Chapter Twenty-Nine

That afternoon, the Source sent me a dream.

Or perhaps, a nightmare was a more appropriate term.

The nightmare began in darkness, utter darkness. There was an unbearable heat, sticky and heavy and thick. It intensified the stenches around me; rotting meat, spoiled milk, feces, urine, sulfur. The combination of horrid stenches suffocated me, burned my throat, my nostrils, even my eyes. In the darkness, I could hear a young child crying. A female. I could hear the voices of other children speaking, hushed and fearful and concerned. I heard the sound of something thick and wet popping, like molten lava gurgling through a large cavern. Faint hissing, like a snake, an eerie moan like wind forcing through a long tight space.

And the feeling of despair and misery was so thick.

Confused, I reached my hands out in search of a way to go. I put one foot in front of other, and quickly learned I was not only barefoot, but stepping on something gooey and hot. I gasped in pain, yanking my foot up, then the other, then reached out to grab something as I tumbled backwards, only to smack into more of the gooey hot mess.

Horrified and disgusted, I scrambled through it, attempting to find some sort of solid ground. After a few minutes of blindly flailing through disgusting territory, I was standing on a hard, rough surface. It hurt my burnt feet, scraped and cut my knees and hands, but it was so much better than being in the hot goo.

Suddenly, a light flickered in the distance. Sparks flying, the sound of two rocks cracking together. I quickly started toward it, my feet now numbed from pain as I carefully picked my way over the rough terrain.

As I walked, the sound of children speaking grew louder. I could make out the voices of two male children, a female, and a much younger female sobbing uncontrollably. The sparks flew once more and a moment later, there was a rasp as the sparks caught onto flammable material and exploded into a show of light. The children screamed and the infant female wailed, her voice carrying through the cavern.

"You nearly killed us," one of the males shouted, "What made you think that was gonna work!"

"Shut up," came the other male voice, "It worked. Look." I watched as the shrieking column of flames began to shrink down to a reasonable size. The abrupt light stung my eyes and I grimaced, covering my eyes for a moment, shielding them from the light before my eyes adjusted slowly.

The light spread out to reveal a small group of children standing scattered around it.

Two young males came into better view first. The first one was very young, no older than five years, panting hard with fear. His skin color was indiscernible due to the horrendous state of it; marred by vicious scars, bruises, and caked in a black mud. His long scraggly brown hair was held back from his face by sweat, mud, and grease.

The second male was older, still a child, but old enough to have been the one to start the fire. He, too, was marred with scars and filth. His long black hair was a tangled mess, hanging in his face and obscuring a decent view of it. The only features of his face I could discern were a pair of piercing blue eyes, a blue unlike any I'd ever seen before. It was a shade of blue that reminded me so much of the dress I'd purchased for Lillian. They appeared to glow in the dark.

Next, I spotted not two, but three females. The oldest female was nearly the age of the oldest male, but she was very thin, very frail, with dark hair matted and cut in a choppy style, revealing eyes that reflected the crackling fire. Beside her, the younger female had a similar hairstyle, choppy and caked with mud and grease, and in her arms was the infant female who wailed with tiny fists flinging about in the air.

"Shut her up," the younger male hissed, turning on the females, "She'll wake the plants!" The female holding the infant glared at him.

"She can't help it, Poseidon, she's scared. You're the one yelling anyhows," she sneered. The younger male, Poseidon, clenched his fists and went to charge her, but the older male grabbed him and hauled him back, throwing him on the ground and standing over him with a glare.

"Stop," he ordered, "We're wasting energy on this. Demeter, please, find a way to make Hera quiet. Poseidon, stay here and make sure nothing hurts them. Hestia and I are gonna go find something to eat. Stay close to the fire. The plants hate the fire." The children all looked at one another, all shaking, all scared, even Poseidon. In fact, the younger male hurried to obey the older one. He went to Demeter's side, hanging onto her legs and Demeter swallowed, tears in her eyes, but not falling as she held onto Hera, holding the baby's face against her shoulder to muffle the squalling.

The older male turned to the older female, who looked at him with a strangely blank look on her face. As if she'd seen so much that it no longer affected her. It was an expression the older boy wore similarly.

