box they were locked away in. He wanted Seth to remember him; remember the love he used to feel, that it was Osiris and not Nephthys who he wanted to call his spouse!

Instead, he blurted: "I'm going to go to war with Ra to take the throne."

"What?! Really?!" Osiris nodded yes, and Seth's face was like a beacon of rapturous light. "Yeeeesssss!" He sang, dancing around the table. "That is going to be so much fun, Asar!!So much fucking FUN!"

Now to burst his precious bubble, and Osiris was reluctant to do it. He wanted to be the reason Seth was the happiest today, not Nephthys! He should just agree with him, and allow Seth to stand at his side when he defeats Ra. He couldn't. There were too many variables and he needed to be sure that he won!

"You won't be there." He said quite frankly.

Seth stopped dancing, standing like a statue, unmoving. His ruby eyes smoldered with rage. "What the fuck do you mean, I'm not going to be there?!"

"I need you here to keep Heliopolis safe. This is Ra's main city. She will try and keep it under Her rule. If I am away, how will I keep that from happening if the protector of Kemet is also away?"

Seth continued to give him a baleful stare, the redness of his face slowly rising as the temperature of his rage grew hotter; and then he smiled.

"You're fucking with me, and on my wedding day, no less! It should be me to face Ra, and win Her throne for you, Asar. It would be a great honor for me to do this." Seth said proudly.

Osiris only smiled. He caved, allowing Seth to believe he was joking about making him stay behind. Osiris needed to feel the warmth of his happy smile, on this day of days: the day that Seth is taken further away from him. Osiris had a plan to remedy that, but he needed to continue to exercise his patience. Seth would be returned to him when everything was rightly aligned.

"I will see you at the ceremony, Suetekh."

Osiris was ready to get out of there before he did something stupid, like trying to kiss Seth. He needed a drink! Red wine was his favorite, but Seth loved a beer called Kha-Ahmet, so that is what Osiris would partake in, hoping for it to get him nice and drunk; but the damn stuff wasn't strong enough to keep him drunk. He was just gonna have to add some blue lotus to make it interesting. Osiris didn't want to remember a thing!

If you have ever wondered whether a god could experience a hangover, wonder no longer. It had happened to Sekhmet once, long ago when she had gone on a killing spree on behalf of her mother's pride. She was so bloodthirsty that she was killing every human she could find. Ra had to finally trick her by filling the Nile valley with beer dyed red with pomegranate juice. Sekhmet, thinking that it was the blood of her enemies, drank heartily until finally, she passed out. For three whole days, she slept; and when she woke, all she could think about was the headache she wanted to go away.

Osiris had now joined her ranks in his desperate bid not to feel anything during and after the wedding, that he had WAY too much to drink. Add to the alcohol a hallucinogenic drug, and he had become quite the spectacle yesterday.

With a groan, he rolled himself over and realized that he was on the floor of Isis' private quarters. "I'm on the floor." He mumbled.

"I was wondering when you were going to wake up." Isis said, in that grating, know-it-all, voice of hers. "You were quite the beast last night, lover."

Osiris' eyes popped open and were assaulted by the wretched light of Ra. With a cry, he quickly closed his burning eyes while using his thumbs to massage his aching temples, and blocking out the offending light with clasped fingers. Isis chuckling at his pain pissed him off instantly!

"Is there a reason that you left me on the damn floor, Aset?!"

Isis made a tsk sound with her tongue against her teeth. "Because to told me to. After you had finished ravaging me, you laid yourself on the floor and told me that it was where you belonged. Don't you remember?"

"Still, you could've put me in the bed." He grumbled, feeling as a wave of nausea washed over him.

"Here... " Her voice was gentle, "... open up and I'll give you something that will cure all your ills."

Without looking, Osiris did as she wanted him to, and Isis poured into his mouth a flowery-tasting liquid. Osiris swallowed it and as soon as it hit his stomach, he was better. In body that is. His mind was quite another story as flashes of the day before began to assert themselves in his waking mind. Osiris tried to stop it but couldn't.

Doubled over, he clutched at his head, remembering that he was the one to proclaim Seth and Nephthys as husband and wife before kissing each of them, one after the other, on the lips. His kiss lingered with Seth, long enough that his brother pushed him away, joking that he felt Osiris try to slip his tongue into his mouth. It wasn't a joke: Osiris had tried to taste Seth's mouth, and he could hear himself murmuring: 'My red desert... '

"You tried to kiss Seth yesterday if that tells you how drunk you were." Isis told him as if she had access to his thoughts.

Osiris chuckled, and a groan of misery followed. "Well. I have always liked his red hair." He said, trying to make light of the situation.

"Yes, well, I might have thought something was going on between you two had you not come to me last night. Gods, Asar, you were magnificent! I find myself wanting more, right here, right now!" She said, pushing him onto his back and straddling her husband.

"Isis– " Osiris began, but noticed that his manhood had responded rather quickly to the feel of her warmth. "Take it easy, my beautiful lotus."

She didn't, riding him hard until she came. Her cunt quivered over his cock in little tiny pulses, Isis crying out with each one. Osiris held her, what else could he do? The ride she'd given him milked his body of seed, which he was glad for because he didn't want to try to explain why he didn't get off. Now he didn't have to.

More images flashed in broken pictures within his mind, and Osiris realized that this was the reason he had gone to Isis in the first place. Like some pervert, he had wandered into the marriage suite to watch Seth bed Nephthys. Saw it. Heard it. Jerked himself off imagining that he was the one who Seth plunged his cock into so ruthlessly. But it wasn't enough of a release, so he went to Isis.

She was right, he was a beast last night, taking her every which way he could until she was begging him to be finished. Osiris remembered slinking onto the floor after, and he remembered crying into the crook of his arm, telling Isis to leave him on the floor like the dog he was! Fuck, he was stupid to think getting sloshed was a good idea; but he was just so tired of hiding, so tired of being someone else!

"Mmm, that was delightful, my big strong Apis bull! Maybe I will be with child after such a romp."

'No you won't.' He thought upon hearing the sincerity in her voice. Isis really wanted a child, but as the God of Life, he could control the potency of his seed. He didn't want to get her pregnant, therefor he wouldn't.

Osiris squeezed her and lied to her face. "I am happy to provide you this service, wife, but I have work to be done if I am to take what is mine."

Isis hopped up, extending a hand to help Osiris to his feet. "Let me know if you need me to do anything." She said with a kiss on his full passion swollen lips.

"I will." He promised, walking away slowly so as not to appear too eager to leave.

He needed to plan his strategic attack on Ra's temple and attack to be led within a fortnight.

"Gods, you were fucking serious, huh? I can't believe that you think you can do this without me! What if something happens to you, Asar, and I'm not there to protect you?!" Seth exclaimed, waving his arms about as he paced restlessly.

Osiris only gave Seth a tight-lipped smile that belied how his heart did rejoice. His desert wants to protect him, thinking it is more of an honor than keeping safe the city. But he made sure to keep a hard glint in his dark eyes to hide the way he felt, how he wanted to hold Seth in his arms, kissing him until he was weak in the knees from it... but Seth just didn't remember him that way.

"We need you here, Suetekh." Nephthys, calming him with a hand on his arm.

"Yeah, but– "

"Beloved... " Nephthys murmured, and Osiris' stomach tensed with dread as Seth smiled down at her and leaned down to accept her kiss.

Osiris watched as her arm moved up around Seth's neck, and how Seth pulled her in close, a hand drifting down to cup her ass, and an audible sound of disgust growled out of his throat.

"I think you'll be just fine, little brother." He snapped while storming out of the room.

"I'm not so little! Am I, Keku? Tell him that I'm not so little!" He heard Seth say to him and Nephthys.

All Osiris could think was that he was glad to have taken Seth's seed. At this rate, they would be pregnant soon if he hadn't relieved Seth of his potency! Osiris concentrated on the current task at hand: leading his army to take the temple Nekhen-Re, claiming this mirror that Sekhmet had told him about. Seth loved him, and from what he understood, this mirror was going to help him remember it.

'What if only his lust is inspired?' Osiris asked himself. He didn't care, anything was better than this cold, dark space he had found himself in!

It was a long ride, and Osiris urged his army past all endurance, but he was mad with the need to have his beloved back, so he lent them the strength to carry on, pushing them by his will alone. His army was well met when they arrived at Nekhen-Re, Osiris searching the surrounding area for the Sun God, and finding nothing. Maybe she was in the temple, guarding her loot, intending to keep Osiris well away from Hathor's mirror.

He fought his way inside only to find a few priests and no Re-Horahkty. Osiris swore that he would have done battle if she were here! He would have demanded that she give back little Herut!

"You have won, son of Geb and Nut." Sekhmet was there instead, smirking just like her mother would've. "Adorn your head with this Pschent; for in doing so, you shall unite both the upper and lower kingdoms of Egypt. Go on, my Prince, take your riches, you have earned it."

Osiris stood in front of Sekhmet, bending his head to allow the placement of the crown, his breathing heavy. "You know what I have really come for, Sekhmet."

Smirking, she reached behind her back to retrieve the mirror. "Here you are, Asar. I caution you to use it wisely as you will regret it if you don't."

Osiris inwardly rolled his eyes as he took from her the object she had sworn would return to him his lost love. "Yes, yes, be careful." He uttered dismissively, his mind more consumed with getting this treasure back to Heliopolis than with the consequences of not being careful.

Chapter Text

Of all the pantheons in all the cosmos, you had to walk into mine....

Returning from his victory, Osiris rode through the city in a procession that honored him as a conquering hero; and all he could think about was slipping this mirror into the loot he planned to give to Seth, finding a private lounge to wait in as he held the sister mirror in his hand. Osiris had to be careful not to look into it himself as Sekhmet had warned him that there could be dire consequences.

He sat, giddy, throughout the entire event. Not even Seth's perfect pouting lips could bring him down. They were going to be together tonight, and it left Osiris trembling inside just to think of it! Osiris wondered briefly, as he watched Seth leave while Nephthys followed, at what those consequences of him looking into the mirror at the same time as Seth might be. He would just have to do as he was told, not wanting to leave anything to chance. However, it was not outside the realm of possibility for Sekhmet to lie. She was famous for the lies she has told...

