Throne filled but not with peace

Greedy hands choke out innocence

Blood spills from the long-abandoned fight

Foolish diplomat taken by Death

Tears unite the crown on top the bird's head

Death angrily wins the war

He believed he was to fill the throne. Funny, considering his greed made certain it wasn't Jabari Kane in the end. But the swift death given to the Oracle that had sadly crossed paths with Kane had brushed Iskandar wrong.

Word of Jabari's death reached the Chief Lector, Desjardins giving word on the matter having been informed by Floyd Starr of the deed. A friend and student to Kane, he had decided enough was enough and killed him out of mercy. Horus had driven him mad, just as Iskandar had suspected in the end.

Someone was to take the throne back, a new Pharaoh for Egypt to lean on for leadership. Iskandar is nervous about the idea of such a thing. He'd seen what the crown was capable of doing, making stupid mistakes. He's where he is now because they were blind to their power. Blind to the power the gods had bestowed upon them. The prophecy did little to ease his concerns.

The Frenchman had waited a while to take in his Chief Lector's response to all of this. "Apparently his children were told of this prophecy as well," Michel continues anyway, seeming hesitant now. "The man was arrogant enough to truly believe he was to be our Pharaoh. Telling them they would be wise to obey him."

There's a reason Iskandar had allowed Julius to walk away from the Per Ankh without further bother. Helpless guilt riddled that poor child's face, even when he thought he was disguising it well enough. He needed the distance, and Iskandar was more than happy to allow him that peace. More shocked to find he hadn't pressured his brother to do the same.

Dismissing Michel to get some much needed sleep, Iskandar is left alone on the steps as he lets the words repeat on his own tongue. Worry creeps in as he tries to dissect the prophecy himself.

Iskandar fears for one in particular. A boy scared to reveal the future but reaching out for help. Thoth had been right to put him before Iskandar, and he understood as much. His apprentice was not one for power, he knew this. Prophecy sealed his understanding of what his hosting meant. Setians have always been doomed, death was always chasing shortly behind them.

He had told him of the Greek and Roman pantheons, that they also still exist as much as Egypt has. Warned to not make contact, further pushed by his older brother's interaction with said Greek pantheon. Amos was doomed to break their walls, it seems. And Iskandar felt guilt for it.

So many years pass. Faust's divining concerning the few that know of the doom she speaks of. Her husband sealing their family's fate in the end. Iskandar senses Horus and Isis in the Hall of Ages with them, having taken on Julius' children as their newest hosts.

If only he had known sooner. He would have protected them, like he had with Zia. He knows his apprentice wouldn't want to harm anyone, that is not his nature. But puppeted by the Red Lord with his own goals in mind? They needed to find where Set is hiding him now.

Zia tells of what the ba had said towards Carter. Guilt creeps up Iskandar's throat as the prophecy comes back to his mind again after discovering they had been too late to recover Kane before entering Set's newest fortress of power. Julius had doomed them all to follow the prophecy his father had clearly spoken of.

Faith is all he has left. Hope that Carter will be the right Pharaoh to take the throne back after being empty for so long. Support from his surviving family to keep him in the right direction. But he fears the prophecy will doom the Per Ankh.

Guilt, Vika Menshikov having come before him to poke around for answers to her questions. Poor Amos, I failed you hadn't I? Would breaking his vow of silence on the matter have helped? Warn the Setian of the future that was clearly his path and no one elses? Shattering the idea of war between the patheons again, spare everyone the very real doom of such alliances.

The silence between mentor and apprentice as they take the other in aches. What can Iskandar even say after everything? He should have warned him, could have prevented it all. Amos breaks the silence, apologizing as if he had failed him. That he should have listened, hadn't been so stupid to snoop around Alexandria in the first place.

Iskandar lifts his hand to stop the rambling from the child before him. Iskandar had already lectured him about the matter, having found out that another magician had passed on shortly after. He was furious for having been ignored on his warnings he had given in the past about digging into such things from his apprentice. But dropped it after realizing the kid had seemed to understood why. Only realizing soon after that Amos had loved Caroline, the girl that suffered for the mistake.

That solidified Amos' silence on the matter of what he had found, and Iskandar trusted he wouldn't speak of it in fear of more death to follow. Apparently so much so that he was unwilling to speak of it despite the very clear threat of death. "Is it safe?"

