Chloe blinked at the snake, confused by what it could mean before the scrolls magically unfurled in the jackal-headed man’s hands and he began to speak.
“Lords Anubis and Set have both requested your service in retrieving an urn of great value that has recently been unveiled in the Louvre. Each makes a claim upon it and it shall be your choice to whom I deliver it. Both have made the request that this task be completed with all due haste but also advise caution when handling the urn.”
The jackal-headed mans’ voice was deep and booming, commanding the attention of all who heard it. As the jackal handed her the scrolls, she got the feeling something was bothering him but she couldn’t figure out what before he bowed respectfully, dropping to one knee with a fist pressed to the floor. “You have my condolences for this first task, Serpent of Truth.”
"It's alright, Great Messenger, I know you had nothing to do with this, though I wish we had more time to acclimate with our new user before performing a task," Naje said with a sigh while Haje hissed in annoyance. Chloe herself was a bit lost.
"I get that I have to retrieve this urn, but what's so bad about picking who I have to give it to?" Chloe asked as she looked at the scrolls and found the same depiction of the urn on each one. She wasn’t thrilled about the idea of breaking into the Louvre but stealing a pot made her a lot less nervous than some of the things Naje and Haje had implied she’d have to.
"Well Chloe, think of it like this: only one can get the urn so whichever God you choose will be happy and the other will be royally upset, and the two gods are lords of the underworld, and chaos and war, respectively," Haje replied.
"Plus one works with our Father so it won't be good either way," Naje hissed softly, almost to himself before they both looked up to the messenger.
"Thank you for delivering these, Great Messenger. We will bring you the urn as fast as the fates allow us," Haje said, bowing his head to which the messenger nodded before rising. He turned and left with a mighty leap from the roof and quickly faded into the shadows of the night. Chloe tried to track where he went but it was almost as if he hadn't existed in the first place, making Chloe huff and look to the snakes.
"So I guess it's time I transform into my hero look, right?" Chloe asked, unable to help feeling an icy lump of dread at the idea of becoming a hero again. She had already messed that up once and here she was, about to walk down that path all over again. Terror gripped at her and it wasn't until Haje spoke that she felt anything but fear.
"It is not a hero look, you are a Champion and these are your divine vestments, but yes, it is time to transform. To do so you say, ‘Truth be Judged’ with intent, otherwise you will not activate the magic,” Haje explained. Chloe blinked at the odd phrase but nodded before looking at the ring.
In an instant there was a flash of golden light and Chloe could feel her clothes change as strength coursed throughout her body. Her senses heightened until she was on the brink of a sensory overload but then it was done, and as her eyes adjusted she felt oddly relaxed. Nothing had gone wrong and she wasn't hurt. It wasn't until she saw her reflection in the glass that she had a small freak out.
“What am I wearing?!" Her outfit was insane. It looked nothing like a hero and more like something an exotic belly dancer or stripper would wear. Her stomach was exposed along with a wildly inappropriate amount of skin, though she found herself wincing at the sight of the scars across her abdomen. Once she was finally able to tear her eyes away from them and take in the rest of her outfit, she gawked even more. Her chest was wrapped in a magenta crop top that separated her breasts. She wore a half skirt of a deep purple with several other sashes and leather straps tied around her waist. What armor she did wear didn’t seem all that protective, leather bracers and pauldrons, with knee high sandals that could barely be called greaves. A hood and serpentine half-mask covered her face, for which she was grateful, she would not want to be recognized wearing this.
“I can't go out like this, even if it is night!" Chloe protested.
"But this is the traditional garb of the Serpent Numinous and besides, it's a symbol of strength and truth," Naje said as Chloe checked the rest of her costume and found a sword at her hip. "That is your khopesh, you can lace it with your poisons when fighting so even non lethal blows can kill your opponent or disable them.”
Chloe's eyes widened at the idea of cutting someone down with a sword and it made her stomach lurch so she pushed the thought from her head.
"What do you mean poisons?" she asked to help distract herself.
"Amongst our abilities that you have access to, besides the ability of Allocation, which you used to save Rose, there is also the ability to use poisons,” Haje began to explain. “One for each of our fangs, to be precise. There are two for each hand. The non-lethal on the right hand and the lethal on the left hand. To use them you just need to think of them with intent and press the corresponding fingers together.”
