New Empire

He nodded and eased Raven down onto the couch. "Well we will be sending them a clear message. When I take control of San Diego we will again show them that we mean business."

The Dowenger nodded, "Start as you mean to go on."....

"Yes." he said.

"Very well then." She said, then eased herself back out of the chair, "I will let you both alone. Until the city is clean, I'd like your mut.. I mean, lycans to hunt for the others if possible. They know what to avoid. My children don't.".....

He liked how she had changed her choice of words for his lycans. He took out his radio and called down to inform him of what was to take place. He could almost see the grins on the faces of his soldiers as they spread the word. It would be a day of complete horror for the people of the city and then for those outside the wall and fence. "Now my sweet, what do you feel like doing."

Raven looked up and waited until the old female was out of earshot. "I'd like to feel your warmth again." She said quietly, "Curl up in you and go back to sleep, but really, I should check on Seth. I know Kaitlyn is looking after him, but I miss him."....

Anubis sat down and let his wings drape over the back of the couch and drew her close. "Like this." he asked grinning

Raven smiled and curled into him with a small sigh. More than anything, she loved his warmth. And his smell. It all reminded her just how different they were, but at the same time, she felt they were the same. Closing her eyes, she covered her back with her wings and caccooned herself against him. "Is Seth still sleeping?" She asked......
:
To answer that Seth came out of the bed room laughing and and straight to the couch and crawled up on it, sitting on both of them. Anubis laughed and tussled the boys hair. "Looks like that answered that question. Almost right behind him came Kaitlyn an apoligitic look on her face.

Raven lifted her wing and smiled as Seth crawled up to her. He put himself right between them, put his hands in his lap and started laughing when Anubis tussled his hair. Then she spotted Kaitlyn looking apologetic and she shook her head, "We're fine." She said and Kaitlyn left them alone. Raven cuddled Seth up and wrapped her wing around again....

"Mommie. DaDa." he tried to hugg both of them. and Anubis put a hand on his back. It was strange but it gave him a good feeling."

Raven hugged him back and looked up at Anubis before kissing Seth on the nose, "Why don't you go play." She said to him. "No!" He said back, "Huggie!" Raven laughed and gave him another cuddle. "Scoot." She said and opened her wings. "No!" Seth said again, but a second later, he clambered down and toddled away to play with his toys. Raven laughed and curled back into Anubis...

Anubis chuckled and caressed Raven's face. "Can you imagine what he is going to teach our other little one? What mischief that they are going to get into?"

Raven faked a shudder, "I can only imagine." She laughed, "Either way, he's definitely going to keep us on our toes. I'm almost glad I made Kaitlyn his nanny."....

"There is a human saying that one's children are ten times worse then their parents. With our histories, I wonder." he grinned. "Yes she is good with him."

"Oh my!" Raven replied with a laugh again, "We're doomed then!" She laughed once more and then moved to sit up a little. She pushed her wings up and then laid them over the back of the sofa. Across the room, Seth had found some blocks and a tray and started stacking them up. Raven smiled as she watched him....

It was good to just relax for a change and enjoy one another's company. He didn't know when they would get aother chance like it again. Mathaius entered. "My apology for disturbing, but looking for the Dowenger. Serene is missing and none has see her. since early yesterday night."

Raven looked up and smiled at Mathaius, "She's downstairs." She said, "I wouldn't worry about Serene. She can handle herself.".....

"Yes I know, but for her to be missing worries me." he told Raven. A chuckle from behind him made him turn. It was the Dowenger.

The old female waved her cane at Mathaius, "Let them be." She said, "I know where Serene is, so you can stop panicking." Mathaius moved to the door and the Dowenger hooked the handle with the loop of her cane. She smiled and pulled the door closed. Raven looked up at Anubis and shook her head....

Drawing her close again he kissed her deeply. "Let us just enjoy the time that we have now, before we have to return to makeing our empire safe."

Raven nodded and made herself more comfortable...

