FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Chapter 10

Anubis was still standing on the other side of the square, watching the two of them after their loud outburst.

Finally, Elvira and Seth approached him and the three of them faced each other again.

"Couldn't you have shouted it any louder," Seth snapped at him.

"No! But almost anyone could have guessed it anyway," the jackal-headed man justified himself.

"Who didn't know until then?" Elvira enquired, slightly miffed.

"The Gorgons, then maybe two harpies and the satyr Dionysus."

"Delightful! Then there were more than a handful who urgently needed to be informed."

"With all due respect. Even if you should be a goddess now because you became immortal through Seth's lust and are also his mate. You should enjoy the fact that things are the way they are. Even gods can get into trouble and urgently need help from within, but also from mortals outside. With Seth, you personally have your best example. There can always be a trap, someone who wants to kill you," explained Anubis.

Elvira raised her arms briefly and finally nodded. "You're probably right."

"I'm sure I'm right," Anubis replied.

"But we should set off now," Seth reminded them, "Our horses should be saddled and ready?"

"Yes, let's get started. - Anubis, keep your chin up," said the wolf-woman and turned away.

"Take care boy," Seth said goodbye.

Suddenly, the jackal god embraced his stepfather and hugged him tightly. "Take care of yourself, Dad," he said, patting him on the back.

"Hey, I'll be back. What's wrong with you?" Seth wondered.

"I don't know. I'm kind of sentimental right now."

"Well look at that couple. I think the thing with the snake penis has left its mark between you," joked Elvira.

"Stop joking," growled Seth, "Let's hope we can survive the minotaur. And now let's go!"

A few minutes later, Elvira and Seth had left the village and were riding along the edge of the mountains.

The two were in no hurry and so the horses walked at a steady pace.

"What do you really think awaits us?" asked Elvira.

"The labyrinth," replied Seth slightly absently.

"I know that too. But do you think we'll find out who wants you dead?"

"I hope so, otherwise we can save ourselves the trouble."

"You sound absent, my darling. What's bothering you?" the wolf-woman probed.

"I'm just wondering how I can keep the minotaur at bay and still get the information?"

"An artificial vagina?" joked Elvira.

"Very funny. You're outdoing yourself right now. How is that supposed to work? Hey, Tauri, I got you an artificial pussy, you can stick your thing in there until you can't take any more?"

"He's a bull," Elvira added.

"So what? He's a demigod. I'm a jackal-mule stallion and a god. You're a human-wolf hybrid and a goddess. We both fuck like animals and until our brains come out. He won't put his cock in anything artificial for anything in the world."

"You don't understand me," Elvira started again, "He's a bull, he's ravenous, he's dripping with lust. He'll stick his thing in any hole."

"No. Never. That's not like him."

"We could still try," Elvira insisted on her idea.

Seth took a deep breath. "Because of me. As soon as trouble arises, you pull the string."

"Nothing's going to knock me out so quickly, sweetie. Or have you forgotten that I've got you under control too?"

"Sometimes you do," Seth replied.

"You see. Then the minotaur shouldn't be a problem either."

"We'll discuss it again later, when we're in front of the labyrinth."

"I'll stick to my plan."

"We'll see about that."

"It's a labyrinth and he's just a bull," Elvira repeated.

"It's the bull of bulls and it's also a very special labyrinth. It's the labyrinth of labyrinths," Seth announced ominously.

"How melodramatic," Elvira mocked and shrugged her shoulders.

"We should take a break at the end of the rocky massif. It's hot and the path still leads through rough terrain for a while."

"Whatever you say," the wolf woman grinned and pointed into the distance, "It looks quite shady back there."

"Good look. We'll rest there," confirmed the mule-hybrid.

Once they reached the rocky outcrop, they dismounted and led the horses into the shade, sat down in the sand and rested.

"I'm going into the labyrinth, not you," Seth said again.

"You're stubborn, but you're not a real donkey," Elvira growled.

"No, but a small part of me is."

The wolf woman rolled her eyes in annoyance.

"I want the minotaur to know who's after me and now you too. I'm sure I'll get the information. You'd be in more danger than me."

"How do you know that? We haven't tried again," Elvira asked.

"I've already told you that he's been down there for a long, long time and hasn't seen a female for a very long time," Seth warned irritably.

"That happens a lot and yet I'm still alive," Elvira countered.

"They're not minotaurs either."

"There are far worse things running around out there."

"You're killing me," sighed the jackal-mule hybrid.

"I know, and I like doing that."

"That's not what I meant. One way of getting fucked up by you is very pleasant and fun. I don't agree with the other side of you, you're too reckless."

"Reckless? Me? Who came to me half-dead, poisoned with a blade that can kill even gods?"

"Touché. The point goes to you."

"Ah yes!" Elvira remarked snappishly.

"Did I actually tell you the story about when Osiris couldn't send his mummies to the afterlife because Apophis had disappeared?"

The wolf woman thought for a moment and shook her head.