Imagine his surprise when it was Nephthys who walked into the sitting area he had been waiting for Seth in! Osiris thought at first she had sought him out as part of an earlier request for them to speak; but there was a strange light in her eyes as she came to him, sitting so close that he could feel the heat of her body. Nephthys placed her hand strategically on his thigh; and it was as if his manhood heard the call, rising to be cradled within her velvet sheath.

'Hmmm... ' He thought. 'One part of my plan to be met.'

It wasn't what he was hoping for at the present, but Osiris had to give her something in return for what she was about to request of him; what she was currently asking for was his child. Give her a baby and ask for the Power of Creation in return... he couldn't have planned it better himself. So, with a heavy heart, he gave her what she wanted the only way that he knew how. Osiris fucked Nephthys, aggravated by the tears they were both crying.

His were shed for the disappointment he'd received when it was Nephthys who showed up, and her tears fell because deep down she did not truly want her eldest brother, but something (the mirror) was driving her to commit the ultimate act of betrayal. Osiris wanted to offer her comfort, but instead, he rammed his cock into her until he came, kissing away their mingled tears as he asked for a gift of his own.

"I will keep this secret, on pain of death I swear, if you give me one tiny gift in return." He murmured, and she promised him anything he would ask of her. "The Power of Creation."

"W-what... do you plan t-to... do with that?" She asked shakily.

Osiris smiled, looking down into her glowing eyes. "That is for me to decide." Was his answer.

Nephthys complied, going away quite as suddenly as she had arrived, leaving Osiris alone again to suffer in his continued disappointment. But through the thick fog of this settling melancholy, a light was creeping in. He had the Power of Creation. Now he could put the finishing touches on his plan; and once he was successful in planting his seed where it truly belonged, Osiris, as the Supreme Ruler, would announce that Seth was now his spouse.

It was hard to find the right moment as Nephthys gave her announcement: a baby was on the way. Seth was excited and he bragged about the potency of his seed, saying that it was more powerful than Osiris' because his wife was going to have a child first!

Osiris let him have this glorious moment. He let Seth believe that he was the most virile of the brothers; and for one moment, Osiris thought of telling him about Herut. Telling Seth that he was the one to kill their little brother and that he didn't remember this because Ra took the memory from him as he was too unstable to handle the guilt of what he had done. But that would be cruel.

It's who he was now, though none of them truly knew it. Except Sekhmet, she knew what he was capable of. He was the fool, he was the one who let complacency rule him when it came to Ra and Her daughters; for they never did anything that wasn't in their best interest. Osiris should have asked himself how this would benefit the Sun God, but he didn't. There would be a price to pay, regardless. He was sure of it.

Osiris made sure to keep Seth away. Gone for long periods to fight little skirmishes here and there. He had almost missed the birth of the child. Osiris hoped that he would, but the power of Seth had grown to such an extent that with the whisper of a contraction, he had traveled a great distance in barely a breath to be at her side.

Osiris wanted to tell him that he should be singing the praises of his brother, that he could get here so quickly by the power of the desert. It was a desert that had been cultivated by Osiris for Seth to be more than a pitiful god whose only gift was to play with sand. But again, that would be cruel!

A boy! A beautiful dark-eyed boy with a head full of dark curls, and no one made the comparison. Osiris rejoiced inside to see how gullible they were in their happiness. That's when an idea came to him, to perhaps harvest what he needed from his own child. Seeing the light of unconditional love that shone so bright in Seth's eyes, made this decision even easier for Osiris to make.

Osiris sat on the sidelines, doting on the boy as everyone else did; enduring the quiet rage of his sister-wife as time went by and still her womb lay empty, leaving her to treat the young Anubis as if he were her son too. The child wanted for nothing, and as time went by, the love of Seth for his son grew. Osiris began to doubt himself and became convinced that he was a poor choice. He could not take his little prince away from his beloved; but what choice did he have? It was the only way not to throw off the balance of the cosmos. Why couldn't he just find a way for Seth's memory to be returned?

"What are you thinking so heavily about?" Isis said, interrupting his thoughts.

Osiris smiled, pulling her into his lap. "Why, you, of course." It was a lie, but one that made her happy to hear.

Isis giggled while snuggling deep within his embrace. The warmth of his body induced a deep-seated contentment that made her sigh. She wanted nothing more than to be like this, with him, for eternity. Lately, however, she hasn't been feeling the same emotion coming from him. Osiris had begun to grow distant. That's why she sat here quietly in his arms, reluctant to say anything about the upcoming banquet they were to attend tonight.

"Asar... " She began, continuing when his silence was all that greeted her, "... we have that dinner tonight. You will come to this one, won't you?"

Osiris sighed, and the irritation he felt at her request was plainly heard. "You know how I despise those things."

"I know, but it would do your supporters good to see you humble yourself in appreciation once in a while, Asar."

"You see," he said, pushing her away from him, "I do not feel that I should humble myself to those who did not lift a finger to help me win the throne I now sit upon."

Isis was hurt by his rejection, the pain of which lived within her sapphire eyes. "We will need them to keep this throne you prize above all things!"

'Not all things, woman!' Osiris thought, his dark eyes narrowed as he looked right through her.

For the first time, Isis saw there was a darkness in him, but before she could ask him what it was all about, Osiris smiled at her suddenly.

"You know I think you are right. I should go to this dinner with you." He said, hugging her close so that she couldn't see the hunger in his eyes upon noticing Seth's return. He held little Anubis aloft, laughing with the boy about something. "I will go and make myself ready."

He sent Isis over to greet Seth and Anubis while he went in the opposite direction. Tonight was the night, and the dinner party Isis wanted him to attend would provide a perfect distraction for his wife. Everything had been painstakingly prepared. All he needed was to get Seth alone...

Osiris watched them briefly from afar. Nephthys had found them on their return, giving the appearance of a beautiful, happy family, and it turned Osiris' guts inside out to witness their glee. Seth used to look at him that way. He would again soon.

The banquet was in full swing when he had beseeched Isis to give him leave to depart. Osiris needed to prepare everything for Seth's arrival, certain that tonight was the night Sekhmet would make her move... she had alluded to the fact she had a surprise for him, thinking he was an idiot! Sekhmet was about to blow up their lives, and it was more than fine by Osiris if she did!

'What am I to you?'

It was a question that played over and over in his mind while he lingered here in the dark.

'Have you ever even thought of me as something more?'

Even then, Seth did not remember the love they had shared. Osiris could see confusion, fear, and even revulsion; but he did not see love. No matter, he had planned for that in making the wine. Seth would surely come back to him after he gave his beloved the child that would bind them... for how could he not?

Here in the utter blackness of the primordial dark, Osiris was doomed to replay Seth's rejection in vivid clarity, over and over. How his desert fought to get away from him, and the tears that fell from his eyes even while Osiris did what he could to pleasure him the way that he always used to. It did not inspire the love his brother was glad to lavish on him during those quiet desert romps.

Osiris cried out in rage, which fell to shame and finally to despair as he realized that there was no one here to witness the pain of his unlucky heart. He was so stupid to believe that he could win against Ra. All he achieved was to fall to the destruction of his heart hewn from his chest by Sekhmet. That stupid fucking mirror! He didn't want Nephthys to come, he wanted Seth! But his mind was always working, and he saw her arrival for the opportunity that it was.

'N-no... Anubis... Anubis... '

The love that once was reserved for Osiris was now given to Anubis; this was why he believed that choosing Anubis to be their child had been the right decision. It was, and it would have worked! Osiris just had to play his game, he just had to see if the feel of his cock would make Seth remember... but his hubris only ended up costing him everything!

Seth outsmarted him, pretending to let the dead carry him away into the Duat. Osiris could not be separated from him and in his desperation, he made such a rash decision, and it had landed him here into this unfathomable darkness... alone. He was alone, and he wept for the finality of it. Was this all he had to look forward to? Alone in the dark with his eternal thoughts? Without sight. Without sound. No hope of the afterlife that had been promised upon death!

Then something happened, and he was no longer in the dark. Isis had managed to bring him back, but Osiris could feel that there was a deeper meaning to his reemergence. He had not been brought back simply to exist again in the realm of the living. It was then that he learned what was to become his new fate.

He had made himself vulnerable by forsaking his immortality to be with Seth in the afterlife. He had given the God of Creation exactly what She wanted, playing right into the hands of Her daughter, Sekhmet. Osiris could no longer remain in the land of the living. He would now go to the Duat, becoming then its Ruler, lording over the souls of the dead.

But all was not lost. His darling sister-wife had fashioned him a golden phallus (Seth had paid particular attention to its destruction), and from it, she was able to draw his essence up and into herself. After all this time, Osiris could no longer withhold it from her... he had no choice; but as that life took root within her womb, Osiris felt something.

A tiny little pulse: the unmistakable sound of a beating heart, separate from the one beating within the womb of Isis. This one was distant, and only to his ears did its undeniable melody come. Osiris had been successful, he had planted his seed. While he had his fun with Seth, while he tried to jog his memory, Osiris had held the Power of Creation in his hand.

So careful he had been, not to drop it and not to use it just yet, desiring to pave the way before inserting the dirt he had rendered of the power given to him by Nephthys. He had lost consciousness, waking to find himself chopped into pieces. As Osiris searched the scenes playing over in his head, it was then that he saw how he'd found success.

He was knocked out, but the vine he'd cultivated from Seth's seed still operated under his control; and wanting this as badly as he did, the vine slithered through some dust of Nephthys' power that had slipped free of his grasp. It found its mark unbeknownst to Seth– to him even –and well, Osiris' seed was all up inside his beloved desert!

He didn't feel it. How could he not feel it?! Osiris didn't have to ponder long before the answer came to him. His seed wasn't able to take root within Seth until he had also given his seed to Isis. Osiris rejoiced, but his happiness was short-lived as he was ripped away from the land of the living and placed upon a new throne at the gates of the Duat.

What would Seth do when he learned of this child that grew within him? Would he do what he could to kill it, or would he draw on the happiness he knew on the day of Anubis' birth? Only time would tell, and it would be unbearable for Osiris as he awaited the fate of his two children. The one who would be born to Isis, and the one who would be born to Seth.

"My beloved desert... " Osiris murmured with love, hoping the child would love its mother as much as he did, and that with the birth of their child, Seth would finally remember that love.

He did not have to hope these things for Isis. The child he had given her was of little consequence to him; for what could he possibly amount to anyway?

