Blueblood

Story: Blueblood

Chapter 30 From A God To A Man

Author: Eric McQueen (mcqueen.richarderic@gmail.com)

Adult Readers, Sexual Situations, Sex

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Amasis takes the Serum and begins the transition back to become more of a man.

From A God To A Man

We were still very concerned with what Tad Morsi was up to. He knew we were not in town but came to the house. Why?

Colin and I were enjoying this underground palace and city. Amasis was actually a nice guy! The fact that he wasn't a god seemed to take some pressure off the man.

Colin rolled over and scooped me up in his arms and snuggled down next to me. He knew I wasn't asleep, but I'd had a tough few days. I grinned as his arms brought me even closer to him.

"Hi, Colin."

He pulled me over and moved so he was pretty much on top of me. "Hi, Colin?" He looked minorly annoyed, but his emerald eyes told me otherwise. "I was gone for two and a half days! I get back and find my reason for living is a vampire."

I gave him a surprised look. "You know I had to do that," I said. "And I seem to recall it didn't really bother you too much. We made love. You to me and me to you."

Colin now was more than a little annoyed. "I know why and it paid off. I'm still angry that you did it." He said again.

I rolled my eyes. "Yes, yes...I know. You have to admit, Amasis is a pretty nice man. Those images I had in my head about pharaohs weren't real."

Colin looked puzzled. "What images?" Then he nodded. "Another movie moment?"

I chuckled. "Yes. I keep seeing the Ten Commandments or even Cleopatra in my head." I chuckled. "I keep picturing Yul Brynner standing with those fists on his hips knowing he was above everyone else!"

Colin grinned. "Well, he was, wasn't he?"

"I suppose so." I shrugged. "Amasis thought he was a god; Yul Brynner's character KNEW he was a god."

"Nabia is confusing," Colin said. "She's so...stuck in this...subservient, passive role."

"Well, many of the women here wear those black, cover everything from head to toe showing only eyes," I said sadly. "Those burkas are just...they look so uncomfortable..."

"But they are Muslim," Colin said. "And not all women in Egypt are Muslim."

I nodded. "No, but women aren't treated as human beings a lot around here."

Colin smiled. "And we definitely aren't accepted."

I grinned. "Vampires usually aren't."

He rolled his eyes. "You know what I'm talking about!"

I chuckled. "Do I?" I rolled us so I was on top. "I'll say it. We suck."

Colin's eyes widened. "We what!?"

I laughed. "Come on, Colin. We both suck. Be it each other's cocks or blood, we suck! Therefore, it's just...wrong!"

Colin laughed. "We sure do one of those a lot!"

I smiled at him. "I'll do that one thing again!" I said moving down his body.

I don't need to tell what happened. I will simply say...I wasn't hungry for blood now and Colin was very happy afterward!

Things with everyone was just fine. Shelly and Chuck searched the area underground for evidence of the Old Ones with flashlights and sun guns. They interviewed many of the residents for their knowledge of the Old Ones. Mom and Gabriella continued to talk with Nabia. Alex and Willie worked with some of the soldiers here, getting to know them and they got to know us. These people were sort of trapped themselves. There were three villages near this city underground. I was calling it Amasis City. I've heard its name, but...I can't spell it. I won't try. Why? Have you seen letters of these people's languages? Stan had scanned the scroll and I watched him as he was literally pulling his hair out!

I came in as I saw him give a loud grunt and then this little cry and pull on his blond hair!

"Aurgh!!" He let out hitting the laptop in frustration.

"This is a problem, isn't it?" I asked.

Stan looked at me. "You think?" He shot back and put his forehead against the computer. He let out a sigh and sat up. "Sorry." He turned. "I can't read this because it's too old!" He waved at the screen. "This language shouldn't even exist! The oldest languages are said to be Sumerian and Egyptian...old Egyptian even." He held that finger up when he had additional news or information. "There are elements of old Egyptian in this! Maybe it is the source for old Egyptian! Or one of the sources." He waved at the screen. "But there are more...letters and configurations Buddy can't understand!" He put his head down again.

I nodded coming up behind Stan. "It's not easy," I said putting my hands behind his neck and massaged his shoulders.

Stan leaned back enjoying the message. "That feels so good." He said sighing.

"What's the problem? Is it the connection to Buddy?" I asked.

"Not really," Stan said. He waved at the computer again. "It is a problem, but the scroll is now in Buddy including the one in Manhattan." He rolled his head as I worked and I felt the tension ease. "His system is sifting through databases. The problem is...there isn't one about this."

Mark came in and stopped. He looked with a smirk at the two of us. "Am I interrupting?"

Stan wasn't bothered when he said. "Yes. You are."

"Stan is having fun with this language," I said chuckling.

Mark nodded and walked over to the screen. "You can't do it?"

"Can you?" Stan turned annoyed, but not at Mark. He was just annoyed. "This language shouldn't exist!"

Mark smiled. "Yet here it is!" He stated the obvious.

Stan nodded. "Thank you very much." He said at that obvious statement. "Are you here for something? Or are you just dropping by to irritate me?"

Mark sat beside Stan. "Just to irritate you." He smiled. He looked at me. "These other villages know of the Old Ones, but I keep hearing the same thing. The Old Ones were wiped out." He shrugged. "The last one was sited about a hundred years ago."

"But Wayne saw one more recently," I argued. "That was in England." I nodded. "I'm willing to grant that maybe they have been reduced in number, but I think they're still around." I shrugged. "We are finding out where the beginning of this...vampires came from," I said. "Maybe...just maybe...there's more to it." I sighed. "I would love a cure."

