Fan Fiction ❯ The Ameni Chronicles ❯ Part 1: Storms ( Chapter 1 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

DISCLAIMERS: This story is marked for:

M/M content
Anal
D/s
Furs
Oral
Slash
Slave
Solo

In addition, this story is a WIP (work in progress) and the first part of multiple chapters.


AUTHOR'S NOTE: Yes, this is a long note. Please bear with me. It should be the last, I hope.

This story, which started out as a solo work intended to explore what would happen if an Apsiu (keep reading) paired up with a human, ended up being so interesting to me that I decided to write more...as of the last time I checked there are about 65 chapters and still going in the series that has since become known as the Ameni Chronicles. I only stopped work on new chapters as I am currently rewriting the old ones to place more emphasis on plot as opposed to straight (er, so to speak) erotica; I'm of the mind that erotica is a lot more interesting when the characters and situations are interesting as well. :)

This is a VERY long, VERY complex story with literally scores of characters and lots of different ongoing plotlines. But seeing as I will try to post all I have here (what's been rewritten so far, that is), you can just keep reading to figure all that out for yourself. Still, seeing as this is a complex fantasy world of my own creation, some explanation may be needed.

The Ameni Chronicles is set in ancient Kemet (Egypt), in the time after the rule of the god Horus and before the rule of human kings (predynastic times). Humans have just settled into cities but the Two Lands are ruled by numerous "kinglets" rather than one powerful pharaoh. The Apsiu are a humanlike race which was created by the god Set to combat his brother Osiris and nephew Horus for the throne of Kemet; as such they closely resemble him, with upright, squared-off ears and long downward-curving muzzles. They are covered with short velvety fur of varying colors (usually tannish or brown) and possess short, stiff manes running from the top of the head down the neck, and lionlike tails tufted with long silky fur at the end. They bear heavy claws on both hands and feet, and most males possess small tusks jutting upward from their lower jaws. Other than this and the matter of wings (keep reading), they basically resemble humans in build and physical form, aside from the fact that males possess penis sheaths similar to those of dogs and such, which retract during urination or sexual excitement. Both sexes emit a pungent musk when sexually excited, though that of the males is more distinctive. The Apsiu's (the word is both singular and plural) sense of smell is very acute and they can even identify other specific Apsiu based on scent alone. Because of their past as servants of Set, they are now greatly disliked by humans (the Kemeti/Egyptians), and dislike the humans in return, regarding them as Moru (keep reading). Following Horus's ascension to the throne they scattered all over the land and formed many different tribes, each modeled basically after Kemeti cities and going under a different designated, usually descriptive name. Sometimes neighboring tribes may team up or ally themselves for matters of convenience, but for the most part each tribe stands alone and regards all other tribes as potential enemies, and the Apsiu may raid each other as easily as they raid the humans for the goods that they need.

The most distinctive thing about Apsiu society is their strict caste system, determined solely by flight ability. Basically, some Apsiu are born with wings, and some without; it's completely random. Shortly after birth male winged Apsiu are tested for flight ability, which manifests itself very early in life in the ability to stop oneself from falling to the ground by use of the wings. Those Apsiu babies which can fly are raised as Kana--the warrior caste, as the Apsiu are a warrior society. Those Apsiu babies who cannot fly are raised as Moru--the flightless, slave caste, who possess very few rights and are used almost exclusively for labor, breeding, and pleasure by their masters. There are more Moru than there are Kana, but because of the ages-old way in which they have been raised, the majority of Moru never protest their fate. Both castes speak slightly different dialects of Apsiu, and in general the Moru are less educated and much more placid than their intelligent yet volatile masters.

All wingless babies and females are automatically relegated to Moru status, as the Apsiu are also a patriarchal society in which females possess the same rights as slaves. This pretty much means that they have the right not to be murdered or severely mistreated by their masters, yet that does not mean this never happens, as it does. Rape, beating, and other forms of mistreatment are very common and often go unpunished.

