In which a small bird of prey is betted against a tower-sized monster of Chaos. Who will win?
oooOOOooo
Arrow
Horus'd have never thought it to be possible, but… he was getting dizzy. He had been exerting much more effort in the past two or three hours (or maybe a lot more, he couldn't tell anymore) than usual and also this damned roundabout he was forced into around the chaos god who just refused to go the hell down…
He caught the storm clouds swimming before his hawk vision again and he shook his small head strongly to get them back to their proper place. He should have saved his strength for that certain blow (IF Anubis could pull that stunt off, that is…), but now both Nephthys and the jackal god was out of the equation and he alone had to keep Seth busy lest he killed one of them.
Worse yet, Seth was beginning to see through his plan. The chaos god stopped the taunting and his attention was more and more off the falcon god, instead he surveyed the canyon around him, looking for the other two. His Chaos-shield did the defending for him. This sudden silence was a bit weird, Horus had to admit.
Finally, after a few more rounds, Seth completely lost interest, and the falcon had to use his one stupid desperate idea: performing a free-fall he zoomed by the ear of his enemy and at the right moment he let out the loudest, most ear-splitting screech he could muster. The chaos god snorted and actually reared back out of instinct. Horus almost let out a relieved sigh that he got the spotlight on himself yet again, when out of nowhere a giant red fist came crushing down. Only his battle-honed reflexes saved him from the worst as he did a barrel roll, but the Chaos-shield still brushed past him and knocked him off his course.
Horus desperately tried to straighten himself out of the mad spin but the momentum was far too strong and he fell face-first into the lake. Normally he wouldn't have been fazed by such incident, but now his tired body couldn't take the strain and he almost lost consciousness as he began to sink. His wings flapped weakly but uselessly, he couldn't see anything but bubbles, a horrible dull ring filled his head. Horus fought against the numbness that began creeping into his limbs, by some miracle he managed to stay awake.
He didn't want to go out like this. He will not go out like this! He flapped his wings to at least get himself into the right position and see the surface of the water. A sudden wave of weakness washed over him however and his limbs simply stopped in the middle of the movement. He tried once more but the result was even more pathetic than before.
No. No. No no no no… this can't be!
Not too far from him something large moved underwater with a loud thud: one of Seth's feet. The god was looking for his enemies.
Anubis! the little alarms rang in Horus' head, and he tried one more time.
Nothing. He couldn't even make his body move anymore. Wasn't he supposed to be panicking at this point? Then why did he feel so empty, all of a sudden?
You will defeat Seth and avenge your father! You will rule Egypt!
The first lesson you must understand, young one, is that everyone has his limits…
You are not fit to be king! Not even your father was fit to be king!
Why are you doing this to me?! I hate you!
Your mother is merely a backstabbing witch, and your father, a simple fool, nothing more. It will be interesting to see what you shall become…
You know… I think you are pretty cute. And strong. And brave.
Horus… Your Highness, please, let me see my son just one last time!
After all this… you dare ask for my daughter's hand, you brat?!… You are a reckless one, I give you that.
Please, Horus! Do not say anything you cannot take back later.
Look, Egypt is more beautiful than ever! The pharaohs have truly done a wondrous work!
So… this is it. This is how it all ends. With Sleep… May we see each other in another life, my son.
We… are awake? … We are awake! WE ARE LIVING AGAIN!
Oh Hooooorus, the pharaoh needs to speak with you at once!
YOU RETARDED FALCON! TELL ME YOU DID NOT DO WHAT I AM THINKING YOU DID!
You have a very important and hard task and I am very proud of you. Keep on going, you have my support.
These flooding memories were also probably not a good sign. And why was the water growing darker around him?
Nephthys… Anubis…
*THUD*
Seth…
Horus fought against the numbness but it was all over and he knew it. Despite this, he didn't want to go down without a fight. History (IF there will be a history after today) shall NOT remember him as a weakling who gave up the fight!
Suddenly someone grabbed his small body. Warm hands began lifting him up to the surface. In the meantime strength poured into him and his vision finally cleared. The beaten form of Nephthys greeted him as the goddess ascended with increasing speed. After a second and a half, Horus' mind cleared and, realizing what was happening exactly, he flapped his wings, desperately trying to break free from the hold.
Nephthys was giving him every last bit of power she still possessed!
- No, Nephthys! – Horus cried out. – We need you!
- We need that blow! – the goddess retorted, her face holding only determination despite her obviously weakening aura. – Anubis is out, you are out, I am out… Only you can land that hit! Make it cou—
She had just enough strength to hold Horus out of the water. Seth's foot came crushing down in the exact same second. The falcon took off like a rocket, out of instinct, but the goddess was not so lucky: she was crashed into the lakebed.
Horus flew straight up to the sky like a shining arrow, a good chunk of his powerful aura returning to him. With an elegant move he dodged Seth's hand and soared way above the head of the chaos god. His eyes fell onto his enemy's back but he didn't see an opening. Oh gods, he was too late, wasn't he…
oooOOOooo
Pain pain pain pain PAIN
Anubis screamed but no sound he could emit would accurately show the amount of sheer agony that flooded his body the moment he touched the orb's surface. It started from his right hand but didn't need a moment to spread everywhere. The void twisted around him as he lost his concentration (and his mind for a brief second, he was sure of it) and slipped away like a passing train. Before that however he felt someone grabbing his hand and shouting "Hang in there, son!" in his ear.
Then everything was gone, as if his senses turned off in rapid succession. His hearing, his smell, his vision, his whole right arm then his body…
oooOOOooo
An unearthly jackal howl, filled to the brim with agony, pierced through the air and just like that, a circular hole finally opened right between the shoulder blades on that cursed armor. It was barely big enough for Horus to fit through but the falcon began his mad dashing to it anyway.
He had to do it!
For his family.
For the world.
Horus poured every last bit of energy he had into his shining form as it plunged face-first through the opening and into the body of Seth, tearing through his clothes and skin and entering the essence.
…
All he saw was red. After a second he realized he reverted back into his original form and was currently flying backwards. His ears went dull… at least that's what he thought. Then he smacked into something rough (rock?) and with a painful and sharp snap his senses came back to him full swing, he saw a gigantic tower of red light consuming Seth, and he realized he was hearing something.
A roar so loud, so omnipotent, so ancient that it filled every atom in the air, in his body, in the world. There was nothing else but this sound, that's why Horus hasn't registered it at first.
The final howl of Isfet itself threatened to tear everything apart.
And then, as if cut by a knife, it was all over.
Horus laid motionlessly on his back, eyes staring unseeing at the thundering storm clouds above. His body was completely numb for a long time, but something abruptly flooded his blank mind.
Joy.
Joy so pure he had never felt before and his eyes welled up a bit.
- Bless the Order – he whispered shakily to the sky.