Chapter Nine

B purred, her upper lip curling and slightly revealing sharp fangs underneath her lip. Her eyes narrowed as her vision focused back onto her surroundings. It has been awhile since she last had to fight like this. Her claws dripping with the crimson of her enemies’ flesh. Her breathing steady and skill. Hair raised on the back of her neck.

B brought her pinter finger to her lips and slowly licked her claws clean as she approached the General’s body. He lay there, fat. Slumped. Clearly out of his league against a deity such as herself. His panic was evident. B couldn’t help herself from purring in enjoyment of battle.

“You’re a maniac! You can never beat us!” The general stamperred. Blood spraying out of his mouth and wounds with each breathy word. B smiled coldly. Her heart continued to pump, fast and and faster. But her movements and breathing showed no change in effort.

She stopped smiling and became very serious as she inspected a spear plunged into the General’s Lieutenant's limp body.

“You can’t win against someone who has nothing to lose.”

Before he could respond, the spear that ended his life-long partnership plunged deep into the General’s chest cavity. The sound of cracking ribs and crushing bone marrow echoed as the battle field’s dead were too soon to the ground to begin reaping for revenge.

“Nothing?” The voice was deep and one of comfort. Feeling his familiar presence right behind her, B’s smile returned. She shrugged and leaned her head back against Set’s chiseled body. He wrapped his strong black arms around her, the stars that guide them twinkling in the onyx of his skin. His jackal ears continually circling around-aware they were still on guard.

“Nothing that can be taken,” B looked up, her yellow eyes full with love and desire. The intensity of battle, even if this battle was more like a warm up than anything, would often translate to passion between beings. The soft padding of her palms gently caressed Set’s chin as he ducked his head into her beck; pulling in the smell of her sweat and musk.

“Congratulations with the win you two,” the formal voice of Shu caused B to leap away from Set’s body. Set’s jaw locked down shut as he tried to hold onto the feeling of B within his arms. The God of Peace waltzed on the battle feild. His egg white silk cape dragging behind him and hovering from the blood soaked ground ever so slightly. His golden ostrich feather standing tall on his head. “Not that I was ever concerned. How about you Neith? Believe that this is worth the stone space for record keeping?”

Neith walked closely behind Shu. Her huge body shadowing Shu, her muscles bulging from beneath her stretched skin. Her long, thick, straight black hair shiny like the gold armor that covered her forearms. Neith simple raised an eyebrow at the two Protectors of the Sands.

“Looks like you took more damage than Heka initially predicted,” Neight quickly flicked her chin in Set’s direction.

Set looked down. Sure enough, a dagger’s hilt shown out of his thy. His deep indigo blood trailed from the wound. B took advantage of the attention not being on her and transformed into stealth mode. Looking like a common Mau, B leaped away from the battle field. Grateful for her gifts in both looking as common as humans and being skilled at hiding with the shadows.

She trailed the trio closely, hiding frequently and avoiding the sunlight. They were headed back to the Capital. Her breathing remained skill. Her fur raised. She couldn’t help replaying the battle over and over again in her head throughout the journey. THe blood she used to feel the sands, of which her and Set were destined to protect, did not make sense.

B stopped trailing the deities and stretched out on a flat stone in the shade. B continued to stretch, her muscles sore from fighting. The Protectors of the Sand only become involved when the sands have been harmed or invaded.

This invasion, lead by followers of Poseidon, was utterly pathetic. They had no idea who they were dealing with. B and Set may pull the power ranking of an 8, but their skill and experience alone sets them up for high success rates. Together they could easily take out a level 4. And these were mere mortals.

Set let his gaze fall to the ground as he followed in line with the Upper 5. They were going straight to report to Hathor, as Ra was continually watching over the sky. Set’s nerves began to spike up. He never understood enjoyment from idle conversation or even having people wait on you and your every need.

