Chapter Twenty-Two

"Goddamn it!" Lucifer picked up a scroll and threw it across the room so it bounced across the stone flooring and into the fireplace, causing the flames to scream, carrying the now burnt scroll up into the shaft before settling it back down in the kindling.

The generals in the room all flinched at their King's wrath and took several large steps back, as if afraid the wrath should be turned upon them as nothing more than mere messengers. Even Marshall had retreated a few steps, his eyes locked upon the floor with his hands folded tightly at his back.

Meanwhile, I stood off to the side of Lucifer's desk, staring at the flames that ate the message up like nothing, but another bundle of kindling. I thanked the Source today was not one of the days Lucifer had Jaques standing at his side to learn from him. Surely the sight of Lucifer so furious would frighten him and nothing was more painful than a son afraid of his father.

The message had come in this morning and had only just been delivered after noon, for the generals had spent hours flipping coins in order to see who would deliver the notice first. Said notice being a rather taunting letter to Lucifer from Set himself, informing him that he was happy to take what territory Lucifer didn't conquer. Yet another spit in the face at Lucifer's constant messages of peace and compliance.

"He mocks thee," one of the generals said quickly to placate his king, "We should cease negotiations and launch an attack upon his land on the morrow." Lucifer glared at his desk, as if he were still seeing those words etched into his brain. His fists opened and closed over the edge of his desk, the inner debate of whether or not to flip it at his generals lingering in the recesses of his subconscious. He barely heard the generals as they began to praise him like a bunch of mewling pups.

He was angry. He was stressed.

Not only was Set refusing to back down, but Lillian was pregnant, only several days after their wedding, and Lucifer was fighting his urges to feed from her. While Lillian was not human, as Delilah was, she still wasn't strong enough to be fed from constantly, especially when she was pregnant. So Lucifer had sent her to the summer palace on the other side of the realm until she had given birth to their future son.

Lucifer was tense, on edge, and Set mocking him was not helping matters at all. I could already see the gears working in Lucifer's mind, debating an attack of mass proportions. To get his mind back on a logic track, I lowered my arms and stepped forward, immediately commanding the attention of the generals and causing them to fall silent, just a couple of sharp gasps that I was steadily becoming accustomed to.

"Lucifer, be at ease," I told him gently, making him blink and glance up at me with eyes that flashed red, then blue again, but I took it in stride as I approached his desk, then glanced at his generals, "Launching an attack on the Egyptians will not only be deadly, but quite possibly the most stupid thing you could possibly do right now." A couple of the generals snorted and one in particular crossed his arms over his chest and scoffed.

"And why should we be taking advice from you? Are you not simply a decorative item?" He demanded. Lucifer's eyes flashed menacingly, but I didn't give him the chance to react further to the general, because I vanished from my place at his desk and appeared before the general who'd spoken. And while he wasn't intimidated by my appearance, he did have to tilt his head up a bit in order to meet my eyes, his chin in the air with a haughty expression on his old face.

I smiled.

"I am decorative, much like a chandelier, sir. Too much pressure on my twine and I'll snap and smash you into the stone flooring," I replied, watching his eyes widen and his cheeks redden with rage, "And before you begin to speak that which is flittering upon your mind, I implore you to hold your tongue. While I am certainly a force to be reckoned with, your King has much more rage behind his attack and will happily take his time carving your innards out and painting his floor red with them to match his attire this noon." To emphasize my point, Lucifer growled low in his throat. The generals in the room stiffened, staring at Lucifer, then at me, then back again.

"Continue," Lucifer ground out, slowly lowering himself into his throne. I inclined my head, backing away from the general to get to the front of the room so all eyes were locked on me.

"Attacking Duat would be foolish. You will be risking a full scale war, not just against Set, but against the entire pantheon and while I am sure this army is perfectly capable of handling a war, against gods, you are not. Many of you are creations of these gods. I personally know the father of the race and he would be more than happy to take this entire army on with nothing more than his left pinkie finger and a spoon." A few gulps. Some murmurs. The boisterous general from earlier dropped his eyes and grumbled.

"Set is a reasonable god. Once you appeal to that which he needs. Everyone needs something, and we can win his favor by providing him with what he needs. What we must do is use words, negotiations, to their full potential. Offering land or peace treaties or riches will not placate him. He is a god. Such things are trivial in his eyes. Gods want more than just material objects."

