FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Lykos Blood Dawn

[2562 BC - Egypt]

Grains of sand carried on the wind beneath the rich, colorful evening skies full of salmon and fiery red. The sand had been drifting for centuries, building dunes and eroding them away in a single night, covering the landscape as far as the eye could see. So far away from Giza it seemed almost peaceful and serene like an ocean of stone. There was only one young man in the midst of that serenity, a man perched atop one of the many dunes. He was wrapped in sand colored cloth, his olive tinted skin visible only around his rich brown eyes. The hint of curly black hair peeked out from the top of the slit to expose his eyes.

Atsu had been born the same year construction had started on the great pyramid. As he grew, so it did too. Every hour, day or night, a dozen massive stones were settled into place for all eternity. It had been that way his entire life. It was a process that took slaves and servants in the thousands. The pyramid was nearing completion, towering over the landscape, rivaling even the creations of the gods... but it wasn't forged just out of stone. It had been made out of the blood, sweat and tears of those that had been forced to create it... many of whom no longer walked with the living.

Atsu looked down on the temple of Osiris, looking at the place where the gods and mortal men mingled. The structure was set up like a long hall made of stone, pillars holding up a hollow rectangular roof. Such a structure would disappear into the sands if built by man, but not a single grain of sand crossed the threshold into the temple, merely building up against an unseen force just outside.

As amazing as the temple was, though, Atsu's attention was focused on those that lined the stone hall, laying on tablets, being prepared by the priests. It had become a daily pilgrimage to bring those who lost their lives at the pyramid to where they could find piece. It was the god Osiris himself that would test their souls and carry them into the afterlife - Osiris, ruler of the dead and king of the living... but he had other names as well. Osiris was 'He who was permanently benign and youthful', the 'Lord of Silence', and the "Lord of love." He was a master of death, but also granted all life. It was Osiris that brought the spring floods, the growing of vegetation, and life itself.

It was that promise of power over life and death that had brought Atsu so very far. He had faced the rigors of traveling through the desert, of the recruitment patrols for the pyramid, and he had even faced the demons of his own past. Is hand drifted up and down across his wrist where the scars still lingered from his lashings. Atsu hadn't merely grown up with the pyramid, he had grown up in its shadow as a slave... until his eventual liberation by a member of the thieves' guild.

Life as a thief had been a welcome blessing to Atsu in his youth. No longer bound in perpetual slavery, he mastered pick pocketing and moved on to forgeries, misdirection, and ultimately grand larceny. He had liberated trinkets and baubles from the King's court and the entire guild had survived as a result... But none of that compared to what Atsu was contemplating, what secret desire he held in his heart. Mere survival for the thieves' guild wasn't enough, and the deaths of those that had not had Atsu's fortune was unacceptable. Atsu knew the temple of Osiris held the water of life, the blessing of immortality. It was a blessing Atsu intended to bring back to his people.

No longer waiting, no longer contemplating, Atsu began his descent. He maneuvered around with the light of the setting sun at his back to mask his approach, moving toward a remote corner of the temple. He looked in at the young men who had been prepared for the afterlife. Some were tall, some were strong, all showed signs of a difficult and wearisome life. Atsu chased away thoughts of his own body among them, focusing on the small oasis nestled at the back of the temple.

Atsu crept along foot by foot, waiting behind the pillars for minutes at a time until the priests wandered on to begin another ceremony. Atsu watched from the shadows as the old men gathered around the bodies, covered in red and tan garb. The construction of the pyramid had taken its toll on them as well. While the pyramid would stand the test of time, the priests had seen so many die before their time. Atsu watched them whisper the words of the spells, binding the souls to Osiris so that they would rise in the after life. Atsu's fingers dug into his palms, nearly cutting through the flesh. It was so hypocritical.

