The harsh winds of the desert howl, creating storms of sand that impair any vision of travelers in their fit of rage.
Above the raging sandstorm, the stars twinkle silently, the moon casting a dim light that illuminates the harsh environment of the desert.
An oasis exists in the heart of the sandstorm, its waters not turning foul as the sand rampages. The trees around dance and follow where the wind decides to go, never letting themselves topple down.
Set, wearing nothing but a white shendyt, sandals made out of plant fibers, and nothing else, sits on the edge of the waters, a stick in his hand that he uses to draw things on the sand. He does not mind the win, letting it mess with his wild black hair.
A drawing of a massive stick figure on top of a platform, with tiny stickmen below either cheering, kneeling, or just having fun in general. Set sighs at his work before resting his face on his arm, propped up by his knees.
"Useless piece of work," Set whispers under his breath, closing his eyes and leaving himself quiet as the sandstorm rages on.
"I think it has its charm," a voice chimes from behind Set.
Hearing this, Set groans, burying his head deeper into his arms as if to disappear from the world, but it did no such thing.
Someone sits beside Set. Someone who wears a white cone-shaped crown donning a red band near the base and ostrich feathers, an ornament worn by kings. The royalty, just like Set, wears nothing for a top and wears a shendyt. In his left hand is the crook and flail, further confirming his status as a ruler.
"Where is that charm then, Osiris? I see nothing but a stupid fantasy of your brother," Set grumbles, raising his head and staring at his brother.
"Yes, a fantasy, a dream, but dreams are where successes start," Osiris hums, mimicking Set's position after setting his crook and flail beside. "The moment you dream, it's the same moment you take a step towards your success. So, there's a charm to your fantasy because it's the start of a successful adventure."
Hearing Osiris' words, Set scoffs, almost chuckling, "Please, Osiris, like that would ever happen. Look at your brother," Set points a thumb at his face, eyes wide open and staring at Osiris. "I'm not good at anything. I'm not good with building. I can't handle fire. I can't help with comforting the people. I'm not even in control of the sand I summon! How useless is that?" He whines, arms spread open to further emphasize his point.
"Still, there are plenty of things you can still try," Osiris laughs lightly, patting his brother on the shoulder which earns him a pout. "Pottery, being a guide in the desert, making paper, farming, and many more," Osiris goes on, imitating Set's wide eyes which made the latter roll his eyes. "There are more things to consider. You're just not looking hard enough, but trust me on this one, brother. The moment you try and try different things, you'll soon find the passion that is sleeping within you burst into a magnificent display of fire!"
Set stares at his brother who stood up midway through his motivational piece, an eyebrow raised and a smirk present.
Osiris, who is posing with his arms diagonally raised, his face facing upwards, then looks to his side and smiles at his brother. A few seconds after that, Osiris chuckles, embarrassed at the sudden burst of emotion before sitting once again.
"You're too dramatic, Osiris," Set chuckles, drawing circles on the sand, eyes glued to the ground. "I've been trying for years, and I haven't seen an ember of that passion you are talking about. I need to try every other month just to let the results simmer down. Don't you remember what I caused when I tried building a house?"
"The house toppled down, struck the other houses and caused a chain of houses to fall, almost killing a dozen good men," Osiris recalls, making Set groan and bury his face into his arms once again. "But the people understand your actions, Set. They forgive you, they always do. They can't blame someone who is trying his best to find something he is good at."
"They don't forgive me for that, Osiris," Set scoffs, a deep sigh following as his eyes stare at the calm waters of the oasis. "They forgive me because you're my brother, the king. Without you, they would've chased me out of this civilization already. I've seen their stares, Osiris, and they were not the good ones. They are angry at my misfortunes," he then whines, "It's not like I do those on purpose. It's just... everywhere I go, bad luck seems to follow. I mean, how could I even mess up pulling limestone?"
Hearing the last part, Osiris cringes, remembering how one of the rope snaps, sending the huge chunk of limestone sliding down the ramp of the pyramid.
"Perhaps," Osiris whispers, but loud enough for Set to faintly hear. "Will you give up though?" The older brother asks, gazing at Set whose eyes linger over the waters.
"No, I believe I will not."
Out comes Set's answer, making Osiris grin slightly before patting his brother on the shoulder.
"That's the spirit, brother. That's the spirit."
...