"Then, pray tell, what does this god want most in this universe?" Marshall asked from his spot near the fireplace. My eyes lingered on him for a moment before looking away.

"A way to solve all of his problems, of course." Now the generals were talking over one another again and I allowed the shouting to continue until I saw Lucifer rub his temples, the thought of blasting them all away crossing his mind briefly. In order to save what few military experts we had, I spoke again.

"Allow me to venture to Duat," I announced, causing the room to lapse into silence again and now Lucifer was staring at me with his mouth open, "I will seek Set and I will give him your offer in the form of myself. I will solve all of his problems in a month's time."

"And if you cannot follow through with such an undertaking?" Marshall asked. I met his mismatched eyes straight on.

"Then we will allow him to take the land beyond the mountain border," I informed and the room erupted in shouts until Lucifer stood up, slamming his fist down on the desk, and the room became silent again, so I continued, "But to be quite frank, I have not met a creature yet whose problems I cannot solve. The time limit is far more than I need to meet Set's demands. Once my mission is complete, I will have Set sign a contract that I have written between Duat and Hell. Between himself and Lucifer. I will return with said contract in hand. And all will be complete. We will lose no more lives. We will lose no more of our dignity, because let us face the cold hard truth, that the longer we push against Set, the more foolish we appear."

Silence followed my proclamation. The generals shared wary stares and Lucifer was now staring at me. After a long while, Lucifer reached up to pinch the bridge of his nose, closing his eyes.

"Leave us," he commanded. The generals filed out of the room in a chorus of murmurs and grunts, the doors closing behind them. I watched them go, then turned to Lucifer, who was staring at me, and I stared back, unblinking.

"You can't do this," Lucifer said at last, making me frown as he stepped away from the desk to pace the room, reaching a hand up to rake through his hair, "The brothel was one thing, St. John, but going into enemy territory? Helping Set? Have you not heard any of the rumors? The god is a psychopath. He makes the Greeks as a whole look sane. Surely you don't seriously mean to confront the god." I watched him, cocking my head.

"Lucifer, I am not afraid of him. He cannot kill me."

"We both know there are worse things than death."

"He will not harm me."

"You sound so sure, yet I beg you again to listen to the rumors--"

"You mean the rumors that claim you are nothing more than a power hungry tyrant who possesses innocent creatures and eats first born children?" I asked dryly. Lucifer stopped in front of his desk to wipe his hands down his face, making a noise of frustration. He dropped his hands down on his desk, hanging his head. I sighed and came over to stand before his desk, tilting my head to peer into his face.

"Lucifer, you often tell me how much you trust me. I ask you now to put that trust in me. I will return unharmed to you. I will secure an alliance with Set. With the whole of Duat, if I must. Do not write me off so quickly. You have seen the things I've done, the power that I have," I explained. Lucifer squeezed his eyes shut and stepped back from the desk, turning his head away.

"This isn't about my trusting you or not, St. John. I'm just... I am simply too selfish to allow you to leave me. Especially now. I need you most, right now, right here, with me," he said through ground teeth. I smiled at that, now coming around the desk to Lucifer, who turned to face me, but kept his eyes anywhere, but my face.

I reached out and took his face in my hands, forcing him to turn his head to look at me. His celestial blue eyes flashed, and his jaw worked into a tight knot beneath my fingers, his coarse stubble burning my soft fingers, his nostrils flaring like he was just getting more and more worked up the more he thought about the situation.

"Ssh," I told him gently, watching him grimace in an attempt to stay angry, "Lucifer. I understand that you need me and that is why I offer this. You want this realm to be safe for your children, for your wife, for your future family and for your people. You want this realm to be beautiful. We are so close, my brother, so close to your goal. Do not surrender now, not after all we've done to get here. Do not allow yourself to be afraid now. I may be leaving, but I will return. And forget not your son, Jaques, who desperately wishes to spend time with his father. Take this time to relax, to venture into your realm and take your son with you, show him the world that you have opened up for him and his brother. Show him what we have worked so hard to obtain."