Chapter Text

It was done... well, not quite. He still had to talk to Isis, he wanted to explain himself, but the question was, did he tell the whole truth or did he come up with another reason for killing Osiris? Seth's stomach churned, and he actually got sick, scrambling for a waste basket to throw up in. Funny, the room had been torn to hell by the dead, yet Seth was concerned about leaving vomit on the floor. He kinda laughed as he wiped at his mouth, a little bewildered by this sudden sickness.

He chalked it up to everything he'd been through today. From finding out that Anubis wasn't his, to being raped by his brother who said he wanted to make Seth carry his child as a woman would.

"What the fuck!" He cried in a hoarse whisper.

What the hell had gotten into Osiris? Why would he come up with such an insane plan; and why would he even contemplate using Anubis in such a farce?! Their beloved Anubis! But he already explained why, didn't he? What he was trying to do was wrong: an abomination against nature! Maat would have known and put a stop to his lunacy!

But Seth just kept circling back to the fact that Osiris wanted to have a baby with him! Why him? Why did he want to be held in Seth's heart as more than a beloved brother, when he had Isis who loved him? Oh gods, Isis! Seth needed to find Isis, he needed to tell her what had happened– what he had done! Could she ever forgive him?

The thought turned his stomach with nausea again; and being a creature unused to such a physical phenomenon, Seth could not hold the bile down. That's all that was left, and it left his lower abdomen cramping quite painfully. Maybe he should just go to bed. He could tell Isis in the morning, couldn't he?

No, she would find out through someone else if he didn't tell her now, and he couldn't let that happen. He killed Osiris– with Osiris' help –he would be the one to break the news to Isis. He had to stop throwing up first! What did Nephthys say helped with nausea? Crackers? Would it help for a man with a sick stomach too?

All thoughts of crackers left him as Seth doubled over in pain. His lower abdomen felt as though a hot poker had been plunged into it, and it ripped a scream from his throat. What the hell did Osiris do to him?! Seth was writhing in pain, feeling like the lower half of his body was being eaten away, particularly his junk! He clasped it in both hands, trying to localize the pain to stop it. Could he shift into sand yet, or was that going to take a while?

"Fuuuuccckkk!" He cried, grinding his teeth so hard he thought they might shatter.

Eventually, Seth passed out from the pain, waking only when he felt the cool hands of Nephthys touching his face.

"Suetekh?" She called his name timidly, "Suetekh, wake up."

His eyes fluttered open. The pain was not gone, but it was more bearable, falling away to a dull, throbbing ache between his legs. A leftover consequence of being fucked by his brother, perhaps.

"What happened here? Isis tells me that Osiris has been killed, and that you were the one to do it... is that true, Suetekh? Did you kill Osiris?"

'How the hell did she know that?!' Seth thought, rolling to his side to immediately dry heave.

"Oh!" Nephthys cried, "You are sick. It is true then– you killed Osiris! Does it pain your conscience, what you have done?"

Seth glared at her menacingly, as a thin stream of bile mixed with saliva dribbled from his open mouth. "N-no!" He growled in between the stomach contractions that just wouldn't quit!

He somehow managed to come to his feet, stumbling toward the door. He was sweaty, and dirty, feeling as though his brother's seed still sat heavy inside him, and it left him with the rare desire to take a bath! He had to scrub that bastard out of him! Seth dove into the great bath without even bothering to take his shendyt off, and he quickly settled his body on the bottom.

It was quiet here, devoid of all noise except the sound of his heart beating loudly in his ears, and something... else? Another heart was beating, small and fast, reminding him of Anubis' heart beating as he heard it in the belly of Nephthys. Seth noticed that the dull ache in his belly extended to the area between his legs and that is when it dawned on him that his cock was missing!

His hand shot down between his legs and sure enough, he no longer had a dick! But it wasn't that he had been castrated, no, he had something else instead! Seth panicked and came screaming to the surface, his voice echoing loudly off the tiled walls of the bathroom. He was flailing wildly as he tried to reach the edge, still screaming, and there was no one around to help him.

"WHAT DID YOU DO TO ME?!" He screamed into the aether a question meant for Osiris, and an emotion he had never really given much stock to began to well up inside him.

Fear. He was afraid! Afraid of what was happening to him, and inside him. Why the fuck did he have a vagina where his cock used to be? Why did he hear—

"No! Noooo! NOOOOO!"

This can not be! Seth went to a mirror, pulled off his shendyt to see with his eyes what he felt with his fingers, and sure enough... his cock was gone! In its place was what looked to him like an open wound covered with red pubic hair. He felt like he was going to be sick again! Seth fell to his knees, his hand going involuntarily to his lower abdomen in a protective gesture. He didn't need anyone to tell him in order to know that the tiny heartbeat he had heard alongside his own came from inside him.

"That fucking bastard did it! He fucking knocked me up!" Seth hissed through clenched teeth.

What was he going to do? He was a man, he knew nothing about growing a baby! HE WAS A MAN! Osiris had explained it to him, he told him how he had fashioned the Power of Creation given to him by Nephthys into a sand-like substance that would easily be absorbed by his body. He never said that his body would change so that he could carry a child as a woman did.

"How the hell else did you think you would do it?!" Seth cursed under his breath.

What about Anubis! Didn't he say that all the important parts of Anubis would be used for this as well! In terror, Seth rushed to Anubis' chambers to find that he was sleeping, and after a few minutes of watching him breathe, Seth became paranoid. He needed to touch his son, to make sure that his body was warm and that life still flowed through his veins.

'He's not your son! He will ALWAYS be my son!' He argued internally.

Seth staggered forward, his legs wobbly from the events of the evening, and he knelt at the bedside of Anubis. Carefully he put a hand over his son's heart and felt it steadily beating. A beating heart. Seth reached again to feel between his legs, and the outcome was the same. He wept as quietly as he could, hoping not to alert Anubis to his plight. He had done what he needed to, saving his son, but it was not without consequence.

Khnum brought her all of his parts, discarded so carelessly in the sacred Nile River. What did she think she was going to do with his body now that she had everything– well, everything but his penis. That, Khnum said, had been eaten by a fish!

'Good, you bastard!' Isis thought, unwilling to explain to Khnum why it was not important to her that he find the offending fish and rip Osiris' cock out of its belly.

"I'll make him a new one." She said, 'One that he hasn't fucked our brother with!' Isis finished in her head.

It was her understanding that to go into the afterlife, one must be possessed of all their body parts; right now, Osiris was not whole, so that meant that he lingered now in darkness. She had a mind to let him linger! But, she needed an heir or Seth would sit freely on the throne of Osiris without a contender, if that was even the reason he had killed their brother after fucking him!

She arrived in time to hear Seth say he would do anything if Osiris would just leave Anubis alone. She dae him fling himself into the arms of her husband. Was that his game? Love Osiris up so that he could kill him? How did he even manage to kill the God of Life in the first place, and what did her husband want with their sweet Anubis anyway? Isis did not think that Osiris could die. If her attempt to resurrect him worked, she was going to have to ask him these questions because she was sure not to get a straight answer out of Seth!

"C-can I help you, Aset?"

Isis rolled her eyes, whirling on Nephthys, "You!" She yelled, shaking her finger in Nephthys' face, making ready to berate her, when she had a change of heart. "You can help me, but do nothing and say only the things I need you to say, got it?

"Yes."

The two climbed into the wagon which held the pieces of Osiris' body, Nephthys looking back, appeared to be frightened by the severed limbs, and she scooted as close to Isis as she dared. They went silently toward a wadet which had all the supplies she would need to put her dead husband back together again.

Those who prepared the bodies of the dead came out to greet them as they arrived, shocked to find that the body they would be in service to this day was their very own God of Life, but they did not despair because she was there: the Goddess of Magic and Wisdom. She would restore her husband to life and all would be right with the world.

'How wise am I even to attempt this?' She thought bitterly.

He was better off dead! Better off marinating in eternal darkness for the depravity of his actions! He has taken both of their siblings to bed, fathering a child with Nephthys before giving to his wife a child to love. Now Isis had to work quickly and hope for the best if she were to conceive a child.

"I should make him suffer!" She spat, watching as the Enbalmers went about their work.

Nephthys was silent, but the horror of what was happening lived loudly in her golden gaze. Isis did not feel the need to elaborate, let Nephthys believe it was his affair with her that Isis raged at. There was so much more to it than that...

While they worked, Isis made herself busy charging the four corners of the wadet to ensure the safety of Osiris as she called him back into his body. Should the wrong entity come into his body they could have a disaster on their hands; and there were plenty of unhoused spirits aching to enter the body of a God!

Her heart and mind were left in disarray, and if she didn't get her emotions under control, the spell she needed to cast could go terribly wrong, nullifying her efforts in keeping his seed viable. It would all be for naught if she did not come away from this pregnant.

Isis watched, her power encasing the entirety of the wadet, kept strong by the murmuring of the Enbalmers and her sister, Nephthys. Isis rested, basking in the energy swirling around her in wait to be used. She tried to keep her mind clear, pushing down the image of Osiris pushing Seth's head in his lap.

'No! Keep your eye on the prize, woman! You must come away with an heir!'

It was time. His body had been prepared and the sacred rites performed. Isis stepped forward and put the golden phallus she had fashioned for Osiris, and her lament began. She was joined by only Nephthys as the mortals could be killed by calling on such power. It took so much for them to call his akh back into his body. Isis was sure that his journey had been long as the strength of his spirit was not nearly as strong as it once was.

"My beautiful sisters," he breathed heavily, "how much you must love me."

"Oh, we do!" Nephthys cried, tears streaming down her face, but Isis said nothing.

"I... cannot... stay!" He said, panting, "The... afterlife... calls m-me! Please... I w-would... embrace... you... "

"You will never touch me again!" Isis spat, "I have brought you here for only one purpose."

Nephthys bowed her head to hide her shame from her siblings, and Osiris understood at once why Isis was so angry. Yet if her purpose was to be left with child, he was going to have to touch her, and she was going to have to hurry!

"Isis— "

She slapped his face, "Shut your mouth!"

Using her magic, Isis transformed herself into a falcon, and while hovering over the golden phallus she'd made for Osiris, Isis flapped her great wings, drawing his essence up into herself. By the end of it, life had once again left the body of Osiris.

