A Failed Duty - Chapter 4
#4 of A Failed Duty
The greatest moments are often met by reality and the mistakes you made.
Disclaimer: The following will contain homosexual individuals and relationships and may be an interesting commentary on life, death, immortality, God, gods and various religions. No offense is intended and if you cannot handle it, please discontinue reading rather than blaming me. This is copyrighted to me (mewjen(at)ymail.com), so no using it without my permission and no stealing it (any profits must be shared). This is a work of fiction. Any likenesses to persons, places, and so on, real or imagined, living or dead is purely coincidental.
Act I - Part 4
Two days had passed since Anubis committed to Jaller. They had spent that evening curled up together, just enjoying being with each other. They spent the next day moving Anubis's things out of his caregiver's home, setting up Jaller's house to handle two permanent occupants, and then crashing that evening, too tire to do much else. Yesterday, Jaller tried to get the jackal a dishwashing job where he worked. After a few hours, it was requested that Jaller take the remaining day off to take him home.
"It's okay," Jaller had said, when they returned home. "It was just to see what would happen."
Anubis saw it as another of his failures and walled up within himself, refusing Jaller's counsel and comfort. Until Jaller, in his frustration, reminded him of the vows they made. Which resulted in Anubis having to deal with even more guilt, but this time, he was at least open with the man he loved.
As the day progressed, things turned more intimate. Then carnal. Until Anubis lay on his side, his arms wrapped around Jaller, as the sun's light slowly faded outside the window, the first sunset unseen by him in almost sixteen years.
ANUBIS awoke with a smile. He was where he belonged, happy, out of virginities, with pleasant memories and a pain-free rump. He remained laying for several minutes, just enjoying his contentment, before he sat up.
He glanced out the window, as he fetched a fresh set of clothes, to find the glow of dawn stretched across the sky. The sun's rays would soon pierce the last vestiges of night.
His tail wagged cheerfully, as he smelt the scent of freshly cooked eggs entering the room.
Then his heart stopped, as he heard a loud crash. He ran to the kitchen, and found Jaller on the floor. He quickly knelt to the ground and cradled Jaller in his arms, worry flooding his body.
"An, I'm fine," Jaller said, weakly.
"No, you're not." Anubis hugged Jaller's upper body tightly. He could feel the heat radiating from him. He put the back of his hand to Jaller's forehead. "You're burning up."
"It's just a fever." Jaller tried to push free and stand up, but found the first step impossible.
"Wait here." The jackal carefully set him down on the ground. "I am going to go and get someone. You're way too hot."
"There's no need..." Jaller let out a shallow breath, unable to continue.
"I'll be back soon." Anubis placed a swift kiss on Jaller's forehead, and ran out to find someone who knew more about fevers than he did.
THE city was silent. No one walked the street. He ran to his nearest neighbor's door and pounded at it for over a minute. No one answered. He ran to the next house. No answer. Then the next. Nothing stirred.
"Someone, help me!" he shouted, after he checked the entire block.
He ran back to Jaller.
"Did you find someone?" Jaller asked, still deathly weak. Then seeing Anubis's panic, "What's wrong?"
"I couldn't find anyone. The entire block has been abandoned," he panted, picking Jaller up.
"What are you doing?" Jaller asked, as he was forced to quickly grab onto the jackal, before he teetered out of his arms.
"I am taking you to the Grand Elder." He shifted Jaller into a more comfortable position for the both of them.
"But--" Jaller said with apprehension.
"I don't care!" Anubis said louder than he intended. "I'm not losing you to some random virus." He walked out of their home and started to run, Jaller holding as tightly as possible.
THE chamber they had been in less than four days ago was empty. The spells that had covered its walls were gone, scratched away, leaving the bare rock jagged and coarse.
"Something bad happened here, An," Jaller whispered into Anubis's ear, as they stared at the room from the entrance, Anubis still holding Jaller.
"I feel it too." The jackal felt the fur on the back of his neck standing on end. Something in the air made his skin tingle, and send tremors through his body.
"Let's get out of here," Jaller said, squeezing the jackal, trying to ward off his fear.
"You're too weak." He hugged Jaller tightly. "Your fever," he kissed Jaller's cheek. I'm scared if we leave--"
There was a large explosion outside. The shockwave almost caused Anubis to drop Jaller. They barely had enough time to collect themselves before a black fire spewed from the empty pit. It grew and spread, eating everything its path.
Anubis ran.
Outside the buildings to the east were exploding into black flames. Anubis ran west through the city, dodging debris, protecting his defenseless mate. He looked back at the approaching fire and realized, "They're exploding when the sunlight touches them," he said aloud in utter confusion.
As they approached the edge of the city, Anubis saw that a huge hole had been cut into the city wall. As they drew nearer, he realized the stone was not cut, but charred through, in such a way that left all the buildings within a few miles blackened as well.
The black fire was catching up. Anubis drew on all his strength, as he raced forward, jumping and tumbling, as building after building collapsed around him and Jaller. He leapt through the hole in the city wall, and then the city was behind them. He looked back at the inferno that now encapsulated the city of Tem, their former home. It stopped at the edge of the city, but Anubis kept running, tears streaming down his cheeks.
HE ran for half the day, until his legs gave out. He set Jaller down and collapsed beside him, face buried in the desert's sands, as he gasped in and out, trying to catch his breath.