-Set-

"Kid," I try again, desperation hitting hard to gain his attention

But the demi-magician has him locked in his gaze. The grin, while obviously not directed at me, was enough to make me feel as if he was. He knew he had the upper hand in all of this. Legacy of Venus using his skill-set to keep my host locked on his face as he spoke.

Kane was the strong-minded one. A constant threat to those that prefer their control of others. The kid didn't even want to question the thought of this skill-set of his, instead absent-mindedly freeing those locked under such manipulation. Thoth's spit, kid was able to fight me off to some degree. Impressive, but annoying all the same.

Caesarion is monologuing, and I brush his words off because I've heard it all a thousand times before. Thanks for being a sacrifice to Horus, we won't miss you. They could at least try to have a more interesting reason to kill my hosts.

But I'm stuck trying to puzzle out why he seems to have Amos locked under his gaze. Then after a moment it hits me as I recognize the eyes peering at us in glee. Oh.

It's still a sensitive subject right now. The anniversary of the explosion that took Caroline away was just the day prior after all. Amos had tried to ignore it; the key word being tried in that statement. Was easier when he wasn't in the exact city he had last seen her alive in, or the fact that his fellow magician accompanying was clearly prying in to this information.

I need to get him out of here, and fast. Caesarion is too powerful to test against, at least for the moment anyway. And considering Amos' vulnerability with him… Confrontation will have to be without my host.

He has my full attention again as he seems to be questioning why he can't seem to focus on anything other than the demi-magician's gaze. Kid is struggling to wrangle his thoughts fluttering away from him. Body is burning- wait.

Imperial Gold, I push air through my teeth as I realize the weaponry he had struck my host with. The scars of chaos magic I had left on Kane are being hit again. The bright red magic slowly turning grey and dissolving. Panic is all I know as I process what is happening.

False Pharaoh?

"Carter," I respond back as I watch more of my marks on his soul withering away. Traveling faster than I had during his possession. The gold is eating away the parts of me I had left him with.

I can't be bothered to find humor in Amos seeming to question why he just struggled to remember that his nephew is a person that exists. "Kid, he's got you under a spell right now," I explain briefly.

I snap out of it some as my host recognizes there is an outside voice in his head again. Okay, some hope still. "No, keep talking with me, Amos."

The General of Armies questioning his own name. "Yes, that's your name," I continue talking, hoping I can get him to cooperate enough to let me save him of the decay that is happening rapidly.

He seems to have snapped out of the hypnosis Caesarion had on him. Recognizing the burning feeling all over again.

"Clay boy," I give a small smile to him being able to recognize me by name on his own. "Finally, now lower your guard with me."

A hint of confusion from my host, but he still managed to lower his defensives with me enough to take over his nervous system. I pull the dagger out, and inspect to sadly note that I'm correct about the weapon under the blood caked on it.

Amos writhes some from the effect. Blood pouring out fast as the decay is still happening, having picked up a bit faster despite having removed the damn Imperial Gold from him. His vision is blurred, not able to process much of anything other than the sensation of burning up all over again.

"Don't pass out, you've been through worse," I remind, the scars I've left on him are testament enough. My host is unhappy with this situation. "I need you to stay conscious, sorry."

Because despite the fact that it's easier to control him when his soul sleeps, I can't feel much of anything. It's all just a numb feeling when I do, and I need to know what else I need to be aware of injury-wise for his sake.

Amos swallows that down miserably, closing his eyes as he registers that he is burning up, and at a much faster pace than in the past. Immediately slipping mentally back, reminded of my possession of him.

"No, kid, come on. Stay in the present." I can't have him panic over me, not right now. He can do it later when I know he is safe from the fast decaying.

Just kill me already.

"Amos!" He shrinks in reaction, fearing rage from me like he had before. Fuck, this is bad, I need his cooperation, not him freaking out on me right now. "Damnit Kane, I'm trying to save you!"

I use my magic to use a fire spell on the wound to close it up. Amos is screaming pleas for me to stop outside of his own head. Quickly begging for me to stop his suffering in turn with his compliance. It's like getting slapped in the face as I watch the decay is still happening despite halting the bleeding.

"I'm sorry," I want to cry as I realize we're already beyond any chance to stopping the effects of the Roman weapon. "I can't do that. You'll bleed out otherwise." I try to explain, only to find he is still so distant from the present.