I looked around the children, as my eyes became more adjusted to the darkness, and my stomach dropped in horror. The environment was toxic. Literally toxic. The black hot mud that I'd stumbled into was bubbling and popping, and wherever the black mud landed, it hissed. The rocky surface was made of black rock, jagged and sharp in so many places. It appeared to make up a small island in the center of a sea of water marred by green filth. Every so often, something splashed and the children would snap their heads to stare out into the water, as if expecting something to emerge from its depths to hurt them.

And the plants just off the shore of the island were no better. They were multiple dark colors, from green to black to brown, and many of them were moving on their own. One with jagged jaws hissed and snapped those teeth whenever an insect flew by. Nearby was a thick collection of strange black plants that appeared to look like curled tentacles, and whenever the black mud popped and landed on their tentacles, it squealed like a hog and snatched away from the source of pain.

Dear gods, what the hell is this place?

I'd never seen anything like it.

And worst of all, why were there children here?

I looked up as the older male and female broke away from the group and began to head toward the plants. I wanted to scream at them to stay put, but no sound escaped my throat. I could only watch helplessly as they disappeared into the jungle of meat-eating plants with a mind of their own.

I moved quickly to catch up to them, wondering how they could possibly know where they were going. Once I had stepped into the forest, the light from the fire vanished and I was plunged into darkness. The darkness was oppressive, thick, and heavy, made worse by the heat of the place.

And then I caught sight of a pair of glowing blue eyes in the darkness.

I quickly headed in the direction of the eyes, and found myself walking alongside the children, who didn't appear to notice my presence at all. The older male was tightly gripping the female's hand, and the female followed him with a kind of trust I couldn't understand.

I followed the children, led by the older male with glowing blue eyes. His ability to see in this darkness was fascinating to me. And his tight grip on the female's hand told me he was not going to let go of her no matter what beast attacked them from the darkness.

Without speaking, the female tapped the male's shoulder and they stopped. I stopped with them, watching as the female gestured to a bush of fruit. The bush itself was made of spindly branches and leaves marbled black and green, and small red fruit dangled in clusters. The children didn't speak, just stared at each other warily. The male touched his nose, then his mouth, then pointed to himself and the female swallowed before she nodded slowly.

She let go of the male's hand and the male reached to grab one of the fruits. He rolled it around between his fingers, sniffed it, then tested it with a lick. They waited. Almost as if they were expecting the fruit to explode, or cause the male himself to explode. When nothing happened, the male squeezed his eyes shut and pushed the fruit into his mouth.

They waited longer.

And longer.

The female started to nod and reach for the fruit when the male suddenly reached out, snatched her wrist and forced her to stop. She stared at him, horrified. The male trembled, releasing her, and fell to his knees.

"Hades!" The one I assumed was Hestia dropped down with him and went to grab him, but he shoved her back and bent over, vomiting to the ground. Blood poured past his lips and splattered to the ground. He reached his hands up to try and stop the onslaught.

"Hades!" Hestia cried out again. This time, Hades reached up and covered her mouth with his bloody hands, gasping in pain. She tried to speak behind his hands, tried to reach for him, but he slapped her hands away and firmly planted his hands over her mouth. When the rush of agony ceased, Hades looked up and made a motion over his lips, dragging his fingers across. It appeared to be an indication to remain silent, and Hestia nodded tearfully.

Trembling, the male stood and reached to the bush again, grabbing a couple handfuls of the fruit, then he gestured for the female to walk forward, back toward their campsite. This time, I watched them go, swallowing back a wave of horror and fear that was so sudden, so cold, that it froze me in place.

Instead of focusing on his own despair, the male had gone out of his way to keep the female silent for her own safety. He'd ignored his own pain, his own agony. To keep the female safe.

He's a child. They're all children. There's an infant with them.

Why was no one helping them? Where were these children? Why had the Source sent me this?

I shut my eyes tightly, reaching up to cover my ears to block out the sound of the infant crying back at camp, the children chattering excitedly over fruit that was only going to make them vomit blood, the popping and hissing and growling of the environment around me.

I focused on the faint buzzing in my ears, the hum of the Source reaching through the dream. I silently begged them to take me out of here, to bring me back to Duat, to Hell, anywhere, but that horrid nightmare realm.

I opened my eyes a second later and found myself staring up at the ceiling of Set's room. I was frozen in terror still, cold sweat soaking me, my hair stuck to the sides of my face, the sheet tangled around me. My hands trembled violently and I blinked rapidly, trying to force my body to move me from the bed, but I could go nowhere.

