Divine Fire

CODE: H (set in the Horus/Kemet storyline)

TAKES PLACE DURING (specific story): NA (after Horus, prior to Kingdom Of The Hawk (?) (unwritten))

PAIRING: Horus/Hathor (M/F)

EXPLANATION: Please see "Things Fall Apart" for an explanation of an alternate storyline to this one. In the ACTUAL timeline of events...Ra is peeved when his daughter Hathor wants to marry the young god Horus, as he is just about certain that Horus cannot be the possessor of the "divine fire"--a mystical force which is the only thing that can impregnate his daughter. (There's more to it than that but I'll spare you the details.) So when the two marry, he thinks it's pretty much a guarantee that the family line will end. Not good. Still, at least the headstrong, I-don't-need-a-man Hathor is finally getting hitched, so he tries to be happy. As seen here, he keeps peeking in on them in the hopes that maybe he was wrong, maybe Horus DOES possess the divine fire. It doesn't look like he does, and Ra's hopes begin to dwindle...until...

DISCLAIMERS: Ra is really not the voyeur type, but he has a damn good reason to be peeking in in this story, so I suppose I have no disclaimer. Please note that there is a significant passage of time between the two parts of this scene; in the omitted (i. e., unwritten) section, Ra is sending Horus on all kinds of missions and tests of endurance and stuff. Absence makes the heart grow fonder, as the story proves.

* * * * *

Divine Fire

Judging by the way she was kissing him, and trailing her hands down his chest, he supposed that now must be the time. Her touch set his skin on fire; he could feel the blood roaring through his veins. He'd never been with a woman before. On their wedding night Hathor had started to stimulate him, before turning away in anxiety. He didn't force her. He knew that she'd never been with someone either. Tonight, however, it seemed that she was ready--ready and very willing. As they stood by his bed, all of his servants dismissed, she unlatched his pectoral and undid his kilt.

He'd never kissed a woman before, either, except for her. The way that she used her tongue and lips, sucking and biting lightly, almost hungrily, made his head light. His heart thundered in his own ears; the breath caught in his throat. He'd heard others talk of this, when he was younger, but had never imagined that this was how it really was. He could think of nothing to do but touch and kiss her back.

She moved her head so he kissed the arch of her neck, her skin warm and smooth to his mouth. "Horus," she whispered breathlessly. He reached up and let down the straps of her dress. She slipped out of it on her own and pressed her body to him. He started; every curve, every contour fit his own perfectly, as if they were two halves of the same mold. His heart hammered as she caressed him and he felt himself stirring, growing excited in a way that he never had before. It confused him, this feeling; it was stronger than anything he'd ever felt, so strong that it was physical. He suddenly realized that it must be sexual desire--desire for Hathor--and she was his.

He took her face in his hands, trying to control his passion as much as he could. Hathor responded by stepping back toward the bed and lying down, drawing him down upon her. Their mouths continued exploring hungrily. Horus ran one of his hands through her shining black hair. The look, the feel and taste, the very scent of her stimulated him. He noticed an emptiness between them, a valley, the hollow between her legs; even as they kissed he could feel himself growing, expanding to fill it. His breath came faster.

Hathor ran a hand along his thigh, causing him to shiver. She moved, her warmth rubbing against him; her own thighs parted and she guided his hand to her. Horus's heart pounded when he felt her secret place, her moisture warm honey to his fingertips, welcoming, bidding him to enter. She arched her hips into him with a low moan, the moan forming the words, "Mighty Bull."

Horus started again, feeling himself go fully hard. The royal title--which at any other time would have made him feel self-conscious--served to arouse him now, with all of its implications. Hathor opened her eyes to look up at him desirously. "Son of the Sun," she breathed in a husky voice. "Make love to me, Mighty Bull."

She had asked, and he complied. As soon as he entered her he felt some slight resistance, and she bit off a cry of pain as something gave way. Before he could ask she was kissing him again, running her fingers over every bit of his body. She pressed upwards, and he moved with her movement, allowing her hands to guide him, lightly squeezing his buttocks and encouraging his thrusting. The fever in his blood only grew but he controlled himself. He simply couldn't believe the emotion, the passion and carnal desire that coursed through him. He'd felt nothing like it before.

