Set glanced at Asima before turning to Souban demanding, "What have you done to him?!"

Melhet drew a blade, ready to attack if need be.

"Nothing." Souban shrugged. "He's dead, Set. When I trapped his soul in his body, I gave up a bit of myself. In exchange, your brother was an actual person. He had feelings, and memories. Now, I took myself back, and he's simply a trapped soul. No feelings, very, very few memories. He's mine. Are...you...going...to...help...me?" She repeated slowly.

Asima glanced back towards Malum as soon as everyone's attention was away. "I can't watch and not help..." She explained, attempting to justify her actions. She hesitated, before holding a shield around the High Priest.

"I guess now's as good a time as any" Malum sighed, sneaking around, into the room and attacking Souban, "Excuse me witch, you're playing the wrong side."

Set startled as suddenly there was a barrier around him, he paused, looking around in uncertainties. What could he do now?

Melhet immediately turned towards Malum, intercepting the attack and driving Malum back so that the two began to spare.

(Oh yeah....XD)

Souban had jerked back in suprise as Malum attacked. She hadn't even seen him coming. She paused as Melhet stepped in, and watched them for a second. Her attention quickly moved to the princess, since Set seemed stunned. A blast of flames left her hand, and shot towards the female.

Asima dropped the shield as soon as it became clear Souban didn't want to attack Set.

Instinctively Set raised his hand, a blue wind enveloped the flames and extinguished them, "Stop Souban! I demand you stop this now!"

"Then agree." She stated simply. "You are powerful...you'd be an asset....kill the princess, and your brother lives. Perhaps I can change him back...who knows." Asima had flinched back from the flames, suprised. Once they vanished, she glanced towards Set, giving him a slight smile. The smile faded when Souban spoke.

"That wasn't the deal Souban" Set glared, stepping towards her, "Melhet kills Malum and lives. I stand by that."

"A lot of things have changed." Souban grinned, "So this does as well. Kill her, and help me kill her brother, and once it's done, you and your brother will be free to go..."

"I told you. I warned you" Set glared, "to keep them out of this. How stupid do you think I am, to have no realized it's them you wanted? I gave you more than your fair chance to work together Souban. You've lost it now." he raised his hands, "I will take my brother and go now."

Just as Set began to cast a spell however, Melhet threw Malum away into a wall and took his place between Set and Souban, blades at the ready to attack.

"Melhet, I know you can hear me" Set called to him, "Step aside. Let me end this."

"I must protect my master" Melhet replied in that endlessly monotone voice. He leaped forward to attack, Set barely had the time to block.

Souban glared, and turned to Asima. Melhet shouldn't have a problem with his brother now. She lifted out daggers, and darted forward. She moved surprisingly quick, slashing at the princess. Asima lifted a shield and fumbled for her own daggers, though Souban managed to slice her forearm in a shallow cut.

"Melhet please!" Set blocked each attack, his defensive spells still quite strong, "Wake up! It's me, your brother! Melhet!"

"Asima!" Malum exclaimed, managing to get back to his feet. He was a bit sore from Melhet's blow but that wasn't going to stop him from fighting against Souban now. He aimed a swift kick to her back.

Souban, however, was used to fighting, and had been in various scuffles with multiple people. She had expected it, and shifted her weight so Malum's kick never connected. One dagger lifted, trying to slice his calf, and the other hand moved downwards to stab at Asima.

The princess finally got her dagger out, and deflected Souban's second dagger, though it forced her to step back, and sent a jolt of pain before a numbness settled into the limb.

Malum ducked and twisted, turning his missed kick into an attempt to grab Souban's wrist and take the blade from her.


"Melhet-Melhet!" Set called, trying to get through to his brother, "Don't make me do this Melhet! Why won't you STOP?!" he snapped, sending Melhet hurling across the room with a sharp gust of wind. But Melhet stood and shook it off, moving back in to attack. Set shook his head, "please stop..." he begged, raising spires of earth to cage his brother.