And through all the horror, I could hear the Source's hum. I could feel it reaching out to me, comforting me. I closed my eyes once more to bring the connection back. I focused on the sounds around me, the real sounds. The sounds of the Nile in the distance, the city humming, the sky overhead a rolling purr of movement. My heart pounding hard at first before becoming a steady throb in my chest. All the natural music of the universe became one, one low buzz that only I could interpret as I listened to the Source attempting to soothe the turmoil in my soul.

Why? Why would it show me such things?

Because it was necessary. It was a necessary scene to understand the next chapter of this journey. One day soon, I was going to meet those children, those siblings... except they would be grown. They would be adults, and they would be gods. They were going to be part of the battle. The battle for the universe, the battle led by the Savior. I was unsure which side of the battle they would settle on, and the Source would not tell me for the future was subject to change, and there was no assurance these children, these gods, would make a final decision.

Their decision, their existence, was going to collide with my own one day.

I pictured the glowing blue eyes of the child called Hades. His facial expression had not been that of a child's, and certainly not like the terrified faces of his siblings. It had been the stern seriousness brought on by years of torment, of darkness, of fear and agony and rage. It was... exhaustion. It was acceptance. It was calm in the face of so much misery.

But those eyes. Those eyes that glowed like beacons in the dark, those eyes that saw a futile situation, yet still determined to continue. The emotion was there. The fury, the pain. In those eyes were his silent screams.

That god in particular meant something.

He was going to play a major part in the future.

I just wish I knew how, when, where, why.

But the Source released me and I was once more laying in Set's bed, but at least calmer than I had been when I'd left the nightmare behind. I swallowed back the lump in my throat and slowly sat up, reaching up to rub at my eyes, then ran a hand through my hair. My movements felt slow, sluggish, weak from the Source's message.

I took my time getting out of the bed and heading into the bathing chamber, stepping into the pool and washing off. I felt as if I were moving in a daze, the world slow and steady around me. I debated returning to bed, but I wanted to be with Set when he saw his children.

When I'd informed him earlier of the plan, he'd been livid I'd gone to Nephthys on my own. After pacing and some cursing my name, Set reluctantly agreed to the plan, but with an anxiety I'd never seen in him before. He'd been looking down at his hands, turning them over and over again, washing them repeatedly. When I'd asked what he was doing, he'd told me he didn't want to dirty Sept. Despite assurances his hands were fine and clean, he continued to wash them.

Not wanting him to wash the skin right off his bones, I hurried with my bathing and changed into a clean shendyt before I went down to the throne room, where sure enough, Set was dipping his hands in the pool once more, his alligators all eyeballing him wearily, as if they too were fed up with their master using their water to clean himself.

"Set, your hands are fine," I said. He jumped, startled at my sudden appearance before he relaxed a and straightened.

"So you say," he answered dryly, then looked back down at his hands hesitantly, appearing to once more debate dipping them into the pool. I approached him, taking his hands and giving them a squeeze. He swallowed hard, and I smiled at him.

"You're fine, Set. This is a good thing," I told him. He shut his eyes for a moment, then pulled his hands away from me as he moved away to begin pacing.

"How is this a good thing," he asked, wringing his hands out now, "What if something happens? What if the beast comes out? What if Sept doesn't like me? Anubis already hates me."

"He doesn't hate you," I assured, and came forward to halt his pacing by blocking his way, because any further pacing was bound to wear a hole in the floor, "Look at me, Set." Set had his eyes closed when I approached, as if his mind was flooding with questions of what could go wrong. He finally opened them to pin me with a wary stare. I stepped close to him, enough so that I could feel the heat of him.

"Anubis does not hate you. Children do not hate. They mimic the actions of their elders to better integrate into their surroundings. They are learning. Anubis is only acting as his family acts. His feelings for you are uncertain, because he has not been around you long enough to develop solid opinions of you. Show him who you really are. Show him the Set I have been blessed to see," I explained. Set's cheeks colored pink and he averted his eyes.

"What if he finds me revolting?"

"He will not. I certainly do not," I added, making Set raise an eyebrow, "I speak the truth only. When I see you, Set, the real you, I see a male worthy of family and love. I see a male who cares about those close to him, a male who is guarded granted, but once you love, you love hard and you love forever. I see a male who will do anything to protect those he loves, even if it means submitting himself to something horrible in order to do so. I see a male who is fun and enjoys philosophical discussions, who asks for not much in return, but respect. How can anyone possibly meet the real you and not love you instantly?" Set reached up to cover his face, putting his hand on my chest to keep me from getting any closer.

