The Portal

Chapter 27 – Seth’s Awakening

“Lord Anubis, your brother, Lord Seth requests your presence,” called the servant.

“Do you honestly think that my hearing is impaired? The dead can easily hear that bird’s squawking from the underworld!” Anubis snarled at the hapless servant, who bowed and skirted away fearfully.

Anubis scowled and flipped his mass of shinning black hair over his shoulder with a frustrated movement. By the Gods he had no patience for his older brother. He had been dreading this moment since the purifying arrow put down the falcon. ‘It was really too bad she missed his heart.’

He headed down the corridors leading to the guestroom that housed his injured sibling. His increased agitation reflecting in his pounding steps. The smooth elegant lines of his youkai features showed faint signs of the trepidation that he felt at the coming confrontation.

As he rounded the next turn he came face to face with Lady Nebthet.

“Son, I must speak with you. It is of the utmost importance,” Nebthet pleaded.

“Mother, as you can clearly hear, I do not have time for you at the moment,” Anubis replied through clenched teeth, as he barely contained his frustration with the current events which were unfolding. He stepped to the side to continue on his way, when her tiny hand grasped his bicep. He turned his head, arching a perfect ebony brow in question.

“Anubis, I’m afraid that Seth will have to wait. There is something you need to know about the female, Kagome.”

Hearing the desperate plea in his mother’s tone at the mention of Kagome, Anubis pushed Seth from his mind for the moment. Worry etched his face briefly, as he feared some harm had come to the girl. “Tell me of your worries, mother.”

Nebthet glanced around the corridor, and then softly shook her head. “Not here. Come, follow me to the library.”

Anubis and Nebthet quickly made their way back to the library. It was extremely hard to ignore Seth’s blubbering shouts, but whatever was on Nebthet’s mind was apparently important. As soon as they stepped into the library, she led him to the back where another smaller room joined. It would offer them a bit of privacy while she spoke with him.

Nebthet turned to Anubis. Her distress clearly shining in her eternally enchanting eyes. “Anubis, I have just seen a specter from our past.”

Anubis held back the urge to roll his eyes in frustration, before urging her to explain. “Mother what is this nonsense you speak of? Time is of the essence. I have a tyrannical wounded falcon that no doubt wants blood for the imagined crimes against him. If you have something to say, then speak now.”

Nebthet had been trying to approach the subject delicately, but her son was in no mood for her decided approach, therefore she blurted it out, “I went to visit Sesshomaru this morning. Kagome was there with him, and curled about her legs was The Pet. THE PET, Anubis!”

He narrowed his crystal blue gaze on his mother. All thoughts of his ranting half-brother fleeing from his mind. “Midoriko’s pet was with Kagome? Are you certain of this mother?”

“Oh certain I am, my son. When I walked in the room and seen that thing laying upon the bed with that girl my heart almost ceased to beat.” Nebthet said with a tremor in her normally silken voice. “Sesshomaru then called me forth and told me the strangest tale, but by the Gods I believed every word of it, my son. Kami help us, I believed every word.”

“Go on mother, tell me what was said,” Anubis urged while placing his arm about his mother’s shoulder’s in a comforting manner. He could clearly see that she was shaken by the whole affair, but he needed to know, and quickly, as Seth had not ceased his bellowing calls for his presence.

Nebthet looked up to her son with a strange faraway look in her eyes and began to tell the story of their strange visitors. As she relayed the experiences of the three she watched the emotions play over her sons riveting facial features. When she ended her recount of what was told to her, Anubis closed his eyes, and slowly allowed it all to sink in. After what felt like hours, but in truth were mere minutes, the lord demon opened his crystalline gaze.

“This does complicate things somewhat, mother. As it stands, Seth is sure to be furious about the attack to his royal person. Even more so, once he discovers it was wrought by a female human slave. Now you tell me this female is not a slave at all? No matter how much that information pleases me, Seth will not see it as such. She is a blood relative to all of the lords of Abu Simbel. Kagome carries the blood of our sister, Midoriko, in her veins. Blood, that obviously, now lays mostly dormant, but if awakened could destroy us all.” Anubis slowly inhaled a deep calming breath. “Seth will not be pleased. He must not find out about The Pet. I will not place Kagome in more harm than she already is in. You will come with me to see Seth, and you will not utter a word of what has been spoken here.”

“Yes my son,” Nebthet whispered as she gazed up at him.

Neither, Anubis, nor his mother noticed that all had become quiet in the halls of the Temple Shikon. Their minds were busy swimming with the possibilities and dangers of their secret. They did not notice that a bellowing falcon lord had ceased to foul the air with his outraged cries for justice. Slowly they turned and left the library. Both of them, side by side, walking to the falcon’s room.