Lucifer swallowed, the lump in his throat sliding up and down, before he shut his eyes tightly. He reached up and took my face in his hands, his palms such a stark rough contrast to my own soft skin. He pulled us together, our foreheads touching.

"I can't lose you, St. John."

"You will never lose me."

"Swear it to me on the blood of my Father. The blood of the earth."

"The blood of the Source."

"That you will never abandon me. You will never leave me."

"I swear to you, Lucifer, son of God, angel of light, upon the cosmos from which I came, that I will never abandon you. I will do whatever it takes to make your dreams reach fruition. I will be there for you through every birthday of your children, through every war, through every partner, through every millennia that passes. I will be here for you."

We stayed together for a moment, and I allowed Lucifer to seek peace with the decision. He struggled still, but reluctantly he accepted it. He knew as well as I did that I would do it with or without his permission, for it was as we often discussed; free will was fickle and powerful.

He kissed both of my cheeks before retreating, taking a deep, shuddering breath.

"Then I will inform my men. Let me send someone with you--"

"Not wise," I pointed out, watching him frown, "Set will see it as an act of violence, as a sign of distrust, if you should send me with guards. Besides, I assure you that I am more than capable of handling myself. You know this."

"Aye, I do. I just don't like it."

"You don't have to. As your Lillian would say, shut up, sit down, and let me take the reins," I quoted the succubus, and Lucifer laughed roughly, reaching up to idly brush at his eyes, as if attempting to keep tears at bay.

"I miss her, St. John," he said at last, turning to face the window that looked out into the realm, and I tilted my head to watch his eyes wander the landscape, "My heart bleeds for her every morning I wake not to her smell, her smile, and every evening when I must close my eyes and lay in a cold empty bed." He turned to me.

"And my heart will bleed further when you are gone." I smiled.

"And my heart will bleed for you as well, my brother. But we will be together again, and when we are, our hearts will become one again. This includes your Lillian and her babe." Lucifer nodded wordlessly and I came forth to kiss both his cheeks before quitting the room and heading to my chambers, not to pack, but to think of a plan to seduce this great and powerful god of chaos, Set.

I could base my entire opinion on the god upon rumors that floated about, but I would do no such thing. Despite the boasting of violence and irrational insanity that fueled this god of chaos, something told me it was a facade. Even gods, with their matching complex and inflated egos, could weep and feel insecure. If such a creature as myself could feel self-loathing, surely other creatures could as well. Gods were no different. They were simply called gods for the status and their powers. Nothing more, nothing less.

So I would go in with a clean slate.

I knew nothing about Set.

Only that he was a god and that he was Egyptian.

With such thoughts in mind, I made my rounds about the castle to bid adieu to the others, including Jaques, who had broken down into tears and held onto my robes in the castle entrance as Lucifer tried to pry him off.

"I don't want you to go! Stay with me! Stay with us! Why must you always leave?" Jaques sobbed, rubbing tiny fists at his eyes. I smiled, kneeling down before him, watching eyes widen that I would get down on a dirty floor for a child. Yet, Jaques was more than just a child. He was a gift, he was purity, he was as much my own son as he was Lucifer's. I embraced him to me and he wept against my shoulder. I peered up at Lucifer, who swallowed thickly and shut his eyes for a moment, then gave me a nod. I smiled reassuringly, then turned my head to kiss Jaques on the temple.

"You behave, Jaques. I shan't be gone long, and when I return, I expect everything to be in order, understood? Not only with your studies, but you have a baby brother on the way. You must begin practicing for when he arrives," I explained. Jaques sniffled and stepped back to look at me, face flushed from crying and blue eyes still teary as he wiped snot on his sleeve. I laughed and reached up to wipe it for him, ignoring the grimaces from the others around us.

"But what if I'm not good enough? What if he hates me? What if--"

"Do you love your brother, Jaques? Even though he is not yet in this world with us?"
"Y-Yes! Absolutely!"

"Then you are already a very good, very perfect big brother," I told him. Jaques teared up again, but he sniffed hard and stepped back, trying to take on the rigid stance of the soldiers around him. He gave me a salute and I gave him one in return before rising to my feet, turning to Lucifer, who stepped forward and embraced me hard. I held him in return, cradling his head to my shoulder, as I drew near his ear.

