The Sentinels Of Midnight : The Stone King I

by Deni Arkenstone

Long before the Roman Empire or the pyramids of Egypt, fantastical creatures ruled the night and enslaved Humanty. A warrior torn between love and honor, a woman caught between destiny and fate and a Gargoyle shamaness must bring about a better world. A

4. The Stone King IV

Disclaimer: Gargoyles are property of Buena Vista/ Disney. They do not belong to me. No infringement is intended, so please do not sue. However, all original characters are property of Denigoddess2001.

Please send all flames, praise, commentary and questions to Denigoddess2001yahoo.com

Author: DenigoddessMMI

Addy: Denigoddess2001yahoo.com

Fandom: Gargoyles

Saga: The Sentinels of Midnight

Episode: The Stone King IV

Rating: PG-13: Violence and Sensuality

Date: 5/8/04 9:12:02 PM (Originally written in March 2004)

Author's notes: Anything appearing in brackets [ ] indicates character's thoughts or telepathic communication.

The Stone King Part IV

The Following Night...

Gesham stolidly perched in a warrior's stance just before the city's gates with legs crouched, arms folded, and wings majestically draped over broad shoulders. The warrior's austere scrutiny cast a hazy auramine gleam, giving the illusion that his eyes were solid, luminous orbs of living light. (Ah, Dear Reader, a bit of sound advice: knowing a Gargoyle's immanent quintessence and tenor requires merely observing his eyes and the motions of his tail.) The very tip of Gesham's wheaten tail lashed repetitively along the ground leaving shallow impressions in the loose sand. It's constant motion betrayed his escalating unrest, mounting impatience, and barely constrained elation at the mere thought of Ashatsinu's close proximity.

The restless soldiers in Gesham's midst knew it meant certain wrath to cross words with the laconic defender of the night. Common superstition forewarned many of the city guard that a Gargoyle's illuminated gaze brought catastrophe to any unfortunately caught in it's way. No man with a handful of good judgment dared voice the unspoken question to Gesham, "So, what has your tail in such a twist?" Gargoyle and human warriors alike trained under his tutelage knew Gesham as a Gargoyle of forbearing temperament and deliberating mind. Yet, on this particular eve of the Courting Moon, he displayed the impetuous behavior more akin of a young Sire longing to sharpen his talons in first battle.

Beneath the gabardine folds of buff-hued wings, talons drummed with burgeoning agitation, knowing Ashatsinu drew closer. A young soldier standing next to Gesham heard a virtually inaudible muttering of some feral gibberish beneath the Gargoyle's breath. If translated, the soldier would have found great humor in knowing that the winged warrior recited hatchling's daybreak rookery tales in Draconic to keep his instinct keen, alertness sharp, and masculine needs dormant. For you see, Dear Reader, the night was, indeed, the night of the Courting Moon and brave Gesham knew no immunity to it's arousing consequences.

A Mating moon compelled unmated Sires and Dames in courting a potential consort. While these thoughts ran through the Gargoyle's perplexed consciousness, he berated his lack of discipline at his body's immediate demand for physical gratification. He sent a silent prayer skywards to Skylaris for his wings hiding his goddess-bestowed endowments that rose proudly in masculine tribute when images of Ashatsinu flitted through his mind. The lucid remembrances of her feminine curves melded against him and the cherished poignancies conveyed in her kisses brought forth a mating urge within Gesham verging on mania.

He let his gaze rise and meet the ruby crescent moon that shone down upon him, enveloping him in rich, vermilion moonlight. "Skylaris, your test my limits with this madness."

Another deep, perplexed growl rose and greeted the sliver of moon hanging in the late night sky above him. "Damnation, Trickster! I have lived fifty-four seasons and you see fit to now make me tremble as much as an untested young Sire shortly before his mating flight. Have you no mercy upon your one who strives to do your will?"

Gesham allowed his mind contemplation of the unlikely indulgence of courting Ashatsinu. He would present her with a fresh kill of a desert gazelle, proving his superior skills as an exceptional hunter and worthy provider for all of her needs and those of her immediate family. The warrior imagined himself bent upon one knee presenting his Intended Beloved with delectable baked confections, exotic fruits from faraway lands and exquisite blooms brought within Amor's city walls by foreign traders. He abruptly rid his mind of such fatuous fancies and implausible dreams inspired, he knew, by a Gargoyle's devotion and primal cupidity of a courting moon.

Gesham once considered the option of pairing off with another unmated male and assuaging the demanding carnality cresting with him, but immediately dismissed the notion as disdainful. Gesham conceded the traditional prerogative, questing diligently for purity and chastity until he took his one true Mate to den and loved her fiercely and well. His uxorious aspirations caused his heart great delight in relishing the sensual pleasures only with his intended Mate. He chuckled at the irony beset upon him by the trickster he called Goddess. Paradox founded by her advised against coupling with a human because of disparities in strength, constitution and lifetimes. Still, Gesham's heart and psyche knew well the wondrous epiphany of the Reckoning whenever Ashatsinu filled his thoughts. The bleakest depths of his soul knew redemption and completion as his inner darkness refracted love's glory found in Ashatsinu's devotion. The truant fragments of his fractured heart found contentment in the convictions, aspirations, and trepidations he and his Beloved shared.

He cursed the seven hells and three heavens for the discord escalating within him with each passing night. His revered goddess gave tenants that his clan honored since time immortal: the sanctity of clan, being defenders before being warriors, the reverence and cherishment of Simianites, the protection and erudition of Humanity, and the unseen fiat that admonished conjugal bonds with Humans. Many nights under the light of a full golden moon, silent tears never outwardly wept scalded Gesham's shattered heart as he recognized that his love for Ashatsinu was improbable in the conventional design of the natural order. Yet, enlightenment eluded Gesham as to why his eternal soul and devotion anointed Ashatsinu as his true mate. Disregard of the tenets' guidance was rebellion against tradition. Yet, denying the gift of the Reckoning meant disavowing the Skylaris' greatest blessing: true, everlasting love.

Gesham closed his eyes, folded his wings, bowing his head in silent communion with the Lady. [Oh my Goddess, I come to you in humility and confusion. I need your guidance in this matter. I deny your truths for the sake of my heart and embrace convention and doing so denies me the Dearest One of My Heart. Help me. I beseech you.]

A soldier along Amor's parameter sounded the signaling cornu. The rich, deep swell bellowed through the gently moving desert air, breaking the Gargoyle's pensive reverie. The blast prompted Gesham to climb Amor's granite walls for a better view of the Princess' approaching caravan. His heart nearly burst with elation as the long procession steadily made its way toward the city gates. Escorted by a battalion of Sodom's finest warriors, the night came alive with the joy and jubilation brought on by the sight of the convoy of camels, wagons, and foreign nobles. Gesham avidly searched each coach from his vantage point for some sign of which carried Ashatsinu, but all the windows came covered with thick, dark material. [Where are you, Reh'Hahl?]

Gesham closed his eyes and let the recollections of her scent, the lilting contralto of her voice, the delicate caress of her lips along his skin, the taste of their first kiss and the vision of her dark eyes carry him to a place only they knew. The world around him silenced and all became still as he immersed himself in heartfelt recollections of his adored Ashatsinu. He envisioned his Beloved enveloped within his wings, the mating scents of exotic spices intoxicating her senses until she melted in his embrace. He longed to feel the satiny smoothness of her blushing cheek against his strong heart that beat in tribute of her love. His essence reached out and searched for her psyche that tempered his heart for the divinity of their love. Above the procession, his mind traveled the delicate argent strands that connected all in the world to the psionic realm. He instinctively sought out the other half that completed him. Gesham's Heartmagick reached beyond the wandering thoughts of weary handmaidens and wary armed escorts as he wanted fusion with the woman he called mate. An ancient melody hallmarking those breathtaking memories echoed lightly and tenderly through his besotted musings as one name fell from his lips, "Ashatsinu."

Ashatsinu felt weary from the arduous journey from Eridu to Amor and she sought solace from the sun and the sand. To no avail none came, for sand still found its way into every seam and crevice of her attire, irritating her soft skin. She knew the time drew closer when protocol demanded her appearance in court before her father. With that thought resoundingly haunting her, the Princess to nervously brushed the remaining grains of sand from her outer garments. She checked the fastening of her veil and made certain it remained securely in place covering all her face save her eyes. The folds of soft silk fell over her form and concealed virtually every inch of her dark skin from public view. How she longed for freedom beyond the black velvet drapes covering the windows and simply desired reprieve from the demands placed upon her because of her station. Her wild spirit yearned for signs of progress showing progress in Amor's construction. [Anything would be better than this intolerable prison called a coach.]

Ashatsinu's weary muscles ached from the long, exhausting trek across the desert and she welcomed the fluffy cushions that cradled her aching body. She sank into the satin pillows and let their downy comfort draw the soreness from her limbs. She rested her head against the side of the carriage, silently hoping that Skylaris saw fit in removing the constant throbbing from Ashatsinu's temples. Her eyes closed and the hectic finality of a daunting fate no longer slammed relentlessly inside the recesses of her thoughts. [So much to do in so little time.] The Princess gladly welcomed the blackness enveloping her consciousness.

