Chapter VII

~Every street in this city is the same to me~
~Everyones got a place to be, but there's no room for me~

Night time was one of the more peaceful times in a city like Avaron, the hectic running around of the evening began to die down. Merchants were closing down their stalls and cashing in for the day, and returning to their families. The busy streets were thinning, only the main roads were still alive with people. Typically the city wouldn't be completely dead for another few hours, give and take the few street walkers and stray cats, most left for the comforts of their homes when the warmth of the day vanished. Seth knew he should do the same as the many humans, it wasn't that he was prohibited from venturing out at night, but just high looked down upon... At least it was, he wasn't sure what limitations Ra still forced upon him. The god had been getting more and more lenient recently. Given this, the god figured a little time outside wouldn't cause any problems, as long as he behaved himself.

The god did hide from the humans still wondering the streets, he simply avoided the majority of the crowds as he walked along some of the side streets, keeping his distance from the city's center. This part of town was home to several houses and families, all of which he knew by heart. The god couldn't count of many times he had walked through this neighborhood over the last several years, but he knew every face, every name of the people who lived here, who just moved in, who has been here for years, but no matter how many times he had ventured down these roads, the people here still wanted nothing to do with him. It was always the same story, the same reaction, the same streets, after a while it just became second nature to the god. A friendly gesture, a smile, a nod, always met with the same disgusted or fearful reaction, at one point he just stopped trying and kept to himself. He saw no point in trying to befriend the residents, when they just wanted him out of their city, he doubted many of them even knew who he was or why he was here. It was just the social norm now, some the god just had to accept.

Making his way out of the neighborhood area, Seth found himself in a popular merchant's street. During the day, both sides of the road would be lined with stalls and stands, a sort of market, but at this time of the day, most sellers were packed up and gone, only a few were set up or preparing to leave. Every time the god walked down the street, the men and women selling their goods eyed the him suspiciously, as if expecting him to steal from them. Seth learned to ignore their stares, no longer make eye contact with the judgmental people, continuing on his way through the city.

He knew every street and every turn of this city, with no open land to roam, the god could navigate this place several times a day, just to help settle his restlessness. He hated how confined it was, how unchanging his scenery was. It was the routine hunting trips he and several other gods took part in that helped keep him sane, got him out into the land he loved and gave him the chance to really stretch his legs. Until those days, the redhead would pace these streets endlessly until his king needed him. It was a sad life for a god that used to have the whole desert at his disposal, he never had to stay in one place for long, even when married his wife took enjoyed the migrant life they lived. Now he was trapped within tall city walls, under the constant supervision of his king, the only time he was allowed to leave was during the day, but couldn't go any further than the river, which was only a few miles of freedom. It was no life for a desert dweller to live, her craved the vast never ending land, the open skies and unlimited freedom. His father had been the same way, always wanting to be close to nature. That was probably the only thing Seth and his father had in common, though Geb craved the lush, rich, lively environment of the Delta, Seth, just the opposite. The god shuttered at just the thought of being anything like his father, even though no two gods were as different as father and son.

Time had never been the gods forte, Ra could easily tell what time of the day it was being so in tuned with the sun, but Seth wasn't as concerned, her typically just went with the flow of the day. He knew when the sun rose and when it set, that was all he cared about, so right now he wasn't sure how long he had been walking around, it could have been a few minutes, of a few hours, he usually gets lost in himself during these times and loses track of his surroundings. This time, something snapped the god back into reality. As he rounded a corner, Seth became aware of a presence, he could feel eyes on him and they felt different than the usual looks and stares he got. The god sniffed the air in hopes of determining who was there, but nothing struck him as familiar, which put him on edge. Secretly he hoped it was the same eyes that had been watching him the night before, but he hadn't gotten this uneasy feeling with Thoth staring him down. Seth slowed his pace, keeping, his senses going on alert. Unfortunately by the time the god could discern the persons scent, it was too late.

Seth was brought to a sudden stop when he felt somebody sharply and painfully yank at his tail. He let out a sharp yip of pain as he whipped around to face them assailant, only to be brought face to face with them one person he hoped he never had to see again. Seth stood there frozen as he looked into the rich Hazel eyes of his father, his hand still wrapped around the gods fragile tail. Geb's smile was unnatural and some what frightening as he stared down his son. The god hadn't changed a bit since Seth had last seen him, back when he killed Osiris, only now, they were alone, something that made the fear in the gods chest even worse. "What do we have here? " Geb's words were slicks as he stepped closer to the redhead. "I didn't know he let you off your leash at these hours." he taunted. As the god got closer, Seth tried to back away, but could move far with his tail captured like it was. A growl escaped the god clenched teeth as his father closed the distance between them. "Now, now, I just want to talk. I haven't seen you in years. " Seth cringed at his father's slick, sickening tone, his voice being the thing that haunted the gods dreams. The god tore his eyes away from the man before him, looking around for some sort of way out, but was quickly corrected with another sharp yank of the tail, bringing his attention back to Geb. "You look at me when I'm talking to you! " he snapped. Seth knew he could easily fight back and over power the older god, but he was held in place by a flurry of childish fears and memories. It immobilized him and virtually shut down his entire body." Look at you, you haven't changed a bit. " Geb's mockingly affectionate tone was sickening. "Still the same hideous creature I had to raise. " The older god reached out with his free hand to touch his sons face, but Seth leaned away, and when his hand got closer, he growled and snapped at his father's hand.