Mark's easygoing nature softened his face. "There may not be one at all." He put carefully. "Weapons and even biological weapons are easy to create, but sometimes they don't have cures." He smiled more sympathetically. "Of course, George is smart. If anyone can come up with one, he will."

I nodded. "Has Amasis helped?"

Stan nodded. "As much as he can." He smiled. "Even he said it was old. He thought this was even older than the man that wrote this. Meaning, the man that wrote this...the language was even old for him!" He chuckled. "We're talking fifteen to twenty thousand years before the man wrote this down."

I nodded. "And the oldest we know of is only three or four thousand years BC?"

"Yep...thereabouts." Stan nodded. "I'm no linguist. Buddy can do it, but he needs more input."

"Perhaps with the other scrolls entered in Buddy's head, he can find commonality and make it easier." I offered.

Stan nodded. "Yep. Now, that takes time." He frowned. "They have been protected down here, but they are fragile. I have to work slowly and with a lot of caution." Then he brightened. "But once in here!" He patted his laptop access to Buddy. "It's in!"

"Can't Amasis read this?" I asked.

Stan nodded. "He thinks this what's said." He held up his translator on his lapel. "The problem is...this translates what he says to English for me. He's translating what he thinks is written from this into whatever language he's speaking and then Buddy, using the Delkenzie program translates what Amasis says to English!" He shook his head. "I'm translating a verbal translation of a written language by Amasis in whatever language he's speaking, which Buddy translates to English and puts in writing for me to read!"

I nodded. "We need hard data."

Stan now nodded more. "Exactly!"

Mark now looked a little shocked as Stan looked at him. "Well, don't look at me. I barely speak English!"

Stan smiled at Mark and leaned in kissing him quickly. "Yes. I know." He ran a finger over Mark's face. "But you're cute, so I live with it."

Mark grinned and did the imitation of a monkey scratching under an arm and making the sounds of a monkey. "It's my animal magnetism?" Stan nodded. "Yep." I patted Stan on the shoulder. "We just need a Rosetta Stone."

Stan grunted. "This predates that! This is way older."

I sighed. "We'll know there is one when we find it," I said simply giving his shoulder a quick pat. "You do great work, Stan. I'm glad you're here."

Stan grunted.

"What about me?" Mark asked.

I grinned as I walked backward to the opening. "I'm always glad you're with us, Mark." I then walked out to find Colin...or Amasis...or someone. I heard voices in the dining chamber. I smiled noting the time.

Going in Colin grinned at me. "Hi!"

I smiled at him as he was eating. "Hi." I looked at what he was eating. "You are leaving some for anyone else?"

Colin smiled and laughed. "I am."

Amasis chuckled. "If I understand correctly." He said. "This..." he waved at Colin's empty plates, "is because he's still a vampire." He waved at the food.

I nodded sitting by Colin. "Yes." I kissed Colin. "It seems he can't keep food long in here," I said patting Colin on the stomach lightly. "We don't really store fat."

Amasis nodded. "So, I might have the same problem?"

I gave a shrug. "Not necessarily." I rubbed Colin on the back as we were together. "I don't require..." I waved at the food, "...as much as he does. The other night when he thought I was in trouble, he ran the two miles from Amir's village here. He didn't eat after he got here. It showed. He was quickly losing energy and almost passed out. If you don't exert yourself, you can do with less. I do."

Colin smiled as he swallowed. "But, oh, man! Is this good!" He waved at what he was eating. "I never knew camel was so good!"

Amasis laughed. "The problem is...the camel gives birth once a year. We have no shortage of them right now. They are domesticated camels." He raised his eyebrows. "Perhaps we need to rethink that." He waved at what Colin had eaten.

Colin looked at Amasis as his eyes narrowed. "There aren't any chickens?"

Amasis chuckled and touched Colin's arm. "We have plenty. I like a man to have a good appetite." He looked at me. "Perhaps I will enjoy it, too." He smiled. "I'm ready to take the medication."

I smiled. "We were waiting on you. What about Nabia?"

Amasis shrugged. "I'm letting her decide." He smiled. "I know she will." He sighed. "I know it will hurt."

I nodded. "Knowing..." I tapped my head, "...and knowing from firsthand knowledge are two different things."

Amasis looked puzzled.

I realized what I'd done. "Oh, sorry." I tapped my chest. "Knowing."

Colin looked puzzled now.

I covered the translator. "The Egyptians discard the brain when mummifying. They didn't think that was an important organ. The heart is the center of thought." I smiled. "When you see something that upsets you or hurts...where do you feel it? Where do you hurt?"

Colin sat back a little. "Oh. I see." Then he muttered. "Maybe the brain is not important."

I looked at Amasis who was looking at us frustrated. I grinned at him. "Sorry, we were speaking with each other." I nodded. "That was rude, sorry."

Amasis smiled. "And parts I understood. I can speak a little English." He nodded. "I think there are feelings," he touched his chest, "in here." He looked at me. "Is thought somewhere else?"

I chuckled. "You're jumping ahead again. Yes, I know they are." I said. "We'll cover that as well."

Amasis shrugged telling me he couldn't help it. "It's been a while since I've been challenged. This is new! I want to learn!" He smiled. "This is exciting!"

I chuckled again. "There's a lot to get excited about." I then gave him a sad smile. "It will hurt."

Amasis nodded. "I've been told." He looked up from his bowed head. "Give it to me. I'm eager to get started."

We got Amasis in position as he tried to relax. George came in with the serum and syringe.

"I'm ready," George said holding the needle and bottle of serum.