Over the next few months, many changes happened both in the Los Angeles and in the palace. Workmen had started coming and going as they created new gateways in and out of the building. Rooms were stripped and adjusted to acommodate perches and other furniture the Angelus could be comfortable with. There were other people coming and going also to provide new clothing and furnishings. It all seemed to be going well. Out in the city, lycans and vampyres alike, even some humans, were rounding up people from all over and testing them. All those failed the testing were killed and thrown over the city walls and fences. The news coverage showed the pictures all over the world. Most were horrified of what was happening, others said it was final justice for the evil drugs were doing. Opinion aside, Raven's orders were carried out without remorse or empathy. The population of the city was reduced by nearly a quarter by the time all the addicts were dealt with. At one point, the troops outside began to build a blockade to stop food getting into the city, but they stopped when those transporting the goods turned on them and forced their way through. Regular people were turning on the troops and making their deliveries and such regardless. And they willingly opened up all to be checked and rechecked before anything was handed out.....

There were those that seemed to see Anubis as one that was out to get rid of the criminals, drug dealers, addicts, the scum that made every day life miserable. He was a harsh leader, but a fair one. The life in the city was made better even though there were those that were being hunted for food. But that was not that often. They lycans could eat normal food and only had a desire for human flesh about once a month. The vampires only took enough from humans to survive. They did not kill the humans. People from outside the small empire began seeing Anubis as a savior. There was up risings in San Diego against those supporting the government. When Anubis sent in lycans, they were welcomed and people quickly let them know where the dealers and addicts were, where gang memebers lived. The criminal elements were quickly rounded up and dispatched before cheering crowds. The people put themselves between the soldiers and lycans and the few vampires that were sent there. Before the rest of the country knew it, San Diego was apart of Los Angeles and everything inbetween as well. Anubis was in control of all of Southern California. Even some of the troops sent to try and retake Los Angeles and San Diego went over to Anubis' side. Anubis was a bit shocked about that. He didn't think they of all people would turn on their government. The US Government was in a panic.

People up and down the Western seaboard were beginning to follow Anubis, even as far as San Fransico, they were beginning to turn on their leaders in favour of the so called demon invading their country. From her rooftop, Raven smiled and watched it all happen. Far and wide now, people were showing support for them and their ways. Anubis had extended his reach and word was spreading fast. She felt proud to be a part of this new order and her people were now happy. The humans that now followed him were happy. Crime had all but disappeared in their new little country and the deterant for it was made clear......

The US government made sure that the news media was not allowed in the area. They were trying to keep the rest of the country in the dark on what was happening. The Troops were pushed back by the people themselves and the soldiers that had turned against thier own country. Anubis had Batallions of soldiers, armed with tanks, cannons, machineguns, armored vehicles and tanks. His influence was spreading north to San Fransico. On the other side of the world, Cain had destroyed his old order of hunters. Their bodies were ripped apart and left to rot in the streets. Serene and him made it back to Iran and had begun the eradication of government leaders and religious ones as well.

Raven could feel the world beginning to shift. Governments were losing control and falling. The church had lost all credibility and were fast losing their followers also. That had resulted in a few slap dashed attempts to attack the city, but they had been destroyed as quickly as their leaders were. Things were going incredibly well, but Raven made sure not to get carried away in it all. To count one's chickens before they had hatched would be foolish.

Anubis was busy during those months, traveling south to meet with those taking control of local government and police forces. He also created his next generation of his kind. They were physically fit and mentally fit for what was to take place. All were volunteers and had been screened by him, the Dowenger, Raven and Mathaius. He wanted no more mistakes like that had happened to Cain. Their lives were checked and recheched to make sure they were ready to be changed.

The women were the first to discover that they could have their wings come forth. The male Angelus were immediately attracted to them. They were three young males that had not had the opportunity to mate. The two males that had been selected had been created in time for the two remaining female Angelus to go into their cycle. It was intresting to see the five Angelus and Anubis' creations interact. The Males getting a good headful of their scent had the same effect that it had on Anubis.

He knew that Mathaius had once had a mate and had loved her very much. But he wondered if he could find another to love as he had done. "You can be a part of this you know." he told him. "Your people need as many as possible to give a large gene pool."

The months were rolling by quickly and things were changing fast. What was left of the US government was in true fear of its own people as more and more of them began to turn to Anubis. The church was fast losing all credibility as they lost their hunters one by one and despite the enforced media black-out, word was still spreading.

