Set sighed silently to himself, feeling a twinge of apprehension as he observed Sekhmet's face, alight with a fierce eagerness.
"Do you truly wish to challenge the might of Apep?" Set asked, his voice tinged with disbelief.
Baring her sharp fangs in a feral grin, Sekhmet responded with a fiery glint in her eyes, "No, I don't just want to face Apep, I aim to vanquish him!"
"I yearn to strike him down myself!" she declared passionately. "Imagine the exhilaration of such a triumph!"
Set was taken aback by her fervor and found himself at a loss for words. Opting for silence, he mentally likened Sekhmet to a bizarre deity, one whose recklessness knew no bounds.
After a moment, Sekhmet's tone softened, "Thank you for not mocking my ambitions."
"Tefnut and Hathor often question my judgment, prompting me to make such brazen claims," she confessed, her voice tinged with frustration.
Set internally concurred with Tefnut and Hathor's concerns. Apep's capability to battle the Supreme God all night underscored his formidable power, a power not easily matched by any deity.
Despite his reservations, Set chose not to deride Sekhmet's bold aspirations. "Perhaps focus on surpassing the terrestrial deities before you challenge such a formidable foe as Apep," he suggested diplomatically.
"I'm working on it," Sekhmet replied with a smirk, her lioness features twisting into an unnervingly human-like smile.
Soon, the atmosphere shifted as other gods arrived, Thoth and Maat, followed by Osiris, Isis, and Nephthys, with Geb and Nut trailing behind. The vacant thrones were gradually occupied, and the divine assembly resembled a bustling marketplace with its lively chatter.
Seth, however, felt uneasy. The sacred temple, meant for solemn deliberations, shouldn't feel so mundane. Yet, he found himself engaged in light conversation with Osiris and the others.
Suddenly, a hush fell over the lively pantheon as all eyes turned toward the entrance. Hathor, embodying flawless beauty with a red sun disk adorning her head and draped in a golden linen dress, entered. She possessed an ethereal grace that left Seth utterly spellbound.
Hathor walked expressionlessly to her throne and sat down, her presence as mesmerizing as the sun itself, drawing gazes involuntarily. Seth remembered her divine origin, Ra's left eye, and wondered if Osiris had broached the sensitive subject of her lineage yet.
He glanced at Osiris, who was sharing a jest with Isis, while Nephthys watched Hathor with a mix of admiration and envy.
Set, from the corner of his eye, noticed a hint of envy flash across Nephthys' face.
Was it envy of Hathor's radiant beauty? Set pondered momentarily before dismissing the thought as trivial, especially as another deity made their entrance, a figure he least anticipated at the moment.
Adorned with a crown of golden feathers and clad in a shimmering blue-green linen skirt, this god's penetrating gaze seemed capable of unveiling any deceit. A luxurious Wesekh collar, intricately designed with lapis lazuli, black crystal, silver, and gold, graced her neck, while her limbs were adorned with gold bands etched with sacred motifs.
Shu, the god of air, order, and wind, one of the first deities birthed by the Supreme Sun God, approached with a presence that demanded attention. His duties were vast, from presiding over the council of gods to adjudicating their disputes and ensuring the cosmic order. Annually, he was also tasked with determining which deities would assist Ra in combating the chaos serpent Apep.
By his side, Tefnut, goddess of moisture, rain, and disorder, radiated a purity reminiscent of fresh rainfall. She was dressed in a long white linen gown, her crown a meld of birds and serpents, and her neck adorned with a Wesekh of sapphire, obsidian, red crystal, and gold.
As they took their places near Ra, Set diverted his gaze towards the entrance of the Pantheon, avoiding any interaction with Shu. He hoped silently that Shu would overlook him and exclude him from the perilous rotation of deities tasked with confronting Apep.
His hopes seemed realized as Shu settled into conversation with Thoth, Maat, and other gods, without any mention of Set. He breathed a sigh of relief. But this respite was short-lived as two formidable figures appeared at the temple's entrance, their aura unmistakable.
The Pantheon fell into a tense silence as the gods' attention oscillated between the newly arrived goddess of the sky and god of the earth, and the four gods of Set. The atmosphere thickened with anticipation.
"Take your seats, the meeting of the gods is about to commence," Thoth declared, breaking the uneasy quiet. Set, along with Isis, Osiris, and Nephthys, averted their gazes.
The divine couple, representing the sky and earth, proceeded to their thrones with solemn dignity.
Soon, all were seated, with only the thrones of the Moon God and the Sun God remaining vacant. Thoth signaled for patience.
A solar hour later, a beam of sunlight pierced the dome of the Pantheon, illuminating the empty throne of the Supreme God. In a radiant transformation, the light coalesced into a figure wearing a sun disk of red gold on her head and sash adorned with sun patterns, heralding the arrival of the god.
The radiance that enveloped his was akin to the fierce glare of twin suns, a red so deep it seemed to scorch the air itself. Draped around his neck, a collar of red gold bore the intricate symbols of the Sun God. In his right hand, he wielded a segmented staff of the same fiery metal, and in his left, an Ankh, symbol of life, also crafted from red gold. This was Ra, the Supreme God, the omnipotent deity of the Sun.
Thoth, ever the herald, scanned the assembly of deities and raised his voice with formality, "The God's Council shall now commence."
With these words, the council was officially in session. A reverent silence fell over the gathering as all eyes fixed on Ra, seated majestically upon the Supreme God's throne.
Historically, the God's Council was convened by Shu to address disputes among the deities, with all gods willing to voice their concerns. However, this session was distinct; Ra himself had called it, signaling a matter of grave importance that required the gods' undivided attention.
Ra surveyed the assembled gods and began, "The underworld is stirring anew, and it thirsts for more souls."
"The souls of humans are most conducive to this revival," he continued, his voice echoing with a tone of inevitability.
Interrupting him, Hathor, disbelief coloring her tone, asked, "Mother Goddess, must we harvest the lives of all humans to sustain the underworld's resurgence?"
Ra's gaze settled on Hathor as he replied, "Even the demise of all existing humans would not suffice."
"The souls thus reaped would still fall short of what is required for the underworld's revival," he explained. "Since the dawn of creation, the world has been incomplete. A rejuvenated underworld growing to mirror the realm of humans will bring about completion."
"Thus, the deities of the underworld will be birthed into existence. It is imperative, therefore, that those among you who guard the temples, my progeny, safeguard humanity."
"Provide them a stable, thriving environment to flourish and multiply."
Set's mind raced as he processed Ra's directive. The desert, harsh and unforgiving, was scarcely a nurturing ground for human expansion. Food and water were scarce, sandstorms rampant, and predators ever-present.
To increase human numbers, a transformation of the desert landscape would be necessary, a change that would invariably diminish his dominion and dilute his authority.
As Ra concluded his edict, Osiris spoke, reflecting a practical concern, "If we aid humans, they are bound to worship us."
"Yet, unclaimed faith is a perilous thing for gods. Even isolated, such power clings to idols and refuses to dissipate, providing fertile ground for malevolent entities to emerge."
"Ra, how then shall we purge this residual power of faith, and prevent the rise of malevolent deities?"