Part 1: Storms

Note: This item has been rewritten and edited. All text in rose is BRAND NEW MATERIAL for this chapter of the story. In addition there are many minor changes to the original text itself. Please enjoy this new, expanded version of Part 1 and be on the lookout for updates to the next parts!


THE HUMAN AMENI stared out into the swirling, howling storm of red and the only thought that would run through his mind was, How did I come to be here?

He knew, of course, the how...but not the why. There had always been times in his life when he could have sworn the gods were playing some cruel joke on him, but this was by far the cruelest yet.

Why did I come to be here?

Ameni pulled away from the cave entrance. He coughed into his palm and wiped at his eyes and wished for water, but the cave was as dry as it was outside. It would be next to impossible to find water in the western cliffs of the Kemeti desert, if there was even any to be had at all.

He had not even been stranded with a waterskin.

Kahef was always wiser than I. I did not think I would possibly need a waterskin today.

That had been before the sandstorm, though.

Ameni sighed and sat down on the cool floor. He traced patterns in the sand on the ground before it grew almost too dark to see, what light there was glimmering in as an ominous shade of blood red. He shivered and leaned his head back against the rock, shutting his bloodshot eyes and thinking over how this had happened in the first place.

His village, the northern village, was small as far as villages went. Ameni did not mind. He didn't mind living a simple life, with no family, though he did mind the constant gossiping and nagging of the other villagers at times. Only once in a while did he see the need to escape his home and wander at the desert's edge for a few hours, watching the jackals lope past, eyeing the patterns traced by scorpions in the sand, waiting for the sun to set or rise, its light bathing the western cliffs in brilliant gold or dark red. He never stayed away from home very long. In fact, he had traveled far from his village but a few times in his life, and those during his childhood; he saw no need to go far. It was only solitude he needed, every so often.

He knew the ways of the desert, and so rarely took more than he absolutely needed. Although his friend Kahef had niggled at him today to take a waterskin, just in case--the sky had been red that morning, which was a bad sign--Ameni had brushed the warning off as forgettable. He had traveled when there were red sunrises before. It meant little. He knew the desert better than Kahef did. His friend had also warned him against Apsiu in the area...but then again, it always seemed everyone in his village was warning someone else against the Apsiu. His village had never once been raided by the beasts; Ameni was of the mind that there weren't even any of them in the area. One shouldn't fear what wasn't even there.

And so that morning Ameni set out with merely a walking stick and the clothes upon his back.

And for once in his life, Kahef had been right.

The sandstorm had come down over him seemingly out of nowhere. Ameni hadn't even had time to be alerted by its approach--one moment the desert was calm and clear, the next it was a howling, sucking mess of gritty red sand. He couldn't have seen his fingers before his face if he had tried. All he could do was tear off part of his kilt and hold it to his mouth to try to breathe without choking, and stagger blindly through the gale. He knew it was foolish, to keep walking like this--he might be heading back for his village, yet he might be heading even further away--yet it was either this, or risk being buried alive...he knew of entire monuments that had vanished in this manner...

As he staggered along, he wondered which god he had peeved enough to warrant a punishment such as this. He had never really even truly believed in the gods as living beings...perhaps that was affront enough, for them?

He was lucky enough to have found the cave, quite by accident. He stumbled inside it before he even knew it was there, but was grateful for its silence and coolness and presence of breathable, if not exactly fresh, air. He had been here ever since...and judging by his poor reckoning of time, "ever since" had been several hours...if not more.

Would the storm never die?

All Ameni could do was shiver and pray that it would. He had not told Kahef where exactly he was walking to. Nobody else knew where he would be. No one would know where to look for him, if they even knew he needed their help.

He was stranded out here.

There was nothing else he could do; Ameni sighed once more and rested his head upon his knee, shutting his eyes. He tried to shut out the sound of the howling outside, but then found it was too silent for his needs; and so he listened to it instead, and after an interminable time, finally fell asleep.

* * * * *

Ameni dreamed, and he dreamed about the Apsiu...the race his people despised so greatly.

They were nowhere even close to humans, everyone declared. Although they walked upright, spoke, and built towns like the Kemeti did, they were far from being Kemeti. Their mere looks echoed those of the dark god Set, who was reputed to have created them...and so of course, as his creation, the Apsiu must be evil. The Kana--that was, the winged Apsiu who ruled over them all--were the worst ones. From time to time word would come around of yet another human village slaughtered and looted in a Kana raid. They did not even take humans as slaves, as they detested them so much. Human lives were worth even less than those of the Moru, or the flightless slaves of the Kana.

Ameni dreamed that in his absence, Kahef's prediction came true, and a band of Apsiu Kana descended upon the northern village. Their swords cut through the necks of every able man; just as quickly and bloodily they killed every last woman and child. Ameni was grateful that they were spared any further indignities, but the carnage alone was enough to make him shiver. The Kana were very efficient as they set about taking all of the goods of any use to them. As this was happening, Ameni finally realized that he himself stood in the village square and could be seen by any who wished; he took a step back to try to run, but as soon as realization struck, one of the Kana turned about, spotted him, and raised his sword with a bloodthirsty yell in the guttural Kana tongue. The rest of the warriors turned around as one and the next thing Ameni knew, they were all coming at him--he felt a hundred swords and spears pierce his chest before he woke up gasping and sweating. The latter was so heavy that at first he thought he truly was covered in blood.

It took quite a while for him to settle his frayed nerves. The storm still moaned outside, but it had died greatly, and he could tell that daylight had finally come. The deep red of the night before had been replaced by a dim orangish-yellow, and he could even make out some of the ground outside the cave opening. He stood, dusting himself off, and headed for the entrance, ducking and peering outside. This must be the furthest edge of the storm as it passed over and wore itself to death far out in the desert. He could only hope.

Ameni went to fetch his walking stick, only to realize he had lost it the night before. It could be anywhere out in the sand by now. He had nothing but the clothes still upon him, smudged rusty with sand. He forgot about the stick and set foot outside, shielding his eyes and scanning the seemingly endless desert for any signs of life.