"You take care, Lucifer. I will send you messages of my progress in Duat, and I expect the same from you, and not just about your military affairs either. I wish to track Lillian's pregnancy, and should she have the child during my absence, call to me and I will come immediately."

"Of course," Lucifer said, then pulled back to look up at me, "I will miss you. I will count the seconds we are apart."

"As will I, my brother... Farewell." I stepped back, then vanished, wanting to avoid more tears from both Jaques and his father. Should they weep once more, I would be inclined to stay, but I couldn't. I was doing this for Lucifer, helping him solidify an alliance. It was the only way I could secure such a difficult endeavor. The only way to make the realm peaceful for Jaques and his brother, for Lucifer and his wife.

My arrival to Duat was instantaneous, as I had been here once before.

While Hell was a very forested with multiple lakes and rivers, Duat was quite the opposite. Much like its mortal counterpart, Egypt, Duat was very hot and very much a desert. In the distance, dunes of sand swept up and around, whispering in the wind. However, the area where the gods and their subjects dwelled was far more populated. Sand stamped streets lined with beautiful simplistic housing and businesses, the sound of music traveling from taverns and street bands, dancers swaying and twirling in the streets.

The only greenery sprouted alongside the mock Nile river that separated the city into two parts, upon which laid the civilian area and the other home to the gods. Tall trees, rich bright green grass, several rows of farmland, farmers milling around with their cattle. Along the river floated extravagant boats, workers dipping long oars into the water. Cranes took flight as they drew near, streaking across the sky, and my eyes followed them as they passed over the particular temple I needed.

Unlike the other temples, this temple was not surrounded by activity. It was also the furthest away from everything, settled amongst the desert sand hills, a dark foreboding figure in the distance. Angular and sharp, it stood several stories high with multiple openings above to make for windows, and probably provided a spectacular view of the realm around it.

I appeared outside the main entrance, pausing to take in the sight of it up close. Much larger, much more intimidating, especially with the hieroglyphs etched into the archway over the open entrance, which warned all those who entered that they were in Set's domain and subject to his will, and his was a fickle will indeed. A pair of large statues sat outside the entrance, in the shape of thin slender canines with folded ears pricked forward and tails sticking straight up, teeth bared.

A quick scan revealed they were more than just statues. I could hear the thoughts of the creatures inside debating whether to attack or not before one decided it was best to warn its master of my presence instead, for even they knew they didn't stand a chance against me.

Smiling, I entered the temple with my head high and came into a beautiful main corridor. So intricately designed in gold from ceiling to floor tiles, glittering with red rubies and brilliant emeralds, depictions of animals like those outside the entrance and stories of Set's great power and beauty. I noticed none touched upon his siblings, not even his own wife.

Intriguing.

I came to the center of the main entry, seeing a large throne room before me and two hallways branching off to the sides that led to large staircases. I went directly into the throne room. Just as magnificent as the main corridor. Everything was designed in gold with gems embedded in the pictures, twinkling and glittering, like the long rectangular pool that sat at the center. In which rested two large crocodiles with their long narrow snouts and unblinking reptilian eyes watching me above the surface of the water. Brilliant lily-pads with luminous lotus flowers bounced in between them on the surface, such a stark contrast of beauty and death in one place.

Columns ran the length of the throne room, all gold and limestone, sparkling with jewels, and at the head sat a tiered dais with columns flanking its sides and within sat a throne. Trays sat on tripod of stilts, the hot oil burning with flames, casting eerie shadows around the room and the dark enclosed throne. The throne itself was quite impression, angular much like the rest of this realm, perfectly symmetrical and designed with skulls and depictions of death and destruction, with beautiful imagery of the desert sands.

A ripple of power came just moments after my entrance, and I resisted the urge to smile again, remaining calm and composed as wind burst through the room behind me. It rushed past me, carrying with it a blanket of black smoke that twirled in the space before the dais. It spun just a split second longer before dissipating, spreading out from the center as the source of the power appeared.

I wanted to suck my breath in past clenched teeth, my heart instantly slamming into my ribs. It took every ounce of strength I had not to obey that urge as my eyes drank in the sight of one of the most beautiful creatures I'd ever seen.

