The Audible
Smile
The sun spilled over Alexandria in a golden blanket of warmth. Altha'ari was in his stables tending his horses needs, and Hazi was clinging to the top of his back. Weeks had gone by since Altha'ari had his epic clash with Anubis, and Tara had come and gone in preparation of sneaking Cleopatra across the border. Khasiran walked out of the doorway, peering around to find Altha'ari in the stables with the golden stallion.
" That thing still clings to you as if we were ten years of age and it needed you." Khasiran said, pointing out the vesper hanging on Altha'ari.
" He does indeed. Hazi has always been as loyal a friend as any man." Altha'ari said jokingly." I suppose I should feed us, he usually keeps to himself unless he is hungry."
" I am probably about to head into the town for a moment, I have wasted a lot of my day doing a whole lot of nothing." Khasiran said.
" Alright, be safe brother." Altha'ari responded. " I will probably just sped my day here at the stable."
The two separated once more. Altha'ari headed through the door and Khasiran headed down the stone street. Once in the house Altha'ari cut the tiny vesper a few chunks of salted meat. He sat in silence as he watched the tiny creature fiddle with the food. His mind quickly overtook his eyes as he started to daydream. The sun was now over the horizon as dusk settled in. Tara Alhabu'. Tara Alhabu' had become all he could think about at night, and tonight was no different.
He had assumed she would stay, and after the events that unfolded in the underworld these thoughts were only bolstered. She had promised to start again with him once it was over, only now that looked as if she had only said that to silence him in the moment. His mind faded into bliss as he thought of her bubbly personality. Her smile so full of life he could not help but smirk at the thought of her. He looked up to find his vesper now finished with his food and napping on his arm. He looked around, gathering his wits once more he stood to walk upstairs to get some sleep in.
His footsteps heavy on the stairs Altha'ari was visibly upset. His animal companion could sense it as well and became restless on his shoulder. Altha'ari shewed him away and the bat flew up the stairs and into the rafters once more. He reached the top of the stairs to find the shutters of his windows open. He stepped to the doorway leading to the stairs and grabbed the sword he kept on the wall there. He waited in silence, attempting to hear any breathing or movements.
" A little hostile aren't we Altha'ari." A familiar voice came.
" Hathor!" Altha'ari proclaimed. " You are a sight for sore eyes."
" As are you my champion." Hathor smiled.
" So, uhh." Altha'ari blushed. " Why are you in my bed exactly?" Altha'ari Questioned.
" Do you make all of your guests sit on the floor?" Hathor joked.
" No its just uhh." Altha'ari stammered. " You don't exactly wear clothes."
" I get it now. You are thinking of Tara." Hathor prodded.
" How do you know this?" Altha'ari asked.
" I know all there is to know about you my child." Hathor returned. " Now, sit."
" ok, but are you going to tell me why you are here?" Altha'ari asked. " You never appeared to me before all of this happened."
" True, but I wanted to be here in person to thank you for the great heroics you pulled off just days ago. You quite possibly saved the entire realm with your deeds." Hathor beamed. " You don't seem to be too happy with yourself though, and I know why. What I don't get though is why you feel so strongly for this woman. The great warrior of Alexandria could have any woman he desired, and many of them would likely give him the time and life that he wanted. Why waste your soul here?"
" It isn't about any of that. She is probably the most amazing person I have ever met. She is the most genuine, loving woman in memphis. I want her to be mine. She is fiesty, gritty, and yet the softest under the bed linen. She is the caring woman at the end of the road passing out bread, yet the most vicious fighter in a clash by the river. I chose her because she showed me true love. I chose Tara Alhabu'." Altha'ari paused to take a breathe.
He brought his gaze back up to Hathor, who was sitting cross legged on his bed looking him in his eyes with every word. She had a bright smile on her face, and this kind of puzzled altha'ari. He wanted to continue is explanation, but figured Hathor knew the answers to literally every question she was asking him anyway.
" Do you really mean all that Altha'ari?" Another voice came.
Altha'ari looked up, shocked. That was the voice of none other than Tara Alhabu'. She was now standing in the doorway, and looking back up Altha'ari realized that once more Hathor had once again disappeared.
" Who were you talking to my love??" Tara asked shyly. " And did you really mean all of that?"
" Not important my love, but of course I did. You have become a part of me. I love you Tara." Altha'ari answered.
" And I, you Altha'ari." Tara answered.
" Wait, aren't you a bit early here Tara?" Altha'ari questioned.
" My love you forget our plans? We are to head to the palace tomorrow.
" Then why have you returned tonight?" Altha'ari wondered aloud.
" I just figured..." Tara started, but stopped and her eyes burned into Altha'ari.
" Come my love. Let us get some rest." Altha'ari smiled.
Altha'ari smiled as they lay there together. Hathor did this. She knew Tara was coming. She knew the real answer to every single question she had asked him, but wanted Tara to hear all of it from an outside perspective. She had baited Altha'ari into professing his true heart towards Tara. Tara heard this from the outside, so she knew it was the truth.