Geb dropped his hand to his side, his smile dropping, and for a second just stood there, looking his son over. The older god nodded. "Hmm. To think I wanted to be nice to you. " He said, letting go of Seth's tail, but before the god could get away, Geb reared back and struck the younger god across the face, hard, sending him to the ground. "You've always been nothing but trouble. " he snapped, standing over the god. Seth attempted to get to his feet and run, but the older god stepped on his time, pinning him to the ground. "Such a pathetic excuse for a god! " He reached down and grabbed a handful of the younger gods hair, causing him cry out in pain as he grabbed at his father's wrists. "I should have let you rot in that desert when I had the chance. " he emphasized his point with a firm yank. "Now look what you've done, you've even compromised your king. " Seth struggled under his father's grip as the older god dragged him. "he actually thinks you have potential" The god laughed. "But I know better. I know you're worth nothing" As he struggled against his father, Seth could feel the familiar tightening in his chest as the panic crept into his body. His breathing hitched in his throat and he struggled to to take in much air. Every muscle in his body was on edge, and the only thing he could think of was just running, getting away. He hated how his body reacted to his father, how easily he could break him, and send him into a panic. Maybe if events in the past were different, this man wouldn't be nearly as frightening. "You've corrupted your king, he should have let you die. I would have gladly done it myself. But sadly, " Geb leaned down closer to the god. "You're still here, and it makes me sick. " Seth looked up at the man, those eyes, that smile, that cruel, sick mind that terrorized his childhood and plagued him his entire life. "He hasn't done nearly enough to break you." The older god let go of the redhead hair and quickly grabbed Seths wrist and yanked him to his feet. "Are you going to fight back? " He taunted, but all Seth could do was pull against his father's grip just wanting to get away, on the verge of hyperventilating. "Of course you won't, you're weak. Maybe you need to be taught a lesson, again. " He threatened, pulling the younger god closer, a sick smile on his face. Seth panic peaked, knowing exactly what his father meant, traumatizing memories flooded into his mind and pushed him over the edge. Using his claws, the god slashed at his father's arm, causing him to let go for just a brief moment, but that moment was enough for the god to get away. As soon as Geb let go, the younger god turned tails and ran as fast as he could away. All the pent up energy in his muscles propelled him away from the danger. Nothing registered in his mind besides the basic animalistic instinct to escape, his heart beating so hard it drowned out his hearing, he could only hope the malevolent god wasn't chasing him. He wasn't sure where he was going and he didn't care, all he wanted was to get away, run and find safety. His chest tightened with panic, making it hard to breath, but he continued to run, unaware of his surroundings.

Rounding a corner, Seth managed to get enough control of himself to slow down and take a look around, though the panic still surged through his body, and he was about to take off again when he was stopped. He felt a pair of hands larch onto his arm, bringing a violent reaction from the god as he whipped around and fought the person off. To his surprise, who ever had stopped him let go immediately, as opposed to fighting him. The gods gods actions caught up to him and his legs gave out under him, and he crouched, hugging his arms close to his body, trying desperately to catch his breath. "Its okay, you're safe here. " He heard over the pounding of his heart, it was a voice far different from the one he was running away from. Curiosity got the better of him and he looked up to see the person beside him, only to be met with a pair of kind purple eyes. "It's okay, I'm not going to hurt you. Just breath. " his voice was night and soft. He knew this god, he was quite a popular person, not for his status or wealth, but for his kind heart and gentle nature. Heka crouched down beside the panicking god. "Just breath, it's going to be alright. " he reached out towards Seth, but seeing the god tense, he hesitated, before dropping his hand. If he didn't want to be touched, the small god could respect that. Heka was a rare kind of God, fragile and feeble, a form of hybrid. Humans and gods could have children together without any problems, but it's when those children reproduce with humans that starts causing problems. Those children produced are weak, fragile and rarely live past childhood. Heka on the other hand not only lived through childhood, but past adolescence and into adulthood, though he was weak and plagued with countless problems. He was easily susceptible to illness and injury along with being prone to violent fits (seizures). He never had much energy and spent most of his time homebound or sick in bed, why he was out and about in the city, especially at this hour was a mystery. But the kind hearted god was known for putting others peoples needs before his own, and right now, refused to leave Seth's side. His words were soothing and sensing no other person around, the redhead actually managed to get a handle on himself and start calming down a bit. Eventually the god managed to gain control of his breathing, and no longer felt like he was suffocating. The younger god placed a hand on Seth's shoulder without any hesitation, gently rubbing circles there. The god tensed for a moment, feeling the sudden contact, but that quickly faded and he sat himself down on the ground. Satisfied that the god was well enough, Heka stood up, ignoring the light headed feeling it gave him, instead focusing on Seth. "Are you going to be okay?" He asked, tilting his head to the side, in a way that almost made him look like a puppy.

