Luneshale Pass oil & stone

maybe @Rashepses? <3

all evenings thus far died in a cloying heat-death. khusobek had become miserable, but persevered in his perusal of trails to hunt later. and when the sky at last darkened, he threw off his malaise and skulked into the night in search of antelope or sheep.

there was half a mind in him to call another of the mazoi, but not now, not as he looked into the deep purple shadows of another desert night and felt many kinds of hunger.

Night came with stars and Khonsu’s moon and the secretive promise of Toula’s shape in the company of them. Beer at dinner made his limbs heavy but cravings pilfered any manner of rest.

“Come bathe with me, Khusobek. You look lonely,” he called out for the warman to follow and descended a bluff towards the dark river edge.

"not lonely, lord prince. watchful. the sands reek of coyote." all the same, the crocodile followed, ambling into the warm shadows beneath the gravid arch of creamy moon.

he washed grit from the inside of his jawline, the fall of his hackles, and thought briefly of inji and tuna, craving the embrace of the lavender girl, the yielding of the coyote woman.

"are you a tactician too?" like the other man, thutmose, who mapped the terrain in silence and aloneness.

He took an inhale of the sweet night. The air did indeed reek of servant which was not so bleak a prospect for their future kingdom. There would be a need for hands to build it. “Another fortunate reason to have you with me,” the mazoi’s august vigilance was noted.

Down in the river he submerged himself, the coolness and flow massaged toiling feet and rid the fine dark pelt of his travel from the day.

“I prefer surrounding myself with tacticians,” he flicked his eyes upon that frozen stare, “and offering them my favor in return.”

khusobek had no reason to trust in another ruler. the last had put him aside without fanfare. a muscled paw worked riverwater up one of his biceps as he considered rashepses' open suggestion.

the crocodile had been too long behind palace walls not to understand the tint of their conversation. his polar eyes steadily watched the nightprince, and at length he grunted, "there is always a price for a pharaoh's favor."

At that, the riverprince barked a laugh, “Ease yourself, mazoi. I am disinterested in taking what one won't give. I need information,” he lowered his lips to the purling water and lapped.

“Names, ranks, routines. Skillsets. Grievances,” His chin was lifted and cleared of river drops. It was groundwork the lord would handle himself if not for being waylaid by his present charge. Toula must remain his focus, and the red mazoi had already demonstrated he was perceptive. He would make for a valuable affiliate, and Rashepses wanted him on his side.

“There is always a price,” he agreed, “what is yours, soldier?”

the mazoi's snort was quick and bullish. he sunk beneath the surface of the nightdark river to his eyes and flicked droplets from his scarlet ears. "these are things that will be known to you when you return to akashingo," he replied, ice-stare unwavering.

this was information only delayed, not secret. not withheld. "i am at her door day and night. i want captain of the queensguard and harem," khusobek said directly. "i have served a pharaoh already in this capacity and now i serve akashingo's bride."

the secrets of a queen's spies fed into pharaoh's ears was a skill for which khusobek could demand gold, and had before. he wished to impress upon rashepses that he understood the practice of a new pharaoh routing the others, but that his skill made him immovable. he had not asked to be captain of the guard, capitulating that to the close-man, siatum.

but the crocodile was clear in his expectation.

he thought of brilliant flowering eyes, his prize, the only one about which he considered with any frequency. a gift, suspended.

His eyes traced the reptile’s slink, fares plainly expressed and taken for their reciprocal benefit.

“Very well, mazoi. Convince my princeguard of your worthiness, and upon his word you will be elevated come inauguration.” He would have his choice of wives, too, after Siatum. But their rapport was a requisite. Rashepses would not exalt a man without his prince guard's endorsement. Not even so fine a one as Khusobek.

an insult. khusobek grinned. "i don't wish to deal with that servant of yours. i want to deal with you, prince."
siatum had blind loyalty. the crocodile had what rashepses desired of akashingo, as well as the realm of hatshepsuun.
but he did not want to rise a conflict; he raised his chin and swam lazily, not yet playing the card of inji's existence. "has your siatum served a queen?"

“@Siatum is me,” he is direct, though that much should have already been made clear. “A kingsguard and a queensguard will work in congruence. Without that commitment I will make no others.” He did not desire a queensguard who would cause unrest, and Siatum was far more valuable than one man's pride.

Still, he wanted for a peaceful transition. He wanted for the advancement of the people, and not only himself. “That is a question that will be answered to you when you speak with him."

first he had extended hand in openeness. then he had commanded legend. now thirdly he presented siatum not only as an obstacle but blow to khusobek's pride, to primp and perform for another who was not royal. the pious one was a pretty bodyguard, not a blooded competitor, and khusobek found it unwise to dally with those beneath one's station.

"i have had my fill of serving a common man," he growled, hauling from the water to stand pouring upon the bank, slandering senmut's name even while withholding his loyalty from rashepses. "i can work with your servant, lord prince — as with another servant." not with a gatekeeper.

if not paused, he would stride away, upriver into the darkness.

Rashepses watched the man emerge from the riverside in thready offense. He would be remiss to lack common ground with the mazoi, but there would be casualties, and not just a few. Peace did not have to be won at the end of a battle with his princeguard, for the sake of Ma’at. Rashepses himself would not serve as an arbiter for infighting men of a high rank. Each of his constituents were to function as one of Aten’s rays. They would be affixed with their proper dues. Resistance would only impede the riverprince’s plan for progress.

“You call yourself a servant. Is that what you wish to be? Siatum is my confidant. He reaps all the prestige and wealth the title offers. Consider it, mazoi.”

It was just as well if the warrior would not come to terms with Siatum’s standing, then another would. His drinking resumed, as would his forage for information.

and consider that, he would.

a pause of step was rashepses' answer.

khusobek melted into the night, but the prince's words did not leave him, and fed the ambitions long starved in his reptillian heart.

he needed only dispatch siatum, the man decided, and take such a position for himself.