"O-oh? I don't think I need that much help-"
"Please! Give me a chance at least!" Set clasps his hands, his body slightly bent as he looks at the baker with a nervous grin. "I can't promise anything but I'll definitely do my very best! I just need the right push!" The god requests, making the baker sweat at the scene. "Please, may I try baking? Osiris mentioned you are the best baker in our civilization! So, I came here immediately to learn!"
Seeing the almost begging god, the baker could not help but sigh.
"L-look, Set, I know I am not in the position to reject you out of all people b-but can we move this next week? I have too many orders to finish as of now and I wouldn't be able to teach you anything. I hope you understand," the baker says, scratching the back of his head with an apologetic gaze. "In the time, you can try other jobs and maybe find the right one. Know that you'll be welcomed here next week when I'm all done with the orders, no matter what happens."
Set rises from his bowing state as his mouth slightly opens, his expression surprised that he was even considered by the kind baker.
"Thank you, mister!" Set hugs the baker, his mouth forming a grin as he lifts the rotund man, spinning him around as he laughs joyously.
"N-now, now! You can put me down now, Set!" The baker laughs awkwardly.
Safe to say, his words fell on deaf ears.
...
"L-look, Isis, is this about the time I accidentally broke one of your vases when I was trying to see if I can do what the jesters are doing?" Set stutters, a hand raising which was swatted by his sister, Isis.
"Nuh uh, of course it is not about the precious vase that has been storing a massive amount of magic that I can use for emergency!" Isis pouts with her amrs crossed under her breasts, a foot tapping on the floor in quick succession as she leans forward with an annoyed glare.
"In my defense, a vase was kinda a dumb place to hide magic," Set drops without a beat skipped, earning a pinch to his side. "Hey! I'm sorry, okay?! I was just doing my best to find-"
"To find what you're good at, I know," Isis sighs, her posture easing into a much relaxed one but her face shows a tired expression. "I understand your drive to be better - to find something you can excel in, but you have to be careful. People are affected by your mishaps and I can't be everywhere all at once, Set," she paused, gesturing Set to follow her. "I have responsibilities as our brother's wife, Set. I have to help around the kingdom. I have to bless the fields for a good harvest, I need to help at the hospital, and many more. I just can't be there all the time to help you clear out your name or stop the mess you're going to make. It's impossible."
"I know, I know," Set sighs, his expression dejected as his shoulders slumps. "I do my best to be careful but my enthusiasm gets in the way... I just get too excited when I'm finally doing something, you know? It's a glaring flaw of mine but I can't seem to help it."
Stopping at her tracks, Isis spins around and faces her taller sibling, her eyes narrowed at his'. Surprised by the sudden change in demeanor, Set takes a step back.
"E-eh? Isis? I-Is something wrong?"
The goddess did not answer however, instead she merely takes a step forward, looking deeply into Set's eyes which causes him to stumble back. The cycle repeats, he takes a step back and his sister follows, all while her light green orbs lock with his amber ones.
One step back, and one step forward. It did not take that long for Set to fall on his back, but Isis did not care and still stared at him. She stands before him, arms crossed with her hand gripping her scepter tightly.
"Y-you're starting to creep me out here, Isis," Set nervously chuckles.
"I hate you," out came the words from Isis mouth. "I don't want to believe it. You're better than that, but I hate you for letting me see it."
"W-what are you spouting off?" Set's brows creased, his tone requesting for further information as he tries to stand up. "Hey! What are you doing?!" Set gasps after the blunt end of Isis' scepter was thrust onto his chest, keeping him on the ground.
After such action, Isis takes a step back, bits of tears escaping their prisons.
"C-Cherish the following days, brother," Isis stutters but decides to continue. "They will be your happiest, but after that, we will never be the same. Know that I'll be there to stop your mistakes, but like I said, I can't stop all of them. I'll hate you... truly. Fare well, brother."
With that, Isis turns around and leaves the vicinity in a rush, making Set curse as he watches his sister go out of his vision.
"Isis and her visions... This ought to be painful..."
...
"Grrr! Fuck off!" Set snarls as kicks Vincent away, blasting his rifts at full volume.
The space between them contorted, it shook violently as a faint purple hue illuminates the darkening arena. The space twists, cracked, and disappeared all at the same time.
Vincent, trying his best to keep up with the sudden change of aggression, used his boots to blast out of the way. The dutchman watches as the space he was in seconds ago was reduced to a black spot. He observes as the space begins filling itself back, slowly returning into its original state.