Mel calls out his name, must have seen the fact that he's curled up on the ground in pain enough to show it. My heart sinks as Amos doesn't seem to recognize who it is trying to comfort him some. "That's Mel. Snap out of it."

That didn't do anything. Instead, Amos wants to speak up, tell her to keep far away from him in an attempt to save her from me. Desperately trying to fight back in an effort to halt the past. He's back to feeling like a hostage in his own body, and me talking isn't helping in regards.

He tries to move but finds himself feeling numb. Probably for the best, I don't need him doing any rash movements right now. "You're in shock. And freaking out again." An idea pops in my head as again my words only make him fearful. "Hold on."

Using my magic again, I pull up a memory of his he hasn't touched in a while. Perhaps because it just hurt to think about. After all, Ruby has been dead for some time, and Julius killed by our hands. Julius' children having to re-meet their uncle all over again after so many years of no contact. Maybe he just hadn't because he feared he'd never talk to any of them face to face again.

Sad, because the immediate joy of meeting baby Carter is overwhelming. While I'd rather punt the guy right out of his mother's hands and call it a day, I can't help but recognize the love the kid has for his family. The comfort of being around his older brother, even though they're discussing a rather tough pill they are swallowing down with Carter's existence in play now.

Mel had started carrying us, trying to be soothing and not show her own fear. Thankfully she isn't able to see what I see, and it's too bad Amos is unaware since I've hard locked him into the old memory in an attempt to calm him down. But seeing the decay of my marks on his soul is now past halfway, I can't help but feel guilt, realizing I've left further marks for having shoved him into talking to Julius again.

Fuck, this is what I wanted to avoid. I harmed him enough as it is damn it. Now the Roman metal turned it into a further nightmare. It's eating away at the parts of Amos I've left my mark on. Why didn't I just keep the fuck away like I told myself I would?

We're in the car again, Mel talking in hopes of getting any sign of her fellow magician being alive. "Just please talk to me, I need to know you're still alive back there."

Amos seemed to have heard her, suddenly very confused as it didn't belong in the memory he is reliving rather happily. I sigh as I hesitate to answer for him that it's Mel. Quickly snapping him right back into the present, and I'm upset I had done so as the pain of everything hits in waves all over again.

"Amos, come on buddy."

He tries to respond back, but is only able to groan in complaint. It was enough to get Mel to feel better as she continues to drive, panic leaking in her tone as she tries to reassure him that everything will be fine. A tone Amos picks up on fast and notes he has never really heard it from her before of all people.

"Can't blame her," I input as the decay is still quickly eating away at him and I realize trying to help him is only making it worse. "You're a fucking mess." But at least not freaking out like he had been.

Kid quickly tries to puzzle it all out for himself. Interrupted some by the taste of blood in his mouth and the spinning his head is doing in waves with the decay still happening that he seems to not notice. He only seems to know he is burning up. Mel speaks for reassurance that he is still alive.

Amos recognizes he has gone silent on her and tries to talk again, only to cough blood on himself. The question hits now. Am I going out like this?

I don't know how to respond. I want to help him, but my assistance is only damning him further as the Imperial Gold is eagerly eating up any trace of me on him. Either he will die, or we will face a hard disconnect of his hosting. I'm not sure I can even bring myself to explain what is happening.

Mel thankfully chose to bring up a past event between them and Caroline. And the thought of Caroline in his mind makes him realize Caesarion has her eyes. More questions upon realizing he must have been facing a child of Cleopatra. Another coughing fit, but quickly questions why 'Theo' wanted information on Iskandar.

"It's Caesarion," I hesitate to confirm.

As I thought, this led to a downward spiral of further questions. I can't focus on that as I'm watching what little of me is still left that the metal is still eating away at. Amos' body is giving out, this is too much too fast. Another session of coughing up blood as he's trying to warn Mel of Caesarion.

Eventually, he hits a breaking point. His head hurts too much, thinking about everything and the pain is overwhelming. It hurts for him to breathe. I'm so fucking tired.

Dread sets in now. "Amos, don't do it, kid. You're almost there," I try to voice, but noting the decay has now eaten through the marks I had left on his soul. I had done a number on him, but the impact of it was much worse now that it's gone, destroying the scars and leaving nothing.