She felt velvety warmth swathe her person, cheerfully snuggled deeper into encompassing, unseen gentleness. She reminisced how such a feeling reminded her of her beloved tutor, Gesham. Ashatsinu recalled adoring the quiet warrior who gave her comfort in the enveloping folds of his wings. A husky hum of contentment escaped her as her mind became immersed in memories of days and loves long past. She heard a deep, laconic baritone purr fill her ears with a Draconic canticle that sang of lush, verdant wilderness, towering damson mountains and bubbling brooks of a faraway place. Only one Gargoyle sang that song to her and Ashatsinu knew, sure as Sheol, that it was not her nanny.

"Gesham." A quiet murmur escaped her full lips. She remembered his singular essence, as it filled the small space within the carriage. Hints of sandalwood mingled delightfully with strains of vanilla and fresh leather. Ashatsinu inhaled deeply and took the scent far into her lungs while remembrances of halcyon times gave her a freedom that she no longer possessed. She imagined that she laced her fingers amongst Gesham's wheaten talons. The seat of the carriage vanished in Ashatsinu's vision and became the broad chest of her first, truest love.

She turned her head toward the strong cadence of a heartbeat and instinctively sought that which she had dreamt of for four endless seasons; Ashatsinu felt the gentle strength of warm lips press against hers. She felt cherished as the kiss deepened and she felt a Gargoyle's lips claim hers in silent conquest and obvious surrender. Ashatsinu inhaled and the taste and scent of vanilla entered her lungs so that he became the air she breathed. She exhaled and the sweet taste of exotic fruit remained upon her lips. She dared not open her eyes lest she shattered the blissful moment filling her senses and enchanting her mind. She pressed herself into the imagined masculine warmth holding her protectively knowing that it was little more than the remnants of a youthful fantasy.

"No!" Her voice bellowed, cutting though the icy silence filling the interior of the coach. Resolution became the undercurrent of her outburst, banishing the bittersweet chimera from her thoughts. With an action resembling a wave of dismissal, the Princess clustered her deliberations upon the approaching repast and gala announcing her arranged betrothal to Halmu, King of Sodom. Ashatsinu despondently shook her head and eagerly rid herself of the enthralling reverie holding her heart captive. A solitary tear traced a lonely path down her cheek and fell into the dark silk folds of her veil.

She recollected well the sorrowful day when Gesham shunned her tributes of adoration and devotion. With a shattered heart and a hewed psyche, Ashatsinu perfunctorily cleaved the lingering vestiges of amorous pining from her being. A ruthless constraint infused the bereft depths and ragged slashes left upon her soul. She felt the final strains of puerile innocence rent asunder from her by providence and obligation. She embraced Fate and resolutely attuned her focus on the welcoming blackness that claimed her, for Sleep was her taskmaster for the remainder of the ride.

A sudden rush filled the warrior's mind as a mixed response of surrender and pleasure; it's psionic force sent him stumbling backwards. He felt the warmth of her hand as she entwined her slender fingers with his raptorial talons. The gentle fanning of her breath as she placed her face into the curve of his masculine neck mildly incited a strident roar of masculine jubilation from Gesham. He buried his face into the silky black folds of her veil and inhaled the enrapturing fragrances of jasmine, night orchid and exotic blooms that grew far beyond the oasis of Amor. Gone were the lingering strains of innocence and impetuousness from the child he once knew. Instead, he caught the definite, integral scent of a confident young woman anticipating the discovery of her mate. A growl of virile pride escaped Gesham as he cloaked Ashatsinu within the folds of his wings. He crooked a talon and anticipated guiding her chin so that she met his gaze.

"No." An invasion of discordant babble shattered the sublime liaison fusing their hearts and emotions. Gesham found he stood alone amongst the city's soldiers. A roar of vexation left the Gargoyle as someone or something abrupt severed the newfound connection that he shared with Ashatsinu. Their deepest, private thoughts touched transiently and jubilation came to him. His Beloved was a woman transformed by fortitude, abstinence and resolve. The depression dwelling within her clung to her as a asphyxiating shroud while it drained the zeal for living from her constitution. [What has transformed Ashatsinu into the pale wraith that now resides in her stead?]

Gesham strode heatedly past the armed human garrison to his Second-In-Command. Shadows crossed the clan leader's ruggedly becoming features by incandescence incited by a Gargoyle's primal instincts. Many of the troops silent stepped backwards in avoidance of his unintentional wrath. He found his Second-In-Command coordinating defensive maneuvers with the human Sergeant-at-arms. "Take lead of the troops, I shall be gone the rest of the night."

"May Skylaris stay by you." Mardok knew better than to say anything other that a blessing given any quest or venture. He knew well the reason for his leader's abrupt departure for the reckoning concealed beneath the flowing silk veils garbing a Princess.

Ashatsinu felt crystalline cognizance roar to life within as she watched the eventide swallow the sun. The western horizon became a vibrant mural of brilliant hues of vermilion, amber, indigo and jet. Ethereal white clouds tinged with silver reflected the many colors upon the sands below. Intuition caused her mind to register the Gargoyles' awakening along the parameter of the city walls. Ashatsinu thanked their Draconic deity for allowing her to be a very Human part of the communal bond that Gargoyles shared. Ashatsinu knew it was a blessing and a gift from a goddess that rarely delved into Human affairs. Ashatsinu knew that she shared an intimacy with Gesham's clan that remained enigmatic and unfathomable, thus far to her. That psionic bond drew her to back to the oasis.

She was ecstatic; she was out of the carriage and in the comfort of Halmu's harem.

The Princess opened the shutters to her windows and inhaled deeply the scents of sand and dahlia blossoms from the nearby oasis in the center of the city. The noise of the city's citizens filled her ears; carts clacking over smooth cobblestone streets and the various dialects of the region made the city seem in an endless fit of chaos and chatter. The fading heat of the desert sun gently warmed bronzed skin beneath the flowing silk of her indigo violet veils. Ashatsinu knew intrinsically when the sun rose and set and when the stone guardians of her city came to life. While in Eridu, she forgot the glorious feelings of simply being alive.

Impending nightfall brought out Amor's finest troubadours, aerialists, acrobats and dervishes. In addition, the city's usually discreet courtesans and harlots arrantly plied their trades on Amor's city streets. Slavers from Sodom brought their Human wares within the city walls and sold their products to the highest bidders. Urchins begged in the streets for dinars from the passing nobles of Amor. The bazaar in the city square hustled and bustled with haggling patrons questing for the best bargain and enterprising merchants seeking the most profit. Ashatsinu watched the activity from the quarters where the entire harem remained housed. She knew it was no longer her father's city, for now it sported the worst elements of Humanity.

"Why don't we simply open the city gates and issue the Utakku's vampires an invitation?" She growled.

The Princess looked around at the room in which she resided, or held against her will, never quite able to decide which was the proper perspective. Towering marble pillars from Ur held up a domed roof imported from the furthest reaches of the Phoenician empire. The murals adorning the doomed ceiling hallmarked the finest artists in the region and the floors beneath the princess's sandaled feet laid by the finest carpenters west of Babylon. Gold veins adorned the black, polished marble and crept upwards through the complex designs of the marble pillars. Ashatsinu silently studied the dozen women beside her in the harem and noted they were as young as fourteen seasons. She saw two others, older than her, talking quietly in the corner near the window opposite of the one where she stood.

She briskly walked over to them and merely stood within earshot. They spoke of their homes and their families and how neither one had seen either since they had married Halmu. As one of the women brushed away an errant strand of her from her face, the strap of silk fell from her shoulder and a ghastly crimson welt marred the woman's otherwise flawless complexion. Ashatsinu rushed over to the woman who was only, perhaps, three seasons older than she and laid a hand on her blemished shoulder.

"Did Halmu do this to you?" Ashatsinu asked urgently.

The older wife blankly stared at her and then let her eyes fall, choosing study of the intricate patterns of the marble floor. Ashatsinu clutched firmly the woman's chin, guiding her fallen gaze to the Princess' dark eyes. "I asked you a question, Nodea. Did Halmu do this to you?"

"My husband did nothing. I -I displeased him and I received punishment for my transgression." Nodea's voice nervously quivered more with each passing word. "You would be wise to tend to you business and your tongue if you wish not to know more of the same."

"That mark I recognize well -it is from one of the whips he brandishes when he drives his chariots." The Princess hissed. "So, does he flog all of his wives?"

"Not if they keep their council and do as he bids them." The other woman replied. "Please, Ashatsinu, keep your voice down! It displeases his Majesty if we speak poorly of him. He had Mecyane (pronounced Meh-sigh-ann-ee, Dear Reader) beheaded for her insubordination. Please, I've already displeased him once, he'll have me killed if I do so again."

"No, he won't." Ashatsinu vowed vehemently. "Not while I have anything to say about it."

"He will break you too and kill you if you don't know your place." Nodea hissed. "We have the finest veils and foods brought to us. Our families know affluence and wealth because of Halmu's generosity and in return, we need only to bear him an heir and pleasure him when he desires one of us. Don't ruin it for the rest of us, Amorite."

"This is insane." Ashatsinu growled. "Let my father fight his own battles. I'll do better fighting the Soulless in battle than being Halmu's next victim."

