Atem was panting looking at the Dragon God in front of him. Both of them were hurt from the fight they currently were in the middle of. Atem had yet to use his venom against the Dragon and the Dragon had yet to use his fire. The Ruler of the Zodiac Gods was watching, waiting to see who the victor would be. The current Ruler was Atem’s father, however, that didn’t mean Atem automatically got the throne. That only meant that Atem had to fight harder and wiser to get the throne. He had already beaten the ten Zodiac Gods that were trying for the throne. All that he had left to beat was the Dragon and his own father.

The Dragon lunged at him ready to strike. Atem waited before moving at the last moment. He used his snake body to pin the Dragon within his coils, a trick he had learned from the pythons. Atem then let his fangs drop out as he had done for the others.

“Sssurrender Sssseto,” Atem hissed lowering his fangs closer to the vulnerable point on the Dragon’s neck. Seto growled and struggled a bit which only made Atem tighten his coils. He let venom drip from his fangs causing Seto to flinch. After another struggle, Seto went limp surrendering to the Snake God above him. Atem released Seto and moved back his fangs and venom retreating.

“Very good both of you,” Aknamkanon said, clapping his hands. The two young Gods looked towards their ruler. “Atem has won the right to challenge me for the throne. That battle will be in two days time, and will be a fight to the death as per tradition.”

Atem paled, he hadn’t been informed of that. He didn’t want to kill his own father, but he didn’t want to lose his own life. After that, each God went to their own domain to rest and heal. Atem patched up his injuries before plopping onto his bed of leaves. He had long since been kicked out of the central part of his father’s domain, so he was on his own. Atem looked at the stone ceiling of the cave he made his lair. Fighting his father for the throne and killing his father was in his mind two different things. He didn’t want to kill his father, Aknamkanon was the only family he had left. Atem sniffled covering his eyes with an arm. He didn’t know what to do. 

Hours passed by and Atem was still trying to reign in his emotions. He kept his arm over his eyes so his tears wouldn’t be seen. No one should enter the cave as it was deep in a forest and lead deep underground. He had nothing to fear because of that. Atem removed his arm from over his eyes and sat up, he heard talking from somewhere in the cave system. He shifted fully to his snake form before shrinking to a normal-sized black mamba. Going to investigate was easier in that size. He got close to the talking and found two humans venturing deeper into his home. His hiss startled the explorers, which made them look towards him. He bared the black interior of his mouth in warning, raising his head up further. One held a torch and waved it at him trying to scare him away. Atem wasn’t having it and lunged getting the man in the arm and shoulder. The man screamed in pain, and the other bolted out of the cave in fear. Atem grew to his normal size which, since he was still young, was 54 meters (177 feet) long. The man that Atem had bit fell to the ground in fear.

“Human, you have met your end,” Atem hissed flicking his tongue out barely brushing against the man’s face. He tasted and smelled the fear and could hear the slowing heartbeat. Atem wrapped his tail around the man’s ankle and slithered back to his bed to wait for the venom to fully kill the man in his clutches. It didn’t take long for the man to die from the venom, when he did Atem slowly began to swallow the man whole.

Once done Atem laid down to let it digest. He now didn’t have to go out to hunt for food. A noise drew his attention and he raised his head to the entrance of the cavern. Seto in his smaller Dragon form walked in.

“Ssseto? What are you doing in my home?” Atem asked watching the Dragon look around the cavern. Seto finally looked at Atem noticing the Snake’s appearance.

“I was coming to see if you were alright,” Seto replied. “And it seems like I caught a human for no reason.”

“Oh? Did you catch a human for me? Why?” Atem asked, moving over to Seto slowly.

Seto smirked before tossing a charred body to Atem with a claw. “A gift is all, you won our fight. I’d hate to see a friend die as well.”

Atem looked at the human flicking his tongue out to smell it. “Thisss human… it’sss the one that fled momentsss ago.”

“I figured as much,” Seto mused as he settled down on the stone floor.

Atem smiled as much as he could. “Well I don’t normally enjoy charred food Ssseto, but I appreciate the thought.”

Seto nodded lightly. “I thought as much, but I don’t have venom like you. So I did what I could.” Atem chuckled amused. “In any case how are you feeling, Atem?”

Atem sighed, settling down. “Fine for the mossst part.”

Seto raised a delicate eyebrow. “Even with the news about killing your father?”

“I have to be, it’sss either that or I lossse my own life,” Atem said. “My father won’t hesssitate to kill me in a battle for the throne. Therefore I have to give it my all.” 

Seto nodded in understanding. “Your father does have centuries more experience than you Atem.”

“Do you have to remind me Ssseto?” Atem groaned. Seto chuckled, smirking some.

“Of course I have to remind you, if I didn't, well you know what will happen if you don’t keep that in mind,” Seto stated. Atem nodded his head in understanding. Seto stood up causing Atem to look up at him. Seto bows his head a bit.

“I’ll see you again in two days Atem,” Seto said leaving the cave system. Atem sighed some before looking at the charred body in front of him. He was full, so he didn’t want to eat the human, instead, he picked it up and took it deeper into the cave system so it could decay. 

Two days went by quickly and the twelve Zodiacs gathered to see who would win the fight for the throne. Atem waited for his father to enter the arena, he was nervous. He watched as his father slithered down to the smooth stone ground. They were both ready for the fight no matter the outcome. Aknamkanon was a yellow-brown Egyptian Cobra spanning 54 meters (177 feet) and was not as big as Atem who was a Black Mamba. Atem wasn’t fully grown; he was about half the size he would be as an adult at 109 meters (357 feet) long. Atem steeled his nerves and got ready for the fight to start. Both of them were in their full snake forms. 

Seto started the fight by blowing a column of white and blue lightning into the air. The two Snake Gods circled each other hissing, fanning out their hoods. Aknamkanon’s hood was much grander than Atem’s but that made no difference, neither was intimidated by the display. They circled each other trying to gain an idea of the other's strength. Aknamkanon lunged first, fangs bared and hissing. Atem quickly slithered out of the way using his tail to knock his father away. He had watched his father fight when he was still a hatchling. He had wanted to learn the way his father fought therefore he had sought out the Egyptian Cobras. It had only been childish wanting nothing more. However, now he found himself reading his father’s movements as they circled each other, occasionally lunging at the other.

It seemed like the fight would go on forever. Atem purposely faked getting tired lowering his head baiting his father. He noticed his father hesitate slightly before he lunged to bite. Atem darted out of the way and bit Aknamkanon.