"Apophis is very important, as is Ammit. Ammit is the devourer of hearts, when they fail on the scales, Anubis throws the lying flesh to her, while Apophis eats the bodies of the dead. Both punish the souls of the deceased by repeatedly devouring the heart and body in front of the soul's eyes and later excreting them again, then devouring them again and so on. The soul is in agony and is never released. I am responsible for that, because it belongs to me."

"So you're like Satan with different eyes?" Elvira asked.

"You could say that. I steal the lost souls. But back to the story.

Apophis had disappeared and Ammit couldn't do it alone. So Anubis was bored, playing in a catacomb with one of his mummies, Seneth, while Osiris was helpless. Isis tried to make fun of everything and called a women's meeting with Selkhet and Hathor. In the end it was all gossip, mainly because everyone thought that Ramses II's arse was really hot. In the meantime, Sakhmet came to see me ..."

"Ah, your old flame," Elvira remarked.

"... Well, yes. There was something," Seth mumbled, cleared his throat and continued. "Anyway, she was very annoyed because I was near an oasis and had the sun shining on my fur. I was given the task of searching for Apophis and unfortunately fell into the clutches of the Minotaur on the way to the Nile delta, but managed to escape in time."

"Oh, you know each other?"

"Not really. He only knows me from behind."

The wolf woman snorted loudly: "From behind? Well, I can't keep up with that. You're welcome to take me from behind, but me with you? That's not possible."

"Not like that. I was on the run, so he only saw me from behind."

"Say that right away. As greedy and horny as you are, I can't know if you're craving it."

"No, not really. Anyway, I managed to escape, left the labyrinth and appeared in the Nile delta, met up with Sobek. Unfortunately, Sachmet also turned up, because I had been dealing with the labyrinth for some time and Osiris had already informed Sobek that I was on my way. But when I didn't turn up, the lioness set off too, but at the same time Osiris had already involved Olympus. And so it was that Icarus also appeared in the Nile delta. That was the worst combination imaginable."

"How did the lioness know about the winged horse?" Elvira asked.

"Well, yes. I had a thing with him."

The wolf-woman winced and looked askance at the mule-hybrid. "You actually put your thing in the horse?"

"No, er ... yes, I did. But not like that. Icarus is a hermaphrodite."

"Oh, why would I have guessed that," Elvira said.

"He courted me, flirted endlessly and then the stallion got through to me. Sachmet didn't exactly find that intoxicating either and blamed Ikarus solely, and it's still going on today. That's why you've seen almost everyone in our city, but you'll never see the Pegasus."

"Has it ever occurred to you that the Pegasus could be behind all this?"

"Of course not. Why would he do that?"

"The way you talk about him, he defines himself as a male herm, the female side can be vengeful and make your life hell."

"No, I don't think so and the minotaur knows the answer," Seth rebutted, looking at his companion with slight uncertainty.

"Then we should get going," Elvira added and stood up.

"Yes, let's move on. I need answers," Seth confirmed and sat in the saddle almost immediately, turning his horse and trotting a few steps ahead. "What's going on?" he called back.

"Yes, I'll be right there," Elvira called back and mounted her stallion, giving him the feel of her claws and galloping past Seth, giving him a punch in the side.

The jackal-mule hybrid literally flew out of the saddle, not even expecting this attack.

Laughing loudly, the wolf-woman brought her horse to a halt, let it turn and saw him lying in the sand, just about to say something when she heard a muffled roar.

She turned round and saw a giant figure.

"Damn, what's that? Where did he come from?" Elvira screamed in panic.

"What a load of rubbish. He's escaped from the labyrinth," replied Seth and raised his sword, ready to fight.

The minotaur approached unimpressed, raised his battle axe and suddenly stopped at a sufficient distance. "Seth! Move aside, separate yourself from this person!"

"WHAT? What are you doing?" Seth shouted back.

"She's not her!" the bull shouted.

"Seth! Don't listen to him, he's crazy. The sun doesn't agree with him," said the wolf-woman towards her partner.

"Get out of the way! She's not what you think she is!" the minotaur shouted repeatedly, swinging his battle axe and striking between Seth and Elvira.

They both jumped to the side, closing the distance the attacker intended to make, and when he swung out with an elegant movement, Seth could only shout a warning to the wolf-woman.

A few seconds later, the battle axe struck the wolf-woman's upper body, severing her torso from her abdomen.

Seth cried out in horror, unable to move, looking frozen at the two twitching halves of her body and then slowly towards the minotaur, which made no move to continue the attack.

Instead, he looked at the jackal-mule hybrid with relief. "How stupid are you?" the bull asked.

Seth was still petrified, but at least he regained his speech. "You disgusting monster. You killed my mate."

"Are you sure?"

"Do you stupid cattle see anyone else here?"

"I only see the truth and if you'd take off your rose-tinted spectacles, you'd realise that that's not your Elvira."

"How do you know that?"

"Because I'm not blinded by love!" the bull shouted at him.

"Then who would it be if it wasn't her?" Seth said with hatred, pointing at the body parts, looking and flinching.

"Oh no. Do you see it?"

"Why does the torso have white wing tips?"

"Because it's the one who wanted you dead. In your love, you didn't notice."

"Icarus? But how...?"