“Ok, uhm, tell me more about the non-lethal poisons, because no offense, I don't feel like getting myself a body count today, or well, ever,” Chloe said as she did her best to remain calm as she examined her hands as if they had just turned into snakes.
“Oh that's simple, press your index and middle fingers together to create a paralyzing poison. It makes anyone struck with it unable to move or do anything until you either dismiss it or they answer three questions honestly. Otherwise it will last until the next sunrise or sunset,” Naje said as he seemed to puff out his chest. “It is my poison after all.”
“The other one in the ring and pinky fingers causes intense pain throughout the body unless the afflicted chooses to be honest. The more truths they speak the more the pain fades,” Haje said. “However, the more they lie the worse the pain grows until they will wish for death.”
“Ok, I know I’ll regret this but what about the lethal options,” Chloe asked as she examined her fingers closely.
“Well the first and most famous one is one that ignites like our great Father. It is the poison of Burning Flames that devours entirely,” both said with pride. “While the other is the more merciful Final Judgment. When used they see their heart weighed against the feather and if they are beyond saving then they will be devoured by Ammit immediately, disappearing from the Mortal world.”
Those words were spoken so calmly and joyfully that she almost thought it was a joke, but knew that wasn't the case.
“Ok, note to self, not using those on anyone,” Chloe said as she began walking out to the patio, gazing at the roof across from Le Grand Paris.
“Let’s get this started,” she said before taking a deep breath and breaking into a run. Chloe almost shocked herself with how fast she moved and nearly slammed into the railing before managing to leap with a yelp. She soared through the air, momentarily experiencing that thrill of power that she had become addicted to as Queen Bee before crashing into the other roof like a thrown rock.
“Ow,” she moaned as she got up. Despite how much it hurt, she was glad for the pain, it was a reminder of why she didn’t want any of this in the first place and curbed the rush she had felt as she flew through the air. She adjusted her outfit and looked to the next roof, taking a moment to think before she started running again. This time she managed to jump and land without trying to turn herself into a smear. She continued on like this for a bit, each time growing a little more accustomed to this new strength, until finally her destination came into sight. She stopped, looking down onto the plaza of the Louvre.
“Now for the tough part, how to get in without setting off any alarms?” Chloe asked herself. It shouldn’t be that hard, she recalled there being dozens of incidents at the Louvre throughout her time in school, though most of those had taken place during the day, if she recalled correctly. Racking her brain for ideas turned up nothing so Chloe decided that maybe subtlety wasn’t that important.
She leapt onto the roof of the Louvre and began inspecting roof access doors and vents before finding an air duct that looked big enough. She was still amazed by her newfound strength as she pried the cover off the duct and slipped inside. It was a little tricky with the sword at her side but she managed to slide down the shaft without making too much noise and began traversing the ventilation system until she found herself close to the Egyptian section.
She pried another grate open, more carefully this time, and slipped through the opening before dropping to the ground with hardly a sound. She padded cautiously the rest of the way, praying she didn’t trip any alarms as she went, the fewer people she had to deal with, the better.
As she reached the Egyptian wing of the museum, she began scanning the exhibits for one that matched the depiction from the scrolls and finally spotted her target. Unfortunately, it was in a glass case and she knew there was no way she’d be able to get it out without setting off an alarm.
“Use the power of Allocation,” Haje said suddenly, making Chloe nearly jump out of her skin as the snake suddenly manifested beside her.
“Don’t do that!” Chloe hissed as her heart hammered in her chest. After a couple of deep breaths she managed to ask, “What is this Allocation power? You mentioned it before.”
“You have the ability to move people or objects if you focus hard enough. You saved that Rose girl without even knowing you could. Focus on the urn and will it to you and it will pass through the glass as if it wasn’t there,” Naje said.
“Ok, here goes nothing,” Chloe said as she braced her feet and held out her hands. She was grateful for the mask because it hid the ridiculous face she was making as she furrowed her brow and wrinkled her nose with concentration. She tried to push every distracting thought from her head, as difficult as that was at the moment, until she began to feel a throbbing in the back of her head that started to spread down her neck. Chloe could feel sweat trickling down all over her exposed body as she strained with the desire to make the urn move.
Chloe was starting to feel ridiculous and the throbbing was starting to hurt when she blinked and in that instant, the urn was gone from the case. Chloe started and just barely noticed motion above her before she reflexively dove forward to catch the suddenly falling urn. She managed to just catch it in time but her momentum carried her forward until she collided with the now empty case and sent it toppling over.