"You, a woman?" Nodea looked at Ashatsinu as though the Princess reeked with madness. "Next, you'll be telling that All-Father has made you his personal prophet. You will be the death of us all."

Ashatsinu stomped away from the two women and let her clenched fist drive hard into the white stucco of the wall. The damson veils she wore concealed two precious sais given to her four years prior as a gift from her grudgingly beloved mentor and friend, Arana. She found herself betrothed to a man that openly allowed such iniquity to reign free upon her father's lifelong dream. Ashatsinu bowed her head when she realized the price of saving Humanity from the Soulless was to forsake any Humanity left within each denizen of Amor. She prayed to the Powers-That-Be for the fortitude and wisdom needed in drawing Halmu away from his baleful ways and towards the path of integrity and ethics. She longed for simpler times when she ran free and wild with the Gargoyles over the sifting sand dunes just outside the city. The gentle psionic bond that ebbed and flowed amidst the clan stood as a monolithic reminder of feelings and times Ashatsinu fought daily to exorcize from her heart. Gesham was a part of her past and it was best for all there he remained.

"Those days are gone." The Princess spoke aloud to the murals on the walls. "It sickens me, knowing that this city is awash in debauchery."

"As it should, Child." A warm, throaty feminine voice replied. "So, now what are you going to do about it?"

The irreverent response jolted Ashatsinu from her silent reverie and turned to see a Dame standing only a few feet away. With wings cloaked, she was an intimidating silhouette standing in the shadows of the evening shade. Canine eyes gleamed with the sparks of verdant emerald. The lingering scents of sage, orchids and mint wafted around the elder Dame leaning against the white marble pillar supporting the domed roof. Ashatsinu's brow rose in sardonic disdain at the casual address directed to her friend and mentor. "Such a comment made so openly means, Arana, that you are either very courageous or rather ignorant."

"It is an evil world out there and it will not last much longer." The Dame turned her head toward the woman. "All that has been prophesied will soon transpire."

"Believing in prophecy is for fools and weaklings." Ashatsinu turned away from her mentor in a rare bout of cynicism. "The world is shaped by the sword and not by mutterings made by an Shamaness."

Ashatsinu gasped silently when she noticed green eyes become jade and elliptical and then return to their vibrant emerald hue. "It was a prophecy that guided you to this fate."

"No, it was politics that brought me to this place. The only way I will find release for my people from this charade is either through war or death; both lead to the same end, you know."

"Destruction." The Dame's growl filled the room.

"No, a good night's sleep." Ashatsinu shot back.

Ashatsinu felt the warm suede wings embrace her while the Dame's Jackyl-like head rested upon her shoulder. A voice spoke softly in her ear and inside her thoughts, rekindling dying embers of hope. "As Sodom's Queen, Ashatsinu, you will have the King's ear. A delicious whisper will bring a male into your sphere of influence far more so than any shrill battle cry. Use what you have learned and be the true dayspring of fidelity and grace that Halmu needs to be a good sovereign."

"How?" Ashatsinu let her flat palm slam against the cool marble wall. "To Halmu, I'm nothing more than a pretty piece of property, if that."

"You have been chosen to Sodom's queen, wife above all other wives within his harem! He will take your council with great consideration."

"Is that before or after he has me flogged, Arana?"

"Have you learned nothing in all this time?" Arana's wings flared to their partial expanse and emerald eyes glowed with a familiar glow of an incensed dame. "Has all your tutoring been for naught? Ashatsinu, you know what you must do and who you must be! Abide as his canon of probity and rid the land of the ignominy tainting your homeland by means of your bewildering pulchritude, beguiling charm, and acute sagacity. Zillah has edified you in the art of battle and I have shown you the ways of politesse; only you can guide Halmu to a course to save our peoples from the vampires that wish your kind dead and my clan enslaved."

"I thought I could go through with this, Arana." Ashatsinu shrugged helplessly. "I'm sorry, I can't. I can no more feign being some insipid, meek and obedient concubine than you can remain flesh in daylight. I thought I could, but I realized last night that such a subterfuge is beyond me. I will much sooner condemn my people to certain death if I pretend to be Halmu's little plaything and he finds that I am the exact opposite of what he was expecting!"

"You are the last chance at victory over Utakku and against the evil you see out there walking in the streets."

"I'm also no one's fool." Ashatsinu sneered. "I'm to be the consort of the true hero and I'm sorry, Arana, Halmu sure as Sheol isn't it! I am to marry the Stone King and he is to be the savior of Gargoyles and Humanity. If you tell me that you think that the Stone King is Halmu, then just hand me a scimitar and let me slit my throat now to spare me the pain of stupidity."

"There may be more than one way to see a Stone King." Arana remained stalwart against Ashatsinu's tirade.

"That sounds cryptic." The Princess mumbled as she fixed her gaze upon Arana.

"The only difference between Fate and Destiny is who is reining her chariot." The Dame uncloaked her wings from her volatile charge. "You've never been one to let someone else drive."

"I would have been one to believe that in seasons past, but none can escape the plan Fate has for each soul."

"Oh, stop!" The sound of disgust in Arana's husky voice came out as a low, rumbling growl. "Let's return to the basic lessons of the Gargoyle Way. Granted, your so-called 'fate' was set in stone, pardon the pun, by your All-Father. Normally, Humans such as you are beyond the Goddess' jurisdiction."

"I understand this." Ashatsinu stepped behind the dressing screen, giving her a few minutes reprieve from the fate that awaited her. Beneath the velvet and satin pillows, she reached and pulled out the priceless gift that Arana and Zillah had given her. She quickly opened the box and stared at the two mithral sais adorned in gold, silver and copper. The Kiarite stones ornamenting the weapons' hilts twinkled as if they were eyes staring back at her. The princess pursed her lips in unspoken contemplation while she ran her fingers along their smooth, blunt edges. The weapons epitomized ornamentation and exquisite craftsmanship. Yet, she knew there crafted also as weapons of war. A dream worth having was a dream worth fighting for with one's last breath, Zillah once told Ashatsinu.

"Your god has decreed it through his prophets that you shall marry the King of Sodom to save your people from Utakku's tribe." Arana seemingly floated to the young woman's side. "That, however is ALL He declared. You also have your mother's blood flowing through your veins and that makes you a charge of the Goddess. If there is one thing that All-Father and She agree upon, this marriage must take place. But, Little One, where there is a certitude there is also a prerogative."

Ashatsinu took the sais from their velvet resting place and found the leather straps needed to secure the weapons beneath the folds of her garments. Quickly, she tied the knots and check to see that the sais were tight in their sheaths. She knelt and pushed their box beneath the pillows. [No once else will do what justice requires, that I shall do what is required of me to save my people.]

"I thought by marrying him I would be doing the right thing for all of Amor." A tear gleamed unshed in Ashatsinu's eye as she answered her mentor. The Princess stepped from behind the dressing screen and met Arana's gaze. She motioned wildly toward the open window. "Four years ago, I never would have seen prostitutes and slave-traders walking amongst my people."

"Your fate is unwritten until you deem its conclusion. All-Father gave you elective discretion; Skylaris gives you dominion over destiny. Choice and Will are your integral allies and few Gargoyles or Humans ever know both in their lives. Never simply accept Fate, Ashatsinu. Always, ALWAYS, be the architect of your future. There will be opportunities, Child, seize them! Until then, do not give up and do not give in. Bend, but never break and you will come out above and beyond all of this."

"You know, Arana, you are absolutely right." A small smile haunted Ashatsinu's lips for a fleeting second as she checked the fastening of her veil in the mirror hanging next to the open window. "I felt Gesham inside my mind last night."

"By the Goddess!" Arana's voice was little more than a raspy gasp. "The Reckoning?"

"Yes, I'm positive." The Princess sighed. "It hasn't faded with time, Arana."

"You know it is rare for Humans to feel the Reckoning with a DeMahri?"

"And I also know that it dangerous for me to be feeling it on the eve of my betrothal announcement to Halmu and have Gesham lurking about the innermost recesses of my mind." Ashatsinu finished for the elder Dame. "I've been telling myself that I must see this marriage through for the greater good of my kin and my clan. Yet, everything in my body wants to forsake everything and just find Gesham."

"Such is the way of the Reckoning, Dear. Those are the stirrings of a young Dame waiting to awaken." Arana embraced the Princess gently within the suede folds of her wings. "Have you seen him?"

"No, not yet. I have no need for further complications." Ashatsinu sighed heavily. "I thought such things had long passed away. I can't look at him knowing that I am about to be married."

"Nor will you if you are wise."

"I know." Ashatsinu's voice was barely above a whisper. "I know what I have to do and I'm going to be the Princess tailored for Halmu's every taste and whim, I promise, Arana."

"Wisdom is your strong suit."

The Night of the Feast....

