Set found himself to be bored with the constant watch he was expected to keep. A faithful man he was, yes, and true to his word - but his eyes darted from his descendants too often, coming to rest on the movements of ones he loved, a defiant action driven by his heart above all other things. Their ba and ka existed through years innumerable, living on in the mortal world as he stayed, unchanging, on another plane.
By the time Set was reunited with his lover, time had become but static and sand dunes. Though peaceful, his rule had been cut short; upon his untimely death, his only child ascended to the throne, and Set himself journeyed into the realm of the gods, joining countless pharaohs before him. Indeed, millennia of god-kings accompanied him, but notably absent was his young cousin, Atem.
Egypt had long since been lost and won by numerous conquerors, laying finally in a state of political and civil unrest. It was no longer the glorious kingdom it had once been, and as belief in the pharaoh as a god dwindled, so too did the presence of new akh in the afterlife. When Atem did arrive, he made quite an unconventional entrance, stirring the consciousness of those who still cared to look; he was not alone. By his side, as he had stayed for the eternity since his death, was Mahad. The priest's ka had become bound to his master, or perhaps always had been; fused into one great soul as centuries passed. To deny his entry would be to turn away one of the most heroic pharaohs their land had known.
The gods deliberated amongst themselves, once-booming voices now croaking from disuse. Their silence and inaction for so long was further indication of how their power had deteriorated.
None could reach a verdict, and Set stood quiet, he looked stoically towards his cousin and the unwelcome companion, someone he had longed so greatly to see once again.
He decided he must speak.
"Atem is the last of my kind," he announced, his voice unwavering. "The last of our kind."
"No longer are we seen as gods, but rather, as ancient myth and legend. We have no power over the mortal world if our presence is not known in mortal hearts," he paused, taking in the vacant expressions of the pantheon.
"So we must ensure that what power we do retain is used to welcome in our own."
"The magician is no king or god," an old voice interjected, "he does not belong in this place. Are we to degrade ourselves further?"
Set's eyes flickered indignantly. "I have seen his plight through my own eyes, while the rest of you stared into dust. When our kingdom fell, the partnership between Atem and Mahad -"
"He speaks his name!" The old voice spat. A woman laid an arm on his shoulder and he went silent.
"Their partnership," Set continued, "is as strong as any in the history of our people. Mahad - I will say his name! - Mahad has aided my cousin in ascertaining the safety of the mortal world, as well as our own plane. The evil that plagued us, they have worked together to banish, twice. Their akh, both of them, are invaluable. They most certainly have a place among our ranks."
No further interruptions greeted his ears. It was the most Set had been heard to say at once since his arrival. He sent a look towards Atem, lingering for a moment on Mahad. They entered quietly, side by side. It took all of Set's restraint not to meet Mahad with a full embrace.
Atem approached him, a smile radiant on his face. "Thank you. You are a noble man, and a good friend."
He reached his arms out and took Set into them, shocking him and the rest of the surrounding gods into silence. When he let go, his voice hardly contained its mirth.
"A custom, from my time spent as a modern mortal. Affectionate, I assure you all."
Atem stepped aside to allow Mahad his own moment with Set.
"I hold much gratitude, my lord," he began, starting to kneel before the former pharaoh. Set stopped him, holding his shoulders still in his hands.
"We are equals, Mahad. There is nothing to thank. You have always had a place here."
The other gods had ceased to look on by this point, knowing their contributions to be unneeded and unwanted. They instead doted upon the newest, and last, pharaoh to arrive in their midst. They would never truly accept Mahad amongst them, Set was sure, but he felt that mattered little now that they were together again.
He lifted his companion up to his feet again, and slightly farther, so they saw eye to eye.
"It has been a great deal of time," he said softly, his lips close enough to Mahad's own that the ethereal breath was caught between them.
"An eternity," Mahad responded, closing the space between them with a light gesture.