Any Kana babies born to Moru parents are taken by the owner(s) of the parents and raised as their own sons. Familial ties may be used in Kana society for bragging rights--for example if one's father was a powerful Kana, one may also wield prestige--yet seeing as being born Kana or Moru is purely random, being related to a powerful Kana is no guarantee of success or respect; a great Kana may be the son of a Moru, just as a great Kana may father only Moru pups. As expected, except as far as illustrious Kana ancestors/relatives are concerned, lineage means very little and often one's station in life is determined by one's fighting ability.

In addition to the two-caste system described above, the Kana are further divided into numerous sub-castes depending on military rank and specific abilities. Soldier Kana--those who spend their lives almost exclusively in the service of the military and the guard--are of the following ranks, from lowest to highest:

Private
Sergeant Third Class
Sergeant Second Class
Sergeant First Class
Lieutenant Third Class
Lieutenant Second Class
Lieutenant First Class
Lieutenant Elite
Captain Third Class
Captain Second Class
Captain First Class
Captain Elite
General

Each rank is identified by a particular color of lappets (a form of clothing almost as important in its symbolism as the wings are important). Almost EVERY Apsiu, male and female, Kana and Moru, wears lappets, and to wear the wrong color or type of lappets is the equivalent of misrepresenting oneself and can lead to harsh punishment. The military rank colors are black (private and sergeant), blue (lieutenant), red (captain), and purple (general). Differences between the ranks, such as between a lieutenant third class and an elite, are denoted by differently colored markings and text upon the lappets; such markings also denote which household the Kana is from (usually his father's or guardian's name), which tribe and general he serves, his rank and profession, and occasionally other identifying information. In addition to THESE, there are also the lappets of the non-military Kana and the Moru, which vary in color even further (brown, green, white, etc.) depending on which profession the Apsiu practices--green for farming, white for physicians and priests, etc. Most Moru possess undyed lappets.

The military rules the Apsiu, with the solitary general ruling over the tribe much like a king or lord. He possesses ultimate power, yet may be checked by his inferiors; political intrigue is quite common, especially since, with the randomness of wings, hereditary ties mean very little. (The position of general pretty much goes to he who is either deemed most fit by the soldiers, or he who fights his way to the top and wins. Keeping the rank for life is by no means guaranteed, so alliances are important.) The rank of captain is a primarily political one; for the most part captains do not do nearly as much hand-to-hand fighting as the rest of the army, and instead serve upon the grand tribunal or act behind the scenes. Sergeants and privates make up the bulk of the military and do most of the work and fighting. The lieutenants are significant in that they almost make up their own military class and follow their own rules of combat and loyalty; of all the soldiers in the military, the lieutenants prove to possess the greatest sense of camaraderie, and wield great power within the tribe. They are responsible for training Kana in the military, and for most of the supervision of troops in the field; they represent a necessary go-between between the lower and upper military classes, as their rank is nonpolitical, yet granted on basis of fighting talent.

There are various reasons and modes of punishment but the only one of importance at this time is the punishment of relegation to Moru status. This is one of the most severe punishments, barring death, and consists of a ritual slashing of the offending Kana's wings (and often his lappets). Slashing the wings renders them useless for flight, thus making their owner Moru, a slave. Once slashed, a former Kana is considered a slave only, and his past as a Kana is effectively erased--no matter what his former importance, he is now merely a Moru. As expected, more Kana prefer death to becoming a Moru, as being considered a Moru is the greatest humiliation one can suffer. (Witness the use of the word "Moru" as a grave insult.) Though not nearly as extreme (and never leading to becoming Moru), defacement or removal of the lappets alone is also considered a severe humiliation.