Halmu rested in the ornately carved chair of ivory and mahogany, taking in the unadulterated opulence filling the main hall. He, Kenan, and the foreign nobles from surrounding city-states sat above the masses upon a long, marble dais (imported from South of the Nile) just for the celebration. Flowing, vermilion velvet draperies hung from the rafters of the banquet hall behind them bearing the crest of Sodom -a sword and a chariot. The sovereign smiled with pleasure, leisurely eyeing the gold and onyx mural of Utu: Sumerian Sun deity, driving his chariot across a sky of lapis lazuli capturing his intended consort. Golden braziers stood at each end of the black marble dais and burned brightly with flames brought from Tiamat's sacred, eternal fires found only in her temple in Sodom. The heavy scent of incense and exotic spices filled the evening air, the intoxicating mix driving several guests into frenzy nearing lunacy.

The table before Halmu sported the finest food of the realm: roast pig and freshly picked fruit from the oasis; servants poured red, rich wines into each noble's cup. Men drank in the dark beauty of the slaves and courtesans dancing nude on the tables and in their laps as court musicians played lively melodies. He leaned back in his mahogany throne and smiled with deep satisfaction as he contemplated plundering the riches of Kenan's kingdom. He spotted Niza sitting demurely at her father's feet and he subtly nodded to her, raising his goblet towards her in a silent toast.

Sodom's king turned, looking over his shoulder to the Grand Vizier of his court. He watched Borak as he commanded the servants to bring him another appetizer and fill his goblet. Halmu watched his younger brother almost come alive with greed as he surveyed the wealth in Kenan's dining hall. The inlaid gold mosaic on the table was enough to bring the thickset Vizier into a visible drooling fit. The golden platters before them sported the finest kills of the Gargoyle hunt. Halmu knew well to keep his allies close and his brother closer; Borak was a calculating opportunist patiently waiting for his moment of prospect as a scorpion waited before it decimated its prey with one lethal, venomous sting of its tail. Yet, the pudgy man served his purpose with loquacious idioms and deceitful adulations of anyone unfortunately listening to his smooth and senseless prattle.

"Is all to your liking, My King?" Borak's shrill tenor whined in Halmu's ears.

"I find it adequate, brother."

"This is, indeed, a great night for the tribe of Azazel." Borak rubbed his clammy palms together in anticipation. "By sunrise, the city will be yours and by next nightfall, you shall be immortal."

"Silence!" Halmu barked at his younger brother. "Your loose words could ruin everything."

The Grand Vizier bowed deeply so that his bulbous nose brushed the smooth marble dais beneath them. He gestured his right hand in the customary rolling motion signaling his contriteness and submission. "A thousand pardons, My King, my enthusiasm at your impending victory heightens my minds and causes leave of my good sense."

Halmu decidedly disregarded his brother's rambling from that moment on, focusing his attention upon the aged ally seated next to him. He focused his gaze upon Kenan, remembering how once, his reputation deemed him a consummate combatant and an artful statesman. Now, age and dementia reduced the once great warrior king to a frail, feeble, mindless old man.

Halmu studied the old man garbed simply in white. Kenan seemed far more weakened than he had been the previous night. Halmu allowed a rare smile to grace his lips; Niza's potions found success, slowly draining the elder chieftain of what little remained of his earthly life from his body. Kenan would know death soon enough. The alliance with Utakku assured him that he would know riches and the Soulless One would have a steady supply of blood and slave labor. Halmu knew that he wanted Utakku's eternal wounding to give him immortality. All was good in Amor.

Gesham scrutinized his likeness the reflecting glass, agitatedly analyzing his appearance. Flaxen locks hung loosely down his back, some tied back with a leather cord. Golden armbands inscribed with Draconic battle incantations adorned his muscular upper arms. In his left ear, a carmine fire opal dangled: a reminder of his and Kenan's first battle against the Soulless. Two golden amber topazes were a flaming contrast to his white canines. He smirked as he remembered how the clan healer had thought Gesham strange, wishing to replace the gems he first embedded in his teeth when he made his first hunting kill as an adult. Now, he wore these new gems, replacing the old, with new inspiration: vanity drove him to look his best for his Princess' return.

He wore white linen sarong embroidered with gold at the waist and hem fell to his mid-thigh revealing a dark, black dragon tattoo upon his café au lait skin. Around his neck hanging upon a beaded strand of verdant fluorite and amethyst: a jade dragon and a golden birthright ring that came from Ashatsinu. His most treasured adornment and keepsake of the hoyden princess; it was a tangible remembrance of a love forbidden and forsworn. Tan talons lovingly ran along the smoothness of the small gold band as an onrush of cherishing devotion and ardent poignancy filled Gesham.

All males, save the eunuchs guarding Halmu's harem, knew it forbidden to feast their eyes upon any of his wives, concubines and courtesans. The women were little better than exotic pets in jeweled kennels kept for show, breeding and epicurean pleasures with Ashatsinu being one of his trophies. Gesham let his brow fall upon the cool marble of the corridor wall, fighting the forming tears scalding his heart. Footsteps echoed in the distance and he quickly reassumed a stoic, tacit stance. A young soldier, perhaps no more that seventeen or eighteen seasons, gingerly approached Kenan's personal lieutenant.

"L-lord Gesham, hail!" The young man bowed slightly, and then touched his hand to brow and breast, as was Amorite custom. "I bring word from King Halmu."

Gesham stifled a dry chuckle as he watched the young man's fear almost become a puddle at his sandaled feet. Obviously, the neophyte Sodomite never before had laid eyes upon a DeMahri warrior. "Speak, boy, before my temperance wanes."

"King Halmu requires your presences near the women's quarters. He wishes you to escort the Princess and her entourage to the dining hall."

Tawny wings cloaked elegantly upon the DeMahri's broad shoulders. His eyes gleamed with amber exhilaration at the thought of being so near his Re'Hahl. The very tip of his tail shuttered with barely constrained elation. He nodded in humble acquiescence. "Lead the way."

Gresham inhaled deeply the night air into his lungs as thoughts of her timeless beauty filled his mind. He remembered the scent of exotic fruit and rare desert orchids suffusing him in a memory of one delightful woman. The thought of his huntress of quick wit and keen mind was loveliness beyond anything captured in a mural or in the simple notes of a song. Ashatsinu's devout temperament of loyalty and compassion ascended beyond any artisan's aesthetic ability of creation. [She is the breath and flame of Skylaris in form and nature, and the Hand of All-Father could not have made a better woman.]

Tan talons found the signet ring hanging from his neck, and cool metal became abruptly warm to his touch. He strode down the stone corridor to the rooms to the harem rooms' location and he stopped in front of the door. He noticed to eunuchs standing guard looking quite foppish in their face paint and flowing, colorful robes. Gresham snorted and the flamboyant pair shrank back toward the wall behind them. "Summon the Princess and announce her servant's presence."

"At once, Lord Gresham." One excited nodded in compliance. The eunuch dashed inside the room, almost tripping over his bright robes. As the door slammed behind him, Gresham chuckled quietly as strains of cursing came from a tenor voice. The robe caught fast on the bottom corner of the door and ripped, exposing the eunuch's backside to the sheltered women of Halmu's harem.

Gresham folded his wings and waited for his Princess's appearance. One moment passed and then two, he felt time slowly creeping by him. His talons began tapping in a rapid cadence against his arm as his impatience mounted. [Why must it be that females are always late? If they were warriors, they would be late to their own battles.]

"Lord Gresham, may I present her Highness, Princess Ashatsinu of Amor."

Gresham thought it a redundant action to introduce to him the girl he had known since her birth. Yet, eunuchs were about pomp, circumstance and protocol. He turned his gaze to the veiled form standing before him the doorway.

Ashatsinu was truly stunning. The Gargoyle forgot to breathe.

Gone were the shrouding black veils that garbed her in his previous vision. Now, Ashatsinu of Amor wore the hues befitting of her station in life -rich burgundy and dark damson. The finest platinum adorned her ears and wrists and the elusive scent of perfumed oil wafted through the air and met the Gargoyle's sensitive nostrils. Her nails were painted, and he recognized it as a tradition common amongst the Dames of his clan. Upon her covered wrist, a hint of indigo revealed caught his eyes. Without a word, swift talons clasped the Princess' wrist and pulled back the covering purple silk. The intricate pattern of a dragon beginning just below her palm and wrapped itself around the rest of her wrist.

He pressed his brow to hers and she did the same, as was the customary greeting between close friends within the clan. "Re'Hahl'Tigh, Golei'th'em. Kah'Rhi Eehm, Skylaris rhoe Vr'Reem."

[Beloved Warrior, By the Dragon, Skylaris has kept you safe.] The Princess's telepathic echoed melodiously inside his mind.

Just a note that I wish to pass along, Dear Readers. Golei'th'em is a Draconic word that loosely translates "Leader and Protector." Pronounced correctly, it sounds suspiciously close to another ancient name of that time, "Golayeth." In the human tongue, a particular Philistine warrior adopted as his personal name, mispronouncing it as "GO-LYE-ITH." Thus, the name found itself in the annuls of history for all time. Remember, nothing occurs purely without meaning before the Goddess of Gargoyles. Even in these days of glass and steel towers, the Goddess' influences touches all.

"Re'Hahl, berahcch er'ron bacch drae." Gresham heard the ancient tongue of his goddess fall from his lips. Draconic was a custom fading with time and lack of use because the language's exotic vowels and consonants mimicked growls. The poor Simianites commented that the olden parlance harkened back to times when beast's roamed free and feral creatures ruled the night. Gesham's heart broke every time a DeMahri tradition faded into obscurity because it seemed obsolete to the warriors of his clan. Exaltation filled him when the language of his clan flowed freely from his Princess' mouth as water from a dayspring. She honored her chaperone, Arana, her adopted Goddess, and the warrior who loved her by embracing their life and the Gargoyle Way.