Amasis thought a second and then nodded. "Okay. Go."

I took Amasis' hand as Colin took his other hand. "We'll be right here," I said. "Once it's started, we can't stop it."

Amasis nodded. "I get it." He looked at George. "Go."

Nabia didn't want to see this. I wasn't sure she would be able to do it at all.

George sterilized a place on Amasis' chest and inserted the needle. Once he pushed the plunger in, it was a second before Amasis began to move. The pain was starting.

It was always hard to see. It was a long few hours and it did hurt Amasis. I smiled when I saw after a few hours and I saw the pulse begin at Amasis' throat.

"What basically stopped so long ago." Colin smiled as he saw the pulse begin. "Is starting again."

Again, I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding when Amasis finally stopped writhing and went to sleep. "I'm not sure which is worse. Having the pain..." I looked at Amasis. "Or seeing the pain."

Colin nodded. "It hurt worse when I saw you go through it." He smiled. "I would have done anything to take it myself, but I couldn't. It just needs to happen."

I looked up. "We need to get power down here," I said. "We need Buddy down here."

Colin nodded. "We do."

"Have you contacted Tad Morsi?" I asked . Colin nodded. "I sent him a check. To pay for the house we used." He shook his head. "We won't be going back."

"I know," I said. "But someone wants something. I don't believe it is the program. The Delkenzie program we practically were willing to give them."

Colin nodded. "For a price. Sure."

"They would get it," I said. "Has he mentioned his brother in the government? Who is he? What position?"

Colin nodded. "I searched the Internet." He grinned. "There is a mention of two brothers." He smiled. "One, Tabor is in the government. The other...Rafa, is in the military."

"Military?"

"Well, he's..." he used finger quotes, "...retired...according to records, but he held the rank of General," Colin said. "He's in his sixties now."

"A General." I nodded.

"Tad is the youngest," Colin said. "But Rafa works with military weapons."

"He does?" I asked and then nodded. "He does." I sat back and sighed. "And so, it starts."

Colin nodded.

Amasis woke and was a little groggy and said something that the translator couldn't understand. From his inflection, in his original language form of "damn." He rubbed his chest. "Yes. Knowing it will hurt and experiencing were two different things."

I smiled and nodded. "Yes." We helped him sit up more. "I agree with that first remark...whatever you said...everyone that goes on the serum says an equivalent."

Colin smiled also at Amasis. "You look better!"

He did! He had moisture in his eyes. Not a lot, that would come with the doses, but he had some. I looked at his head and realized he still had stumble still there. I smiled at him. "This is the start of a new life for you." I rubbed his head where the stumble scratched my fingers. "Going for a new look?"

Amasis grinned as he ran his hand over his head. "I had the same look for a long, long time." He chuckled. "I thought I'd grow it out."

I nodded. "That could be nice to see. Was your hair curly or straight?"

Amasis shrugged with a smile. "I don't remember."

Colin had brought a mirror and held it up in front of Amasis' face. "Have you seen yourself as a vampire? You're not that creature anymore."

Amasis looked and he pulled an eyelid and looked in his own eyes. He smiled and then his eyes opened wider as he held his chest. "It's gone!"

"What's gone?" I asked.

"Every night, I woke with the sensation I just got used to," Amasis said. "I don't crave my nutrients!"

Colin nodded. "Yes, it's gone. Tomorrow, we'll give you something solid to eat." He leaned closer. "You'll know if eating camel is a good thing."

Amasis chuckled but looked at me. "You did this...for me?"

I smiled. "You mean the serum?"

"I mean, you had it before," Amasis said. "You knew how it hurt and yet you went off the medication, knowing it would hurt again...you did it to prove a point to me."

I shrugged with a nod. "It was to show you. That was easier than explaining it all."

Amasis smiled and hugged me. "Thank you." He hugged Colin. "I can tell you the truth. I've never had friends before."

That struck me wrong. "You are surrounded by people."

Amasis nodded. "I had people that worshipped me, I had people that feared me because they believed I was a god." He shook his head. "There are things that are fuzzy for me to remember, but I keep hoping someone would stay. Faces merge and no one was there for me. I gave the kiss to those I thought would stay." He looked sadly at us. "I thought Nabia would turn out to be that one, but she was showing signs that she too will go out and disappear."

I nodded. "Well, you didn't give us that kiss. We're not leaving you."

Amasis smiled. "I believe you." He looked at us puzzled again. "I liked the fact that you were never scared of me."

Colin looked surprised. "Why would we be scared of you?"

Amasis looked at me. "Because you knew I wasn't a god." He sighed. "Every one of these people have known me all their lives. Their parents knew me, their grandparents knew me and I never changed. I didn't grow old and I didn't die. They knew I was a god. The ones that didn't know me as a god were thieves and evil men. They would steal from me, if I let them. My forces defeated them and life was the same." He smiled. "It's nice for someone to see me as a man." He pointed to his head. "That's why I'm growing my hair. I want a change."

"What about Nabia?" I asked.

Amasis nodded. "Nabia was different." He smiled at a memory. "She's beautiful, but she was once so much more than she is now. She also saw me as a god. I got to know her and her fear of me turned to love. She once saw being loved by a god was special. Then she knew me as her husband and then she saw me as a man, but not quite...not a whole man. I didn't age. I gave her the kiss to bring her to what I believed was the afterlife. She was happy for a while, but she is nearing the end. I know she will leave me."

I nodded. "Well, if she takes the serum, maybe she'll change her mind," I said. "She'll be free to go out and see the world again."

Amasis nodded. "I hope so."