Melhet refused to listen, in all likelihood he probably couldn't even hear Set anymore. He hurled his daggers towards the mage and clawed at the solid stone bars to get out.

Set dodged all but one dagger, having it stab into his right shoulder, the mage dropped to his knee with a cry. It was taking a lot more effort to cast his spells now. He brought the water skin to his lips, Just one more drink and he should be fine though...
The last few drops of the potion touched Set's tongue and he shivered, staring into the skin in confusion. "no..." he mumbled to himself, "I couldn't have taken so much already..."

As Set was distracted, Melhet slipped a final delicate dagger from his boot and with a flick of his wrist, hurled it straight for Set's head.

Asima moved forward again, trying to slice the blade in the tiny opening Souban had left exposed. Set's yelling, however, distracted her, and she glanced over quickly. Her eyes widened slightly and she dropped the dagger, her hands moving to throw up another shield around Set. Unarmed, she slipped back again, though Souban had noticed the fallen dagger. Asima instead focused on holding Souban still, rock molding and shaping to trap her legs. Her hands, however moved too quickly for Asima to trap.

The red haired female gave a grunt of pain as Malum gripped her wrist. The dagger did fall, though her other arm streaked towards Malum quickly.

Set looked up in time to see the blade ricochet off Asima's shield. His eyes widened and he stared at Melhet, "... brother..."

Malum had to release Souban's arm to duck and avoid getting hit again, suddenly the thief found himself waist-deep in solid rock. Meanwhile vines had crept down from the ceiling to restrain Souban's hands.

Set stood with his face towards the floor. Slowly he raised his gaze to Souban with a deadly look in his eyes, The regular blue hue had taken on a more grayish tone, "You. You've destroyed him." he walked forward slowly, each step causing the rock floor to spider into cracks with the slightest touch. "You've ruined my brother." Each crack spawned black smoke from below, "you brought him back, only to take him away from me again" the smoke drifted through the air like clawed hands, seeking to be set free upon some unfortunate soul. "Return him to the way he was" Set's voice began to layer, as though with another's, "or I will bring upon you the wrath of gods, and then do it myself."

Asima gave a tiny eep, releasing the stone from around Malum, though still keeping Souban's feet encased. The other female grunted with effort, glancing towards Melhet. Her empty hand moved slightly, and his cage crumbled. Her attention turned then, to Set. Her eyes widened slowly as he advanced. "I-it would take time." She stated, hesitating, "And you must do as I told you."

Asima's eyes had widened as well, but when she realized his attention wasn't on her, she passed a hand over her wound. She wasn't powerful enough to heal it, and it was shallow, but she could clot the wound. She located her dagger, as well as the one Souban dropped, then moved closer to Malum. "H-his eyes, Malum...What can we do?"

((Sorry, it was Set that had trapped Malum in stone to make him stop fighting XD))

Even as the cage around Melhet crumbled, vines quickly restrained him again. Set leaned forward, staring Souban in the eyes, his own gray-blue gaze as cold as ice and as deadly as being trapped beneath it. "No Souban." he hissed, the smokey hands slowly crawling their way up the sorceress' body. Their touch, as light as ghosts, felt like fire. "No questions, no demands in return. You do, as I say."

(Ah....I thought I/Asima had made a mistake again! XD)

Souban cried out, struggling in vain. "Fine..." She hissed softly, and nodded, "It....will take time! I told you, I don't know how, yet...You'll have to release me...." She pleaded. The smoke touching her burnt her nerves, making her twist and jerk. She hadn't seen this in Set, and to be honest, it frightened her. But if she agreed, she would have time while trying to fixing Melhet, in which to think and continue to try and turn Set to her side.

Once Asima had reached Malum, she'd realized the stone wasn't letting up. She glanced at Set, fighting back a shudder as he spoke, and tried once again to release the thief from the stone, jumping as Souban yelled. "S-Set...stop...please?" She found herself saying, turning to face him instead, though the new Set terrified her, more so than he did Souban. "Melhet...he wouldn't want to see you like this...We can take him back to the palace, and try there, to get him back to normal...."

