Rosewater Oasis I desire violently—and I wait.

for @Liora

The desert stretched out endlessly before him, a golden expanse of rolling dunes that glimmered under the blazing sun. Samirseti’s stride was long and languid, each movement that of grace, exuding the unshakable confidence of a wolf who believed the very sands shifted for his passage. Beneath the warmth of Ra’s unwavering gaze, his ebony and gold figure glittered, his regal presence unyielding against the harsh beauty of the land.

He was not merely a wolf. He was Hem-Netjer en Kemet, the God-King of the Sands. The son of Ra, the embodiment of divine will.

Samir’s molten gaze swept over the dunes.

He inhaled deeply, the dry air filling his lungs as he envisioned what was yet to come. Alliances would be forged. Territories would bow beneath his dominion. His line would grow, gilded sons and daughters bearing his legacy into eternity.

Bog turned to forest, and forest to rolling grasslands. Weathered paws crossed more terrain than she had ever seen. Trees that stretched towards the sky, brushing against the hands of the gods. Plains that shimmered like gold and silk with the icy winds of winter. The cold was unknown, a stranger to the woman who looked as if she herself was made of snow. Seeking out warmth, comfort, she found herself in a completely foreign biome. One made of sand and blazing sun. While she reflected the light like a cut diamond, she could feel the sun burning at the pink flesh of her snout and ears. She missed the shade and veils of her home more than ever as her white paws sunk into the warm sand. 

It had taken longer than she could handle to get her coat back to pristine after the mud incident. Finally though, she was satisfied with her cleanliness. Sand would certainly be a bother, but she couldn't see herself staying for long anyways. Dune after dune, it all looked the same. The sun burned at her eyes, a squint developed that she feared would be permanent. Blue eyes searching for respite, she spotted a dark silhouette atop a nearby dune. Almost otherworldly, the tall figure wavered under the heat of midday. He hadn't noticed her yet, or at least, he gave no indication that he had. Trudging towards the mound of sand, she stopped halfway up. Raising her head, she stood below him with an air of superiority that she rarely seemed able to shake. 

I seek shelter. Asylum. Do you know of such a place? Liora questioned, beckoning the stranger closer with the foreign lilt of her voice.

Samir’s gaze flickered like an open flame, intrigued. She stood below him, yet carried herself as if she belonged above. In his hollow chest, he felt the... unfamiliar patter of his heart within. Quick to shrug such emotion off, he embraced the corner of his lips which curled into his trademark devilish smile, equal parts charming and conniving. He rose, slowly, to his full height. The panther descended the dune in fluid strides, each step farther from the last, and gilded eyes never left hers.

He came to a halt just before her. His gaze, calculating, roamed over her, assessing with each curious tilt of his head.

"You stand outside the oasis of Vahanet," The man of black and gold finally spoke, offering the shining woman a courteous dip of his crown. "I am Samirseti, Pharaoh of these sands, Ra’s chosen. If it is shelter you seek, you have found it." His voice softened.

A flicker of shallow cold extinguished the heat of his eyes. He looked at her now cool and calculating, as if laying bare the every turning gear of his mind before her. She was a striking vision, otherworldly against the desert’s harsh palette, her beauty sharp enough to rival the sun’s brilliance. Yes...

He would have her.

"Tell me your name, habiba, and Ra will guide my generosity in turn."

@Liora

Vahanet. A place that seemed like an answer to her prayers. It was almost too good for Liora to believe, her eyes growing empty as he spoke. Pharaoh. The word eluded her, but by the bow of his chest and general demeanor she assumed it to be of a high rank. It would do her well to stay on his good side if his word held any truth. 

His eyes were like mirrors, reflecting her own thoughts back at her. Neither one wanted to look weak or uncertain in this scenario, and she was at a disadvantage. Standing before her, Liora had to tilt her head to maintain the eye contact she was hesitant to drop. Males had often let her down, and she feared he would be no different. Even if his interest in her made her ego grow. 

Liora, daughter of Goddess Hera," She recited her title, arrogance lacing her words. Liora had always been proud, proud of who she was and her station. Now was no different. This stranger didn't need to know she was miles from her home with no chance of returning, only that she was missed dearly. And you, Pharaoh? Her question hardly masking her curiosity.