The smashing of glass made her wince and the blaring ring of an alarm nearly made her drop the urn. Panic filled her as she looked up at the vent and realized there was no way she’d be able to get the urn out that way, even if she hadn’t triggered the alarm. Just as she was about to break into a frenzied run in a random direction, it dawned on her that all she needed to do was get outside, only two people in all of Paris could keep up with her and her roof-hopping strength.
Chloe bolted for the nearest exit, catching glimpses of security guards running towards the source of the alarm only for them to jump back startledly as she zipped past them. She kicked open the doors of the museum, nearly taking them off their hinges before she was out in the cool night air.
Chloe was smiling to herself as she ran from the Louvre, holding the urn under her arm. She had done pretty well for her first mission, all things considered. She felt good about this task, mistakes and all, and once she handed the urn over to that jackal guy, she might just ask Jean for a late night snack to celebrate.
“Hey, Naje, Haje, not too bad for my first time, right?” she called out with a laugh as she took to the rooftops. She had just started to let herself feel excited about this strange new direction her life was taking when a figure landed in front of her, stopping her dead in her tracks and killing any hope that may have been flourishing in her.
“That’s far enough, umm…” Ladybug trailed off as she looked at Chloe with a mix of confusion and something Chloe couldn’t quite pick out. “Snake lady. I don’t know why that urn is important or why you were akumatized-” Before Ladybug could finish, Chloe rushed her, causing her to jump out of the way.
“Sorry,” Chloe called back as she darted past and jumped to another roof. “I’m not akumatized, and I don’t want to fight you. I’ve got something important to do,” Chloe shouted as she ran, hoping that would be enough but knew better as a yoyo flew past her and wrapped around a chimney. A swift kick in the back took her by surprise and sent her sprawling on the ground and the urn sliding across the roof.
“Yeah, theft is real important. What does Hawkmoth want with the urn, snake lady?” Ladybug asked as she interposed herself between Chloe and the urn.
Chloe huffed as she leapt to her feet and raised her hands in a fighting stance. She didn’t want to fight Ladybug but it was looking like she’d have no choice.
“Hawkmoth has nothing to do with this! I’m just taking the urn back to its rightful owner,” Chloe said earnestly, almost pleadingly. A sour lump was forming in her gut as she tensed in preparation for a fight.
“If you’re not with Hawkmoth, who are you? A Miraculous user?” Ladybug asked as she raised hands in a fighting posture, ready to strike. Chloe could hear Naje and Haje hiss in anger at that.
“No, I’m the Judge of Truth and wielder of the Serpent Numinous,” Chloe declared with as much confidence as she could muster while dropping her hands to her side. It was a risk, but despite everything that had happened to Chloe, she still had faith in Ladybug.
Which was why Ladybug lunging caught her completely off guard. Ladybug leapt over Chloe and Chloe’s feet were swept out from under her. By the time Chloe hit the rooftop, Ladybug had grabbed her arm and twisted it behind her back.
“I don’t know what any of that means, but I do know that you can’t just steal artifacts from the Louvre, no matter who they might belong to,” Ladybug said as she began to reach for her yoyo to tie Chloe up.
“Use one of the poisons,” Haje whispered in her ear.
“Punish this interloper,” Naje whispered in the other.
“No!” Chloe shouted at the snakes, startling Ladybug. "Stop! I don't want to fight you!” Chloe yelled as she turned her attention to Ladybug. “I just want to get the urn back!”
Chloe grunted as she began struggling against Ladybug and surprised them both as she began to push herself up with her other arm. She managed to get enough leverage to roll onto her back, forcing Ladybug to let go. Chloe scrambled to her feet and looked over her shoulder to see she had the urn to her back.
“Who wants the urn then? If you don’t work for Hawkmoth then you should be able to tell me that,” Ladybug demanded.
“Two Egyptian gods,” Chloe said and immediately regretted it. Even with the existence of the Miraculous, she knew that sounded like a ridiculous claim and judging from the frown on Ladybug’s face, the bug-themed hero agreed.
“If you don’t believe me then come with me to meet the jackal-headed messenger they sent,” Chloe offered even as she knew it wouldn’t help make her case.
“If you’re not akumatized then I bet that jackal-headed man is. Hawkmoth must have made a really powerful one this time,” Ladybug said as she twirled her yoyo.
“Why won’t you listen to me?” Chloe snapped angrily. She felt a stabbing hunger pain and realized she must be nearing the limit of her transformation time. She needed to end this quickly.