Set waited an extra few seconds before taking a couple steps back. The smoke dissipated and the vines released. Set rubbed his eyes as they returned to normal, as though waking from a groggy dream, "Get to work" he whispered to Souban, his voice having returned to normal as well.

Malum stared for a moment at Set before once again struggling to free himself. The rock wouldn't budge however, even with other spells thrown at it.

Set glanced over, his voice still soft although firm, "You're not going anywhere Malum. I may still need you. Asima, if you want to help, you can go home. If you refuse to go home, then make yourself useful and make me that potion-and before you can object, one of the symptoms of withdraw at this point is a loss of control over my magic. I'm not sure anyone around me could survive that."

Asima bit her lip, staring at Set. "I...I don't have any of the items, Set..." She finally stated numbly.

Souban stood shakily, and stepped towards Melhet. She waited for a moment, debating. "I'll need my bag." She stated, looking towards Malum and Asima questioningly.

Malum frowned, "it's uh... below the stone" he looked down where his waist becomes one with the floor.

Set pinched the bridge of his nose, trying not to show just how nautious he was starting to get by looking more annoyed instead. The vines from the ceiling wrapped around Malum's arms and lifted him from the floor but then kept a hold of him after. Set moved forward, digging through Souban's bag to take Melhet's heart from it and then returned the rest of it to Souban.

"Malum. Stay put, I don't trust you" Set stated, "Souban, get to work. Asima, go." he gave her a list of items before taking a seat on the ground, crossing his legs with a sigh.

The princess paused, thinking. "I, uhm...I can't get out by myself, Set..." She stated. If he came with her, maybe Malum would have a chance to escape...She doubted Souban would attack him, since she needed Melhet to kill him. If he made her go off by herself, however, maybe she could find Solum and let him know what was going on. She'd still have to make the potion for Set, if his magic got out of hand, everyone here would most likely die...

Souban took the jar with tiny harrumph, then snatched her bag with a glare. "I'll need other things too." She tugged out various items and what appeared to be a journal. Ignoring the others, she focused on her current task, though she also contemplated ways to restore her original plan, or simply get away from Set. Once Melhet was back to normal, Set would most likely try to kill her again. And self preservation rose above all.

Set sighed, "Asima, I'm going to forget you said that, because you can't possibly think I'm stupid enough to fall for it. We will however, move." he gathered himself-and Malum wrapped well in vines and headed out of the area and towards a secret location that he knew of. Lakar had set up several secret mage locations in case of emergency and Set, of course, knew where they all were.
The mage opened a section of the stone wall to the room beyond and stepped inside. Within there was a stash of magical ingredients, a simple table with a chair and a few basic books along the wall. Set placed a hand on the table for support as he walked around it and sat down.

"Set" Malum spoke up as the vines leeched into the walls to keep him still, "You're clearly not well. Just drop this, you'll kill yourself if you keep going at this rate."

"I'm fine." Set stated firmly, "Now shut up, and quit trying to escape" the vines forced a knife from Malum's hand. the thief had been trying to secretly cut out.

The princess shifted from foot to foot, and followed Set quickly. She would need to know where to go after she collected the items, after all. In the room, she found several of the ingredients she needed, though there were a few not commonly used she'd need to get. She hesitated by Malum, "I'll be quick..." She promised, leaning forward and kissing his cheek. Souban's dagger she replaced with the one he'd lost, in the guise of a hug. No, Set wasn't stupid. But it didn't mean she wouldn't try. She left the room, moving through the caves. "Solum?" She found herself calling quietly once she'd passed Souban, who had refused to move.

The sorceress had glared at Set, and settled herself on the ground. Short of forcing her to move, Souban refused to cooperate with anything Set tried to order. Melhet was a different story: It at least bought her time in which to think. She could try separating her soul again, though she didn't have much faith that would work once again.

Set closed his eyes, sitting quietly at the table. After a little time had passed he looked like he had fallen asleep.


Solum came out of the shadows as soon as Asima was away from the others, "What's going on?" he questioned in confusion, "what's Set doing now?"