"Capitalize on this, he's losing cool!" Reginleif booms as Vincent's hands weaves together a mandarin symbol.
"Bring forth life! Reginleif!"
...
"That's... one of T'ien's symbols!" The Jade Emperor exclaims, tapping his staff onto the ground at the sight. "Painted and being used? A mere copy, but I sense no decline in its power. I am not sure or I do not know if that will remove Set's evil though. Cleanse should send people into their most cherished memories while removing evil."
"If he can manifest such a technique, the possibilities are endless," Jupiter grunts, not exactly thrilled at the reveal. "Why not paint my falcon and lightning bolt? That would be a shocker-"
"Bad puns, uncle," Loki giggles, floating upside down in front of Jupiter.
"Out with you, trickster," Jupiter huffs, arms crossed and white eyes narrowing.
"It won't matter," Horus watches as the glowing paint turns into chi that pours out and shake the air. "Everything will bend, distort, and be erased in the face of Chaos, no matter how strong it is."
"Hehe, Set is too stubborn to die on something like that. A little Chaos will surely wipe the hope out of that human's face," Zeus giggles, enjoying a saucer full of mead.
'At least this old head chief knows how Set works. His shouts earlier... I haven't heard it before but according to mother's tale, it should be close to when they fought near the River of Nile,' Horus, deep in thought, narrows his eyes on Set's figure. 'What I don't understand is Set's reaction and sudden change. Perhaps something from his past got him triggered? Maybe, but I'd like to know later. I'll ask my father and mother about this, and perhaps Set as well.'
...
The symbol enlarges and Reginleif's entire right foot disappears, breaking into several pieces that are whisked away by the raging winds.
With a white and yellowish glow, Vincent launches it towards the strumming Set. Smoke trails behind the symbol and it crashed into the god of Chaos.
Chi expands and explodes into a display of yellow, gold, and white. Soon, the gutteral scream of Set reverberated, sending chills down the people's spines.
The attack, known as Cleanse, is to rid of an individual of their evil and kill them as they remember their good times, allowing them to enter T'ien.
The sandstorm halts and sand rained down, revealing Set with his rockstar outfit blown to smithereens. His outfit, tattered and ripped apart, now reveals something that made Vincent belch.
Guitar in hand, blood seeping out of his stump, Set stands in front of Vincent with hatred laced within orbs of amber - teeth gritted and threathening to shatter. Along Set's hateful expression was a massive hole located on his abdomen, his organs in full display along with his bones as blood spills out of his body.
Before Vincent can even dare to do something, Set beat him to it.
"How fucking dare you make me remember her," Set snarls, not even bothering to play his guitar and deciding to walk towards the painter. "How fucking dare you!" And with that, Set was rushing at Vincent, akin to an animal pouncing at its prey.
'He is... hurt by the memory...' Vincent thought as he braces himself for another confrontation. 'Hurt to the point he wants to personally beat me...' The dutchman went on, wiping the vomit on his lips. 'Let's exploit that, shall we?'
...
"Heya," Set jumps back at the sudden greetings, spooked whilst he was sweeping the front of the baker's house. "Oh my, sorry about that!"
Set turns toward where the voice was and found a woman in brown clothing. Amber eyes stare at hazelnuts before blinking.
"Y-you scared me there, miss..." Set grumbles, eyeing the woman in front of him. "You need me for something? I'm not exactly the best god to ask help to, but I can try."
"Yeah, I kinda need help! Well, a little help, to be honest," the woman giggles. "I just got home and I noticed you're new here! Are you working here now?"
"I... I just mentioned I am a god, but nevermind. I'm working here, kinda," Set's brows furrowed, amusement lacing his smirk as he began sweeping again whilst talking. "Ahmed promised to teach me how to bake. We'll start tomorrow and I've been cleaning here since he accepted my request - it's the least I can do for now."
Hearing his reason, the woman giggled at Set who raised an eyebrow at the reaction. Without a warning, the woman took Set's broom, catching the god off guard.
"H-hey! That's not so nice now, is it, miss?" Set stutters, tryjng to retrieve the broom to no avail.
"Silly, Set!" The woman laughs warmly before throwing the broom into their bakery, through the window and onto the floor. "Father won't mind if you just wait, no need to be all so formal with us."
