Origin of Evil

By Sinistral

 

 

Part One: Gods and Monsters

 

Chapter One: The Asp of Darkness

 

 

Several months had passed since the Book of Creation had told Osiris of his destiny and in those months the young King had tried to help the people of Earth who had suffered under Ra’s tyranny. Now he was once again in the Spirit World, ruling as its King with his Queen Isis by his side. Isis was still pregnant with Horus and Iras and was therefore more prone to faintness and exhaustion. Charmian was at her side to assist her. She loved her older sister dearly and was more than happy to give her all the support she required. On the other side of Osiris sat Charmian’s husband, Menas, with a deeply pensive expression upon his face.

 

“Menas, what is the situation here in the Spirit World?” asked Osiris. “Armon has told me of disturbances in Seraphina. Should I be concerned?”

 

Seraphina was a great city several miles south of the White Citadel. The inhabitants of this city were a race of angelic creatures known as seraphs. They had originally been created by Ra to serve as his subordinates but had been liberated by Osiris after Ra’s downfall.

 

“Armon speaks the truth my lord,” answered Menas. “There is a large black serpent that has somehow infiltrated the Spirit World and is wreaking havoc amongst the seraph communities. They call it the Asp of Darkness and it has already claimed the lives of many seraphs.”

 

“Asp of Darkness? But how can seraphs be killed?” asked a worried Isis. “Are they not immortal like us?”

 

“According to Armon this snake is able to swallow seraphs whole,” replied Menas. “They simply disappear. This also seems to occur when the miserable thing bites the poor wretches. They writhe about in agony for a couple of hours and then vanish from site.”

 

“How horrible!” cried Isis.

 

“We cannot let this outrage continue!” shouted Osiris. “I will confront this Asp and destroy it.”

 

“No my lord, you must stay here,” urged Charmian. “Isis needs you by her side.”

 

“She is right,” agreed Menas. “I will travel there myself and see what I can do. Anubis and Armon will come with me. I would have preferred Thoth to Armon but alas he is busy with his duties as Pharaoh Regent on Earth. If anything I can learn of a way to counter this new evil.”

 

“Very well but be careful,” replied Osiris.

 

Charmian approached Menas and put her arms around him. She looked into his eyes. They shone like bright blue sapphires in contrast to his lightly sallow skin and jet-black cascade of hair. He smiled back at her, the love in his eyes never faltering.

 

“Please be careful and watch over your younger brothers,” she said. “I feel that this evil force cannot be underestimated.”

 

“I will do all I can my dear,” he assured her. “Try not to let this business trouble you. As long as we are on the side of the righteous we will prevail.”

 

“Thank you Menas. I can always rely on you for the words I long to hear.”

 

They kissed and then Charmian resumed her position by Isis. Menas broodingly glanced back at Charmian and the royal couple. His eyes met Osiris’s and his face revealed a rather perplexed countenance. Had he not sworn revenge against Osiris? Was he forgetting all that he had sworn to do against him?

 

“Is there something troubling you Menas?” enquired Osiris.

 

“Not at all,” affirmed Menas quickly, as if he had just snapped out of a violent dream. “I will be on my way. Anubis, Armon, come with me. We shall travel to Seraphina and battle against this monstrosity that is threatening the peace and stability of our kingdom.”

 

The three brothers slowly walked out of the throne room without looking back. Whatever was out there was something that chilled the very souls of them all. Any confidence that might have been present amongst the trio was heavily weighed down by an overpowering anxiety. 

 

 

 

 

The three travellers raced towards Seraphina as quickly as they could. Menas led the way and Anubis and Armon did their best to keep up with him. Armon had learnt of the Asp’s existence from a wounded seraph that had managed to reach the White Citadel and tell him before it died. Armon had reported to Menas and then to Osiris. The two younger brothers fought against their growing trepidation but Anubis could not hold it back any more. 

 

“The Asp of Darkness. What do you know of it Armon? How can we fight it?” questioned Anubis, unable to disguise his obvious apprehension.

 

“The Asp is apparently a large snake,” answered Armon. “I know nothing of its power though. Only that it can devour seraphs and who knows what else?”

 

“What power do we have against such a malevolent beast as this?”