"He made a pact with Ares. His soul for your life. He would have abandoned you in the labyrinth. Trapped forever, your death would have been more pleasant."

"You can also kill and damn souls."

"Did you not notice anything during your conversations after you spent the night at the oasis and later left it again after failing in the catacombs?"

"No, to be honest," Seth stammered.

"Did nothing really occur to you? The others didn't notice anything either?"

"No! Why? ... Wait a minute. Elvira came to us with a delay, as if she had lost the connection. Does that mean ...?"

"Yes, Ares was involved and he deceived even Ammit. You could never have failed if Ares hadn't intervened to capture your Elvira and bring Icarus into play. Wrong turn, my arse."

"But Icarus was never a shapeshifter," Seth objected.

"Until the deal with Ares."

"Bloody hell. Where's Elvira now?"

"She's still in the catacombs. Ares silenced her. Ride back and teach the others, I'll be on my way too. The labyrinth is getting too boring for me in the long run, especially now that I've found my way out."

Seth nodded in confirmation and rode off, giving his mare the feel of his hooves and galloping back to the town.

Once there, Anubis immediately opened the gate and froze. "Father! What has happened? Where is Elvira?"

"Let me in. That was a trap. Elvira never left the city."

"What? How so?"

"Ares is behind it. That's why we ran into Ammit, that's why Elvira was so far behind us when we left the catacombs. The minotaur escaped from the labyrinth and is on its way here."

"Oh no!" cried the Jackal God, "We must act immediately and stop him."

"Forget the Minotaur, he's not the problem. The problem is Ares and that Icarus was behind it. My old stories are slowly but surely falling at my feet and I don't like it," rumbled the mule hybrid.

"What do you suggest?"

"Go to Maahes and Sachmet, tell them what you've learnt, go to the catacombs and call for Ammit. Look for Elvira, I'll join you when the minotaur is here. He will help us."

Anubis just nodded and left the square in the direction of Maahes' dwelling, while Seth guarded the gate and waited for the bull.

He took some time, but not so long that Seth got bored.

"So! Greetings little one!" the bull shouted as he arrived.

"Greetings big one!" replied Seth.

"Well, shorty. Just like old times?"

"With the difference that Icarus is lying cut up in the sand, had sold himself to Ares and wanted to take my life with the water of extinction. Why did the Pegasus suddenly have this change of heart," Seth stated.

"Time has not been kind to him. He lost pretty much every fixed point that still existed back then. You know when the thing with Apophis and the Hydra happened. Sachmet played him badly in the aftermath."

"Oh, I didn't know that. But why did he try to kill me and not her?"

"We should look for Elvira and I'll explain everything to you on the way there," the minotaur remarked, pointing inside the city.

"Yes, but of course," Seth added briefly and stepped aside, letting the bull enter and closing the gate.

"You are the perfect scapegoat, or rather scapegrace. As a bastard, you are a welcome victim. Osiris fathered you and not even in Egypt. You tore your biological mother apart at birth, you have mental, spiritual and physical characteristics that were taken from other gods as punishment and attached to you. You are a mixture that is hated by many because they are not like you, because they cannot be and do what you are and do. But you also have admirers, like Sachmet and that wolf woman called Elvira. But I want to tell you one thing, this Elvira is not for you. You're not compatible, you might be sexually compatible for a while, but that's about it."

Seth stopped and looked at the minotaur questioningly. "What do you mean?"

"You're going to leave Elvira here. She's better off here. You're a seeker and you'll find the right one, but it's not Elvira."

"How do you know that?"

The minotaur pointed in the direction of the catacombs. "Because she's better suited to Anubis in the long run."

Seth looked in the direction indicated and froze, seeing Elvira there with Sachmet and Anubis together with Osiris and Isis, who had just joined them. "No! No, no, no!" Seth learnt sadly.

"You see. Your journey isn't over yet."

"But I can't keep searching forever. I also want to finally find some peace and quiet."

"You'll find what you're looking for. On the journey ahead. You won't even realise it. But the Anubis jackal you will meet ..."

"... I'm all ears."

"... Oh. Already over Elvira?"

"No, but I also know when someone has made up their mind." He looked over at the wolf-woman and sighed. She didn't give him a glance, apparently feeling very comfortable in the company of Anubis and Sachmet.

"A good decision. Her name is Braydeen. She is a fighter and adventurer. You will meet her in a tavern and hire her. You will search for treasure together and go into my labyrinth. She will start as a partner, but will quickly attach herself to you. She's the one and she'll stay loyal to you forever. With her, it will be a give and take that will satisfy you both. Besides, Anubis himself still has a hand in it."

"In what way?"

"She's his daughter."

"You're joking."

"No, you'll have to give up your divine attributes too, you're just a jackal-mule hybrid," said the minotaur, knocking Seth down.

---

Seth woke up with a buzzing head.

It was daylight and he was lying in his bed holding his head. "What a crazy dream. The Minotaur's treasure, Braydeen, Anubis, Anubis-Shakalin?" he whispered to himself.

He looked out of the window and down the alley, saw the tavern ...

... would he find his future mate tonight?