Bloodless Snarl
Yami was still quaking from the shock of it all--gently drifting off to a peaceful, eternal slumber, only to wake and find his best friend happily carving his throat open with that demonic glare..
The few dark hints he had alluded to Isis about his final encounter with Seth was certainly enough to sicken anybody. Living through it-or not- he smirked wryly when he raised a transparent hand, and shoved his arm through a wall without a bruise-was an experience he would happily leave Isis ignorant of. From her bowed head, to the new lines of concern that crowned her mouth and eyes, he wondered if it were too much to burden her with. And she had yet to explain how his soul was sacrificed, if his spirit-or whatever he was-still lingered long enough to converse and actually interact with her.
"My king..." Isis looked pale and wan as moonlight, as she gazed at him in open curiosity. "Will you permit me a question?"
Yami raised an eyebrow and cocked his head to the side with a smile.
My lady, you are permitted to ask what you will. And, I am no longer your king. As my last act, I named you ruler of Egypt, did I not?
Isis gave him a resigned shrug, her weary eyes trailing to the crown. "I hope you chose wisely, my king-forgive my use of the title- it is both out of habbit and honor."
"You mentioned that you..saw Seth? How is that possible? Where did I get such power to send him to the Shadow Realms?"
Yami did not answer imediately. His eyes were turned towards the crown, and he flinched when he found his hand had passed through the golden band. He lingered there, with his head bowed, and his arms crossed over his chest. He gazed at her, his eyes dark with torment, and his mouth set in a grim, sad line. Isis had never seen him look so old and tired before.
There are some questions that are too painful for me to answer at present. I hope you can forgive me for that. Know that I am sparing you a great deal of pain, and please respect my wishes when I ask you not to mention Seth again.
Yami gave a deep sigh, and shook his head in weary resignation, before he continued. Isis sat back in rapt attention.
As I mentioned before, you did not banish Seth to an eternity of suffering. It was his choice. You must understand this of the Shadow Realm-it is a punisher, and it is a destroyer, but it will never claim a soul that is not calling for it. It is not evil, except to its own. It is always hungry, and looking to devour those who yield to its corruption.
You did not recieve such power from your own bidding-it was loaned to you from the Shadows themselves. Always remember this above all else, Isis. The Shadows seek their own, and once you are claimed by them, you will forever bear their taint. But, they can never claim that which is not freely offered.
Yami looked at her, as she mulled over his information with a furrowed brow. "What a painful burden you have carried...Yami."
He gave her his characteristic smirk. You have no idea...Isis.
Isis had earnestly tried to resist the temptation to badger him for more answers.Maybe it was her rare thirst for revenge that drove her to ask the next question, or her simply honoring her less than honorable, baser instincts. Yami could sense it gnawing at her, slowly, as well.
"You said that you had encountered Seth?" Yami's body jerked as if he had been slapped, and his eyes darted away, frantically.
"Tell me what happened...please, my king." Yami looked like a trapped animal, as he backed away, shaking his head in desperate negation.
Isis, do not ask me about this...please.
Isis would not relent, and Yami was rapidly growing weary of her pleading, prodding, and accusation that he had trusted her with his power, but not with his pain.
Yami had flinched when the words were flung at him, and he stood, motionless, his eyes glazed, and he was held, helplessly imprisoned by the memory of what his last encounter with Seth had been.
But, something hardened in his expression, as he suddenly stiffened. A minute muscle in his cheek twitched in aggitation, as he gestured for Isis to sit.
Very well, Isis. I will answer your question. His voice was flat, and eerily devoid of any emotion, but rich and deep. Isis realized that he was again speaking as the Pharoah-perhaps as a means of distancing himself from what he had endured.
You will forgive me if I am hesitant to do this. I have experienced many things in these last few hours-most of which have no adequate words to explain.
I was laying on that stone slab, when I felt your soothing spell wash over me in one pleasant dream-like wave. I felt my muscles relax, my breathing slow, my heart gently giving way to what I thought was going to be nothing more than drifting to sleep and waking up in the House of Ra. I was eager for it...to be free from all these earthly cares, to see my father again, to know peace that was real, and firmly fixed in eternity. I was actually very close to breathing my last, and considered just stopping, because it seemed so unnecessary at the time. Just one more chain to keep me tethered to this world. Ra knows I have had enough chains in my life, Isis.
Yami swallowed hard, braced himself for the next words...I saw my father. He was standing, haloed in golden light, with arms open in a welcoming embrace, flanked by my mother. You know that she passed away delivering me, and I was so afraid that she would be angry with me for causing such sorrow...but she looked at me with such wonder and rapture, and said in an awed, sweet voice, how very proud she was of me, and how having such a fine son more than made up for the pain of her early death.
Tears slowly leaked down Yami's cheeks, as he shook his head with a smile. She was so bueatiful, Isis. Radiating love, and serinity, and so happy to be with my father. And for me to finally see the beloved face of my mother after so many years...it was happiness, it was fulfillment...it was what I thought was my eternity.