'I trust that you can find your way home.' She said to Nephthys, and to the Embalmers, she said, 'Ensure that the phallus stays with his body or his journey will again go awry.'

She did not know what was in store for him, but as she flew away, Isis could feel that life had taken root within her womb. She had all she would ever need from that cheating bastard. Isis transformed after arriving home, settling down into a lounger. Lying back, she placed her hand over her lower abdomen and a smile broke on her face. She was made to be a mother. Nothing else mattered to her: not the betrayal of her husband or her siblings. Not even the throne that was, for the time being, vacant. She cared only for this child who grew now in her belly.

"I-Isis?" It was Seth whose broken voice called out to her, and her chest tightened. "Isis... h-help m-me... "

This request alarmed her, what could be so bad that he would come to her for help after such a despicable deed? Isis prepared herself to give her little brother a piece of her mind when her eyes found him leaning against the doorframe, unsteady on his feet. He was sweating profusely, his scarlet hair wet, and matted to his face. Despite her anger, Isis was immediately concerned for her little brother, and she went to him, catching him in her arms as he fell.

"Seth!" She cried, fearing that he was dying in some way.

Seth cried out, clutching at his abdomen as he rolled to his side, curling his long body inward. She was scared for him now, as his body began to tremble violently, as if he was in the grip of a seizure.

"Gods!" She yelled, looking to the sky, "Thoth, I need you!"

"Isis," Thoth, appearing at her side, went to his knees, "What is happening?"

"I don't know– his stomach, maybe."

Thoth reached in to touch Seth's stomach, quickly withdrawing his hand, his blue eyes round and filled with disbelief. "This cannot be!" He whispered hoarsely.

"What?" Isis screeched, "Tell me!"

Thoth touched her stomach as well, "Hmmm, maybe... " one hand on Seth's stomach and the other on Isis' stomach, "... this cannot be!" He said again.

"Damn it, Thoth!"

"You are both pregnant!" Thoth said in disbelief.

Isis blinked, unsure of what he'd just said. "Umm, can you repeat that?" Her voice rose an octave at the end.

"You both are pregnant!" He said again.

Isis felt as her stomach turned, and a ringing sounded in her ears. She was near passing out, and Thoth was quick to lead her into taking deep, calming breaths.

"He is male, he can't be pregnant." Isis heard herself say, the words made her tongue thick inside her mouth.

"I can assure you that he is." Thoth said in that know-it-all way that he was famous for.

Isis sat back on her heels, afraid to touch her brother– her brother! He was pregnant, but how? She really wished that she'd had more time with Osiris, time to interrogate him about the whole sorted mess! What was going on when she came to that room to confront Osiris about cheating on her with Nephthys, finding that it was Seth who was in his arms, promising to do anything he wanted...

"Osiris did this." She said softly, more to herself than to Thoth, but Thoth answered.

"Yes he did." He told her this, and as she watched, he placed his hands on Seth, reciting an incantation that eased the seizure.

A groan left Seth as his body relaxed, but there was still a grimace of pain on his face. Isis wanted to slap him as she had slapped Osiris, but he was unconscious and could not defend against her attack, and she really needed her little brother to explain this to her!

"Take him, Mehi. Do what you must to get him through this. I need him awake, and able to talk to me!" Isis stood, a little wobbly at first as this news had weakened her, stealing the happiness she had been basking in before his arrival.

Thoth summoned the servants to help move Seth's body to his chambers where the Ibis would be most comfortable caring for Seth, but before he left, he turned to Isis, "Congratulations, Aset. I am most excited for you."

Isis hugged her stomach, smiling and dismissing Thoth. She was excited too, at least she wanted to be. Having a child was all she had dreamed of since becoming the wife of Osiris, but now it just felt tainted as she was going to have to share this experience with Seth!

"How on earth is he going to give birth to a baby?!" Isis mused to herself. A thing like this could kill her little brother.

There were so many things for Isis to consider, so many questions that she needed answers to. Had they been going behind her back this whole time? Was it their plan to depose her, Seth taking her place? That thought almost seemed laughable, but so did a pregnant Seth.

Isis was going to have to lean on Seth hard to get the answers she was owed!

Chapter Text

So, this was death. It was darker than he had imagined it would be, and he feared for the first time since the death of Herut. He feared for himself, that this was all he would ever know, to be alone with his thoughts and nothing more. Nothing. He saw nothing, not even his hand in front of his face, for indeed that was the gesture he made right now.

Seth had chopped him up, but they had a conversation after... didn't they? Osiris was sure of it, and before everything had gone dark, he was gifted with the knowledge that Seth was pregnant! There had been just enough of the Power of Creation put into the body of his brother to make the potency of Osiris' seed viable. Seth was pregnant, and here he was, a proud father-to-be, alone in the dark!

He tried to cry out, to beg the Great God Temu for help. This could not be the end of him! He had to get back to his beloved! Surely the child would help Seth remember that he loved Osiris, that they had once pledged themselves to one another under the desert sky! He had to get back!

Osiris was filled with hope when, by the magic of his sister-wife, he was reanimated, but that hope was short-lived. She had her heir; he could feel his seed take root inside her. Osiris was irked by this. If it had been his choice, he would have never given Isis a child! He wanted there to be no confusion: the child to be elevated as his heir is the one born of Seth.

He was also irked that he could not remain among the living! After Isis took his seed, he was flung back into darkness only to wake here on a new throne. Osiris inspected his body, and his surroundings. He was only minorly confused, and mostly about the throne he was sitting on.

"Welcome, my Lord Osiris." Appearing before him was a god known as Wepwawet. "I am here to pay homage to you as the Ruler of the Duat."

"Ruler?" Osiris said in wonder. To his knowledge, there had never been one to rule the Duat, so what did this mean for him? "What duties are required of one who rules over the glorious dead?"

"You are the Supreme Judge, my lord. The Great Protector of the Righteous Dead." Wepwawet explained, kneeling as he did, "You will keep order and harmony here in the Underworld of Egypt."

"Is that job not already assigned to you, Wepwawet?" Osiris said with brow raised, "The keeping of order?"

Wepwawet bowed, "I have been given a new duty, my lord, as there will soon be another who joins you here. One whose power will be great and formidable; a most exceptional ally here among the dead."

Osiris wondered who that might be, and his heart both soared to great heights and sank to the lowest depths, thinking it might be Seth. Happy to have his beloved here in the Duat with him, but upset to believe he would die in childbirth for that to happen. A child needed their mother. If Seth dies, Isis would raise the child, and she was really quite pissed at Osiris right now. She would ensure that the love child of Osiris and Seth would not inherit the throne.

"Hmmm," Osiris hummed.

What to do with this newfound authority of his... how can he get to Seth? How can he ensure the birth of their child while also reminding him of the love they once shared? That was all he could think about really: how he was going to return Seth to the memory of their love. Osiris needed a vessel. His eyes fell on Wepwawet.

"Which God will you be newly assigned to?" Osiris inquired, leaning forward on his throne.

"I believe it will be Set, as he is the God of War." Wepwawet replied, "... Why do you ask, my Lord Osiris?"

Osiris grinned, "I would like to send you to your new patron for a meeting— "

"But, my lord, it is said that your brother Set is the one who killed you. I am not permitted to get involved in any vendetta you might have. It is forbidden."

Osiris gripped his own wrist to keep from striking this dog for his impertinence. He gritted his teeth and worked to keep his voice calm. He needed permission to use this vessel, and Wepwawet was not likely to say yes if he was assaulted.

"I have no vendetta against my brother, Wepwawet." Osiris assured him, "I wish only to tell him that he is forgiven." Wepwawet appeared to be considering this when Osiris added, "Wouldn't it be a great honor to serve the King of the Duat on an errand of peace?"

"Peace, my lord?"

"If Isis were to learn of my forgiveness, she would have no choice but to forgive him as well." Osiris offered, holding Wepwawet's gaze and nodding his head. He hoped the god would nod his head as well as it would give him permission without saying the word itself.

Wepwawet did nod, and Osiris took possession of his body, speeding to the surface in search of Seth. By the gods, where could he be? Osiris centered himself, opening up to hear the whispering of all who were in the palace, searching for news about Seth and where he might be; and it was none other than his own wife who gave him an idea on where to search. Osiris was headed to Seth's bed chambers.

Her eyelids fluttered open, greeted by the light of the sun, and for a moment, Isis had forgotten the troubles she now faced. The bells that began to ring sadly reminding her. Osiris was dead. She had felt his death as soon as his body touched the Nile River: the waters Isis herself had filled with his essence.

She wasn't surprised—but why? Perhaps, in the back of her mind, she had expected Seth to want Osiris dead after... after what? It looked consensual to her, their affair. But Seth didn't act like he knew what he was doing.

'I'll do anything you want!' She heard her brother exclaim. In exchange for what? Keeping Anubis safe? What was he in danger from?

Isis felt a quickening low in her abdomen and it made her cry out unexpectedly as she clutched her stomach. That's right... she was pregnant, and so was Seth! So was Seth? By the gods, she was going to get the answers she wanted! Isis jumped out of her bed, but after taking one step, her sight darkened.

"Whoa, steady on." The deep baritone of a male voice greeted her as she fell back into strong arms that lifted her up.

"Anubis?!" Isis cried when she got a look at the one who'd saved her from falling.

His smile was undoing, and Isis smiled back, "I know," he said, looking down at himself, "I can hardly believe it myself! Is it normal to ascend so unexpectedly?"

"Put me down, dear boy, let me have a look at you." Is this what Seth wanted to save Anubis from, ascending too early? "It is unusual for one to ascend this young; typically, but your father— "

Isis stopped. Seth wasn't his father, though, was he? If Nephthys was to be believed, Anubis was the son of Osiris. He does not know this yet.

"My father, what?" He asked with his big, grey eyes, large and innocent.

Of course, she was not going to tell him this secret, "Your father ascended young as well."

Isis had been sworn to secrecy by Osiris not to speak about the death of Herut or Seth's ascension. If she had only known the reason her husband demanded her silence, she would not have been so compliant!

"What do you remember?" She asked him while brushing a lock of shining black hair behind his ears. Beautiful.' Isis thought.

"I was looking for Father when I suddenly felt the room spin, and I fell. I think I remember Uncle Osiris being near—where is he?"

'Uncle!' Isis silently seethed.