He had no reason to believe there would be any; after all, most everyone else had probably been smarter than himself, and had stayed inside. Ameni gave a grim smile. It was rather funny that Kahef's stories had finally come to pass, at his own expense.

He walked a long while, in the direction of the wind, breathing made much easier than before and his sight only minimally impaired. He longed for the river, but it must be a great distance away, else he would have seen trees. His lips were cracked from the dryness; he licked them more than once, with little result, as his tongue was almost as dry. His stomach rumbled, but he had nothing to eat.

All I have is my feet to walk upon, and my hands to catch me if I fall, I suppose.

He focused on the feeling of the sand and rocks against his feet, rather than on the emptiness in his stomach. As such he nearly tripped when his foot hit something hard; it wasn't a rock. Ameni bent down and dusted some sand aside to find his walking stick. He puzzled over this phenomenon. How had it come to be here? It was remarkable that he'd even found it; still, he couldn't take that for granted. He picked it up and was grateful for its presence when he leaned on it to take some of the weight off his feet as he walked.

He wondered how Kahef was doing. Would he be telling everyone else how he had warned Ameni not to go into the desert, how he had been right for once, and Ameni was likely food for jackals now? He doubted Kahef was so tactless, but the thought made him smile. He got a grain of sand in his eye at that moment and tilted his head to brush it out.

If he hadn't moved his stare at just that moment, he would have missed it.

Ameni halted. Far ahead and slightly to the side, he could see it--a large shape, bent over a smaller shape. It appeared to be touching it, or digging around it. Ameni's eyes began to water as he watched it, to see if it was in fact moving. After a long while the big shape stood--and Ameni knew it was alive.

Another one? Out here with me--?

"HEY!" Ameni yelled as loudly as he could, waving his arms. He yelled again, and this time the shape appeared to turn around as if hearing him. Ameni had to stifle a ridiculous laugh as he started jogging across the sand toward the shape. Finding his walking stick had been miracle enough; to find another party out here--perhaps they were looking for him already?--was the most astonishing thing he could have ever expected.

His pace picked up the closer he got. The water in his eyes was now likely tears; he'd had no idea until now how despairing he had grown. As he ran, the shape moved to stand in front of the reclining shape--it appeared to be a horse, perhaps, overcome by the sandstorm--when suddenly something spread from the big shape's back, fanning out and upwards and then down again. Ameni abruptly stumbled to a halt. The sand blowing around them began to clear, and his eyes grew when he saw what the shape really was.

Ameni stood face to face with an Apsiu Kana, the two of them staring at each other across the desert in open surprise.

Ameni lowered his raised hand. The Kana blinked a few times as if in disbelief. Neither of them said anything, but Ameni saw his nostrils flare, and heard him snort at the air, trying to pick up Ameni's scent; maybe he was just as incredulous to find another living being out here. When he realized Ameni was in fact real, his wings flared again, and Ameni himself finally realized just how big this creature was. He was about one and a half times Ameni's size, both taller than and wider than him; not only this, but Ameni knew he was battle trained, and could easily snap the human in two, if he wished.

Instead they merely stood staring at each other.

Ameni forced his gaze to lower, to see what the Kana had been tending to. It was a mount, just as he'd suspected, only it was not a horse but a Sha...an Apsiu beast of burden. It lay on its side with the sand beginning to pile up around it, bloody foam streaming from its mouth. Its sides heaved. From the look of it it would be dead soon. Ameni could guess what had happened.

He was stranded out here. The same as me.

He had to keep his mouth from twisting into a bitter smile. He finally found someone else, and it turned out to be a Kana. One of the very beings Kahef had tried to warn him about. First Kahef had been right about the sandstorm, and now about the Apsiu. He found it morbidly funny to have survived one, only to have to face the other.

As if sensing this thought, the Kana's nostrils flared again. He reached for the sword at his side and pulled it a bit from its scabbard. Ameni fell still and looked at it. All he had was his walking stick; against a well-trained and well-armed Kana, he might as well be dead already.

The Kana growled, baring his tusks. Ameni responded by taking a step back. This seemed to temporarily placate the creature; he turned back around to his mount and bent over it, feeling at its neck, running his hand over its ribs. He started murmuring to the beast under his breath, petting it as it wheezed in pain. Ameni found himself oddly touched by the gesture of concern; he hadn't known the Kana were capable of such emotions. Against his better judgement he took a few steps closer; although he knew there wasn't much he could do to alleviate the beast's suffering, perhaps he could help, somehow...

The Kana glared over his shoulder and snarled. Ameni halted. They stayed in this tense posture for a time before Ameni backed down, retreating a ways to what felt to be a slightly safe distance. He rested against his stick and watched from here as the Kana continued soothing the ailing Sha, and began to absently wonder if he would have fared much better had he brought a mount of his own. Not from the looks of it, it seemed. He put a hand to his mouth to yawn when the Kana rose, still looking down at the Sha. Ameni assumed he would turn and head off on his own again, leaving him behind...this thought filled him with both relief and dread, and he wasn't certain why.

The Kana pulled his sword free and swung it up over his head, bringing it down upon the neck of the Sha, a spray of blood shooting up into the air. Ameni choked off a gasp when the beast's legs stiffened, then relaxed, a gurgling sound escaping it. He turned away from the grisly scene and scrambled back toward the cave, easily visible now through the lessening sand. He would be cornered there, but at least his back would be safe while he fought to the death. Apparently the Kana were not such compassionate beings as he had begun to think. He rushed into the coolness of the cave and pressed himself to the back wall, shaking and nauseated. He would have thrown up, had he had any food in his empty stomach to heave loose.

All he could do was wait for his death to come at the blade of the same sword that had felled the Sha.

He waited for what seemed to be ages, and then ages upon ages...he stared at the cave opening so long that the pattern of light burned into his eyes, yet he hardly dared to blink. The Kana would surely spot the shelter, and come for him. Perhaps he was waiting for the cover of night during which to do so. Ameni wouldn't doubt it; this was why his eyes refused to shut.