The young thief resumed his advance, moving toward the back of the temple. Only the oasis was enclosed, surrounded by thick walls. The only way in came from the small door nestled in the back wall, surrounded by hieroglyphics. Atsu's dark brown eyes studied the door, then the priests. He had to wait for them all to turn the other way before he made his advance. There was no chance for stealth, merely for timing. The seconds ticked by, becoming minutes. Still the sun continued to descend before it was finally behind the dune. The long shadows grew longer in the temple and the priests moved to light the torches so they could continue their work.

Atsu realized his time had come. The priests turned to move to the far end of the temple and gather the remaining torches. Atsu moved out from his cover and darted for the door, passing beyond its threshold and onto the soft sand beyond. What he found there was impossible to believe. The oasis was unlike anything Atsu had ever seen before. The walls were made of a rich black marble with veins of silver running through it. The ground was covered in hexagonal stone tiles, interlocking with precision up until the edge of a vast, shallow pond. The tiles ended abruptly at the pond's edge, sticking ever so slightly over the surface in a zig-zagging geometric outline. The pond itself was crystal clear, pure and cool. It was disturbed only by a single lily pad with a lotus blossom growing from it, the many fronds curving outward into a colorful snowball like flower. Atsu gazed at the visage with wonder, finding it all so very wonderful. There wasn't a single grain of sand in the place.

The thief glanced both ways before he circled around, staying out of sight of the doorway. He knelt down on the soft grasses and reached into the water, gathering it up in his hands. Atsu brought his hands to his lips, drinking down the cool, refreshing water. It was more pure and perfect than any water he had in his life. Sip after sip, he drank from it before he reached in to get another hand full.... But to his surprise, as his hand dipped into the water, it began to change color. Something was leaking into the pool, something bright and crimson... like blood.

Atsu yanked his hands back, his eyes wide in shock. No more blood entered the pool, but the crimson stain that was already in the water remained. Atsu hesitated before he reached for the pool again, dipping a few fingers in. Once more the water began turning to blood and Atsu yanked his hand back. His heart was racing, his hands trembling. Had he lost that blood? Was his own life draining away. Had he triggered some ancient curse? In that moment of doubt and shock, Atsu heard a foot step, then another. He spun around, facing the doorway, meeting eyes with the last person he had hoped would find him - Osiris himself. The god stood tall and confident in the doorway, nearly six feet in height.

Osiris' body was perfectly refined, standing tall and broad shouldered. His hips were somewhat curved, his fingers perfect... but the most distinct trait had to be his skin. It was as green as jade. The god had perfect features, from his cheek bones to his eyebrows to his chin. He was, as odd as it was to consider, beautiful. A very thin, perfectly manicured chinstrap beard followed his chin line before growing into a very thick, very long, artfully braided pharaoh beard. Unlike the kings of Egypt who wore fake beards held on with straps, Atsu knew that Osiris' was real. His black hair was hidden beneath a tall white hat emblazoned with ostrich feathers on the side, an embellishment that contrasted with the mummification cloth wrapped around his feet and legs up past his knees.

Eyes the color of blades of grass and honey blinked a few times, looking at the thief before him. Atsu felt his heart weigh so heavily in his chest. He sprung to his feet and darted for the door, but a wave from Osiris' hand knocked Atsu back onto his ass. He fell into the sand, panting as his curly black hair fell across his face. Atsu reached up to brush his bangs back before he realized that they had been covered a moment before. He glanced down, seeing that his garb had been replaced with a simple white shirt and puffy pants.

"Life... is a cycle. It cannot be taken like coins from a chest of treasure." Came a light, silky voice. It sounded young, younger than Atsu had anticipated. " Birth, life, decline and death. This exchange cannot be broken or disrupted." Osiris explained, circling the pond, "Tell me, what brings you here today?" Osiris asked, gazing upon the Egyptian boy. Atsu gazed back up, his lower lip trembling.

"I... I came to take the water of life, to bring it to my people who are suffering and dying." Atsu whispered. "May.... May I speak without restraint your holiness?" Atsu whispered.