Set was tall, so devastating tall, and gorgeous. His dark skin was stretched tight over a vast expanse of tight rippling muscles, and his eyes the color of silver moons in the sky. Those bright eyes were heavily outlined with black kohl, drifting off to the sides in sharp points, and gold powder ran beneath his bottom eyelids and alongside his strong nose. His hair was so black it was almost as if it absorbed all the colors around it, and it fell long and free over his shoulders and down his back. He wore a sheer white shendyt, a type of kilt frequently worn in this region, and a gold sash held it tight to his waist and the ends of said sash fell all the way down to the floor between his legs, and finishing his attire was a pair of leather sandals that wrapped all the way up to his knees in a criss-cross pattern.

And immediately I felt a raw hateful energy in the room. There was an incredible pressure that followed this creature, and it was brought on by such a jumble of negative emotions that I struggled to recognize any of it. Even the crocodiles in the pool sank below the surface to escape it.

"Who the hell are you and why do you think it wise to enter my domain?" He sneered. Fuck, even with that ugly glare of his, his face was beautiful. He was beautiful. His voice was a deep husky growl that rumbled deep in his chest and vibrated the jewels on the walls. A wave of desire cut through me so hard that it almost drove me to my knees, but I kept calm and cleared my throat.

"My name is St. John. I hail from Hell. I am a friend of Lucifer's, and soon a friend of yours," I responded. Set's eyes flashed menacingly, and he approached me, invading my personal space to stand before me. Heat pooled in my stomach and I held my breath, taking in his menacing presence.

He's deadly.

Everything about this god told me he would kill anyone if they so much as breathed in his direction. There was such an intense wave of malice that it took my breath away.

"Any friend of Lucifer's is an enemy of mine," he sneered, meeting my eyes without blinking, "You dare step in here. You must be stupid or incredibly suicidal." I couldn't help smiling. And it only seemed to anger him further.

"I come with an offering--"

"I need no more offerings of land and riches. I can obtain them myself."

"I come with no such material offerings," I responded, watching Set frown and move back to raise an eyebrow, "I come offering to assist you with your problems." Set's expression darkened, and I could feel the restlessness from the crocs in their pool, as if debating on running away to avoid Set's wrath.

"How dare you assume I have problems. I am a god, I am--"

"Even gods have problems," I replied calmly, "I myself admit to having quite a boatload of trauma. Should anyone have come offering to assist me solve all of them, I would accept the offer right away." Set curled his lip. He turned away now, approaching his throne. He didn't sit in it, I noticed. In fact, his eyes lingered on the massive throne, and his fingers twitched, as if he wanted to sit there so badly. Yet he did not, and I swore I caught a brief moment of longing in those silver eyes of his.

"You are awfully cocky if you think you can solve all of my problems," Set said at last, moving a hand to his narrow hips. My eyes dropped instantly to them. I could make out the strong V of his hipbones, and admired for a moment that he appeared to lack body hair. His dark skin was a smooth expansive of naked flesh, and I felt an intense urge to stroke his long legs.

"I am confident," I countered, lifting my eyes back to his face, "I have helped thousands upon thousands of creatures solve their problems, all of them. I will not only be happy to help you with yours, but honored." Stroking his ego was the first part of easing myself in. And it did exactly what I hoped it did, because he twitched, cocked his head slightly so that long black hair fell to one side, revealing a gorgeous tattoo spreading across his back of a rising sun... a black sun.

Talk about spitting upon the image of Ra. A black sun was not exactly the ideal tattoo, particularly for a pantheon that worshiped the sun as one of the most powerful gifts in the known universe, only second to the Nile itself.

"And what," Set asked dryly, walking away from the throne now to stand by one of the large open windows beside said throne that looked out into the vast desert beyond, "You wish to assist me and in return, I shall grant you the mountain land between our realms? You bribe me?"

"I offer you a trade," I said, coming toward him, but keeping a good distance, because the god was coiled tight like a panther in a corner, "Allow me to solve all of your problems, in a month, and in return, I ask for an alliance between our realms. I ask for the violence to cease." Set narrowed his eyes, his hands resting on the side of the window before he turned to stare me down.

Or at least, he tried.

"And if you should fail?" He asked. I smiled.

"I shall not. I have not."