 

“Although Osiris has ultimate power we also possess some powers of our own,” reassured Menas. “We have just never needed to use them before. Did you not feel the power surging through your body when we all touched the Book of Creation that fateful day? Osiris commands the Book but we have all gained powers, even if they do not match those of his. Whatever power the Asp has it will be no match for us.”

 

Menas decided that he had better prove that he was not bluffing by giving them a demonstration. He sighted a tall tree standing at the side of the path. Ra was so pleased with the flora he had created on Earth that he had populated the Spirit World with a colourful variety of trees and plants. He had not, however, populated it with humans and animals as he saw them as vastly inferior beings. They were best left to Earth. Menas raised his hands and shot a beam of bright light at the tree. As soon as the light hit the tree it burst into small splinters. Menas’s superficially satisfied countenance showed Anubis and Armon that they had nothing to fear.

 

“There! Did you see that? Take note my brothers. Before the end of the day you shall see me perform that trick once again, but this time instead of small splinters, the ground shall be covered in the Asp’s flesh and blood.” 

 

Anubis and Armon nodded in unison. Menas wished he were as sure of their powers as he had claimed, even though the little trick had been encouraging. The truth was that he did not know what to expect when they reached their destination. Moreover, he was not too keen on performing duties for Osiris. Menas still harboured great ideas of revenge against his older brother, but he contented himself with the thought that he just had to bide his time until he could formulate a good plan. The more loyal he appeared to Osiris, the less suspicious of him the others would be. Well, perhaps not Thoth.

 

But for now he had to concentrate on dealing with the new obstacle. Somehow he and his brothers had to find a way to drive the Asp out of the Spirit World, or preferably destroy it completely. Despite his bravado Menas could not deny his own apprehension.

 

He looked up and suddenly noticed smoke on the horizon. The sky, which had been perfectly blue, was turning a vile red-purple and all the clouds were grey.

 

“Look in the distance,” he shouted. “Seraphina is immersed in flames. I fear we may be too late.”

 

The brothers picked up their pace, running as fast as they could towards the inferno.

 

 

 

 

Back in the White Citadel Charmian was speaking with Isis. The two sisters had always been close and shared a special bond due to the fact that the other five were male. Charmian had always known of Menas’s ambitious nature and was worried of where it might lead him if not brought under sufficient control. She had seen the expression on his face when Osiris had been anointed and feared that it might have put dangerous ideas into his head. The others were also aware that Menas could be temperamental at times but still believed him to be loyal and good.

 

“I worry about Menas Isis,” she spoke softly. “I do love him but sometimes I sense that his feelings may one day get the better of him. He does envy Osiris greatly.”

 

“Calm yourself sister,” reassured Isis. “Menas is rather melodramatic but he does have a sense of duty to Osiris and all of us, especially to you.”

 

Isis noted Charmian’s helpless expression.

 

“Is something troubling you my dear?”

 

“I should have spoken to him before he left. I should have told him. I should have asked him to stay,” struggled Charmian, fighting back tears. “I am carrying Menas’s children.”

 

“But that’s wonderful news Charmian! Why the look of despair?”

 

“Because we may never see him again, not to mention Anubis and Armon. That Asp creature may devour them.”

 

She began to cry quietly. Isis rushed to her side and tried to comfort her. Being pregnant herself she was also quite delicate.

 

“Hush now,” comforted Isis. “I am certain that they are all right. They are all powerful. That large snake is doomed for sure.”

 

Isis said this more out of concern for her sister than actual belief in it. However, she was more than happy to avoid one of Charmian’s hysterical fits.

 

“You’re right Isis. I must not get so worked up. Besides I have you to worry about. Horus and Iras are nearly due are they not?”

 

“Yes, not long now. By my estimate a couple of weeks.”

 

At that moment Osiris entered the chamber with a concerned look on his face.

 

“Is everything alright? Isis, Charmian, I heard someone crying.”

 

“Charmian is pregnant but is worried about our brothers who rush to face the evil in Seraphina,” replied Isis, failing to notice the worried glance Charmian had shot her after mentioning the word ‘pregnant.’

 

“But that is fantastic news!” cried Osiris in joy. “Do not worry yourself Charmian. Menas is quite capable in times of emergency. Anubis and Armon are younger but still perfectly adept. They shall triumph today.”

