Aiesha took his answer in with deep thought, though said nothing else on the matter. Curious as it was, he decided not to prod further. Instead his green gaze noticed how she made her way closer. Softly she took a seat next to him in the sand, graceful and very lady like for her age. Though she must have been only a year younger then him. The topic of his name then came to the forefront. Most certainly. I was named by my mother for the god. Though I do not think myself worthy of such a great almighty being. I am blessed that they thought of such a strong name for myself, very honored indeed.

Ra could feel a rush of heat hit his cheeks, looking down at his paws for a moment in slight bashfulness. Then his ears perked up to hear that there was another named similar to him, a cat of all things. No I certainly have not me them yet. Perhaps I should though if the cat man holds such a name as Osiris. A light chuckle left his lips, a happy smile gracing his face even more now.

Oh, I was wondering something, just being in the moment. Would you care to take a stroll with me, just to finish up some patrols? The company would be most appreciated. If not, I will not take offense. You must have greater duties of course then spend time with a simple mazoii. Ra felt bad for even asking, not wanting her to think of him so lowly and beneath her. Though at the same time, she seemed too nice for such things. So maybe he was worrying for nothing?

His laugh made his eyes spark, while the newness of the sun shifted them to something closer to a leafy, luminous shade. Warm and alive. Aiesha was on her feet immediately when the offer came to join in on the patrol—and she swiftly put aside his self-deprication with a smooth comment of her own, To be a mazoi is a noble cause.

Plus, if he thought himself a simple mazoi, what did that make Aiesha, who trained under the jodai directly? She did not bring this up, though. A simple stroll was all that she required and she was pleased to have company.

As the were underway, she made sure to keep up with his stride as he was taller, and his legs a little longer. Aiesha may have boasted her father's colors but she had been scaled to match her mother, and this was a fact the girl was coming to understand with each meeting.

Tell me about yourself, she requested—not realizing how forward that might sound! Unlike her mother, Aiesha was not so reserved. She wanted to know everything she could about her new friend. We can walk and you can talk. I do love some exploration.

There was that heat again, flushing to his cheeks at her compliment. It was indeed nice to be appreciated, even if he wasn't so sure that he deserved it. Not when the gods deserved so much more praise then he. Thank you. You are too kind. Ra then got to his feet, taking a leisurely stride with his new friend down the perimeters of the palace walls. The warm morning air continued to greet them as they went, a happy sparkle still in his eyes.

Of course. I was born in a land far away from here, living in an oasis with my old pack. But due to a fight with another pack, I had to protect my family when I was a bit younger. I got separated and then taken to this world amidst the chaos. The Holy One, our Divine Pharaoh, soon brought me in afterwards. I did have a friend with me in this world before Pharaoh found me, but she suddenly vanished. I haven't seen her since. Ra had almost forgotten about her, trying to move on and not dwell on the matter too much.

Jodai took me in his ranks not long after that as well. What about you? Aiesha certainly had an interesting past as well. The girl had long since captivated him since he first spotted her, taking in her feminine beauty like a man does a fine wine. But on the more respectful side of things. He was no womanizer, barely able to keep a girl's attention after all in the grand scheme of things. Though she seemed to be interested in him, to which he counted his blessings.

His tale was not greatly detailed, neither was it strange to hear. All the people that came here to Satriya must have had a life before—and maybe by asking about it she had hit a sore spot? It certainly seemed that way when Ra began to speak of his friend; that someone was there one moment and gone the next, that was a pain that Aiesha knew, and could sympathize with.

At least he was found by someone. At least he had the help of the Divine One, and Sapair.

I am from a place very much like Satriya, actually. She shared this with great care. Aiesha did not want to delve too deeply in to her own tale, not when she'd built up this fib about being a yaret. The last thing she wanted was to let slip that she was a princess—!

My mother was a priestess of the goddess Nwt.

Imagining her mother Nazli in the temple of Muat-Riya, as she spoke it. Smelling the incense in the air. Remembering the chants, her voice... No, but she couldn't remember that detail. Somewhere, sometime, that piece of the puzzle that was so vastly important to Aiesha had fallen away. She was gripped by a sudden wave of grief, and missed a step—brushing in to Ra.

