Servant of Chaos (Forgotten Gods Book 3) Read online

  SERVANT OF CHAOS

  FORGOTTEN GODS #3

  LAURA GREENWOOD

  CONTENTS

  Gods, Goddesses, & Characters List

  Other Definitions

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Epilogue

  Author’s Note

  More from the Forgotten Gods series

  Senet

  Also by Laura Greenwood

  About the Author

  © 2019 Laura Greenwood

  * * *

  All rights reserved. This book or parts thereof may not be reproduced in any form, stored in any retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means – electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording or otherwise – without prior written permission of the published, except as provided by United States of America copyright law. For permission requests, write to the publisher at “Attention: Permissions Coordinator,” at the email address;

  [email protected].

  Visit Laura Greenwood’s website at:

  www.authorlauragreenwood.co.uk

  www.facebook.com/authorlauragreenwood/

  Cover Design by Ravenborn Designs: https://www.facebook.com/RavenbornCovers/

  Servant Of Chaos is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  BLURB

  One slave is all it takes to turn the tide.

  Rhodopis has lived most of her life as a slave to the god of chaos, knowing there wasn't a way her life could have been better. But a visiting god and his priests changes all that, and she learns that there's more to life than servitude.

  Can she follow her heart, or is she destined to be a slave forever?

  -

  Servant of Chaos is part of the Forgotten Gods series and is Rhodopis’ complete story. It is loosely based on the legend of Rhodopis and other Egyptian mythology.

  GODS, GODDESSES, & CHARACTERS LIST

  Please note that this god list is a simplified version. Because of the span of Ancient Egyptian history, many of the gods and goddesses took on multiple roles over the span of time (as demonstrated in the story by Hathor's multitude of aspects). Some of the information below is specific to the Forgotten Gods universe, and is specified as such. I've tried to include all of the gods/goddesses who appear in the universe below, but the list is by no means exhaustive. Please see the author notes at the end of each book for more information.

  The family links the Ancient Egyptians formed between their gods weren't meant to represent family ties, but aspect ties. This is why many of the gods and goddesses are consorts with their siblings. However, in the context of the Forgotten Gods universe, I have removed several of the sibling relationships to avoid incest (e.g. between Isis and Osiris, and Nephthys and Seth), as the brother/sister bond means something different in the modern context.

  Abu - a minor god of light. In the context of the Forgotten Gods Universe, Abu is a minor god serving under Ra, and is the romantic interest for Rhodopis. Their story is fictionalised in Servant Of Chaos.

  Ammit - a demon and goddess who devours the hearts of those not worthy to enter the afterlife. Her story will be fictionalised in the Forgotten Gods Universe in Devourer Of Hearts.

  Amun – God of Thebes (former capital city of Egypt) and one of the major gods. Often combined with Ra to become Amun-Ra (they are two separate people in this series). In the Forgotten Gods Universe he is the love interest for Hathor. Their story is fictionalised in The Queen Of Gods Series.

  Anubis - god of mummification

  Atum – God of pre-existence and post existence. One of the first Egyptian gods.

  Edrice - a fictional priestess High Priestess of Ma’at. Her story is fictionalised in the Forgotten Gods Universe in Priestess Of Truth (short story) and Acolyte Of Truth.

  Fetket - a lesser god who served as Ra's butler (formerly in the context of this universe). He is the romantic interest for Sekhmet in this universe, their story is fictionalised in Daughter Of The Sun.

  Geb - one of the first gods, god of the Earth

  Hathor – Cow headed goddess who has represented many things over the Egyptian dynasty. Including but not limited to: beauty, love, sexuality, dance, joy, motherhood, queenship and sky. In the Forgotten Gods Universe she is the love interest for Amun. Their story is fictionalised in The Queen Of Gods Series.

  Horus - Falcon headed solar god, embodies the Pharaoh. In the Forgotten Gods Universe he is the love interest for Khonsu.

  Horus the Elder - one of the oldest gods born of the union between Nut and Geb. He is a sky & sun deity

  Isis - Goddess and divine mother of the Pharaoh. Her story is fictionalised in Queen Of The Two Lands.

  Khonsu – God of the moon. In the Forgotten Gods Universe he is the love interest for Horus.

  Maahes - God of war. In the Forgotten Gods Universe he is the love interest for Ma’at.

  Ma'at - Goddess of truth and justice, among other things. In the Forgotten Gods Universe she is the love interest for Maahes.

  Mafdet - god of justice

  Menefer - a fictional High Priest of Maahes. His story is fictionalised in the Forgotten Gods Universe in Priestess Of Truth (short story) and Acolyte Of Truth.

  Min - God of reproduction, love, and sexual pleasure

  Nephthys - A goddess of many things, including childbirth, mourning, service (at temples), the dead, protection, healing, and more. Her story will be fictionalised in the Forgotten Gods Universe in Empress Of The Dark.

