YOU ARE NO SON OF MINE!
Sheelal woke up in a cold sweat to see two concerned looking females looking down on him.
Terrible dream. Only a terrible dream...he thought as he sat up and clutched his face in his hands.
One of the two Kaleesh maidens whom he had taken to his bed for the night laid a slender hand on his.
"Is our lord alright? Were your dreams so frightful?"
That would be putting it mildly, he thought glumly. He appreciated her gesture though. He could use some affection after such a nightmare.
"Water," he said softly, "bring me water."
The other woman stood up silently, as naked as she was on her day of birth to bring him a cup and flask of water.
He took the cup with gratitude as she set the flask down and slipped back into her khan's bed opposite the other.
He took his time with the cup as his lovers-for-the-night began to caress and massage him.
Thinking that he could use something to take his mind away, he obliged them and made love to both women until well after the Kaleesh sun had rose at dawn.
By the time they finished, both women were sore, satisfied and jubilant.
The Kaleesh were polyamorous and unmarried women and men were encouraged to bed one another from a young age so that when their promised time came, they would be skilled in the sensual arts.
Such was the way as demanded by Kal'Yros or Ka'Yrya, The Twins—the Kaleesh deity of love, beauty and passion who was both and distinctly man and woman at all times.
Before they put on their clothes and departed, both women had near-begged him to take them as his wives—all they wanted was to experience what they had had the previous night for the rest of their lives.
Certainly they had mated with vigor and ecstasy that evening. The noise their passion was making proved enough to wake a few of the neighbouring tents.
Praise The Twins for making me so...gifted he mused.
Had these women done the same though with a lesser warrior, they most likely would have simply offered gratitude and gone on their way.
But not with him.
Occasionally, such a tryst would yield what the Kaleesh called Ylog'eroi—the Blessing of the Twins—a rapturous realization that went beyond the normal pleasures.
A divine sign that they truly and deeply meant to be with each other for the rest of their lives.
They wanted him—their brave, young and powerful khan—to be their husband.
But it was one-sided. Ylog'eroi could only be true if all parties involved had the same rapture.
And so, the young warlord pitied them. He knew they would make good wives—both were beautiful, dutiful and pious—but he knew he was not ready.
He wanted to return their love. But he knew he should not.
I swore...
He made his goodbyes as polite as possible and eventually his lovers-for-the-night had left with slightly broken hearts.
They deserve someone else...someone free of past transgressions.
Try as he might, he still remembered too well and these thoughts made the words which had woken him from last night's fitful sleep ring again in his head.
The last words his father had ever spoken to him.
YOU ARE NO SON OF MINE!
A few days passed and only isolated incidences of Huk attacks were reported all over the planet.
All were either eliminated or repelled with minimal losses for the Kaleesh.
It was as peaceful a time as the Kaleesh community could wish.
They did not celebrate though. They could not.
They all knew that this was just calm before the storm.
All across Kalee, tribes used the time to prepare for the next Huk onslaught.
They rebuilt their homes, strengthened their defences and stocked their resources aplenty.
Most of the kolkpravis had spread out across Kalee to serve and if needed, defend their native lands and home tribes.
Sheelal himself had given leave to the Izvoshra so that they could return to their home tribes and families.
He envied them, though he made no word of it.
Though his reputation made it certain that he was welcomed in every tribe on the planet, the Kaleesh believed that a real home is where the family is.
And mine are but dust...Sheelal thought as he rode alongside Old Ydros towards their home tribe, far out on northwestern end of the Aussez Steppes, bordering with the Kunbal jungles and the Sunset Sea.
Though he kept his silence, only Old Ydros knew what was truly going on, being from the same home tribe.
He knew that his tribe would celebrate their arrival and he would appreciate it.
But he had no family there, none anywhere.
Am I truly going home? Glassy-eyed and in deep thought, he half-wished that the Huk would invade just then.
He never felt as alive as he was in battle. He hated these musings but could not help them.
"You had better pay attention to the road, young khan," remarked Ydros, "the ground and your A'lojo may not always agree."
True enough, the two six-legged ungulates which served as mounts among the Kaleesh bucked in order to scale a rocky ledge.
It was as good a wake-up call for the young khan who yelped as he grabbed the reins of his mount just in time.
The elder warrior chuckled beneath his mask as his younger companion brought his A'lojo to heel.
"I believe the Earthmother was telling me something with that ledge," Sheelal said irritably when he had caught up with Ydros.
"Likewise. Ka'Giia is known to give painful lessons to those who pay no attention to the earth," Old Ydros smirked.
"Then I should be quite knowledgeable," Sheelal laughed.
Old Ydros smiled at his companion beneath his mask, "There. Was that so difficult?"
"What is?"
"Laughter. Happiness. Smiling, for gods' sake."
Sheelal sighed, "I am quite happy, old friend."
Ydros raised an eyebrow, "Truth or not, we will have a feast at home! Do not even think of asking our people not to."
The khan genuinely laughed this time, "You know me too well, Old Ydros."
Ydros laughed with him and bellowed, "Then what are we waiting for? Let us make haste then!" The elder warrior then coaxed his A'lojo into a running gallop.
Sheelal smiled and together they rode towards the setting Kaleesh sun