so... chapter 4 (thank to my Physics teacher for not getting this earlier :/), there are some flash backs, I found them needed at this point so hopefully they won't bore you to death :)

Also- words in italics (foreign ones) will be explained in the end of the chapter (don't be insulted by my explanations if you already knew it)

I wanted to point it out before chap 3 but forgot- Xerxes (who was mentioned there) is an OC and this Polly appearing here is an OC too, both are unimportant and serve mostly as a background... that would be all, read on ;)

What once was precious

Chapter 4

Alexandria 125. BC

I was getting bored. As in really fucking, I'll choke of yawning, bored. For someone my age, I was embarrassingly impatient. Good thing I lacked that 'I want to impress people around me' thingy. So, all in all, my feet tapping againts floor wasn't new, but quite unexpectedly, Ptolemy seemed to feel the same, if I were to judge by his jerky shifting on that royal cushion.

While I always liked to disagree with him on important worldly matters, I think we finally found a thing we can hate together- parties. Ptolomy's cousin birthday party to be exact. Which, if you knew the elder Ptolemy, told you quite well about how it went. Piles of food, very pleasant music, dozens of dancers, few tamed, exotic beasts... Hmm, were more women or drinks? In any case- enough of both to satisfy even young prince's needs. Yuck, there he was- sitting in the middle of high ranked visitors, overbriming from his throne with one giggling girl on each knee. Dear gods, he would've developed another hand only if it meant holding two women and a cup at once.

So, much rather, I gave my attention to his younger cousin, my master, behind who's chair I sat, disguised as his human slave. I picked nice appearance for tonight- a young man of 20 years, lean, though not twiggy-thin like Ptolemy, bald, like any slave back then, and with oval, black eyes circled with kohl.

"For a 16 year-old you sure are missing a nice chance to get a... Handful, if you know what I mean...", I commented, too bored to sit in silence, and poked one skinny, velvetly smooth arm.

Ptolomy looked at me so indifferently that my grin cracked a bit. Huh. You know that feeling of giving an innocent child a bomb? Or porno?

" Oh nevermind, you don't have to answer-"

" It's alright...", he glanced back at crowd shortly, releasing that ominous stare, "I just don't like my cousin's pick.", he shrugged shyly and turned back to the party completely.

Now that's a discovery! Probably going to hit the first place on my 'amazing discovery list', fuck pyramids and Babylon hanging gardens, Ptolemy was not only confirming that he had some sexual interests but he was being fucking picky about it too!

Ok, so- surprise aside- this also confused me greatly. You see, his cousin did an admirably good job in trying to fit everyone's taste. There were many rare beauties, from midnight black to moonlight pale, shorties, tall ones, all ages and builts... I think I even saw one with beard... Eh, right, my point being- there was wide spectrum of women. Oh.

" Praise Ra in heavens, you are actually a teenager!", I sighed and rose my hands in gratitude to whatever god that controled teen hormones. (Well, Ra was main god, right? Sure he did have his hands in it...)

" Oh shut up.", Ptolomy didn't look at me, trying to keep his normal tone, tough I could see him blushing. Ohh, this was sooo rich...

" So... What are we looking for?", I asked leaning closer and earning his further blushing, "Some exotic prince of fair pale skin? Or maybe a slave... one with big-"

" Bartimaeus!", he squeeked, for the first time since I knew him, interrupting my sentence.

" I was going to say: big, lamb eyes, but you're right- he should have a big di-"

" Stop it right there.", he was watching me sternly, patiently, with one finger raised, " Just beacuse you established all of a sudden that yes- I have desires like other people, doesn't mean I want... Someone right now.", last words came out almost carefully.

I scanned him over. His tanned skin, soft even to look at, elegant thin limbs, slim hips, tight ass (unfortunately out of my sight since he was sitting), flawless chest, long neck, sleek black hair and huge, dark eyes. Yep, those seemed innocent... Hah, innocent my ass.

"Are you saying that you don't?", I arched an eyebrow, leaning on my hands, elbows propped on his arm rests. His face flushed in gentle red shade at my suggestive tone and sudden closeness of our faces.

" No.", he said in a small voice.

And there, for a shortest moment, wide dark abyss of his eyes, with pupils larger than junky's in his highest dreams, went over my body, touching every piece of it just by look, throughly scanning my guise of an egiptian slave, admiring fine shape by following it's every curve...

But it felt like they were actually searching for me. Real me.

In my 5 thousand years that was first, and last, such look.

I puked my guts out for the billionth time this week.

Why was I thinking of that? Mandrake, bile stung in my throat just at the thought. He is nothing like Ptolemy! Ptolemy cared! He respected what I think, want, believe...

White substance in sink looked really weird mixed with bits of my silvery essence, it made me heave again. Disgusting. But even that was better than digestion problems I'd have later so...

Another wave of nausea had me bent over and gripping around for anything that would hold me up.

No luck there. I fell on cold bathroom floor, spasms clenching my body, as I just tried to curl up tighter. This shit was messing with me big time, I don't remember it being this fucked up before, and believe me, I've given lots of blow jobs. So many that I should get a premium membership card at the 'blow job givers group'.