The sun rose again and then set. We began the injection again. This time, Nabia was there. She watched in horror as Amasis suffered. Colin, George, Burke and I watched, too. This was not an easy process to witness. I saw the conflict in Nadia's eyes. She hated to see him suffer. I also knew she understood that in order to be free again, she would have to go through the same agony. Finally, she covered her eyes, shook her head, and left the chamber. The problem was, I had a cold chill down my spine because I could sense what she was wrestling with. She didn't think she could do this. I wanted to go after her, but I didn't want to leave Amasis. I had promised I wouldn't. I looked at Burke. "Can you have my mother or Gabriella find Nabia so they can talk to her?"

Burke nodded. "Sure." He rushed out of the chamber.

My mother came to where we still sat with Amasis. "I don't know what to tell you." She said sadly. "She's locked herself in her chamber and won't answer."

Colin looked concerned. "Can't we force it open?"

I looked at him. "She's queen. No one will dare."

Colin frowned. "I will!"

"You forced mine open." I nodded and then remembered the crashing. "How'd you do that, anyway?"

He waved back at a heavy statue of a cat. "They're more than just decorations; very heavy." He thrust his arms in a thrusting motion.

I was worried about what I was afraid she was going to try to do. Why I thought she might be is because of what she'd seen. She watched Amasis suffer and in spite of this being something that would free her, she was afraid.

It was over an hour before Colin came back. "She's gone."

"Gone? Gone, as in not here?" I said hoping.

"As in not here," Colin said. "We're sending people to look for her."

One of those people looking was her own son.

Amasis went through the pain and slept again. It was after sunrise when Amir came to me slowly. Tears in his eyes as he held a linen garment. I knew it had been worn by Nabia.

I knew it. It was a lead weight in my gut, heavy with the knowledge of what it meant. I rose from the pillow. "Don't say..."

Amir nodded as he was now crying more. "She did." He held out a parchment. "Here's what she left."

Okay, I don't pretend to read this, but I had the translator and scanner. For me, it was all scrawl from the beginning, but I ran the scanner over the parchment and looked at the little screen. Her note said to forgive her and she was sorry, but she couldn't take the medication and she couldn't live like this anymore. I sighed looking over at the sleeping Amasis. I looked at Amir. Amasis lost a wife, but Amir lost his mother! How would I feel? "I'm so sorry, Amir," I said softly and hugged him tightly. "I am so sorry." I hated what he was going through. I also dreaded how I would have to tell Amasis.

Colin shook his head when he came back and I told him what they'd found out. George had given Amir something to sleep and sent him to a chamber to sleep. He would be ready at sunset to do the same for Amasis if needed. It might delay Amasis' treatments. "I don't understand," Colin said sadly. "She had a way out."

I nodded and showed Colin the translation of the note. "She didn't think she would be able to take the serum," I said. "We knew this might happen. We could offer only a continued life down here. She couldn't do that either." I waved at Amasis. "He knew it was going to happen."

Colin shook his head. "We could have done something!" He said angrily. "I would have come up with a way to get her out of here: taken her to England, New York...anywhere other than here. She didn't have to do this!" He said angrily. "George has refined the process! It doesn't hurt any more with the discs!"

My mother came in when he was saying that. "She was very, very sad, Colin." Mom said. "Gabriella and I have spoken with her many times. We told her what the world was like and how taking the serum let her have the freedom to go out there. She just..." she shrugged, "...couldn't see it."

I nodded. "When she saw Amasis suffer tonight. I knew." I said frustrated. "I knew what she was going to do!" I said angrily.

Colin nodded. "So, did he." He waved at the sleeping form of Amasis. "He said so."

"This may hurt him more than taking the serum," I said. "I think he really loved her."

Mom nodded. "She was twenty-three when she married Amasis. She was twenty-five when Amasis made her a vampire." She thought. "Amir is twenty-eight. She's live half of her life down here." She looked at Amasis. "She couldn't do it for thirty to fifty years. How did he do it for nearly three thousand years and keep his sanity!?"

I looked at Amasis. "He's got a strong mind and a strong will to live," I said in pity. "Hopefully, that will to live will carry him through this."

We lounged around a low table on big pillows to plan what to do next. Willie, Alex, Chuck, and Shelly were continuing to ask others in the villages. They also looked for other tunnels and saw where they went. They were always looking for anything that said the Old Ones. Mark was helping to search the Internet for activity with Tad Morsi and his brother, General Rafa Morsi. The problem was also that we needed power! A power cable was suggested, but even if we had one, where was the power being carried from? Amir had a generator in his village. We needed more than that. Colin suggested getting another more powerful generator and bringing it down to Amasis' City.

"Then we'll have to deal with fumes and ventilation," Mark said. "A generator that can produce that much power will consume fuel. Then we're talking about bringing fuel down here and where to store it..."

"Is there a way to have....Buddy..." Colin pointed in the direction of Amir's village. "...run on battery power like our little computers and devices? They are solar powered charged cells. Is there a geothermal generator? Anything to help." He looked at George.

George shook his head with a sad chuckle. "Oh, no, the human body I know. Vampires, I know. Disease and injuries, I know. Engineering? No."

"What's the nearest big city to here?" I asked.

"All along the Nile," Stan said. "The nearest...anything of size is Markaz El Adwah. That's a good..." he thought a moment. "...twenty to thirty miles..." he thought again. "...west?" He waved his arm. "We're in the desert!"

"There are villages near here." I pointed out.

