Page 47 of Claiming Demons
“It’s a good thing you’ll be facing Ramsey and not me,” I added, “as I’d likely cut off your tiny prick, assuming I could even find it.”
That left Horus gaping.
I strode back to Ramsey, letting my armor vanish, my aspects fading. “Yes, you have my permission to be my champion in this silly duel, but don’t kill the twit, just rough him up a little, understood.”
Ramsey grinned. “I’ll try to restrain myself.” He rose and turned back to Horus. “Do you accept my challenge?”
Horus was clearly shaken, but he also seemed unable to back down. He slowly drew himself up to his full height… which was tall, but not as tall as Ramsey. “Yes!”
People began to move, and I rolled my eyes at the idiot.
Ramsey called out, “Maat! Draw us a circle!”
A woman stepped forward. She had beautiful dark skin and black feathery wings. As people moved aside, she began pacing out a circle, chanting as she went. Wherever she stepped, her footprints glowed to life and formed a golden line behind her.
Once she’d completed her circuit, a circle shone brightly with golden light for a moment before dying down to a dull glow. Ramsey tossed aside his coat and shirt and stepped into the circle topless. His mountains of muscle heaved and bunched as he stretched and readied himself.
Horus didn’t take anything off, stepping into the circle with quiet confidence. “You know you cannot resist my Word of Rulership,” Horus said confidently. “You, who are nothing more than a half-breed. Your mother was mortal. My parents are both greater gods. You may be physically stronger, half-breed, but you’re no match for me.”
“Is that true?” I whispered to Harmonia.
She sighed. “Most of it is posturing, but there is some truth to his words. Ramsey’s mother was mortal, but that doesn’t mean much. Horus may be the son of two gods, older and inherently more powerful, but he’s also a lazy git and didn’t bother to practice his power. Whereas Ramsey has spent all of his shorter life making himself the best with his aspects.”
Harmonia hedged for a moment, perhaps considering her next words. “Horus’ main attack is his Word of Rulership, which is no joke. I honestly don’t know if Ramsey is strong enough to overcome it. I’d give them roughly even odds.”
“Oh.” That surprised me. Horus looked so weak and insignificant compared to Ramsey. Now I was just a bit worried.
“I’m fifteen hundred years older than you are!” Horus taunted. “You wouldn’t even have been a king if not for my approval! And what a king you were. You oversaw the beginning of the end of Egypt’s dominance! You were a fool then, and you’re a fool now to challenge me.” Horus laughed. “You only attained celestial statusafteryour death, but I was born a god!” The petulant ass was reveling in his own words.
Ramsey barked a laugh, finally responding. “Exactly,” he said, softly.
Horus balked, clearly wondering what he’d said wrong.
I hadn’t caught it either, but Ramsey continued.
“You were born a god and people reluctantly accepted you because they had to. But I… I wasreveredas a mortal and it was the prayers of all of Egypt which made me a god. I was beloved of the people far more than you were. And as for the fall of Egypt, where wereyouduring that time? If I recall correctly, you were off trying to seduce the goddess Sita, but she refused you at every turn. And since then, you’ve done nothing but jerk off and complain, while I’ve been building my power. We’ll let this duel determine which of us is superior.”
Horus was livid, red-faced with rage. He turned to the black-winged woman Maat. “Begin!” he shouted at her.
Ramsey settled into a fighting stance as Maat raised a hand, then let it fall.
Ramsey took two steps and then I felt it. The huge outpouring of power from Horus. Half the room was sent to their knees. I managed to stay on my feet, as did Aphrodite and Hera, but Harmonia grunted and was forced down.
Ramsey was also affected, but not much, only slowed. He forced himself forward as if against a hurricane’s wind.
So…thiswas Horus’ power?
“What are Horus’ aspects,” I asked Aphrodite.
“Rulership and the heavens.”
“The heavens?”
“He’s a sky god, but it’s less about the sky as it is about being… above everyone else. There are elements of wind and sunlight and moonlight, but mostly it’s about the power of the unknown around us and above us.”
“Oh.”
I honestly had no clue how Ramsey would fare against such powers.