Bruce could not shake himself awake. He had no idea how long he'd been asleep. Surely enough time had passed that he'd have risen from his slumber by now. Unless time moved differently in the state of dreams.
What he experienced didn't feel so much a dream, as a distant memory, as if he'd lived the life of the body his own consciousness was imprisoned and unable to do a thing to help.
There were so many that he could only think of as scum. Calling for the death, or castration, or bartering of flesh and bone.
Wake up! He screamed at himself, but it was as if he were in a vacuum in space where no one and nothing could hear him and only darkness existed. Except it wasn't dark. No, instead he was living out the moments of some ancient Prince from some strange fairy tale.
Isfet Khaba Joktar glowered at Prince Ma'at. "I am not your slave, beta filth," he growled as they slipped past the border between Ma'at's kingdom of birth and into the unclaimed lands of rogues, bandits, and all manner of nomads.
Ma'at shook his head. "That was just for show Isfet."
"I told you not to call me so intimately."
"Your entire name is a mouthful and can sometimes take too long to say in some circumstances."
"Would you prefer I drop your title and call you Ma'at?"
"The name is too conspicuous." He hurried them, their mounts and the following herd in the direction of the individuals he'd seen that he was certain his aunt had freed.
Isfet frowned. "Who are they?" He growled.
"Prisoners that my aunt set free."
"And your uncle was okay with that?"
"I don't believe he has any idea. I just hope he doesn't suspect my aunt." He wasn't sure what would happen to her, but then the Regent was not of the royal blood line. He didn't think he'd be able to do anything without enraging all the Kingdom.
Isfet tilted his head back and sniffed at the air. "Alpha's and Omega's."
"I thought so."
"This is what you wanted the other mounts for?"
"Of course."
"Not bad, for a beta."
If only he knew. But he didn't want to reveal so intimate a detail about himself. Not when he wasn't sure how Alpha's treated Omega's. Nor did he want the other man to be his friend only because he was actually not a Beta.
"Well, we need to get out of here before the assassins are sent. Young as I may be I'm not entirely stupid. Maybe I was naive to hope that my uncle wasn't what you said or what my gut was telling me..."
"So you do have some instincts. If you had listened to them sooner perhaps the outcome of today may have been different."
He shook his head. "I don't think so. I don't know why, but the Kingdom's hatred and distrust of Alpha's and Omega's runs deep. They were even willing to kill me so that they could save me." He shuddered at the thought. Knew then that his uncle was trying to manipulate the people into doing his dirty work for him.
"Who knows. But you're a Beta. Do you think those of my kind are going to be so forgiving after what your family has done to them and their families?"
"I was not the one giving orders. Had I known... had I been paying more attention," he stared down at the ground as the hooves and paws of the mountains sped up.
"Whoa!" Isfet called out. The mounts came to a halt as Isfet had the reins of their herd leader.
One of the Alpha's, a female with a babe in her arms walked up to them. "What is a Beta doing here?"
"We don't want him with us." The females, both Alpha and Omega called out.
"What, does he think we'll be his willing slaves?" The males growled.
Ma'at blinked. "I do not see you as slaves. And it was my aunt who set you free. I am sorry for any harm that may have befallen you and yours. I have not been a wise man." He could not bring himself to outright say he was a beta. Nor did he feel it prudent to point out his status – not that his status mattered anymore. Not now.
Isfet dismounted and helped Ma'at down. "Prince Ma'at has seen the errors of his people. Unless he's only trying to get into our good graces before stabbing us in the back."
Ma'at glared at Isfet. "That's not what's happening." He huffed and glanced at the others. "I don't entirely know what's going on. But... I do not condone my uncle's actions. Or the actions of those who came before him if they have treated any Alpha or Omega as he has."
They all scoffed at him, but his gaze did not waver.
"As the rightful heir to the Kingdom, I am leaving on a pilgrimage. To find allies and warriors willing to dethrone the Regent and take up arms against those who only wish to harm Alpha's and Omega's." And any Beta's that might try to befriend one or the other.
"And what do you want us to do, oh mighty Prince Ma'at Yarğanat Batlar?" Isfet bowed with a disdainful smirk and deadpan words.
"Please stop that." He shook his head and took note of each hostile glare cast his way. Devoid of light, save for the tiniest of flicker here and there. "You are free now and capable of making your own decision. I do hope you'll each see fit to take a mount. You'll be able to go wherever you're headed quicker and outrun whomever the Regent might send after you and I."
"Why should we trust a nasty Beta."
If he told them the truth, they might follow his lead. But he did not wish to manipulate them. He had no doubt that their own sort could be just as cruel as they purported all Beta's to be.
"You don't need to trust me. You can check the mounts for yourselves." He turned back to his own and managed to get back on.
He glanced to Isfet, "Isfet Khaba Joktar, please, come with me."
"I have no reason to."
"If you do this, help me to find a way to defeat the Regent and change the law of the Kingdom, then anything you want I will grant it, you only need to name it."
"And what if it is the Kingdom I want?"
He blinked. Glanced back at where they'd left. "The people might not be pleased by that. Would you be satisfied with half the Kingdom?"
Isfet's eyes widened. "You're serious?"
Ma'at nodded. "Of course."
"Fine. On your head be it."
"We will not be joining you." The women and all but one of the men frowned.
"I would like to be a part of this quest. Even half a kingdom led by another Alpha would be a blessing."
The Alpha who chose a strawberry roan steed as his mount glanced at Ma'at with narrowed gaze and the beginning of a smirk.
Ma'at wasn't sure what the look meant but dipped his head in acknowledgment.
"Where to, Prince Ma'at?" Isfet asked.
"East and toward the distant sea. I hear tell of villages there that may have the numbers we need to see an end to the Regent's rule."
A/N: Thank you for reading. I hope you're enjoying and aren't confused. If you are please let me know in a revoew. Speaking of revoews they are food for my muse, so I appreciate any that one might leave.