* * * * *

Ra sat before his watermirror, watching his daughter and great-grandson as they made love for the first time since their marriage. Hathor had long ago vowed that she would never marry or let any man have her; once she'd seen Horus, though, everything had changed. Ra hadn't approved of the union; there was the difference in their age, as well as the fact that he believed Horus was neither experienced enough to rule the kingdom and have his daughter's hand, nor was he the one Ra ultimately wished to wed Hathor. The son of Osiris was simply too young and naive. Everyone could plainly see how uncomfortable he was simply bearing the royal titles, much less taking the throne. Yet he'd passed every test Ra had put him through so far. He'd decided to let the two marry before testing the young god; who knew? Maybe Horus was the one he was looking for. And though his fighting skills were barely a match for those of the older gods who served him, he'd done well enough with luck on his side. Perhaps the luck itself was a sign that he was the one...

Many ages ago Goddess Meskhent had told him of the fortune that had been cast for his newborn daughter Hathor, how she would never give him a grandchild unless she were impregnated by the divine fire. Ra knew that only one god of every race possessed the divine fire at a time; however, he had no idea which one it was. He suspected that Thoth knew, but the moon god wasn't going to tell him who the possessor was. All in the name of fate, he'd said. The brushoff angered Ra but he knew there was nothing he could do about it. All he could do was hope that Hathor eventually picked the right suitor, else he would have picked one himself--if he only knew who it was!

But Horus? He'd never imagined that Horus could be the possessor of the divine fire. When he'd first come to take the throne of Kemet, he hadn't shown the battle will that Ra had thought the possessor would show. He'd fought purely out of duty and desperation, not because he'd wanted to. Was that any way for the possessor of the divine fire to act?

He heard his daughter cry out softly, calling Horus's name; he briefly returned his attention to the mirror, seeing only that they were moving more quickly, before losing himself in thought again. The scene didn't excite him in the least. Voyeurism had never been his thing. He only wished to know if Horus was the one or not; as much as Hathor enjoyed her young husband, though, Ra was almost certain by now that he wasn't.

What exactly did he expect to happen, anyway, to prove that Horus carried the divine fire within him? Ra had never seen it, so he wasn't certain what to look for. Even if Horus did carry it, would it show? Would it be something that could be seen by the eyes? He reasoned that it would, but he wasn't sure. Maybe it was invisible--maybe the only way to be certain who carried it was to ask the carrier himself. But Horus had never shown any signs of possessing any power greater than that he already had. Wouldn't he have at least shown something, by now?

Ra sat and mused while the motions of the two in the mirror grew faster, their breathing harder and Hathor's cries louder and more frequent. Perhaps the fire only manifested itself under certain conditions? That would make sense; it would be pointless to be using it all the time, if it were such a potent, dangerous power. He'd heard stories from other races of the fire turning on its own possessor and annihilating him before he could learn to control it. That was supposedly one way that it could be passed on to another god. He didn't know if the stories were true or not; he still didn't trust the foreign gods with their crude tales and manners. But allegedly the fire had consumed its carriers in moments of extreme emotion--rage, fear, passion--all because they couldn't contain it or control it.

Ra frowned and looked at the mirror. Suppose the stories were true? He believed that Horus would have shown some sign sooner--during his battle with Set, perhaps--but what if his emotions hadn't been as strong as they could have been? He had no idea how Horus's mind worked, what would fire him up so much--literally--that his emotions would be at their peak. And if it ever did happen, and he was the possessor...what did that mean? As inexperienced as Ra thought him to be, he didn't like the idea of having to tell Osiris and Isis that their only son had been killed by his own power. And if that were ever to happen, who would gain the fire next? He wasn't even certain if he could control it.

In the mirror, Hathor cried out and arched, Horus with her. Apart from that, Ra couldn't see anything happen. His frown grew darker and more settled. So much for that. He'd convinced himself that the fire would have to show itself somehow, and it hadn't. He waited while the two lay beside each other catching their breath, before Hathor tilted Horus's head to hers and kissed him again. Ra couldn't help but feel a slight bit of vindication. A year or so ago Hathor would have shunned the idea of being with a man; now it appeared that she was going to make the most of her first real night with her strong young husband. The older sun god was almost tempted to delay setting out in Millions Of Years just to give the two a little while longer to rest after what was apparently going to be a long night. Almost tempted; he knew that his daughter and great-grandson would do fine on their own. He only wished that Hathor could have chosen a little better--or a little more luckily--but at least he'd finally gotten her wed. Waving his hand before the mirror, quickly dissolving an image of Hathor, legs spread wide, going down on Horus's lap, Ra stood and wearily made his way back to his rooms.

