Serqet

The little ones are running. I love it when the prey is running. But I'm in no such hurry. As I'm walking slowly towards them, my thoughts flicker to Bast for a second. A part of me wishes I hadn't been so harsh with my little sister. A very small, quite part.

The littles jump over a row of bushes and run down a sidewalk, pushing past pedestrians. My nose twitches slightly in disgust. Mortals. I almost loose the younglings in the crowd. Do they even know where they're going? Ah, the museum. So many nasty things have happened in the Metropolian Museum of Art. Such a lovely place. What a pity I might ruin it.

Once they enter the museum, I sigh. Now I've for sure lost them. By the time I make my way to the entrance, the younglings are nowhere to be seen. Screw Set and his 'don't attack mortals, so we don't attract the House's attention' policy. It's no fun when rules are put on who can or cannot be killed. He knows that. Yet he does it to others anyway. Such a hypocrite. But a powerful one. More powerful than me. For sure more powerful than those scared little kids.

I enter the museum unbothered and look around. Where might they be? A loud crash, like glass shattering. From the Egyptian section. Bingo.

Some of my pets scatter around to investigate, just in case I'm wrong, as I walk on. Alarms blare, red lights flickering overhead. Mortals run past me in panic as if I don't even exist. Once the museum feels empty enough, I stop the sirens. Such an annoying sound. I like the red lights, though. They give the place a certain touch of eeriness. Bet Set would like them, too.

The scent of godlings guides me through the hallways. Not far away something thumps. Something clatters to the floor. The smell got closer. They're near. Scorpions burst out of everywhere, ready to attack. The building rumbles as some break walls and floors to get to me. Dust falls from the ceilings.

In the next hallway, a line of shabtis stands guard. My scorpions tremble through them before I've even come close. Voices up ahead. Finally. Those kidlings have caused too much trouble for their age. My babies hurry up ahead, millions of feet click-clacking down the stone corridors.

I emerge in a wide room. In the middle of it, raised on a platform, is a reconstruction of a temple. In the middle of that temple, inside of a glowing protective circle, are the little Kanes. Huh. They really don't do Isis and Horus any justice. I smile at them coldly. I'll make sure they remember the face of their capturer. Set will be livid.

The only thing standing between me and the success, is one of the House of Life's magicians. It's an Arab girl with short black hare and golden eyes. The girl looks no more than 14. Are they really sending kids to fight us? Is that how little respect they have left?

"Zia" says Isis's host. So that's what the amber-eyed is called. It's always nice to know the name of victims. "that's a goddess. She defeated Bast. What chance do you have?"

Zia holds up her staff. A small fire envelops the lion head on top of it. The fire is so bright that it lights up the whole gallery. "I am a scribe in the House of Life, Sadie Kane. I am trained to fight gods."

How arrogant. How foolish. How sad. She really thinks she has a chance.

I step forward as arachnids hide the marble floor from view. My eyes fix on Zia.

"Give me the younglings."

Zia crosses her staff and wand. "I am mistress of the elements, Scribe of the First Nome. Leave or be destroyed."

My mandibles click and the first line of scorpions attacks. When the first of them reach the protective circle, however, they sizzle and turn to ash. I snarl at the pain. The rest of my babies retreat, crawling back up my dress. No more of my scorpions will be hurt today.

The air behind me solidifies in a massive scorpion tail. It arches over my head, the sting already aiming. It lashes down at the magicians. In the last moment, Zia raises her wand and the sting hits the ivory tip with a hissing sound. Steam rises from Zia's wand, smelling of sulfur. This stupid girl and her little magical tricks.

Zia points her staff at me, setting my outer layer on fire. I scream and stagger backwards. The fire dies out, but my blood is boiling.

"Your days are past, magician. The House is weak. Lord Set will lay waste to this land."

Instead of squirming in fear, she throws her wand. Alas, not in surrender. It hits my tail and explodes into a blinding flash of light. Thousands of small white suns cloud my vision. I lunge back and shield my eyes, trying to blink it out.

When I can see again, the portal is opened. Zia is in front of me, staff in hand. The boy yells something, but I'm too focused to care. This girl has damaged my scorpions AND hurt me. I'm sure Set won't mind that one kill. He needs only the rest of the Demon Days alive, after all.

We move slowly, observing each other's every step, caught in a dangerous dance. Zia twirls her staff. A trail of fire paints her path. Every time she closes in, I step back, looking for a soft spot in her defense. I am so focused on her trails of fire, that I don't notice the seven pink ribbons until its too late. They wrap around me, binding my hands and legs. Without enough magic to hold it, my tail falls apart. The ribbons cut through my magic, burn through my very essence. I scream and drop to my knees. My skin is bubbling where the fabric touches it.

Through tear-filled eyes, I see Zia come to a stop. She points her staff at me. The Ribbons begin to glow, the pain intensifying. I hiss. " Hwrw bgas kat-takhat!"

"I bind you with the Seven Ribbons of Hathor," Zia says. "Release your host or your essence will burn forever."

"Your death will last forever!" I snarl. "You have made an enemy of Set!"

She twists her staff and my vision explodes. I fall sideways, writhing.

"I will...not..." is all I have the strength to hiss before blacking out.

A pull. A strong pull. I am being pulled away. No. No. No! No! I will not be sent back there! I will not be captured! I'm out of the woman's body again. No! My body! I took it respectfully! I earned it! My essence is slipping away. I pull myself together. A portal ahead of me. They are about to leave. No!

My consciousness gathers, forming a thick black mist. The mist, on the other hand, forms a solid black scorpion. I'll show them how dangerous an unthetered entity can be. But before I can strike, the portal has closed and they are gone.

I change my aim, lunging at the lifeless shell on the floor.

Inhale. I can inhale. This feels right, this feels mine. Alright.

I open my eyes. Where am I? Metropolitan. The floor. Binded by the Seven Ribbons of Hathor. Or I was while the filthy magician was here.

I shuffle and the ribbons fall to the floor and stand up. One of the walls is glass. Dust off my dress. Fix my hair. Sigh. I should stop by my palace before heading over to Set's. He is going to be so mad. Might as well dress for the occasion.