For a moment, Seth didn't trust his own voice, and sat there in silence, his tail, though sore, twitched by his side. The god looked up and met Heka's gentle gaze, a far cry from the look of hatred or disgust he got from most of the city's residence, gods included. It was a mystery why he seemed so concerned about the nuisance god and an even bigger mystery as to why he would want to help him, Seth had grown so used to being surrounded by people do didn't care, that find someone who did felt strange and foreign. Looking up at the god before him, felt compelled to to put his worries at ease, so he nodded. "Yes.. I'll be fine." he spoke softly, and despite his better judgement, pulled himself to his feet. The god stumbled slightly as he did so, his legs still feeling weak, but he kept himself upright. He looked back over at Heka, who seemed ready to catch the older god if needed, as if he could actually do that. Heka wasn't short like Seth, he was pretty average height, but he was small, being thin and weak, the kind of person one would be afraid of breaking. Looking at the answer, Heka didn't look to satisfied with his weak answer, but didn't say anything more. Taking his eyes off the younger god, Seth looked around to get his bearings and realized he was close to the palace, the city center had gone bare for the night, so thankfully nobody was there to see the mighty god break back at Heka, the god gave him a questioning look still a bit confused by the situation. "Why?" He asked, catching the younger god off guard.

"What?" He responded, not entirely sure where the redhead was going with his question.

"Why did you want to help me?" He asked calmly. "Most people would even give me the time of day let alone care about me."

Heka gave him a confused look, and for a second he thought the boy still didn't understand. "Why wouldn't I?" He responded. "Nobody deserves to go through such a thing, and you're no different from any other god I see walking these streets. I don't care if it's Ra, Hapi or you. I guess it's just… my nature." He shrugged, giving the elder god a soft smile. Seth couldn't look past how weak and tired the god look.

For a moment the god didn't know what to say, or think. He wasn't used to people caring, he had grown so used to being excluded, ignored or insulted, it was strange to have somebody he barely knew extend a hand to him and treat him like any other god. He didn't know how to respond, it wasn't a typical situation and he didn't know how to act. The god nodded rigidly. "Th..Thank you...Heka." He didn't mean to sound so distant. "I'll…. see you in the morning." He said before turning around to leave. He didn't want to be rude, but he didn't' know any other way to react, his natural instinct was to shut down in unusual or uncomfortable circumstances. He hoped the younger god would understand.

"You don't have to be alone you know." Heka spoke up, stopping the redhead. "You don't have to go through this by yourself. I know something is bothering you. I'm not going to ask what, it's not my place, but I'm sure I'm not the only one who cares Seth. You can talk to somebody. I know there are a lot of people out there that don't like you, but at the same time I know there are people who do. It may not be a lot, but it's enough." Heka's voice was soft and his tone gentle. His words stirred some sort of emotion in the elder god. "Nobody deserves to go through life alone."

Seth bit back his emotions, he knew every word the boy was saying was true, but he knew his problems were too big to bother anyone else with. He knew he needed help, but at the same time, he convinced himself he was alright. Right now he wasn't willing to deal with these issues. "Good night, Heka." He spoke with a tone that left no room for the younger god to respond. Drawing in a deep breath, the redhead walked away from Heka, disappearing into the palace, leaving the young god standing there alone.

"Good night." Heka said softly after the god left, slightly saddened by his sudden departure, but what did he expect, people like Seth didn't open up just like that, it took time, and he was afraid it would take too much time. The small god felt a presence come up beside him and he didn't need to look over to know who it was.

"Come on, it's late." Sobek said to the young god. He wasn't just Hapi's guardian, but he also watched over the sickly god. Feeling defeated, Heka didn't protest, he just nodded, no longer willing to ignore his own issues, he leaned against the strong god, feeling tired and light headed. Sobek wrapped an arm around the young gods shoulder and led him back to the home they shared with Hapi, in silence.

~Why is it so hard to find someone who cares about you~

~But it's easy enough to find someone who looks down on you~


Authors Notes: Thank you to those who have commented and followed my story, it means a lot to me. I feel accomplished having done two chapters in two days. I have recently been inspired by this song: Someone Who Cares, by Three Days Grace, it really sounds very fitting for Seth. I feel like now is a good time to start introducing some of the darker themes of this story, like what happened in Seth's past that made him like this? We'll find out.