True to his fears, a shape appeared in the entrance, just briefly, peering in and then backing away. It didn't return. Ameni waited and waited, until the waiting grew even worse than the dreading. He crept toward the entrance, peered outside...no one was near. Had he left...? Ameni got to his feet and started to step carefully toward where he had last seen the Kana when a noise off to the side made him jump and whirl around. He gasped and stumbled back, tripping over a rock, when the Apsiu appeared, blood staining his front and his dagger drawn. He glowered at Ameni as he approached, Ameni trying to scrabble backwards over the rocks and back toward the cave entrance, if he could find it. Before he could, something large and wet hit the ground beside him with a smack; Ameni sputtered at the taste of fresh blood on his lips, the fluid splattering him in the face. He recoiled in revulsion to see a great hunk of what appeared to be bloody flesh lying beside him.

He glanced up again, body shaking, to see the Kana turn away. In his free hand he held a similar chunk of raw meat, and he went to sit down in the shelter of the cliff wall, dropping this in the sand. Ameni dimly began to understand what had just happened.

He's...offering me food? He killed his Sha...and now he's eating it? Why would he waste any on me?

The Kana leaned toward his own piece of meat and began cutting at it with his dagger. He pulled a thin strip loose and began chewing on it raw. Ameni shuddered at this barbarity before remembering that his, too, was uncooked. He looked down at the meat, and felt both hunger and disgust. He could never eat this raw, as the Kana could. That just wasn't the way it was done.

From his spot by the cliffside, the Kana chewed on another piece of bloody meat, eyeing Ameni with what seemed to be wry amusement. He wiped blood away from his mouth with the back of one hand and started cutting at the meat again.

Ameni let out his breath, praying not to get sick. He found himself annoyed by the look the Kana gave him; as if humans were expected to eat like animals? Yet what else could he do? He grimaced in distaste at the odd-smelling meat before him, yet his stomach still protested hungrily. He couldn't put off feeding it anymore for very long.

He sighed, giving in. But then he felt the reassuring smoothness in his hand, and looked to the side to see his walking stick still gripped there.

Walking stick.

Ameni stood. The Kana's stare followed him as he moved to the cliff wall, digging a pit in the ground right beside it and lining it with rocks to protect it from the wind. He then raised his knee and brought the stick down over it, breaking it in two. The Kana blinked. Ameni repeated this gesture until the stick was in as many small pieces as he could manage, then he scooped these into the pit. He picked up two of the thinner pieces and sat down, rubbing them together over the jumble of wood. The Kana sat forward, curious now.

Ameni stared in determination at the wood in his hands as he rubbed. It took a very long while for just a tendril of smoke to form, blowing away in the breeze; the Kana snorted when he saw this. After an even longer while, at last, the tiniest hint of a flame appeared, glowing dull orange. Ameni held his breath and rubbed harder; the glow began to grow and brighten. And then suddenly, the sticks caught on fire, seemingly of their own volition; Ameni set one into the pit, and began lighting all the other bits with the remaining lit piece. Several moments later a decent-sized fire was burning, and Ameni rubbed his hands and held them out before it, as it was beginning to grow cool in evening's lack of light.

The Kana continued staring at the fire, but didn't move. Ameni picked up one of the sticks that had fallen loose of the others and stabbed into a small hunk of meat. He held it over the fire, turning it every so often until the meat was evenly browned; then he moved back from the fire a short ways and rested the meat on a rock, blowing on it and hissing when he tried to touch it with his fingers. He fanned it with his hand and watched the fire from the corner of his eye.

The Kana still stared in his direction, though Ameni could tell his resolve was wavering. After a few moments he let out a snort and stood. Ameni pretended not to notice him as he approached the fire, jabbing a hunk of meat onto the end of his sword and extending it out above the flames. He rotated the meat as Ameni had done, though he didn't cook it as thoroughly; when finished he retreated to his own spot and tore into the meat as if it were not even hot. Ameni was left to the fire, and as the Kana worked at his meal in one large piece, he worked at his in several smaller pieces. They ate in silence on opposite sides of the fire; the Kana did not offer any thanks, nor did Ameni ask for any. Simply to have something to eat was good enough.

The Kana finished before he did, and rose again, stretching his wings before heading off into the desert; Ameni watched him in puzzlement until the Apsiu reached the remains of the slain Sha, and then understood what he was doing. There was still meat to be had on the large animal; no use letting it go to waste. Ameni rose, licking at his burned fingers and retreating into the cave for the night. He wasn't certain if the Apsiu would still be there when he awoke...but at least his life had been spared, today.

* * * * *

And so time passed, the sands rose and fell like waves on the sea, and search parties were sent out from two settlements: one of them human, one of them Apsiu. They scoured the desert from both directions, never crossing each other, but never finding their missing comrades, either. The hunt grew more desperate, and then one by one, hopes faded...and one by one the searchers returned home, empty handed. The desert had claimed the lost, they insisted. They'd been told not to go out, as a storm was brewing, but everyone who knew them knew that the human and the Kana could be reckless sometimes when it came to things like that...with any luck their bones were now forming shelters for scorpions in the midday heat.

And together and yet alone in the desert, two shapes wandered, ever further away from one home, and closer toward another...

* * * * *

Ameni lay upon his stomach on the haphazard bed of desert weeds he'd made, dozing. He hadn't been able to sleep very well since this had started, not without waking up abruptly from bizarre dreams. The sandstorm had stranded him and the Apsiu, where they did not know; and so, lost together, they had tentatively decided to travel together, in the hopes that, in Ameni's mind, they would reach a human settlement, or, in the Kana's mind, they would reach an Apsiu settlement. Neither of them liked the other option, but it was better than being stranded in the desert. They stood a much better chance traveling together than fighting each other, especially when there was nothing to fight for.

Still, the situation had not made for easy sleeping. Ameni knew he could not trust his companion, and evidently the Apsiu felt the same way, for they never spoke, just eyed each other warily across the campfire. They had been traveling like this for...who knew. A week? Two weeks? It seemed like months, and he had lost track of the days. He wondered if the Apsiu knew any better. It had grown difficult to find food in this harsh region; how had they ended up so far out in the middle of the desert? They followed the sun as best they could, and still they never seemed to get anywhere...at night, he began to wonder if the gods were playing some cruel trick on them.

