CITY OF THE GODS: FORGOTTEN

by Verne, M. Scott

  Set pressed on her belly again. “Who else? A pretty thing like you surely has many friends.”

  “Well, Mazu took me to Buddha’s Retreat. She was nice to me.”

  “Mazu. Very interesting. I’ll have to find out more about her. Who else?” He drew very close to her face, his red eyes narrowing. Some of this had been told to him by Kafele, but now he was really discovering who her true allies might be.

  “Es-huh, Namtar’s servant at the slave den. She was kind to me too. S-she taught me about being a slave and dressed me in - in this outfit.” Aavi nodded, trying to point with her nose towards the rest of her body.

  “Quite fetching,” Set sneered. “What about the goddess Lamasthu? Did you see her?” His eyebrow went up as he asked. Perhaps he could catch his dubious ally in a lie.

  “No. I’ve never met anyone with a name like that.” Then she remembered something. “I-I think Es-huh told me she was going to visit them.” She hoped this was the right answer.

  Set knew that Lamasthu’s visits to the Slave Den were very rare, so he decided this was probably all Aavi knew on that subject. “All right. Who on the Council is helping you? Tell me.”

  “I don’t know what you -” Once again her body was ravaged with the burning pain of the red lightning. Set quickly let up though, as if he changed his mind about hearing the rest of her answer. Aavi’s head and stomach were in agony and the pain was not easing.

  “D-D’Molay said he worked for the Council,” she whimpered, “but I don’t know anything about them. I never met them or anything, really. Please, that’s all I know!”

  “I suppose I can believe you. The Council only thinks it knows what goes on in the City. Now, Kafele told me you were going to Earth. Why were you going there? What was your mission?” Once again she felt him place his hand on her belly.

  “Because the Oracle told me to. I-I don’t have a mission.” she answered simply.

  “There’s more to it than that!” Set shouted, loosing more of the painful red lightning into Aavi. She screamed as her entire body shook and the fire burned deep into her bones. Even when he withdrew his hand she still felt the burning and stinging inside. It was like there were giant ants inside her, crawling around and biting her. She couldn’t stop herself from shaking as she tried to breathe, which was getting harder to do after each punishment. Set grabbed her hair and turned her face towards his. “What was your mission?”

  Her eyes filled with tears as she had no answer to give him. She didn’t know anything about Earth or a mission. “I - I don’t k-know.” she sobbed.

  “You do know! You must!”

  As Kafele hurried back to the prison with his healing kit, he could hear Aavi’s screams. A steady red glow was visible where the bottom of her cell door gapped above the stone. He rapped on the door.

  “Milord, it is Kafele. I have returned as you ordered.”

  “Enter.” Set’s voice was slightly muffled behind the closed door, but there was no mistaking the impatience in its tone. Kafele took a deep breath and went into the cell. Set waved a hand toward Aavi. “As you can see, I have started. Check her. I have many more questions to ask.”

  Kafele nodded silently and moved toward Aavi. Her body was visibly perfect as always, but she was now unconscious.

  Sitting on the edge of the stone slab, Kafele put his bag down and put his hand on Aavi’s chest. “She still lives,” he told Set. “She has fainted from the pain. Without rest she will be unable to speak again.”

  Set’s arms crossed in irritation as he leaned back against the wall. “Awaken her. This is a prison, not a rest home. If I get a few more answers, I will heed your advice. I don’t want her dead, at least not yet.”

  Kafele took a small green bottle from his bag, opened it, and waved it under Aavi’s nose. For a second, nothing happened, then she started to cough and a gush of blood poured from her mouth. Kafele feared that she had suffered more internal damage from the energy blasts then Set had planned.

  “Kafele?” she said weakly after he wiped the blood away, noting that the residual smudge seemed to immediately disappear. No wonder Set was being more ignorantly brutal than usual. His strikes weren’t leaving evidence of their harm.

  “I’m here. Can you move?” He took her chained hand in his and squeezed it to see what her reaction might be.

