Day Unknown (Night- Aaru)
Every mortal and immortal enemy had either proposed a truce or been willing to submit under Egypt's rule. The slaves' works progressed significantly, and they did not complain at all. All souls managed to fulfill the requirement of entering Aaru. Any bad rumor circulating in the entire empire had vanished, as if they never existed in the first place.
For the past few months, Horus felt that Egypt had reached the state that he had dreamed of, ever since he took the throne from Set. However, despite the ideal situation, there was still something bothering his mind; something that he was unable to pin down. As he could not purposely ponder about it while still on king's duty, he chose to do it during night time. The place he deemed appropriate was the fields of reeds outside the town, as the only sounds he heard would be the blowing wind and the blown reeds. He hoped that by being in an area with less distraction like this, it would eventually help him figure out the answer.
*****
Several weeks passed. Unfortunately, Horus had not yet found what's bothering him. Feeling tired of repeatedly doing something that did not bear any result, he decided to stop doing it. He then expanded his wings, ready to leap and fly back to his palace. Nevertheless, seeing Hathor's chariot unexpectedly approaching, he tucked away his wings and waited for her.
"Hathor, why did you come here?" Horus asked as soon as she got out of the chariot.
"I come to give you enlightenment."
"What do you mean by that?" Horus responded incredulously.
"The thing that has bothered your mind is the fact that Set has chanted the sleep spell on you."
Horus raised his eyebrows. "Set has chanted the sleep spell on me?" he responded. "Are you trying to make a joke here?"
"You think I'm joking because in your belief, Set is in prison," Hathor said; her calm tone began to make him feel she was not her usual self.
"Of course," Horus said. "Besides, if Set or anyone put a sleep spell on me, I wouldn't be here standing and talking to you."
"Have you realized that everything in Egypt is extremely good these past few months?"
"I do realize it," Horus said. "But we can achieve this situation because we all have worked hard for it."
"Didn't you realize that it's too easy, that it's almost like a dream?"
Horus did not answer. It was because he did feel that everything was so smooth, that in the beginning he often refused to believe it.
"Everything is as easy as a dream, because everything is indeed a dream," Hathor said. "Everything is a dream because you're under Set's sleep spell."
"I think you're not just joking," Horus said; his tone became serious because he refused to accept the unusual occurrences as a dream. "I think you somehow have lost your mind."
"Turn around now."
"Turn around?" Horus responded. "Why do I have to turn around?"
"Just do it."
"You really are strange," Horus said, but he still turned around. In a blink of an eye, he was no longer on the fields of reeds.
Horus was now in a meadow with rocks, trees and cliffs. He did not need a long time to know that he was in Duat; however, he wondered how he could instantly move to this realm, as there was no spell to make this happen. Hathor was also no longer behind him, and it made him start questioning whether everything was indeed a dream, just like she said. Intending to figure it out, he began to search for more clues.
Suddenly, he heard the sobbing of little children. When he found where they came from, he was astonished to see more than thirty underage children crying and sobbing behind the bushes. How come these many children die at the same time?
Aside from them, there were also more than ten teenagers and adults. Some just cowered in fear, while some tried to comfort the crying children. Horus then learned that all of them were not aware of his presence, and it immediately convinced him that this was a dream. On one side, it relieved him because he believed the deaths were just part of it. Nevertheless, on the other side, he started wondering whether the entire ideal situation never actually took place, just as Hathor had hinted earlier.
"The deaths are all real," Hathor suddenly said. Strangely, when Horus glanced everywhere, he did not see where his wife was standing.
"The deaths are all real," Hathor said again. "It's happening in the real realm. You can witness it because Yahweh pulled it into your dream."
Horus did not immediately respond. It's because the moment he heard the name 'Yahweh', the memories of so many disasters ravaging the land popped up in his head. The last disaster he recalled was the hailstorm and rain of fiery spheres that destroyed so many buildings and killed some people. He also remembered how he decided to surrender to Yahweh, and how he was astonished upon seeing Set's arrows. In just a short time, he grew angry towards his uncle, and to anyone who had released him from the prison.
"Many of these humans are still so young. They might haven't mastered the spell in The Book of The Dead," Horus said as he tightly clenched his fists.