  Nut - one of the first gods, goddess of the sky

  Osiris - God of the afterlife. His story is fictionalised in Queen Of The Two Lands.

  Ptah - Creator god, as well as the patron deity of sculptors, builders, and other artisans.

  Qetesh - Goddess of love, beauty, and sex. Originally from Canaan, she was adopted into the Egyptian religion.

  Ra – Hawk headed god of the sun.

  Rhodopis - the mythical figure from a legend similar to that of Cinderella. Her story is fictionalised in this universe in Servant Of Chaos.

  Sed - a minor god related to the Sed-Festival which celebrated the Pharaoh. In the Forgotten Gods Universe he is the love interest for Serket. Their story is fictionalised in Protectors Of Poison.

  Sekhmet - Goddess of war, healing, and pestilence. Her story is fictionalised in this universe in Daughter Of The Sun.

  Serket - Goddess of healing and poisonous creatures. Her story is fictionalised in this universe in Protectors Of Poison.

  Seth - God of chaos. The main antagonist in the Forgotten Gods universe.

  Shu - one of the first gods, god of the air, and the supporter of the sky

  Thoth - god of writing, magic, and wisdom

  Wadjet - The snake protector goddess of Lower Egypt. Her story will be fictionalised in the Forgotten Gods Series.

  Gods/goddesses and their relationships towards one another may be different from mythology in this universe.

  OTHER DEFINITIONS

  Ankh - an Ancient Egyptian symbol of life.

  Ba - the ba is part of what makes up the Ancient Egyptian soul. It represents the personality of the person. />
  Duat - the Afterlife

  Senet - a game similar to chess which was played by Ancient Egyptians. The aim of the game is to get the pawns to the Afterlife.

  Waset - the Ancient Egyptian name for the capital of the Middle and New Kingdoms. Otherwise known as Thebes (now part of the city of Luxor)

  CHAPTER ONE

  ONE MORE DAY. I could get through one more day. I just had to take it an hour at a time. No, a minute at a time.

  Bodies writhed throughout the room, some of them in pleasure. But not all of them. I knew better than that. At least half of them would have pain so intense they wanted to die going through them.

  Yet I did nothing. How could I when I was stuck in a situation just like theirs?

  "Rhodopis?" Charaxos called.

  I sighed. What did he want now?

  Setting down my basket full of linen, I turned to him. "Yes?"

  "Our God wants a bath drawn." His lip curled up, but I wasn't sure if it was in disgust or jealousy. It was hard to tell just where Charaxos stood on any matter.

  Years ago, he'd loved me. Well, decades ago. Centuries even. I never really paid too much attention to the passage of time.

  "I'll see to it once I've dropped these off at the laundry room." I nodded towards my basket.

  A woman to my left let out a long moan. Pleasure or pain, it didn't matter. The whole point of this place was that it drove you a little mad. Chaos was the name of the game, and we were just pawns in that. I wasn't even convinced that the people in this room, or in some of the others, were even real.

  "He said now." Charaxos tried to sound stern, but he failed. The way his body had grown extra large over the years just made him look like a pushover.

  "And I said that I would after I've taken this to the laundry."

  He stormed over to me, grabbing my wrist and squeezing so hard that black spots swam in front of my eyes. Whatever love this man claimed to have felt for me, it was long gone.

  "You are a slave," he hissed. "You will do what I tell you."

  I tugged my wrist down hard, breaking his grasp. "You're a slave too," I responded coolly. "And your threats are empty. You'd have done something about me years ago if you could."

  And that was the crux of the problem. Seth seemed to like me. I didn't know why, when I loathed him. And not in a going-to-eventually-fall-in-love-with-him way. I actually loathed him. The god didn't have to be evil incarnate. Chaos wasn't always a bad thing, but he made it that way anyway.

  Charaxos seethed, no doubt trying to find yet another empty threat I knew he wouldn't follow through on. It was a mystery why he even bothered trying.

  I didn't wait for him to say anything and picked my basket back up. I wasn't lying when I said I needed to take the laundry first. Seth's bath could wait because he'd be even angrier if there weren't fresh sheets on his bed.

  Humming to myself in order to drown out the noise of the people filling the courtyard, I headed into the corridor that I knew would take me where I wanted to go. Shouts and noise came from every room I passed, but I was fairly certain it was mostly just meant to distract me. I'd long ago learned that if I ignored them, nothing actually happened.

  Seth's palace was a weird place.

  "Morning, Rhodopis." The young girl who had recently taken over the laundry waved at me. Young being an operative term. None of us really aged. The reason we'd been picked as Seth's slaves was because we were demi-gods and goddesses. Powerless because no one learned our names, but immortal nonetheless.