  Her brow furrowed. “It hurts, but . . . yes.” Her eyes seemed to be unable to focus, but then she looked at Kafele and smiled a little. A pang of guilt ran through him like a hot knife had been stabbed in his heart. He dropped Aavi’s hand and stood up.

  “Just answer Set’s questions, you silly girl, and there will be no more pain.”

  As she followed him with her gaze, Aavi could see Kafele’s aura glowing. It was a swirl of red and yellow. She could see that he still cared for her, but the red in his aura overpowered the yellow. “I’m trying to answer right,” she said meekly.

  “She is ready, my lord, but I cannot guarantee she won’t faint again. She bleeds inside. You need to be careful my Lord, too much might kill her.”

  “Do not dare to tell me what I should do. Wait outside and close the door.”

  Chapter 23 - Irresistible Forces

  D‘Molay found his way to Set’s temple and even reached an inner entrance, but his good fortune ended at the large, well-guarded door.

  “I don’t care who you are, or what pass you have. There are no exceptions,” the zealous guard said sternly.

  D’Molay realized he wasn’t going to sway the man by logic or guile. Once a deity had commanded a loyal servant to a task, that minion would rather die than fail his or her god. He should have known he would need a more ambitious plan. “I see. Well, you have your orders. I understand.” He counted four guards at this post, armed with pikes, daggers and swords. He only had his knife. That and his skill might be enough to beat them, but a fight would raise enough noise to bring even more of guards. Attacking would be a stupid and deadly move that wouldn’t help find Aavi. He stepped back. “Sorry to bother you.” D’Molay went back the way he’d come, already formulating his next move.

  He quickly made his way back to the upper floor hallway where he had met with Sekhmet just a few days ago. The goddess had promised him a favor, and it looked like he was going to need it. Nearing her chambers, he passed a priest and three guards, but they paid him little heed. He arrived without incident in front of the unattended door. It was large, golden, and embossed with the image of Sekhmet's cat-like face. D’Molay wondered if he should knock or just go in. Taking the dagger from his scabbard, he tapped loudly on the door with the rounded metal end of its hilt.

  He cringed as an unexpectedly loud ‘bong’ from the strike echoed through the passage. D’Molay looked nervously in both directions up and down the hall, expecting the arrival of angry guards, but none appeared. Nor did anyone come to answer the door. “Maybe cat gods don’t answer doors.” D’Molay grabbed the handle and pulled. The door opened easily and D’Molay stepped into the familiar darkness of Sekhmet’s antechamber.

  “Hello. Is anyone home?” D’Molay called as he walked into the torch-lit room.

  Tenh-Mehr

  Digital Alteration of La Cigale (Jules-Joseph Lefevbre, 1872).

  He heard small hooves clip-clopping on the polished stone floor and guessed it had to be the pink demoness he’d met here the other day. Then her soft voice echoed out of the darkness, “What do you want, and who are you anyway?”

  “I came to speak with Sekhmet. It’s D’Molay. I was here a couple of days ago,” he said. The pink demoness he had met and briefly fallen in love with just a few days ago approached, carrying a scroll tied with a thin red cord with a tassel on one end. She studied him with her luminous green eyes, one of which was mostly covered by the dark curly forelock that diagonally ran across her face. Soon she smiled.

  “Oh, I remember you. You brought my mistress her husband’s gem. She had been looking for that for over two thousand years.”

  “I’m
glad I was able to help her find it, then.” He’d wondered what the gem’s significance had been to Sekhmet, but experience had taught him never to directly ask.

  “Geb died a long time ago and she had given him that gem to celebrate their joining. It’s indestructible, so she knew it was still around, somewhere. Anyways, thanks for getting it to her. It made her very happy.” She stared up at him with gratitude in her eyes as she shifted her weight from one cloven-hoofed foot to the other.

  “Good. Is Sekhmet here?” D’Molay looked around the chamber, hoping to see the demon’s mistress. He was starting to feel those pleasant but uncomfortable pangs of attraction he had experienced the last time this demoness had been close to him. Every little gesture and movement she made was a beautiful distraction that made it hard to think or even breathe. He tried not to look at her, but found it very difficult, as she was dressed only in a short white linen skirt comprised of two flaps of fabric at the front and back, held up by a black leather belt with silver studs on it. She wore nothing on top, save for a necklace made of semi-precious stones with the cat symbol of Sekhmet in the center.

