{"sf1_id":691804,"sf2_id":null,"title":"A State of De-Nile","author":"StGeorgesHorse","words":3465,"posted_at":"2014-04-11T17:53:00.000Z","tags":["Ancient history","Human","Insect","Jackal","Magic","Ocelot","Time travel"],"url":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/691804-a-state-of-de-nile","original_url":"https://sofurry.com/view/691804","image_url":"https://www.sofurryfiles.com/std/thumb?page=691804\u0026ext=.jpg","description":"#33 of Robbin Red\n\nWhat is it that they say about the sands of time?","content":"When he came out of the blackness\nthat was the space between times, he was hit with a blast of heat. His feet\nlanded on dry, hot sand. He tried to search the surrounding land, but his eyes,\nnow more sensitive from his spell, couldn't acclimate to the raging light\ncascading down from above. IT was like he was suddenly in a blast furnace. He\nclosed them and looked upwards, forcing his healing talent to compensate for\nthe bright light. It apparently worked, because when he opened them he could\nsee. Just that quickly he wished he was still suffering from the temporary\nblindness.\nWhere ever the clash of spells had\nflung them, it was nothing but desolate wasteland. No, wait, there was\nsomething off in the distance. Before he could focus on what it was, he heard\ntwo noises. One was obviously a groan from Lanana. She was lying at his feet.\nHe hadn't noticed her because he hadn't focused on his immediate surroundings.\nHe leaned down and gave her a hand up. She too was adjusting to the sunlight,\nall the while spitting out a mouthful of sand. \nThe other noise was from the Plated\nFolk wizard. He was on his back, struggling to sit up. The two mammals looked\nat him and grinned. \"Shall we leave him?\" asked the ocelot. Jon-Tom was quick\nto answer. \"I should. However, my conscience tells me we would be better off\nkeeping him alive for now.\" He leaned down and righted the giant bug.\nKhepri struggled to his feet and\nbacked away, his freakish eyes scanning the horizon. \"What have you done, you\nred-blooded freak? Where are we?\"\nJon-Tom shook his head. \"The better\nquestion is when are we? I have no idea either way. There isn't that much\ndesert on this world that I've ever encountered before. Of course, it also\ndepends on when in the past or future we've been thrown.\"\nThe bug just stopped and stared.\n\"Time travel is impossible. The mathematics for it was proved to be beyond the\nscope of normal magic.\"\n\"Well you ugly bastard, when\ndealing with me there is no such thing as normal magic. The only reason I\ndidn't destroy you and your horde right off the bat is because I have to worry\nabout messing up the future timeline. So you see, as far as I know, this very\nwell may be your world's future. I very well could have messed it up.\"\nKhepri stood stock still. \"Yes, I\ncan believe that. Why do you think we try so hard to eradicate the warm blooded\nmenace? To preserve our species and our way of life! And yet we are decried as\nthe villains!\"\n\"Well, you can argue semantics, but\neither way, time travel is possible because I've done it and I know we've\ntraveled quite a temporal distance. As for who did what, I don't really care\nright now. We can discuss it like civilized beings when we get back home. If we\nget back.\"\n\"You lie! You are trying to deceive\nme!\"\n\"To what end? I got you on your\nfeet when I could have left you there to die slowly in this awful heat. For\nthat matter I could still kill you if it was my desire.\" He looked up to search\nthe horizon for whatever he saw a moment ago. It was now a bit bigger. He\nfocused. He blinked. He shook his head. \"Shit!!! Damn, damn, damn, damn!\" He\nwas stamping his feet into the sand.\nLanana knew a worrying tone when\nshe heard it. \"What's wrong Jon-Tom?\"       \nHe pointed to the spots that were\nmoving. \"I'm in trouble; deep, deep trouble, yet again.\"\n\"Uh, if you're in trouble, doesn't\nthat mean we are all in trouble?\"\nHe started laughing insanely. \"Oh\nmy God!\" He looked at the bug wizard and howled with laughter. He looked at\nLanana and did the same. He was in tears. Khepri was dumbfounded.\n\"What is wrong with him? Must I\nassume that out situation has changed for the worse!\" \nThe jackal just rolled in the sand.\nHe was crying tears and his arms were holding his sides from the convulsive\nnature of his humor. He finally got himself under control. \"Listen you stupid\nbug; we are in so much trouble right now. But it's not what you think. Third\ntime's a charm they say!\"\n\"Third time for what?\"\nLanana was wondering the same\nthing. He stood and brushed the sand from his outfit. \"Hanobos indeed! Why\ndidn't I see it coming?\" He went back to laughing. As the shapes on the horizon\nmade their way in their general direction, Jon-Tom thought up a plan. It wasn't\na great one, and even then, it wasn't a good one. The situation was beyond his\nken and he really needed time to think.