Dinner with Sephtis

Editing in Progress…

~Chapter 65~

The menace in his voice was enough to even shut Xiner up, having her leave without a 'but'.

Dyce on the other hand prayed it would not lead to another fight between them, "You know why I chose to stay here instead of the great hall?" He asked, But Zahohr didn't give a reply, turning the question to a rhetorical one.

"I came here just so I could calm down. As I am still very much peeved," He informed, not hiding his emotion.

"Now I ask again, Is there a reason you did what you did?" 

Zahohr sighed as he readied a response. Because he knew regardless, that he had to give a response to Sephtis question, as he didn't want to aggravate his anger anymore.

"Bunasis told me about your problem with your mate and all that was added to it"

"Ah! I see. So Bunasis now shares other god's dreams with her loving brother," He mocked, but it was still clear he didn't like that his business was aired out to the public.

Well, even though the public was just Zahohr, her brother, it was still spreading.

"Well, it is an opened secret that you have a mate, but it is not known of your intention to kill her," He stated. Zahohr held his chalice in both hands as he raised it close to his eyelids. Now it looked like he was looking at Sephtis through the surface of his wine.

"I wonder what our fellow gods would think if they knew he Sephtis wanted to kill his very own mate that was blessed to him," he edged. Zahohr watched his reaction.

Sephtis maintained his focus on Zahohr and gave no hint of his thoughts. "I'm not particularly concerned about what they all think," he replied casually, shrugging.

"Well, while that is a truth to a degree. Don't you think the gods who also want to have a mate would look for ways to seduce her? After all, you don't want her. Right?"

Zahohr knew how to push people's buttons and make them angry with his comments, and that's exactly what he wanted to do with Sephtis. 

He watched as his shoulders tensed at his choice of words. 'Wasn't his mate his? Could she easily fall in love with another god because he simply did not want her? Wasn't that selfish and cheating on her part?' 

These words ran through his head after Zahohr commented. "I would love to see what god would easily sweep her off her feet after you maltreat her." Zahohr continued.

'Maltreat? Did he even want to kill her again? These days, he was more eager to go to sleep just to see her than even stay awake to do his duties. No, he knew he didn't want to maltreat her or even kill her. He had had a change of mind and heart. She was his and would remain his.'

"Well enough, though you change your mind, I will still tell her—" Zahohr started. From there on, it was as if everything moved in slow motion as his next words came out slowly.

"I will still tell her… you had plans to kill her, way before meeting her," And immediately Zahohr found himself pressed against the wall. 

'Ah~ Pain, a familiar emotion he had being feeling since he arrived here'.

"Watch your mouth, Zahohr, God of Nightmare. Don't forget you are in my kingdom. Don't push a luck you don't have" Sephtis threatened as his skin had turned black, his nails elongated to a claw, and his large pair of horns protruded on the sides.

'He was very quick to anger and sensitive to the topic of his mate.' Zahohr thought to himself. Gaining a bit of confidence to push more of Sephtis buttons, he asked, "Sephtis, tell me why did you got so mad at me for the nightmare that you had to beat me. Isn't that what you wanted? Didn't you want her… Dead?" 

And immediately Zahohr held Sephtis face, pulling him closer as he forced him to relive the nightmare all over again. Sephtis hands slipped from Zahohr's neck as he clutched his head in his hands. 

To say he was in pain was an understatement. He was re-living the pain of watching his lover die repeatedly.

"My lord!!" Dyce called out, rushing to his side. But was immediately stopped by Zahohr, "Make a move, and you suffer it too." He threatened.

But Dyce couldn't care in the very least. His lord was suffering and in clear pain before him, and he should be worried because he was going to be spelled? 

Ignoring the god of nightmare warning, Dyce rushed to his lord's side and knelt beside him. Since it was a mental problem, Dyce didn't know what he was supposed to do from there on. 

Sephtis moved to a kneeling position and pressed on Dyce knee. He lifted his eyes to meet Zahohr's own.

"Zahohr, stop this. Please," He whispered his plea.

"I asked a question. Why are you in pain? It should be normal for you, right?" He asked, with his hands outstretched to him. He caught hold of the side of his head and gripped it with tight hands. "You and Maelok have seen more death than other gods combined. Despite that, you whimper in pain at the sight of your lover dying. Why is that?" He pressed on for answers, "Why is that the woman you want to kill is dead before your eyes, but rather than feel joy and happiness, you are riddled with pain and sorrow. Why?"

Rather than answering the questions thrown at him, Sephtis shook his head. "Stop! Please, Just stop! She is in tears!!" He screamed. 

Zahohr sighed, knowing he would not get any answer with the way he was going. He removed his spell from Sephtis. And once the spell was lifted, Sephtis caught a smile played on his lover's lips as she mouthed the words, 'Come find me, I'm waiting'.

Sephtis let her words resonate in him before opening his eyes. "Sephtis, you know what I think?" Zahohr asked, once Sephtis came back to his senses.

With the help of Dyce, Sephtis stood up to his feet with wobbly legs. It took him a while to get his bearing right. 

"What?" He replied, getting tired of the back and forth with Zahohr. "I believe you don't want to kill her. I believe you want to keep her, but you either are in fear or in denial. OR… Even both. And that's what is driving you. You have no stands in it".

"Which is bad. You need to find your bearing and have a proper stands of where you land in this situation. You can't be in between." He concluded.

Sephtis said nothing as he went back to the couch he was lying on previously and just laid back down. "If I needed a chronicler or a word of wisdom, I would have gone to meet Ylrena. But I don't need it."

Zahohr wanted to yell and tell him about how he and his sister had gone to the seer siblings and had his fate and destiny foretold. But he bit his lips and clenched his fist.

He knew Sephtis would get angry at the seer siblings. After all, they exposed his fate to another god. Especially the ones who won't leave him alone.

He now understood why Bunasis was always getting riled up over him, it was because he can't see the truth for what it is, and he would rather be in denial than believe the truth… even though it comes to him in a bright light.

"Ha! I see. Then do as you wish. I won't meddle anymore." He finalized.

"That would be better for the three of us, you, me, and your sister," Sephtis replied, lazily sipping on his wine. He continuously dowsed the nectar until it was finished in the carafe. 

He shook it in his hands, "More!! Dyce!! More!!" He commanded. 

Sephtis planned on getting drunk and wanted to lose himself.

He was starting to spiral. And it didn't amuse Zahohr. He sighed as he thought of a way to ease the mood before taking his leave.

"Right!" He suddenly shouted, as though he had suddenly remembered something.

Which he did.

This piqued Sephtis attention as he glanced at him. "I heard Bunasis meets you in your room." He asked, being straightforward and not minding his tone.

"Yes? Why?" 

"Stop."

"You are saying it like I want her around me. Zahohr be reassured. If I had my way, She won't even come down here," He asserted, not wanting to deal with his protectiveness.

"Well, tell her to stop it"

"You are the brother, you have a functioning mouth… Do it yourself," he answered. Dyce had finally graced them with his presence, and behind him was the servant girl who had previously served Zahohr. 

He remembered again what he wanted to ask Sephtis and the workers. Dyce moved to fill Sephtis chalice while the servant girl did the same, as he dropped the question. "Does my eyes not scare you all?"

The three of them lifted their eyes, giving him a bemused look. This made him uncomfortable as he shifted in his seat. He knew he would have to ask again, as it seemed as though they could not comprehend what he had just said.

"My eyes," He tried again, "Don't they scare you?"

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Chronicler - is a historian or writer who documents events, often infusing their accounts with moral lessons and inspirational messages.