"Of course." Osiris replied, gazing at the human. Atsu swallowed a bit.

"So many are dying with the construction of the pyramid; good, honest people that have done no wrong. They are brutalized, worn out. Surely this can't be your plan." Atsu said. Osiris said nothing, looking into Atsu's eyes before a comment rose to the surface.

"The king is building a monument that will stretch beyond the imagination of man, a monument that will last thousands of years. It defies the natural order and it must be compensated for." Osiris said.

"You mean... No... Truly?" Atsu whispered unhelpfully, "You mean that for the pyramid to stand, they must die?" Atsu whispered.

"Existence, life, energy... It cannot be created or destroyed, only transformed. It is true that this water brings life to the people... It brings the bounty of spring, it brings life to the children of these lands... Every living person is blessed with life once already. Its energy is transformed into the lives of your people, and then they touch the world with it, creating more before passing into the underworld. " Osiris explained with an ease and comfort of his long lived life.

"The life that you and the other gods have gifted them, it is wasted away by the king building his pyramid. Every day so many die... But you know that, you take the souls to the underworld." Atsu said.

"I bring life into this world, and I take life out of this world. Life is just as the seasons are. There is a time to be born, to grow, to flourish and then to die. You cannot have anything enduring without something else passing." Osiris said.

"The king is taking the lives of the people, using that life, for a pile of stone... This is something you have comfort with? Is there no need of compassion?" Atsu whispered.

"It is not my place to decide. The king has dominion over his people as I have dominion over life and death... He guards his kingdom and I guard mine. To take the water of this pond, to use it to grant life that should not flourish, this would create an abomination unto this world." Osiris said, gesturing to the pond with one green hand.

"The abomination is continuing to live under such tyranny... What could renewed life offer but a chance at salvation?" Atsu asked.

"To defy the rules of life and death... Only the creatures of the underworld have such a luxury." Osiris said, gesturing again to the pond, "What do you see in the waters?" he asked. Atsu turned, looking at his reflection. His curly black hair, his olive tinted skin, his dark brown eyes and a hint of stubble at his chin. Atsu wasn't sure what the god wanted him to respond. He slowly turned.

"I see myself..." Atsu said.

"You see the reflection of your soul. You see the fragment of your life that exists in this time alone." Osiris said, resuming his pacing around the pond, glancing up at the stars for only a moment, "You cannot give life without taking it, you cannot defy the laws of life and reflect upon your soul, you cannot walk beyond the grave and into the light of day. The consequences of doing so would be more dire than you could possibly imagine." Osiris said, looking at the young thief. Atsu was silent and contemplative for a long moment before he nodded.

"I understand my lord... And I am most sorry for what I tried to do. I hope that you can forgive me for my ignorance." Atsu said, lowering his head.

"There is nothing to forgive... Your actions alone will bind you to your fate." Osiris said shrewdly. Atsu slowly rose to his feet and gave the god another bow of his head, moving for the door.

"I will contemplate on what you told me, I will gain the meaning of the words and remember them always." Atsu said reverently as he retreated. Osiris said nothing, watching the human depart. There were murmurs outside as the priests saw a stranger emerge from the oasis. They ran down the path between the stone pillars and looked inside, but the oasis was undisturbed and empty. Glad the vagabond hadn't disrupted the temple, they turned back to face him, but Atsu had disappeared into the night like sand on the wind.

****

The torches burned brightly around the slave camp, not merely for the benefit of the large, muscled guards that patrolled the tents, but also to give light to those slaves unfortunate enough to have to work through the night. A life of darkness was all they knew, those fortunate not to perish in the construction... It was a life with no hope, no opportunity... But Atsu was intent on changing all that.

The thief's careful wrapped feet touched down on one of the stone perimeter walls and he moved along in silence, crouched low. His robes were the color of sand, but so too were the walls. As the sound of movement approached, the thief got down low to the wall and blended in, looking almost like an unfinished section of brick.