\n\"All right you two, here's how this\nis going down. You both are going to hide inside of my cape until such time as\nI deem it appropriate for you to come out. It at least should be cooler inside\nit.\"\nLanana had no qualms about this,\nbut Khepri was incredulous. Your cape? Your cape is sufficient to cover your\nparsimonious frame, but it will do nothing to hide me. My robe covers me just\nfine!\"\nJon-Tom was uncharacteristically\nsharp tongued. \"Listen you dung eater, you'll get in or else. If you go in\nalive I promise you you'll come out alive. If I put you in dead, you'll be just\nas dead when you come out!\"\nLanana put her hand on his. \"I\ndon't think he understands.\" She motioned for him to remove the cape. He opened\nthe flap and she stepped in.  She sank\nfrom sight almost immediately. Khepri grabbed the cloak in his claws and peered\ninto the opening. It was a mere black void.\n\"Where did she go?\" He nearly\ndropped it when a small voice called out.\n\"I'm in here!\" Then the voice\nhushed to a whisper. \"It's very strange, but not uncomfortable.\"\nKhepri used his spare arms to pat\ndown the cape while he was holding it. He could feel nothing. \"This is\nextraordinary magic!\"\nJon-Tom growled. \"Yes it is! Now,\nare you going to get in, or must I do it myself?\"\n\"Is there room?\"\n\"Yes!! In fact, I could probably\nfit your entire army inside. Now, are you going in on your own?\" The bug seemed\nconfused for a moment. Then, with a bit of inspiration, he held it aloft and\nallowed it to slide down his body. By the time it had covered the distance to\nhis feet it fell flat against the ground.\nAs Jon-Tom clasped it back into\nplace, he was faced with a problem. His magic might backfire, or worse, might\nnot even work at all. He could try it out, but just in case something funny was\ngoing on, he decided to wait until he absolutely needed to do something\nmagical. Some of his time traveling experience's had been less than ideal.\nHis sharp eyes had told him that\nhis present situation was going to be a tough one to get out of. He wished he\ncould transform back into his human shape, but while he might be able to, it\nwould expend magic. Even transforming from human to unicorn, an inherent\nability now, still required power. On top of that, he was a jackal now, on two\nlegs like all the other intelligent species (except for the quadrupeds of course)\nso it was hard to say what would happen if he tried to invoke it.\nIn the end he simply stood there as\nhe was, the cape fluttering weakly in the hot breeze, while the objects got\ncloser and closer. He had no fear of them. His concern was for those who only\nnow seemed to espy him, a lone pillar on the shifting desert sand. Because of\nhim, those who now approached were probably going to have a bad day. Jon-Tom\nwas pretty sure the effects of his visit here were going to be set in stone. It\nmade his head hurt.\nLanana and Khepri couldn't interact\nmuch with each other, which was just as well. The ocelot was a kind person, but\nshe hated the Plated Folk just like every other intelligent warmlander. The\nfact that she entered the cape and allowed him to come in with her spoke\nvolumes about her character. Since they refrained from talking, each instead\ntook the time to reflect on the strangeness of the interior of the cloak. They\nhad several hours to do so. \nOut of the blue they heard a voice\nand could see a light, a mere tear in the fabric of their present reality. The\nlight wasn't strong, yet it hurt the eyes and seemed to flicker and dance with\na life of its own.\n\"Lanana, give me your paw!\" She\ninstinctively raised it above her head. She felt his strong grip and the next\ninstant she was in the light. Her eyes tried to adjust. The bug was next,\nlanding awkwardly on the floor. As their eyes adjusted, they found the light\nwas not bright at all. They had been in dead darkness for so long that their\neyes were unprepared for any light at all.\n They both stood, astounded. Words failed them.\nThey were in a room that looked like it was carved from stone. There was, on\ncloser examination, evidence that the great pillars and solid walls were\nactually blocks moved into place. Objects made of gold and silver adorned\nwooden furniture carved with elaborate detail. There were linen curtains\ncovering the windows, and oil lamps lit the room with a flickering glow.\nKhepri was amazed. \"Are we still on\nthe same world as before? Or have you yet again transported us somewhere\ndifferent? This place is a far cry from the arid expanse of sand you brought us\nto.\"\n\"It's the same world. And it's not\nyour world. We have traveled a far shorter distance then you might believe from\nour original point of entry there in the desert. And that is a problem, though\nonly part of the problem.