 

He put a reassuring arm on her shoulder. His young sister meant a great deal to him. He remembered as a boy how he had had to look out for her during Menas’s rather ominous adolescence. He was the one that had to hold everything together. He was the natural born leader after all.

 

“He will be back,” he reassured. “As for the news let me offer you my congratulations. We shall celebrate upon our brothers’ return.”

 

“Thank you my lord,” she replied, smiling gently. “It is still too early to determine the children’s sex though.”

 

“My guess would be males,” said Isis. “What with an overdramatic father like Menas.”

 

“Now, now, there’s nothing wrong with that,” laughed the King, who then turned to Isis with a look of unease. “Thoth has informed me of trouble on Earth. It seems that the humans want a full time leader rather than a Pharaoh who keeps running backwards and forwards between worlds. I have summoned Thoth back here so that we can discuss the problem. With the Asp of Darkness terrorising the Spirit World I could have done without this problem right now.”

 

“Do not let it trouble you too much,” the Queen assured. “Thoth is wise. You and he will come to a sensible conclusion in the end.”

 

“I want us all to be here when I come to that conclusion. I only hope that Menas and the others will succeed in their mission. If not we are in serious trouble.”

 

Osiris then took Isis to the side so as not to be in earshot of Charmian. He had a frown on his face that he did not wish his youngest sister to see.

 

“I fear that my belief in our brothers’ capability against this Asp may only be wishful thinking.”

 

“Why dear?” inquired Isis.

 

“Before I heard Charmian crying I was in the northwest tower consulting the Book of Creation. I asked it to tell me all it knew about the Asp of Darkness. It could tell me nothing. It seems that the Book’s vast knowledge doesn’t reach as far as is completely useful to us in times of need.”

 

“Are you sure that the Book knew nothing?”

 

“It was aware of the Asp’s presence in the Spirit World but apart from that yes. I pray that Menas and the others can counter this unknown evil. We can only hope. It really is up to them now.” 

 

 

 

 

The sky was beginning to darken as Menas, Anubis and Armon reached the outskirts of Seraphina. They were all exhausted from running and had to stop to catch their breath. Menas suddenly noticed a figure coming towards them out of the curtain of smoke. It was a seraph clad in gold armour with a bow and quiver of arrows around its shoulder. It was youthful in appearance as all seraphs were. They did not age and so always looked the same. This was not an advantage bestowed upon the gods. Although they were immortal too, Osiris and his siblings would one day grow old and have to leave for the Duat. Menas almost envied the creature.

 

“Lord Menas, Lord Anubis, Lord Armon, I fear you have arrived too late,” said the seraph, gasping for breath. “The Asp of Darkness has virtually destroyed Seraphina. Our arrows are useless against it. More and more of our people have been devoured. Soon the seraphs will be extinct.”

 

“Not if I have anything to do with it!” shouted Anubis, much to the surprise of his brothers.

 

“Thank you my lord but I fear your quest has been in vain. Originally there were approximately ten thousand seraphs in the Spirit World and now there are just over one thousand left. The Asp is too powerful and moves too quickly for us. A number of us remaining seraphs have set up a provisional headquarters in an area of Seraphina that is still almost in tact. Our resistance is lead by the seraph leader Xerxes. Come and I will lead you there. My name, by the way, is Thryce.”

 

“Lead on Thryce,” stated Anubis and the two rushed on ahead, leaving Menas and Armon standing behind.

 

“Young impetuous idiot,” exclaimed Menas. “He thinks he can save the day by some stupid show of heroics. Look at the state of this place. If Anubis thinks he is any match for a being that could cause this much damage then he is a bigger fool than even I thought. This place is rotten.”

 

“We had better follow though,” urged Armon. “General Xerxes is relying on us.”

 

The two brothers hurried after Anubis and Thryce. As they got further into the city the damage seemed to get worse. Buildings were gutted and burning, the streets were filled with rubble and, more shockingly, the crumpled bodies of seraphs writhing in agony.

 

“Victims of the Asp,” Menas thought to himself. “This pandemonium is unreal.” 

 

He noticed that the flames on the buildings were not the usual red-orange colour but, instead, an eerie dark purple. There was also a terribly pungent sulphurous smell, probably coming from the burning buildings or, worse, burning corpses.