"Have you not heard the stories of what happens to those who challenge the gods?" Set asked me. He approached me now, once again attempting to see larger than life itself. Yet as tall as he was, he was just about my height and there was something about him that made it easy to be unafraid. There was a falseness to his act of intimidation, almost as if he were forcing himself to peacock about in front of me.

"I accept the challenge," I said calmly, "I relish a good challenge. Do you not as well, Set?" Set's eyes flashed.

Perfect.

I threw both the gloves in the ring. If Set backed down, he would be seen as a coward, and even though it was just the two of us, something told me Set was the type of person who was desperate to prove his power, even if he wouldn't admit it. He was going to accept the challenge, and while I was sure he would be a sore loser over the whole thing, he would accept it nonetheless, for something told me he was a god of his word.

"A month?" Set asked after a moment. I inclined my head.

"Within a month, I will have solved all of your problems. Afterwards, I will return to Lucifer with a contract upon which you will have signed your name in alliance with Hell. It will clearly state that the free land on our side of the mountain range will belong to Lucifer and the mountain range itself shall serve as a border. Should we go to war with another realm, you will join us. And should another realm attack yours, we will take up arms to join you. Think of it as befriending another nation," I explained. Set gave me a long stare from head to toe, then met my eyes again. His expression was still twisted in a sneer.

"My people are not very fond of foreigners. We do not need another nation's assistance. We provide ourselves with what we need," he explained, folding his arms over his chest. He was closing me out. Not good. And I had heard quite a few rumors of the xenophobia that plagued the ancient realm. It made sense of course, considering they were rather isolated, both in the mortal realm and in this realm of existence. They were forced to learn how to do things on their own, forced to improvise and use what they had, and the Nile itself was a thing of immense power and even the gods bowed to its ability to bring about change, both good and bad.

I had to play on this. I had to appeal to him in a way he could understand, and if there was one thing Egyptians were particularly well known for, it was loving their heritage and their roots, loving themselves. It wasn't a bad thing at all. It was fascinating how such a nation could survive on its own without other nations interfering.

"I am not foreign to the soils of Egypt or Duat," I pointed out, watching Set frown, "I've been friends with Ra for quite some time." Set's eyes widened for a moment before he quickly averted his eyes.

"Then make a treaty with him."

"His land does not touch our own. Ra resides in Southern Duat. I am simply reminding you that I am no stranger to Duat, or your customs. I will happily respect them while I am here. For the first week, I shall remain silent and simply observe. After that, I will begin the process of helping you. This could be beneficial, not only to you and to myself, but to those subjects residing here, and it could even benefit your mortal worshipers."

Set studied me. I could tell the gears in his head were working around my words. Tossing the challenge to him had worked. I knew he was going to accept either way, it was just whether or not he was subject to wanting change.

I could not help Set if he did not want it. I could not force him to change, nor want to change. I just had to convince him that I could help him.

And as I studied him, I took note of everything I could. The way his silver eyes glinted in the burning oil, the way his muscles flexed as he moved them, the way his long legs carried him in a slow pace before me. He was contemplating my offer, looking at all the angles, to see if such an offer was worth it.

He was intelligent. He wasn't impulsive. From the conversation we had, he did have the typical god complex in the sense that he wanted to prove he was the strongest and the best of the gods. Or so he displayed. Something told me it wasn't entirely truthful, a front he was putting up to appear intimidating. He also avoided his throne. Instead of taking a seat there, he would sit in the window or on the edge of the pool.

So he avoided his throne. Maybe he didn't think he deserved it? Or maybe the symbol of power frightened him? I would find out with more observation.

Upon closer inspection, I noted the way he walked. A predatory walk, yet it was slow, more like stalking really, and while his head was lifted as he walked, his eyes were downcast. Not in thought, but out of habit.

I was beginning to suspect that, despite this god's attempt to scare me and his immense power, he was hiding a secret. A secret along the lines of self-loathing, and I only recognized it for it was what I dealt with frequently, not just in myself, but in others I have helped. When he spoke, his eye contact was held most of the time, but when it drifted, it drifted down to the side, as if he were becoming tired of staring into the windows of my soul.

A smile threatened to graze my lips as Set took a seat on the edge of the pool once more, touching his fingertips to the water's surface.

He is going to be quite a challenge.

Quite a challenge indeed.