Anubis gasped, his puppy dog grey eyes filled with shock and horror, "He's dead!"

"That is very perceptive of you, Anubis," Isis said, noting the sacred hood that had been assigned to him and its connection to the dead.

Anubis went to his knees before her, his strong arms encircling her waist as he put his head against her stomach.

"I'm so sorry, Auntie!" He cried, trembling with instant grief until his anger, fast and fierce, took over. "How can this be? Who has done this—who has killed the God of Life?! Point me at your enemy, Aunt Isis, and I will tear them to shreds!"

Isis was tempted, but Anubis was a newly ascended god, even in the shape Seth was in, the young one would be no match. Speaking of shape, Isis needed to find where Thoth had taken Seth. The first place she intended to check was the healing rooms or maybe his chambers, but she couldn't take Anubis with her.

"You wear the sacred hood of the Jackal, my boy, so that must mean that you are meant to guide souls into the afterlife, yes?"

"That sounds promising, but I have not been assigned my duties yet, so I'm not really sure where I belong." He said to her with sad eyes and a frown.

Isis touched his cheek, "Fret not, young one, I am usually right about these things. It is the dead that you will serve."

That was either going to be a good thing or a very bad one. Isis hoped that Anubis did not forget the love that was given to him by his mother and the father he knew, but if he was headed to the Duat, Osiris was sure to greet him.

Anubis suddenly alerted to something, a far off look upon his face, "Auntie, I am being summoned."

"Where?" Isis asked, grabbing his wrist to hold him at bay.

His gray eyes were wide, "Into the Duat."

'Fuck!' She thought.

He was stronger than her and driven by duty, Anubis ripped his wrist away from her grasp. With two great strides, her nephew stepped into the shadow of a pillar and he was gone. Isis was immediately concerned for Seth, and had to get to him right away? She had to protect him! This gave her pause. Isis should hate him for what he has done, for killing her husband and their brother! But things were different now, Seth was pregnant the same as she.

Like it or not, he was going to be a mother now, and she was nothing if not a sanctuary for women. Seth was not a woman, but he was about to experience the most fundamental part of being a woman. If she was going to protect him, he needed to tell her everything!

"Here, drink this." Thoth said, jumping back when Seth slapped the cup out of his hand as he rolled over to throw up.

"When does this stop?!" He moaned.

"Well, I was just trying to give you something that would help, but you knocked it out of my hand. Of all the ungrateful... " The God of Knowledge complained.

"What happened to my dick?!" Seth yelled, as if he suddenly remembered that it wasn't there.

"Oh my!" Thoth's hand flew to his chest, feeling accosted by his words. "Well... how should I know? This is unprecedented, a man being with child— "

"Osiris did this to me!" Seth cried, tears streaming from his eyes as a result of his revolting stomach, "He DID this!"

"Of that, there is no doubt," Thoth muttered, going to fetch another cup of mint tea.

It was getting hard for Thoth to take Seth's moaning and groaning, the sounds calling on the intrinsic empathy possessed by the Ibis. It was literally becoming too painful for him to remain in the room with Seth. Tears flooded his eyes as he turned, prepared to take the cup over to his patient when he was met by the massive chest of Wepwawet. Thoth gasped. The cup falling from his hand was caught by the intruding god.

"What are you doing here?!" Thoth demanded.

Wepwawet cast Seth a sympathetic glance, "He's not doing so good. What is wrong with him?"

"Nothing that nine months will not cure," Thoth replied, noting the curious smile that played at the corners of Wepwawet's mouth. "Again, why are you here?"

Wepwawet turned to set his dark gaze on Thoth,' were his eyes always so dark?' Thoth wondered silently as he studied the formidable god before him. He handed him the mug of tea back, and Thoth took it, surprised by its chill.

"I have come to tell you that you are required in the Duat. There is a matter that must be settled by your authority as an advocate for the dead." Wepwawet answered, seeming to wince at the sound of Seth's sudden howling of pain.

"It is hard to take, isn't it? As you can see, I am really very busy— "

"Busy doing nothing!" Wepwawet snapped.

"Excuse me?" Thoth asked, hands on his hips.

"Forgive my rudeness. Go and do this bit of business in the Duat, and I will watch over your patient."

Thoth appeared to consider his offer, initially suspicious of his intent, until Wepwawet went over to Seth, placed a hand on his forehead, and quieted his cries.

"This will work for a time, Mehi. You'd best get going." Wepwawet told him, taking the stance of a guardian over the now sleeping Seth.

Thoth crossed his arms over his chest, "What did you do there?"

Wepwawet gave a tight smile, "I calmed his soul, but I can only keep the chaos at bay for so long. Seth will find his way out from under my spell soon enough, you must be quick."

Thoth eyed him still with suspicion, but relented saying, "Give him this tea should he wake while I am away. You may want to reheat it."

Wepwawet bowed to him, his dark eyes following the retreating form of Thoth until he was out of the room. Sending Thoth into the Duat would buy him only so much time as the Ibis was sure to quickly discover the truth of Osiris' actions as soon as he set his eyes on him. He went to his knees beside Seth's bed.

He put Wepwawet's snout close to Seth's ear, and whispered, "My desert."

Seth's body began to tremble, and a frown creased his forehead. Osiris had been given his vessel, and he was now here at the side of his beloved to check on the status of Seth's pregnancy. His beauty was such that Osiris could not help but sneak a kiss, running the tongue of Wepwawet from chin to cheek, making Seth groan with irritation.

"Be calm, Suetekh." Osiris breathed, sniffing the lingering desert scent from his hair, "Gods, I have missed you!" Osiris groaned while nuzzling Seth's throat. "I have only come to see that your body does not reject our child." He slipped his hand beneath the blanket that covered Seth's naked body, and his brows went up in delighted surprise, "I wondered how you would birth our child, but I can see that I need wonder no more."

Osiris was referring to Seth's newly formed vagina, which must also mean that his brother now sported a womb in which to carry the child. He was so very tempted to take this newly formed sheath for a test drive, but as he played his fingers over its silken folds, Osiris felt no extra moisture. Seth's cunt was bone dry, and that meant that it would be no fun for either of them.

"Perhaps it is this body you do not respond favorably to, though, he is quite a specimen," Osiris assured him, pulling the blankets further down to expose Seth's privates, plunging his snout between his legs to sniff and lick at his newly made womanhood. "Ahhh, you are always so sweet."

"Stop!" Seth cried in a weak voice, pushing at Wepwawet's head.

"OK, ok, I can take a hint; but one day, before you have our baby, I am going to fuck you like this. I hear it is quite pleasurable during pregnancy to have sex."

As he said the words, he thought of Isis, who was also with child. He hoped that she had no such need that would send her in search of him... of course, he could use the practice, so that he knew how to make it the most pleasurable for Seth. It also would not hurt for him to smooth things over between them. Osiris didn't know how he was going to do that as she had made her anger quite clear the last time they were together.

Wepwawet's head lifted, and he sniffed the air, "Speaking of Isis."

She was almost here, and would demand to know why Wepwawet was here. Osiris was sure that Isis would see through his disguise, and explode at the fact that he came to see Seth and not her.

"I have to go beloved," Osiris whispered, leaning over Seth and caressing his forehead, "Please take good care of our child, our beautiful baby boy, our son."

Of course, he didn't know yet if the child was male or female, but he hoped for a son. Isis could not keep his son away from the throne.

Thoth arrived in the Duat and was immediately perplexed by what he saw. He had come to the chamber where the heart was weighed against Ma'at (truth and justice), expecting to find that things were moving along as per usual, but what he found was that it was all at a standstill.

"Ammit, darling, what has happened here? Why is nothing moving?"

Ammit, of course, could tell him nothing as she was the only one of the gods who could not speak. Thoth understood this to be a side effect of all the hearts she had to eat. They were the darkest hearts of all and they had their secrets. Here she was, practically wound around Thoth's legs as if she feared something.

"What is it girl?" Thoth asked, petting her vigorously in the hopes of easing her unusual anxiety, when he caught the first sight of something new.

Ammit tossed her head in the direction of the gate into Aaru, and there Thoth saw sitting on a great throne was the God of Life, Osiris, and kneeling before him was a newly made God he came to quickly recognize as Anubis. Thoth approached the two carefully, understanding that something wasn't right, and it began with the eyes of Osiris.

Large, liquid dark eyes shimmering in the low light of the chamber. Unblinking, unseeing, staring out into the abyss. His heart began to beat wildly in his chest as he feared a sudden retaliation from the God of Life—no, Death! He was the God of Death now, was he not?

But here he sat, completely still. Thoth knew at once what had been done. Osiris drew in a loud gasp of air, and his eyes focused intently on Thoth. "Mehi, I thank you for coming."

"You can't fool me, Asar, I see now what you have done, and it is forbidden!" Thoth said, stomping his foot and turning to leave, "It was a mistake for you to abuse your power!"

"Anubis, stop him if you would."

Thoth was stopped by a wall of muscle that met his face, his hands planted firmly on the wide barrel chest of Anubis to try and distance himself from the assault by Osiris' son (yes, he and Maat knew about the boy's true parentage), but Anubis held him tightly.

"You will not manhandle me, Anpu!" Thoth cried, receiving the dead-eyed look of one who has been sent far away from themselves. "What have you done?!" Thoth demanded of Osiris.

"I do not know what you are talking about, Mehi. I fear that you have misunderstood the situation, and I can't let you go without ensuring that you understand." Osiris said, his face was a mask of stone. Emotionless.

"Alright, explain yourself. Explain why you have exerted your influence over, not one, but two gods when it is forbidden to do so!" Thoth said, quickly becoming angry at how Anubis was holding him, "But I warn you, if I don't like your answer, I will call out to Maat!"

"You are mistaken to think that I have gone outside of the boundaries of my own power. Anubis, as my son and a newly made God of the Dead, is bound to me as I am the Lord of the Duat now. He must do as I command, and the same goes for Wepwawet, if you are referring to his presence in Seth's room. I sent him there to see if he had been held accountable for my murder yet."

"He will not be punished for your murder, Asar, as it was a righteous kill." Maat said as she entered the chamber. Osiris went to speak, but she held up her hand to stop him, "Set was allowed to take your life because you broke the laws of Ma'at by stealing the Power of Creation from Nephthys after putting a spell on her so you could manipulate your brother, and repurpose Anubis' akh into another khat by way of Set's body."

