War Of Egypt II • The Persians

Chapter 2: The Mysterious Sandstorm

   "I think we have been here before," Kha paused and glared at the large boulder in their path. Beside him Ametis was latched onto his arm, shielding herself from the sunlight in his towering shadow. Her long dark tumbling curls were now pinned up upon her head, and no longer was she wearing her godly attire but instead a black cloak that covered her from head to toe. The hood was drawn back. Beneath the cloak, Ametis wore a simple but gorgeous black draped dress.

    Kha on the other hand was also under a black cloak and beneath the cloak he wore his black thigh-lenght shendyt. He had taken off the silver brace around his torso, only his neck down to a few inches of his chest were covered by the gold and colorful neck collar. Ametis felt his arm beneath her hands tense up and she patted him.

   "It does not matter," she said and glanced around the area once more. "Maybe I was mistaken. How could I have been so stupid as to lose it?"

    Kha signed and clenched his strong jaws in response. "You did not lose it, Ametis. It just fell, but we will find it. I do not care if I have to overturn moutains and dig up valleys, it is out here...somewhere."

    The goddess chuckled. "It is just an a—"

   "—It is not 'just an armlet' Ametis—"

   "—I know, but," she let go of Kha's arm and stooped low to the hard mixture of sand and earth beneath her feet. The Queen of the gods let her feet sink into the earth and then she paused with a smile, turning back to present her smile to the god behind her. He raised an eyebrow in question and folded his masculine arms together across his chest as he watched her plunge her hands into the earth. Ametis slowly retreated her hand and shook off the handful of dirt she picked, until something was glinting in her hands. She held it up in front of Kha.

   "I stepped on it," she said and giggled. Kha walked closer to her and took it from her hands. Ametis smiled up beautifully at him.

    Kha held her arm up and clipped the armlet in place; making sure it was secure. He stared at it for a while longer, his gold-black eyes expressing a form of deep emotion. "Remember? Remember how the armlet passed from you to me, me to you—whenever we faced a conflict? It will never be 'just an armlet.'"

    Ametis nodded and moved her arm around in his grasp, sliding her arm up his own and to his shoulders. Her hands went beneath the black cloak and ran across the sculpted chest of the god. Ametis's elegant fingers traced under the neck collar until they rested on his chest, right over his heart. She looked back at him and they locked their identical eyes. Ametis leaned forward and snaked her other hand up to the back of his neck, carefully placing her lips against Kha's.

    The young god took control of his thoughts and wrapped his strong arms around the love of his life, trailing them over her waist and softly applying pressure upon her lower abdomen with both his thumbs. Ametis shuddered and gasped, immediately breaking away from the kiss with a smile. After biting his bottom lip in response, Kha smirked at her and started laughing. She joined him.

   "I love you," she said quietly and flicked his jawline. "Never leave my side again, for even death could not separate us."

    Kha nodded and let her stabilize herself back on the ground. The first time Ametis gazed upon him back from the dead, the night after her coronation, neither knew what to expect but in the end there was no need for change because it was like nothing did in the first place. The day he died in her arms, Kha was afraid of leaving her, but instead he focused on the vision of their then unborn twin sons. He knew even if he was not around, the three would take care of each other. Now he was back, he was not planning on leaving his family ever again.