He didn't question it though, and he didn't ask his companion if he knew where they were going. They had to keep moving. Somehow.

His bones and muscles ached from fatigue and hunger, but he said nothing. He just sighed and stretched himself out, resting his head against his arm. Perhaps, if he tried a little harder, sleep would come...

His eyes drifted shut and the sounds of the desert faded around him. He heard a slight shifting noise but decided to ignore it; sleep was too precious a commodity to give up now. He needed all his strength for when morning came, and they had to set out again...

Something touched his shoulder. He frowned but didn't open his eyes or speak. He lay still, ears searching for any noise--and they heard one, a soft snuffling, as of some animal leaning over to investigate. Along with this, he was suddenly hit with a strong musky scent which permeated the air around him, and that which had touched his shoulder--a hand--touched it again, staying this time. He knew what it was. He knew enough about the Apsiu to know what that particular scent meant. Sex.

He intends to rape me.

He forced his muscles to relax from their tensing. Well...they had been alone long. He didn't know this Apsiu very well, but from the looks of it he was a well-to-do Kana, perhaps an elite, which meant he probably had his pick of the females in his tribe to "look after." Without that outlet, what else would he turn to? He'd heard that in a pinch the Kana would resort to sex with their male slaves, or even with each other, if no other option were available. Now, the only option left was himself...a human. What else, naturally, would a frustrated Kana seek out to relieve himself?

Perhaps he had a good reason for keeping me alive all this time...

He knew fighting was pointless. Perhaps it would startle the Kana--he doubted this one expected him to fight back--but in the long run, it would not be a good idea. The creature was, after all, about one and a half times his size. Plus he was armed, and knew how to deal with those who fought back. Ameni stood no chance against a trained warrior.

Still, he didn't much like the idea of the brute ravaging him without his say...

The snuffling, snorting noise grew closer, as the Kana inspected his scent. His hand, still on Ameni's shoulder, squeezed a little harder, and the musk wafted a little stronger. Perhaps the idea of humans turned him off, but right now, he seemed desperate enough to try anything.

Ameni finally moved his head and opened his eyes, though he didn't look up at his potential assailant. The Kana snorted as if surprised to see him awake, but didn't let go of his shoulder; if anything his grip grew tighter, perhaps defiantly, as if to say, Don't plan on going anywhere, not until I'm through with you. Instead of attempting to fight him off, Ameni simply said, "An'ta hiakh tii'su?"

Another snort. Now he knew the Kana was surprised. How many humans could speak Higher Apsi? Ameni was certain the Kana had never expected him to ask what he intended to do, in his own tongue. Needless to say, his grip now loosened, though didn't let go, and when Ameni peered at him from the corner of his eye he could see the chagrined look on his face.

"An'ta kimasa at'aru Apsi?" he said, gruffly.

Ameni shook his head. "Only a little...this is my native tongue. Do you speak it?"

The Kana's tensed muscles appeared to relax, just slightly. His ears lowered and he didn't make eye contact.

"I...we...to have traveled very far. Long time. To never reach home. To die out here."

"What makes you say this? We're still very much alive. Nobody is dying, yet."

"To be lost, far from home. To never get back."

"Well." Ameni paused. "You seem to have given up, already."

The Kana glared at him. "To have any other plan? Lost. Far from home." His voice lowered. "Far from family."

"You have family?"

The Kana blinked, then lifted his head a little. "Three Kana sons. Strong and bold."

"They must bring you much honor, is that true?"

"Yes." An odd look. "To know much about my people."

"Well...I've had my own experiences with your kind. You are not much different from us."

The Kana snorted as if in disgust. "To make an assumption."

"Perhaps...you have yet to answer my question. What you intended to do when you woke me up."

The Kana averted his eyes again, now appearing disgusted with himself, or perhaps with the situation. "To be far from home. To...have needs."

"We all do."

"To have great needs!" He bared his teeth and his wings fanned out. "To not hold it in anymore. Frustrated. Need something. Now."

"Most of us can wait..."

"CANNOT wait!" the Kana bellowed. Ameni flinched and waited for his anger to die down before responding.

"So your...needs...they're strong enough that you would dirty yourself with one of my kind, a human, to satisfy them?"

The disgusted look again; he could tell the Apsiu was not pleased with his options. "To...needs to be too great. To have held off long time. To be unable to hold off longer." He gave Ameni a sideways look, eyes narrowed. "To comply? To be Moru. Comply. To use force if necessary." His hand went to the sword at his side and his eyes narrowed even more.

So...Ameni's initial suspicions had been correct. The offering of food had not been entirely selfless. "As for what you intended to do," he clarified aloud, "you intended to rape me. To couple with a human."

The Kana snarled. "To cease talking!"

"What is your name?"

That caught the creature offguard. He stared at Ameni a moment, wings lowering, as if trying to figure out what sort of trick he was pulling now. His eyes narrowed a bit before he finally replied.

"To be called Nehekhi," he said, voice suspicious.

"Nehekhi," Ameni repeated, to get the sound of it right. "My name is Ameni, of the northern village."

"Nehekhi, of the Red Tribe."

"Nehekhi," Ameni said again, in greeting. "We are no longer strangers now."

A pause. Then, "No...to not be strangers, I suppose."

"Nehekhi...I must ask you something."

An annoyed look. "What?"

"If you truly do believe we will never reach home...is this what you believe?"

"To be lost. To not find our way. To possibly be out of range of tribe. Sha long dead, little food. To die out here."

"All right...so you believe we will never return. We are out here alone, for good."

"Yes, human."

Ameni nodded a little. "So...you must promise me something."

"What?"

"I will not fight," Ameni said, "...I will comply...if you will be careful with me."

Another blink. Nehekhi gaped at him in disbelief for several moments before stammering, "To...to comply to nesakh'ai? With no fight?"

"Yes," Ameni said, knowing already from his previous knowledge of the Kana what nesakh'ai meant. "If you are careful with me."

"Humans to always fight."

"Well, I promise I will not...if you promise you will be careful." He paused. "You are much bigger than I am, Nehekhi, and I am not used to...nesakh'ai...in this manner. I used to have a...mate of my own, back in my own village. But she was female." He looked up at the Kana, who still bent over him. "Do you promise, Nehekhi?"