"M-miss, it's a sign of r-respect-"
"Rest or I'll be disrespected," the woman did not miss a beat which threw Set off. "I'm just pulling your leg, Set! Kidding! I just want to learn stuff – your reaction to things like these is one of them. Can't say that I'm dissatisfied with the results. You seem to be a down-to-earth god, not even the slightest edge of violence!"
"What?" A dumbfounded expression etched itself on Set's face, with his mouth slightly hanging.
"That's cute, noted," the woman giggles before taking Set's arm, pulling him inside the bakery. "Come on, I'll give you a headstart in baking. Not to brag or anything, but father should retire by now because I'm getting better than him in baking, and I'm not even supposed to be pursuing baking!"
"What?" Set asked once more, still processing what is currently happening to him.
"Oh? Silly me! Names? Yeah, I forgot to introduce myself, hehe," the woman turns around, hand still holding Set's arm as her free hand scratches the back of her head, a guilty look present as she smiles awkwardly. "Um, Masika! That's my name, and you are Set, brother of the mighty king, Osiris!"
Set's expression almost faltered upon hearing her description but she caught it as she tugs on his arm once more.
"But end delays! I must show you why I have bested my father on baking! Onwards to the kitchen, or whatever father calls the place we bake in. It's the same for me to be honest! Wait, honestly..."
Set merely listened, not having the courage to interrupt the young lady holding his arm.
...
The entire arena cracked as Set's guitar slammed onto the spot where Vincent stood before, his organs flailing around as his eyes become bloodshot in anger.
Snarling, the god glared at the portal that opened to his left. Out of it came Vincent, bladed heel ready to impale Set's dome, but the god was not having any of it.
"STAY. DOWN. AND. ROT!" Set roars, his will manifesting Chaos around him which caught his opponent by surprise. "DIE! SCREAM! YOU USELESS FUCKER!"
Chaos reached Vincent's leg before the artists could even blast out of its range.
The dutchman's screams filled the ears of those who can hear it, mostly the deities present.
His right leg twists, bends, and soon ruptures. Bits and pieces of bones, flesh and blood soon vanishes out of existence as Chaos consumed them.
Gritting his teeth, Vincent flicks his brush before another Cleanse bursts out existence, going through a portal that came along with it.
Set's eyes widen as gravity takes him, another portal opening right below him.
The god's roar of anguish rings through everyone's ears as he fell onto the Cleanse, his legs being completely obliterated into small chunks and pieces.
After making contact with the spell, Set falls into a trance as Vincent paints a portal out of his situation, placing it below him and falling through it.
The painter reappears, a good distance away from Set who now only has his upper body present, his eyes staring into the dark skies of Valhalla, his blood painting his surroundings red.
Set was down, but Chaos was still wreaking havoc, consuming Cleanse as it struck Set, and now expanding out as Set's last command.
Grunting in pain, Vincent paints his leg back, Reginleif now having lost half of her left shin.
"An update for all of us! After Vincent's attack, Set was forced to dish out massive amounts of Chaos! Being badly injured, it really hindered his performance! What an attack from Vincent it was!" Heimdall announces as he hovers around the arena. "But it seems like Set managed to destroy Vincent's leg, for a price as high as both of his own! Now, Vincent recovered, and Set is in deep memory lane due to Cleanse once more! Will this be the end?!"
...
"CURSES!" A god slams his fists onto the wall of Valhalla's halls.
Osiris, an Egyptian god of green skin, is angered as he watches what happened to Set.
He looks at his arm, clad in linen bandages, his black hands shaking at the thought of Set experiencing the same pain again.
"That mortal!" Osiris rages as he slams his right fist onto the wall once more, crumbling it. "No, Set can handle this, he always will overcome adversities. He is chaos given life and form, always and ever changing."
"Husband," Isis calls out from his back, a hand placed on his shoulder. "Stay calm. Anger won't change a thing," she says with an almoat monotonous tone. "Treat this, perhaps, as karma for his actions towards you — towards us."
Osiris stares at her, his white eyes staring into her light green orbs.
"I do not blame him for what he did to me," Osiris says slowly, fixing his crown and dusting his white robes. "What kind of brother would I be if I want danger to fall onto my family? No, I do not treat this as karma, Isis. This whole tournament is nothing but a waste of time, waste of lives. If I were stronger, this would not be in motion, and yet I lack the strength to question Ra — to question Zeus."
The god started walking, his wife following beside him, both their eyes glued to the other end of the hall.