"Now you can see the reason why these little children are crying, and why some teenagers and adults are trembling in fear," Hathor said. "They're all the firstborn in your land, and there are more of them out there. Most of them cannot protect themselves from the demons because they haven't mastered the spell in The Book of The Dead, just like you said earlier. There are even a few who have mastered it, yet they cannot chant it properly. For the demons, they're all an easy target."
"Are they all Set's victims?" Horus asked. "And who's the one responsible for his release?"
"These humans were not Set's victims, as Yahweh has defeated him before he can even sit on your throne," Hathor said. "The one who released him was your grandmother. He then knocked you down and put a sleep spell on you, so that he can freely do anything in order to steal the throne from you."
"If what you're said about Nut releasing Set is true, then I will make sure she receives a proper punishment for this treason."
"As for why these humans died, it's because after Set's defeat, Nut was still persistent to rebel against Yahweh. She even planned to prolong the sleep effect on you, so that she can make a thorough plan for this. The only way to quickly break her is by taking the lives of all firstborn, humans and animals, in your land."
Horus exhaled an exasperated sigh, but said nothing.
"It's still a day before the spell wears off. However, I shall now take you out. After you wake up, I trust you will end up with the right decision."
In a blink of an eye, everything vanished, replaced by darkness. Soon after that, his eyes skittered open, allowing him to see a blurry figure in front of him. After his eyesight finally recovered, that figure turned out to be Hathor. Immediately, she hugged him. "How can you wake up?" she asked. "Set's spell supposedly wears off tomorrow."
"It's... ," Horus paused. "It's Yahweh who wakes me up."
"Yahweh?" Hathor responded confusedly.
"It's not important who wakes me up," Horus said. "Where is Set now?"
"He's being treated for his wounds," Hathor said.
"What did you just say?" Horus was astonished. "You treated his wounds?"
"Don't worry, Lord Shu and hundreds of your soldiers are watching over him."
"I don't care if there are thousands of soldiers watching over him!" Horus' voice suddenly heightened. "The main issue here is why do we have to treat the wounds of a traitor?!"
"Set helped Ra and his crew fight Apophis," Hathor said; her voice was calm but stern. "That's where he got his grave wounds."
Horus raised his eyebrows. "Why would Set help Lord Ra and his crew?"
"That's... ," Hathor paused.
"Forget, I'll deal with Set later," Horus said. "Where is Lady Nut now?"
"She's... mourning for the death of the firstborn," Hathor said. "I can see that she's so devastated by the cries of our people. I also can feel that her anger towards Yahweh has melted after this disaster. I think... ."
"She's ready to surrender to Yahweh," Horus guessed.
"You're right."
"Then I'll handle her punishment later," Horus said as he tried to get up. Hathor tried to hold him, but he immediately tossed away her hand and walked to the door.
"Where are you going??!"
"I'm going to Duat."
"Why do you need to go there?" Hathor responded confusedly.
"Many of the firstborn haven't mastered the spell in The Book of The Dead. It's really unfair if they die because of this reason. That's why I'm planning to escort them safely to The Hall of Ma'at."
"Lord Osiris will not approve of this action!"
"Lord Osiris is my father. And I'm The King of the gods. We will have an audience later to discuss this matter."
"He will still declare you violating the law!" Hathor exclaimed. "Once he does that, the entire Great Pesedjet can sentence you to prison!"
"I don't care about that," Horus said as he turned around and walked again.
"The soldiers you bring will also be punished for this violation!"
"I never said I will bring my soldiers," Horus stopped walking and said.
Hathor quickly went ahead of Horus and faced him. "Are you saying you're going all alone?!"
"You said it yourself that violating the law will put me in prison," Horus said. "I surely won't throw my soldiers into that same risk."
"But all those demons will target you!" Hathor exclaimed. "Furthermore, Apophis has grown stronger and is roaming freely in Duat due to Lord Ra's absence!"
"Apophis has grown stronger?" Horus responded confusedly.
"That's what made Set suffer grave wounds," Hathor said. "It's because Lord Ra has –."
"I don't have time for your story," Horus said as he started walking again towards the garden. He then expanded his wings and flew straight to the sky, ignoring Hathor's cry that broke the silence of the night.