I just need to rest.

I want to comfort him, but I'm so scared of doing further damage to the son of Narmer. His body is shutting down now, leaving behind an exhausted and damaged soul. "Alright," I can barely bring myself to say in response. "Rest well warrior, you've deserved it."

It's quiet and still. I close my eyes in an attempt to keep calm. But the image of his soul having been eaten up greedily by the metal is still there. I want to scream, but keep it in my throat because I can't bring myself to worry my host further if he is still there.

I hope you find your stupid crown and choke on it. I scorn the demi-magician quickly. Or I get to fucking kill you myself if you do.

Now, an outsider looking in would probably be asking, "Why this one, Set? When all other hosts have laid dead at your feet in the past?" I would probably threaten to kill you than actually admit it out loud, because strength is valued above emotions.

Despite the damage I did to Kane, he still respected me enough to step out of his comfort zone to extend a hand back. Foolish indeed, I figured the kid had lost his mind from the magical damage I'd put him through. But he was right to do as he had, knowing I'd have a foot facing against Apophis himself. Kid had a special soft spot with me already, having bonded with his trauma in the end as I dug my teeth in looking for any and all pulls I could use to manipulate the little brat. Found myself wanting to watch his back at all times, beyond just the giant chaos snake threatening to swallow the sun.

Making the Per Ankh very aware of our partnership put a firm choke collar on the rowdy ones at least for a moment. Given enough room to finally make the improvements to the Per Ankh that Amos had only dreamed of as a kid witnessing past wrongs. Change that had needed to happen a long time before now, but at least now it had someone that was desperate enough to see it happen rather than shrug it off if it did not. I'm proud of him, a strong representation of myself, and I will only take credit for being the imposing threat lingering in the background if people considered challenging him further.

I intended to cut myself off from him after Mount Olympus. That nonsense had only sparked worry about how long it would be before his hosting of me claimed his life. The hosts before him a testament to the cycle I've been stuck in since Ra left his throne. Too bad leaving had then left Amos vulnerable to pompous idiots who still wanted to hunt him down for his hosting. I swore I would stick it out after we cut down Friedrick, realizing we were both in this even if I don't want it for him.

Even if I did walk away after Friedrick, swearing further upon my own soul that I will let my hold die in an effort to free him, I know Caesarion would be no different to Torsten. Amos would have still died with or without me here to witness it, perhaps faster because the gold would have stayed in I'm sure, and picked the pace of decay up that much more.

I just wish I wasn't here to see it. Guilt is hitting harder than normal now. Maybe because I had allowed myself to get attached again. Eating away at me for having been the one to ruin him in the past for my selfish reasons, something I've been feeling guilt over anyway. But watching those scars of our past being used to quickly kill him? Helpless to aid because that was the problem in the first place. The gold did its job and destroyed the godly parts I had littered him in. Do I even have the right to cry out when I'm the reason he's dead now?

How many will celebrate this loss? Too many, I reckon. After all, it's just another host dead they've tallied up. I fear for those close to him, they will feel the burning grief and perhaps be alone in that feeling as the Per Ankh dusts itself off as if it's a typical day for them. Kid did too much for how little they care. They'll never recognize the effort he put in to make things better for them.

"I'm so sorry, Amos," I confess, my heart aching as a tear travels down my face. "I should have just hidden you somewhere instead."

I open my eyes and realize I'm no longer in his headspace. The dark prison riddled with traps ahead of me, the door I know somewhere beyond all of it in the darkness. It's the shabti, the very thing that if the Per Ankh knew of its existence, they would have killed him themselves for. Another act of desperation on his part, striking another deal with me that I hesitated to agree to at the time.

Well, at least I'm alone now. I allowed myself to make as much noise as I was holding in. Throwing lightning at the stupid gramophone he had set up, knowing I can't affect it intentionally to not mess with anything else as I scream in an attempt to calm down. Having to finally stop as the water is burring my vision, forcing myself to sit against the wall to the right of the table.

Calming down finally as I catch my breath, rubbing the water out of my eyes with my right hand. Fury still burning as bright as ever, and again I don't intend to calm it. I'm here with a purpose, to guard the stupid royal crown that once sat upon Cleopatra's arrogant head.

