My sincerest apologies for the lack of story thus far. There is no excuse, I know. Hopefully by forcing myself to post this, admittedly, short chapter, it will force me to continue quicker towards the next after that. To any and all that still look for updates, thank you and I will try harder to continue more promptly.

"Captain."

Donkor ignored whoever it was trying to get his attention, preferring to concentrate on cutting away the foliage that dared to block his path. He knew what they wanted: food, water, a bit of rest before continuing their journey; there was no need for them to continuously tell him so. They had been complaining for the past hour about such trifles, and he was in no mood to humor them.

"Donkor, please, we must stop."

Who would dare to address him so informally while on duty? He turned to reprimand the fool for his insolence.

Compassionate brown eyes stared back at him. Of course Abasi would have no problem telling him when he was being irrational. "My friend, you must allow some time for your men to rest. We have been at sea for many weeks. Look," he lifted his chin to the heavens. The last rays of the late day were giving way to the dark cloak of night. "Let your guards sit for a bit, eat what they can. We can search as well by starlight. A few hours delay will hurt no one."

He looked at the man who had been his mentor for many years. "It's been a year since we lost them." The grip he had on his long knife tightened. "I need to know if they survived."

"And if we can find no trace of them here?" the older man asked gently.

Donkor's eyes closed against the hated thought. "Then I may finally begin to grieve for their loss."

"Sit and rest, Donkor."

The Captain of the guard did as he was told; a shadow of the instinctual response from long ago. He scowled as the darker man chuckled. "For a former slave, you seem to have no problem telling me what to do," he muttered, feigning a sulk. "You never had that problem, actually. Not with me."

Abasi just laughed some more. "I was freed long before I took you under my wing, Donkor. I was no longer forced to guard my tongue in the presence of others. Did you honestly believe that I would allow you to tell me what to do? Just because you knew no better?"

Donkor had the grace to look sheepish. "I wasn't much older than Tem would be now. Surely some allowances could have been made in light of my ignorance." He had been no more than a palace pup then.

"You threw mud in my face."

"Well..."

"And then proceeded to tell me to clean up the messthat I had made."

"…so. A few hours rest, you were saying?"

The guards smothered their own amusement when a dark glare was thrown their way, hastily starting a fire and taking out some food to snack on as they sat. Donkor placed his long knife beside him and took a shallow swallow of water, staring up into the darkening sky. Would they find them? Was there really any chance that they had not ended up in a cold watery grave?

"Tell me of your thoughts, Humble One."

The captain smiled at the former slave. "You'll never let me live my name down, will you?"

"You were anything but your namesake when you were first thrust upon me." Abasi clapped his shoulder once. "What are you thinking, friend?"

Donkor returned his gaze to the heavens, heart sore. "I hope against hope that we'll find them here on this fabled isle. As are all under my command, Lateef is dear to me. To loose one so eager to prove himself," he sighed. "And Nefertem…"

"For having known him for such a short time, your words betray your attachment," Abasi murmured.

Eyes closed against the guilt as Donkor thought back to the brightness he had lost. "The attachment was immediate," he admitted quietly. "Although I can never claim him as my kin by my own words and actions, he holds that place in my heart. I bought him so that he might know some freedom in our land…but truly, was I no different than his own uncle?"

"You took him away from a man who wanted him to suffer, Donkor. Even if we find that he did die at sea, Nefertem was happy those few days with you, was he not?"

Donkor nodded his head. "But…"

"A moment of joy may outweigh years of sadness," Abasi told him. "I'm sure his heart was light at his end, if that was his fate."

"As true as your words are Stern One, do not be so quick to dismiss the strength of the ones you seek."

"I like these humans," Apep heard his daughter hiss, laughing as the men jumped to their feet and drew their weapons.

"Why is that, daughter?" he asked, slowly slithering closer to the men.

"They said they were worried about our humans." She gently swayed back and forth as she studied the soldiers.

"Remain still, daughter. I do not wish to alarm them needlessly," he told her.

"Oh." She stopped and stared instead. "My apologies, Papa."

He laughed. "Be at ease, my daughter. They are merely unaccustomed to beings such as us."

"I'm simply curious. They don't look much like the Lotus Child."

"They come from our Mother Land, daughter. The Lotus Child came from another home, where the sun was not as fierce and the seasons flowed and ebbed like the sea."

"I do not only mean in physical appearance, Papa. Their magic…is not the same as our Tem's. Is this normal amongst the humans?

The Prince of Punt thought about it. "I had not realized myself the different gifts the Lotus Child bares. It has been long since the last human graced us here. There might yet be something we must do for the Lotus Child before he departs." He looked down as the Captain of the Guard slowly stepped forward, arms outstretched and bare of any weapons. "We will talk more of this in a moment, daughter. Now, let us greet our guests."