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Runes, as rivers of fire against the void sky. Was Rai going to find himself here every time he used the new altar? That moth from before was still here; it clambered on the outside of the runes. Like a spider on her web, regarding him with unknowable eyes. Hello again, he thought toward it.

Oh well. He'd waited under much less interesting ceilings.

Odd that he could look around with ease, though. It worked if it was instinct. But if he thought too hard about moving his neck, it didn't work. Maybe he could get his arm to move if he tricked himself into doing it reflexively? He set his mind to it and lost himself mustering his will. There was no telling how long he spent trying.

But the jolt signaled his return to reality before he had any sign of success. The temple vestibule refused to come into focus. His eyes were so dry; had they not even closed that whole time? Rai shut them with some difficulty, lifting a hand to wipe away a crust built up in the corners.

He could feel the high priestess' sigh brush his chest fur as she checked him over. Her fingers took his pulse and brushed his temple. "You saw it again?"

"Yes. Same thing."

She huffed her frustration, fingers tracing the altar runes beneath him. Probably the hundredth such tracing she'd done. Rai rolled off to make way for her inspection and spared a sympathetic glance, however blurry. Few could match the caracal priestess' skill as a glyphwright, but this odd experience was obfuscating her. He went back to wiping his watering eyes. He wished he knew if it was just some weird dream or... No. He felt like it was more real than a dream.

There wasn't much he could do, though. He took the opportunity to stretch his wings out; the unfamiliar muscles moved hesitantly to extend the gimpy appendages. They just seemed so out of scale with the rest of his body.

"The only thing I can think is your gryphon blood."

Rai kept blinking; things were slowly coming into focus. "I'll remember to leave it at the palace next time." He could see well enough to catch her glare. "Sorry..."

"This is a matter of your safety, Prince Rai. I'm of a mind to strap you to the old altar outside and have you observed a full day to ensure there aren't any side effects you aren't feeling yet."

"As much as I'd like to experience that horrific backache, I'm expected to make an appearance at the naga dignitaries' send-off feast."

"I know. I just..." The priestess sighed into her paw. "Just let your mother know if anything feels out of sorts. Immediately. Anything at all."

"I will."

* * * * *

An elegant moth statue stood above the fountain centerpiece of the courtyard, and mosaic flagstones radiated outward in a starburst of jade and muted cobalt. Mighty trees, native to lands far north, grew tall in the cardinal corners, and beyond them, the estate itself wrapped fully around the open-air space. The doors all faced this inward courtyard, and there was only one entryway: a broad corridor running under the second floor. Prince Rai kept behind his mother and the rest of her entourage. Just a few months ago, he'd thought of little but how the central courtyard adjoining every room made playing chase ideal; there were very few dead ends in the house. Now, though, he noted the sole entry was also highly defensible. And the trees must have been brought back from the campaigns. How fitting for the home of the Praetor of Shajaran military forces.

The royal party proceeded across the courtyard to a set of broad double doors opening wide into the dining hall and a single long table, the Praetor at the head, nagas down one side, the opposite side waiting for them. An avian servant announced the jackal queen just as they entered. Everyone stood from their places around the singular long table. Well, the nagas didn't use chairs per se; they rose up on their enormous serpentine tails and crossed their scaled arms, palms inward, forked tongues extended. A full dozen of them in number, most were some shade of green or brown, with mottled patterns, and their underbellies brighter autumn colors. The largest naga was sea green with dark striping, and a stroke of brilliant orange down his front starting from the nape of the neck. Rai guessed that was a particularly important naga; he had an imposing headdress adorned with strung beads and long braided bands of yellow, crimson, and cobalt that hung about his shoulders almost like hair. He was positioned by the head of the table beside the Praetor and across from a very stiff-looking Talez. All the other nagas wore bands on their arms or wrists with similar adornments; feathers, beads, and claws were common. Their hands fell away from the pose, their tongues withdrew as the jackaless approached.

Anu directed her attention to the big naga. "Hierarch, it's good to see you once more before your departure. I hope your stay has been enjoyable." She turned to introduce the rest of the entourage, starting with her three viceroys - a short hyrax from the southeast province, a gazelle woman hailing from the northern climbs, and Setiir's own father, the sand cat. Each gave a respectful bow in turn. But the Hierarch's eyes were on Rai the whole time. He didn't seem to notice the officials.

The young gryphon couldn't look away. Those dark eyes pierced him, measured him. Something washed over him, as if he'd just been dunked in a cold bath. He found his beak hanging open and snapped it shut.

"And my son, Prince Rai."

He started, breaking eye contact to bow as well. Straightening, he kept his eyes low. The odd feeling was gone, though it left a shiver running down his spine. The feathers on the back of his neck stood erect. What was that!?

The proceedings moved along with stiff formality. The nagas did not introduce themselves by name, but by title. Hierarch, Huntmaster, Third Keeper. Two were jointly introduced only as daughters. Rai wouldn't have been able to guess their gender just looking at them. Proper pleasantries aside, the queen's party took their seats before a lavish spread. It wasn't the New Moon feast, but the Praetor's household didn't skimp. Of course the royal palace's chefs were good, but there was a homier touch to this meal. The meats on offering were seasoned to succulent perfection, and the wineglasses had a subtle spout that fit neatly in the crook of his beak, making it so much easier to drink. A number of curious northern foods were available, as well. He particularly liked the huge bowl of sweet yellow kernels, steamed until they were soft. Rai wasn't sure what to call them, but it didn't seem a proper time to ask.

His enjoyment was somewhat spoiled by the fact he kept catching the Hierarch looking his way. He tried to keep his attention on his food.

"As a parting gift," the Hierarch rose up slightly, gesturing toward the nagas at the far end of the table. "Daughters, would you entertain our hosts with a tune?"