* * * * *

...As he had a dozen or so times before, Ra watched Horus and Hathor in his watermirror as they undressed each other and sank down over Horus's royal bed. They were going more quickly tonight than they usually did, both evidently more fueled by passion and desire than anything before--Ra suspected because they hadn't been alone with each other in a long time--but it barely held his interest. He'd been watching them every time they retired to Horus's chambers to make love, and so far nothing--not the least thing--had happened to make him believe that Horus carried the divine fire within him. Hathor had chosen a husband poorly. That was all there was to be said. The two might be suited for each other, but Horus most certainly wasn't the right husband. Goddess Meskhent herself--the predictor of fate--had ordained that Hathor's husband must carry the divine fire in order for her to bear him a child. As far as Ra knew Hathor had yet to conceive, and he doubted that she had already. The fire was supposed to manifest itself in moments of extreme emotion. So far, he'd seen nothing from Horus.

Yet still he watched, with a heavy heart but the slightest hope, that maybe, just maybe, he was wrong...

In the mirror, Hathor and Horus had shed their clothes and were inside each other already, with barely any ceremony, their hands all over and their mouths exploring hungrily. Ra had never seen them like this; it reminded him of himself and Nebhet Hotep, his first wife. He rarely visited her unless anger had heated the blood in his veins to near boiling, and her cool touch and willing body always managed to quench the fire inside him. If only Horus would show the same, only literally; there was little chance of that now. Ra knew from experience. If climax wasn't the moment of extreme emotional arousal, then what was? Yet each time the two came together, it was the same--nothing but physical and emotional gratification--good for them, perhaps, but pointless for Ra.

He had to force his attention away from them; he was surprised by how passionate they were, this time. He hadn't known that Hathor could enjoy it such, or even that the young god had it in him. He supposed that abstaining from it for a while did make the experience sweeter, more gratifying and worthwhile.

It was useless though if Hathor couldn't give her husband a child. Horus knew nothing of the prophecy that had been cast for Hathor; Ra suspected that he wouldn't be too happy to learn that he had no chance of gaining any heirs to the throne. Not unless he took another wife, something which Ra could tell was against the younger god's nature. Well, he would either get over his inhibitions and marry another--take a minor goddess as a concubine or, at the very least, get some mortal servant girl with child--or else go without heirs to carry on his rule. He was Ra's last direct descendant, and the line would end with him. It angered Ra that the only other options for continuing the line were Set--who had been deposed from the throne and had failed to have any children of his own anyway--and Anubis, that sullen upstart whose romantic interests had apparently passed away with the mortal woman who'd borne his only child. No, Ra didn't cherish the idea that the line would have to be continued with the emptyheaded, half-mortal daughter of a bastard prince who spoke up too often for his own good.

By now Ra had just about tuned out the increasing moans and cries coming from the mirror, the two within moving rapidly, Hathor submitting to her husband's heated thrusting, her fingers digging into and twisting the bedclothes and her eyes shut tight. So they were almost ready to come; let them. It didn't matter either way. Ra had lost interest in their lovemaking. He wondered if there was some merit to be found in Anubis's young daughter. Perhaps a half-mortal would be better equipped to rule than a full god; Kebehut had had more experience with mortals than most of them had. Anubis was overly protective of her, bordering on vicious; he hadn't let any man even approach her with romantic intentions in mind. That meant that she was still chaste and untouched; a good find for a prospective husband. If there was some way that Ra could get her from Anubis, and set her up to play the part of Horus's daughter...the royal bloodline did run in the female side of the family, so perhaps all that was needed apart from this was to find her a suitable husband--some mortal, perhaps, so she wouldn't get lonely--then maybe he, Ra, could get her with child, to carry on the line, only purer now that his blood would run through the baby's veins; and then he wouldn't have to worry anymore about Hathor and Meskhent's damned prophecy.

But how best to get the girl away from her father, when Anubis was so possessive and prone to causing so much trouble? He knew that it would be another headache just to try taking her away; perhaps he could benefit from Set's help in that regard. He wagered that Set would be able to do it without too much trouble, if he had incentive enough--

From the mirror, a sharp wail. Ra glanced back merely out of habit. Hathor's mouth opened and her body arched upward, her arms pushing her up from the bed. Horus always came within seconds of her; today was no exception. Ra saw him arch and quiver, his head going back, his and Hathor's hips meeting sharply. Then his body went rigid like stone--Hathor's eyes shot open in astonishment--and a fierce, blinding light shot from the mirror like an explosion!