"If you keep going like this, we are never going to leave my palace," he groused, embarrassed. I laughed softly, reaching up to take his hand from my chest, kissing the tips of his fingers. He sighed, dropping his hand from his face to look at me. He was still nervous, still unsure if visiting his sons was the correct decision or not, but he seemed more apt to go now.

"Come, let us see your sons," I said. He gave me a single nod. We vanished from Set's palace in the desert to Nephthys's closer to the Nile. We were met by one of Nephthys's servants and led upstairs to Sept's nursery, which took up the entire third floor of the palace and was guarded heavily by at least two dozen Nubian guards with jackal heads and golden spears, their eerie topaz eyes watching us while their bodies did not move.

We walked down the long corridor to Sept's crib, which sat in an open room heavily adorned with heavy black and white drapes that blew gently in the breeze that sailed in through open floor to ceiling windows that ran the length of the room. The crib itself was quite lovely, made of black wood and a lovely black canopy draped over it. A small music box sat beside the crib on a small round glass table, and Nephthys stood beside it all, with a precious bundle in her arms. It was a strange sight, her adorned in her black funerary robes, her sharp black wig, her flashing fire colored eyes. And in her arms a tiny infant with deep caramel skin, eyes the color of chocolate, a tuft of black hair on a tiny head, and a little fist in his mouth.

Set froze the moment he saw him. A good distance from Nephthys and Sept. As if afraid of going any further. I glanced at him, then toward Nephthys, who appeared curious with Set's reaction.

"Go, Set," I murmured. Set glanced at me, then back at the infant in Nephthys's arms. I suppose saying he was going to do this was much harder than actually doing it. So I came forward to Nephthys and held my arms out for Sept. She was hesitant for a moment, then carefully laid the warm bundle in my arms. The infant cooed, blinking dark eyes up at me and making a grabbing motion with his fist, fascinated by me.

I smiled and touched Sept's outstretched hand. He giggled and blew a bubble. I turned and carried him toward Set, watching the god stiffen up, his feet locked in place. I stopped in front of him, cradling the tiny creature that tilted his head to stare up at Set, who stared back at him. I reached out and picking up Set's hand. His arms moved on their own as I set his infant son in his arms. The way he held Sept was awkward, uncomfortable, unused to children, but I shifted his arms around until Sept appeared comfortable.

He'd also gotten eerily silent, those dark eyes staring up at Set intensely, studying him as if to confirm whether or not he was safe... or if he knew him somehow.

And then he giggled and reached his hands out. Set sucked in a sharp breath, then looked at me. I smiled.

"It's alright. He likes you. This is good," I said. Set nodded, but still appeared nervous. His son grasped toward him, and Set hesitantly gave him his finger to play with. Sept gave a pull on his finger, then gummed the side of it.

"He's strong for an infant," Set mused.

"He's a god," I reminded. Set smiled at that, slow and relieved. Then he lifted his eyes to Nephthys, who was watching him with eyes like a hawk. Yet, he didn't appear offended or angry at all with her reaction. If anything, his features softened, and I watched Nephthys's eyebrows climb up under her straight cut bangs.

"He looks like you," Set said. Nephthys blinked, caught off guard by his comment before she swallowed, touching her throat daintily.

"Perhaps in the mouth, but he is almost an exact copy for you," she responded, but Set shook his head and reached down, brushing a thumb along the side of Sept's face as the baby yawned.

"His lips are yours, yes, but so is the shade of his hair, the shape of his face," he murmured, captivated in the details of his son's expression. Nephthys appeared to relax then, her eyes hooded as she studied the god before her, as if she were seeing an old piece of him for the first time in centuries, and her lips twitched, the need to smile only suffused by the fact that she hadn't truly smiled in so long, she'd long forgotten how.

"His eyes are yours," she answered softly, and Set looked up at her, surprised, "His strength is also yours."

"His strength comes from you," Set said. Nephthys appeared to be positively beaming on the inside. Instead, her facial expression was calm and composed. The only symbol of her joy was that she stepped forward beside Set and together they gazed down at the infant, who smiled sleepily up at them. I left the room as quietly as I could to give them their privacy, their chance to speak seriously and enjoy the presence of their gift. I walked through the drapes of the main entrance, past a pair of guards to the staircase, only to pause at the sight of Anubis sitting down below on the steps, elbows planted on his knees, fists propping his head up as he glared at nothing in particular.

