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But she stood her ground, her voice unwavering. "He may be under your control, but he is not alone. We stand together, united against your cruelty. I will not let you break him," she screeched when Heliox whipped her cheek.
Amun’s smile was cruel as my shell cracked and I fell to one knee. But this time, something was different. I roared beside the female I claimed as mine and got back to my feet, taking another step. The pain was still there, but the glimmer of hope planted within me grew roots that intertwined with my essence.
Khepria reached out her hand, offering me strength and support. Together, we trudged forth, bearing our dual punishment as one.
Amun watched in disbelief, his sadistic pleasure turning into frustration.
Wordof our plight spread throughout the realm of gods, reaching the ears of those who once only dared to contemplate challenging those above them. Shu whispered in my ear during one of my falls to earth that my immortal brethren were shocked and rallied behind us—their voices raised in protest against the injustice of our punishment.
“We stand behind you, brother. Do not give up hope.” Shu’s voice began to fade before I could even fully come to consciousness, my hand tightly entwined with Khepria as we both lay on the sands.
My muscles began to twitch as I turned with a groan, covering her body with mine. She gasped for breath once she felt my weight and sobbed against me.
“Khepria,” I whispered against her as her arms wound around me. I nuzzled her sunburned neck. “Do you hear their words, my love? They are speaking of you and your courage.”
“I don’t know how you do it, Isolarel. I can’t do this anymore,” she sobbed.
I rubbed her back and ran my antennae through her hair—what was left of it.
“I wasn’t existing… not before you. I was a mere vessel for pain and now, I will fight my every breath for the moments of life I have next to you. Now, I know nothing but waiting for the chance to have you in my arms like this despite the circumstances.”
“I love you, Isolarel,” she sniffed.
“You are more than what a million deaths could take from me. You and I are one, Khepria. You live in me,” my voice cracked.
Before we could find a reprieve, the chains pulled us back to the realm of the gods where we were met by chaos. The protests grew louder, reaching the very halls of the divine. The gods, faced with the collective outcry of their subjects, could no longer ignore the injustice they had inflicted upon me. As Heliox scorched our backs, the roar of the flames loud in our ears, we were witness to everything that happened within the throne room.
The gods convened a council—a gathering of the divine beings who held sway over the realm of mortals. Time here ran differently than on earth and as our bodies scorched and burned, dropped from the skies, we landed on the floor of the throne room in a loud crash.
Groaning on the floor, I reached my hand for Khepria, grasping it as firmly as I could before we were dragged by hands and brought before the council. The gods looked upon us with a mix of curiosity and disdain, their expressions a reflection of their divine power. Anubis crossed his arms, his gaze flicking from me to Khepria and I pulled her closer to my side. Shu stood to the back of the room, his empathy bleeding through his pores as he looked at his feet.
With a shaky breath, I got to my feet and assisted Khepria to hers, putting her arm around my shoulder to help support her frail body.
Letting her courage and love fill me, I looked directly into Amun’s face as I addressed everyone around me. After all, what could they threaten me with? Death?
I spoke in detail of the injustice I had endured. Many of the gods stared on with a straight face—be it mortal or animal. Those in the back cringed and winced as I went on, letting them be privy to all that transpired here over the centuries. But I also wasn’t here to simply point fingers and lay blame. I pleaded for mercy, for the opportunity to prove that even in the face of their wrath, I could find redemption.
Khepria cried silently, wrapping her weak arms around me, refusing to let go. I ran my face against her hair, though burned, still smelled of her bright soul. If I were to die today, I would rest easy knowing that I had loved the one being that proved stronger than all the gods combined.
The council deliberated, their voices echoing through the chamber as I ignored them, focusing solely on the woman in my arms. She trembled and I cooed, rocking her slowly and keeping her head against my chest. She need not suffer the dramatics of the divine who can barely keep their own family ties and kin in line.
Some argued for my release, citing the collective will of the mortals who had rallied behind me by the few who began to bear witness and hear about our plight—spreading it through their cities and books of lore like wildfire. Others remained steadfast in their belief that my punishment was just, that I deserved the eternal torment I had been subjected to.
In the end, it was the voice of compassion that prevailed. The gods, moved by the collective outcry of their subjects who worshiped them, decided to grant us a chance at redemption. They would release us from our chains that bound us both to the sun—but with a condition.
The gods were in an uproar over our defiance against Amun. They had convened another council to hear our case, and Amun was forced to watch as they deliberated their decision. He sat mightily on his throne, his fist against his temple, bored with the proceedings while his eyes bored into mine—as if his mind was playing new punishments he could curse me with. The atmosphere in the divine chamber was tense as the gods continued to argue and bicker back and forth.
After what felt like an eternity, the council finally reached a decision. They had come up with a way for us to be forgiven, but the terms were not what we had expected. Anubis, who had been silent throughout the proceedings, finally spoke, his jackal ears flicking with agitation though his voice showed no evidence of it.
"Khepria, I have news for you," he said, his voice carrying the weight of the underworld. "You carry another soul within you. You are with child."
My heart leaped with joy at the announcement as her breath stuttered against my chest. We had thought that our love was doomed, that we would never have the chance to bring life into this world as a result of our union... But now, the gods had given us another glimmer of hope.
I pulled her in tighter as the voices of the immortals began to chatter, growing louder and more chaotic. Amun, unable to contain his ferocity of his rage, slammed his hand on his throne, causing the clouds to rumble in response.
Osiris continued where Anubis left off, nonchalantly, his voice cutting through the chaos. "I have heard both sides of this dispute, and now I have made my decision. Your punishment will be lifted if you decide that on the day of your child's fifteenth birthday, he will assume your punishment."
My heart sank. What kind of inconceivable notion was he spewing? The idea of our child suffering for our mistakes was unbearable. My mind spun, playing out all the possible scenarios, each one more horrifying than the last. My body tensed as Khepria’s arms tightened around my thorax. But as I looked into her dark eyes, I knew what she was thinking. And I felt the same way.