 

Thryce led the brothers towards one of the buildings that had not been touched by the fire. Two more seraphs stood in front of a small door. Both were clad in the same golden armour. Thryce signalled to them and they opened the door.

 

“Follow me my lords. General Xerxes is upstairs,” stated Thryce.

 

The three brothers followed Thryce up a long staircase and then down an equally long corridor with numerous doors on each side. Menas guessed that these side rooms belonged to individual members of the resistance. They eventually came to a door at the very end of the vestibule. Thryce knocked and then entered, beckoning for the brothers to follow. Inside, on a large throne-like chair, sat a very tall seraph wearing golden armour decorated with brightly coloured jewels. It had a look of great authority about it.

 

“So, the ambassadors of mighty King Osiris have finally decided to show their faces!” bellowed Xerxes. “That poor fellow I sent to inform you of our dilemma has done their job well I see. Your father was an evil, sadistic autocrat and I’m glad he’s gone!”

 

“You should show more respect seraph!” retaliated Menas. “Yes, my father was a tyrant and no one is more happy to see him gone than I. But King Osiris freed you and your people from his oppression. You should be grateful, not insolent!”

 

“We owe you no gratitude,” laughed Xerxes. “King Osiris acted out of guilt I’m sure!”

 

“You watch your mouth you pompous garish fool! Treason is still a punishable crime in this land!”

 

Menas advanced on the seraph leader with his hands raised. No creature mocked his authority and got away with it. Two seraph guards looked ready to restrain Menas lest he threatened the life of their beloved leader. Thryce raised a hand in protest.

 

“Stop my lords!” shouted Thryce. “With all due respect General this is not the best time for a mêlée brawl. There are more important things to discuss.”

 

“For instance, the salvation of your people from that miserable reptilian,” added Anubis with a sharp frown at Menas.

 

“Yes, you are right,” said Xerxes bitterly. “I apologise Lord Menas. It has just been difficult for me to adjust to fact that you are now our allies and not our slave drivers.”

 

“Think nothing of it,” replied Menas to the ceiling.

 

He finished that off with “you imbecile” under his breath so that only he and Armon could hear. Armon broke into a grin and tried to hide his face.

 

“Tell us of this abomination that threatens your lands. What happened here?” asked Anubis.

 

“The Asp of Darkness first appeared around two months ago,” answered Xerxes. “It came from the direction of the Cliffs of Darkness near the southern sea. In fact, that is why we call it the Asp of Darkness. We had never seen anything like it before. It entered Seraphina and began to destroy or devour everything in its path. Those who fought back or were not quick enough to escape were consumed. By this I mean that the Asp either swallowed them whole or bit them. When this happens…”

 

“They scream in anguish until they fade away,” finished Armon.

 

“I see you are already aware of the beast’s terrible prowess,” said Thryce sadly.

 

“Well this is where we come to you,” continued Xerxes. “Our resistance is futile, it’s true. But there is nothing left for us to do. This is our home and we have nowhere else to go. We can only fight back.”

 

It suddenly became very apparent that the seraph General was trembling. Its face, which had previously been cold and defiant, was now a display of fervent anxiety.

 

“Please help us,” cried the serahph leader, falling to its knees before them. “You are our only hope.”

 

Menas was disgusted by the General’s behaviour but Anubis rushed to the seraph’s side and helped it up gingerly.

 

 “Of course we will help you. We will use what powers we have against it. Never lose hope my friends.”

 

There was a sudden tremendous knocking at the door. Thryce opened it and the two sentinels from downstairs entered, their faces as white as sheets.

 

“It’s back General! It’s back! It’s moving towards the headquarters as we speak!”

 

“Call out the guards!” shouted Xerxes. “I need every warrior out there!”

 

The general then picked up a large golden horn that the others had not noticed before and raced through a door behind the throne.

 

“The coward is running!” exclaimed Menas. “Small wonder they need us here to sort things out!”

 

“No my lord,” said Thryce. “The General has gone up onto the roof of the headquarters to signal to the troops. The horn of Seraphina will be blown to indicate the emergency.”

 

“I’m going after him,” stated Anubis.