Raising an eyebrow, I came down the steps silently, coming to a stop beside Anubis, who jumped in fright at my sudden appearance, but he didn't go anywhere as I sat beside him on the steps.

"Your father came to see you," I said. Anubis looked away, annoyed.

"No, he came to see Sept."

"Sept has to nap shortly, so he saw him first. You were nowhere to be found," I pointed out. Anubis scowled, then pointed at the wall in front of him where a series of hieroglyphs were etched into the sleek marble.

"There is a hidden entrance there with a view."

"You were hiding."

"I was told to hide whenever Set came in my presence."

"Is that why you were hiding in the market place?"

"Yes."

"Why do you think you need to hide from your father?" I asked. Anubis rubbed at his bare arms, then reached up to rub a hand at his wig. He scratched at it a moment longer, then made a noise of frustration and whipped the thing off and threw it down the stairs. His black hair was cut short on one side, shaved on the other, and pulled into a small ponytail that he proceeded to yank out and throw down the stairs. He went to take his jewels off, but I caught his hand and he glared at me.

"Speak to me, Anubis. I won't betray your private thoughts," I said. Anubis narrowed his eyes at me, yanking from my grasp.

"Why should I trust you? You're a foreigner, and you sleep with my father."

"I will not lie to you," I responded calmly, "I am helping your father." Anubis glared.

"How is sleeping with him helpful?" He demanded. I laughed briefly at his confusion, covering my mouth before I planted my hands on my knees.

"Anubis, help comes in many forms, and it all depends on the person who requires it."

"I don't need to know if my father needs that kind of help," Anubis groaned, covering his ears, then his eyes, then rubbing at his face. His innocence made me smirk, and I shook my head.

"Your father does not require my assistance there. He requires it in other places," I explained, watching Anubis peek at me between his fingers with a curious frown, "He is isolated by a potent fear so strong that he was willing to surrender himself to protect those he cared about. He was willing to put his own health at risk so long as it meant you, your brother, and your mother are safe. In doing so, he is falling apart."

"Is it the beast?" Anubis asked.

"What do you know about the beast?" I asked. Anubis averted his eyes, frowning as if suddenly remembering something uncomfortable.

"I know everyone fears it. I know it is the reason my uncle Osiris does not speak nor smile. It is the reason the mortals fear him so much, the reason we avoid foreigners, the reason Horus is so... Horus," he tacked on dryly. I inclined my head.

"Set fears the beast as well," I said, making Anubis glance at me, "Anubis, Set and the beast are not one in the same, but rather two beings sharing a soul. Set was born with this beast attached to his soul, and he will carry it with him for all eternity. Because in all things good, there must be a balance of darkness. Set is quite good, loving and caring and self-sacrificing, but the beast is his exact opposite. The beast feeds on misery and pain and fear." Anubis was quiet for a while, staring at the floor before he blinked and looked up.

"Then... That means we've been feeding it," he whispered. I nodded grimly and Anubis shivered, as if a chill had crept up his spine.

"Unintentionally, Anubis. No one knew. The pantheon did what they thought best. No one is at fault here. If there is anything you should learn from this, it is that none of this is anyone's fault. Life has a way of... becoming twisted."

"Like a wig," Anubis supplied, and I nodded.

"If not taken care of, if not treated well, it will become tangled and ugly. And unfortunately, that is how Set's life has become and he has grown accustomed to living like this. In his eyes, the misery and the pain and the fear is natural and comfortable. But it should not be so. Set has as much right to love and affection as you or me. It is the beast inside him that makes it more difficult for him."

"But why," Anubis murmured, "Why did he have to have the beast inside him?" I smiled, reaching up to brush at the loose hair on the left side of his head, and he blinked at me.

"Because it is the will of the universe, to require balance to function properly. When a soul is born and its goodness is so strong that it could tip the scales, it is the beast that is born with it. These souls are called creatures of chaos and blood lust."

"Does it only happen to gods?" Anubis asked. I nodded.

"As far as I have seen, only gods suffer this beast. But never allow the fear of the beast to make your opinion of a god change. The god and the beast are not the same person. Just as your father is not the beast. He is the goodness, the beauty, that was given this curse," I explained. Anubis stared at me for the longest time before I felt a presence behind us and we turned to see Set and Nephthys standing at the top of the stairs, with Sept in Nephthys's arms. Set gave me a quizzical look as Nephthys raised an eyebrow.