Ashatsinu smiled at his return greeting. The words translated easily because of the countless lessons sitting with Arana and studying by oil lamp after the rest of Inhokomen's household had retired for the evening. "Princess, Skylaris blesses you with Grace and keeps you protected within her wings."

Ashatsinu fought the wild, unrestrained urge to kiss the tall, muscular warrior standing too close to her. She saw the two eunuchs studying them in befuddled uncertainty and she quickly withdrew from Gesham's intimate touch. "Now, you know I am safe, loyal servant of the King."

"He was making sure that I had a safe journey." She turned her attention to the eunuchs. "What are you staring at? Paint a mural. The image will last longer that way."

"Your Highness, we meant no disrespect." The younger one quickly bowed. "Nevertheless, should your bodyguard be allowed to greet you with such familiarity?"

"First, this is an old family friend who has known me since my birth, hardly one taking liberties with my modesty. Also remember, Gesham is one of the preeminent of the DeMahri clan and their chosen leader. He is also a noble of the Amorite court and a close advisor to Amor's King. Your kind are guests in this city because of my father's courtesy and you had best commit to memory that his graciousness keeps you alive if I so choose it."

"Highness, please forgive-" The older eunuch laid a hand upon the younger one's shoulder. "Hectus. He is young and brash."

"And since when did you learn to speak the DeMahri tongue?!" Ashatsinu barked harshly. "You forget your place, Eunuch. I urge to remember it or you will lose YOUR tongue as you have, already, some of your more important body parts."

"Your Highness, with all due respect, I have spoken the DeMahri tongue longer than you have been alive. I apprenticed under Arana's tutelage when she was Warden of the Clan rookery a few decades prior." He bowed for a second time before her. "I forgot my place, Highness. I beg your forgiveness."

"You can earn it with your silence and your discretion." Ashatsinu glowered at the androgynous warden of Halmu's harem. "Otherwise, my future husband's executioner will have need of sharpening his axe."

The puddle of golden liquid pooling at the younger Eunuch's feet told Ashatsinu that he implicitly comprehended her inferred meaning. She glanced at them and pointed down the corridor. "Now, leave us. If anyone asks, I am powdering my nose. I shall be there in ten minutes."

"Yes, of course, Your Highness." He backed away, nearly tripping over his own feet. He and the other eunuch ran down the corridor without another look over their shoulder. Looking at Gesham, she nodded in the older Eunuch's direction, as if asking if his story was true.

The clan leader cloaked his wings, folded his arms and nodded in return. "He speaks the truth, Princess."

"You." She beckoned the older eunuch to remain. "Stay."

He folded his hands together as if praying and bowed...or did he curtsey? "Yes, Highness, as you command."

Gresham embraced the human woman within the broad, suede expanse of his wings. One crooked talon gently raised her chin to so that they eyes met. His eyes gleamed as brightly as the sun at high noon "There is a ferocity within that puts many of Dame to shame, 'Shatsu."

"I do what I must." She framed his face within her hands. "As we all must do in these dark times."

"I agree." His amber eyes found it difficult to meet her onyx gaze. "I thought it right, sending you away. Only when you departed from me did I realized the mistake I made. You and I are one, now and for eternity."

"Gresham," Ashatsinu stepped away from his winged embrace and adjusted the violet veil to hide her face from the world. "Know that I shall always love you, but, I must save my people. Utakku's minions will strike soon as they know their time grows short. Once Halmu and Kenan's forces are united, then Humanity will finally vanquish the Soulless once and for all."

"Ashatsinu-" Gesham's wings flared with surprise. He shrugged helplessly as he stared at her. "We can not deny what is between us. I thought-"

"I'm not denying anything at all. Whereas the greater good of the Multitudes transcend the necessity of only some...or of two." She let her gaze fall away from his and studied the marble wall beside her. "Kenan's decree has existed since the night of my birth that I marry Halmu to save his, my, and your people from the vampires lurking just outside our city gates. Having him as my husband will bring about the fulfillment of the Stone King's prophecy. He shall rise, destroy the Soulless and give birth to a race of warriors that shall be greater than the inhabitants of either realm. Bards shall tell of our children's tales for a thousand years, for they shall be heroes of great renown."

"You would lay with him!?" The very thought of another male touching his mate caused Gesham's anger to simmer and eyes to gleam brilliantly, flaming amber.

"By the Dragon, Gresham! That is what is normally considered conjugal rights." She pressed a kiss to the back of his hands. "Please, as a clan leader, I know that you would do anything to protect your clan. I beg you, let me go and do what I need to protect mine. It is the only way."

A fierce, low growl erupted from him. Clenched tan talons brought rich ruby drops streaming from his palms. "You are right. Nevertheless, I shall always be your protector. Never think for a moment, Ashatsinu, that I will leave your side."

"Will you be content knowing I am another man's wife?"

"Nay. I will be content to know that I am by you in whatever way the gods will let me be." A single tear traced a wet path down his chiseled cheek. "I shall speak my heart only once and then no more for all time. I love you, Ashatsinu. I shall always be your worthy mate and protector. Until Skylaris calls me to the stars, so shall I love you without hesitation and reservation."

Ashatsinu realized that he completed the mating vows she had spoken to him four years prior on a warm desert night on the dunes not so far from Amor. The Princess pressed her brow to Gesham's, as was his clan's custom, and then she pressed her lips to his. The kiss, chaste yet compelling, brought a shattering effect upon them. Gesham's soul seeped into Ashatsinu and melded into the emptiness she had felt all of her life. Her breath of life filled his lungs and sustained him more so than his clan or goddess ever had. The clan leader trembled from the sheer passion and adoration that rocked his body and spirit for this woman. She fell into his arms as the zenith of their affection rushed through her. Both, at last, new true unity and completion."

They heard someone clear his throat. "Highness, I must remind you that your betrothed awaits you."

When all subsided, Gresham took from his ear a plain platinum hoop that garnished an amethyst. He brushed back the purple silken hiding Ashatsinu from the world's gaze and tenderly placed it in the third hole of her left ear. He pressed his brow to hers and let his tail wrap possessively around her waist.

"What is this?" Ashatsinu wiped away a solitary stray tear.

"A...betrothal gift.... for good luck." Gesham's deep voice cracked as his quiet words filled the hall. "A small token of one Gargoyle's devotion, true and steadfast. May it bring you good fortune as it has me. Never remove it."

"I won't." She pressed her hand against his heart in the Draconic tradition of expressing love. "I shall wear it and never remove it."

She turned her back from him, tucking the veil so the earring remained hidden from public view. Gresham watched Ashatsinu's shoulders straighten. "Escort me to meet my betrothed."

Gresham reverently bowed his head in compliance. "As you wish, Your Highness."

As the eunuch watched the Princess stoically make her way down the hall, he wondered why his Goddess unexpectedly forgot Her best warrior and his true love. It was not like Skylaris to turn away from a good love story. He shook his head and resignation at the thought that these two were destined for each other, but fate kept them apart. Green talons curled on his shoulder and he gasped. He saw two golden canine eyes gleam from the shadows. "Don't give up so quickly, remember there is always a snag in Fate's design. It's just up to a discerning seamstress to find its flaw and alter such a tapestry and redesign it to her liking."

"Oh, Arena, you are a sly one." The older Eunuch smirked.

"You have a flair for fashion, I think."

"Oh, yes!" He clapped his hands with glee. "And I am looking forward to the task."

Niza gingerly sipped the tangy fermented nectar from her tightly clenched goblet. Mingling with the heavy, wafting cloud of incense enveloping the celebrants, the spiced wine caused the sorceress's prescient gifts augmentation beyond her imagining. The fruity spirits in her chalice bestowed her with temerity; narcotic fumes floating in the air fueled her cunning. She felt the strains of Magick flow within, around, and through her body as she drank readily of the wine in hand.

Her hand found the small leather pouched artfully concealed beneath the vermilion folds of her veils. She felt the contours of a small, ornately carved vial beneath the softened leather. Smiling slyly while thinking of its contents, her fingers gently caressed the ornate bottle. Inside it was an elixir waiting to touch Kenan's dried parched lips. Niza knew well the power of her potions -three of her late husbands found Death prematurely when she mixed her poisons with their food and drink. Though she knew it to be more than need to usher in Halmu's rule, Kenan's premature death would be another way to exact her justice upon his youngest child: the pampered, cosseted Ashatsinu.

A voice sliced through her deliberate reverie. Niza turned on saw her father motioning to her. "Has sand found its way inside your ears?"

"No, Father." She quickly ducked her veiled head in contriteness. "My apologies."

"Daughter, come sit by me." Kenan's gnarled hand beckoned her. She billowed forth her crimson veils so that they fluttered around her like a flurry of rose petals blown by a desert sirocco. She gracefully lowered herself to the velvet pillows artfully placed by scampering servants besides the elder chieftain's throne.