Set shook the thoughts of negativity from his head. He knew better than to doubt the intentions of those who lived closely to Ma’at. And no one was close to the Goddess of Truth and Justice than Hathor, Ra’s right hand and the Goddess of Motherhood and Sexuality.

In Hathror’s world, there is no level of higher truth than that of sex and motherhood. Because without both, no life would ever be there to worship. And any kind of ‘bad vibes’ as B would describe it, would immediately be picked up by Hathor.

“What do you make of this battle? Should we be concerned?” Ma’at sat on her golden throne, carved with turquoise. Behind her, stood Thoth. His eagle face peering menacingly from over Ma’at’s shoulder.

Neith waved her hand in the air as she approached the center of the room, “just some misguided humans. Worshippers of Posiedon. They had no idea what they were doing.” Neith took a glass of wine and chugged in. She slammed the wine glass on the surface of the slave’s tray and pointed inside indicated that she wanted more.

“Posiedon? Really? Here in Cliupatra?” Ma’at’s voice hid no curiosity.

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“What can you expect when you follow loud voices with no direct contact?” Shu followed up, sitting in his own throne to the left of Ma’at’s.

“Should we contact Zeus?” Ma’at’s question clearly told Neith and Shu the conversation was not over and the matter was not settled.

“I don’t see the point of that. These humans clearly had never encountered a read deity before,” Neith continued as she downed tow more glasses of wine, still motioning for more.

“So you are implying that Zeus would have no idea what his people are doing?” Ma’at was always thinking of the other lands and their laws. Perception is key.

Set continued to stand in the back of the room. His hands behind him in a militaristic position.

“Pss.” Set’s ear twitched in direction of the sound. “Pss. Over here.” Set bowed to dismiss himself, turned on his heels, and left leaving behind only the soft sounds of sand falling from his shoulders.

Set turned the pillar and became face to face with Ra. His hawk eyes unblinking and staring at Set form the side.

Set ducked into a low bow before Ra motioned him to his feet. Together, they walked to the balcony that shown from the tip of the Golden Pyramid. The highest and most center of all.

“Speak candidly,” Ra put his hands on the railings and stared out onto his lands.

Set cocked his head to the side.

Ra shook his head. “Bastet is a lot like me in that way. He have no use for politics. Let them cluck like hens and make plans about nothing in particular. Should I be concerned for my people?” Ra did not look up from his view on the lands before him.

Set stood behind him. Set couldn’t help but feel torn. On one side, Set held nothing but love and admiration for Ra knowing competition to only one. Set would happily give his life to support Ra and his Laws of this land. This land, whose sands touch every crevasse and are under his protection.

But there was something else that stirred inside Set. His protection. These sands whose origins of ground up earth, the center of the world. These are for him to protect. He was uniquely shaped by the Celestial Beings to protect them and their residents. Ra was not a resident. Technically, none of the deities are. So who does Set protect more? The man he so amdires. Or the Lands themselves?

“Odd for Ocean Worship in Land of Sand,” Set spoke slowly. His voice deep, yet quiet to keep from prying ears. Ra nodded only once.

“Find my daughter. Looks like it will rain soon,” Ra gripped the railing as Set snapped his fingers to open a portal.

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Set watched B stretch out and into her favorite position. Sleeping with her belly up, paws covering her face and scrunching it together. Back feet dangling off the side of the stone. He couldn’t hide his smile. She looked so at peace. The night breeze gently stroking her soft fur.

His stomach turned as his Duty brought the words to his lips. He tried to fight himself, to stop the impulse to be obedient. But, to his own self hatred, he faulted.

“Lord Ra has summoned you,” Set looked down at the sandy earth below him. He hated himself for awakening B. He hated that couldn’t do anything but obey. Especially when it came to her.

Stretching deeply, B rolled onto her side. She transformed into her normal form, her olive skin shimmering with specks of gold. Her feathery soft deep brown hair blowing gently in the wind. Her yellow eyes reading Set’s very soul. He never felt more vulnerable and exposed than when he was in her gaze.