 

He ran in through the door that the General had used. The other three looked at each other and followed. The door led to a staircase that opened out onto the roof of the building. There stood Xerxes blowing the horn with vigorous energy. Anubis was looking out over Seraphina. Menas and Armon joined him. The ruined city looked ten times as worse from their high viewpoint. The full extent of the damage was horrendous. Menas observed about a hundred or so armed seraphs lining up outside the building. When they had assembled they all looked up in the direction of the roof where Xerxes stood. The General then stopped blowing the horn and raised a hand.

 

“Loyal brave citizens of Seraphina! Hear me now! Once again the Asp of Darkness moves against us! We may be no match for it but we will do our best! We will show it that we are not cowards and will fight to the end! Many will fall but none will lose courage or hope! We have help here today my friends! We have the brothers of King Osiris, Lord Menas, Lord Anubis and Lord Armon!

 

There was a loud cheer from the assembled troops. Xerxes beckoned the brothers to the edge of the roof. The seraph resistance congregation looked up at them in wondrous awe.

 

“Seraphs!” yelled Anubis before Menas could speak a word. “We will stand by you and defend Seraphina! We will crush the Asp and restore the Spirit World to a kingdom of peace and prosperity! I swear this shall be done!”

 

The seraphs applauded in full volume. Anubis stood with a determined look on his face and his arms held high. It was too much for Menas. He violently pulled Anubis back and addressed the seraphs himself.

 

“Fools! Overconfident fools!” he cried. “The Asp of Darkness cannot be underestimated! Look at the desolation it has brought upon your precious city! We cannot all charge aimlessly towards this creature! Caution is needed! We must…”

 

Suddenly there was a deafening high-pitched roar from the southern quadrant of Seraphina. Then the whole ground began to tremble violently. A lot of the seraphs lost their footing at fell over.

 

“Look over there! By the Holy Temple of Ra!” cried Thryce.

 

The Holy Temple of Ra was an enormous shrine that had been constructed under Ra’s instruction while he ruled over the seraphs. He had forced the seraphs to pray and make sacrifices to his glory. After his downfall Xerxes had commanded that it be pulled down. However, with the disturbance of the Asp, it had become a minor concern. The temple stood out among the other buildings of Seraphina due to its stature. Now they all watched in horror as the mighty golden roof crumbled and collapsed, falling to the ground with a tremendous crash. Dark purple flames spouted out amongst the ruined walls.

 

Xerxes winced but could not hide a quick smile.

 

“Well, at least that monstrosity of a temple has finally met its end,” he noted.

 

The tremors became worse and another shrill roar sounded. Xerxes’s smile transformed into a look of utter dread and all gazed in terror as a large black snake-like head emerged from the ruined temple. A second head, absolutely identical to the first, followed that. The two snakeheads emitted yet another piercing roar and the dark purple flames leapt from their open mouths. Had it been on his mind, Menas’s curiosity as to the source of those deadly purple flames would have been satisfied. At that moment, however, a more prominent quandary concerned him.

 

“Two! We were never told of two Asps!” yelled Menas angrily, facing Xerxes. “You spoke of one creature! I see more than one!”

 

He grabbed the General by the shoulders and shook fiercely. Armon continued to stare at the heads, transfixed. Anubis and Thryce rushed towards Menas and tried to pull him off. Menas finally loosened his grip.

 

“My lord,” stuttered Xerxes. “There is only one Asp of Darkness.”

 

“Wha…” stammered both Menas and Anubis.

 

“Great Ra! Look!” cried Armon.

 

Menas and Anubis stared in wonder as the creature moved out of the ruins of the temple and advanced towards the resistance headquarters. Xerxes was right. There was only one creature. It had two heads. One of the heads was on the front and the other where the tail should have been. It was impossible to tell which was the front and which was the back. In other words, the creature had 360 degrees surveillance. No wonder the seraphs were having such a hard time. Its sheer size was also impressive. It must have been at least one hundred feet in length.

 

“Now you see what we are up against!” shouted Xerxes. “Troops get ready. On my signal you will release your arrows. Fire!”

 

A volley of golden arrows flew through the air in the direction of the Asp. It screeched with pain and retaliated with great balls of purple fire. The seraph troops screamed as they became engulfed in the flames. The Asp then proceeded to scoop up random seraphs in its mouth and swallow them in single gulps. Some unfortunate ones became the victims of its terrible bite. The Asp sunk its sharp fangs into the bodies of the archers, puncturing holes in their sides. The screams of pain were getting unbearable.