"I am in your service, Father." Niza demurely smiled and let her gaze fall to the floor.

"Have I ever told you, My Niza, that I have always valued your talents?" He gave her a smile.

Her dark eyes widened in amazement as his unexpected words of praise found her ears. Her tongue suddenly felt twice too large inside her parched mouth. "N-no, not to my knowledge."

"I am not long for this world, Niza. Soon, All-Father will take my soul. Nevertheless, I wanted you to know that of all my daughters, of you I am the most proud."

"F-father, I do not know what to say."

"Then say nothing." He took her smooth hand in his gnarled one and brought it to his lips. He pressed a quick kiss to the back of it, then giving it a strong squeeze and a brief pat. "Your sister, Almira is graceful. Eden possesses your mother's beauty, Halimah is a consummate alchemist and Iman has talent in dance and music. Ashatsinu is a fine athlete -fiery and spirited, but you, dear Niza, All-Father's blessing bestow you with sorcery and Second Sight. Your gift of sight and your sagacity have always set you apart from my daughters."

"I thank you for your kind words." Niza again bowed her head, with eyes shut. This time, her head bowed to hide the scalding tears that threatened to stain her silken face veil.

"You are nearing your thirtieth year, Daughter." Kenan's heavy sigh filled her ears. "I wish to know that all my daughters are safe. I want you to travel with Ashatsinu to Sodom when she leaves with her husband. Seek a good life there and find a good man who will provide for you. Halmu has assured me that he is in need of a judicious counselor such as you. He told me you would find many of his younger brothers handsome to the eye and heavy with gold in their pockets."

"I see."

"Daughter, I love you as deeply as I loved your mother, Tizir, All-Father grant her soul peace. I want you to want for nothing and I want you to find joy. You have served me well these many years and have sacrificed much."

"Father," Tears flowed freely now from topaz eyes. "Why tell me this now?"

"Because wisdom only comes to the old and the dying." Kenan gave Niza another sad smile. "I will not leave this world without letting you know just how much joy you have brought to my life. Promise me that you will go to Sodom and watch over your sister."

"I will." Niza spoke through gritted teeth at the mention of Ashatsinu.

"Promise me also that you will serve Halmu as a valued advisor and oracle. He will need your clairvoyant and mystical gifts in the dark times yet to come."

Niza's full voice came out little more than a ragged whisper. "I promise."

Kenan nodded with satisfaction and his daughter saw a look of contentment on his face that had been missing for too many years. Vengeance killed festering rage and resurrected a daughter's long-buried love for her father. She said nothing as she discreetly hunted for the toxic vial concealed within her leather pouch beneath her robes.

She quietly poured the contents into the plant sitting behind her and her father.

Garbed in flowing damson silken veils from the Kingdom of Chin, the Princess fluid, graceful demeanor stunned silent all of the guests in the great dining hall. All eyes followed her movements as she made her way down the crimson coral tiles that ran from entrance to the dais where Kenan sat upon his opal and ivory throne. Ashatsinu's entourage came behind her so that they formed a "v": one to carry the lengthy trail of her veils, another carried a dark wooden box and yet another carried a golden vase. Gesham stood directly behind the Princess with a brilliant ocher gleam in his eyes. Trumpets blasted a melodious refrain as she made her way towards the chieftain. When they stopped, the elder eunuch stepped forward and bowed so low that his nose brushed the bottom step of the dais.

He cleared his throat and proclaimed loudly, "Your Majesties, may I present to you, Ashatsinu; Princess of Amor."

The crowd cheered jubilantly. The old man motioned his daughter closer. With her eyes upon the floor, she obeyed his command and knelt upon her knees before him. "Look at me, Ashatsinu Ben-Kenan."

She did so without hesitation.

"Tonight is the night, that you leave your childhood behind you and assume the mantle of womanhood. Now, bring your servants and your protector, for tonight you shall dine at my table not as Princess of Amor, but as Queen of Sodom."

"As you command, Your Majesty." Ashatsinu demurely replied.

"Kenan, you truly have outdone yourself." Halmu patted the old chieftain heartily on the back causing the elder to cough. "This feast surely pleases the gods."

"It ushers in a time of peace and prosperity for our peoples." Kenan weakly rasped and greedily drank another swig of strong wine from his goblet. He motioned to the courtesans dancing near Sodom's monarch. "Eat, drink and enjoy the entertainment."

"I shall be the luckiest man alive." Came the loud boast from Halmu. "I shall have your loveliest daughter as my bride and your smartest daughter as one of my advisors. Your winged beasts will fortify my defenses and, together, we shall defeat the Soulless."

Mardok stood on one side of Ashatsinu while Gesham stood on the other, both warriors looking at the other in baffled indignation. They uttered the same word in unison. "BEASTS!?"

The cheering crowd of nobles and commoners drowned out the primal growls of affronted Gargoyle pride. The Boy King snorted in silent, sardonic amusement at the blatant insult thrown by Halmu to the DeMahri warriors. He noted that Mardok's talons dug into his palm and Gesham's tail whipped about in ardent disapproval of the thoughtless words. King Inhokomen's painted brows furrowed in disdain at Halmu's pompous declaration. He sniffed is disdain, drawing a looked from Sodom's sovereign. The Eriduite King raised his chalice, rising to face the gathering of nobles, courtesans, and Amor's denizen. "Let us make a toast."

"Hurrah." "Here, here!" "Long Live the King!" Were the phrases that greeted Inhokomen's declaration.

The young monarch turned to his right, facing Halmu and Kenan. "To Kenan, may the gods give you long life. To Halmu, may you reap all you have sown. May the Stone King soar above all walls and all obstacles and find love and victory against all who stand against him."

Inhokomen's kohl-lined eyes went from Halmu to Gesham. "To the Stone King. Long live the Stone King."

"The Stone King! The Stone King! Long live the Stone King." The crowd chanted loudly without restraint. Ashatsinu stared upwards at the rafters of the great wall to see several of Gesham's clan perched, stoically taking the situation. She watched a steady row of argent fire outline the rafters above her. A low rumbled filled the enormous chamber. The mantra came forth, deep and steady in its cadence. "Golei'th'em Kiari Archta. Geshamu ap Druingrah. Golei'th'em archta."

Inhokomen leaned toward Ashatsinu. "What are they saying?"

"Golei'th'em means leading warrior...the closest translation would be king. The other parts I can't discern."

"Your Highness," A tenor voice whispered in her ear. Ashatsinu saw the older eunuch that she had chided earlier standing beside her. "I learned Draconic when I apprenticed with the warden of Gesham's clan. I believe her name was Arana."

"I owe you an apology." She murmured contritely behind her violet veil. "What is your name?"

"Jubah."

"Jubah," Ashatsinu spoke gently. "What are they chanting? My Draconic isn't quite fluent."

"Leader and Warrior, Sandstorm of the dragon is the Stone High King."

"Sandstorm?" She cocked her head in bewilderment.

"What do you think Gesham means?" Jubah crimson-painted lips smiled at her. "It's short for Geshamu?"

"His name in his tongue is Sandy?" Her brows nearly flew from her face.

"You're smarter than most Humans. Give the Princess a star in the sky."

She glanced at the towering warrior standing behind her. "Are you saying that the Gargoyles-?"

"Are calling Gesham and not Halmu the Stone King?" Jubah finished for her.

"Skylaris was right about you, you are smarter than a camel." He playfully pinched her cheek.

"Jubah?" Ashatsinu gave him a kind look.

"Yes, Highness?"

"Don't say anything like that about me ever again or you'll lose another important body part."

"Point taken and remembered."

"Inhokomen thinks that Gesham is the St-"

"Shh!" Jubah hissed. "Your monster-of-a-husband-to-be sits only three seats away from you."

"Of course, Inhokomen knows! It is a prophecy held dear by Simianites and DeMahri and feared by the Soulless. All Simianites will be free of bondage from their Human masters. Trust me, Inhokomen is one of the most powerful: he is wholly Simianite and not a drop of Adam's blood flows through him." Jubah smiled. "Just like me."

"You're not Human?"

"I never have been. Nor am I a eunuch, Your Highness." He gave a wink. "My kind can just tuck it in very well...that pouch we have comes in handy."

Ashatsinu opened her mouth with a tart reply and found herself speechless. "I don't even want to know, Jubah. That is simply too much information for me to know."

"SSShhhhh!" A loud shush escaped Inhokomen. "Still your prattling tongues. Now is not the time for this chat!"

The boy king again raised his bejeweled golden chalice. "To the Stone King's health and longevity. May he rule long and well."

Gesham's eyes exploded with silver brilliance as his wings flared with incredulity. Halmu smiled gleefully as he nodded magnanimously to the Akkadian's toast. "Thank you, Inhokomen. Your words will bring you great reward, I promise."

Halmu ran a hand deftly through his crimson, henna-hued hair. The crowd was hungry for more thrills and entertainment. He knew that his time had come. "Then, let us tarry no longer. Announce the betrothal, Kenan."

"As you wish." Kenan nodded silently to Niza and she helped him to his feet. Kenan turned to his Gargoyle guardians close by and gave them a silent signal. On cue, Gesham rang a brass gong that resounded loudly throughout the expansive dining hall. The festive celebrants became suddenly silent and immediately turned their attention to the monarch standing before them.