The guards passed, continuing their patrols, their fine robes marred only with the blood of those slaves that dared to get out of line. Atsu watched them move, motionless until he was sure it was safe. The thief was back on his feet and went many more meters before he came to the back of a slave tent. He dropped down behind it, glanced both ways, and withdrew a knife to cut one of the bindings.

The rope snapped and the tent corner went slack. Atsu lifted it up and moved inside.

The tent had been set up to provide the minimum shelter needed to such a large work force. There were hundreds and hundreds in that camp alone. There were mats to sleep on, a basin of water and a few pots to hold food, nothing else. It would have been easy to lose one's way among the different tents, but Atsu had found exactly what he was hoping to.

Young men slept on the mats around the tent, but off to one side was a man that Atsu knew, a man he had known since his youth. Atsu crept over, looking at the sleeping man's face. His skin was somewhat darker, his hair a straighter black and braided into a long pony tail. His arms were scarred, as were his shoulders. He boasted the muscle of a well worked man. It seemed so far removed from the boy Atsu had grown up with, his best friend, the shaved headed, weak little boy.

"Ravi..." Atsu whispered, but the man didn't wake up. Atsu glanced around before nudging him harder, "Ravi!" he insisted. The young man awoke with a gasp and bolted upright. Seeing Atsu instead of a guard, he froze. It took his wearied mind a few moments before realization clicked in.

"Atsu, what are you doing here? You will be caught, or worse, executed..." Ravi whispered.

"I came to help you and the others, I came to give us another chance." Atsu said, withdrawing a water skein from under his robes. In the moment Osiris had looked away, Atsu had been given all the time he needed.

"What could you possibly have to help us? What fool's errand have you pursued?" Ravi asked dubiously.

"It is the water of life, taken from Osiris' temple... It will protect you from death, from everything they do to persecute us." Atsu said. Ravi looked even more stunned.

"You took the water of life from a god?" Ravi asked softly.

"I took a chance to help our people. Have you not seen the hundreds dead? Do you not see how dark and twisted our future is? How many more days will you survive like this? Ten? Twenty? The pyramid has years of work yet to be done and the blood of the innocents will bond it together. I do not wish to lose you or anyone else to it." Atsu said, offering the skein.

"What do I do? Merely drink?" Ravi asked.

"It is water... Surely that must be it." Atsu considered. Ravi hesitated, looking around the tent. The others were sleeping so hard they wouldn't have awoken if an elephant came wandering through. They had been worked to exhaustion, but it was worse in a way for Ravi. He had lost so many of his fellow slaves that he had lost track of their names. There was no point getting to know them if they were destined to die... He had shut himself out from that fact, but it was true. Ravi knew they all had such a slim chance of survival. He had to try.

Ravi took the skein, pulled out the stopper and tipped it back onto his lips. His eyes closed, his face tightening. The water tasted strange as it crossed his tongue. It tasted like iron and copper, of salt and brine. It was the taste of life itself, the taste of blood. Ravi swallowed before he pulled the skein away, heaving his breath in and out.

Atsu grinned from where he sat and watched, reassured that Ravi was smiling as well. Ravi's smile grew more and more before suddenly it collapsed. Ravi's stomach began to churn and construct. He doubled over, groaning louder. His hand clawed at the dirt, digging into it, his fingernails slowly starting to stretch.

"Ravi!" Atsu gasped, but Ravi was in too much pain to respond. He groaned louder, loud enough for everyone to hear. The others in the tent were starting to awaken. Outside there was a scuffling and the tent flaps opened up as a large, clean shaven guard came stumbling in.

"Go back to bed! There will be no-"T he guard stopped mid sentence. There were too many people in the tent, someone was out of place... And Atsu did not wear the garbs of a slave. The guard's sword was drawn, glinting in the dim light. He charged for Atsu but Atsu got up onto his feet, dodging the blow. The guard swing once, twice, then three times. Atsu was always just out of reach, but there was no where to retreat to, no clever way out.