"Why to comply?" Nehekhi didn't seem to understand him. Of course he would have no reason to believe a human. Ameni spoke patiently.

"Because you have already said you will use force if you must...and I don't wish to fight. If this is easier, if we are both alive when it's over, then I will choose it."

"Humans to always fight Kana!"

"Well, I won't. You may have nesakh'ai."

A frown, but the Kana's disbelief seemed to be wavering. "Supposed to be disgusted," he insisted. "To not fight?"

He is even more distrusting than I am. Ameni shrugged. "There is no shame left, if we will never return to our homes."

Now another pause, this time from the Apsiu. After a moment he relaxed and his wings lowered. He seemed to finally understand what Ameni was saying.

"All right, human," he said. "To be my Moru for the night. To comply?"

"I will not fight." Ameni looked up again. "You are not interested in hakh'tua?"

Nehekhi's eyes widened. "To know of hakh'tua?" He shook his head abruptly. "No...to not desire hakh'tua. To have tried ahi'akhta for past several nights. No luck."

"Ahi'akhta?" Ameni echoed, puzzled. While the words for sex and oral sex were not new to him, he'd never heard that one before.

"Yes. Ahi'akhta. To...what is called...to pleasure oneself. To use one's hands." He made a stroking motion at his waist. "To touch, to fondle one's own rod."

"Oh...I see. I had wondered. All right...nesakh'ai. You may do so." He put his head down upon his arm again, shifting so he lay with legs spread apart, and waited for the Kana to position him as he saw fit.

I hope that this is much less painful than dying out here...if it at least convinces him to keep me alive until we reach somewhere...

The Kana snorted. "To...er..."

"Yes?" Another glance.

Nehekhi coughed. "To...desire anything? A touch, a feel?" He coughed again, as if uncomfortable. Ameni didn't doubt he was. "Nesakh'ai for both mates...not just one. To pleasure you?"

"Oh." Ameni paused. He'd never heard of that either. He assumed the males simply took their females, with no regard for their mates' pleasure. He supposed it must be different for every couple, and he'd just happened to be stuck with a more liberal Kana than most.

Well...I suppose my luck was bound to change sometime, as much as this may be called "lucky"...

He tried to think of an answer. "...Well...whatever you would like to do, Nehekhi. I do this for you. I'm fine on my own." He put his head back down and waited. He'd had no idea that he would have to convince the Kana to get it over with, rather than the other way around!

Nehekhi stared at him a moment more, before Ameni heard a slight sigh and felt the Kana come down over him. He closed his eyes and waited. The Kana's soft muzzle brushed against his neck, making whiffling noises as he sniffed; Ameni had to force himself not to shudder as a tongue touched his ear, tracing the whorls. Nehekhi gripped his shoulders again, both of them this time, and stroked his upper arms. His weight pressed against Ameni, and he hoped the Kana would remember he still had to breathe.

After lightly licking at his neck, Nehekhi rose. Ameni felt a hand on his waist.

"Up, Moru."

He obeyed, rising to all fours, and stood still. Nehekhi's hand ran down his thigh, and up under his kilt. Ameni forced his breath to remain level. The Kana's fingers undid his loincloth and found the soft warm sac of his testicles, squeezing gently.

"You..." Ameni had to struggle to speak. "You don't have to do that."

"To pleasure you, Moru. To make nesakh'ai more fulfilling."

His fingers trailed up Ameni's member, which began to stiffen and rise. Ameni's breath came faster now. He hadn't thought he could be aroused by such a situation, but it was working.

We have both been out here a long while...I suppose I never realized just how much I have missed this...

Nehekhi murmured in his ear. "To like, Moru?"

"This is for you, Nehekhi."

"To give both of us pleasure. Far from home. To make most of this." A nuzzle to the ear; he was surprised by the tenderness in the Kana's voice. "To not be alone...to be with each other. Moru, Kana. Ameni. Nehekhi." His tongue traced Ameni's cheek. "To be my Moru, my mate, tonight..."

"Yes, Nehekhi...your mate."

"To honor and love my mates." He squeezed Ameni's shoulder, other hand still squeezing and stroking his penis. "To treat them properly. Unlike some Kana. To receive pleasure, to bring pleasure." He touched his head to Ameni's and Ameni looked back and up into his eyes, noticing for the first time how clear and beautiful they were. "To receive pleasure, mate?"

"Yes..." Ameni's voice came in barely a whisper. His member throbbed, straining. "To...receive pleasure."

Nehekhi smiled at him. "Dear little Ameni-mate," he murmured, and then disappeared from Ameni's sight. A moment later Ameni felt him push his kilt up over his hips, and glanced back to see Nehekhi do the same for himself--he nearly gasped at the Kana's massive size--how had he become excited already?--eyes widening as the large fleshy purple head made its way for his body, cried out and jerked, stiffening, clawing the earth, when it entered and pushed up into him. Nehekhi groaned softly and leaned forward to kiss his neck, caressing his sides.

"To be my Moru for the night...to be a good human. Dear little Ameni-mate."

"Dear Nehekhi-Master," Ameni breathed, chest shuddering. Nehekhi snorted with pleasure at the epithet, took the human's hips, positioned himself, and started to thrust.

Ameni gave a long groan and trembled but stayed in his place. As unbelievable as it was...he found it unbelievable no longer...for now, he truly was the Kana's mate, and the Kana was his master. As long as they were out here, in the middle of the desert, far from the watching eyes of anyone else, this was who they were, transformed by their primal needs, Ameni submitting to a race that was foreign to him, Nehekhi taking power over a race that was foreign to him. Neither of them felt dirty or ashamed...they felt only each other, in this moment. As far as they were both concerned, Nehekhi was the Kana master, and Ameni was his Moru slave, ready to pleasure him, to be pleasured, should he so desire it. His groan even changed, to become a soft, bleating cry, the longer they went. They rocked slowly in the sand, the fire burning nearby, he on his hands and knees, his master kneeling upright to take him, as was proper for a Kana...yet his master was also most kind to him...for he pushed slowly, ever so slowly and tenderly, so as not to hurt him...though giant, his girth no longer pained Ameni, who, after the initial pain, became used to it. And his master's hands roamed his body oh so lovingly, caressing over his chest, down to his groin, even stroking his member, cupping his warmth. Ameni moaned. This night, this night was a good one for him...