The two nagas furthest down the table tipped their heads curiously toward the Hierarch and shared a glance. They slid away from the table in near unison. They didn't look related; one was scaled in mottled gray, the other in patterned green and white. They were alike in that their serpentine tails were much shorter than the others'. The gray naga slipped a pan pipe from a pouch at her waist, while the green lifted a thick bone claw that was part of her necklace, her fingers finding the holes fashioned into it turning it into some kind of gemshorn. It produced a deep tone while the green daughter began with a protracted low note.

The two nagas faced off. The pipes keened over the horn and danced in quick, sharp notes as the nagas began circling one another, nearly overrunning one another's tails. They wove subtly, heads bobbing to the quick dance of the pipes, while they slithered on the rise and fall of the horn's undertone.

The longer Rai watched the nagas, enthralled, the less his eyes wanted to focus on them. His vision blurred; he tried to blink it away, but it was stubborn, and... a grassy field? He tried one eye at a time. He was staring into his lap past the lip of the table, and the surely solid stone floor cast in shadow... Yet his eyes were convinced there was an empty field beneath him. One atop the other, he saw both. The gryphon lifted his head, glanced around surreptitiously; nobody else was acting odd. But from one of his perspectives, he was adrift in the air some twenty paces above the ground. The more he focused on it, the more clearly he could see this other place.

The Hierarch leaned over him. Rai sucked in a breath. Was the Hierarch... yes, he was also sitting at the table, head tilted, taking in the music. The other version of him looked Rai over, tongue flitting out curiously. 'I had a feeling about you. You can see it, can't you?'

Rai feared to speak; would he speak in the other, or the real world? He tried to move, to signal somehow... but he just moved in the real world. His other... he didn't have an other body?

The naga leaned in, whispering into an ear. 'Seva-Thraan.'

Rai blinked and it was gone. The music was fading. He kept rubbing at his eyes.

"Rai, my dear?" Anu leaned over him with concern, feeling at his forehead. "Are you feeling right?"

"I'm fine."

Her hand brushed his neck feathers. "Not unusually hot again, are you?"

"No, just... something got in my eye." Vision normal once more, the prince leaned back and regarded his plate with a grimace. Had he imagined it? The encounter left his stomach unsettled, and his head spun. His eyes drifted shut, and it was a bit better; he didn't feel on the verge of losing his meal. So he sat, head low, and listened to the chatter meander from pleasantries to borders to Naga traditions. Rai's ears perked up when he realized the Hierarch was talking blatantly about sex, though.

"...as our females are fertile only two weeks of the year, in autumn." He was gesturing at the two daughters, now returned to the table. "All our fertility rites occur on the new moon prior."

"That was mere days ago," The jackal queen wore a wry smirk. "You missed your fertility rites to join us? My apologies. Would that we realized. Perhaps I should have prepared something for you?"

"I would hardly expect nor ask for such a thing. Our traditions might offend your civilized sensibilities."

"Oh, are these the rumored public orgies your people hold?" Anu leaned in, eyes narrowed to sultry slits, and practically purred. "Tell me more."

Rai took stock of the table. The gazelle, he'd forgotten her name, was holding a low conversation with Setiir's father at the other end of the table, sparing only disinterested glances at the head of the table. The Praetor, on the other hand... His feathers bristled subtly. Rai imagined he would very much prefer a change of subject. Talez sat with reddening face averted from his father's gaze, eyes growing wider with the Hierarch's every word.

"There is little decorum about them." The Hierarch continued nonchalantly. "Following the rites, any of our tribe may proposition whoever they wish. Though there are often contests of prowess beforehand to ensure a strong clutch."

Anu shook her head with a tsk. "The month will be practically over by the time you return. It would be a shame for you and yours to miss out completely."

"Indeed. Our daughters have been upse--"

"Sethatham!" The gray naga snapped at him.

The way it rolled off the tongue, that almost sounded like...

"Reeaally, now." Anu's eyes centered on the Hierarch's daughter. "How old are you? Is this your first fertile year? A very special year, for you."

"S-shut up!" She looked off, flustered.

Rai knew that look in Anu's eyes, but his stomach and everything on his mind... it was a bit too much. He slipped out of his chair and brushed past his mother's chair. To the Praetor. The elder avian eyed him sharply, wineglass poised, spout in beak. The gryphon also noted a twine necklace of tawny feathers about his neck, blending enough he hadn't noticed them at a distance.

The prince kept his tone low. "Would you like me to take Talez outside?"

The Praetor's eyes softened, ruffled feathers notably relaxing as he took his sip. He gave a tiny nod.

Rai had to nudge Talez to get his attention, but he inclined his head and the two stole out. The double doors were open to the central courtyard. The young avian's shoulders were hunched fiercely, and it wasn't until they were well out of earshot that he began to relax, and shot a sidelong look at the prince. "So... are you not allowed to get involved in this stuff, either?"

"Actually... I am." He shrugged. "I just don't want to right now."

"Is it the fangs? No thank you!" Talez shuddered, lifting hands in refusal. "Thanks for getting me out of there. I think I'm gonna have nightmares about nagas doing things to me. I don't know what'd be scarier, seeing what they were talking about or... my dad's reaction. He's totally stiff. Probably would have sent me out soon either way."

Totally stiff. Rai grimaced. Poor word choice, but he kept his tongue. Talez had another feather necklace under his shirt collar, he realized.

"No offense, your mom's into some weird stuff."

"Oh, you have no idea."

Talez hesitated. But, he spread his wing toward the courtyard. "Well, we got the run of the place while everyone's tied up in the dining hall. Between the nagas and some family business, everyone's been so stuffy lately. I really need to cut loose. What say we steal some practice swords from the armory"

Rai shook his head.

"Okay, fine. I've been wanting to throw stuff anyway... I can grab the ol' discus?"

"I'm just not feeling it, Tal."

The avian blinked, taken aback. "...Okay. Be that way."

