Chapter 7
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Later that evening, Rath searched through his scrolls, searching desperately for anything that would help his beloved. He had been searching for almost an hour when he heard a soft knocking on the door.
"Come in," he called out, and a moment later, Nefertina walked in, holding something in her arms.
"Hi," she said softly.
"How are you feeling, my dear?" he asked.
"A little better," she answered as she moved to his side, letting him wrap his arm around her waist protectively and pull her closer to him.
"What's that?" he asked, finally taking notice of the object that she held tightly against her chest as though it were a precious treasure.
"Hmm? Oh, it's a photo album that Natalie gave me. She said it might bring something back to me, but I don't know," she said.
Absently, she handed it to him, and as he took it from her, their eyes locked. They gazed at each other for a long time, until Nefertina finally looked away shyly. Rath laid the photo album down on the table beside him and turned back to face her, a faint glimmer of hope in his green eyes.
"Nefertina, would you..." he hesitated, "Would you like to take a walk down by the bay?" he asked, half expecting her to turn him down, but to his surprise, she agreed.
"Sure, why not? Maybe some fresh air will help clear my head," she said.
With that, Rath took her hand gently in his gauntleted one, leading her out of the room.
Like two spirits, they drifted through the Sphinx, slipping out the front door unnoticed and out into the cool San Francisco night.
They walked along the bay in silence for a while, watching as the water slapped gently against the docks, simply enjoying each other's company. After a while, they made their way on to one of the docks, sitting on the edge and gazing out over the moonlit waters.
"Rath?" Nefertina whispered, breaking the silence.
"Yes, my love?" Rath asked.
"You've been so kind to me since I awakened. Why?" she asked softly, hoping that she hadn't offended him.
Rath looked a bit shocked for a moment, but then he smiled lovingly at her, taking her hand gently into his own.
"I would do no less for the woman I love," he replied.
Nefertina smiled, feeling a little better.
"I love you too, Rath," she whispered softly.
The words shocked her as she spoke them, but she realized it was true. She did love him, though it was a feeling that she couldn't quite explain. She sighed and reluctantly pushed the thought aside for the time being as Rath stood up and stretched.
"We should probably get back to the Sphinx soon, my love," Rath said as he reached out a hand to her.
She took the hand that he offered to her and stood up, stretching luxuriously as she did so.
"Yeah, I'm a little tired now, anyway," Nefertina replied, following at his side as he moved away from the dock.
They arrived back at the Sphinx about twenty minutes later, having taken a shortcut. Rath entered the security code that would open the door, and it slid back with a quiet swoosh sound.
"After you, Nefertina," he said.
Nefertina giggled in amusement and stepped past him through the door, and together they made their way down the stairs towards the main room as the door shut itself behind them with a soft click as it slipped into place again.
They found Valeius and Sierra snuggling together on the sofa, watching the spirit box. Sierra glanced up at them as they wandered in, nudging her companion gently in the ribs with her elbow to get his attention. He looked up as Rath and Nefertina passed by, arm in arm, and exchanged confused glances with the princess, but she merely shrugged, just as confused as Valeius was.
"Where did you two disappear to?" Valeius asked.
The couple stopped and turned back to face their companions. Sierra reached out with her powers and instantly she saw images of them sitting together on a dock and moonlit waters. She stifled a giggle and hid a smile behind her long red hair.
"That is for us to know and you to find out, Valeius," Rath said, just a bit annoyed.
"Well, there's no need to get cranky about it," Sierra chimed in, doing her best impression of the scribe.
He looked at her indignantly and scoffed. Then he stiffened and turned back to his love. She stood behind him, trying to hold back her laughter. He rolled his eyes and gave her a look that only set her off even more.
"Is my personal life the subject of popular scrutiny?! Really, I ask you!" Rath mumbled to himself irritably.
"Yes!" Valeius and Sierra blurted out in unison.
"Hmph!" he scoffed and stormed off. Nefertina just gave a slight shrug and followed him out of the room towards the sleeping chambers.
She hesitated, hovering in the doorway and watching as Rath lit a few "flameless torches". The room quickly brightened considerably, and she gasped softly, shrinking back just a bit into the shadows. Rath, not even having realized that she had followed him, heard her gasp and turned back to find Nefertina standing at the threshold. Her small, lithe body was trembling slightly, almost as though something had frightened her.
"What is it, Nefertina? What's wrong?" Rath asked as he walked over to her.
"Umm...is it just my imagination, or am I really seeing six sarcophagi over there?" she asked, gesturing to the other side of the room.
"No, I'm afraid you are not hallucinating, my dear," he said quietly.
Nefertina was gazing at him rather curiously at this point. She was still shivering a little bit, although she had begun to calm down when Rath slipped his arm around her, pulling her closer to him.
"Don't tell me you actually sleep in those things," Nefertina muttered, half to herself.
Rath gave her a guilty cat-ate-the-canary look. "Er...well..." he started, then his voice trailed off.Nefertina stared at him in total shock for a long minute that to Rath seemed to stretch itself out into an eternity. Her gray eyes grew wide and her jaw dropped to the ground as the realization struck her.