"Anubis! Where is your wig? Do you have any idea how expensive that was?" Anubis blushed and scurried down the stairs, snatched up his wig, pausing to very carefully inspect the braided locks before placing it back on his head. Then he shot up the stairs and caught Set around the waist, making the god stumble a step or two. Set looked bewildered, as did Nephthys.

"Anubis, what--"

"I love you, father," Anubis announced, making Set go still, "I love you! Just you!" He hugged Set again and Set looked to me, and those beautiful silver eyes seemed to glimmer with unshed tears. He swallowed hard and looked back down at Anubis, stroking his head.

"I... I love you as well, Anubis."

"Good," Anubis declared, making Nephthys tsk and Set smile, "Can you teach me how to talk to the alligators? I want to make friends with this one alligator..." he continued to speak as the family moved away from the stairs to go somewhere private to spend their time. I watched them go, rising to my feet as a smile touched my lips.

A swelling sensation began in my heart. The fear, the hesitancy, brought on by the dream this afternoon had melted away, replaced with a solid sensation of stability, of love, of relief, of awe. Suddenly, the palace of death did not seem so dark and foreboding any longer, but rather, welcoming and calm. I closed my eyes, inhaled a breath of air, refreshened by the new smells in the air, the new sensations. When I exhaled, a weight lifted from inside me. I felt the ripple of power go through the air, but it was unlike any other, and only I could feel it, feel the Source breath a sigh of relief.

You saved him.

There would be days still in which Set's happiness would dwindle, but there would be even more days where his happiness would reach the cosmos. And he was no longer alone in his battle, for now he had hands that would reach to help him, and not just those of his family. The Source had taken quite a liking to Set, and I could feel it in the air as it blew through the open windows, ruffling curtains and drapes, whispering in the ears of those who dwelled within, with words not understood, but feelings felt so deep inside, even the guards appeared to be smiling to themselves for reasons they did not quite understand yet.

This was it, I realized, opening my eyes and turning to stare at the open window above the staircase, watching the blue sky outside.

Set was healed.

And barely a month had passed.

My time here was finished.

For now, perhaps. Because something in the air told me I would someday return to this land.

I waited a day before departing from Duat. I wanted to give Set time to bask in his newfound family, in the love with his children, his servants, and-- yes, his pets. I had no need to bring material iems with me, aside from the gifts I'd bought for Lucifer, his wife, and his children. I stood in the throne room, facing Set, watching him stare at me with a strange calm, but there was clear sorrow swimming in those mercury eyes.

"I am sorry I could not be what you needed," he said quietly. I smiled, coming forward to cup his cheek. He studied me, those eyes pleading for me to stay, lips parted as if he wanted to vocalize his pain at my leaving.

"Set, you were so much more than that to me," I murmured, watching his eyes search my face, "You gave me so much purpose to be alive, and that to me is more important than anything else. I spent... well, quite a few years, feeling lost and hopeless. You have helped me realize that this is what I wish to do in life... Help others. Heal them. Give them the hope and love that you have given me." Set swallowed hard, and gave me a nod. I rose on my toes, kissing him gently on the lips. He pushed back harder, desperate to keep me there, but I finally pulled away and stepped back.

"You are one of... very, very few people who know my name, who know my purpose, Set. In your hands, I leave a piece of my heart and it is my hope that you hold it always and remember it in the days you feel lost once again. Should you ever need me again, I want you to call my name to the heavens and I will come." Set nodded briefly, then his eyes flickered away and he quickly brushed at his eye, but the smear of his kohl betrayed his emotions.

I touched his chest and he looked at me now, eyes shimmering.

"Never be ashamed of your tears, Set. It is that and the emotions that fill your heart that separate you from the beast within, and the beasts outside. If you wish to cry for me, Set, you may cry," I said softly. Set stared at me for the longest time, battling within himself the urge to cry, but the dam broke freed and he wept. I came forward, kissed him once more, finding it rather hard to leave him myself, but the month was over, and Set was far more healed than he thought. And little did I know that Lucifer was going to need me now more than ever, so I stepped back, bad Set a farewell, and vanished from his palace in the deserts of Duat.

And returned to my rightful place in Hell.