  "Morning." I didn't know her name, but it was too late into setting up our routine for me to ask what it was. I didn't think she'd last long in here anyway. Charaxos or one of the other higher up slaves would take a fancy to her soon. Or maybe she'd been sent down here to escape a scandal with one of the gods living here at the moment.

  I handed her the basket, and she instantly tipped it into one of the vast washing buckets. No doubt she'd had it waiting for just this situation.

  "Same time as normal?" she asked.

  I nodded. Our days always went the same. Sure, there might be the odd task that went a little bit differently, but for the most part, they remained exactly the same. Boring, dull, and surprisingly safe given we worked under a god who wanted to destroy the world.

  Or make the whole world into his slaves, that bit was a little vague. It would be a lot simpler if Seth would just monologue his whole plan in front of me. At least then I'd know what to expect.

  Not that I planned on sharing my thoughts with anyone here, but I suspected the other gods would stop him before he could take control. That was just me though. I'd been made cynical in my years of service, probably something to do with the fact I'd been a slave since my childhood. This was my life and I had to live with it.

  Unfortunately.

  CHAPTER TWO

  THE STEAM from the baths rose up, tickling my nose and already making me hate being here.

  "Bring me wine," Seth demands.

  I rolled my eyes, but brought forward a goblet full of ruby liquid.

  He snatched it from me, not even bothering to say a word of thanks. Though I also didn't expect it. He wasn't known for his kindness or appreciation.

  But at least this place was calmer than the rest of his temple. There was no need for chaos here, apparently. It was the one place I could actually feel at peace. It was a shame I only got to come here when Seth wanted service.

  "I hear we're to have guests," he announced, waving his goblet around and nearly spilling it. At least it would land in the water and not have to be cleaned up.

  "Is that so, my lord?" I wasn't really interested, but I have to at least feign it or I'll be lashed out at. Seth was an easy god to work, so long as I didn't overstep the mark. Then he was nothing short of cruel.

  "Indeed. Ra is deigning to join us. Who knows what he wants."

  I blinked a couple of times. I could understand the words he was using, but not the intent behind them. Ra had always stood on the opposing side of the divide to Seth, I had no idea what Ra could possibly want. Nothing good, that was for sure.

  "I shall need you to oversee the preparations," he ordered.

  "That's not my role here, my lord," I let the words slip out despite my best instincts.

  "I am aware," he said coldly. "But I need the rest of my temple to run as normal. You're not important, you can deal with it." He waved a dismissive hand.

  I bit my tongue, not wanting to point out that I did have a role here. And jobs. Despite what he and Charaxos seemed to believe, I put a lot of importance on making sure my work got done, and to the right standard too.

  "Very well, my lord. I will prepare for their arrival." At least I'd seen enough godly visits to know what the kind of things needed doing.

  I stood still, waiting for him to give me my next order. He was clearly in that kind of mood at the moment, and I wasn't going to do anything to make it worse.

  "Well? Aren't you going to get to it?" he demanded.

  "Do you not want an attendant for your bath?" I asked.

  He spun around, water sloshing over the side and washing over the floor, even reaching my feet. My sandals filled with water, and I knew they'd squelch uncontrollably for at least an hour after I left here. But I couldn't move backwards. I'd seen just how Seth reacted to people doing that before, and I was in no rush to be whipped in front of the rest of the temple.

  Seth's gaze roved over my body. "I'd rather have one of the harem girls. Send one."

  "As you wish, my lord." I dipped my head and turned, hurrying out of the room before he changed his mind. I'd survived centuries without feeling Seth's touch on me, I wasn't about to risk changing that now.

  I hurried out of the bathing house and back out into the courtyard. The sooner I found a harem girl, the better. He was impatient at the best of times, never mind at the worst.

  "What are you doing out here so soon?" Charaxos demanded the moment he spotted me.

  "I have things to do. He want
s someone sent to him though."

  "Fine," he grunted. "Send Rebecca."

  I nodded. The girl was still fairly new and hadn't come to realise the truth about our god yet. In some ways, that was a blessing for her. In others, it really wasn't.

  I gestured for the woman in question and whispered in her ear.

  "Of course, my lady." She dipped into a curtsy as awkwardness came over me.

  "I'm not a lady," I responded. "Just a slave like you."

  "It's not so bad." The smile on her face almost convinced me that she was telling the truth. Maybe she was. For her at least. Though the harem girls had it worst of all if anyone asked me. Taken by anyone that wanted them, sometimes many times a day. Stripped of their chance to have children at any point in the future. At least that choice was still mine, even if I refused so my children wouldn't be born into slavery.

  "Give it another few decades," I muttered as she ran off towards the bathhouse. She'd never listen to me, it was better not to try and sully what little joy she has in the world.

  "Don't you have tasks to do, Rhodopis?" Charaxos sneers.

  "Indeed I do. And none that concern you." I spun on my heels and strode away, determined not to let his judgement sway me from my task.