Chapter 39 Seth
Seth
Flames consumed the western district, and the smoke from their fires filled my lungs. Landing atop the highest roof, I wiped the smoke from my eyes and searched for the beast Eris had ensnared in her grasp.
A deformed monstrosity prowled the streets.
Head on, it appeared as a lion, but its body twisted and changed behind the neck.
The second, black head of a goat emerged from its upper back, and the winding form of a viper took the place of its tail.
Claws and scales covered its limbs, and draconic wings unfolded from its back.
Seas. Had that been what I’d seen prowling the borders of the Empty?
The chimera snapped its head down on a guard, crushing his armor. The snake whipped around, sinking its fangs into a fleeing civilian while the goat head breathed fire, coating the street in red-hot destruction.
This thing would tear the entire city apart if I didn’t stop it.
Pressing my hand to my chest, I remembered the dread I’d felt by the Empty. The sense of defeat.
Alone, I could not save this city, but I would try nonetheless.
Magic swirled within me as shadows gathered at my feet. From their embrace an enormous cobra rose, a being of the abyss, its body the Empty itself.
The serpent that painted the halls of Hades, that loomed over the prophecy of the final maiden, awaited my command.
Leaping from the rooftop, I flew through the flames toward the chimera, the serpent’s shadow streaking beneath me. Spinning my spear to face downward, I plunged it into the lion’s neck.
The thing’s hide was tough as steel—the spear point hardly pierced the chimera’s fur. The goat’s head twisted toward me, its eyes glazed over, glowing white as flames spewed from its mouth. Rolling to the side, I flew to the ground.
My serpent lunged from beneath me, clamping its jaws down on the goat’s neck before vanishing. It appeared again on the creature’s other side, striking at the lion’s front paw while a dual shadow of itself appeared from behind and lashed at the tail.
I felt the pain Aethra described, faint prickling under my skin as though a thread of my being had loosened.
Roaring in pain, the chimera swatted at the serpents, but its paws passed through shadow. Faint wounds appeared where the serpents had struck, but not nearly as deep as I’d hoped.
Legend said monsters had once been beasts, mutated by years exposed to the Empty. Had they grown immune to its disintegrating touch?
If weapons couldn’t hurt it, I needed a plan. Gods, where was Eleos to scare the damn thing when you needed him?
I heard scraping steel behind me and spun around to see a Ma’at knight charging me. Lifting my spear, I blocked his strike and danced out of his reach. Crimson mist churned around his neck and enchanted his eyes.
A dozen more of Mother’s men surrounded the chimera—surrounded me. One stepped forward, speaking with his voice, but not with his own mind.
“You’re going to die here, Set,” Eris said through her puppet, twisting his mouth into a grin.