"It seems the king will gain another for his service..."The guard grinned before slashing at Atsu again. Atsu backed up as far as he could, but he felt the beam of the tent pole against his back. He closed his eyes, waiting for death to come, but the only blow that came was the sound of the sword falling to the floor. Atsu slowly opened his eyes, seeing the guard standing stunned before him... with Ravi's mouth latched to his neck.

Blood began leaking out from Ravi's lips as he drank in the blood, sucking and slurping on the wound he had just made. The guard's knees grew weak before he fell onto them and then slumped to the floor. Ravi was left standing there.

Atsu watched in shock, in clear disbelief of what happened, but Osiris' words echoed in his mind... To give life, life had to be taken. Ravi's life had been enhanced, but it had cost the guard his. Ravi panted softly, licking the blood from his lips. He still couldn't believe what he had just done. His body had moved unnaturally fast, faster than he knew humans had been capable of. He had gone for the neck instinctively, but he wouldn't have broken the skin if not for the sharpening fangs in his mouth. Ravi's lips parted, revealing the fangs. He looked over at Atsu in wonder.

"This gift... is marvelous." He whispered, "Atsu, how can I ever thank you?" he whispered.

"I... I am so sorry my friend, I never meant to do this to you..." Atsu whispered, cowering a bit in fear of the changes. Ravi looked shocked.

"Apologize? Nonsense... Did you see what I just did? The guard was attacking you and now he isn't a threat. This is all because of you, Atsu... Surely you can see that." Ravi whispered. Atsu wanted to be afraid, but there was something about Ravi's voice that was so comforting, so embracing... and then Atsu looked into Ravi's eyes.

The deep brown of Ravi's eyes had started to lighten, bleaching out, taking on hints of the red blood he had just consumed. The red and brown mixed before an almost orange hue began to awaken in his eyes. It was like gazing into twin suns, the light illuminating Atsu's soul. He swallowed slightly but he couldn't move, paralyzed there. Ravi advanced closer and closer before reaching out. His hand rested beneath Atsu's chin, feeling the faint trace of stubble there.

"Atsu, you have made me into something more, something better. It is time I return the favor." Ravi whispered.

"No, it's okay, I..." Atsu trailed off. Ravi said nothing and merely gazed into Atsu's eyes more. The thief's arms slowly drooped to his sides, feeling uncontrollable in terms of his resistance. Ravi reached out with his clawed hands and began unwrapping Atsu's outfit, freeing his hair and then his face before finally revealing his neck. As he unwrapped Atsu, his own body was undergoing more and more of a change. His scars fizzled and sunk back into his now flawless skin. His muscles firmed and the flesh around his stomach grew healthier, as if nourished from the life he had just taken.

Atsu struggled with himself, fighting his own impulses. He knew he had to flee, to run, to beg Osiris' forgiveness and ask what could be done, but Ravi's confidence, his surety, his gaze, it all seemed to lock Atsu in place. Ravi leaned in closer, nuzzling against the one that had given him the drink of life, licking his lips slowly before his tongue emerged from his mouth. He dragged it up Atsu's throat before licking his chin.

"You have no idea how amazing this feels... I haven't felt like this in my whole life. Nothing hurts, nothing is wrong. There is just strength and pleasure..." Ravi whispered. Atsu shook his head weakly.

"Ravi, what you just did to that guard..." Atsu whispered.

"I did what he deserved, what they all deserve." Ravi hissed, licking Atsu's chin more, "And what we deserve is to be on top, to earn our freedom." Ravi whispered.

"I don't know what I did to you. We need to get you help." Atsu pleaded. Ravi chuckled.