By the end of the summer, their empire covered the entire Western seaboard and it was spreading East. Many of the younger Angelus, including the new hybrids were doing their own work in the matter. In an effort to get the word out, they had gathered up all the media companies and made them into one huge conglomerate named West Coast Media, or WCS for short. After only a short time, they were able to create their own entirely new channel and station. Outside the empire, it was classed as a pirate station and was banned, but many people still tuned in on a regular basis to hear the messages and propaganda. News reports aired, showed the public the crime free streets and parks, clean beaches and generally happy people. Schools, hospitals and municipal buildings were all open as usual, shopping centres and market places were trading without fear. People were happy and safe and WCS made sure that everyone knew it. Even the rare killings were set aside as most of them were convicts. The prison wardens and officers were happy to hand them over.

Many changes had happened in Anubis' palace also. Adjustments had been made to the building to allow easy access for the comings and goings of the Angelus. New doors and airlocks had been put in and builders and architects had been in to design and adjust the rooms to include perches and various furnishings to allow more comfort. Other people had been coming and going also including clothing designers, scientists, even some religious people. The latter had come in peace, hoping to correct the mistakes of their former superiors and rebuild their faith. For the most part, all were made welcome and the adjustments had gone well.

At one point, the government tried to stem the growth and created a blockade to stop all essentials getting in or out. They failed spectacularly. The first to break through the soldiers were truckers. They simply refused to stop and barged their way through. After that, smaller trucks and wagons did the same. Water companies and power companies quickly followed suit by stopping the troops from getting to them. No matter what the government tried, they just couldn't deal with the sheer amount of people turning on them. And that in turn had created an entirely new infrastructure had been created.

Many things had changed with what had become commonly known as the royal family. Knowing that he was needed elsewhere to help guide the younger ones, the Dowenger had freed Mathaius of his obligations. He remained her primary body guard, but her care had now fallen to a special team of humans. Her already fragile health was failing, but she was comfortable and she was happy. Seth was growing and learning incredibly quickly, but thanks to Kaitlyn and Sophie, she was able to keep up with him. Human children were very different indeed. He had become stable on his feet and was learning how to feed himself solid foods. He as also learning to use what Kaitlyn called a 'potty'. Raven's egg hadn't changed much over the months, but there was the odd sound that let her know the infant inside was doing well. And on top of that, Raven's egg wasn't the only one anymore. Over the passing months, many of the matings had been successful. Four out of the first five to breed had resulted in an egg and all seemed to be healthy so far. Only Mathaius seemed to be left on his own.

While going over various maps and other material, Mathaius never heard Anubis entering his new office. He had been busy studying the growing borders of the new empire. When Anubis spoke, Mathaius jumped and almost sent him flying as his wings suddenly extended and flapped. Thankfully, he missed and he dropped his head with a sigh, "Apologies." He said, "I didn't hear you come in." He looked over the maps one more time and then rolled them up. "Brother, we have spoken about this before." He continued, "I do not wish to be paired again. I know that you wish to see me happy, but my new mate would not be honoured as she should be and that would not make neither her, nor myself happy. I could never subject a female to a life without affection purely to produce offspring. Your hybrids have succeeded already, Anubis, be happy enough with that.".......