  The demoness rested her index finger on her lower lip and looked up at the ceiling, as if she were trying to remember something. “Nooo, she’s not here. She has a meeting with Horus and Thoth today. She might be back later this evening though.” The demoness turned around and casually walked back toward Sekhmet’s throne.

  D’Molay took in a deep breath and sighed as the lustful thoughts and feelings spinning around in his head faded a bit. “I was hoping to ask her for a favor this afternoon.” Though he desperately wanted to follow the demoness, he resisted the urge to move closer to her.

  For a moment it looked like the she was going to sit in Sekhmet’s throne, but she seemed to think better of it and turned back to face D’Molay. Then she dropped to the floor to sit, leaned back against the lower front part of the stone throne, and spread her wings. She bent her legs up almost to her chin and hugged her legs. “So, what kind of favor do you need? Maybe I can help.” She gave D’Molay a come-hither look and brushed some stray hair out of her face as she awaited his answer.

  Despite the web of attraction, the distance from the demoness was enough for D’Molay’s head to clear a bit more. “I need to get into Set’s temple but the guards won’t let me pass. I’m looking for a friend and I think she’s in there somewhere.”

  “Oh, Set likes to put people in his prison up on the top floor. He put me in there one time, when I first started visiting with Sekhmet. She made him release me, though.” She stretched her legs out and crossed them. “Set’s not very nice, you know. I’d stay away from him, if I were you.”

  D’Molay already knew Set’s reputation, but the location of his prison was valuable new information. “I know Set’s evil ways. That’s why I’m trying to save my friend before he gets a chance to do terrible things to her. She has committed no crime and was falsely sold into slavery.”

  “Hmm. The guards might let Sekhmet in ‘cause she’s a goddess, but they wouldn’t let me or you in. We’re not important enough.” Although her words were discouraging, she did not seem defeated. She tapped her pink, manicured finger on her chin and gave him a sort of mischievous smile. “Still, I might be able to help anyway . . . what was your name again? Sorry - I forgot.”

  She shrugged apologetically. He noticed that her wings rose a bit at the same time as her shoulders moved and managed to suppress a lustful thought about kissing them.

  “It’s D’Molay. What should I call you? Do you have a name?” He realized that he wanted to know her name more than he probably should.

  “They call me Tenh-Mer. It means ‘beloved wings of the goddess.’ So call me that.”

  “Tenh-Mer. It’s a beautiful name.” D’Molay shook his head to break away from gazing into her eyes. He realized she was having an effect on him again and looked down at his boots to try to avoid her gaze. “What is your idea? I’m pretty desperate and I’ll take any help I can get right now.” He had a guess as to what her plan might be. No doubt she would use her sexual energy to seduce the guards. It was an old trick, but in her case, it was bound to work. He wondered if she was truly as attractive as he thought she was, or if her aura of desire just made her seem so.

  Before she spoke, Tenh-Mer twirled a strand of her hair round her index finger, apparently collecting her thoughts. “I found a way out of the prison area they don’t know about, and I could take you there. The thing is, I’m not supposed to leave Sekhmet’s chamber. But I guess I could slip out and no one would notice.”

  “That sounds promising, Tenh-Mer, but I don’t want to get you in trouble.” His heart skipped a beat when he heard her information. He tried not to appear too excited, more out of force of habit than anything else. He was still wary of this beautiful creature whose convenient offer of assistance seemed too good to be true.

  “As long as I get back here quickly it will be all right. But you have to promise me that you won’t tell anyone I took you. Promise?” She looked at him with an eyebrow raised and her arms folded. It was obvious that she expected a formal promise from him.

  “Of course, Tenh-Mer. I promise not to tell anyone you helped me.” He had never expected to make a pledge like this to a demon, but the City was always full of surprises.

  Sitting across from her was getting to be a distraction again. He could not stop himself from looking at her dark curly hair, long legs and pert breasts. “So, what exactly is your plan to get me into the prison?” It was still not clear exactly what she had in mind. He felt a bead of sweat trickle down his forehead.