"I remember being afraid like that, but not any more. I know I can do anything, especially if I have you to help me." Ravi whispered before he moved, nuzzling Atsu's neck. Atsu tried to pull away but his whole body felt like it was tingling and throbbing. He felt so good he groaned, unable to fight his impulses. Ravi could feel Atsu's heart pumping, his veins thick with blood. His fangs started to trace the exposed skin. He didn't want to drain Atsu, he wanted to pleasure him, but the pull was so strong.

Each beat of Atsu's heart was like a drum in Ravi's head. He could hear it... the drum beat, the march of life... Ravi craved it, he needed it, and without any further restraint he sunk his fangs into Atsu's neck. Atsu called out, his hands balling into fists. He could feel his blood start leaking out, drop by drop. Ravi took a swallow, then another, letting the blood play over his tongue... But as big as the temptation was to drain the human in his fangs, he wasn't going to, not this human.

Ravi pulled back out, leaving the puncture wounds in Atsu's neck before he moved to kiss the human. Atsu's eyes went wide in shock, especially as he tasted the salty metallic taste of his own blood. Ravi's tongue pushed the crimson flood into Atsu's mouth as they kissed, his tongue whipping around. Atsu's eyes were wide in surprise and shock. It really was too much to take in. Nothing about it made sense, but ever so slowly his eyes slipped shut and his lips began to return the kiss.

Encouraged, Ravi pushed Atsu tighter against the pole of the tent, grinding against him, sharing their embrace. He could feel Atsu's body changing beneath him. His blood ran cooler, his muscles tightened, his flesh toughened and softened at the same time. Old wounds knitted together, scars disappeared... and then ever so slowly the bite on his neck closed. Atsu's kissing changed too, shifting from soft and surprised to desperate and hungry. Atsu began pushing back, his hands clinging to Ravi's tighter before he pushed him to the floor.

The two wrestled and rubbed, grinding and kissing. Ravi was still the stronger of the two, but he could feel Atsu's strength climbing. Atsu had to admit it, he felt it too. His blood was like fire, his muscles holding such trapped energy. He had never felt so energized, so alive, so true... and slowly what Ravi had done didn't seem so bad. For life to be given, it had to be taken, but if it was taken from only the bad people, what harm was there? Atsu broke the kiss, panting hard, feeling his breath pass over his growing teeth. Two had honed into sharp, spear like points in the front of his mouth, matching those that Ravi had taken on.

"We can't stay here, we have to go somewhere, to decipher what Osiris meant." Atsu said. Ravi grinned.

"As we go, we should set the slaves free..." Ravi whispered. Atsu nodded numbly. Of course, of course that was the right thing to do. He had done it all for the slaves, hadn't he? It was so hard to think, so hard to stay level headed. Atsu got up and so did Ravi. The two moved for the tent flap, listening for guards. Ravi stepped out first and went to turn the corner, hearing Atsu take another step behind him before there was a soft gasp and the sound of liquid dripping into the sand.

Ravi turned around, seeing Atsu with a shocked look on his face as he looked down at a pole that had pierced through his back and stomach. Ravi's face widened in terror before he looked back in the tent, at one of the slaves that he had slept beside for weeks. Ravi's lips pulled back and he bore his fangs, his orange eyes gleaming.

"What did you do?!" he hissed. Atsu fell forward onto his knees, panting and wheezing. The slave looked at Ravi in defiance.

"You are an abomination, defying the will of the gods..." The slave whispered. Ravi's chest rose and fell with hatred, his hands tightening with rage. He stepped forward, and as he did his shoulders expanded. With another step, his pants grew tighter. Another step brought the sound of tearing, the rippling of flesh. Ravi's ears throbbed and tingled as they began pushing out into points. Ravi's nose popped and snapped, the bones reshaping. His nostrils lifted up and pointed front, his nose tilting into a hook shape.