Chloe began to back up, hiding her right hand behind her back as she held her index and middle fingers together. She focused her desire and felt energy coursing through her digits as it felt like every muscle in her body coiled with the urge to strike.
Ladybug didn’t disappoint this time as she hurled the yoyo and charged an instant later. Chloe spun with an artful ballet twirl, dodging the yoyo as she brought her right hand around and jabbed Ladybug in the ribs. Ladybug jerked and collapsed stiffly, her arm extended in a punch.
“Please be ok, please be ok,” Chloe whispered as she knelt beside Ladybug and checked for a pulse. She nearly collapsed fully with relief as she heard Ladybug breathing. Chloe slowly turned to face the urn and felt her breath hitch.
Ladybug’s yoyo had smashed the urn when it missed Chloe and Chloe had been too focused on Ladybug to notice. Now, the sand that had been contained within the urn began to shift and swirl, spiraling upwards even though there was no wind carrying it. As it grew into a small sandstorm, laughter filled the air, laughter that just seemed…wrong.
A twisted skeleton began to emerge from the twister of sand and at that, Chloe lost her focus and Ladybug collapsed beside her, groaning softly. Chloe paid her no mind as flesh began to coalesce along the skeleton.
“What is that?” Chloe asked, horrified by the sight of skin restitching its way across the body.
“A sand wraith,” Haje hissed.
“A demon and a vicious murderer, whose crimes also include attacks on both Set and Anubis,” Naje growled. “You must act quickly and destroy him before he can get his bearings!”
Chloe tensed and just as she was about to leap forward, the sand wraith turned his eyes on her. His face was that of a ruggedly handsome Middle Eastern man with a strong nose profile, but those eyes were pits of hatred and malice that shot ice down her spine.
The sandstorm subsided and he stepped forward, dressed in a knee length skirt, half shirt and sandals. He regarded Chloe and Ladybug curiously, tilting his head like they were strange insects.
“A Miraculous and a Numinous? What a fantastic warm up before I take Anubis and Set’s heads,” he said as he smiled, baring teeth that were all fangs.
Chloe was frozen with fear no matter what Haje and Naje shouted in her head and then she was being yanked into the air and the sand wraith snarled in dismay. It took Chloe a moment to realize that Ladybug had grabbed her and swung them both away. They landed in an alley several streets away, hiding behind a dumpster.
They sat there in silence for a moment, both panting heavily.
“Wha-?” Ladybug started to ask before Chloe rounded on her, tears streaming down her face beneath her mask.
“Do you feel like a hero now, Marinette?!” Chloe shouted. She knew she shouldn’t be saying something like that so loud but she couldn’t help it anymore.
“How do you know my na-?” Ladybug tried to ask as her mouth fell open but Chloe shouted over her.
“I was trying to do something good and you just couldn’t let me! Well, do you feel good now? All of Paris is in danger from that thing now and it’s your fault!” Chloe said as she jabbed Ladybug in the chest.
Ladybug stared in shock before giving herself a shake.
“I don’t know who you are or how you know what you know, but…you’re right. It is my fault, so how can I help fix this?”
Chloe hated that Ladybug was able to compartmentalize so well, but that’s probably part of what made Marinette such a great hero in the first place. She took a calming breath and thought to Haje and Naje, ‘How do we stop the sand wraith?’
Chloe and Marinette jumped as the snake manifested between.
“What is that?!” Marinette shouted as she leapt back.
“My Numinous, Haje and Naje,” Chloe said quickly.
“Hello, Ladybug wielder,” Naje said.
“Is Tiki well?” Haje asked.
“You know-?” Marinette started to ask before giving herself a shake. “You know what? Nevermind. Do you know how to defeat that monster?”
“The gods sealed him away after his attacks on Anubis and Set, but I doubt we’ll be able to find the ingredients to create a sealing spell or another vase inscribed with the proper runes,” Haje said.
“You will have to destroy him,” Naje said.
“Destroy?” Marinette said, aghast. “I don’t care how much of a monster this thing is, I don’t kill.”
“Then prepare to watch Paris turn to ashes,” the snakes said in unison.
“How do we kill it?” Chloe asked, ignoring the look Marinette shot her.
“The poison of Burning Flame, it will consume him entirely. None of the others will have any effect on him,” Haje said.