Colin shook his head. "Basically, they are tents. A lot of them; Amir has one of the few...semi-permanent structures. It can be broken down if needed when needed to move. They put those villages there because of the underground water source and access to the tunnels to here."

"How do these villages support Amasis' City?" I asked.

Colin shrugged. "I guess that's why they don't have chickens, they need..." he tried to remember, "...what do chickens eat?"

"They've done it for thousands of years this way," Willie said. "Only now are they starting to lose the young people in the villages. The big cities offer a more tempting life." He looked at Alex. "How many men do you say Amasis has now?"

Alex thought. "A few hundred?" He shook his head. "And that's from all three villages like what Colin described."

"There are farms along the Nile that do support this city," Colin said. "But they are decreasing in number."

"Amasis' City is dying?" I asked.

"They are losing people." Willie nodded. "Eventually, Amasis will either go up to the surface to find somewhere else to live."

I looked at my watch. Amasis would wake up soon. A heavy weight was in my gut knowing what I had to tell him about Nabia.

"This city...as wonderful as it was and as amazing as it..." Colin said, "...will end."

"With the threat of Rafa Morsi added, Amasis may not have a choice about staying." I groaned. "A lot of people will lose a lot more than just a god. They may lose their reason for existing. This has been their lives for over two thousand years!" I looked at Colin pleading. "We have got to find a way to help them!"

Colin leaned closer to me. "Devon." He took a deep breath. "I know you love Amasis." I know my eyes widened and he held his fingers my lips. "No, listen..." he smiled. "You do that. That's who you are." He grinned. "You have people here that you fell in love with. You did in New York and at Thornwood." He waved at Willie. "Take Willie, if left up to me, he'd still be in that abandoned subway station feeding on rats!" Colin looked up seeing Willie look embarrassed. "Sorry, Willie." Willie just nodded and waved that it was okay.

"You brought me to see Willie!" I said. "I didn't know about him!"

"Yes, but you made me see he couldn't stay there." Colin pointed out. "Because of you, we took him from there. You gained his trust and got him to let George examine him and we got him help. Now, you call him Dad! I told you he was like my father, you made him your father...by law! Then there was Edwin. You talked him into the serum. There was Matt, you talked him into the serum and got to know why he was resistant." Colin looked at Wayne. "And there's him!" He pointed at Wayne. "He was a wild vampire. I would just have killed him be done with it..."

"He gave himself up!"

"Yeah, but you charmed him. You got him to trust you when he was a wild vampire even before he got the serum." Colin said. "I would have gotten the samples and gotten rid of him." He shook his head. "Not you."

Wayne was nodding. "You did get through to me. I did trust you even then."

Colin nodded smiling. "You're doing the same with Amasis. I love him, too. He is a nice man. I'm not talking about romantic love for any of them, but you do love them! You love Amasis, the human being. You did with everyone here! You care about Amir and the others." He frowned. "But look...wouldn't it be easier to move this one vampire? We free him and get him out of here. We take him back to New York, or take him to London." He waved at the underground city. "It will be a shame for this to end, but it may have to. These people can pursue lives elsewhere."

I waved in the direction of Amasis. "He won't know how to deal with all that!"

Colin nodded. "We'll be there for him. We'll help him. He already trusts you." He waved at Stan. "Stan's getting those scrolls on the hard drive..."

Stan grinned. "Downloaded to Buddy." He clarified.

Colin nodded and grinned. "Whatever...I'm saying....we'll continue to look. There may be more down here, but we may have to get Amasis away soon; for his own safety."

"The Old Ones were here," I said. "The Others may still be here."

Colin nodded. "And you were right to come here. We found out a lot about those vampires. Almost everything ends."

"No!" I said angrily slamming my fist on the table. "They have lived here so long, we come and in a few weeks only to witness the end of this?" I waved at the chamber and the surrounding city. "I won't believe that. I can't believe that!"

Mom leaned over the table. "Honey, you may not believe it, but that doesn't mean it's not going to happen." She smiled sadly at Willie. "I know, as wonderful as life is now...we will one day be apart. We will end." Willie nodded bringing her hand to his lips and he smiled back at her. She looked at Colin and me. "You two...will end. Everything ends."

Colin swallowed and nodded. He looked again to me pleading that I understand. "Even if Amasis has a lot in his treasury, it will stop. He needs an export. Trade. That's just business." He sighed. "He doesn't have that. There is no future for Amasis here. I think he knows that, as well."

I nodded. "Fine." I was in short frustration and got up. Yes, I was mad. I began walking out and heard Colin's footsteps behind me hurrying to catch me.

"Wait!" He said evidently having said it before and I hadn't heard him.

I felt him take my arm and he forced me to turn around. "What?" I asked.

"Why are you angry? We won't leave him here. I swear. Hell, he can have a bedroom next to ours! I don't intend to leave him."

"You know?" I said narrowing an eye at him making him back up as he looked shocked. "I hate movies like this."

Again, he was a little blindsided by the derailment of my train of thought. "Movies? Like this?" He was searching in his own mind for what I was talking about and finally gave up. "What!?" He finally asked.

"Okay, here's an example." I began. "I saw this movie...there was the little gorilla that spoke sign language with a couple of humans on a project, she happened to be from an area in the Congo where she had seen evidence of a lost city. She painted pictures that had the eye in it. Solomon's Diamond Mines or something. That proved to a human she knew where it was because of the eye. She and her...humans go there and find this lost city that no one could find for thousands of years! They get there and that very day is the day a volcano blows and wipes the whole city away!" I said. "The whole thing! The city, the mines, and diamonds. Why that day? Why not render the whole thing moot by blowing up a year before or a hundred years before? Or even next year?"