  Tenh-Mer looked a bit taken aback. “Didn’t I explain it? Oh. Well, I was flying back to the compound after a long journey, and I was really tired. Flying is a lot of work you know. Anyway, I got a little lost and instead of landing here,” Tenh-Mer gestured to indicate the building they were in at the moment, “I ended up under the ledge of the prison building. I was sure I was at the right place, so I found a gap in the roof and climbed in. It takes you right into the prison. I’m sure no one knows it’s there, cause you can only find it if you can fly up under a roof ledge and then squeeze through the hole. Got my wings all scratched up, but since you don’t have wings, crawling in should be easy.”

  D’Molay shifted uncomfortably. “I’m not sure I can handle this, Tenh-Mer.”

  “You mean you’re afraid of me dropping you, or of flying?”

  “Neither actually. What I mean to say is I’m not sure I can be this close to you and restrain myself. Could you at least put more clothing on? Maybe that would help a bit.”

  She immediately covered her exposed breasts by crossing her arms and resting her hands on her shoulders. “I’m sorry. I wasn’t expecting visitors today, so I didn’t bother. Let me find something.” Tenh-Mer quickly hopped over to the back of the throne and started rummaging through a large wicker basket. “How about this?” She emerged holding a white cotton shirt with long, puffy sleeves. Tenh-Mer put her arms through the sleeves so that the shirt closed at the back instead of the front. “Can you tie it up at the back? With these wings, I have to wear things like this backwards.”

  “All right.” D’Molay walked over. With her arms still sticking out, she turned around. His eyes shot to her firm little pink behind and a tail that came out from the bottom of her spine. Her tail was about three feet long with an arrow shaped point at the end. It looked just like any demon tail he had seen in Purgatory, except it was bright pink instead of the usual deep red. As he started to tie the fasteners, he had the overwhelming urge to grab and passionately kiss her.

  D’Molay’s hands were trembling, but he managed to take hold of both ends of the shirt to bring them together. He tied the first lower strings, then the next one up. Each set if strings seemed to pull him closer to the demoness. Unable to resist any longer, D’Molay leaned in and kissed her on the neck, then held her close in a soft embrace. “I - I can’t -”

  Tenh-Mer slowly turned around a
s he held her, then she embraced him back. “You were very strong D’Molay. Few humans last more than a moment or two.” She looked up at him with green mischievous eyes and gave him a long, lingering kiss.

  He held her close and felt her body pressing up against his. She was soft and yielding. “You feel so good . . . I can’t believe I’m doing this.” Then he kissed her again as he ran his hands through her thick black hair.

  “Mmmm, yes,” Tenh-Mer moaned. D’Molay felt a shudder run through her wings as he caressed her. His hand glided down the small of her back and gave her left buttock a squeeze. Tenh-Mer sighed expectantly as his hand moved to her other cheek. As his hand moved gently along, Tenh-Mer’s tail slipped into his hand and he started. His eyes opened wide and right in front of them were the pink horns that protruded from Tenh-Mer’s head.

  “What am I doing? Y-you’re a demoness!” He thrust her away and stepped back, dizzy with the conflicting feelings that ran through him.

  “What’s wrong? What’s the matter?” She stared at him, confused.

  “I can’t do this. I shouldn’t do this! I came here to rescue someone, not . . . not fall under your spell!” D’Molay stepped back a few more paces and turned his head away so as not to look at her, for fear he might rush back into her arms.

  “I’m sorry, I’m sorry! I can’t control it, it just happens!” Tenh-Mer’s words rang sincere in his ears, but he still moved to leave.

  “I must go. I’ll find my own way into that prison. I’m sorry I bothered you.”

  “No, D’Molay. Stop, please! I’ll take you there, right now, and then I can ask Sekhmet to get you out if you can’t escape on your own. Please.” Her voice was pleading and she almost sounded like she was going to cry. “Let me help you,” she said in almost a whisper. She fell to her knees on the cold, stone floor as he walked away. D’Molay stopped in front of the golden doors.