The gryphon glanced over and saw a figure slithering toward them from the dining hall. Behind, someone was shutting the doors. Rai blinked repeatedly to make sure this was the real Hierarch, and he wasn't seeing the other place again. Talez followed his friend's gaze over his shoulder, yelped, and retreated behind the gryphon.

Rai stared up the serpentine body of the Hierarch, shivering with a primal uncertainty. He could understand Talez' fear of them, even if he didn't feel it so strongly. He stood his ground as the naga slid up to him with a calculating eye. "Prince Rai."

"Hierarch."

"So formal." The naga lowered himself; more of his serpentine lower body on the ground meant Rai didn't have to crane his neck so much. "I hope we didn't upset you."

"No. I think it was something I ate." He could feel Talez slinking away, leaving the prince to stand his ground. He bit his tongue. He had to know. "Is... is your name Seva-Thraan?"

The naga's lips spread into a grin. "That is a very personal question for my people."

That hyena had refused to give her name, too... "My apologies." Rai bowed slightly, but found the Hierarch's finger tipping his beak back upward.

"You're very bright for your age. Tell me, have you studied Ancient Aja?"

The gryphon blinked. Was Aja linked to the visions somehow? "No, though I'm curious about it. I'd like to learn it. Why?"

"What do you think of your nation?"

"I... er," Rai hesitated. This was some kind of test, wasn't it? "That's... complicated. It's what I grew up with, it's what's familiar, but I'm not sure I agree with everything I'm taught."

"And what about our dispute? If you're familiar with it?"

Zhenten had given him the short version. "It's about the border lines, isn't it? Your tribe lives in a region inside our lands, but the treaty is very old and vague."

"It dates back to the founding of Shajara, and it's written in Aja. But my tribe never wrote in the Aja script. Our histories are oral tradition. One of our borders is defined by a mountain... Certain Shajaran scholars now believe it's referring to a mountain much closer to our village. But many of our traditional ritual sites are past this mountain. What do you make of that?"

"I haven't heard my mother's side, but just going off that... it sounds awfully convenient for Shajara, doesn't it?"

"Your mother spends more time ogling us than taking a side. I'm genuinely surprised she didn't propose an orgy much sooner."

Rai sighed. "Yeah, that sounds like her."

The Hierarch slithered around behind him, leaning over his shoulder. That forked tongue tickled his ear. "Yes, Seva is my name. My heartname. My secret name, given to few. But Thraam is a title, used only by an apprentice towards his master."

"W-why did you...?"

"You have a deep connection to the spirits. You are irrevocably bound to them, and they to you. You will need a teacher if you are to understand your place in the future. You are wise beyond your years, but timid. I would have you as my apprentice. This is my gift, if you will accept."

The visions. The one tonight, the altar... the high priestess' performance at the New Moon feast. It all felt familiar; connected. Rai sucked in a breath, no real doubt that he would accept. But he hesitated. He couldn't take this lightly. The moment weighed on him. "I won't be able to go back to your village."

"You won't need to. I can teach you from afar."

"How...?"

The Hierarch... Seva slid about in front of Rai again with an amused grin. "Time and place means little to the spirit. You will find me. It is your first task. Enter the spirit realm, just as you did tonight. At dawn or dusk, follow the sun as far as you can, and you will find me."

The young gryphon straightened himself. "I accept.

Seva brought a finger to an exposed fang. A drop of violet liquid formed against his finger. "Hold still."

"For wh-" He jumped slightly at that finger brushing his ear while the naga came up behind him once more. He couldn't help the way the feline ear twitched and flicked automatically; he just tried not to squirm. Seva cupped the whole ear to still its frenzy and rubbed a singular spot toward the base. It went numb, and the naga bent lower still, hissing. Fangs in his peripheral. The gryphon clenched his beak.

All he felt was the little tug against the base of his ear. Something brushed the side of his head as the Hierarch withdrew.

"What was...?" Rai lifted a hand to the side of his head. His ear felt weird, like a piece of leather attached to his head when it was numb. But something new hung from it. He was ginger with the new piercing even if he couldn't feel it yet.

"A sign you're under my instruction. Leave it in until the scars heal if you want to keep it. You aren't required to wear it, but I would be honored if you did."

He brought his hand away, rubbing his fingers together. They were dry. "Will there be blood?"

"No, our venom is a coagulant."

Rai looked up at the naga. His whole life hinged on this afternoon, or so it felt. Was he being disloyal to his nation? But Shajara worshiped the spirits. Or, they used to. Few seemed to care anymore, and it grated him. But this felt right.

Remembering how the nagas had posed when the royal entourage arrived, Rai crossed his arms, palm in, and stuck out his tongue. Seva laughed, but it was no mockery. The gryphon preened at the approval in the naga's eye. His master's eye.

The Hierarch spared no more words, slithering away toward the dining hall doors, and easing one open just far enough to slip through.

Now where had Talez gotten to? Rai turned and caught his avian friend's peeking face disappearing behind one of the enormous trees. As Rai came up beside the trunk, Talez leaned against it. The avian's eyes latched onto the new piercing. His beak worked, wordlessly.

Rai met his friend's confused eyes. "So... I just apprenticed myself to a naga."

Talez gawked, feathers ruffling. "What ever possessed you to do such a thing?"

"How do I explain..." Rai took a deep breath.

His story was disjointed and broken. He mentioned the visions, tried to put the pieces together for his friend. "I don't understand what's happening to me... And I need a teacher. A guide. I'm not sure I can find anyone like that, here."

Talez took it all in impassively, sizing up Rai. In the end, he shook his head slowly. "You need to talk to the priestess about this."

"I told her about what I saw on the altar. She just thinks it's a defect in the magic."