After a while, the eerie silence made him glance over at Jaller. Fear overtook him, as he rushed to Jaller's side and pressed his ear to his silent chest. The jackal sobbed, as anguish claimed him, but he had no tears left.
"FATHER, HELP ME!" he yelled out his pain.
But nothing happened. He grieved over his lover's body until the sun had set. Then he picked up Jaller's body and just walked into the lonely sands.
HE walked, following a distant light. He did not know if it was in his head or real. The world could not be empty, apart from himself. Someone had to be out there. Someone who could bring Jaller back to him. Jaller had been so afraid to tell him for so long. It wasn't fair. To find love and then to have nothing. Everything he ever knew...gone. Why was he left alive?
He passed out soon after. His body too tired to continue.
"AN. Wake up, An," he heard what seemed to be Jaller's voice calling.
When he opened his eyes, he found arms wrapped around him, squeezing the breath out of him. "Can't breathe," he managed to rasp out.
"Oh, sorry." The body pulled back, and a familiar smiling face filled his vision.
His heart fluttered. "Jaller. You're alive!" He brought their lips together and kissed him for several long moments, before Jaller pulled away, panting.
"Well," Jaller started nervously, "yes and no. I am alive, but not like you. From your perspective of life...I'm dead."
Anubis's heart sunk slightly, but he refused to be denied all hope. "But you're here. I can see you. I can touch you. How can you be dead?"
"I won't exist on the same plane as you after tonight. I wanted to say goodbye, An. Before it was too late."
"No. No. No." Anubis broke down again into tearless sobs. He threw himself at Jaller's feet, clutching at them. "I can't. Please, no. Please, stay," he begged. "Please, don't leave me."
"Get up!" The command shocked Jaller, who looked to find a towering figure covered in the night's shadow standing a few feet behind Anubis.
"You," the figure pointed at Jaller, "get going, before you are lost."
Jaller knelt down and whispered into Anubis's ear, "I will always be with you on the other side." Then Jaller pulled out of Anubis's grip and walked into the sliver of light Anubis had been following.
As Jaller crossed the threshold of the gateway, Anubis watch as the strip of light became a giant city.
"The city of the dead. Tem reborn," said the stranger, in the same stern commanding voice of before. "I told you to get up. And stop crying."
"Father, I love him." The pleading sound in the jackal conveyed all of his desires.
Ra shook his head. "That will not bring anyone back. Anubis, are you aware of what has happened?"
The jackal stood up and staring longingly at the closed gate, answered his father. "It came from the west, while the sun set."
"From the sunset," Ra added.
"I failed the duty I didn't even know I had," he said, somberly.
He felt arms wrapped around, as he was hugged by his father.
He quickly pulled forward and turned to Ra. "Don't," he said. "You don't get to be my father just because you came back." He turned away, before he could see the tear fall from his father's mournful eyes. "So what happens next?"
Ra was quiet for moment, before he answered. "We rebuilt. We move on. We protect those who have been lost."
"Did anyone else...?" The question caught in Anubis's throat.
"Many survived.... Anubis, I..." Ra began, but the jackal interrupted before he could finish.
"What am I supposed to do now?" he said, more to himself, but Ra answered regardless.
"Protect. Just like you always have."
"Protect what?"
"Everyone," Ra replied. "This point is a crossroads of sorts, keeping the planes separate. As long as you are here, no evil can cross, and this event will never be repeated."
Anubis felt like running. Before he didn't know he had a choice, and now he did. It was terrifying. To fail once and then to be asked to do it again. He wanted Jaller. He thought about running through the gate and going after him, but his instincts told him that would be a mistake. "Will he be safe?" he asked, struggling to decide his fate.
"From that which can destroy him," his father answered, "yes."
"Will I ever be with Jaller again?" His voice was mix with hope and desperation.
"A long time from now, when the planes converge." Ra finally spoke after a long pause. "Maybe."
"What is my duty, Father?" Anubis asked, his decision made, never to be changed.
Act I - Epilogue
Anubis went with his father, and did what was asked of him in exchange for being the one to guard the city of the dead and his love.
His love never left his side. Even when he ascended with the other gods, across the planes, his love followed him, whatever his duty. He took comfort in knowing he was not alone. It strengthened him, so he never failed another person again.
Every evening they spend together, watching the sunset, though separated by worlds. Unable to see or hear each other, they instead felt each other, connected by their bond. Both waiting for the day they could be together again.
Note about "Act 1 - Epilogue": The epilogue exists from the original two-part version. I could never decide if I just needed to remove it. The problem is that the time gap between Acts 1 and 2 is such that it feels like it needs something, and since I am not going to make this a three-act structure (which it is written as), the Act 1 - Epilogue is the only middle act.
Author's Note: I can now reveal the "truth" about the vision in Chap. 1. The original school project version of this had abstractionist pictures that I created to go along with the story (sadly, none survived my first computer's crash). The vision and Anubis carrying Jaller's body through the desert were the same image with different colorations. So the star Jaller saw was actually Anubis carrying him. The points were Anubis's head, two legs, and Jaller's body as a horizontal line, making the remaining two-point of a five-point star. So the vision was a completely accurate glimpse of the future, but in its written form, there is no way to figure that out.
Thank you for reading for chapter. While you are here, please rate and/or comment. Your feedback is the only gauge I have for making this story better, and knowing if this story is even enjoyable for anyone else.
See next week for the beginning of Act II, which is over twice the length of Act I.