“And I’m sure he’ll just let me hit him,” Chloe said sarcastically. “If he’s strong enough to fight gods, how are we supposed to get close enough to take him out without getting murdered?”
“Wait, before we resort to that, there might be another way,” Marinette said as she took her yoyo and threw it over her head. “Lucky charm!” she shouted as a swarm of ladybugs appeared and dropped something out of the air.
They all stared at the red and black polka-dotted bucket in Marinette’s hands.
“Please don’t tell me we’re just going to put that on his head,” Chloe said as she crossed her arms.
“Actually…” Marinette said as she looked between the bucket and Chloe, “tell me more about this Burning Flame stuff.”
The sand wraith’s laughter filled the night air as he floated over the streets of Paris. Police cars formed barricades as officers aimed weapons at him.
“How can such pathetic little creatures hope to hurt the likes of me?” he called out contemptuously. “Honestly, I’m doing the gods a favor by wiping out their playthings before I come for them.”
He raised his right hand and sand began to swirl around his open palm. The swirling intensified until he was pointing a cone of grinding granules that he shot at a police car. The officer behind it threw himself out of the way barely in time as the vehicle was torn to shreds.
Gunfire rang out after that but every shot that pierced him was ground to dust before they could exit his body.
“Is that the best you can do?” he shouted, angry at the lack of a challenge.
“How about this?” a voice called out, causing the sand wraith to turn as Chloe leapt from a nearby rooftop. Her khopesh sang as she swung it with all her might but it found no purchase as the sand wraith twisted away. Chloe skidded as she hit the street and spun quickly to face him.
“Ah, little snake, I was hoping you would show yourself again. I will enjoy breaking you and consuming your Numinous’s essence,” the sand wraith said as he floated down to street level.
Chloe leveled her blade at him, gripping it hard to keep her hands from trembling. Even with her enhanced abilities, she knew she was no match for him and hoped she could just keep him at arm’s length. It wasn’t just fear that had her trembling though, hunger had her feeling practically hollow. Being transformed for this long was incredibly taxing.
The sand wraith lunged forward, clearing the distance between them in the blink of an eye and Chloe felt sand scratch along the part of her cheek that was exposed as his hand came terrifyingly close to taking her head. She swung wildly, forcing him to jump away and used the momentum of her swing to plant the tip of her blade into the ground so she could vault away, putting more distance between them.
“You fight like a novice,” the sand wraith called out as he began to gather sand in both hands. “Is this your first time wearing that armor? If so, then it shall also be your last!”
Chloe’s eyes widened as he raised both hands towards her and she dashed for a car parked on the street. The force of the attack knocked her off her feet but also carried her behind the car, saving her from the worst of it. Despite that, several spots on her arms and legs were red and raw from where sand had stripped several layers of skin.
The car was gone and the sand wraith casually strolled up to her through where it had once stood. He placed a sandaled foot on Chloe’s left wrist with enough pressure that she was sure her bones would snap any second now. It also thoroughly kept her from reaching for her khopesh.
“Your fatal poisons are in your left hand if I remember correctly,” the sand wraith mused more to himself. “If I’m careful, I’ll be able to keep your skeleton as a trophy.” He held his hand over Chloe’s face as sand began to gather in his palm.
“Now!” another voice shouted and Chloe grimaced as she kicked off the pavement to strike the sand wraith in the back, knocking him forward. She screamed as he still managed to drive his foot down on her wrist, snapping it with ease. She clutched her hand to her chest as she rolled away.
The sand wraith was picking himself up with a snarl on his face as Marinette landed in front of him with a steaming bucket. Realization dawned on his face as Marinette swung the bucket, sending its content spraying in an arc. Water splashed across the sand wraith and he screamed as everywhere it made contact suddenly burst into flame.
Sand exploded from his body in every direction as he tried to smother the flames but they burned even brighter and he slowly began to crystallize as the heat melted the sand into glass. He turned a baleful eye on Chloe and Marinette and tried to direct one last scouring strike of sand at them but it petered out, leaving him to glare as molten glass dripped from his burning form.
“I won’t let it end here!” he roared as he forced himself to take one step and then another, the heat from his body making Marinette shield her face with a hand she stood protectively over Chloe. He reached out a burning hand for them but it stopped inches from Marinette as the poison finished its work. Where there had been a sand wraith now stood a terrifying piece of glass work that looked like a man trapped within a whirlwind.