 

“It’s a massacre,” observed Armon. “They don’t stand a chance.”

 

“Well, we came here to finish off that oversized reptile. Now is the time to prove ourselves,” said Menas. “Anubis, I want you to remain up here with the General and defend from the headquarters. I will go with Armon and confront it.”

 

“But Menas you need all the help you can get!” implored Anubis. “Surely I can do something?”

 

“I gave an order so obey! I am the oldest here! I’m in charge! Don’t you dare question my authority!”

 

“I will go with you though,” said Thryce.

 

The three left the roof and ran back down the stairs, leaving Anubis rather speechless. The inside of the headquarters looked like it had been evacuated.

 

“At this rate it doesn’t look like they’ll be many seraphs left before the day is out,” said Menas. “Stupid fools. What do they hope to achieve?”

 

“We are fighting for our lives,” affirmed Thryce with an indignant look at Menas. “Anything we can do to preserve the seraph race, and Seraphina, we will do.”

 

“It looks to me that what you are doing is the exact opposite of that. Your people are walking straight into the jaws of doom.”

 

They left the building and ran out onto the plain where the seraph army was facing the giant Asp. The atmosphere of heated battle was even stronger down there. The air was filled with smoke, discharged arrows, screams of pain and the deafening roar of their foe. The Asp looked bigger and more monstrous than it had when they had first seen it from the roof. As it moved the ground shuddered uncontrollably. Menas, Armon and Thryce charged at it.

 

“Seraphina! My poor people!” exclaimed Thryce.

 

The situation did indeed look hopeless. There were very few seraphs left even though there had been a good two hundred or so to begin with.

 

“I have an idea,” stated Menas, turning to Thryce. “Seraph, I want you to fire a cascade of arrows at the Asp so that it focuses on our position. When it begins to advance you move out of the way so that Armon and I can face it. Now!”

 

Thryce let loose as many arrows as the bow would take. The Asp let loose the loudest shriek of pain it had done so far. Surrounding seraphs dropped to their knees with their hands over their ears. Menas and Armon lost their balance and fell over. The Asp then turned both heads towards them and advanced. It seemed to move more quickly than before.

 

“Run you fool! Run!” shouted Menas to Thryce.

 

Thryce began to run towards some of the more recent victims of the Asp. The Asp, who was moving towards Menas and Armon, picked up the sound of the running seraph and looked towards Thryce.

 

“Look out!” yelled Armon.

 

It was too late. The Asp advanced on Thryce, caught up with the seraph and picked it up in its jaws. Thryce struggled in its grip but it was useless. The Asp arched its neck back and swallowed the seraph whole. The ill-fated archer’s screams could still be heard for a few seconds afterwards.

 

“Now it is our turn!” yelled Menas.

 

The two brothers let loose bright shafts of light towards the Asp. The serpent was caught by surprise and wheeled round. It looked at them with its golden piercing eyes. Then, to their surprise, its heads let out a deep laugh like that of a man. It moved towards them again. Menas and Armon continued to pummel it with their light beams but it was a futile exercise. The Asp then exhaled its lethal flames and trapped the brothers in a ring of dark purple fire so that they could not escape.

 

“Did you hear it laugh Menas?” called Armon.

 

“Yes I did. This is some kind of dark sorcery. Our powers seem to do it no harm at all. I don’t…”

 

He was suddenly cut off as one of the hideous heads swooped down and grabbed Armon in its jaws. Without thinking, Menas leapt through the ring of fire, burning his legs as he did so. He reached the base of the Asp’s black body, dug his hands into its flesh and released a large concentrated mass of powerful energy. The Asp roared in agony but did not release Armon.

 

“Set him down serpent!”

 

The head that had Armon in its jaws wrenched back and the other flew towards Menas as he continued to vainly launch his light rays. The head came close to Menas and then let out the same deep man-like laugh. It then picked him up and held him in its fangs. Out if its nostrils came a light purple mist. Menas began to choke and slowly lose consciousness. Before he passed out completely he looked over in the direction of the other head. He saw that the same thing was happening to Armon. Then all was black.

 

 

Continued

 

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