Still, all my expirience gave me no answer to: why did it lately make me wanna both puke and cry until I drown in all those fluids?

My body trembled vigorously. Must be cuz of puking. And cold. Just so cold.

Like Mandrake's eyes then. They may be the same, almost black, color like Ptolemy's but they were nothing alike!

Fuck. Arguing with myself? Not only I was physically fucked up but I was going mental too? It felt like this world carefully counted seconds I spent here then took it's too expensive toll. With time eyes go dull, resistance melts away- you grow accustomed to the ways of the world, you let your problems go with the wind because you can't drag burden like that, that tones and tones of dead weight, for a few millenia. Nothing that happens here is worth pondering, no successes, humiliations, love, hate... None matters. None will stick to me once I'm free to go home, nothing will infect me, once I go home I as a single don't exist anymore, therefore my problems don't exist, neither my pain, only memories- which could be anyone else's as well as mine.

Or at least that's how I tried to look at things as I rose to still shaky feet, feeling like a wrinkled granny who just coughed out her last tea-and-cookies meal along with her persian cat's hair. It wasn't a pretty feeling.

My eyes met their reflection in mirror. While I was occupied with puking, my form somehow molded from slim, tall, pale pianist, one I used around Mandrake, into Ptolomy's comforting body which hugged me in a well-known way. Right now, to me, this wasn't a disturbing thing (although a sane jinni would probably freak out)- my essence was all too used to Ptolemy.

Still not fully balanced on my feet I turned away from the mirror, grabbed the door handle and swung it open, quickly exiting. I didn't pay much thought to the mess I was leaving behind, Mandrake ought to at least wave his hand at servant who'll clean consequences of his little-fucker deeds.

Out, in the hall, I was surprised to meet large, light blue eyes. Young lady infront of batted her long eyelashes in confusion. I stayed by bathroom door caught even more out of balance than I originally was. Oh. Shit.

" I'm sorry, not to be rude but... Who are you?", she asked politely and smell of her thyme-breath teased my nose. Magician, must be one of those John is hosting for a dinner tonight. Great. And seeing how she spoke to me, without hissing spells and curses, she had no idea I wasn't human. Bright.

"...I ...live here.", I said deciding to see just how long will it take for her to figure it, "I assume you are one of Mandrake's guests tonight...?"

" Oh yes, I was just admiring his impressing collection of paintings.", she gestured with her slim glass of champaigne to the walls of the long white hallway (the only part of house, exept salon, that was renewed). Uhuh, just how impressive she considered that one-black-spot-in-field-of-white picture I wondered... Oh please, it was obvious right away that she was just using it as an excuse for snooping around. Couldn't really blame her. Seriously- a 19-year-old attractive, yet single, prime minister of unknown ambitions? It reeked of good gossips.

" I was just wondering- who are you to mr. Mandrake? A relative? A friend? ... Or maybe someone... closer? I mean, that would explain why he never brings lady-friends to parties and other happenings...", she sipped from her glass smiling slightly and observing me from corner of her eyes.

Uhm, right. So how to put that? My relation to Mandrake wasn't a few-word thing.

Unfortunately, or indeed fortunately, Mandrake appeared just then with his generous-host-smile, preventing me from putting the ''I'm his whore but also a person of most trust which can be translated as- his friend, under some circumstances, but usually only a slave he pesters for seven years now and, at the moment, I hate him more then ever'' thing into spoken words. Nevermind.

" Polly, I was wondering where you went...", he gave me a side glance (a very cautious side glance), throwing a charming smile at her (charming in a way, also threatening to kill her for wandering around his house).

" Oh, I was merely looking at your collection of paintings, they are magnificent I have to say, and I stumbled upon your... Friend.", the Polly girl winked at me.

Mandrake wasn't impressed, boring his eyes into my skull for not staying out of guests' sight. Well, it's not like he comanded anything...

" That's only my demon slave."

She gave it a thought, one calculating scan to me, and then her smile returned, a bit devilishly (and pervy if you ask me), as she looked between me and Mandrake, both similarly thrown out of balance by her line of conclusion.

" Doesn't matter. After all that happened, we should learn to be a more open minded society. I'll glady see you both on my garden party, one I told you about, mr. Mandrake. Now that I know about him you musn't come alone!", she warned with amused edge to her tone.

... eehh? What did just happen? And also, was I the only one who noticed that I wasn't asked do I or do I not want to come to some stupid tea party!?

But before we could react with anything other than stunned silence, she smiled again, no pervy qualities this time, and tilted her head to Mandrake.

" Shouldn't we go join other guests now?"

And Mandrake's fate was sealed. Along with mine. There was no one to blame for this wrong time, wrong place situation yet-

'' I'm going to kill you for this.'', he hissed quietly through his teeth while going after the Polly lady.

No one's fault. Exept, maybe, his dick.

I can't decide whether I like of hate this chapter... whatever- it needed to be done and I promise to redeem myself with chapter 5 ;)

Explanations, just in case : kohl- black make up that Egiptians put around their eyes, Ra- the main Egiptian deity, presents the sun... in next chapter there is a bit more of those egiptian words/symbols/whatever merely because I love them ;)

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