"You are a most considerate master to me," he said softly as they rocked, the only sounds the night animals of the desert and the slow steady shifting of their bodies.

Nehekhi snorted lightly, pleased. "To be a good Moru...compliant...submissive...ready. To feel good inside. To bring me pleasure. To be a good slave, Ameni-Moru."

"To be a good master, Nehekhi-Master...you bring your lowly slave such joy to be with you..."

He didn't even realize what he was doing, now completely fulfilling the role of a submissive Moru, and he didn't care. He was Moru now...it was what he should be. Everything had changed between them now that they were out here, alone. He threw his head back and cried out with ecstasy, muscles bunching. Nehekhi let out a guttural growl and pushed deeper, deeper. Ameni's fingernails dug into the hard earth, clawing up the dust.

"Oh gods," he moaned.

"To...to hurt little Moru?" Nehekhi panted.

"No...to bring joy...to enjoy you always...to--oh!" Ameni trembled. "To be an unworthy Moru!"

"No...to be a good little Moru...perfect feel...perfect fit..." The Kana's eyes rolled back and his tongue lolled with lust. His hands clutched Ameni's buttocks and his tail quivered in the air. "To love you, little Ameni-Moru...to cherish you most deeply from among all my Moru..."

"Oh gods!" Ameni-Moru wailed. One of his hands reached up to clutch his master's. "Pl...please...to bring pleasure to this lowly Moru! Please Master!"

"To go faster, deeper?"

"Yes--faster. Deeper. Within me!"

"To bring pain, little Moru..."

"To not care...to cherish every drop...please, Master...honor this lowly Moru!"

Nehekhi growled under his breath, and complied...

And so both Ameni and Nehekhi dropped their last restraints, and very soon the Apsiu took the human as a true Kana takes his Moru, Ameni on all fours, Nehekhi pushing into him hard and fast, snorting with the effort. They would have made a strange sight to any passersby, the submissive human, apparently allowing himself to be raped by the massive Kana, even going so far as to cry out, "Master! Master! Master! Please, Master!" with each thrust--even wailing and shuddering with obvious pleasure at the Kana's heavy grunt of climax, at which Nehekhi held him upright and close to his breast, their hips quivering as they emptied, Nehekhi within his mate, Ameni spraying in ribbons upon the dry ground, until they had sated their desperate lust upon each other and slowly sank back to the ground from which they had come, panting and even touching each other tenderly. Ameni allowed the Kana to turn him about and kiss him upon the mouth, and accepted his tongue gratefully, massaging it with his own, while their hands roamed each other's body with great curiosity, for they really knew so little about each other, after all. The Kana accustomed himself to Ameni's smooth, lightly muscled, hairless build, while the human became used to Nehekhi's strong, muscular, velvety form. They were very different...but the parts of them that mattered most were similar enough.

When they had sufficiently rested, considering, Ameni dared to sit upright, fingers tracing a pattern along Nehekhi's chest, and smiled at him gently before he could get up. "Dearest Master," he murmured, and leaned down to nuzzle the Kana's neck. Nehekhi smiled lazily and allowed him, sighing when Ameni's tongue trailed to his broad shoulder. He put his arm around him and drew his Moru close.

"Yes, dear little Moru?"

"To have had glorious nesakh'ai with you." This he said without deceit; until now he had had no idea how much he had longed to be this close to somebody. Strange, that it should be an enemy Apsiu to make him realize this...

"To appreciate you, Moru," Nehekhi purred, his voice a deep rumble. "To have a very fine body. Happy now; Nehekhi to be satisfied."

"To not deserve my master's praise. Dear Master...to ask, if a slave may be so forward..."

Nehekhi cocked one ear and looked up at him. "To request?"

"To...to request more nesakh'ai. Again. To have more need than I had thought." His eyes, glazed and faraway, met his master's. "To...to be unusual this time. To request to perform nesakh'ai upon the master."

Nehekhi blinked in surprise. "You...to give to me? Me, to receive? Like a Moru?"

"Yes, dearest Master..." Ameni leaned close, burying his head against the Kana's shoulder and taking in the musky scent of him. "To desire greatly...beyond words. To have so admired the feel of Master within me...to be nothing compared to him. To wish to feel him again, myself inside..." He trailed off as what Nehekhi had said finally came to him. Moru...among the flying caste, the warrior Kana, to be called a Moru was the greatest insult one could give. Ameni had just asked him to, in effect, become his Moru. This could be a dangerous request. "To ask for too much, to be too forward?" He lifted his head, a twinge of anxiety creeping up inside him now, and began crawling back.

"No--wait." Nehekhi's hand shot out to stop him. The Kana's eyes looked curious, intrigued, even. Ameni couldn't believe it. "To still be human. Not subordinate to Nehekhi."

"To be my master, dearest Nehekhi...while we are alone. To be your Moru."

"Yes, dear Moru. To accept. To accept gratefully!" A huge smile spread across Nehekhi's face. "For Ameni-Moru to come inside Nehekhi-Master. Different! To enjoy greatly."

Ameni paused and looked at him. "To be serious?"

"Yes, yes! Unusual...unusual. But not unpleasant. To never have...never have had a mate that way. But to wish to try it out. Nesakh'ai! To wish for nesakh'ai from you, dear little mate."

Ameni's face lit up and he beamed. "To hope not to disappoint..."

"Nonsense. To be unable to disappoint. Come, come, little Moru, to play the master for the moment, for Nehekhi to play the slave."

Ameni's body tingled in anticipation. Nehekhi pushed himself up and over ponderously, landing on all fours and spreading his legs wide, quietly urging Ameni on with his flicking tail. Ameni pushed his kilt up, watched his tail rise, inspected his tight pink opening and licked his lips again. He spat on his fingers and inserted them, testing; Nehekhi shuddered and moaned softly, then relaxed, his muscles loosening so Ameni could insert all of his fingers. He hurriedly removed his own kilt, spitting upon Nehekhi's backside, very carefully prying him apart, leaning forward, slowly, oh so slowly, and pushing himself in.