"Did you ever stop to think she might actually know what she's talking about?! I've seen..." He broke off, grimacing. "You remember when I used to go with my uncle to help out at the infirmary?" He didn't wait for Rai's shrug. "I saw a hybrid there once. Lizard and a gazelle, weird family. But they couldn't afford the priests anymore. So their girl got sick. They brought her to the infirmary, and I was there when it..." His beak worked but no words came; his eyes were dark as he visited the memory. "All I could think was... That could be you. I'm scared for you, Rai. Always told myself you have the best care in the empire, that would never happen to you, from here to dessication. But now...?"

A morbid part of the young gryphon really wanted to know exactly what happened to the hybrid, but... "I don't know, Tal. This isn't just some defect. I believe Sev- The Hierarch knows what he's talking about."

Talez threw up his wings, spun in a huff. "First Set. Now you. I... I barely know you anymore!" .

"Tal... Talez? Wait!" The prince watched his friend retreat in a huff to a different wing of the estate. Surreal, Rai found a lump his throat. How many untold hours had he spent playing in this very courtyard with Set and Talez? He could never have dreamed up the events of tonight. The thought of mirthful play could not be more distant... and his friend had abandoned him in frustration.

He caught up to the door frame Talez vanished through. The bedroom quarters. White and tawny feathers were everywhere; they were strung together and draped over the door frames. He didn't recall this being a normal thing, from his past visits. Rai's steps slowed as he entered the hall, open rooms branching off. More feathers adorned much of the furniture, whatever their purpose.

But this was the personal space of the Praetor and his family. He had no desire to invade their privacy. Motion drew his eyes into one of the bedrooms, but it was a mirror. The flash of red drew his attention to his new piercing though. He couldn't help but drift toward the room to get a better look at it. A jade bead hung from his ear, with finger-length braided bands hanging loose from it. The center braid was vivid cobalt blue, and four around it were gold. They matched his eyes. Again, he lifted his hands to the sides of his face and stuck out his tongue in the naga salute. He thought perhaps it would look silly, but... no. Well, it started looking silly when the fire went out of his eyes because he was over-thinking it. But for that first instant, he barely recognized himself.

This was what Talez saw: a new Prince Rai. There was no going back.

Footsteps spurred him back to reality. They were too heavy to be Talez' so he quickly vacated the private spaces and return to the courtyard. He just needed to give his friend some space. They still had lessons together; Rai would try to reach out to his friend again another day. He glanced at the doorway back to the dining hall. More than likely, mother was getting it on with at least one of the nagas. He couldn't help but imagine, and felt himself swell at the thought, but the fact his mother seemed more interested in seducing the visitors than addressing their complaints turned his stomach. A glance upward told him it was only a little past midday. His schedule had been cleared for this, and now...?

He wandered toward the archway out of the estate and poked his head out toward the flagstone thoroughfare. The palanquin he shared with mother on the way in was long gone. But there on a bench in the shade of a few more exotic trees was Zhenten. Rai hadn't really had a chance to be alone with the lizard since Setiir showed him the letter. He'd spent long hours during Mideus' lectures this morning considering how to broach the subject without implicating Set.

Zhen's head raised suddenly, and he stuffed something into a pocket of his robe, glancing both ways along the street before noticing Rai. "My prince? Is everything alright? I expected the event to be much longer..."

"It devolved to sex. I wasn't in the mood." He shrugged, talons rip-rapping as he approached.

"No? Now I'm even more concerned. What happened to your famous libido?"

Rai chuckled and took a seat for himself on the bench, arranging his clothes lest they make his erection obvious.

Zhen pulled subtly away. "What's that on your ear?"

"Just a gift from the Hierarch." Rai leaned back. "And despite my libido, I much prefer being with people I know."

Zhenten simply nodded, and remained quiet. A cluster of white-robbed servants - or more likely slaves - made their way up the road before them with jugs, watering rows of ferns along the estate.

"Do you usually sit out by yourself when I'm busy at one thing or another?"

"Not typically." The lizard remained quiet as a pair of servants watered a nearby planter and moved on past them. They kept their heads low. "I was hoping to be alone, but the house servants know where to find me if I'm needed."

"Do you mind my company?"

Zhen was silent.

This was his opening. "Did something happen?"

"It's nothing to concern a prince."

"Someone you care about?"

The lizard shifted uncomfortably.

Rai thought back to the letter, hoping he wasn't pushing too hard. "I apologize if I was being too forward."

"My life is hardly of interest."

"You say that," Rai began carefully. "But you've been here for me, as long as I can remember. I owe a lot to you. I trust you, yet I barely know anything about you."

"It would be improper, my prince."

"Please just call me Rai." The young gryphon drew his feet up on the narrow bench and draped his arms over his knees. Zhen wasn't sharing... maybe if he opened up a little too? "So much has changed in just the past few months. I've started to see the bigger picture of things, and people's motivations... The world got a lot more complicated. Trust is hard to come by, and I can't talk like this with just anyone. Proper or not."

Zhenten gave the young gryphon a sidelong glance. At length, he drew in a breath and lowered his tone. "You have grown much, yes. And though it's not my place to say so, I am very proud of you."

Rai smiled. "Thank you. But it's not always easy. Maybe I'm not destined to the Anubian throne, but I've still been born into a powerful position. I want to be a good leader. I'm trying to learn! But it's frustrating when I see my mother seems more interested in screwing everyone."

Zhen glanced at the receding servants. "Mind who you say that around."

Rai opened his beak, but he'd already spoke of his trust. So instead, he reached up and placed a hand on the older lizard's forearm. He didn't pull away or tense up, and the prince had a spark of hope yet. "If you don't mind my asking... why did you choose to work in the palace?"

"It is improper, yet..." Zhen sighed. "I suppose I don't mind. I didn't, actually. I used to work here, this very estate. Far from managing a prince's assets and the royal harem." He chuckled, relaxing a bit more. "I oversaw a small group of slaves, here but I was hardly better than they. I took the position because I wanted to be close to another. Someone above my station, at least... somewhat out of reach. Very improper of me."