Ra gasped and covered his eyes in pain. What was that? What had just happened? His mirror--had it broken somehow? Squinting so hard that his eyes were the merest slits, he peered back at the mirror. No, it was intact; it was what was inside it that had caused the light. He could barely see his daughter and great-grandson now, but they were still there, still locked in each other's embrace and frozen at the moment of climax. Horus didn't move, except for the rise and fall of his chest as he breathed, his head thrown back and his eyes closed, the brilliant light surrounding him. Hathor, beneath him, continued gasping for breath, her mouth working soundlessly and her eyes wide in apparent shock. The light enveloped her, too; yet Ra could tell that it definitely emanated from Horus. Every line, every contour of the younger god's body glowed like the sun, so that he appeared to be made of light. As Ra watched it only grew brighter, so much so that he had to shut his eyes, tears of pain spilling down his cheeks.

What is it? his mind shrieked. What just happened? What is he doing? This never happened before--what is he doing to Hathor--?!

And then he gasped as it hit him--

The fire. The divine fire!

His head shot up, looking at the mirror again. The son of Osiris still glowed like the sun bark itself; yet even as Ra watched the light began to fade, the glow dimming more and more until it flickered out and disappeared altogether. Only then did Horus's body lose its rigidity; as if emerging from a trance, he sank down slowly, his sides heaving in exhaustion, sweat covering every bit of him. Hathor sank back with him, the weight of his body taking her down; her eyelids fluttered and shut, her head rolling to the side. Neither of them said a word; they collapsed upon each other, too exhausted even to move. Both of them went limp, sinking almost immediately into a sleep almost as deep as death. The lamps next to their bed sputtered and went out in a sudden breeze. A deep silence filled the air.

Ra shakily held up his hand and waved the image away. Even after the surface of the mirror went clear and watery once again he sat before it, trembling slightly, eyes wide, mind racing. That had to have been the divine fire, it had to be! What else could it have possibly been? Horus had never shown anything like--like that before! Not even during any of the other times he and Hathor had made love! Why had it shown up now? It must have been the time they'd spent apart from each other--the absence--the coming together of two who had been apart from each other for too long, and the passion that it had stirred up--and the fire, almost consuming them at their supreme moment--yet not consuming them, just leaving them both drained and exhausted--

He couldn't believe it. Hathor had chosen the right husband. Horus, the young god raised in the swamps with snakes and fish as his companions--he was the possessor of the divine fire! And what was more, it hadn't consumed him in his moment of extreme passion--he had controlled it somehow--perhaps he didn't know how, or even what he'd done, but he had controlled it! Both he and Hathor were physically depleted, drained of almost all their energy, but they were also both alive and whole. The divine fire hadn't harmed either of them! Not only had Horus managed to control it, he'd also kept it from searing Hathor!

Ra stood and stared at the mirror, now nothing more than a clear wall of water, and his fists clenched at his sides. If--that--had been the divine fire, then all of his worries were for naught. Horus had done it. Hathor carried his seed inside her; she must be with child. Ra's great-great-grandchild--the next to carry on the royal bloodline! Forcing himself to remain composed, he turned on one heel and left the room, going to seek out Shu. Someone was going to have to keep their eyes and ears open for any news of Hathor's impending pregnancy.

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This item is not looking for critique. It was written solely for entertainment's sake. Although a scene from a possibly longer story, it is complete in itself and unless otherwise stated there is not going to be any more of it written. Additional unrelated SCENES may be written, but single scenes themselves are complete as they are. So please do not expect more. If you are interested in reading the series which INSPIRED the scene, just look elsewhere in my portfolio and you should find something. (Use the "story codes" given in the scene headers. For example, "MI" = "Manitou Island" series.)

I am not looking for critique on grammar, spelling, style, sentence structure, flow, or the mechanics of writing. What I AM interested in is commentary on such things as characterization, plot, symbolism, theme, etc.--the deeper aspects of the story. I like to know if a scene is believable, if the characters are interesting, what you thought of how they interacted, if the writing evoked any emotions, things such as that.

Feel free to criticize, but just keep in mind that I'm working on more important projects and shared this just for fun and/or to illustrate character interactions, so I don't plan to revise it any time soon. Comments on the characters, theme, etc. are more than welcome.