Rosewater Oasis By the power of Ra,

for @Lakshmi

Samir’s gaze was fixed on the endless horizon, where the rolling dunes stretched like waves. The sun hung high above, scorching the golden sands, casting his dark, gilded figure into Godhood.

Behind him, the oasis shimmered—a jewel of life and power amid the barren desert, his domain.

The sharp cry of a falcon broke the silence, pulling him from his musings. His head lifted slightly, golden eyes following the black-and-gold bird as it swept low across the desert. A familiar predator wielding talons of revere.

A symbol of home.

His tail flicked once. In the distance, ascending a lone dune, was a viper he knew all too well. The heat rippled around her slender shape, but Samir needed no confirmation. He knew who approached, even before the light caught the familiar, menacing shape.

Lakshmi. His favorite cousin.