The slave started to stumble back in shock, watching Ravi's body change more and more. Ravi's sleeves tore out as flesh began spreading out from his arm pits, a thin membrane bunching up, connecting his ribs to his under arm. His clawed fingernails grew longer, his foot wraps came undone and a soft black fuzz began to grow out across his chest, his arms, and then his face. The fuzz grew up across his chin and around his mouth, covering his altered nose and his eyebrows. The fuzz pushed out longer and thicker into fur, covering his head and neck, his torso and then his legs.

The slave fell onto his ass, unable to flee, completely shocked and terrorized by the monstrous vision before him. Ravi stalked forward before he spread his arms wide, massive bat wings unfurling beneath them. Ravi let out a deafening screech as his body settled into his new form before he lunged. The slave barely had time to squeak before sharp fangs pierced his neck and a hungry mouth was gulping at the wound. The blood didn't just flow into Ravi's mouth, it was pumped out.

In moments the slave went limp, passing out and then passing away. His skin seemed pale and lifeless, the life drained away in the blood that Ravi had taken. The orange eyed bat looked around, knowing that any of the slaves could turn on him. They had all awoken, all watched in terror... None had tried to help Atsu. Ravi lunged and took out another slave, guzzling down his blood. The last survivor tried to flee but a wide brown wing snapped out, a clawed hand grabbing him by the neck.

The slave was slammed to the ground and held in place while Ravi finished with his current victim before moving on. Even as a bat creature, Ravi felt the strength of those he fed on. He felt their vitality, their youth, their experience. It all drained down his throat like a hot silky soup, warming his stomach and nourishing his muscles. Gulp by gulp he finished his meal. Dropping the last slave to the ground, Ravi lifted his head, savoring the after glow of feeding. He felt so warm, so powerful, so amazing... but darkness began creeping in almost immediately. He felt the dread, the loss, the fear fill his heart again and he remembered what had sent him into the rage in the first place.

"Atsu!" Ravi whispered before he spun around to move toward his fallen friend, only to see Atsu sitting upright. Atsu winced and groaned as he pulled the pole out of his stomach, casting it aside. His clawed hands dug into his palms even tighter as the wound began closing up again. The tissue repaired itself, the bones settled back into place and the muscle reshaped around it all. Atsu's clothes were stained with blood and bile, but the hole in the cloth revealed perfectly healed, perfectly intact skin.

"Ravi..." Atsu whispered, looking down at his torso. He had survived being impaled, he had survived death itself. He looked back up in wonder, only to have the bat creature tackle him, kissing him again. Atsu didn't resist this time, kissing his friend deeply, feeling his body pinned to the ground by the warm fuzzy being above him. Atsu didn't understand what had happened, and he knew it wasn't going to be easy... Osiris had warned him a great many things about the consequences of his actions, but in the moment he didn't care. For the second time in his life, he was feeling perfectly wonderful.

[2014 AD - Egypt]

The sun had started to set over Giza, but the vast networks of lights had already snapped on, showering the pyramids and the sphinx in a wash of illumination. The bloody red sky still hung on to what light was left, but even the waning hours of the day wasn't enough to stop the steady stream of tourists from around the world. The most recent of the groups advanced to a point before the largest pyramid as the tour guide turned around to face those she was leading. Her long black hair was artfully wind swept, kept out of her face by a metal lotus blossom pin. Her skin was well tanned with hints of gold and olive and her eyes were happy. The guide looked at her group, seeing faces from Japan, the Americas, Europe and India... and even one individual that she could have sworn she'd seen around town.

"We stand now before the Great Pyramid of Giza, though it is also known as the pyramid of Khufu and the pyramid of Cheops. Of all the structures in the Necropolis, it is the oldest. It is also the oldest of the seven wonders of the ancient world. Thankfully, despite the turbulent history of our lands, it remains relatively intact." She said. There was a slight guff from the back of the crowd, from the Egyptian guest. The guide said nothing, assuming that he wished the cap stone was still intact on the pyramid.

"How tall is it?" One of the American guests asked.