"Nobles, kinsmen, and honored guests." Kenan loudly cleared his throat. "I thank you all for coming this night. Ashatsinu and Halmu, take your place before my throne."

Both stepped away from the table and took their places in front of the aging chieftain. He spoke with conviction and strength that not heard by any from him for many years. "Now, kneel."

The couple did as he bade them. Gesham cast a confused glance to Mardok and he shrugged helplessly; he was as baffled as his leader. They returned their attention to Kenan and watched the old man raise his hands and place them upon Ashatsinu and Halmu's heads. "As Enki so declared it, a man shall leave his home and cleave to a woman, and together they shall be as one. Halmu has paid the bride-price by building the city walls and this grand palace."

The crowd applauded and yelled in jubilation.

"Your Majesty? The wedding is not for another week!" The Princess squeaked. [What in Sheol is my father doing!?]

"Silence, Ashatsinu." Halmu purred with a deadly smoothness. He leaned over so that his flaming henna-dyed beard brushed the silk of her face veil. "It is unnecessary that we wait so long for us to be one. You are Sodom's queen and I have waited twenty-one years too long for this moment."

"But, My Lord-" She squeaked.

"Shh." He pressed two fingers against her lips to silence her. "Do not displease me, Princess. To do so will incur great wrath upon you ...and your beloved father. I shall have what is rightfully mine and your people shall know my benevolence and protection. Do not defy me."

A heavy sigh escaped her. Scalding tears welled in dark eyes as the bleakness of her reality fell upon her as though she were being buried alive. "Where is my servant, Gesham? I wish him to be at my side."

"You try my patience." His brows furrowed together in growing annoyance. "Why must you have that beast with you wherever you go?"

"My Liege, I have asked for nothing nor will I ask for more. " [By All-Father's beard, he means to marry me TONIGHT! It is too soon! This wasn't supposed to happen until after we arrived in Sodom. Why is he doing this now?] "But, he has been my servant since childhood. Won't you let me have this one little favor?"

"And in return?"

"All that you want, My Liege, shall be yours. You will have me as a very, very dutiful and attentive wife." She brushed one finger seductive along her veil-covered lips. "I will make the gods cry out your name in envy because they are denied the pleasure that awaits you."

"And what do you promise me?"

You will taste kisses sweeter than nectar and other delights more rapturous than opium." She let a puff of hot breath tease his ear. "No man shall ever have what I offer you, Halmu."

"All that? It's mine already."

His incredible arrogance robbed Ashatsinu of her voice. Threats stirred his blood, especially when she lacked force to back them. No help came to her aid in this time of need -Ashatsinu knew that she stood alone and she cursed the seven heavens of All-Father because of it. She had no power as a warrior, but she retained the sovereignty of wiles and beguilement. She silently entreated the Powers-That-Be that he was all kinds of fool for his craven tendencies.

"My Lord," She cooed as Arana had taught her. [Remember... .delicious whisper.] "It is both an honor and a privilege to be your wife, but please allow me to have Gesham be near me. He has been my devoted tutor since I was a child. I want to share in this moment with me."

Halmu cocked a cynical brow. "And do you also wish him in our bedchamber when you and I become man and wife?"

"Someone needs to witness that I come to the marriage bed pure." The hint of scorn flavored her words enough that Halmu's brows rose in surprise at her barbed remark.

"Do you defy me?" He swiftly grabbed a thick handful of hair and gave it a painful wrench. "If so, you are as brainless as you are beautiful."

"No, My Lord." She gritted her teeth and gave her best purr. "But, if it would please you Milord, I'd bring Gesham into the bedchamber just to indulge your ... particular pleasures."

"You intrigue me, Ashatsinu." He snorted. He stroked her veiled cheek. "I admire your ability to barter when you own nothing. Therefore, I will reward you and indulge your childish whim. Nevertheless, make no mistake as who is lord and king. Displease me and you answer for the consequences."

"Of course, My Lord." Her eyes fell to the floor, signaling her compliance.

"Gesham, to your Mistress' side." Halmu motioned the warrior to join them. "She wishes you to share in her joy as she marries me."

Tawny wings flared in incredulity and eyes smoldered with silver fire. Talons clenched deeply into tan skin and two cardinal drops of blood fell upon the marble floor as Gesham suppressed the urge to rip Halmu's head from his shoulders. He looked at Ashatsinu and felt the Hands of Fate slowly rip layers of his heart away, revealing the heartache and vibrant devotion he felt for the woman soon to be Halmu's consort. "As you wish, Your Majesty."

"Stone King, I give to you my youngest daughter, Ashatsinu. Provide for her and protect her as you have this city and love her. She is yours now."

"I shall." Came Halmu's vehement reply.

Kenan placed his hands upon his daughter's shoulders. The Princess thought she saw a tear in the old man's eye. "Ashatsinu, you are his mate now -be compliant and dutiful and he shall love you for your virtues."

"I ...will, Father." She practically choked on the words. She looked at the winged warrior standing beside her. [Forgive me, Gesham. I cannot do this alone; I need you at my side.]

[I shall never leave you.] Sorrow filled him as watched the rest of the ceremony and saw his Beloved wedded to Halmu, King of Sodom.

The rite sported neither pageantry nor splendor. As quickly as it had begun, so had it ended. Silence filled the room, and Ashatsinu never felt more alone. Halmu unceremoniously unpinned her veil and planted his lips upon her in an obligatory kiss. "You are my wife now, Ashatsinu."

Borak stepped forth from the shadows with a box carved from the finest jade from the Kingdom of Chin. He waddled toward the newly wedded couple and cleared his throat. He opened the lid of the box and upon deep forest velvet laid two circlets. Silently, he drew the first and bowed to Halmu. On cue, Halmu bent his head and Borak placed the larger platinum circlet upon the titian waves crowing his brother's brow. He turned his gaze upon Ashatsinu.

"Kneel, Amorite." The neutrality in his voice lacked the acrid venom of his brother's scathing tone. She looked into Borak's deep brown eyes and held his gaze for several seconds. Ashatsinu did as her brother-in-law bid her and knelt before him: the Grand Vizier of Sodom. "Ashatsinu, Princess of Amor are you no longer. At this moment and for always, do you declare your loyalty to the tribe of Azazel?"

"I do." Her nails bit deeply into her palms as the words came forced from her lips.

"Do you submit and swear an oath to be first wife of Halmu, your sovereign ruler and master for the rest of your days?" Borak's piercing drone brought on a dreadful headache to Halmu's wife. How she wished him silent at that moment.

"As All-Father and the Great Lady permit, so be it." A drop of crimson trickled down her tanned palm. She heard Gesham's tail strike the cool marble behind her and a flash of his crimson psionic rage filled her mind, but her gaze remained locked upon the marble dais floor. [There has to be a way to take this chalice from me! All-Father and Great Lady Skylaris, hear my plea.]

"Will you rule wisely and well all of your days as sovereign and Queen over Sodom and all its dominion in the realm, championing the causes of righteousness and good for the gods, King and your homeland."

"Yes." Ashatsinu replied without hesitation. [That promise, at least, I can keep.]

"By the Grace of Tiamat and All-Father, rise and take your rightful place as Queen."

Halmu took Ashatsinu's bloody palm in his and brought her to her feet. Her father stepped forward, bowing to Halmu. He embraced his daughter, planting a fleeting kiss upon her cheek. Then, he took their hands and held them in his. "People of Amor, May I present to you the King and Queen of Sodom."

A jubilant roar erupted from the spectators and filled the room with such stridency that barely drowned out the sound of a Gargoyle's bellow and a Princess' sob. Halmu lifted his consort's hand above her head and lead her to the front of the dais where sat the feasting table. "Now, my wife, dance for us!"

"What?" Her dark eyes widened in confusion.

"Entertain us, Ashatsinu." He exclaimed merrily. "Show all the others for what I am alone am worthy. Dance the Amorite Wedding Dance as is the tradition of your tribe." He rose to his feet with goblet held high. "This is my gift to you, City of Amor."

A boisterous roar came from the men in the crowd. Ashatsinu's felt a bolt of disbelief streak through her body at his reprehensible words. [How can he shame me this way? How can he do this to me? How much more must I give to satisfy his vicious tendencies? Is he utterly without any compassion at all!?]

Her dark gaze locked with a frigid smirk of ice blue. Her husband asked that she lay bare her soul and expose her body before the voyeuristic heathens in the dining hall. Yet, she saw the frightened faces of serving maids and common laborers filling her mind. Ashatsinu knew that Halmu's wrath upon her people would be expeditious and pitiless if she failed to comply. Shame filled her, she was nothing more than his trophy being paraded and exhibited like a wild animal.

His cold stare into her eyes dared her to defy his decree.

Ashatsinu closed her eyes tightly to block the vile occurrences transpiring around and to her. Her shoulders sagged with the heavy burden of defeat when the realization came upon her; Halmu knew her better than she comprehended. Boldness and dignity were badges she wore proudly; he meant to strip her body of its garments and slash away the final remnants of rebelliousness from her soul. She searched the eyes of loved ones and family for aid or answers to her dilemma. Arana's eyes gleamed with unholy white fire but remained fixed upon the floor. Kenan's eyes were stern, lacking either indignation or ignominy. Only Gesham's unwavering stare returned her gaze and never left her; though his eyes appeared suspiciously bright and gleaming. Utter desolation filled the Princess as the stoic, motionless warrior allowed one talon to wipe his cheek.

