The Red Stroke
Tempered and Strong~
~Burning the night like the dawn~
Full Summary: Seth was once a mighty god, with great power and strength, he was a king. But he was by no means a saint. He is a good god, as good as he could be, he truly did try, but life would never truly let him be. He was good to his people, but no matter what he did, he was never as good as his brother. To many he was undesirable, a harsh god with a snappy attitude. Most didn't desire to take the time to get to know him, so many don't know that he does have a heart, and he does care. He loved his followers, his people and his wife. He held little respect from his fellow gods, only getting what he deserved for being a king. But tensions between him and his brother Osiris were always high, but losing his wife's loyalty to his brother was the breaking point. The son he had been raising wasn't his, and he snapped.
After brutally murdering his brother, Seth was stripped of all the power and status he had, his kingdom torn away from him, his family fleeing as far as possible. In an act of compassion and mercy, Seth's life was spared, but he ended up nothing more than a bodyguard and servant to his all powerful leader, and old friend, Ra. Spending years by his side, Ra gets to know Seth far better than anyone else has been able to in the past. As the god fights desperately to regain his status and most of all the respect he lost, For as long as he was trapped by his kings side, the desert loving being wanted nothing more than to be free, no longer bound by the city walls, At least thats what the god continues to tell himself. If that is what he desires the most, then why can't he pull himself away? Does he truly understand what he wants anymore? Despite multiple bumps in the road and challenging complications, can Seth persevere through the struggles and reach his ultimate goal? Or get lost along the way.
Raed M for: Disturbing/Mature Themes, Mild Sexual Content, and Violence
WARNING, this story contains the following themes: Mention of past Rape and child abuse, depression, past and present self harm, suicide, eating disorders, anxiety/panic attack, past murder, gay and bisexual themes, mental and physical abuse, mention of torture.
Pictures and Playlists associated to this story can be found on my Profile.
Song Quotes (so far) from: The Red Stroke by Garth Brooks, Monster You Made by Pop Evil, Someone Who Cares by Three Days Grace, Boulevard of Broken Dreams by Green Day
Chapter I
~Erase this Monster I've become~
~Forgive me for all the damage done~
It was as if the world had been set to pause. Not a soul dared to venture out into the high noon, Egyptian heat. Especially not during the summer months. This time of year was eerily still at most hours of the day. All villagers, farmers, merchants and Gods alike took refuge from the baking summer heat, even the animals sought out shelter. Nothing ever got done in the afternoon, most everyone moved about during the early morning, or evening, often times bleeding over into the cool summer nights. One would have to be mad to even think of getting any work done at these hours, risking deadly heat stroke. Even the earth itself seemed stricken by the heat. The tall grasses lining the Nile river had already began to turn and dry up. The river itself had reseeded at least six feet by now, only a few weeks into summer. The ground was bleached and sun baked, cracked in various places, begging for water. But as everybody knew, water was several months away. Farmers scrambled to harvest what they could, before the unforgiving desert sun ruined all their hard work.
Today was nothing special; a simple Egyptian day. The river flowed lazily by, as one lone soul made their way along it's grassy edge. A mighty creature, who seemed to flow right into the land itself, one of the few people who actually enjoyed the unruly Egyptian sun. And who could handle the unforgiving heat. Seth was a god of great power, who felt most at home in the harsh barren deserts he had the pleasure of calling his own. His animalistic body was covered in short, tannish fur. A color much like the loose desert sand itself. Blood like red hair dusted just past his shoulders, one of the main features that made him so unique. His equally red eyes scanned across the still landscape, taking some sort of comfort from the quiet stillness. The gods long, forked tail brushed against the tall, aging grasses as he followed a worn down trail, used by animals, humans and gods alike to reach the rivers edge. But he didn't dare venture near the water. Strictly a land dweller, Seth made a point of avoiding the deep water, and eventually, veered off to follow a trail, leading away from the river.
Safely away from the lazy Nile river, Seth sat himself down in the tall grasses, and simply stayed there, soaking up the warm ray of the sun. The stillness of his surroundings was both soothing, and driving the god mad. Despite his desire to, he could not keep himself still. War had been waging in the south, and Seth had been right in the middle of it; Egypts secret weapon. There was very little else he was good for anymore, the only thing he had left was his bitter anger and insurmountable strength. But going from a battlefield to his calm, still 'homeland' was a far tougher task than any battle. The god had arrived in the late evening of yesterday. He had returned with a handful of soldiers he had become responsible for, though it was hardly a happy reunion.. In fact, many were unhappy with Seth's return, obviously enjoying the time they had without him. Thankfully, over the years the god a grown callous to their distaste for him. Yet as night rolled around, restraint with in the temple walls, Seth found the enclosed space far too overwhelming. Within his chamber, the god was far too restless to sleep, his body and mind still on high alert. The wall of the room, and the small space proved too much for the god. He ended up fleeing the temple in a panic, craving the open skies and fresh air. In attempts to calm his frayed nerves, Seth ventured out along the back allies of the city, knowing very well what he was doing was strictly forbidden. As one of his many punishments for his brothers death, the redhead was forbidden to venture out at night, where he could not be watched over. Despite knowing this, Seth had fled the city, and had been wandering the trails and pathways of the Nile ever since, despite the bitter cold of the desert night.