"I'm glad you raised that question. When it was first completed, it was almost a hundred and forty seven meters tall, making it the tallest man made structure in the world for three thousand and eight hundred years. Now, if you follow me we will examine the entrance and discuss the three interior chambers of the pyramid." The guide said with a smile before turning, moving along a predetermined path, the group following after... all save for the Egyptian guest. As he fell behind, he stopped to look at the pyramid. The evening wind whipped his curly black hair around, blowing over his sun burned skin, blowing against his unruly goatee that could easily be braided into an osrid pharoah beard. Atsu had stayed away for a very long time, trying to forget the pain and failure of the past...

Thousands of years had passed, but to him he could still hear it all. The screams, the cries, the agony and defeat... and the fear. He and Ravi had tried to free the slaves, to end Khufu's reign, but in the end they had been chased away as monsters... They had traveled the world, settling in Romania for many years before fleeing again to Tokyo, to Prague, and to New York. They had been running all their lives, but Atsu couldn't take it anymore. He had to come back, he had to see what they had left behind.

Atsu had been in Egypt for two months, searching for Osiris' temple, but there had been no sign, no mention, no legend. Time had forgotten everything, and they had forgotten their own gods. Atsu crouched down and reached out, his fingers tracing across a crushed cap stone, though he paused, hearing a heart beat near by. It was fast, hot, strong... too strong to be a human. Atsu slowly turned his head, looking up. The tour guide stood near by, alone... and different. Her eyes glinted yellow, her ears were pointed and there were faint wispy lines of fuzz down her cheek. Her fingernails slowly extended into claws. Atsu stood back up and turned to face her, an eyebrow rising in a bit of surprise.

"Not many can sneak up on me like that." Atsu said, his English accent perfected over the decades.

"What are you? What are you trying to do?" The tour guide whispered. Atsu grinned wider.

"I should ask the same thing, a werewolf giving tours? Aren't you afraid that you'll be caught outside on the full moon? Treated as the spawn of Anubis?" Atsu smirked, "For a tour guide you should really be better informed... and for a werewolf. You do know what this place was, don't you?" Atsu asked. The tour guide snarled.

"I know everything about this place... And you don't belong." She snarled. Atsu broke out laughing despite the pain of the setting sun on his skin, exposing his fangs. At that the tour guide looked surprised.

"You know nothing, child... I don't even know everything about this place and I was here... I was born when they started building the pyramid, I grew up in its shadow, I lost my mortal life right over there... and I was the second Varos to ever be created." Atsu said. The tour guide paled, backing up slowly.

"It can't... no, the varos are nothing but a myth... Vampires do not exist." She whispered. Atsu chuckled again.

"Everything exists to a strong enough mind... Whether in this plane or the realm of the gods. I had hoped to find someone here that could shed light onto things lost, but this is not that time, and you are not that person." Atsu said, turning to walk away.

"I can't just let you go!" she said, stalking after him. Atsu spun around, his eyes a gleaming orange, his ears growing to points as his baggy vest began being pushed apart. His body hair was turning to fur as wings unfurled beneath his arms, growing in quickly.

"I am immortal, to give life I have taken life, I haven't seen the reflection of my soul in four thousand years, and I have skirted the line between night and day, forbidden to walk beneath the sun... You have no idea what that is like werewolf... And you can do nothing as I go." He said, adding emphasis to the last words. He turned, spreading his wings wide, breaking into a run before he pushed off. Before long he ascended into the sky, finishing his transformation into his bat form.

Aria tried to run after him, tried to do anything, but her body wouldn't move. Her muscles didn't obey her, they were obeying the command Atsu had uttered. It wasn't until he was gone that the tour guide stumbled forward, panting harshly, looking up at the sky in horror. She wondered just who she had come across, and if their paths would ever meet again... but in the mean time she had left her tour group with the excuse of going to the bathroom. For now the mystery would have to wait.