"Please tell me you're kidding with me here. I don't care if you have to lie to my face to do it," she mumbled finally.
"No, I'm quite serious. Why should I lie to you?" Rath said.
At that, Nefertina's face fell and she pulled away from him just ever-so-slightly.
"Oh no! Not me! There's *no way* I'm getting into one of those things! No, no, and no!" she ranted.
Rath took her hand in his, trying to calm her. "No, I suppose it wouldn't do to have you alone tonight...maybe...er, well...perhaps not..." he replied, fumbling for the right words.
"What are you thinking?" she asked, again giving him that curious look.
"Er...well, I was merely thinking that perhaps you could..." he began hesitantly.
"Stay with you in your sarcophagus tonight?" Nefertina finished.
"Yes, that was the general idea," Rath answered, a bit shocked at the fact that she seemed to have read his thoughts.
Nefertina hesitated for a long moment, fidgeting anxiously with her cat amulet as if she was considering his offer. Then she nodded her agreement and Rath breathed a sigh of relief as he led her over to where his cobra-designed sarcophagus rested against the wall between Armon's and JaKal's.
With a quick tug, Rath pulled back on the sarcophagus' lid, opening it easily. He slipped inside first, moving over as far as he could to make room for Nefertina. He was rather slender and lanky of build, but still, the sarcophagus was obviously not meant to hold two people.
Somewhat reluctantly, she slipped in beside him, snuggling close to him in the tight space. She shifted her body around so that she was more or less on her side, facing him, her arms resting at her sides, her head resting on Rath's chest.
"Are you sure about this, Rath?" Nefertina asked softly.
"Yes. It shouldn't interfere with our recharging," he answered.
She nodded and a small, quiet sigh escaped her as Rath slipped his arm around her protectively, pulling the lid of the sarcophagus closed with his free hand.
"Good-night, my love," Rath whispered as he gently kissed her forehead.
"Good-night, Rath," she whispered back.
Then, with a soft sigh of contentment, she closed her eyes and within a few minutes, they were both fast asleep in each other's arms.
TBC...And yes, I know, this chapter is basically nothing but sap. But hey, I had to put it in there somewhere, right? And as for the last part, Nefertina still has no idea what's going on and is still scared and unsure, so that was why Rath made the offer of letting her stay with him in his sarcophagus. Please nobody flame me for this. Like I said before, I've never seen the show. I'm doing the best I can.
~*Celestia Vitaria*~
****************
Later that evening, Rath searched through his scrolls, searching desperately for anything that would help his beloved. He had been searching for almost an hour when he heard a soft knocking on the door.
"Come in," he called out, and a moment later, Nefertina walked in, holding something in her arms.
"Hi," she said softly.
"How are you feeling, my dear?" he asked.
"A little better," she answered as she moved to his side, letting him wrap his arm around her waist protectively and pull her closer to him.
"What's that?" he asked, finally taking notice of the object that she held tightly against her chest as though it were a precious treasure.
"Hmm? Oh, it's a photo album that Natalie gave me. She said it might bring something back to me, but I don't know," she said.
Absently, she handed it to him, and as he took it from her, their eyes locked. They gazed at each other for a long time, until Nefertina finally looked away shyly. Rath laid the photo album down on the table beside him and turned back to face her, a faint glimmer of hope in his green eyes.
"Nefertina, would you..." he hesitated, "Would you like to take a walk down by the bay?" he asked, half expecting her to turn him down, but to his surprise, she agreed.
"Sure, why not? Maybe some fresh air will help clear my head," she said.
With that, Rath took her hand gently in his gauntleted one, leading her out of the room.
Like two spirits, they drifted through the Sphinx, slipping out the front door unnoticed and out into the cool San Francisco night.
They walked along the bay in silence for a while, watching as the water slapped gently against the docks, simply enjoying each other's company. After a while, they made their way on to one of the docks, sitting on the edge and gazing out over the moonlit waters.
"Rath?" Nefertina whispered, breaking the silence.
"Yes, my love?" Rath asked.
"You've been so kind to me since I awakened. Why?" she asked softly, hoping that she hadn't offended him.
Rath looked a bit shocked for a moment, but then he smiled lovingly at her, taking her hand gently into his own.
"I would do no less for the woman I love," he replied.
Nefertina smiled, feeling a little better.
"I love you too, Rath," she whispered softly.
The words shocked her as she spoke them, but she realized it was true. She did love him, though it was a feeling that she couldn't quite explain. She sighed and reluctantly pushed the thought aside for the time being as Rath stood up and stretched.
"We should probably get back to the Sphinx soon, my love," Rath said as he reached out a hand to her.
She took the hand that he offered to her and stood up, stretching luxuriously as she did so.
"Yeah, I'm a little tired now, anyway," Nefertina replied, following at his side as he moved away from the dock.
They arrived back at the Sphinx about twenty minutes later, having taken a shortcut. Rath entered the security code that would open the door, and it slid back with a quiet swoosh sound.