\"\nLanana pursed her lips and\nwhistled. \"It doesn't look like a problem.\"\n \"Go look out the window, but please be careful\nnot to show your face. Use the curtain to cover it.\"\nShe crept out to the balcony that\njutted out over the wall. She pulled the curtain over her lower face and peered\nout over the stone railing. Below was a street, extending for blocks in either\ndirection. Her ears were assailed by the murmur of a thousand voices. She\nlooked down at the mass of bodies below. She felt no fear at their presence,\nyet all at once the significance of it struck her and she backed away from the\nledge. Someone saw the movement and shouted. \nThe noise outside increased, enough\nthat Khepri abandoned all caution and ran out to see what was going on. The\ncrowd erupted at his presence. Jon-Tom put and arm around the ocelot. He pulled\nher towards the balcony again. \"Jon-Tom, why? And how? I don't understand!\"\nAs they stepped out into the\nevening air, he put his other arm around the bug. He only had this to say.\n\"Welcome to my world you two. From now on, consider yourself gods!\"\nKhepri was unimpressed. \"Any Plated\nFolk is a god compared to puny, insignificant humans!\"\nLanana's foot kicked out and nailed\nhim in the backside. His carapace protected him from harm. \"Look you stupid\nbug! My friend here happens to be human in his real form and it seems we are on\nhis world now. I'd suggest you show some decorum and a little respect. He only assumed\nthis form to hide from the goddess.\"\nThe big bug's brain was swirling.\n\"Goddess? What goddess? And how have we changed worlds? No known wizard or mage\nhas that power! How much power do you possess?\"\nJon-Tom shut him up. \"Look, right\nnow is not the time for this. I'll try to explain later. All you need to know\nis that you're on a world I call Earth, but the folks here will have no idea\nwhat you're talking about. We are roughly 3,000 years in the past, and somewhat\nlonger for me. What you are looking at is the only civilized species on this\nround ball of rock. Bugs are small and mindless, and even the other species are\nsometimes used as servants to mankind.\nLanana looked pained. \"I would hope\nus felines are excluded from such indignity?\"\nHe shook his head. \"No my dear,\neven felines may show up here in ways you will not like. You will see equines\nas well. Just remember they are not what you would expect from your world.\"\nKhepri was watching the crowd as it\ncontinued to go wild. \"Look at all that meat down there. It's too bad it's not\nseasoned properly.\"\nThe ocelot chastised him, but she\nunderstood his meaning. \"Yes Jon-Tom, I'm hungry too. Is there any food here?\"\n\"Yes, but you had better go back to\nusing Hanobos as my name.\" He held up his hand to silence her. \"No one here\nwill know me one way or another, but the name you chose had best be the one I\ngo by. I can't explain it now. Maybe later.\"\nHe went over to the large doors and\npounded soundly. They opened almost immediately. Humans came in carry flagons\nof wine, bowls with fruit, baskets of bread, and platter's with cooked fish and\nother meats. Every person entering the room was wide eyed at the sight of the\nthree freaks of nature standing there. Some of them trembled and fought their\nemotions to do their duties. Khepri was drooling. It wasn't over the prepared\nfood.\n\"So much fresh meat! Is none of it\nfor eating?\"\n\"I had no idea what you ate Khepri,\nbut eating our host or his people would be improper. However, make do with\nwhat's on the table and I'll come up with something better I promise.\"\n\"Our host? And who might that be?\"\nLanana was watching the humans with unabashed fascination. They in return were\nstaring at her. And him...and the big bug.\nAt that moment a human walked in,\ndressed simply but adorned with gold and jewels. His stately stride spoke volumes.\nHe was surrounded by guards carrying wicked spears and swords. He was also\nfollowed by a troop of females, some older and some younger. Everyone had\nbrownish skin, unlike Jon-Tom's normal paler tone. The human turned jackal made\na sweeping bow, and the man fell to his knees with his head bent. \"My lord god,\nI hope all is to your satisfaction?\" He looked up to see the other two. His\neyes went wide. \"I see my lord has brought more good fortune into my house!\"\n\"Get up! I'll not have you bow\nbefore me. This is Khepri and this is...\" He stopped Lanana was a pretty name,\nbut hardly one that sounded correct for this situation. \"...Ubaste. We are here\nfor an unknown length of time. We thereby extend our humble thanks to the great\nKing Khnum-Khufu, ruler of all the land of Egypt!\"\nLanana leaned in. \"I couldn't\nunderstand the crowd. Why can I now understand him?