Colin smiled as I ranted. "Because there'd be no movie? Drama?"

I nodded and began to move on. "Well, I don't like this movie. This city has been here a long, long time. The United States hadn't been formed! The land was there, but George Washington's great-great-grandparents hadn't even been born when this city was up and running! We get here and within a couple of weeks, it's going to die."

Colin chuckled as he tried his best not to, but stopped me from going on. "Devon, this isn't a movie."

"Damned right it's not." I patted him quickly on the chest (he was unhurt and I never would hurt him) and grumbled. "I'd demand my money back if I saw this lousy movie."

Colin grabbed my shoulders and made me look again at him. "First, we didn't kill this city. We just happened to be here. Second..." he looked at the cave. "...the city's not dead." He thought of how to say it. "...it's coughing right now, it's not dead yet." He hugged me. "Third..." he grinned kissing me. "...I have got a lot of movies to watch to catch up with you!"

I nodded. "Yes, you do."

"I don't want Amasis to give this up, but there is no solution I can see. We won't leave him." Colin said again. "We still have time here and more research and need to find evidence of The Others."

I nodded and gave Colin a smile. "You know I'd never love anyone else."

Colin nodded hugging me. "I trust you, Devon. You've got a big heart; I know you love me. I don't doubt it one bit." He looked sheepish. "It's the others I don't trust."

I nodded. "I can't help how I feel."

Colin nodded kissing me. "It's okay. I feel I can trust Amasis. He'll need you very soon to deal with Nabia's suicide." He hugged me tighter. "Just be careful." He rubbed me on the chest. "That's my heart in there. Take care it doesn't get hurt. I love you, Devon, very much."

I nodded kissing him. "I know. I love you." I said hugging him tightly.

Colin nodded. "I know."

I came in where Amasis was waking up. The idea of telling him was...I didn't know what to say to him, but the truth. He looked at me and smiled as I sat beside him.

"It didn't let up," Amasis said. "It hurt every bit as much last night."

"No, it doesn't let up until we give you the other...when your body's ready," I admitted. I wasn't really able to disguise that something happened. He lost his wife.

Amasis looked in my eyes and his smile faded. "What happened?"

"I don't do well stringing things along, so..." I said, "Nabia killed herself yesterday."

He may have known what she was going to do. He even mentioned she was probably going to do it. Yet, when I told him what happened, his eyes widened a little. Now that he had moisture I could see his eyes, which I could now see were very brown, change as the emotions could now be read more. I watched as it sunk in and he nodded. "I understand." He nodded.

Now, I was even more confused. "You understand? I don't!" It sounded angry even for me. "How could she do that? We weren't doing anything to hurt..." I stopped. "Sorry, you were the one that lost her. My understanding is not important."

Amasis shook his head. "Do you know how many times I have been told this?"

I shook my head.

"I don't know either," Amasis said loud and now was a little angry. "There were so many times, I can't remember!"

I was seeing that he had this happen many times. Somehow, he'd learned to shield his heart. "This has happened too often for you to really feel things, isn't that true?"

Amasis turned away and didn't answer at first. "Would you?"

I shook my head. "I probably wouldn't be alive myself. I can't imagine what it would be like to not feel. I can't lose Colin. I'd feel that."

"There were too many." Amasis frowned. "It becomes more than you don't dare to feel. I feel, but I don't feel as I used to."

I nodded. "Do you remember all the others that you married?"

He nodded. "All of them." He said sadly. "The marriages of the past sort of blend."

"Blend?"

He smiled. "Do you remember everything in your past?" He settled down again with a sigh. "Or does it become one long memory? You may remember things when there was something extra, like..." he thought, "receiving a special gift on a day that made you very happy. Or someone you didn't expect to see suddenly comes to you. You don't remember every meal or every event of the days up to that moment, but you remember that moment. I have been married so many times. They sort of...blend. I remember their faces occasionally, but it becomes one long memory. My life is one long memory with the occasional event taking a more important place in my heart."

"You only gave a few that kiss to bring them into what you believed was an afterlife," I said. "You didn't do it for all of them."

Amasis nodded and smiled. "There were quite a few that didn't want the kiss." He chuckled. "In fact, many of those were very happy unions." He chuckled. "I almost prefer those. They left me, yes, but because they went to another afterlife...I thought." He smiled. "They would age and eventually die." He shrugged. "I never stopped loving them, but in me...I always knew they would do this."

I shook my head. "I guess you did, but it had to hurt."

He nodded. "Every single one." He shrugged. "I guess I got used to it. It was going to happen."

I nodded. "Out of curiosity..." I began with a smile, "...you said you had wives that were male? This translator doesn't translate groom." I chuckled. "They were men, not womanly men."

"No, they weren't." Amasis chuckled and then looked surprised. "I had a few. Why?"

I smiled and thought of the best way to say it. "Well, the outside world we plan to have you go into...marriages like Colin's and mine are only now becoming less...taboo?"

His head went back a little more surprised. "Why is that?"

"Well, lengthy explanations aside, there are religious orders now that think we shouldn't."

Amasis now looked more confused. "It's just love."

I nodded. "We see that," I said. "You see that, but they don't see that." I grinned. "Your society didn't see it as taboo?"

Now he looked every bit the pharaoh and god for a moment. "I was Amasis. Who I choose is my choice. I am Amasis!" His eyes had more moisture and I could see the look in his eyes now. He was serious but delivered it with a light feeling. "There were many that chose companionship with someone that was the same gender as they were." He gave a nod. "I remember my first."

"Your first wife that was a man?"