With a huff, Seth pulled himself up out of the grass and once again continued along one of the many pathways. One that lead him back to the city, located only a few miles away. He dreaded facing his superiors, more importantly Ra. The god wasn't entirely sure why he hated disappointing his might leader. Maybe it was because Ra was the one who spared the redhead from death. Though he wondered if this life he lived now was any better. A creature of the dessert, Seth despised being confined to this city, this area in general. He wanted to be back home, in Upper Egypt, a place where he had once ruled. Yet, the god still fails to feel any regret for his brutal actions.
'He deserved it.' Seth thought bitterly to himself, as he reached the city walls. He would have to pass through the village to reach the temple, so instead the god opted for the back way. Weaving in and out of alleyways in hopes of avoiding the prying eyes of the many guards and nobles walking the city. Seth hoped no one had noticed his absences, yet he doubted that was possible. Ra would most certainly noticed his loyal bodyguard was missing.
As the red headed god rounded the corner the temple was in view, though at the sight of it, he slinked back into the shadows. Ra was there, seemingly waiting for him, him being one of the few people who tolerated the unforgiving desert heat. He stood there at the top of the steps leading up to the temples main entrance, a stunning god at the least. A powerful god, he stood nearly six and a half feet tall, with perfect, flawless feature. Long, straight black hair draped against his shoulders, his eyes a light, stunning shade of blue. Something that made him too unique, yet linked him to a rather dark lineage. Not only was he physically stunning, he was a strong, very loved leader. God of the gods, and now ruler of all of Egypt. One would certainly want to stay on his good side, seeing as he was not afraid to unleash wrath upon those who deserved it.
Slinking back into the safety of the shadows, Seth held his breath in hopes he was not spotted; he wasn't quite ready to face what ever Ra had to say, or do to him. The god was just about to retreat back the way he came when a very clear voice stopped him. "Seth… I know you're there." Ra spoke directly to the god, and Seth froze where he stood, cursing at himself silently. Ra didn't say anything else, and as if waiting for a response, and Seth knew he had to give into his leader.
Taking a deep breath to calm his nerves, Seth stepped out from the shadows and into full view of his leader. The god quickly made his way to the temple, where Ra waited. He stood there, arms crossed, and Seth could easily tell the God was none too pleased with him. Seth found it hard to keep his leaders gaze, and averted his eyes as he approached. Not daring to look up at the mighty god before him, the redhead kept his eyes down. "You should be thankful I covered for you." Ra stated, causing the god before him to look up in shock. "I do not like lying to my men." As Ra looked down at him, Seth was shocked at the lack of bitterness in his leaders eyes. But that didn't stop Seth from feeling guilty for his actions.
The red eyed god looked down once again, a strand of hair brushed against his face. "I am sorry my Lord." He spoke quietly. "I… I wasn't thinking…" I stumbled with is words, not quite sure how to justify his actions from last night. Though it seemed he would not have to.
"Stop." Ra spoke firmly, once again earning a glance up from the shorter god. Seth was surprised to see the soft smile on his leaders face. "You do not have to explain your self to me. War can not easy to return from. As simple as that." The blue eyed god gave Seth what he believed to be a reassuring smile. Ra had once been the head commander of the Egyptian army, a hardened warrior, leaving for months at a time to lead his soldiers into battle. That is until rising tension back home forced Ra to resign his command to focus solely on leading his people. And after the murder of Osiris, and Seth being unfit to rule, Ra was forced (with no other god to take their place) to take charge of Egypt as a whole, consuming most of his life now. There was a reason the job was split between two gods.
Seth drew in a deep breath, suddenly feeling as if a huge weight had been lifted off his chest and nodded in response. "Yes my Lord." He replied, his harsh red eyes seemed soft as he gazed up at the strong god before him. Seth could care less what other gods, or people thought of him, and never gave much care to how he treated them, but just the thought of disobeying or upsetting Ra was nearly panic inducing. Ra was in fact, the only reason Seth was where he was today. For some odd reason, the blue eyed leader saw something in the spiteful redhead and, despite much disagreement, had spared the god's life.
Ra chuckled softly, and smiled down at the god, before reaching out to brush the hair away from Seth's face. The redhead shudder as his leader fingers brushed against his fur lightly, and refrained from leaning into his touch. I hated how easily he let down his guard around Ra, how easily the god could manipulate him. And he knew this. Ra knew the effect he had on the smaller, yet far stronger, god. It seemed to amuse him, he seemed to like playing with him like this, which only added to Seth's bitterness. "Better get inside before the heat gets to you." Ra spoke softly in a way that reminded Seth of how his father use to speak to him, back when his father cared. The god dropped his head back to his side, and Seth bit back a protest, knowing very well he of all gods had no problem with the heat or the sun. Yet again, he also knew Ra's words were far from a suggestion, and he had no choice but to obey.
Dropping his eyes once again away from his leader, Seth slipped past Ra, and retreated into the cool shadows of the temple, not entirely sure where to go or what to do. "And Seth?" Ra stopped him, and the god glanced over his shoulder. "Please do get some rest. You deserve it." He spoke with concern in his voice, and Seth nodded blankly before turning away and hurried down the temple pathway without a word. He shook his head, once out of Ra's view, trying to clear it, and reminding himself that Ra didn't care, and to keep himself distant. No matter how hard it seemed to be especially in times like these. Before Seth knew it, he found himself drifting towards the temple courtyard, the closest thing he had open land at the moment.
~I'm begging for mercy~
~I'm only the monster you made me~
Authors Notes: I hope this is okay. I've go a lot of great ideas swirling around in my head, but it's always hard to put them down in words, and having it sound good. I plan on this going on for a while, So be prepared for a lot more.