In that one liquid jewel of anguish came the wealth of devotion and inspiration that gave her what she therefore needed for what the circumstances demanded of her. Ashatsinu's heart filled with a love, unfathomable and unrestrained, that a smile came across her lips because of it. She recounted a saying from the stone tomes of Skylaris that Arana zealously guarded. "Give no offer of surrender. Banish any concession of defeat. Be as water, ebb and flow. Be as stone, resolute and enduring. Become as air, swift and bracing. Become as fire, brilliant and ardent."

[For now, I will be water: ebb and flow.]

"As you wish, My King." Her voice filled the small space between them. She turned to the court musicians and clapped her hands loudly. "Play for me."

Ashatsinu heard the heavy beating of the drums mingle with the sharp twangs of the sitar. Rams' horns wielded by winged warriors heralded the beginning of Ashatsinu's sacred and legendary dance. The horns' sounding reverberated, sending haunting howls into the air above the crowd. The tribal descanting and chants uttered by the canters and the rich tones of several flutes mixed in a surrealistic mesh of movement and euphony. The swing beat supported the delicate plucking of lyres and the sweet chiming of symbols urged her body to sway and undulate before the crowd.

Her arms moved in an intricate pattern. Letting her fingers grasp the silken rich, violet folds of her many veils, Ashatsinu let her pelvis sway back and forth to the tempo and growing swell of the music, seductively gliding across the marble floor as she circled to the center of the gathering. The swarm parted for her and let her move to the center of the floor. Her head slowly buoyed from sided to side to the cadence of the mesmerizing music, allowing her long fluttering veils to flow freely. Triangular, the veils fluttered akin to butterfly's wings and the scooped hem resembled the distinct silhouette of a Gargoyle.

The essence of perfumed oils lifted from Ashatsinu's smooth tawny skin and drifted upon the warm desert breeze, filling the nostrils of old men with memories of loves long past and young men with the hopes of great love to come. Her gestures and motions, passed from mother to daughter, told epic stories of exquisite virgins and virile desert warriors discovering the timeless pleasures of ardor and passion. As the tempo increased, the Princess became a damson flurry, silken veils billowing behind her to reveal curve and form to all who saw her. She inhaled deeply, losing her awareness within the strains of the sitar and the ringing of cymbals. With grace and inspiration, Ashatsinu arched her back to the growing crescendo of the euphony of melody and mania. Clapping her hands to the syncopated blend of strings and percussion, she slithered into Halmu's lap.

Ashatsinu leaned forward so that her bosom brushed against the stalwart wall of Halmu's chest. Sitting astride his lap, she playfully leaned forward and let her full berry-stained lips graze a teasing path along the planes of his cheek. She heard a harsh catch of breath escape him and that brought a smile to her face, because Ashatsinu understood the sovereignty of a woman's dominion over a man. She coyly withdrew and stared into pools of frosty sapphire eyes and thought she saw a flame of life flicker within their icy depths. Halmu's finger trailed a tender path along her jaw, bringing her Ashatsinu with a hair's breadth of a stolen kiss.

Callused fingertips caressed her soft skin and he inhaled deeply of the rich orchid scent that filled his senses. "Bring me to life, Ashatsinu." He whispered. "Show me how to love."

"Only your heart will teach you that." She whispered softly in Halmu's ear.

"Then, inspire me to learn, My Queen." He ripped a final veil away revealing her face. "Now, dance for the one that you love and will never hold."

[Could he know? How could he know?] Panic filled her mind as a knowing gleam twinkled in her husband's eyes. "My Liege, no man in this city love me save father. To dance for him in such a fashion is heinous!"

"No, Ashatsinu, I speak not of your father." A slow grin crossed his wickedly handsome lips. "Dance for the beast that stands behind me. Show him what is mine."

"My Liege?"

"If you wish to please and not defy me, then dance for the Gargoyle warrior." His twinkling eyes contrasted sharply with the malevolent tenor of his smooth voice.

[May you burn in the Abyss, you son-of-a-dog.] Ashatsinu forced a smile across her scarlet-painted lips. She said nothing as she flitted away from him as though she was a dervish soaring away on a desert sirocco. Spiraling deftly around his throne, Ashatsinu moved behind him and did as he commanded her. Silk brushed against breastplates worn by many of the guards. No temple cleric remained safe from her exhilarating touch, as she became Halmu's most priceless showpiece. One by one, each outer veil fell from her body until she remained scantily clad in a sheer layer of violet silk. Ashatsinu's svelte form slid past Gesham and a rush of heat imploded within her when her skin caressed his.

"Re'Hahl." His deep murmur filled her ears. She knew the Draconic word well; it meant "Beloved."

"Every condemned male -be it Man or Gargoyle-should have a taste of paradise before he dies." Halmu's voice slashed through the sacred moment occurring between Gesham and his Truest Heart. "I think that Gesham's remains will make a wonderful addition to my rock garden in my newest courtyard." Halmu leaned back leisurely in his throne and observed the quiet exchanged between the Gargoyle and his Queen. The dark-haired beauty became a whirling dervish as she returned before her husband and brazenly straddled his lap.

[I have had enough of your cruelty and evil to last ten lifetimes, Halmu.] His sadism knew no bounds. Ashatsinu knew that no man dared raise a hand against the region's most powerful oppressor. What few free tribes remained became Utakku's easy prey without Halmu's protection. Kenan had prostituted her to curry Halmu's favor. Now, the fiend dared to threaten the one she loved. [I have had enough of this camel-dung. If all stand by and do nothing, then I, alone, shall do everything.]

Her bosom gently brushed against his face so that he saw nothing but the honey-hued crevice of her well-dressed cleavage. Ashatsinu ran her hand down the contour of her harem pants feeling carefully for the sleek outline that meant justice and conclusion to the monstrous interval forced upon her and her people. She raised one arched brow in Gesham's direction, causing the great clan lead to cock his head to the side, signaling his confusion. Her tapered fingers delved between the slit seams on the sides of her garments, wrapping around each hilt of the two. With intuitive precision, Ashatsinu withdrew the deadly sais from the velvet folds and raised high above Halmu.

Ashatsinu arched her back and gracefully writhed away from the enticed monarch. With sais in hand, she made the two blunted blades weave an intricate pattern between her body and Sodom's king. The polished metal caught the golden flames burning brightly from the braziers that illuminated the dais as they did a dance of love, loss, war and hatred. A smile crossed her lips as she allowed the tip of one blade to dance lightly along Halmu's jaw. She inhaled as the music drove her to frenzy -it would be too easy to simply let the blades slice into his pampered skin. One flick of her wrist holding such lethal weaponry meant that his life became forfeit when deemed it suitable.

[Ashatsinu!] An inhuman voice bellowed within her head stridently and without gentleness. The force of its rebuke cause her to take pause and stare perplexedly at it source. Gesham's stoic features became tense with foreboding, his amber eyes blazed with silver and mandarin radiance. [Re'Hahl, let the gods determine his doom. I beg you, do not become like your master -you are an adherent of the Gargoyle Way.]

[No one will do anything, Gesham!] Ashatsinu managed enough focus to answer Gesham's psionic entreaty. [This lunatic damns my people with his quest for power. Someone has to stop him.]

[Ashatsinu, I love you. Do not become what he inspires; murder.]

[By the Dragon, what have I done?] Ashatsinu wrenched her mind free of the psychic reverie that held her mesmerized. The says fell away from her consort's throat and returned to the their leather sheathes concealed beneath the voluminous billows of lavender silk. The music abruptly stopped and she turned, seeing her husband rising to meet her.

He stared at her; a glazed look of surprise came across his eyes. He feebly attempted to reach for his Queen, but strength failed him as his life-force swiftly spilled from suddenly appearing wounds. Halmu tried to speak, sanguine essence gargled from his throat and bubbled forth from his lips. A torrid scream filled the dining hall as her husband's head lulled and fell backward. Ashatsinu realized in the nebulous haze of bewilderment that the scream came from her throat. She looked down at her hands and found them covered with the warmth of his passing life. In a panic, she scuttled back from the body until she felt her back against his empty throne.

"Oh, Ashatsinu." Arana whispered sadly. "What have you done?"

"Nothing!" She shrieked hysterically. "Arana, I swear, this is not by my hand."

Her former husband's bodyguards drew their swords and ominously advanced in her directions.

Niza pointed a finger at her sister, sporting an expression halfway between a smirk and a snarl. "Father, Ashatsinu has murdered her husband!"

Two broad-chested guards roughly hauled Ashatsinu to her feet and held her upright. Her father walked to her and his cold, dark eyes stared into her very essence. "You are no longer my daughter nor of my house."

"Father, I didn't kill him." Tears marred the black kohl lining Ashatsinu's eyes until there were two thick black streaks smeared on her cheeks. "You must believe me."

"Take her out of my sight." Kenan spat. "She is dead to me. Keep her in the dungeons until her execution."