The two would embark on one last journey together. They would sneak Cleopatra across the border, and Altha'ari would finally have his chance to try and attempt to convince Tara to stay here with him. He knew it would not be easy though. Tara had spent her entire life dreaming of controlling her home city and doing good by her own people. But Altha'ari wanted to help her believe she was bigger than just politics. She deserved to have a life too, and he wanted the life she had to be spent with him.
"My love?" Altha'ari poked Tara to see if she was awake.
" I am still with you." She responded.
" Why did that creature sing a song of your parents?" What exactly happened to your family?" Altha'ari asked softly.
" Well then. I knew this would have to come up eventually." Tara started. " Well here goes. When i was a child I used to constantly follow my mother around. Wherever she went I was always trying to sneak by her side. She was a powerful woman, but not by her own right. She gained power through marriage when my fathers side of the family proposed a marriage that would ensure he gained the vast amount of land outside of memphis she had accrued, and she became a powerful political figure within memphis as a direct result of her affiliation with him. He was a brutally corrupt figure, who stole land and housing. She did right by many in contrast. I constantly followed suit, learning every little thing I could, but tensions at home were an obstacle. He was violent. After I reached around five years old his violence escalated to the point whee he would hit here nearly every night. And after I had eventually reached about eight years old he began to force himself on me." Tara paused, eyes tearing up at the very mention of the last sentence.
" As I got older I was eventually able to fight off his advances if he had been drinking. The nights he was sober it was different. Those nights he would use logic a bit better. He would take knives or other sharp objects and threaten to kill my mother if I did not please him. One night I decided enough was enough. He tried to make an advance on me. I hit him, and attempted to sink a blade into his neck, but he was too strong and quick. He snatched the blade from me, and slapped me to the ground. My mother saw this and ran in to help. He put the blade clean though her chest. I laid there with my dying mother that night, and had to wake to the reality that it was not a dream the next morning." Tara continued.
" We do not have to talk about this if you do not want to." Altha'ari responded.
" May as well finish now." Tara started once more. " The next day I set out to find my father, poison laced dagger in hand I waited until he was in front of his political cohorts. I sat there patiently waiting until it was his turn to speak. As he stood up I reached around his seat, pulled his garments down and sliced his genitals off. He screamed for a while, and the rest of the men fled. After a moment he fell to the ground, and as he did I shoved his own member into his mouth and shoved the blade through his chin." Tara finished.
" Oh my Tara, I'm so sorry you went through all of this." Altha'ari said squeamishly.
" That is not your problem to be sorry for Altha'ari." Tara stated. " You lost both of your parents much younger than I did. I at least got to know my mother better than that wretched man. "
" We at least have each other to confide in. That is all I need." Altha'ari said warmly.
" Get to sleep Altha'ari, we have much to do tomorrow." Tara smiled.
" Once we fulfill our task tomorrow we will have to talk Tara." Altha'ari said.
" About what my love." Tara inquired.
" About us." Altha'ari responded.
" What does that mean? That doesn't exactly sound good." Tara said alarmed.
" Nothing bad, and it could turn out to be the best conversation we ever have." Altha'ari said confidently.
" Good night Altha'ari, or I will go sleep in the stables!" Tara commanded.
" Okay Okay." Altha'ari smiled.
The two lay there in each others embrace for quite some time before they were able to fall asleep. Atha'ari gently stroking Tara's soft skin from her cheek to her thighs running along the length of her with his finger tips. She was fast asleep as he felt her skin, and watched her breath as he lie there thinking to himself there was no other place in the world he would rather be at this very moment. Altha'ari sat there like this for a while, and eventually his eyes started to get heavy. Soon he was fast asleep, gripping Tara as if he would awake to her gone from this world.
Khasiran walked the street with his cup full of wine with a face he had just met. Both inebriated he walked with the woman for lack of company in the bed he likely should have been in long ago back home. She had a lustful smile and dirty intentions, and was unaware that Khasiran actually wanted no part in it. The two laughed and talked their way all the way back to the stables, and Khasiran turned to bid the young woman farewell.
" You don't want me to come in?" The woman asked. " I could still show you a really good time."
" That sounds good, but I actually just got out of marriage just a couple of weeks ago, my wife, shes gone." Khasiran returned.
" I see." the woman responded, visibly disappointed. " But, that doesn't make me withdraw my question. Let me come in. I know you miss a woman's warmth. We could just go in, and curl up and sleep. No one has to know you need it. I can see the sadness in your eyes. Let me give you comfort for a night." She said.
" I couldn't ask you to do that. After all I don't even know your name. I have had too much to drink. I never even attempted to get to know you." Khasiran said shyly.
" That is good actually. No one has to know you were down. No one has to know you needed this. We can make you better tonight and I will be gone by morning." She assured him.