Who knows if Caesarion is smart enough to figure out he just killed the apprentice of Iskandar's. He's dumb enough to believe he is still owed the crown on his head after so many years since Egypt fell into Roman hands. Stupid enough that he will end up leading himself right to me again. And my wrath has never shown mercy.

So, seeing Vika Menshikov with Sadie Kane enter the space I had personally claimed as my new battlefield was a surprise. I'm a tad hurt that Amos didn't trust me enough to uphold my end of our deal. Fair though, the kid has only been able to trust me so long as I was within his sights. I just wish he held faith in my outrage at his passing. The irony would have been glorious for Caesarion to run face-first into.

Instead, I'm listening to the son of Poseidon explain what he was told of his plan while his hostage. Went further to explain a book he had found in his possession that he had been pissed off for destroying. That explains why the kid is chugging water down like a fish out of water. Eh, suppose he is if I think further into it.

I mostly drowned the conversation out. It's the same rambling of a power-hungry idiot who wants to impose Horus to use them as a host though he hasn't shown interest in doing as much. I'm drawn back into him talking about the Chief Lector position. "What was that?" I ask, interrupting for the repeat.

Perseus hesitates a moment, a tad alarmed by my sudden interest in what he is saying. Must have noticed I didn't care until now. "Um, he was going to offer the apprentice of Iskandar clemency and the position of Chief Lector. As an act of spitting on Iskandar's name."

My gaze narrows at that, seeming to set the demigod on edge before I start chuckling to release the tension on the boat. "Like Amos would have wanted it back? What a fool, truly. He was happier as a diplomat than having to worry about everything the Per Ankh has a sudden problem with."

The alarm on Percy's face reminds me that it wasn't common knowledge. I realize Sadie and Vika are not stunned by the information though, must have puzzled it out on their own. Fair, they seemed to know that Caesarion wanted the royal crown back that Amos had been trying to figure out for years how to destroy.

"Wait, is he saying-?"

"Yes," Sadie answers the Greek dryly.

Percy Jackson takes a moment to process this information. "Any idea what he wants from him?" His voice is soft when asking the question.

I speak up now because a Greek demigod doesn't need to be involved in this anyway. "Taxes, now let us move on from that already," I scoff as I take a step closer to the humans on board. "How many camp members know about Theo?"

The demigod's blue eyes narrow in response to that, but he answers that Jason Grace for certain knows. That's at least a step in the right direction at least. "The three of you need to put pressure on them to cease their fighting."

Vika's gaze is immediately on me, reading anything and everything about what I'm not verbally saying like clockwork. Woman isn't even a god herself, she's just that finely tuned in thanks to her father's teachings. Stupid Ra priests, I should set those scrolls on fire the next time I step foot in Russia.

"I'll do what I can to stop the camp at least," Percy speaks up. "But it's the Egyptians on the offensive."

"Carter," Sadie mutters under her breath, "I can handle my idiot brother. But that's not going to halt everyone."

I snort at that point. "Anat needs to be tethered down. That Whittaker girl won't be able to hold her back on the battlefield."

Vika, not surprised by my calling out the newest General of Armies for her new friend, stands up to stretch as Sadie's blue eyes are wide on me. "Is that why she has been looking for a fight?"

"Duh, but also that poor girl is most likely riddled with guilt having failed to keep your uncle safe," I take a steady breath to calm myself as I am reminded that I also failed in that department. "However, Anat will not stop at just Theo. If she has her way, Camp Jupiter will be of ash and rubble. No one will get out unscathed."

Vika rolls her shoulders some as her gaze is still on me. Thankfully, due to Amos' relationship with this woman, I'm able to tell what is it she is trying to say in the silence. I'm just more shocked that she is choosing to accept me as his replacement for the time being. Anyway, she doesn't trust that I hadn't announced what I plan on doing.

I give her a toothy grin though, because she just gave me an idea. "I'll assist, but you need to make it believable too. The Per Ankh won't just believe that their late General shows up on the battlefield out of nowhere. Should stun most of them enough to halt their fighting, right?"

Sadie is the one who seems on the fence about this. Fair, again I recognize it's a touchy subject for the nephew and niece, but I don't see a better manipulation tactic either. Nothing will have a better effect than a supposedly deceased Amos Kane showing up to tell the Per Ankh off. Granted, the kid wouldn't be nearly as aggressive as I intend to be when confronting them, but eh what is he going to do about it?