A final note, about Apsiu sexual relations, which may seem rather odd to the new reader. The Apsiu are for the most part polygamous/polyamorous in their relations, males taking several females as mates, although this differs from Apsiu to Apsiu. Some Kana prefer one female mate; some prefer several; some prefer a female and a male mate; some prefer a female mate, and a Kana lover; some prefer several mates and/or several lovers; etc. There's really no generalization one can make about Kana fidelity or possessiveness regarding mates; a good example later in the story is the relationship between the characters Djuta and Resikh, both Kana males, who both possess female mates whom they love, yet they love one another primarily and are not jealous of the attention they give their female mates; in addition at various points both engage in sexual relations with other Kana males, yet these relations are seen as purely sexual and not emotional, thus neither Djuta nor Resikh displays jealousy or a sense of infidelity; BUT, other Kana involved in similar situations may very well be jealous (witness the Kana character I'anen's jealousy of his lord's relations with another Kana, and even some females' jealousy of each other as competitors for their masters' attention). The only basic things that can be said regarding Apsiu sex and relationships are that bisexuality appears to be more the norm than heterosexuality, despite an unspoken Kana ideal of male/female relations; and polyamory is very common and widely accepted. Just not by everybody. This is much the same among the Moru, though matters of pride and success for fathering Kana pups are not nearly so important as they do not raise one's station in life.

Homosexuality is accepted for the most part, so long as the male parties involved manage to father pups (children) by females; a failure to produce Kana sons is often seen as a failure as a Kana, and those Apsiu who are exclusively gay are often mocked because of this. Many Kana appear for the most part to be bisexual, taking male lovers while fathering children with females who may be lovers or merely mates of convenience. Homosexuality may still be mocked but not as severely if one fathers pups; again, it depends on the Apsiu involved, and on the particular circumstances; some are more accepting than others. (One primarily gay Kana in this story appeases his father by taking a female mate; another two are disowned by their fathers for being gay.) There is a higher incidence of homosexuality in the Kana military itself, if only for the reason that females are not allowed in the training barracks nor on military outings; thus many otherwise "straight" Kana often turn to relations with their comrades for relief. Sex in the barracks is not allowed, but is highly overlooked and ignored; weaker Kana are often victims of unwanted relations with others. Lesbianism is something which is not much discussed or known about, simply because all females are slaves, and what they do in their own time is of little consequence to the Kana.

*deep breath* I think that's all the intro that's needed...for now. :) Just in case, if you need any further clarification on ANYTHING, please let me know and I'll be glad to help: social_phobe@yahoo.com I DO NOT WISH TO ANSWER QUESTIONS IN THE REVIEWS SECTION, and I no longer plan on including those stupid long-ass author's notes in every single chapter--so if you REALLY wish for an answer--PLEASE LEAVE YOUR E-MAIL, OR E-MAIL ME INSTEAD. I will not stalk you, but I will try to answer your question. You can also e-mail me if I stop updating here for any reason; this story IS posted elsewhere, and even if I stop posting, I AM still working on it and other writing; all you need do is ask. In addition numerous Apsiu terms are used in the story and always appear in italics; these are usually defined in context.

PLEASE PAY ATTENTION TO THE STORY CODES! These CHANGE from chapter to chapter! (If it is the sort of thing that bothers you, please be warned that in later chapters there are NONCONSENSUAL and UNDERAGE warnings. All warnings will be clearly marked, making use of another fanfiction site's story codes.) The first several chapters are mostly sex...but along the way, the plot kind of elbows the sex aside somewhat. ^_^

Sorry for such a long intro...but hopefully that's it. Please enjoy the story and let me know what you think! All of ONE person I know of is reading this and commenting on it regularly, so I am DYING for more readers. If you don't comment, I don't know you're reading, and that's not helping me...hits to a story do not equal actual readers, and even though somebody comments once doesn't mean they're still reading a month down the line. If I post enough chapters that go without comments I'm inclined to stop just because it takes too much time. So please comment if you make it all the way through a chapter! I tend to write faster if I know people are actually reading it. :)

The more specific the comments, the better! I appreciate all honest reviews, but seriously--"Great story!" and "Keep writing!" don't really tell me much. WHY is it a great (or lousy) story, and why should I keep (or not keep) writing it? What did and didn't you like? Plot? Characters? Setting? Narration, description, style, etc. etc. etc....?

This story and all characters are © in the author's real name. You may print out a copy for your own offline reading, but please do not distribute, and please keep my name appended to every copy. If you would like someone else to read it, why not point them out to this URL?

Enjoy!

* * * * *

THE AMENI CHRONICLES, PART ONE
STORMS

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 hide 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...

* * * * *


(Part One Continued...)