Marinette and Chloe were both panting and then Marinette turned to help Chloe up. Chloe still held her broken wrist tenderly and winced as she made it to her feet.
“So what now?” Marinette asked as they looked at the remains of the sand wraith.
“Is this the part where you fix everything?” Chloe asked as she tried not to groan in pain.
“Oh, right,” Marinette said with a nervous chuckle. “It’s odd doing this without having stopped an akuma,” she said before tossing the bucket into the air.
“Miraculous Ladybug!” she shouted as the bucket transformed into a swarm of ladybugs that scattered across the city, repairing all the damage that had been caused.
Marinette smiled as she turned to face Chloe, only to frown as Chloe still clutched her wrist.
“Wait, why didn’t that fix your arm? We need to get you to a hospital,” Marinette said as she stepped closer only to have Haje and Naje interject themselves between the two girls.
“Numinous magic and Miraculous magic do not mix,” Haje said.
“Do not worry though, the damage will be repaired quickly enough,” Naje added. “Ladybug wielder, we request a favor. Take us back to the rooftop where the urn was broken.”
Marinette was aware of her earrings beeping but since this person before her already knew her secret identity that seemed less of an issue at the moment. With a nod from Chloe, Marinette picked her up and swung them away with her yoyo.
It didn’t take long for them to land back on the rooftop of their fight and they found the urn, unsmashed.
“Excellent, this mission is salvageable,” Haje whispered in Chloe’s ear as Marinette set her down.
Chloe stepped towards the urn and then stopped. Her good hand rose to the mask covering her face and she turned back to Marinette.
“What are you doing?!” Naje asked angrily as Chloe pushed the mask up.
“Chloe?!” Marinette gasped, stepping back as if she’d been struck. “What?! Why?! How?!”
“I still don’t have all the answers myself,” Chloe said as she turned back to the urn and picked it up with her good hand. “But I didn’t think it was fair that I knew who you were and I want you to be able to trust me when I tell you to stay out of my way in the future.”
“But…but…” Marinette stammered, at a loss for words.
“I’m sure Tiki will have plenty to say about this when you get back home,” Chloe said as she walked to the edge of the roof. “Goodnight, Ladybug. Thanks for your help.”
“Wait!” Marinette called out, stopping Chloe from jumping away. “What do I call you…in case we do meet again?”
Chloe paused, unsure herself until Haje whispered in her ear, making her tilt her head.
“You can call me Matasp, but I think it would be better if we don’t,” Chloe said before jumping away, being careful not to jostle her broken wrist too much.
As Chloe landed on her patio at the Le Grand Paris, she found herself bone tired and barely able to hold on to the urn. Fortunately, the jackal-headed messenger was waiting for her and stepped forward to take the urn from her hand.
“Excellent work, Serpent of Truth. Now who shall I bring this to?”
Chloe groaned at the fact that the job still wasn’t over and that she had no idea which of the two should get the urn, especially now that it was empty of its demonic content.
“Actually, we have a thought about that,” Haje said, though Naje seemed to be in a mood since he refused to look at her.
“Ok, but first, what’s his problem?” Chloe asked, nodding towards Naje.
“You revealed yourself to a Miraculous wielder!” Naje hissed. “What if you must one day bring her down? You have given away a critical advantage!”
Chloe’s eyebrow twitched as the urge to go off on Naje nearly overwhelmed her exhaustion, but a twinge of pain in her broken wrist smothered her anger and made her grimace. She let out a long breath and turned to Haje.
“What did you have in mind?” she asked.
“Lord Anubis likely wanted the urn so he could deal with the sand wraith once and for all. With that accomplished, I think he will be pleased regardless of its return. Set is…capricious by nature, and offending him risks a multitude of problems. Since the urn’s return was the only thing specified in the requests, we,” Haje paused to shoot Naje a look as the other head continued to sulk, “recommend giving the urn to Set.”
“Sounds good to me,” Chloe said as she fought back a yawn. She turned to the messenger and tried to sound more assertive, “Deliver the urn to Se-, I mean Lord Set.”
The messenger bowed his head, “It will be done. Farewell, Serpent, and may the gods grant you fair favors.”
With that the tall figure once more ran off into the night, the urn clutched tightly to his broad chest. If Chloe had been in better shape, she might have been a little sad to see him go, but as it was, her bed was calling to her and she dragged her feet towards it. She pushed her mask off before collapsing face first into her pillow and was asleep almost instantly.
Edited and co-written by GrayNeko