“And you always do as your told, don’t you dog?” B’s words hurt him. But not more than he hurt himself. He couldn’t bring his eyes ot meet hers and instead stared at the ground. B stood up, her naked body dancing around and truly testing Set and his self control. B leaned into Set. She lifted his chin with her fingers gently. Her touch sending waves of excitement through his body.

“Bother you?” Set grunted though a clenched jaw. He dared keep his eyes on B’s head; focusing on her ears to avoid looking at her lips.

“Seems like you are the one whose bothered,” B retorted. She pulled herself close into him, the tips of her nipples touching is abdomen. Still, Set’s resolve was strong. He continued to grind his teeth and stair at only her ears. He dared not breath for fear of taking in her scent.

“You know,” B teased, “you smell of Jasmine and Blood-Oranges.” B walked away from him, feeling his gaze from from her ears down the back of her head to her perfectly sculpted bottom. She turned to try and catch him staring but missed. Pouting, she jumped behind the stone was laying on and transformed back into her Mau state.

“Good?”

“Mmmmm…,” B purred deeply. She leaped back to her rock and started to groom herself, “very good. Very good dog.”

Set’s ear twitched. A portal began to appear and Set immediately moved between B and the portal portal forming. B’s ears went flat against her head as she ducked back into the shadows. Set could sense B was of a safe distance, but not far enough for her to not be caught up in his magic had he need to attack quickly.

“Down my man! Down!” Anhur stepped from his portal. His bow strung tightly over his shoulder. “I am just looking for a bit of gossip about the pathetic excuse of a battle. I hear they aren’t even going to document it!”

“Gossip?” Set’s emotions shifted faster than he was comfortable with and he couldn’t process what was happening before him.

“Ahh. Forgot who I was speaking with. Where is that partner of yours? I hear this is the stop to hit up for some loose lips,” Anhur nudged Set in the ribs with his elbow. Set glared. He did not like hearing B talked about in such a manner.

“Who you calling loose lips dancer boy?” B walked from the shadows dressed in silks that faltered all of her curves. Set was still on edge, every muscle tensed and jaw locked.

“Does your dog ever relax” Anhur laughed, pointing at Set.

“Be nice, he doesn’t like it when people are mean,” B rested a hand on Set’s chest. He felt waves of warmth from her. Immediately becoming more hesitant of this insulting level 11.

“So, tell me! What is the news?” Anhur asked, pulling B under his arm. She ducked and crawled back to her favorite spot. Stretching out her bare feet against the cold stone. She picked up a piece of her hair and started to tug at the ends in a grooming motion.

“Oh I don’t know what to say. There was blood. Humans. The usual. Just misguided souls looking for something real to hold onto.”

“Bastet, that can’t be all you have to say?! Don’t you think it’s rather odd the Council sent the Protectors for something that it appears the natural elements would have taken care of, and they aren’t even going to put it down in the history of our people?”

“What I don’t get is Athena. Zeus. All those over in Eudokia love messing with human lives. Why don’t they just be more open about it? Like what we do. We can walk down the streets and the humans know us. I don’t think that’s the case in Eudokia.”

“You give them too much credit. They love war and bloodshed as much as the North does. They just try and hide their savagery behind politics and ceremonies,” Anhur sat next to B on the stone. She closed her yellow eyes and looked straight up into the sky.

“Whatever the case it,” B didn’t look away. The moon kissed her body with gentle light. Set allowed himself to peat at her through the corner of his eye, “they sure know how to live with their short lives.”

Before Set could look away, B stared directly at him. Anhur was talking about something but it was if everything faded away. It seemed to only be B and Set. He swallowed hard under her gaze. He wanted more than anything to shove Anhur back into his portal. To be with B away from prying eyes. But Set could not go against his Lord.

And Ra had not given the say so either.