But then...something went horribly wrong. I thought that I was beyond sensation, because I thought that I had already crossed over, and left my body uselessly on that table. I honestly thought that I was beyond suffering, and that the sacrifice had been successful, even though I noticed I was not sealed away in darkness, but enjoying the bueatiful light.
I felt agony...horrible, blinding, burning agony, across my throat. I never felt so much excruiating pain in my life. I opened my eyes to find myself lying helplessly, as my throat was cut. I didn't know what had happened, and I tried to scream, or cry out, or move, but I couldn't. I think he cut too deeply for my voice to work any more. I couldn't understand what was happening to me. All I knew was that Seth's face was hovering over me, and I could only watch his knife carve its way into my body over and over again, while I lay bleeding and mutilated. I looked into his eyes, and saw not madness...but evil. He looked enraptured by the power he had over me..to make me suffer fo no other reason than he could. My death was necessary. But the suffering and the torture? I felt like I was bleeding fire, that I had crossed the threshold of pain to the point that I could not suffer any more, but it only increased, and I could do nothing but plead for somebody to make it stop. It was then that I saw you leaning over me, looking so bravely resolute, and understanding, as you raised the blade, and plunged it into my chest. I felt one more blinding flash of pain, and then...nothing. The agony had stopped. Everything had stopped, even time itself seemed to curl up and wait for something...I am not sure how to describe what the dying itself was like, other than it was as different as waking after a sleep, or seeing the night turn to day. Do not linger too long on that curiosity, you will experience it yourself one day..hopefully many years from now and in a much kinder way than I did.
He gave her a wan smile, but then twisted his mouth into a rancor filled snarl.
It was then I heard the scream-the blood-curdling wail of what sounded like a dying animal. The sort of sound I probably would have made had I the ability. You cannot imagine my terror when I saw Seth emerge from those shadows, with his hands clutched around a gaping wound from his throat. I reached up to touch my own neck, and found to my suprise, there was nothing but a scar...no blood, no tatters of flesh...it was healed! I still don't know how that happened. Seth was bleeding, staggering blindly, and screaming. It was horrible to watch. He staggered, and fell to his knees, and I tried to help him. It was too much for me to bear-watching so much pain and doing nothing.When I touched him, I saw that his gaping wound had vanished as well, and the flesh around his neck was completely unmarred. It was unnerving. He stared at me, in shock, with the blood still covering his hands, and he was so still, as if he could not make any more sense of the situation than I could. Then it happened. I watched as his face twisted into a hideous smile, as he brought his hands up towards my throat..."
Yami shuddered, as he buried his hands in his face, the shrill whine of the nightmare escaping from his shaking form.
His eyes were shimmering with fiery hate-sheer, unrestrained, animalistic hate. He...he did not even look human, with his hands still coated in my blood, and his hands..."
Yami's face contorted, as he raised a groping hand to his own neck.
His hands...were arched, and hungry, and strong as he latched them firmly onto my throat. I didn't hear him speak, but he cackled, and I could sense his murderous satisfaction at having me at his mercy again. It was the same horrible choking agony all over again. I struggled, but had no way of defending myself...it was horrible.
But suddenly, I felt a golden light gently trickling down both of us. It was as gentle and soothing as a lover's kiss to me...but to Seth...he writhed and screamed and relinguished his grip on my throat. I watched in horror as he twisted desperately in an attempt to escape the golden light, but there was just too much of it. Each part of his skin that was touched started to catch fire and burn. Soon, he was engulfed in flames, and screaming...and I could do nothing to help him...at that point, though, I wasn't going to anyway. Then, as quickly as the golden light came, Seth disappeared with a final cry of pain, and I heard you calling my name. I tried to concentrate my energy in answering you, to let you know that I was well. When I opened my eyes, I found myself back in my death chamber, staring at my corpse, and watching you weeping over me.
Yami concluded his story with a slight shrug, meant to convey indifference, but Isis noticed his eyes never left the horrible bloody mortal aftermath that still lay on the table.
He shook his head, in sorrow, and glanced over his shoulder to Isis.
Will you please cover my face up? I cannot stand seeing myself looking like a gutted animal.
Isis hastily drew the cloak up until nothing showed of Yami but the tips of golden hair. She noticed that Yami had been so slight and small in his life, that his body was engulfed by the heavy material.
Yami gave a dark, bitter chuckle. Aside from seeing my loved ones again, I hope that Ra blesses me with a few more inches of height. Do you have any idea how hard it is to maintain your dignity as a Pharoah when you are not any taller than your adversaries's children?
Isis smiled at him. "Is that why everytime you speak, you are so dramatic, my king? So that your adversaries notice how bueatiful your voice is, instead of how far down they have to stoop to hear it?"
Yami looked at her with an irritably raised eyebrow. It is a good thing that I named you Pharoah instead of court jester, because you would fail miserably.
Isis answered with a distinctly unlady-like snort. And I am sure people find listening to my dignified voice a bit more pleasant than listening to you.