That fit the tone of the letter. "Someone you loved?"

He took a long time to respond. "Yes. Though it's been many years. We... grew apart."

"They were male, weren't they?"

Zhen's sat straight up. "How...?"

"Falia told me you were only into boys." Also the name from the letter. Adane.

"I... Ah." Clearing his throat, the lizard relaxed again. "That is true."

"I don't mind. I mean, I was raised by a hermaphrodite."

"That you were." He glanced down at the prince's touch on his arm, and his free hand came to rest atop Rai's fingers. "But... you were right. Something did happen to that person, my old love. Even after we've grown apart, it... Well. I have my regrets. But you needn't worry about me."

Rai leaned subtly against the lizard's arm. "What was his name?"

"I cannot say."

He almost felt sick using what he knew from the letter like this. If Zhen would just tell him legitimately... "I get the feeling there was something more illicit about it than the fact he was above your station."

Zhen was silent, still.

Had he gone too far? Rai sat up, shifting his hand higher on Zhen's arm. "Everyone makes mistakes. I'm sure I will, too. I wouldn't want you to lose your job over one. You were hardly better than a slave at first, but now you're managing the estate of a prince, and then some. Because you've earned that station. And I think that comes with loyalty; that goes both ways."

The lizard tore his eyes away from the young gryphon with a shaky breath.

"There aren't many things that could make a relationship illegal, Zhen. Was he a slave?"

"No."

"Queen's harem?"

Zhen sucked in a breath, but shook his head. It was there in his eyes. They both knew there was only one other case.

"Then he wasn't... of age." Strictly speaking, Prince Rai wasn't either, but the queen made exception for him.

Zhen looked away.

"That's why you avoid looking at me when I'm indecent."

The older lizard spurred to his feet, jaw clenched.

"Wait!" Rai caught his hand before he could pull away. Their eyes met. And Rai's eyes widened at the depth of emotion in that gaze. He lost his tongue and his beak opened to nothing but breath. He rose from the bench too, holding Zhen's larger hand with both of his. The lizard glanced nervously both ways across the street, but the servants were long gone.

The swallowed hard and found his voice. "I... pushed you too hard. I'm sorry."

"Your libido does still get the better of you, it seems." His eyes screwed shut.

"It can. But this means more. I think you know that. True loyalty goes both ways." Rai squeezed Zhenten's hand firmly, then let go, took a step back. Zhen needed space. What more could he even say...? Words wouldn't help Zhen overcome this moment.

"This is a trying time for me, my-" He stopped himself, glancing down at the smaller gryphon. "Rai."

It was another small victory that brought a smile to the corners of his beak. "That's okay. I think we should talk again, though. When you're ready."

The gryphon wrapped his arms about himself and watched the older lizard retreat down the street. Had he really just... more or less propositioned Zhenten? Maybe he was thinking with his libido. But no, there was more. Zhen was leaving, abandoning the prince - his charge, his duty - because he needed space. Time to think. Rai sucked in a breath and started up the street, the other way. He'd take the long way back to the palace, without an escort... A rare moment in his life. Whatever came of it, he hoped Zhen didn't come to regret it further.

Hopefully Rai wouldn't regret it either. He still felt sick, using what he'd read in the letter that way. Hopefully it led to Zhen opening up, to things being... better. But it still felt like he was preying on Zhen's circumstances. Was he outgrowing Setiir's games too? Or had the naive little gryphon boy not grown into them yet?

Life was so complicated now.

That night he had Set summon only Falia, and spent well over an hour with his beak buried in her thighs, finding comfort in bringing one person all the pleasure he could manage.

* * * * *

"What in the gods'-rained-fertile land are you wearing that for!?"

Rai rebounded backward through the doorway he'd just stepped through, taken aback by Mideus' sharp eye, made all the worse by his monocle. His hand lifted instinctively to the lone bit of jewelry at his ear, the target of the mongoose's ire. "What...? It's just an earring. A gift from the Hierarch."

"The piercing isn't the issue. Adornments from less civilized tribes still carry enormous meaning, youngling! Do you even know what it represents? Take care, you could be sending entirely the wrong message just wearing it!" Rai opened his beak but the mongoose rapped the front of his desk and pointed. "Now sit down, young master!"

Rai meekly took a seat for his lesson. History lectures again. Set had escorted him here, and stayed for the lessons as well.

"Can anyone tell me from our last session how many of the tribes of Aja refused to join the new empire upon its founding, and how many still hold out? Master Setiir!"

"Twelve refused. Six joined later. Two vanished. Four remain apart."

"Good. Now does anyone besides Master Setiir know which was the last tribe to join us?"

Mideus gave it away; Setiir belonged to that clan. Rai piped up, "The sand cats."

"Yes. As we've been working our way through the histories of the twelve, today we're covering the sand cats, joining us as recently as thirty three years ago..."

As Mideus grew animated about his oratory, Set started sketching. Rai glanced at the feline, wondering why he was even here; he already knew his own tribe's history in greater detail. The sand cats supposedly held their secretive traditions close to heart, including an oral history.

Talez was silent, nearly motionless the entire lecture, hunched in a corner making notes. Probably. His writing scratched inordinately loud, and he pointedly avoided looking at Rai. The gryphon was left alone to answer most of the questions, and if Mideus noted the avian's silence, it made no difference. It made for a very awkward session. He caught himself fiddling with the braids hanging from his ear on several occasions. That was why Mideus kept giving him the eye. It was starting to become a habit, and one he needed to break fast if he wanted his ear to heal up properly.

"...Where did you hear that?"

Rai blinked. The answer had seemed straightforward enough. "I read it in a book. Not one of the ones you assigned... I've been doing some more reading beyond that."