" Okay. sold." Khasiran smiled.
The two made their way inside, clanging around in the dark drunken and tired they found his bed quickly. Seconds later they were both undressed and wrapped around each other in a warm embrace. Moments later they were both asleep. The events that had occurred over the last two weeks had worn Khasiran, but this stranger saw to it that he at least got a little bit of sleep.
Moments later Khasiran awoke again, and the mystery woman was now standing at the foot of his bed ominously. Blood ran from her eyelids. Her fingernails were now long as talons on a bateleur eagle. A faint crackling noise came now, and Khasiran squinted as he watched a smile spread across her face so large that it started to tear her lips with a large ripping sound as blood poured from her face, turning black as it hit the ground.
" What do you want!" Khasiran shouted. "We killed you!"
" Do I look dead to you?" The creature responded, cocking her head to the side.
She started coughing loudly, and spit mixed with a thick black liquid spattered on Khasiran's face. She hacked louder and louder until a huge mass flew from her throat and hit Khasiran in the forehead. It was a scorpion. Khasiran jumped up from the bed, stomping on the arachnid as it pittered across the floor, and then bringing his attention back to the woman saw her balancing on a wooden beam on the ceiling. She screeched and leaped from the beam, a flurry of teeth and razor sharp nails flashed across Khasirans face.
Khasiran jerked awake. He looked beside him quickly to find the woman still laying beside him sound asleep. It was just a dream, but it had left his heart and mind racing as fast as a stallion. She opened her eyes for a moment, pulling him back closer to her and placing her head on his chest. He relaxed now. Anubis is dead. He was not going to let a dead deity dictate how he lived, or the quality of the life he had left to live.
Khasiran was quickly back to sleep. Worn and now worked up it was what he needed at this point. He would not be traveling with the other two companions in the morning but he did have his own life to attend to. He would wake the woman before Altha'ari and Tara headed out and be back in bed fast asleep before they knew it. He couldn't help but feel bad for not knowing her name but perhaps she was right. Maybe it was better this way.
He awoke the next morning to an abrupt shake from the woman. In a flurry of emotions he quickly sat up and tried to make sense of his surroundings. His mind was telling him this was just another bad dream, and he needed to defend himself, but the woman greeted him with a smile as he gained his wits. He sat there for a moment watching as she gathered her clothes and got prepared to leave. Altha'ari would soon be awake. It was time to see her out.
" Until next time, stranger." She said, leaning against the door frame.
" Actually, how about tonight?" Khasiran returned.
" Really now? I suppose so, but only on one condition." She said with a smile.
" What's that?" Khasiran asked.
" Tell me your name." She said.
" My name is Khasiran." He said warmly. " Yours?"
" I'll tell you tonight." She said with a grin, walking away now.
He stood there and watched from the door for a moment as she walked down the stone road towards whatever home she had come from the night before. After she had slipped out of his sight he turned and made his way slowly back up the stairs. Movement could be heard coming from Altha'ari's side of the house now as he got back to his bed. He was quickly heavy eyed and fighting sleep again, but he had a different feeling now than he had before.
Altha'ari gathered all of the things he would need to bring along on the quest to the palace of Julius Caesar. They had a risky plan, and there was no guarantee it would even work to begin with but he was willing to do whatever made Tara happy. They were to sneak Cleopatra across the border disguised within a few gifts to the greek ruler. She would be folded up within a large fancy carpet, a work of art it was the hope it would get her in unnoticed. Once inside she would have to do some talking, but it would be foolish of him to turn her offer away.
He gathered his blade and his food. He paused for a moment and watched Tara as she too prepared herself. He found himself once again captured by her beauty. He thought of everything she told him the night before. He felt somehow responsible even though he knew there was no way this was the case. She looked at him and smiled, melting him instantly, and then went back to preparing for the trip.
" Tara?" Khasiran inquired.
" Yes?" She returned.
" why do you do that?" He said with a smile.
" Why do I do what my love?" She responded.
" Well there are just so many less fortunate. I figured you would be the first to share of all people because you always consider others first." He went on.
" What ever are you talking about my love?" Tara asked, growing more confused.
" Well it's just that you seem to be hoarding all the beauty for yourself." Altha'ari smilede.
" Ugh, you little!" Tara Said and jumped on Altha'ari.
Finishing the few tasks that remained inside the two headed downstairs to the stable. Their golden stallion awaited them there and ALtha'ari wasted no time setting him up for the trip. Hazi suddenly exploded onto the scene chirping and flapping all over as he searched for the pocket he consistently rode in while on trips with Altha'ari. Altha'ari caught the little vesper, and gave him some food before placing him back inside. This trip was one he did not want the little vesper on because of the distance, and the immediate danger it would present to him. He bid his little friend farewell and mounted the horse with Tara. They were off together once more and this time it would be for her. And he could not wait till they returned home already.