"You may want Set to be hurt, and I have no qualms with you. We all are different," the god sighs as they reach the intersection. "But Set? He has been through a lot and much more hardships thn both of us combined. Vincent van Gogh just reawakened his pain, and I can only hope that he does not break."
Osiris' words ended.
The entire Valhalla started shaking violently; the sound of rumbling entered everyone's ears.
This is then followed by an earsplitting roar.
"And he is still fighting."
With that, Osiris rushes towards the deities seats, leaving Isis to her thoughts.
...
"I. DID. IT!" Set jumps in joy as the loaf of bread he made came out perfect; smoke rose from it; its aroma wafted through the house. "I-I, maybe this is it! This is my calling!"
From his side, Masika looks at his face with a smile.
"Wow, that's really great, Set!" She beams at the god beside her. "You know, we can still try more things other than a normal loaf of bread. Maybe cookies?"
"Thank you!" Set did not reply directly; however, he picks Masika from the armpits before spinning around in glee. "I have no idea how many times should I repeat my appreciation to you but thank you!"
"You can put me down now!" Masika squeals, her world spinning.
Set was not listening.
Then, he bumps onto a chair, making him stumble and fall back. With a thud, he fell on his back; Masika placed on his chest.
The two lock eyes.
Both blushed.
Apologies followed.
...
"How are you doing that?!" Set exclaims, in shock at Masika's skills with cutlery.
"What? This?" Masika's smug expression made Set's eye twitch.
Then, with precision, Masika diced the onions in quick successions. One after another, they were chopped into bits.
"Can you please teach me that?" Set asks, his expression full of awe as his mouth hangs open, his eyes sparkling at the performance.
"Of course! As my dear student, I am obligated to teach you everything I know!" Masika laughs, knuckles pressed on her hips and her chin raised.
"I am still your royalty," Set whines.
"Yes, my royal student!" Masika grins.
Set goes to tackle her.
"Wait! No! Don't tickle me!" Masika shouts in fright as she was pinned to the ground, her eyes glued on Set's approaching hands. "No! No! Don't-"
It was too late.
Their laughter filled the house for the umpteenth time.
Set did learn how to dice onions though.
...
"Wow! I made a cup?!" Set exclaims in awe, eyeing the tiny clay cup in vetween his fingers. "This is surreal, Masika! Are you seeing this?!"
From his side, Masika holds a tray full of pots, cups, and bowls that she has created.
"Yup! Very impressive, Set!" Masika hums, her expression beaming at Set's enthusiasm.
"You have to look again because I can't believe it! I made a cup!" Set says, his mouth agape at the achievement. "I didn't even break the workshop! Wow!"
"That's good!" Masika giggles. "What's next on your list though?"
Lowering his tiny cup, Set things for a few seconds.
"Let's see, you taught me baking, cooking, cleaning, farming, carpentry, and pottery," Set lists them down.
"And many more," Masika grins, bumping Set on purpose.
"Yeah, yeah, you're great, fine," Set pouts. "Can you teach me how to draw?"
"Psh, easy," Masika would wave it off if she was not holding the tray. "Consider it done, my student!"
"Really?!" Set asks her with a hopeful yet excited tone.
"Of course! How can I say no to teaching a ruler of our land, eh?" Masika feigned hopelessness. "I'd be executed if I even think of it."
The tray was taken from her and placed on a nearby bench in under five seconds.
"Oh," Masika says, her mouth open as she knows what comes next. "No! Bad, Set! We are not doing this in public!" She points at Set but did not make an attempt to stop him.
It was far too late.
The tickles commemce.
...
"So, you're telling me that you'll go to the neighboring civilization to pursue education?" Set hums a question
"Yup! I want to be a teacher! That way, I can teach those who cannot afford to pay!" Masika chimes in, sitting on Set's shoulders as he carries groceries.
"A noble cause and dream," Set chuckles. "You'll be a great teacher. Probably the very best this civilization will ever have."
"Aww, don't overestimate me too much, Set!" Masika giggles, resting her chin on Set's head. "But yes, I believe that my dream is the very very best!"
"A civilization will crumble without someone to teach its citizens, so, yes, your dream is a great one," Set hums, nodding and feeling his cheeks being pulled by Masika. "I mean, you taught me out of all things. That alone speaks volume of your capabilities. I can't do things right for the longest of times!"