The mongoose peered at him critically. "What else have you been reading?"

The prince wracked his brain for several of the historians he'd been following in the recent weeks. Mideus was not impressed. "Old thinkers. It is good you branch out in your reading, but take care who you believe. Modern Shajaran scholars are far more meticulous in their attention to important detail and clarity. Though Sarteus was an early prodigy; I don't assign him at this level because his work is quite dense, but if you find you can manage it, perhaps I should..."

It was an effort not to flinch. He'd read only the one book, and grew to hate the old scholar and his way of tearing apart arguments to no apparent constructive end.

The lecture couldn't end soon enough. On their way out he caught Set's attention. "She's available today?"

The sand cat gave him a nod, and they parted ways as Rai returned to his chambers. Before long, Set returned with a much taller feline figure gliding behind him. A caracal of narrow build and regal bearing, and the most nonchalant, idly eager grin.

"Miss Khali, I presume." Rai waved her over to his balcony. She swept a cute half-bow his way in a swirl of her long-sleeved, gossamer robe; the fabric hid less and less of her figure as she neared, prancing over, ears pert. "Prince Rai! I hear you've been asking after me for a few days now! Forgive me, I've been occupied."

She was the very image of her mother: the priestess the young gryphon met with every morning. Rai leaned back against the balcony railing. The shadows were beginning to stretch far across the roof slopes and the city below, but it was much earlier than the harem girls' normal summons. "I understand. Mother has first choice of her own girls."

"Oh, so it's not awkward to talk about having sex with your mom? Well, that's a relief!" Khali didn't just lean on the railing; she lifted a leg and planted a foot on it, and leaned on her knee. The slightest breeze brushed the skirt of her robe aside, giving Rai the briefest peeks at her delicate flower. Her eyes confirmed this was a completely intentional affect. Rai indulged in a look, but lifted his eyes to meet her smile.

The light in her eyes shifted subtly the longer he held her gaze unwaveringly. "You're not jumping to the fun stuff? Okay, now you have me curious. What's your game?"

She was older than Falia, but her attitude almost felt... younger. Rai reached for the caracal's hand. "Do you really think it's fun?"

The cat put on a sultry air, her words dripping honey. "Do I ever. I love what I do, my prince."

He caught her other hand too. "I want you to know this, Khali. When you're alone with me, I don't want to be formal. I want you to be free... to be yourself."

Her composure softened and she lowered her foot from the railing. "Falia wasn't kidding about you. Seriously, you're spoiling her - she's going to get it in her head she can just do whatever she wants!"

"Mind if I spoil you too?" Rai lifted her right hand and nosed it with his beak, tongue darting out in an approximate kiss.

"Go right ahead, kid. Erm. Kid. Is that too informal?"

Rai grinned, releasing her hands to gesture at himself. "It's accurate. I don't mind. Believe it or not, I didn't ask you here to have sex."

Her ears dipped. "Oh?"

"Don't mistake me; I enjoy what I see. Very much so." He let his eyes wander her figure, rekindling the fire in her eyes. "We can, if you don't mind bedding a kid."

Khali giggled, and it was music to Rai's ears. "Oh, I don't mind. I'm dead curious after some of Falia's stories." Her grin broadened at Rai's flush. She made a show of nonchalantly adjusting the shoulders of her dress and just so happened to flash a nipple. "But what's this other thing you want?"

"A few questions. An easy one, first: do you know the significance of this? And who else might know?" He gestured at the earring.

The caracal _tut_ed over his ear a moment. "Can't say I know. Mother, maybe? You visit every morning - did you ask her?"

"No, I just wonder if it's sending the wrong message to anyone."

Khali shrugged.

Rai nodded. "Okay, then. Second question. You're studying Ancient Aja, right?"

"Yeah?"

"Will you teach me? Your mom said she was too busy."

Her face twisted into disgust. "Honestly, the less time you spend with that woman, the better. Yeah, I could teach you. I've been lazy about my own lessons, could be nice to get myself back on track."

"And here you thought I was going to spoil you."

They laughed. Rai really enjoyed laughing with Khali.

* * * * *

Time and place mean little to the spirit. Follow the sun, and you will find me.

The breeze was hesitant to stir up the prince's new chimes. Their faint notes rang on, and Rai could almost make himself believe he could still hear the nagas' song accompanying. The incense had been Khali's idea, the grassy scent calling to mind a wild field. Like he'd seen the night he'd met Seva-Thraan. He sat lotus, trying to recapture that feeling.

The void he visited on the altar every morning felt the same. Or maybe he was imagining the similarity? There was no sun there to follow. Only the moth. How long had he been trying, morning and evening, to no avail? Weeks. A month? No... not quite. There would be another New Moon feast soon.

Seva had seemed so sure he would be able to accomplish this, but Rai really had no idea what he was doing.

His ear tilted of its own accord. Soft footsteps outside his chambers. That was one interesting side effect of these meditative moments he set aside; the subtlest senses came to life when he kept so still. The steps had the faintest rasp of scale on stone. No prominent claw clicks. Zhen? He didn't have to open his eyes at all to track the lizard shuffling in and hesitating.

The scrape of his foot as he turned away, took a step...

"Wait," Rai called without lifting his head. Zhen froze, and the young gryphon smiled. "You've made it this far. Come on out."

Success.

Zhen stopped at the entryway to the balcony. A pause, and he tapped the chimes. "When did you get this?"

"At this point, Setiir can do pretty much anything you can."

"He's still supposed to clear it with me."

Rai opened his eyes and leaned over the little brass tray before him to douse the incense. No sense wasting it. "He didn't want to bother you over a harmless wind chime."

"I suppose not."

Finally looking toward his guest, over a bare shoulder, the prince found the lizard fixated on the chimes. "You can look, you know."