Samirseti’s gaze lingered, molten gold searing through the desert heat.

Liora. Daughter of a goddess. Divine, radiant, untouched by the grime of mortal toil.

Her name rolled in his mind like a sacred hymn, each syllable an echo of something greater. She was a figure carved from the heavens themselves—worthy. A woman who knew her worth—who demanded it be acknowledged. She was not unlike himself in that way. The faintest smile curved his lips, a predator's grin veiled in charm. “Pharaoh Samirseti,” he spoke with a honeyed cadence. “Son of Ra, the Sun God, and divine ruler of Vahanet.” He stepped closer, closing the distance between them.

Samir tilted his head, studying her with an intensity that could melt stone. He imagined her here, within his oasis, her divine lineage woven into the legacy of Vahanet. She would shine brighter than any gem in his possession, a queen among mortals, her blood mingling with his to create something eternal.

When he reached her, he let his shoulder brush against hers, a touch meant to linger. The heat of his body passed over her like a wave as he began to circle, his frame brushing down the length of her side, his fur ghosting along hers. "You must have traveled far, Liora. And the desert is an unforgiving place, even for the divine. Rest here. Let Vahanet offer you the sanctuary you deserve."

For now, he would let her come to him. He would plant the seeds of his intentions carefully, subtly, so that when she inevitably fell into his grasp, it would seem as though it were her decision all along.

Son of the Sun. Ruler of the scorching deserts and his own very oasis. Liora could see the way his eyes brightened at her title. Good, the woman thought. It was what she deserved. Adoration, worship, and praise was what she had been raised on after all. His smile held something darker, something that should have scared her away, but she was so tired. She wasn't made for this life of trekking and toiling with lesser beings. So, flashing her prettiest manufactured smile, Liora let him examine her with scrutinizing eyes. 

He moved closer, touching her, another allowance she granted the man. It helped that he himself was rather easy on the eyes. Curling around her, black and white fur met in glancing brushes. Dark and light. Night and day. Sun and moon. Had the gods taken her Sun only to replace it with another? The thought was not lost on her, rolling around in her heat-exhausted mind. 

Mouth practically watering at his offer, Liora weighed her odds. Follow this stranger to his supposed kingdom, or rough it alone. Already, she had proven to herself that she had no hidden talents for survival. Only one option meant life, and should the man not be lying, luxury. Sanctuary. The word called to her like a siren's song. 

Again, her smile softened her sharp features. Needing him to see she was soft, never a threat, only someone that needed to be taken care of. I would love that Samirseti, Liora said, the foreign syllables of his name choppy on her tongue. Then dipping her head in a show of respect, the female moved a step away from the man circling her. Low and slow her tail wagged between her legs. This Vahanet, I would like to go there. With you.

Samirseti’s grin widened as Liora spoke, her words a melody that stroked his ever-expanding ego. She was perfection, and her compliance was the sweetest nectar, coaxing his ambitions to flourish further.

“Then you shall,” he murmured, his voice dripping with assurance.

His mind churned as the path ahead revealed the distant palms of the oasis. She would be the crown jewel of Vahanet, her lineage woven into his legacy, her womb bearing heirs worthy of their divine blood.

Arslan was an ember, warm, but Liora—Liora was fire. Fire which always burned hot. The Pharaoh was sure of it.

All-consuming, eternal. With her by his side, there would be no questioning his supremacy. No challenge to his reign. Together, they would rule as Ra intended, their names etched into the annals of history as gods among mortals.

“You will find my husband and I's Oasis to be unlike anything you have known,” he said, his tone smooth, serpentine. “Its waters are pure, its sands rich with the promise of life and legacy. There, you will be honored as you deserve to be. Befitting the daughter of a Goddess.”

As the oasis came into view, a shimmering haven amidst the vast desert, Samir paused at its edge. The vibrant greens and crystalline waters of his domain stretched before them, the very picture of paradise. He turned to Liora, stepping closer to her once more, his voice lowering to a near-whisper.

“Welcome to Vahanet,” he purred, his molten eyes locking onto hers. “Where gods tread, and mortals bow.”

His paw gestured to the oasis, as if presenting her a gift—a kingdom to which she would belong, and through which she would belong to him.