He nodded and looked a little dreamily. "I remember that one very well." He smiled a little leering. "I married him as a reward."

"A reward? For what?"

"Ma'na." He said fondly. "Really Ma'nakhtuf was his name. He was a warrior. He led one of the first campaigns right after I received the gift of this life. Details on that campaign is blurred, but I remember him." He said smiling more and sighed. "He was a very beautiful man. He was strong and a natural leader, but very much the man." He chuckled. "It was his campaigns that put a lot in the treasury." He scratched his head as I thought it might itch now. He shrugged. "It was the greatest thing I could think of."

I gave a grudging nod. "But you'd mated with a man before?"

Amasis looked at me with his eyes looking a little wary as he knew he was telling something he kept to himself. "I had. Why would be taboo? You are a part of the people. All bodies fit together." He looked puzzled. "You should know that. Our bodies work fine together, it's just..." he shrugged. "...a little different."

I nodded smiling more. "Ah...but it's that different people in these religious powers don't approve of."

"Why should they approve or disapprove? They aren't involved."

I nodded holding my hand up to stop him. "Hey, I'm on your side!" I smiled. "But you have to admit, sex is often used for something other than love."

Amasis nodded. "It's enjoyable, so used for fun, but yes, it can be a big weapon. I had warriors that often used it to subdue enemies...both male and female. The males were usually enemy warriors, the females were just...villagers. I didn't approve, but my warriors did it."

He was being honest and forthcoming, so I asked. "How did you deal with all this time down here?" I asked. "There had to be times that seemed to drag on."

He nodded. "I went through times that were very hard. I thought I was losing my godliness, but I made challenges for myself." He waved at the caves and surrounding underground city. "This didn't just magically happen. I did it."

"You did?"

Amasis nodded with a chuckle. "I didn't do it alone, but time and experience I knew what I wanted and with the help of my people...and those captured in some campaigns, I carved out this." He smiled. "This took nearly a thousand season cycles." He looked at me. "You understand season cycles?"

I looked at the little screen. "Sure," I said. "Times when the floods came once a year?"

He nodded. "Yes, cycles."

I smiled. "Yes, we call them years." We had gone from the original point. "My concern was about Nabia. You don't feel anything about her dying?"

Amasis looked pained a little. "I will miss her." He said sadly. "I knew it could and would happen. My bigger concern is about Amir."

I nodded. "He was very upset."

"He would be," Amasis reasoned. "She was his life source."

"You still see him as your son?"

Amasis nodded. "Of course. I am the only father he's known." He sat up more. "His experience in life has been limited. He does not have the background to rely on. His loss is greater. He will always be my son."

"What happened to his male parent? The one that caused his birth?"

Amasis frowned. "He was killed shortly before Amir's birth." He sighed. "His mother had been a servant here...and her mother and father...she was only twenty cycles or so...she had no one. Her mother and father helped, but her father died and then so did her mother, too. She worked hard here, but I saw she was more. Like Ma'na and some of the other wives, she thought me a god, but getting to know her, she, like Ma'na, saw me more as a man. I had needs." He sighed. "I hoped with this knowledge, she'd be easier to accept this afterlife and stay with me. She turned out to be like all the others."

"Well, you seem to be okay with her leaving," I said, still not sure that was true. He would have problems later. "Do we proceed with the serum doses?"

Amasis looked surprised again. "Would I have to start over if I don't take the medication?"

"Yes, you will."

He shook his head. "Then no, I won't put it off. I'll take the next injection."

I nodded. "Well, today, you get your first meal."

His eyes widened at the thought. "I will?"

I left Amasis in the care of George as he told Amasis more about the medication and how it worked and what it did.

Colin caught me coming to our chamber. "How'd it go? Did he take it well?" He asked putting on another kilt. He looked at my face and looked down at what he was trying to wrap on. "I need clean clothes."

I nodded. "So, you didn't put that on just to seduce me?"

Colin grinned. "Well, it wasn't my purpose, but if it does..." he shrugged.

I walked over and pulled the end he had in his hand away, letting it drop leaving him naked. "You can put that on later." I watched his smile grow. "I can't imagine anybody, but you for me."

Colin frowned. "Didn't he care about Nabia?"

I shrugged. "He's cared about a lot of people. He took the news better than anyone I've known. He loved and married quite a few. Perhaps that's why he didn't breakdown. Nabia is just the most recent loss." I explained pulling Colin toward me. I kissed him deeply. "I never want to lose you, Colin. Mom and Dad talked about everything ending. Amasis talked about knowing the relationships would end." I held him close loving the warmth I felt from him. "I'll die if you leave."

Colin tightened his hold on me. "We'll do everything we can to stop that from happening." His hands came over me. "If anything, Amasis gives me hope."

I pulled away enough to look in those emerald eyes. "He does?"

Colin nodded. "If he can live this long. There's no reason we can't. Imagine a life together that spans thousands of years!" He looked at me smiling. "A couple of thousand years with me in your life. Is that what you want?"

I smiled as my hand went over his chest. Again, loving the tickle of his hairs on my fingers. "I want nothing else."

"That's what we'll do."

I nodded. "I want you right now."

Colin nodded. "You have me. All of me."

I nodded. "What we do is more than just sex, right?"

Colin frowned. "Of course, it is. It's the glue that binds us together." His face softened. "We're not just lovers, Devon. Not to me. We are connected in a way no other humans can connect with us. You're a part of me." He smiled. "I never knew a person could be a much a part of my very soul."

I smiled at him. "Let's just put a little more glue into this joining." I grinned kissing him deeply. "I adore you, Colin. A part of me and my very soul."