The Goddess of Truth and Justice had but to look at Anubis to make him release her husband, "I am so glad to see you, my lotus flower." He said, kissing her cheek before glaring angrily at Osiris.

"You have a job you must be doing, Anpu." Maat told the Jackal, who looked then to his father.

Osiris nodded, releasing Anubis from his hold. The Jackal stood confounded by his surroundings. "How did I get here?"

"Never mind that, do you know what duties you are charged with performing?" Maat asked him, holding his gaze to keep Osiris from distracting him.

"I... am to perform the funerary rites, releasing the dead for their journey here into the Duat—I must... guide them, and preside over the weighing of the heart. I am— "

"That is enough, Anubis." Osiris interrupted, "Go now, and do what is commanded of you."

He went, leaving the three Elder Gods to a silent contention of wills. Osiris was beyond them now, and Thoth could see in his dark eyes that he understood that he was; but did he understand that he was not above reproach? Maat herself could not judge him, but those of the Ennead could.

"You will be watched, Asar. It is in your best interest to settle into your new, powerful role and leave the living to me." Maat warned, taking Thoth by the arm and leading him away.

"Not even a fortnight has passed, and already he is drunk with power." Thoth quietly complained.

"He has been drunk with power from the day of his birth!" Maat replied heatedly.

"Did you know that Seth is PREGNANT?" Thoth cried, and all she did was cast him a glaring side eye.

Chapter Text

Isis rounded the corner, and had the eeriest feeling that she was being watched. She turned, intent on catching the voyeur in the act, but saw only an empty space. She surveyed the hallway before commanding that Seth's door be opened.

"Keep an eye out for unwanted guests." She said to the guard, motioning for the door to be closed behind her.

Blessedly, Seth was sleeping, though it was a listless sleep. He struggled within his dreams, and Isis decided she was going to try and take a look inside for the culprit which caused his restlessness. She came to his bedside, her hand hovering over the crown of his crimson head, but she paused for a moment. There was no going back once she opened Seth's mind to herself, she would be given the answers to many questions, but Isis had to ask herself if she really wanted to know everything?

Closing her eyes, Isis prepared to enter, when a hand on her wrist stopped her, "Don't."

"What is it that I'll see? Is it more than what was done, Suetekh?"

Seth's ruby eyes swam with tears, "Please... I don't want you to see... "

"I have already seen!" Isis suddenly screamed as her anguish got the better of her, "I saw how you threw yourself at my husband for the sake of Anubis, tell me why?!"

Seth covered his face in shame, and he cried. It was his shame, and she had witnessed it. How much did she see? What did she know beyond what she had just told him? Did she see how Osiris, tired of the efforts of Seth's mouth, decided to penetrate him with his fingers and his cock? Did she see how badly Seth wanted to get away? Did she see the fear and pain in his eyes?

"Answer me, Seth! Why was he threatening you with Anubis?" Isis cried, forcing his hands away from his face so that she could read his expression. If he intended to feed her a lie, he would have to do it while looking her in the eye!

Seth couldn't bear to speak of it, but knew that Isis would have her answers, regardless. He could either tell her in his own words, or let her take it out of him, neither of which seemed that appetizing of an experience. How did he explain to her Osiris' crazy plan?

"Just take it, Aset! I can't bear to tell you all of it myself!" He cried, knowing that if he told the story himself, he would be tempted to leave some details out, and if she were to believe how repulsed he really was by what he'd had to do, she needed to see it all.

Using her magic, Isis went back to see everything in full detail, right back to the conversation which led to their physical encounter, and to the culprit of Seth's fateful meeting with Osiris. Sekhmet telling Seth that Anubis didn't belong to him. That triggered Isis' own memory of Nephthys telling her the same thing, and she had to fight now to focus on Seth's memory alone.

She saw through his eyes as he burst through the door demanding Osiris to tell him the truth! She saw as Seth attacked Osiris, and she saw her husband's retaliation. 'That's right, Osiris is far stronger than Seth. He could not have killed him without consent!' As the conversation went on, Isis saw how Seth was drugged, and she heard Osiris lay out his filthy little plan to give Seth his child. Isis clutched at her chest in effort of easing the pain, without success as onward the memories went.

Seth did not want Anubis to be hurt in any way, so he bargained with Osiris, and this is where their memories converged, yet again. Isis could feel the agony as it ripped through Seth; not only the pain of his body being taken by a man for the first time, but the pain of his heart for having to betray his sisters in this way.

'First time?' The question echoed throughout her mind, and it gave her pause, "Why?" She asked aloud, but again, his memories took her forward.

She witnessed the end of the act, and how Sekhmet had come to help Seth make his getaway, returning Anubis to normal. She saw as Seth went nuts and started cutting up Osiris' body, and she heard as Sekhmet told him to put the body in the Nile. That was how she knew... but by that time, Seth had been given the seed, accompanied by the means with which to carry it, and that's when Isis forced her way out of her brother's memories.

Every detail, every disgusting, vile little detail, she had swimming around in her head! It seemed strange to her, that Osiris would love Seth so deeply, and she never even knew! Isis struggled to come out of the memory, but there was a a feeling that kept nagging at her.

'The first time?'

The question that lingered like a confession. There was only one conclusion, one answer for Isis to consider. And in this revelation a sudden shadow hovered over her. When she looked up, Isis saw a dark figure looming large, with a head full of curly hair, and silver stars for eyes. Isis wasn't afraid for she recognized Osiris as he was in the womb, but she was not the one he stood over with his hand outstretched and a smile on his face.

It had always been in her heart that she the one he fell in love with when they were young. Was she not? Was she not the only one he took as his lover while they awaited their birth? Who then, did he extend his hand to? Who was it he graced with his smile? Isis asked herself these questions, but already knew the answers. Seth. It had to be Seth. Why else would Osiris go to such lengths to give Seth the ability to birth a child? But there was also Nephthys... she had confessed it herself, that Anubis was the son of Osiris, not Seth. She could be the one who lingered in the shadows of their mother's womb.

"It was all a lie." She said in disbelief.

"What was a lie, Aset?"

Seth's voice broke through her spell, and brought her back into the moment. Isis looked down at his haggard features, drawn and pale from his ordeal, recalling the question Osiris had put to their little brother:

"What am I to you?"

Seth's brows creased into a frown, "What?" He asked in a hoarse whisper, swallowing hard after.

"He asked you that question, and your answer seemed less than satisfactory to him." Isis said to Seth, "I was stuck on that question myself because why would he ask it, as if he had been more to you at one time; but when had he ever been more?"

"I don't know what you mean by that, Aset, Osiris and I were only ever brothers in heart and nothing more!" Seth insisted, his hand traveling down to settle over his lower abdomen, "My stomach feels weird."

Isis put her hand over her own womb, and felt a quickening once more that took her breath away. She touched Seth's abdomen in the same instance, and heard his sharp intake of breath as together their bodies were changing.

"I do not want to delve any deeper into this, but there is more to uncover, Suetekh. There is more to this story that you and I simply must know!"

His hand pressed gently over hers, and tears swam in his scarlet eyes, "I can feel it, I can feel it growing! Is that normal?"

She cried too, for how could she not? Isis felt her child even as he did, and while it was a new experience for them both, it was more jarring for her brother as this was impossible territory for a man. Not one part of Seth's life was spent in preparation for becoming a mother, yet here he was, right on track to becoming one. It still boggled her mind that Ra would even allow this child to take root!

'A life is a life.' Isis could hear Her say.

Yes, but this life did not honor the duality of the cosmos, and yet, how did it not? Seth was no longer technically a male...

"Isis?" She heard him ask, and looked down to see his ruby eyes filled with fear, "Maat won't kill my baby, will she?"

Already so protective of this little life. Isis had to smile, "Why would you think that, little brother?"

"Osiris said— "

"You don't need to pay attention to anything that Osiris has said! Whatever he told you is obviously wrong or you would not be as you are now, and you would not have a life growing inside you."

She did her best to ease his fears even though she had fears of her own. The first that she felt was that her husband had never loved her, and the second was that she would fail at being a mother!

"You will not fail." Seth said as he squeezed her hand.

Isis, having realized how open she'd made herself to Seth, resurrected the barrier that kept her thoughts well hidden from others. There was too much inside her brain that she wasn't ready for Seth to see.

"I'm sorry." He said immediately after, "I didn't mean to pry."

"It's alright, my thoughts are rather noisy right now.... as I am wondering what we should do about the throne."

Seth's eyes glimmered with tears, his emotions made more intense by the complexities of growing a child. It amused Isis slightly, that he was influenced more by the changes in his body than she was by hers.

"You are his... widow."

"Yes, but you are the closest living heir—only until the birth of his son!" This, she said with emphasis, "The throne may be yours as regent until my child is born."

"I don't want the throne!" Seth's voice was a harsh whisper.

"That's sweet of you, Suetekh, but you are the closest living male heir to Osiris, you are the next to rule. Because you... " The breath of Isis left her, and she began to choke on the grief these next words caused her, "... killed Osiris... you will be seen as a usurper, but you will be the next Supreme Ruler."

Seth squeezed her hand, "Be my queen, and then the throne will belong to both of us!"

Before she could stop herself, Isis ripped her hand free of Seth's, "Are you mad?!" She cried bitterly, "if I become your queen, others might think that we conspired together to kill Osiris, and that would effectively end any chance my son has at taking the throne!"

Seth was hurt, and stunned into silence. He already told her that he didn't want the crown, yet she insisted that he take it because he was a male!

Seth gasped suddenly, his hand shooting under the sheet to grasp the space between his thighs, "Can I really be considered a man right now? My cock is GONE!"

"Shhhh!" Isis hissed, "Don't be so loud about that particular development just yet, we can't be sure how the others will react!" Isis looked around for any ears which could be attached to loose tongues, "for now, the crown shall be yours— "

"What if I left?" He offered, "If I'm not here, then you have to be crowned queen regent until your child is born."

"Hmmm, " She hummed in thought, "Indeed, that might very well work."

Seth's face fell in sadness. He had hoped Isis would not take so quickly to the thought of him being gone, but if that's what would make her happy enough to let him atone for killing Osiris (even though he fucking deserved it), then that is what he would do. He was scared by the prospect as that meant he would be alone while very much pregnant.

