継続は力なり
Keizoku wa chikara nari
“Continuance is power.”
~Japanese proverb
Horus
It’s dark.
Dirty.
I'm chained to the wall; I have just enough chains to make it to the edge of the cave and back. I wait for the judgment to come.
Sariel is in the corner sitting upright against the cave wall like it’s a vacation in Mexico, and he’s taking a siesta, his eyes are closed but he doesn’t sleep, nobody can. He gave up everything to get Bannik and me out of this, and now I’m back and joining him.
Apophis is most likely going to have a field day with things she thinks she can take from me. I have the bead, after all. I just hope I can trick her into gaining the tails and leaving with the bead and my life.
No pressure.
"Tough road you’ve decided to take,” Sariel says, eyes still closed. His jet-black hair isn’t even messy; it’s tied back in a braid that runs down his spine. He’s wearing dirty jeans, boots, and a black tank top that already has a rip in it. Blood trickles down his arms.
His wounds are fresh.
Clearly not self-inflicted either.
"I can do this. For her, I can serve this sentence.” I repeat this every day, and every day Apophis, my jailer, approaches and asks for the bead.
“Give it over.” She holds her hand out. She smells of snake and dirt.
I despise her and keep my eyes trained on the ground.
“Give me the bead, and I’ll set you free.”
"I want her tails,” I counter. “Show me her tails, and we’ll talk about the bead.”
“The tails are mine!” she screams.
"And the bead is mine.” I shrug. “I guess I’ll just go take a seat; I’m sure you have more customers, demon goddess.”
"I AM THE GODDESS OF THE ABYSS!”
I laugh. “You’re the goddess of chaos, and you’ve lost your way, but if that makes you feel better, by all means, call yourself what you think you are when we all know the truth. You, dear goddess, are so very, very lost.”
I sit next to Sariel and think of constellations.
Stars.
I think of Kit, and I draw her constellation in the sand.