It was a few hours before we emerged to take a bath. This time, we were the only two in the communal bath. The water was still warm, but I did miss the others. Until Amir came in.

"Oh," Amir said stopping. "I thought I was the only one." He said sadly and turned to leave.

"Amir," I said from the water. "Please, don't go," I said pleading a little. "This is no time for you to be alone." I also considered that maybe it was too soon for him. "If you want to be alone, fine, but you don't have to be."

Amir hesitated a moment. At last, he turned around and began to pull on his garments to take them off. "I'm not very good company now."

"So?" I shook my head. "We're social creatures. We aren't meant to go through life by ourselves." I touched my own chest. "Our whole makeup needs people. You need people. We can be there for you."

He lowered himself into the warm waters. "I'm in a place where I don't know what to do." He said sadly. "My mother is gone."

I nodded. "I know."

"She didn't have to leave," Amir said a little angry. "She had a good life. She was a god."

Colin smiled at him patiently. "There were things she was going through we will never understand. We can't judge her."

Amir nodded. "I'm not judging, I just want to understand."

"You need to speak with Amasis," I said. "He will understand more than anyone." I looked Amir in the eyes. "He loved your mother." I smiled. "He loves you, Amir. You're not in this alone."

"My mother is gone," Amir said again.

I nodded again. "Yes, she is."

"She could have waited until I die," Amir said.

I nodded again. "She thought otherwise."

We got Amasis a little something to eat, which he did as all the others did. He sniffed it carefully and wondered if he could eat it.

"It's a camel!" Colin said brightly. "Just not as spicily flavored for now. Just try some." He encouraged. He did the same as they all did. Tasted carefully and then was eating with more gusto.

"I'm sure George told you to..." Colin began.

I stopped Colin. "Don't waste your breath. They never listen when we warn them about eating too much, too fast."

Amasis was really enjoying his meal!

Chuck came in suddenly. "There could be a problem." He said huffing as he fought to catch his breath. "In fact,..." he huffed, "I know...there is."

Colin looked at him. "You could have called us and not be trying to catch your breath."

Chuck shook his head. "Mark said not to." He explained and pointed. "He was worried...that others would hear." He leaned forward and rested on his knees. "We have company."

I was surprised. "Out here in the desert!? What are they?"

Chuck held his hand up and took a deep breath and stood up more. "We don't know, but they're not..." he waved at the underground city. "One of these lovely people. They're professional. Willie and Alex agree with Mark's assessment. They appear to be militia."

I looked at Colin and then back to Chuck. "Why?"

"The movements are planned. Strategic." Chuck explained. "And why we are afraid they can hear us; we can hear them." He said. "It's not in a language. It's code." He looked around. "You have a laptop here?"

I nodded and pointed to the laptop near us. "I don't use it often to save power."

Chuck nodded. "You should see this." He pulled up the screen and hit a few keys. Then he waved at the screen. "See?"

What we saw looked like a group of nomads, camels, and things carried, the long robes and headdress. Then he went to another screen. This was taken by a camera...long range, but good focus. The men could be seen more and one removed his headdress.

My eyes widened as I saw he was blond. "He could be someone that joined the group?" I suggested as a possible explanation.

"There are three like him in a group of twelve." He said and hit another set of keys. I heard conversations and there were some words I recognized. Buddy was not needed to identify the language. I didn't understand what he said, but the language was Russian.

"Russians!?" Colin looked at his translator and the readouts. "What are they..."

"The others are Egyptian and others from the Middle East," Chuck said. "Mark thinks it's a scouting party." He looked at Colin and me. "I think so, too."

"Why?" I said again. "Sorry, I'm asking why a lot, but..."

Chuck nodded. "The signals we send." He explained pointing up through the roof of the mountain. "They can't read the signals. They are encrypted, but there should be no signals out here at all. Amir had a simple setup with his emails. It didn't attract a lot of attention. Our signals to Buddy were."

I nodded. "They came to find us."

Colin nodded. "Looking for the source of signals that should not be out here."

Amasis was listening, but he didn't understand much without us speaking to him using the translator. He understood some of what we said. "I have troops." He said. "We help?"

I shook my head. "I don't see how. That would only confirm where we are." I said rubbing Amasis on the back to assure myself as well as Amasis. "Thank you, though."

I looked at Colin. "They can't be from Rafa Morsi, can they?"

Colin shrugged. "I said he was retired, remember? That's an interesting mix of nationalities." He looked at Chuck. "Where were they?"

"Not far from Amir's village," Chuck answered.

"And Buddy is there?" I asked.

Chuck shook his head. "He's down here now, but the source of the previous signals was from the village. It's only a matter of time before they find the tunnels."

I nodded. "And find Amasis' City."

Amasis stood at last. "I...put troops at entrances."

Colin nodded. "Do that. However, if they meet these men, they don't attack unless they are attacked."

Now Amasis was again Pharaoh. I was impressed! He stood clapping his hands quickly. A member of his troops came in. Amasis gave orders in their own language to the man who nodded and rushed to do what Amasis instructed.

Colin walked over to me. "Will he be ready to move soon?" He asked George and me.

"He's near the end." George nodded. "I can make a disc soon." He waved at Amasis. "But he won't be ready for out there!" George said pointing out of the caves. "The world changed in two thousand years!"

I nodded. "He'll be fine. We're not leaving him here, but we may not have a choice."

Colin thought. "We need to be ready." He said. "If we have to leave, it may be quick."

Chuck nodded. "We'll be ready."

The Second Exodus