Anubis drew in another calming breath, before entering the falcon’s room. The breath of air brought with it the knowledge that his brother was not alone in the room. He currently had a visitor. This knowledge came as a bit of a surprise, considering whom it was. Had he simply wondered by and stopped to speak to the injured falcon lord? Somehow that sounded a bit far-fetched. Whatever his reasons for the visit, it was time to end it. Anubis had put off this meeting for too long, and now only wished to get on with it. After gathering his thoughts, he gave his mother a reassuring look and stepped into the lion’s den, or falcon’s nest as it were.

“Greetings Lord Anubis. Lady Nebthet, it is always a pleasure to look upon your enchanting beauty,” spoke the velvety smooth tone of the visitor standing beside the falcon king.

Anubis regarded him with narrowed eyes, showing his open suspicion of the visitor’s agenda. He did not acknowledge the man’s greetings, but allowed his mother to take care of the pleasantries.

“Greetings, Lord Naraku. I see that you have met Lord Seth,” Nebthet replied with a slight nod.

“Yes, my lady, I simply had to meet the great Falcon King, who displayed such prowess in battle. It was truly an impressive display,” Naraku said with a slight smile that did not seem to carry to his dark eyes.

Nebthet nodded to Naraku, who bowed to them all and excused himself from the room.

Once the visitor was gone from their presence, Seth turned his glittering yellow gaze on his brother. His slitted pupils all but invisible as he glared at Anubis.

Nebthet watched the display with an anxious countenance. The falcon lay upon the massive bed with his muscular upper body propped up against the headboard. His skin was the color of toasted almonds, which made his strange eye color all the more prominent. His blond hair was not long like that of her son, but fell mid length his back in neat choppy layers. His god-like beauty, so very much like that of his father. Nebthet could not deny his appeal to the eye, but that was where the comparison to Horus ended. Where Horus was gentle and kind, Seth was a cold hearted sadistic creature who lived only to better himself. He ruled his lands with an iron fist, and his people cowered beneath his tyranny.

His beautiful mother, Lady Isis, was revered amongst her clan as a kind hearted woman of mystery and magic. Her world came crashing down with the death of her mate. After Horus passed, Seth rose in power and the Lady Isis fell under his foot as he took over the falcon kingdom. No one had even heard from her in years. Nebthets meandering thoughts were stopped when the falcon spoke.

“Lady Nebthet, your beauty is beyond fault. The years only bring you closer to a heightened plateau of majestic heavenly grace.” Seth sang to her with enchanting baritone vocals.

“Cut the shit Seth. We did not come here for you to leer at mother. State your business, as I have other things to attend to,” Anubis growled.

Seth nodded slightly a Nebthet, before turning a narrowed glare of seething hatred to his half-brother. “As you wish, brother. I want to know what in the hell happened to me!? This injury is like no other that I have faced. I should be healed by now, but still the wound leaks the fluids from my body. The outer flesh is burned and I can barely feel my leg at all. What manner of magic is this!?”

Anubis spoke in calm even tones as he answered at least one question asked by the irate falcon, “You were hit by an arrow.”

“And who, pray tell, shot this infernal arrow?” Seth demanded.

Here is the point that Anubis faltered. He could deny the girls existence, claiming to not know who shot the arrow or he could tell the truth, that the human lover of Lord Sesshomaru was the archer behind the attack. Which route should he take? How should he proceed?

“Spit it out Anubis, and don’t even think to lie, as I will be investigating this to the fullest,” Seth sneered.

“It was a woman. She is a human female. The lover of the demon you attacked.” Anubis answered warily.

“No human can do this!” Seth shouted and pulled back the covers to reveal the gruesome wound beneath. The padded cloths falling away to expose the burnt and seeping wound.

“No, you are correct. Kagome is no mere human. She possesses the power of purification, however, it remains untapped. From what I’ve seen she is unskilled in its use, only calling a fraction when threatened. She is a kind hearted nymph of a woman, and I will not allow you to harm her,” Anubis said with a rumbling growl. His clear blue eyes flashed silver in warning.

Seth sat back just before he let loose a chest-wracking chuckle. “You are in love with this HUMAN!”

Anubis took a step back at Seth’s accusation. “You are mistaken brother.”

“We shall see, Anubis, when you bring me the woman’s head,” Seth challenged.

“You are welcome to stay here until you are fully recovered. You will be provided with any provisions you need, and my best healers will see to your wound.” Anubis said with even, confident tones. “You will then leave.”

“I will not leave without my revenge, brother,” Seth replied in a low deadly voice.

“Then you will not leave,” Anubis replied with virulent meaning. He took the arm of his mother, and led her from the room.