"Don't look so sad, brother, I will make sure that you are well taken care of, and you will be welcome home once my son is born."

"Who is to be the unlucky cad to accompany me in my exile?" Seth wondered, his mouth bent into a pout.

"It will have to be Mehi as he is the only one who could discover the truth of your malady."

"Oh, it's a malady now is it?" Seth snapped, sitting up a little too quickly. He became dizzy, flopping back onto the pillows with a groan, "Ugh! How will I ever do this alone?"

Isis touched his cheek, her thumb tracing back and forth along his cheekbone, "I only meant that the Ibis could help discover whether or not you shall remain this way or if your manhood shall be returned; plus, he knows all about birthing a baby, and you will need his expertise as well as his discretion."

"What about Anubis? Is he well? Maybe he and Nephthys can come with me, yeah?"

His beautiful eyes were so hopeful, it broke her heart to have to tell him. "Nephthys might wish to go with you, but Anubis has— "

A great wail of despair erupted from her brother with volume enough to force a startled scream from her.

"He's dead! I couldn't save him!" Seth cried inconsolable.

"By the gods, NO! Please calm down, Anubis is fine, but he has ascended."

Isis soothed him as best as she could, until he was able to calm down enough to grasp what she had said. It warmed her heart, the love that Seth had for the son who was not his own. Even after finding out the truth of his parentage, he still loved the boy fiercely. It occurred to her, in this moment, that she has never known this depth of love from her husband. Seth had been betrayed and yet, he still loved. If he could forgive... could she not do the same?

"W-what god has he become?" Seth was finally able to ask.

"You aren't going to like it, Suetekh." Isis warned, and when he made her continue, she did: "He is a God of Death."

Seth's face transformed, not with horror, but with pride, "Is he ruling over the glorious dead?" He asked with excitement.

"... N-nnnoooo." Isis lingered on the word, hesitant to tell him the truth.

"What? Your face tells me that something is wrong!" Seth clutched at his stomach as a sudden pain stabbed through him, "Aarrgghh!"

Isis put her hands on him, and with a small incantation of protection, she eased his pain and calmed his fears, bidding him to rest. She would go about making the necessary plans for his departure. Who would go with him, and whether or not to keep everything else as secretive as possible. This plan definitely ensured that her child would inherit the throne. She didn't want anyone going to Seth to try and convince him otherwise!

"Is it a binding pregnancy?" Thoth inquired from his wife.

"What Osiris did changed Seth, made him capable of gestation. It is no different from the illegitimate child he gave to Nephthys. She surrendered to him the Power of Creation, and that has made the pregnancy binding. My mother shouldl not seek to kill the child."

Thoth was fidgeting, struggling with asking the bigger question, but Maat's face made him spit it out. "Was this... all part of the plan, Mayet?"

"No!" Her mother shouted, the powerful voice of Ra forcing the Ibis to cower behind his wife. "But only time will tell if there is an advantage to be gained."

"There is always a game to be played." Thoth whispered in Maat's ear.

"You have introduced an unforseen variable into this game you play." Maat said the words for all to hear (Sekhmet had quietly joined them).

"This is no game daughter. Your husband defied me for a bygone crush, and now I must guide the pieces where I may in order to survive!" Ra fixed Thoth with a withering gaze, "You speak of a game, the GAME was played by the man who cowers behind you!"

Maat cast him a sideways glance, "I did warn you, Mehi, not to involve yourself." She murmured.

They were not an item yet when he assisted Nut in her endeavor to defy Ra's decree, and it was because of his decision to meddle that Maat saw herself choosing him as her mate. It was for his friendship to Tefnut that he entertained the idea, but more for the justice of it all. Ra was preventing life from joining the rule of the cosmos because of a prophecy given to Her by him. Thoth felt that it was his fault which compelled him to make it right. Maat's growing affection for the Ibis was the only reason he had not been absorbed by the greater god.

"Do not worry your pretty little head, sister, the child will make a fine addition to the family of Atum, and with the right guidance, might even prove to be an asset to our Mother." Sekhmet purred, circling around Maat and her husband.

Thoth shivered under the sharp nails of Sekhmet's fingers dragging across his bare shoulders, and he tried to shrug her off to no avail. Sekhmet dug her nails into Thoth's shoulder, making him cry out hopelessly in pain.

"You have your part to play, birdie." She hissed in his ear, "When Isis comes to ask you for a favor, you will agree to do it."

"Your attack on my husband is without merit, Sekhmet." Maat warned, "Remove your claws or risk the consequences."

Sekhmet lifted her hand just in time to avoid her sister's judgement, her red lips pulled into a menacing smile, followed by the rolling of her eyes. "Oh, he barely bleeds, sister."

"That will be enough out of you two girls." Ra said, stepping in to defuse the situation, "Sekhmet, go and do your calming exercises, I do not need any explosions today."

After her sister left the room, Maat turned to her mother and asked, "What is this favor that Isis will ask my husband to perform?"

Ra smirked, "She needs someone to go into exile with Seth, and who better to help a pregnant man birth a baby than your knowledgeable husband?"

"Must you always seek ways to punish him, Mother?" Maat complained.

"Um... technically he is partly a woman." Thoth felt the need to add.

"Yes, and is that not interesting to you, Mehi? This is an opportunity for you to learn. We must know why this was possible as it has not occurred until now."

"Well, Seth is a shapeshifter, moreso than any other god in our pantheon. Perhaps this is what allowed his body to accommodate the Power of Creation as well as Osiris' seed to take root." Thoth offered as a possible explanation.

"I do not care about the whyfors of it all, Mehi. Seth is bound for exile. Personally, I would stay if I were him, but he feels guilty for what he has done, and if this is how he makes his amends, so be it. You will go with him because Isis is going to ask you to, and let's face it, whatever he is now, Seth is no midwife. He will need you to deliver his child without either of them dying in the process."

"S-so, you DO want them both to survive?" Thoth asked timidly, ducking again behind Maat.

"Of course I do... they are my family, after all." Ra responded with a smile that chilled the marrow in Thoth's bones.

Thoth bowed to his mother-in-law, and instead of waiting for Isis to find him, he went in search of her. Might as well get it over with, gathering Seth and beginning their journey to wherever she would send them.

He found her sitting in the gardens, relaxing. Thoth immediately set about checking her well-being which startled her awake, causing Isis to send a zing of electricity through his body.

"Ouch!" He screamed, "What in the nine realms of the Duat was that!"

"Oh, Mehi! Why did you frighten me?" Isis breathed heavily, immediately exhausted from the expenditure of her power. "It is so hard to do anything right now... I am so tired!"

"Not so tired that you lack the strength to scorch me." Thoth whined, "and the exhaustion is likely from the fact that you are growing a god within you, as is Seth."

"Speaking of Seth... " She began.

"I have been informed of your desire to have me escort Seth into exile." Thoth brought Isis a refreshing glass of cool pomegranate juice, but she turned it down.

"... It is only to keep him safe as well as to preserve my son's position." She explained, waving him away.

"The juice will help to give you energy, Aset." Thoth insisted, pushing the glass into her hand and waiting until she drank it down. "You are so sure that your child is a boy."

"He must be a boy! If Seth gives birth to a boy and I do not— " Isis abruptly stopped as a rush of emotion threatened to send her into a sobbing fit.

"This is also a condition of your pregnancy, my lady." Thoth found a soft cotton cloth and blotted Isis' hot forehead, "Calm yourself, I am sure you are right. Plus... you are the wife of Osiris, not Seth, if that helps."

"It does." She quickly admitted, "Can you take him to Hermopolis, to Tehener's village? They will welcome you without question, and I know Seth will be well protected."

Thoth could not stop the sigh, knowing that she would ask him to take Seth there. It had a place where Seth could go to hide if he needed too, and only if he was careful. It was not entirely unknown or unreachable for Osiris though, and that was what Thoth feared most! How could he possibly keep Seth safe from Osiris if need be?

"Osiris cannot go into the dark, not anymore." Isis murmured, her eyelids falling and remaining closed.

"As you wish, Aset," Thoth whispered without argument.

Chapter Text

"I am in misery, Mehi!" Seth whined from the back of his camel, shifting this way and that in an effort to find comfort, "When can we make camp?"

Thoth rolled his eyes. This journey had barely gotten underway and already the pregnant God of War was complaining! Oh, if only they could use their powers for travel! But, this was a journey for which the destination was to be reached in secret. If magic was used, the thread could be followed... Osiris still had his loyal messengers.

"We have barely begun, Suetekh– "

"But you told me that we could stop if I was struggling, and I tell you now that I am fucking struggling!" Seth growled, fighting back tears of frustration and pain, "My crotch hurts! My ass hurts– everything fucking hurts!"

Thoth stopped their tiny caravan to consider Seth's plight. He was pregnant, and with each passing moment the child inside him was growing, his body changing. There was pain involved in this, Thoth knew this from the extensive amount of time he had spent learning from pregnant women; but for Seth, the pain must be a bit more strenuous, at least in his mind because by now his body must surely have acclimated to having the lower half of a woman.

So this was Thoth's recommendation, "We will stop for a moment so that you might relieve yourself if you must while I find you something for the pain, but we really must continue toward our destination."

"Why can't we just camp?"

"Well, that would increase the odds of someone coming upon us. Do you wish for your departure to be discovered by Osiris so soon?"

The fear that lept into Seth's eyes was undeniable at the mention of Osiris, "What makes you think that any random desert dweller would give prayers to my brother and not to me?" He said this in an effort to soothe away the unease which threatened to take root. Seth refused to fear the desert or its people!

Thoth's lips formed into a tight smile, "We do not yet understand the power of Osiris or its reach under his new position. If you want this child to grow and be born into this world without his influence, I must get you to a safe haven, and I must do so as quickly as possible without the use of our magic!"

"He's dead!" Seth snapped, sliding off the back of his camel, but holding tight to the reins as he was unsteady on his feet.

Thoth looked at him as though he were daft, and then preceded to tell him what he did not yet know, "Your elder brother is now the King of Duat. Do you know what that means, Suetekh?"

Seth didn't hear him after the first portion of his sentence for the ringing in his ears. He swayed on his feet and his sight went dim. Thoth was quick to catch him as he sank to the ground, offering a bladder of water for him to drink from.

"Y-you mean... I m-made him... more powerful?" Seth struggled to say, swatting the bladder of water away from his face.