Zhen met his gaze. His gaze flitted away on impulse, but he drew it purposefully back. Rai had shed the upper part of his robe in a pile about his waist and left his growing wings some breathing space. They were legitimately getting too clunky to try and hide; he really needed to modify his wardrobe somehow. He'd been procrastinating, deliberately, for this moment. "Here," he said, stretching them out; they reached nearly as far as his arm now. "Now you can say you were one of the first to see them."

"I... didn't realize they were so large already."

"I know." The growing pains had been something else entirely, but he was increasingly pleased with them and soon enough he'd be proud to show them off. "The stuffy robes and loose things I've been wearing really aren't going to be feasible much longer. I need a good tailor."

"I'll see to it."

"Let Setiir handle it. Don't worry about work tonight." Rai leaned back so he didn't have to crane his neck, propping himself on his hands. "If you're up for talking, that is. I was beginning to worry you'd erased our last long talk from your mind. But then, I've been seeing so little of you lately..."

"I know. I apologize for avoiding you my pr-" He broke off at the gryphon's wagging finger. "Rai."

"It's okay. Whatever happened, and whatever painful memories I dug up, I figured you needed time. I'm glad you came back without prodding, though."

"I've wanted to. I've just been... Busy."

"Scared?"

"...Yes."

"Me too."

"I- What?"

Rai got his talons under him and stood up. His robe fell. "Zhen," he beckoned when the lizard's eyes rebounded. Their gazes locked, the prince stepped up to his caretaker - who practically stopped breathing at the sight. He opened his beak, hesitated on exactly what to say, and halted. "I'm sorry... I think I'm getting ahead of myself again, aren't I?"

The lizard's arms enveloped him. Long sleeves that neatly wrapped across his back. Zhenten's embrace was tight, and his chin came to rest on the smaller gryphon's head. His breath came shakily, his tone hushed and throaty. "You've given me a great gift, Rai. You're right... You've been right about everything."

He'd never been hugged quite like this... by a male. It didn't stir him the way the embrace of a female might. But it was comforting. He sighed contentedly and leaned into the tall lizard, taking in his musk, like a seasoned dry wood... but sharper. "Talk to me, Zhen. I want to hear what you feel."

His breath was hot on the gryphon's ear as he murmured. "I couldn't help but love him. Even after he... We grew apart. He was always a healer, but illness took him easily. Even so, when he took ill and simply did not recover... I did not take it well. But you... stepped in so quickly. I wasn't ready to let him go."

"And now?"

"Now..." The lizard's fingers explored, hesitantly at first, down the gryphon's shoulders and back, gaining some confidence when the gryphon gave him a smile. "Now I don't know, exactly."

Rai pulled away, not a half step, but enough to reach up and tip Zhen's head down and search those eyes.

Their eyes were nearly identical yellow hues.

"Neither of us knows," the prince spoke in a lulling hush. "I said before, I'm scared too. This is different from... others. Falia, Khali... my friends... my mother. When I deal with them, we both know what we want, and where we stand. With you, I... don't know. I'm still waiting to hear what you feel."

The lizard nodded as his words sank in. "I've kept myself distant from you, because it was proper... but I care for you far more than I should. I want to be closer to you. Much closer. And... yes. I also desire you. I think that scares me the most."

Rai stepped back again, catching both of Zhenten's hands. Palms callous from years of lowborn work, fingertips nigh sanded smooth from handling untold volumes of paperwork as he rose through the ranks. The gryphon's tiny, soft fingers interlaced with Zhen's, and he stepped backward through the balcony archway into his chambers. The lizard glanced over Rai's head and sucked in a sharp breath - he knew where he was being led. The younger made shushing noises at the hesitancy in Zhen's eyes as they neared the privacy screens surrounding the prince's bed. Their hands remained clasped until he had the lizard well within his snare. "It's okay to desire me."

Rai slid his hands down the lizard's robe, to the belt securing it. Meeting no resistance, he undid the clasp and reached up to Zhen's shoulders, slowly tugging the garment apart. It slid downward, catching on his arms, but falling open enough to see the smooth pink penis greeting him.

Rai flushed, quickly lifting his gaze, searching Zhen's face for any sign of discomfort. He found nerves, but that went for both of them. A subtle nod told the gryphon all he needed. The robe fell away, and Rai stepped back as his eyes traced the lizard's figure, lithe, toned. He wasn't as soft like the harem girls, his body lacked the pleasing curves the prince was used to appreciating. Rai didn't find the same reaction he got from females; he was barely peeking from his own sheath. But peeking he was, and Zhen noticed, fidgeting and fighting again not to look away.

Rai's gaze slid lower as well. He'd never actually seen another male's... Well, he'd become quite familiar with his mother's. Thinking back to the time he'd put his mouth on the jackaless' black tool, he realized just how different Zhen was. No knot, no ridges, no obvious glans, just a broad base spreading his genital slit, a length tapering to a delicate point sporting his urethra.

He'd never taken the time to consider how to play with a male. Thinking on it now, the prince stepped up to Zhen, placing little hands on his chest scales. His fingers wandered: sides, up to shoulders. Neck and cheek. The lizard's hands finally came to explore Rai's young body as well, tenderly navigating the musculature of his diminutive wings and tracing his spine, sending shivers through them both as they leaned closer.

A stiff shaft brushed through belly fur. Their hands slid lower. The lizard's touch was still hesitant, toying with the soft spread of feathers at the base of the gryphon's feline tail, groping lower only as fingers brushed his erection and traced its smooth taper. The pair edged closer to the bed, and Rai wasn't sure who moved first, but he dropped back onto his sheets with a heavy sigh, wriggling in attempt to find a comfortable place of his wings, shaky with his own uncertainty finally surfacing. He searched Zhen's eyes for some clue what would be next. He'd seen Mother take Falia's tailhole... was that...? Would he want to...? His beak worked wordlessly.