Oh, I'm... Sorry, I got.. Distracted. Blinking, smiling, trying to act like there was nothing wrong. Aiesha swallowed what she could. I made the transition to this place, right to Satriya's doorstep. My mother.. Didn't. I haven't seen her in a very long time. But, I do have my father—he's here too. Somewhere.

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Talk of the past was not his strong suit, preferring to forget and move on from a time that no longer existed. His place was here now, until anything or anyone else told him otherwise. Besides, Ra was quite happy here in the land of Satriya, with a purpose given to him by those that seemed to trust him most. Ra continued to listen to Aiesha's kind voice, taking interest in her story, her place of origin. Lucky for her to have lived in such a familiar feeling place.

Ah, your mother served a most beautiful and powerful goddess. I'm sure she was most devout. That is a noble calling. Thoughts went back to Sitamun, the red wolf that was the handmaiden to the Queen. She too worshipped with all her heart to her patron goddess. Something that he always found admirable about her. The sudden feeling of Aiesha brushing against him caught him off guard, bringing him back to reality in a quick mental jolt. Green eyes looked upon her apologetically, trying to shrug off the awkward interaction.

Nothing to apologize for. It is alright. I'm sorry that I was not more careful and not respecting your intimate space as much. Forgive me. Ra tried to keep his composure, hoping that she would move on from it as well. Talk of her mother, then her father, caught his attention once more. I wonder if I have met him yet. It feels like there are so many living here now. I'm sure that I have yet to meet them all. So far, you have been the kindest and most welcoming. A true breath of fresh air. He paused for a moment, looking back out to the bright horizon, the desert welcoming him as one of its own.

Not that I speak ill of the others of Satriya, but there is indeed something different about you. Forgive my forwardness, just something that I felt from you from the beginning of our meeting. I tell no lies, miss Aiesha. Another kind smile to accompany the friendly gesture, hoping that she would accept his words as truth, and not to spew it back at him with something akin to negativity. For that would surely be unfitting for him in the long run.

It was nice of Ra to say these things.

Aiesha smiled. She thought of her mother now and wondered what she would have made of Satriya, or the Pharaoh, or even this boy who she was talking to—maybe she'd be too busy with her work to notice? Maybe she would have conspired with Senmut about it.

She felt her cheeks flush warmly at the thought. This was exacerbated as Ra paid her more compliments, which Aiesha was not used to at all, and she felt something in her belly flutter before dropping, like it was alive or she had swallowed the wind.

That is sweet of you to say, thank you. She didn't know what else to say about that, though. This was one conversation with one stranger; they barely knew one-another, but it was empowering to know what kind of energy she carried within herself. It meant she could do the job of a messenger or a diplomat effectively.

A sigh, a shake of her furs, to break whatever tension or lull had affected the moment.

I hope to see more of this world. There must be so many kinds of people, and places, and things to experience—isn't that exciting? Focusing on this aspect of her own little world, she could swallow down any other feelings that might be coming to light.

Aiesha seemed to enjoy the compliments, thanking him with a sweetness in her voice. Though the moment would pass for them both, it still left soft feelings hiding away in his gut like that of butterflies.

A lightness felt in his very being that hadn't quite been there before. But just like her, he shook off the slight tension that came from such an encounter, choosing to instead listen to what else she had to say.

Very much so. I have always wondered what the rest of this world was like, but came swept up in this place without many other options. Maybe now that the world has been in a sense reborn, it will be even more beautiful. Even more ready to reveal what it has to offer. Maybe even I will one day get to see it with fresh eyes.

Ra looked to Aiesha with a curious and soft expression, uncommon for one such as a Mazoi. Strange to think about, but a concept that was foreign to him at the time. What do you wish to see? What do you wish for yourself? Perhaps a question too personal to answer.

Yet there was something about her that he wished to know more of. A quiet sense of strength and independence flowed from her. The kind that was silently waiting to burst forth. But did she have the courage to release it? To welcome it?