He expected disappointment, as he was so much smaller than his companion. But he needn't have worried; evidently he was just big enough to do the trick. Nehekhi's moan grew slightly louder, and he tossed his head back, shaking.

"Little mate. Little Moru...to pleasure your master most, most greatly..."

"To...to honor this worthless Moru...to not deserve my master's pr--oh! Oh!" Ameni's back arched, hips spasming at Nehekhi's. "To...to feel so good, Master....to love your feeling. To pray I honor you."

Nehekhi grunted. Ameni noticed his member, standing out perfectly straight, emit a sharp, short stream of seed before stopping, and quailed.

"To be ready already--?"

"N...no...to handle it...just...to be so excited by this. By you. To carry on, dear little Moru...to carry on..."

Thus they did...the human Moru taking his master, pushing into him quickly, repeatedly, clutching his hips...the Kana bowing to the earth, panting and groaning, trembling with lust. Ameni no longer cared that the evening had started out as a near-rape on his person...he was no longer Ameni but Ameni-Moru. While they were out here, alone, this was who he was, who he was meant to be...perhaps who he had always been, without ever knowing. Perhaps their meeting in the desert had not been mere coincidence, after all. His hands caressed his mate's sides and he licked his wing adoringly. Nehekhi threw back his head and let out a strangled cry, shaking. Ameni simply laid himself over his back, hands upon his member, hips rocking, rocking...moaning softly, treasuring the quiet sobs of pleasure that escaped his lover, spasming with shared delight at his climax, his mate's climax, the thick stream of the Kana's seed, the reek of his musk...

And thus, this was the way they lived, as they traveled. During the day, they were potential rivals once more, keeping their distance, eyeing each other warily as they walked, praying for home. But during the nights, they were always Kana and Moru, and delighted each other greatly playing at love. Ameni had had no idea he missed this activity so much until Nehekhi reintroduced him to it, and Nehekhi had never known there were so many intriguing ways in which to do it, until Ameni taught him. The slave instructed his master, and the master then took his slave, over and over, nightly, and they enjoyed each other's body, coming to know one another perhaps more intimately than they had ever known anyone before.

Some nights, they pleased themselves with hakh'tua, one upon the top or the bottom, clutched tightly to each other, mouths devouring one another, nuzzling between each other's legs and moaning happily. Other nights, they would try out ahi'akhta upon each other, kissing deeply while their hands caressed and stroked, laughing as they spurted upon one another's chest, hungrily licking their seed from their bodies...Ameni so loved the taste of his master's seed, and though Nehekhi had been reluctant at first, he enjoyed Ameni's as well. Still other nights, the Kana would bow over his slave, thrusting at him, snorting madly, or else taking him slowly and tenderly, as his mood saw fit; or Ameni would take the Kana, yelling with desire. Sometimes they would kneel, as was most common. Other times one would lie flat while the other moved atop him. Yet other times, one of them, often Ameni, would clutch at a large rock with legs spread and buttocks thrust out, moaning continuously while the second sated his desires inside him. Each night, the two could be found upon the ground or sprawled upon some rock, relishing each other's body, tongues and hands exploring, loving, always loving...

And during the day they walked, always waiting for their destination, by now convinced it would never come...

But on this day, they both stopped, moving close to each other, squinting through the rippling air. They had finally spotted something ahead. A settlement. Without a word, the two of them picked up their pace, hands shielding their eyes, until they realized what it really was, and slowed to a stop again. After a moment, they looked at each other, and their eyes met. One of them had reached his home this day.

"Ameni-Moru," Nehekhi said quietly. Ameni stared up at him. The Kana glanced back toward the settlement.

"To...reach home, Ameni-Moru. To have made it, after so long."

"Yes," Ameni said quietly.

"To have never thought possible."

"I told you so early on, dear Master...I knew that at least one of us would reach our home." Ameni smiled sadly and looked toward the settlement. "It seems you are the one who is so rewarded...this is best, as you have family, and I have not."

"To have Nehekhi-Master," the Kana said abruptly, turning to face him, eyes pained. "To have family in Nehekhi."

Ameni looked at him again. Even as they had grown to know one another more closely, he had feared this would happen. He hadn't believed it would...but the threat had always been there. He sighed to himself.

"No, Nehekhi," he said, abandoning the submissive title. "I am not your family. Your family waits for you there."

"To come with me!"

"No," Ameni persisted. "I cannot go there. You know how the other Kana would treat me. Humans are not welcome among your kind, the same as your kind is not welcome among my own." He paused. "I know the situation would be the same if this settlement were my northern village. We would have to part, anyway. You've known this all along, Nehekhi."

Nehekhi's face fell. Ameni had never thought a Kana could look so despairing, especially over the loss of a human. His wings drooped and he cast a pained glance at the settlement.

"Then...to not go back." He turned to Ameni again. "To stay with Ameni-Moru. To...to love the little Moru slave."

"No...you have a family. Kana sons. Kana before Moru. Go back to them. Raise them. You cannot love me."

"To love! Moru to not understand Kana!" He bellowed with grief. Ameni grimaced and turned to look for any Kana to come running from the settlement at the sound. "To love you, Ameni. Ni'si ma ahekhi tiis Ameni-Moru!"

From what little Apsi he could understand, Ameni translated the phrase as I cherish you, little Ameni-Moru. His heart clutched at itself inside his chest. He had never imagined this would be so difficult.

He is just a Kana...I am just a human. We cannot care for each other. This cannot be right!

"Go, Nehekhi-Kana. Go back to your people." He turned away and started to walk off into the desert again. It was the most he could do; perhaps Nehekhi would learn, if he were no longer there.

The Kana grabbed his wrist before he could go very far, stopping him. Ameni tried to pull free but the Apsiu dragged him forward.

"Let go!" Ameni hissed, prying at his hand.

"No!"

"Let me go, Nehekhi. I'm not yours. I never was! Only on those nights!"

"To come back to tribe!"