Zhenten looked away again. "If you don't want this, my pr-" He cut himself off practically biting his tongue with a grimace.

Rai was still hardly peeking from his sheath. "Look at me. Zhen."

"Don't feel like you have to do this for my sake."

"I'm not. And you don't have to do anything for mine. I just want you to watch for now."

He looked, though still filled with doubt. Rai spread himself across the bed, brushing his fingers down to his sheath. He watched the lizard eyes follow his fingers stroking, coaxing life into his erection. Once he got it started, he stopped rubbing, but it didn't stop his stiffening cock. "No, I don't... know how I feel about males. But I know how I feel about you. The way you look at me makes me feel so... Wanted." He sucked in a breath, feeling hot under Zhenten's lustful gaze. "I want you to show me how much. I'll stop you if I'm uncomfortable, but whatever you want to do with me- to me. Zhen." the last bit was a breathy moan as he ran his fingers up his hard length.

The lizard's larger figure was over him before he finished the breath. Zhen straddled above him, a hand cupping the tip of his penis while he nosed into Rai's neck, breathing deeply and garnering a sqeak from the smaller male. "You're beautiful to me, Rai," he sighed. "You did this to me." His hand came away a wet mess, pre stringing from prick to palm. He lowered his fingers, wrapping around the younger's shaft and caressing it in a slick embrace.

The gryphon shuddered, squirmed at the sensation of slickness stroking him, fingers, talons and tail all curling. His writhing started to hurt his wing joints, though, and he reached over his head to collect a pillow to jam between them. He wanted to face Zhen. By the time he looked back, his beak poked the older lizard's chest as Zhenten lowered himself, not inches separating their bodies. Removing his hand, he let their cocks meet and thrust together once. Rai felt heat rise in his cheeks; was he blushing through his feathers? Hips rolling experimentally, he found a breathy moan spilling from his beak, and his eyes lit up.

"I-" The lizard was cut off by an invasive little tongue, breaking him off. Rai's small hands pushed them apart, and sideways. The lizard yielded with surprising ease, and the gryphon was on top, between Zhen's knees. Agile tongue keeping the lizard occupied, he rolled his hips and explored the sensation of rubbing against the tapered penis, slick with pre. He wasn't sure whose anymore; he was leaking too. This... this was good. Something like a little growl in his throat, he lay fully against the older male, thrusting happily.

Well, almost; his cock didn't want to stay on top of that narrow tip. Sliding a hand behind the lizard's shaft to keep them aligned, Rai shut his eyes, and rolled his hips against the larger male's body, losing himself in the moment. He forgot his assault on Zhen's lips, catching again that sharp woody scent, but whatever the lizard had in store to say was long forgotten. From the heated panting, he gathered he wasn't the only one succumbing to needy lust.

Zhen wrapped his arms protectively around the smaller body atop him. His heavy tail caught the smaller, feline one and he planted his feet for leverage. Thrusting together. Rai buried his face against the strong chest supporting him. Even the way Zhen held him stoked his passion. It was the desperation in the moans at his ear, the possessive clutch of those scaly hands at his back, the throb of the lizard's penis between his fingers making the young gryphon feel wanted. Needed. Lusted after. It made him hot, like needles to the core of his chest, where his heart hammered loudly.

He loved it, and he could only take so much before shuddering, tensing, and rocking frantically against the older male, crying out sharply. Seed jetted between them and across Zhenten's scales, nearly reaching where Rai's beak was pressed to that strong chest.

Not a moment later, the lizard's groan signaled as he joined in climax. He pulled their bodies tight together, cock buried in fur as he spent himself in spurts - thick, viscous, white. Rai fought for air and sighed shakily, quivering to the beat of his still-thudding heart. His last ounce of strength spent, he simply lay against Zhenten. There was a mess between them. A rather disgusting one if he thought about it, so he didn't. Just resting in the comfort of scaled arms.

A comfortable span later, he'd roused himself enough to open his eyes, getting a wonderfully close view of his caretaker's chest, fascinating himself with all the hues of scale in that transition from the red of his throat to his overall green. But the sun was setting and it would soon be too late to see them. Then he'd just close his eyes and- "Rai."

"Hrmm?"

"I can't stay."

He pouted. But only a moment before half sliding, half rolling off the older lizard. Yes, it was a pretty disgusting mess, and mostly adhered to his belly fur. "Some other time?"

Zhenten pushed himself to the edge of the bed and got his feet off the edge. "Duty calls. If my paperwork is late, someone might come looking. I can't-"

"Can't let this be known?" Rai fought a sudden yawn, and was defeated. "I understand, though... I don't see why it's such a big deal."

He let silence hang between them, staring at a spot beside Rai for a protracted period, as though reading the rumpled bedsheet like tea leaves. "I was supposed to show you how much I wanted... But you showed me instead." He sucked in a breath and lay a hand atop Rai's smaller one, where it rested at the gryphon's thigh. "I care deeply for you, Rai. I don't know what the future holds, but I want nothing more than to watch you succeed."

The younger mustered the energy to smile. "Don't take so long to come talk to me, next time."

"I won't. That would be improper of me."

Zhen availed himself of one of the hand towels Rai had begun keeping close by his bed for just such messes. Rai watched him redress. They shared a smile as he fastened his belt. "Good night, Rai."

And he was gone, leaving the gryphon to contemplate getting up to clean up. This wasn't coming out with a towel. He didn't want to trouble the night staff to draw him a fresh bath. In the end, he decided his options were sleeping on his back - and living with the backache tomorrow - or washing away the mess. So he rolled out of bed and braced himself for a cold dunk.

He'd won Zhen. And he liked to think that was worth it in and of itself, and not simply a means to finding that hyena slave. He made a mental note to talk to Zhenten about it tomorrow. It had been so long since he'd met her... How long was she going to hold out?

How long could anyone?