"After you, Nefertina," he said.
Nefertina giggled in amusement and stepped past him through the door, and together they made their way down the stairs towards the main room as the door shut itself behind them with a soft click as it slipped into place again.
They found Valeius and Sierra snuggling together on the sofa, watching the spirit box. Sierra glanced up at them as they wandered in, nudging her companion gently in the ribs with her elbow to get his attention. He looked up as Rath and Nefertina passed by, arm in arm, and exchanged confused glances with the princess, but she merely shrugged, just as confused as Valeius was.
"Where did you two disappear to?" Valeius asked.
The couple stopped and turned back to face their companions. Sierra reached out with her powers and instantly she saw images of them sitting together on a dock and moonlit waters. She stifled a giggle and hid a smile behind her long red hair.
"That is for us to know and you to find out, Valeius," Rath said, just a bit annoyed.
"Well, there's no need to get cranky about it," Sierra chimed in, doing her best impression of the scribe.
He looked at her indignantly and scoffed. Then he stiffened and turned back to his love. She stood behind him, trying to hold back her laughter. He rolled his eyes and gave her a look that only set her off even more.
"Is my personal life the subject of popular scrutiny?! Really, I ask you!" Rath mumbled to himself irritably.
"Yes!" Valeius and Sierra blurted out in unison.
"Hmph!" he scoffed and stormed off. Nefertina just gave a slight shrug and followed him out of the room towards the sleeping chambers.
She hesitated, hovering in the doorway and watching as Rath lit a few "flameless torches". The room quickly brightened considerably, and she gasped softly, shrinking back just a bit into the shadows. Rath, not even having realized that she had followed him, heard her gasp and turned back to find Nefertina standing at the threshold. Her small, lithe body was trembling slightly, almost as though something had frightened her.
"What is it, Nefertina? What's wrong?" Rath asked as he walked over to her.
"Umm...is it just my imagination, or am I really seeing six sarcophagi over there?" she asked, gesturing to the other side of the room.
"No, I'm afraid you are not hallucinating, my dear," he said quietly.
Nefertina was gazing at him rather curiously at this point. She was still shivering a little bit, although she had begun to calm down when Rath slipped his arm around her, pulling her closer to him.
"Don't tell me you actually sleep in those things," Nefertina muttered, half to herself.
Rath gave her a guilty cat-ate-the-canary look. "Er...well..." he started, then his voice trailed off.Nefertina stared at him in total shock for a long minute that to Rath seemed to stretch itself out into an eternity. Her gray eyes grew wide and her jaw dropped to the ground as the realization struck her.
"Please tell me you're kidding with me here. I don't care if you have to lie to my face to do it," she mumbled finally.
"No, I'm quite serious. Why should I lie to you?" Rath said.
At that, Nefertina's face fell and she pulled away from him just ever-so-slightly.
"Oh no! Not me! There's *no way* I'm getting into one of those things! No, no, and no!" she ranted.
Rath took her hand in his, trying to calm her. "No, I suppose it wouldn't do to have you alone tonight...maybe...er, well...perhaps not..." he replied, fumbling for the right words.
"What are you thinking?" she asked, again giving him that curious look.
"Er...well, I was merely thinking that perhaps you could..." he began hesitantly.
"Stay with you in your sarcophagus tonight?" Nefertina finished.
"Yes, that was the general idea," Rath answered, a bit shocked at the fact that she seemed to have read his thoughts.
Nefertina hesitated for a long moment, fidgeting anxiously with her cat amulet as if she was considering his offer. Then she nodded her agreement and Rath breathed a sigh of relief as he led her over to where his cobra-designed sarcophagus rested against the wall between Armon's and JaKal's.
With a quick tug, Rath pulled back on the sarcophagus' lid, opening it easily. He slipped inside first, moving over as far as he could to make room for Nefertina. He was rather slender and lanky of build, but still, the sarcophagus was obviously not meant to hold two people.
Somewhat reluctantly, she slipped in beside him, snuggling close to him in the tight space. She shifted her body around so that she was more or less on her side, facing him, her arms resting at her sides, her head resting on Rath's chest.
"Are you sure about this, Rath?" Nefertina asked softly.
"Yes. It shouldn't interfere with our recharging," he answered.
She nodded and a small, quiet sigh escaped her as Rath slipped his arm around her protectively, pulling the lid of the sarcophagus closed with his free hand.
"Good-night, my love," Rath whispered as he gently kissed her forehead.
"Good-night, Rath," she whispered back.
Then, with a soft sigh of contentment, she closed her eyes and within a few minutes, they were both fast asleep in each other's arms.
TBC...And yes, I know, this chapter is basically nothing but sap. But hey, I had to put it in there somewhere, right? And as for the last part, Nefertina still has no idea what's going on and is still scared and unsure, so that was why Rath made the offer of letting her stay with him in his sarcophagus. Please nobody flame me for this. Like I said before, I've never seen the show. I'm doing the best I can.
~*Celestia Vitaria*~
