What a wonderful feeling, Rohjer mused, taking time to appreciate how rich and full his life was. He had a numb spot forming on his right side where Dedicant Erak slumped against him. Osahara knelt on a pillow in the central aisle of the air chariot offering his thick wrist. Lord Lightfall let approval curve his lips faintly as he reached down with his left hand and pushed a tiny bit of his shakti, his personal energy, out of the index finger and into his blood slave's wrist. No blood ran from the eighth inch incision through the deep brown skin and into a tiny artery, for Rohjer absorbed the physical blood along with the metaphysical ka, or shakti, the life energy of Osahara.

Never ending gratitude that you, Lord of the Sky, lifted me up from the brick pits to this wonderful life of luxury. Osahara's feelings swarmed into Rohjer's mind while he refreshed himself. Meetings with the shamans of the North were long drawn out marathons of mutual musing, meditation, and a hearty exchange of ancient traditional wisdom. Fine clean clothes are mine to wear every day. The best meals and the highest people of all Ardjia are my daily associates. Lord Lightfall, god of the red star, has blessed me by accepting this unworthy offering of ka.

So comfortable... like a family... strong, rich, beautiful ka from one so kind so generous of spirit, to this unworthy one, Rohjer mused, sharing the warm feelings with Osahara through the blood link. Servitor Diplomats from the Tattva Sanga had to feel the greater society of sentients as their family. The welfare and peace of all beings throughout the Intergalactic Identic of some thirty thousand planets and systems made up their life's work, their mission. Contrary to his Tattva Sanga superiors, Rohjer felt his work with the Ardjiani rulers supremely imperative to maintain that welfare and peace. Peace. Quiet joyful moments like this, sharing blood and ka with a close servant. Yet there was no word for the concept of peace in all Ardjia's many languages.

They were headed back to welcome their newly tattooed and promoted guardsmen. He was used to Ishaq always at his right elbow murmuring terse bits of information, Nkosi at his heels watching his back.

The shamans of the North did not have their own dressers, even the King's shaman Amaruq. They only took one student in their lifetime, ostensibly to become their replacement. On Ardjia replacing might involve killing. They all had a laugh when Rohjer gave Erak a stern glance while speaking of the many students a Tattva Sanga Master might take in his lifetime. So it was just him Osahara, and a sleepy Erak along with an aircar of close to twenty Golden Valley guardsmen. They brought gifts, trade, and messages to the North and they also guarded Lord Lightfall with their a taste. He dutifully drank of each man's ka, so that both he and his guards could get a read on each other, and reassurance that all were dedicated to the Were Jaguar King Aamankhotep, now King of all Sunset Highland.

The King's Advisor had the King's ear and many thought, his heart. Rohjer did not disabuse them of this notion. It was more complicated than that, what with the ancient claiming ritual and the polygamy practiced on Ardjia. Rohjer hardly knew where he ended and Aamankhotep began some days. Four days away with Erak running around breathing the icy air of the north gave Rohjer this new perspective of the close affection of family, that he had learned, not from parents or any blood relative, but from his Master Fowaldu.

The Shamans' working day was mostly at night, performing healings and seeings, making potions and sacrificing small animals for the continued prosperity of their land and the Wear Ice Bear who ruled it; along with the Were Jaguar King who ruled over all on Sunset Highland. Rohjer loved the starry nights, so far from the, admittedly small amount, of light pollution of the big cities. He pointed out to Erak how the constellations rode a different position in the sky that far north.

The very stars were farther away, Osahara revealed fear in their bloodlink. Just like when we traveled from the Mainland to the Highland. I thought we had come to the end of the world yet again.

Rohjer sent soothing feelings of safety and protection. Uneducated in astronomy, or most anything, Osahara had held in that fear for 4 days.

All is well. Am I not your very own Star Lord? Rohjer asked through his blood. Osahara nodded showing large round black eyes. Rohjer felt uncomfortable accepting all the pompous terms and accolades laid on him for merely existing, but it was true he had renounced the orders of the Tattva Sanga and instead taken on the role of Lord of Ardjia. You served me well in the North, as you always do. Rohjer ended his refreshment, healing the tiny cut, then gestured slightly with his head that Osahara should take the seat across the aisle from him.

He eased the air chariot's seat back another notch and let his own thoughts drift. They had an hour left in their flight back to the Golden Valley just in time for a ceremony honoring and reassigning the guards after the action on Taproot - after the discovery of another sentient species.