\"\n\"I transferred the power of their\nspeech to both of you just a moment ago. You can do a lot with a touch.\" He\nturned to the king.\n \"My honored king, I have need for your\nhospitality on another level.\"\nThe human king, with his shaved\nhead and immaculate white loin cloth, bowed. \"My God need only ask.\"\nJon-Tom pulled him to his feet.\n\"Walk with me.\" They ambled over to a quiet corner. The king looked at the huge\nbug, nodding in understanding. \n\"Yes my lord, we can accommodate\nhim. I hope he would not mind going to them, instead on us bringing them here.\nI will do as you command, but I would find it most disagreeable if I had to\nwatch.\"\n\"Khepri!\" It was Jon-Tom.\n\"What do you want you...\" then he\nremembered himself. \"What can I do for you?\"\n\"The king has made arrangements for\nyou to eat. I am going to hazard a guess and say it should be up your alley.\nPlease follow this servant wearing the white robe.\nThe man thusly described looked\nlike he was about to expire in ecstasy. Jon-Tom was trying to absorb everything\nthat was going on. He half expected the people to be in total shock and denial.\nHe chuckled for a moment. \"De - Nile.\" But they believe so strongly in their\ngods that they had been accepted as good omens. True, it was a good thing to be\nable to say that your god actually made an appearance once in a while. Not\nevery religion could claim that.\nThe king was rushing around madly,\nin a very undignified manner. He was consulting with his sages and ministers. Then\nhe came and bowed to Jon-Tom. \"Oh great Anubis, I wish to present you a gift. I\nhave nothing that you have not already provided, so I am returning to you that\nwhich is yours. Please accept this most humble of offerings.\"\nJon-Tom was still reeling from the outcome\nof the innocent use of Hanobos, Lanana's brother's name.  \"There is nothing you need provide for me that\nyou have not already done.\"\nThe king mad an expansive gesture.\n\"I Khufu, King of Egypt, hereby decree that the great God Anubis may have any\npriceless gem from my entire kingdom. His presence here is the greatest grace\nto befall a ruler, and I have needs to reciprocate as I might.\"\nJon-Tom had no need for gems, or\ngold, or anything right now. But he did need to maintain some sort of clever\ndeception. His power alone would make him a god to these people, but he had no\ndesire to contaminate the timeline. \nLanana could sense his hesitancy.\nShe spoke openly to him, \"A gift given with one's heart should not be denied. I\nthink you may have whatever you chose. Don't make him feel bad.\"\n\"As you know, I have no need for\nanything you possess. Still, you offer anything I might wish?\"\n\"Of course my lord!\"  \nThere were few things that made a\nman covetous than something of unbridled beauty and grace. Jon-Tom was beyond\nthe need of most things men crave. He could make just about anything he might\nwant, and his power was beyond compare, leastwise on his adopted world. But\nthere was always something that could tempt him. In this case, however, he was\ntrying to use it as a learning tool. Don't offer what you don't want to lose.\nHe hadn't gotten the grasp of how strongly Khufu desired to make his god happy.\nJon-Tom ambled purposely over to\nthe side. He walked around his selection with a keen eye. If there was anything\nthe king would not wish to give up, it was epitomized by this sum of all\nloveliness. \"I choose this!\" He figured the king would tremble and fall down, begging\nhim to reconsider. He had no idea who he was dealing with. \n\"My lord has excellent taste. There\nis nothing in my kingdom that surpasses the beauty of your choice. I freely\ngive to you my daughter Hesmetep and am honored to call you a part of my\nfamily. May our descendants rule for a thousand years!\"\nLanana came up to him. \"What were\nyou thinking?\"\n\"I was thinking that I would choose\nsomething he wouldn't want to part with. Now it looks like I've done it again!\"\nThe girl was trembling slightly,\nher eyes lowered. \"My Lord Anubis. I hope that I will make you an adequate\nwife.\"\nJon-Tom could only think of one\nthing. He was a stupid fool who had done it again. There was no way he could\ntake another wife, not even one who had been long dead and buried in his own\ntime. He had gotten lucky with the timeline so far, but he had no idea how his\npresence here in ancient Egypt was going to affect his future. Yep, he had\nasked for, and was freely given, her hand. Of course, that was from her father.\n\"Might I ask if you wish for this?\"\n\nShe was pragmatic, if nothing else.\n\"One may do as they please in life, but to fail to accept the offer of marriage\nto a god is not a thing I would lightly do, my lord. I look forward to seeing\nif I survive the night under the power of one such as yourself. At least I shall die happy.\""}