"NO!"

Nehekhi snarled and drew his sword. Ameni stopped fighting, but dug his heels into the ground. His heart felt as if it had stopped, seeing the abrupt change in Nehekhi's demeanor. Once again this was his enemy, angry and potentially dangerous, and he was just a simple human, not even trained in basic fighting. From far off, he could hear an alert, and the yelling and shouting of other Apsiu as they finally noticed the commotion in the desert. He quailed. As soon as they arrived, he would be dead.

"Let me go, Nehekhi," he ordered. "Unless you want me killed!"

"To obey, Moru. To obey your master!"

"I am not your Moru!"

"Yes you are! To have cried out 'Master' while in throes of passion!" He bared his teeth and pulled Ameni closer. "To return with me!"

"Let GO!"

Ameni stumbled forward, nearly falling onto his face when the Kana wrenched him forward. The Apsiu's hand slammed into his chest, righting him, but also knocking his breath away. He coughed and gasped when the Kana's arm crushed around his neck, his eyes going wide with fear--yet he could still breathe.

Nehekhi lowered his head to whisper in his ear.

"To obey, Ameni-Moru. To be killed by Kana otherwise. Only way to survive. To fool them. To make them think you Moru slave, Nehekhi master."

Ameni choked. "I..."

"To obey. To wish to die? To never hurt you. To love you. To not let them hurt you." Nehekhi cast a tense glance back at the other approaching Apsiu. "But only way. To die in desert, away from northern village. To die in Kana settlement. Unless you obey."

Ameni stopped struggling, but his feeling of fear didn't die. He stared up at the Kana, for the first time in a long time realizing how truly big and powerful he was, uncertain if this were a trick on the other Apsiu, or a trick on himself.

Nehekhi's eyes grew anguished. "To not believe? Ameni-Moru!" He let go of Ameni's neck, but grabbed onto his arm again. "To trust me, Ameni-Moru. Please! To die if you don't trust me!"

"You...you attacked me, Nehekhi!" Ameni exclaimed.

"To not mean harm! To never hurt you!" The Kana's voice took on a desperate edge. "Please, Ameni--to obey. To be my slave. Only way to live. Play like a slave. I your master. Control you. You to play being afraid of me. To bring you back to tribe as my own. Other Kana to keep away from you if you are my slave!"

Ameni stopped fighting him and met his eyes, his own still round with fright.

"...You mean..." he whispered, "...I'll be safe with you--I won't be killed--if I pretend I'm your prisoner?"

Nehekhi nodded wildly. "Yes! Yes! To understand. Please! Not much time!"

"Why not just leave me in the desert? I may reach my own home, someday..."

"No! Too far! To not know which way!" He clenched his fists and ground his teeth. "PLEASE, Ameni-Moru! No family in northern village. Family here, with Nehekhi! Treat you well--treat you good! To have treated you well every night--to be a good master--to not believe me?"

"I believe you, Nehekhi. You've never hurt me. Yet. But things may change, in your tribe..."

"No, no, dear Moru! To distrust me this much?" The sound of the approaching Kana grew louder. Nehekhi shifted from foot to foot, desperation in his eyes. "Please, Ameni-Moru! To pretend to treat you poorly--in front of Kana--must do so, to keep you alive. To not draw suspicion. But behind doors...to keep you as my own Moru. To treat you well. To treat all my Moru well! To treat you best of all!"

"Why?"

Nehekhi bawled. "TO LOVE AMENI-MORU!"

A shout. Ameni shrank back in on himself as the Apsiu from the settlement started arriving around them, riding their Sha and brandishing swords and axes. Nehekhi whirled to face them, caught offguard, but a second later Ameni felt the Kana's hand clamp upon his wrist as hard as iron, dragging him forward again before he could protest.

One of the other Apsiu's lips curled with disgust on seeing the human stumble toward them. "Tikh ti'atha umu ama'asi Moru?" he snapped; Ameni translated it as, What are you doing with this filthy Moru?

And he understood Nehekhi's response, though he spoke in Apsi...

"I found him in the desert after the sandstorm. He is mine! My Moru slave!"

The other Kana stared, disbelieving, then burst into laughter, one of them poking Ameni in the side. He jumped back with surprise as soon as Nehekhi snarled and lashed out at him.

"To be a good Moru," he snapped. "Obeys orders. Submissive!"

The others' eyes widened, and then they started laughing again, though not as hard, as if expecting him to strike. "To speak like a Moru now!" one said, in Ameni's tongue. "To spend too much time with him?"

"Necessary to learn his tongue to get him to obey." Nehekhi tugged Ameni forward, and the man fell to his knees. "Does not understand much Apsi. To speak in his language, to have an obedient Moru."

"But, to be a human," one of the newcomers insisted. "To just buy more Apsiu Moru? Why to keep a human?"

Nehekhi's lip curled warningly. The others backed away. "To make my decision. Obedient little Moru. Found for free. Why pay when get one free?"

The others blinked and gawked. And then they started laughing once more.

"To make sense!" one crowed.

"Nehekhi-Kana," another gasped. "Always to be thrifty!"

"To not wish to spend more than necessary!"

"To get lost in sandstorm, to get free Moru out of the deal!"

"For us to spend time in desert? To put Moru traders out of business!"

They howled raucously, slapping each other, and even Ameni and Nehekhi--but they put their weapons away without any further questions, he noticed, and turned to head back for the settlement. Ameni let out his breath, heart unclenching, only to feel Nehekhi pull him back up to his feet. He stared at him, shaking, while the Kana bound his wrists together with rope.

"To apologize," Nehekhi said, looking him in the eye, his own eyes now sorrowful. "To be necessary. To keep them fooled." His voice grew soft, his stare pleading. "To follow Nehekhi-Master, to your new home? To not fight?"

Ameni stared at him for a long time, breath almost silent in his throat. He had never imagined that his simple trip into the sandstorm would come to this. He no longer fought down the fear that enveloped him, seeping through every pore of his body...but, as unbelievable as it was...he found himself saying the words he had said before, the words that had probably brought about this conclusion in the first place...

"I will not fight."

Continue:

"Part 2: Newcomer" 


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