Back to long strong arms, Rohjer let out a deep sigh and let himself remember. Aamankhotep's body heat covered his back, welcomed, oh so welcomed and wanted, but then the flash of a restraint ka spell snapped around his testicles as long thick cock entered him hard and sure. Aamankhotep controlled him utterly, and Rohjer loved it, loved surrendering the power he held over policy affecting the lives of millions, perhaps billions of sentients for millennia to come throughout the Identic Intergalactic civilization as he steered these ka wielders, writing into law their fledgling trade agreements, travel rights, and peace treaties; all the while fending off Aamankhotep's bored attempts at flirting.

The Were Jaguar King, Aamankhotep X, son of the current God Emperor of the recently discovered planet Ardjia, grandson of God Emperors for the past thousand years, ruler of the Golden Valley by blood and war, by conquering right, Deputy of the entire Sunset Highland Continent, not by Imperial Decree but also by that same conquering right. Nearly four years it took, first a fatal stab into the heart of the landmass, piercing the port cities of Pelican Bay and MossBack, tearing through Tench, Stickleback, all the small towns along the Trout River and finally killing the Were Lion King of Golden Valley. He took his daughter to wife. That accomplished, he set a leisurely pace to accept surrender or contest from every village head or regional king until at last he battled the King of the North in a spirit lodge and was found to have the qualities fit to rule the North and thus, the continent.

Four nights away from his bed, his touch. Rohjer hoped that Aamankhotep was as eager to leave the ceremony early and get to bed. He had gifts for everyone, including a lovely white fox fur jacket for Zara, his intended. She earned his affection and respect as they got to know one another. He hoped to do the same in her eyes.

The ship lurched, rolled a little, then righted itself. With little more than a thought, Rohjer used his shakti in the otherwhere world of intangible energy, to make sure the tangible safety restraints on the three of them were fastened. Next, touching his Rod of Chastisement and igniting its power stones, he cast a globe of protection around them. To his eyes, they were in a bowl of pure white energy that would protect the three of them from shock, fire, any and all attacks. Something flashed by the window closest to Erak, now awake and looking about with concern.

“Is that a dragon?” he asked in sleepy young boy's voice. The brief glimpse had resemble a were dragon of the Cloudbank Midland people, as large as their air chariot; but to Rohjer's expanded otherwhere senses, there was not man, beast, or air car flying that close to theirs.

Harried, the pilot began slowing and lowering the chariot.

“No!” Rohjer called. “Do not land! There are no dragons there! Evade! Change direction!” But it was too late. They had already flown into a trap. A very loud sound accompanied a blast of frigid air. The front of the air car was simply gone and it took all Rohjer's concentration and shakti to get the chariot down to the ground. He slowed and lowered it, surrounding the entire chariot with clouds of his shakti, burning away the energy Osahara had just given. Other ka joined his, the guardsman helped him cushion and land the craft without crashing it.

“Split up and run for the trees!” he yelled. “It's me they want!” Rohjer released the protections on Erak and Osahara. Hugging Erak close, he spoke into the boy's black hair. “Now is the time to practice your lesson of absolute stillness and silence. Do you remember?”

Erak nodded his head, his brown eyes, large and serious. Around them, men in guardsman black leather evacuated the air car. They searched the area as they spread out, trying to distract attention from the Lord still in the broken air car. Four stood near Rohjer, determined to protect Lord Lightfall. Rohjer pulled up the carpet to reveal the handle of a floor panel, which he lifted. Erak could neither run away fast enough nor fight a threat this deadly. “In here!” Rohjer said and the boy climbed down and nested in several cabin blankets. “Now, still. Nothing. Patience. Tell Aamankhotep that it was not any dragon who took me.”

Erak breathed deep as he had been taught, calming his mind and projecting thoughts of nothingness. Rohjer helped him along by pushing his young open mind into sleep. He quickly replaced the panel and carpet, then added a siddhi (shakti perfection) that erased Erak's presence from all perception. He stood and found himself shocked at Osahara still standing there.

“I told you to run!” he yelled. “You cannot fight. Get into the trees. Now go!”

Osahara stumbled out the emergency exit at the back of the chariot just as two men with advanced energy weapons entered the craft from the torn front end. They are not Ardjians at all! Rohjer thought as the kinetic energy sliced right through his shakti protections and downed him.