Thoth's lips puckered, "Mmm, I can't be sure as to the strength or even the reach of his power, but he presides now over death and rebirth."

"Fucking great!" Seth spat, taking in a deep breath and exhaling slowly to ease the nausea suddenly cramping his stomach. "I'm gonna be sick!"

He scrambled away from Thoth and let the contents of his stomach spew out onto the burning desert sand. The earth was so parched for moisture that his bile was quickly vaporized. Seth collapsed, rolling to his back with a hand resting gently on his lower abdomen. A smile hinted at the corners of his mouth when he felt the child quicken, too little yet to be a strike of any kind, but its mother did feel it there.

"What do you think, Mehi? Should I call this child a he or a she?" Seth asked softly.

"It is too soon to tell, but if I had to guess– " Thoth stopped when Seth cast in his direction a glaring red stare. "Alright, no guessing. A mother usually has a feel for these things, use your intuition, but please do so as we get back to our travels."

Seth's features dissolved into a sudden mask of worry as he looked at Thoth. "We shouldn't have left Isis there alone! What of her child, what will Osiris and his influence do to him?"

"You think it's a boy too, huh?" Thoth marveled.

Of course, he knew what Isis was having–it was already ordained, but they could not know yet for sure. The siblings spoke as if it had been revealed to them that Isis was having a boy.

"Mehi!" Seth yelled, "I'm serious! If you worry about my child, why not hers, and what about Anubis?!"

Thoth went to help Seth back to his feet, guiding him gently up onto the camel's back. "Do not worry about Isis, she has more guardians than you, and she is the Goddess of Magic. Osiris would be a fool to even attempt tampering with her little one, and I think you should know that Isis uses her influence to keep your son safe."

Seth looked down at the God of Knowledge, "What makes you so sure?"

Thoth's smile was indicative of his name. "Because magic works on the living and the dead. Now drink your water, and snack on this package of crackers.

Seth turned up his nose, "I don't want either of thosr things... " He complained, clamping his hand over his mouth as a sour puff of air rolled out from his throat.

Thoth scowled at him, "Do not be selfish, Suetekh. Remember, this is not for you, but for the child."

Seth grumbled under his breath, but did as he was told because Thoth was right, he lived for two now, and he has to keep that thought in the forefront of his mind. Seth put his hand on his stomach, nausea making his head swim as the camel lurched forward.

'I exist only for you now, little one.' He promised the tiny passenger of his body.

That was a surprising thought to him, how fiercely protective he was of this little life that had been forced upon him. It was the same of Anubis–he was still Seth's beloved child, no matter the blood! His mind began to reel with thoughts of his son and what he must be going through at the moment, subject to Osiris and whatever insanity he decided to thrust upon him. Seth had to find a way to break him free, and he would, when this child was finally free of his body!

"Where are we going anyway?" He decided to ask, realizing that Thoth didn't really give him much detail, other than to say that he would be safe.

"Hermopolis, and worry yourself not, I can assure you that it only looks abandoned; but there is magic enough in that place to hide you well, Suetekh."

"Hermopolis... " Seth muttered.

He knew of that place, and he knew who it used to belong to. They were long gone, though, so who remained that was powerful enough to keep them safe?

It had all been a blur for Anubis. His ascension coming on the back of Osiris' murder, but whether it was because of his death, Anubis could not be sure. He learned, shortly after arriving in the Duat, that Osiris was his real father. Since then, he wasn't given a chance to process the information as his job was very time consuming. People die... everyday, they die.

How foolish he had been not to realize how much death was in the world. He understood now why his father - no, Seth was not his father - but he didn't want him to be a god associated with death. Anubis suddenly wondered if Seth hated him now, or maybe he knew the whole time, letting Anubis live the life of a lie.

'Anubis?' The voice of his aunt bloomed inside his head, 'Drop what you are doing, my boy, and come to me.'

Anubis smiled, happy to obey his guardian. Were it not for the care of his Aunt Isis, Anubis feared that he would be lost to the darkness of his real father. It wasn't hard for him to see the evil that lurked in the heart of the King of Duat, it was one of his gifts as the one who weighed the heart against the feather of Ma'at. But Isis kept him safe, placing a powerful spell of protection over him, cloaking him from Osiris' influence.

"Aunt Isis," He said, his voice a soft rumble as he stood in the shadows at her back. "You have need of me?" His hand settled warmly over her abdomen, his way of saying hello to his sibling.

Isis reached up to touch the cheek he stooped to press into her hand. "I am just checking on you, dear boy. There is something weighing heavily on your mind, tell me, let me help you."

"You do not need to trouble yourself with my depressed feelings, Auntie." He answered, nuzzling her cheek, before coming to kneel in front of her, "I was only thinking of... " He bit his lip, unwilling to say his name.

"You were thinking of your Father, Anput, I know. Your real Father." Isis said, finishing his thought. Isis lifted his chin, and with a wave of her hand dissolved his sacred hood, "He loves you, darling boy. His first thought was of you, but you must understand, that for his safety and yours, he had to go away for a while."

Anubis fought the tears that threatened to come. "He has another child to love now." He bit the bottom lip that quivered, feeling blood trickle down his chin.

"He is directly responsible for the well-being of this child, for the time being, but you are ever on his mind. He dreams of you, I can see them when he does. He searches for you in the darkness, praying for you to come back into his arms." Her voice trembled as she recounted one of Seth's dreams, sorrow doing its best to drag her under.

"Do not cry, Auntie Isis. I am still acclimating to my position, and it wears on my emotions." Anubis explained, holding her hand to his cheek. "M-maybe I can go visit him?"

The stark blue gaze of Isis turned quick to ice. Not because Anubis had asked to visit Seth, his question was innocent enough, but because she knew who was listening! Osiris didn't put the question in the boy's head, but he was waiting to hear what Isis would say.

She cupped his cheek, "Anubis, darling, did you know that Osiris attached to you for this visit?"

His grey eyes went as round as milk saucers, and then he said, "No, Auntie, I swear!"

"I believe you, "Isis told him, pulling him in for a hug. His muscled arms went around her hips in a gentle embrace. "This is why I must refuse your request. But don't worry, I will get word to your father and bid for him to send word to you, which will come by way of me."

"I understand." Anubis whispered, his head lifting, alerting to some command she could not hear. His sacred hood formed around his head in a wisp of smoke and shadow. "I must go, the dead are calling."

He was gone before she could say a word to stay him. Anubis was thankful for this ability: to step through the shadows of this world, coming out anywhere he wished. Mostly the shadows took him to the dead, then onward into the Duat. He was thankful for the distraction, it kept him from dissolving into a blubbering mess at the thought of Seth's embrace. Those arms of the father he has dearly missed. 

His work also afforded him the excuse he needed not to appear before Osiris. In truth, his real dad creeped him out. A feeling that was made worse by the fact that Osiris was willing to unmake him, in a sense, reforming him into a child of Seth's body instead of Nephthys'. It was hard for Anubis to wrap his head around, and so he avoided being alone with Osiris at all cost.

Isis was his guardian, and therefore Anubis had bound himself to her, becoming the protector of her and her unborn child. She would never ask him to do this, feeling as though she should be the one to protect him; but Anubis knew that she wasn't safe–her child was not safe! Not from Osiris! So he watched, perched quietly in the dark, and observed his father when he could. He gathered what information he could that would help Isis.

And when he had a spare moment, he imagined scenarios where he was with Seth as he had been when he was a small child. Remembering the love he had been given by his parents kept him warm in the coldness of the Duat–it kept him going! He did his work, and he waited for word from his father, he waited for validation of this love he held so tight to.

Isis knew, and because she knew, Osiris no longer held a claim on her heart. Whether she loved him or not wasn't his greatest concern: losing her influence and her magic is what did the most damage to his ambition. Getting Seth back would be even more difficult without the misdirection of Isis and her anger toward their little brother.

She had confronted him, not with words, but with actions. Her guardianship over Anubis was the loudest statement she had made this far, but Osiris was certain that it would not be her last. She told him nothing of the child which grew in her womb, and Osiris had stopped even pretending that he cared. In his eyes, that child was not his heir, but when he got word of Isis advocating for the legitimacy of her child, Osiris knew he needed to figure out a way to stop it.

"Dearest, Seshat," Osiris said as he approached Thoth's daughter. "Why is it that you are here taking notes instead of your most venerable Father?"

Seshat curtsied for the Lord of Duat, her smile sweet and demure. "The God of Knowledge has many duties, Lord Osiris. Mother has put him to a task she considers most important. Fear not, my lord, as I am also skilled at record keeping."

"Knowledge is power." Osiris said in an ominous tone, intentionally intimidating the young goddess. "Tell me, Seshat, are you knowledgeable? Would you be able to tell me, say, about the rules of inheritance?"

Sensation took a step backward, "I'll do my best, Lord Osiris." Her brows creased as a question formed in her mind, "Isn't your wife with child, my lord?"

"She is." He replied.

"Then the line of succession is clear: as she is your wife, the child she bears you is your heir." Seshat confidently explained.

"What if there was... another, conceived before the child Isis carries?" The King of Duat pressed, stepping into her, as if to convey that he'd better like her answer.

"No other comes before the child born of your wife, my Lord Osiris." Seshat boldly told him, standing tall, and squaring her shoulders to show that his intimidation would not work on her. Seshat was certain, he was trying to get her to write a new law.

Osiris pursed his lips, "But does not the first born stand as heir?"

"Well... that would be Anubis, but he is not the son of Isis, but of her sister, Nephthys. He is illegitimate. The same would be so of any other child–I do not understand the trouble you are having with this, really."

Osiris despised her arrogance, narrowing his dark eyes, and biting his tongue. "No, of course, you are right, Seshat. I just wanted to be sure there was nothing I could do to give Anubis his right to the throne," He lied.

"Ah, well, I think you'll find that even my father will tell you the same as I have in this matter. Anubis cannot be your heir, as he is born to another."

"Yes, of course," Osiris said in agreement; yet secretly he seethed, burning for a different outcome. He wondered if there was not some way for him to influence a change of heart in the Goddess. Could he offer her a crown? "Seshet?" He was going to try. "You are unmarried, are you not?"

Again, the daughter of Thoth stood with her head held high. "I have no husband as of now, my Lord Osiris."