"Yes, you mess up a lot of things, but you're the best student to ever exist since you don't give up on learning!" Masika pulls his cheeks harder, cooing at Set's reactions.
A few seconds of silence from the two follows and the sounds of the streets of Egypt were the only thing audible.
"Say, can you accompany me to the neighboring civilization?" Masika asks suddenly.
"Eh? Don't you have a guide?" Set asks, curious.
"Actually, we couldn't afford a guide and even if we can, they are all out of here," Masika pouts, her tons dropping. "My travel had the worst timing possible since it is exporting season. All of our guides are out."
"I mean, I can definitely accompany you in your travels, Masika," Set says, his tone resolute and jolly. "Just tell me the date and I'll be with you. I'll even ask the mages to assist us. We need to know if we're safe from the magical storms. We definitely don't want to get caught in one."
"Really? You'll do that for me?" Masika asks, a small smile present.
"It's the least I can do to repay you," Set nods.
"Pay? Psh, nonsense. I don't take payments for teaching you!" Masika waves him off. "But thank you, Set. This means a lot to me."
"Yeah, to me as well," Set whispers.
"What was that?"
"Nothing, it's going to be sad for me since my favorite person won't be here for a very long time," Set admits with a saddened expression.
"Aww, you're so cute when you're like that!" Masika giggles.
Set did not.
"No, really. I'll miss you," Set goes on. "I've learned a lot of things from you. How long has it been? A year? Time means nothing to us deities, but within the small amount of time, I've learned more than my entire life. I'm a failure of a god and can't do anything right."
Set pauses, and Masika fell silent, not used to this side of Set.
"Then, you came along. Scaring the god while he was sweeping. You taught me great things that will surely help me with my calling. I still want to try more just to see what I enjoy most, but it has to be postponed. Now that you're going to be out of our civilization, I'll have no one to teach me."
"Heh, even Osiris can't teach me. I mess things up, but it feels great to be anble to do things now. Thanks to you."
Set looks up and meets Masika's gaze. They both smiled.
"So, yeah, the Set of different realities better accept guiding you or else I'm going to beat his head into the ground."
"Silly Set," Masika giggles, resting her face on Set's hair. "But don't be too sad when I'm out of civilization. Look forward when I return. I'll be able to teach you even more things. You'd like that, right?"
"Absolutely," Set hums.
"Then we'll both look forward to that day then!" Masika hugs his head. "Now surge forward, my carrier! To the house!"
Set did not let that pass.
The tickles went on after reaching Masika's house.
...
"You want me to lead an entire caravan?" Set asks Osiris, pointing at himself and them the caravan not too far away. "You? Want? Me? To guide them?"
Seeing this, Osiris laughs, placing a hand on Set's shoulder.
"Indeed, dear brother! Since you're already going with your girlfriend-"
"Friend," Set narrows his eyes at Osiris.
The older one merely grins.
"Girlfriend. I thought that the caravan can accompany you two since we are short of guides this season. Don't worry, the caravan will provide all of the essentials meeded for this journey!"
"Ugh, are you sure about this, Osiris?" Set asks, hoping to change his brother's mind.
"I'm positive, Set!" Osiris laughs. "And besides, I already asked your girlfriend-"
Osiris dodges Set's punch.
"-if this can happen, and she agreed! It's fine! The caravan won't ruin your alone time-"
Set whips his leg in an attempt to kick Osiris' hip.
"-with her! So, lighten up!" Osiris grins before smiling. "Can you do this for me, brother? The caravan is quite important. It is supplies for the poor in the neighoring civilization."
"Tsk, fine," Set grumbles, crossing his arms. "But get the mages since I want none of those magical storms to happen!"
"Oh, it's fine! They said that the entire desert is safe for travelling in the next few months!" Osiris smiles brightly.
"Are you sure?"
"Absolutely!"
"Alright," Set smiles before hugging his brother.
A gesture returned by Osiris.
"I'll do it," Set says, pulling out of the hug.
"Thank you, Set. I appreciate it, and the people that needs the caravan definitely will as well. Not just them, but the families of the caravan as well."
By noon, Set and Masika left the civilization, an entire caravan trailing behind them.
...
Set grunts, the familiar feeling of fatigue slowly creeping into his system as his legs dare to give up on him.
Today was a disaster for him.
"Damn it," Set curses, a growl escaping his throat as his eyes stare at what he is holding within his arms.
It was Masika's sick body or what was left of her.
{•===To Be Continued===•}