Anubis had hoped that Mathaius would have been as lucky as he had been. But it seemed that he had not meet anyone that had suited him. He could only sigh and nod his head. He left Mathaius to his work and went about checking the reports that were coming in. Things had indeed sped up since Raven and the Angelus had come. The state of Washington was now also a part of their expanding empire. People were tired of the US Government. Their constant indecision on things, their inability to pass a bill without every senator or congress man trying to add their two cents to it. They constantly were trying to please the conservetists and those whinning about how cruel capital punishment was. They saw Anubis as one that made decisions quickly and fairly. There were those that wanted to join his empire. They came by the thousands and he had to smile. He heard news of Cain and the Angelus Serene that had gone with him. He had on his way to making his empire put the Church on the defensive and then as he had promised brought it down with the truth. He was Cain, Son of Adam and Eve. He knew the truth and there had been no garden of Eden, not serpeant that tricked Eve into taking the forbidden fruit. There had been no tree of knowledge. He explained everything about the stories in the bible. Slowly the Church began to crumble and people lost faith in it. He was again revered as a God of sorts. There had been those in the old countries that had handed down the stories of Cain and his empire. From survivors of the Great Flood. There had actually been a small group of people, a secret society that kept the history of his first empire alive. They came forth and joined him and brought forth ancient texts that proved their claims. Iran and Iraq soon came under his control as even the Islamic faith began to crumble, since it was based partly on the Jewish religion. Serene had come into her cycle and had successfully produced an egg that was healthy and survived. Cain like Anubis made quick work of the corupt officials and fanatics. He now controled two countries that produced oil and made it clear that he would not sell it to those that did not show respect and recgonize his empire. Anubis saw Raven and grinned as he give her the update on Cain and Serene.

While Mathaius had returned to his maps, Raven looked up at Anubis and smiled before putting a finger to her lips. Seth was asleep on her and was comforting himself by suckling on her. "He had a bad dream." She whispered and then shuffled over carefully on the bed....

"A bad dream." he took a finger and moved some hair from his face. He grinned and leaned down and kissed his head. He had grown some and he was doing well on everything. "When is the date for the hatching." he asked her

Raven looked across at the egg, "Another five or six months maybe." She said quietly and then waved at Kaitlyn to come over. Seth had fallen completely asleep again and had let her go. She handed him over gently and then leaned back once more on the bed. "I'm glad to hear the good news about Cain and Serene and of course, the work he's done over there."....

The other Angelus had made their way to other cities and had set up command posts and nests there. Their mates were with them and Anubis had put them in charge. It gave them something to do and give them a taste of what it was like to rule over the humans. They now enforced Anubis's and Raven's laws. Anubis could hardly believe that his empire had grown so big is such a short time. After Seth was taken back to bed, he enveloped Raven in his arms.

Raven hugged him back and took a good headful of his scent before relaxing again, "There is something I need to tell you." She said, "And it won't make you happy."....

He knew that tone of voice and and knew it was not going to be good. "Alright what is it?"

"The Dowenger took another turn for the worse this morning." Raven said sadly. "She's still awake though and ordering her humans about like always, but she's in a lot of pain.".....

That pained Anubis. She was family now and he was quite fond of the old woman. "She doesn't have long to live does she?"

Raven shook her head, "She might be around long enough to see our egg hatch, but not much beyond that." She said...

That would be the Dowengers moment. To see the new generation of the Angelus. She would be able to finally go in peace then. Then Raven would probably become the new Dowenger. "That would make you the new Dowenger as Mathaius is the new elder."

Raven shook her head again, "Not necessarily." She said, "I'm not the oldest female. And to be honest, so many things have changed now and she is so loved, I don't think she cuold be replaced so easily."....

"That is true, but I think you have what it would take. Plus all the others respect you and follow you as well." he told her.

Raven shook her head a third time, "I won't be replacing her." She said, "And that's final." She moved over to the egg and carefully began turning it. The movement created some noise within the shell and Raven smiled, "I'm here, little one." She said, "I can hear you."....

She didn't want the job, and he was not going to force her. He moved to the egg and put a hand on it. He could feel the movement as well as hear it. Still a long way to go before it would hatch.

After turning the egg completely over, Raven put back the blankets to stop it rolling. The sounds from inside continued and actually got a little louder. Raven furrowed her brow and put her ear to it. "That's unusual." She said then began tapping it gently with her fingernails. The response was a small but firm scrape from inside....

"Ahhhhhh the little one knows you are there." he smiled. "That is not usual?"

Raven shook her head slightly, "No." She said, "Sounds like that shouldn't be defineable so soon. At least not for a another couple of months." There was another scraping sound and the egg suddenly moved. Raven reached out and grabbed at it quickly out of instinct. It wasn't going anywhere. "This is far too soon."....

Too soon that didn't sound good. "I think we had best see what the Dowenger has to say about it. He left to go to her quarters and talk to her. He found her in the overstuffed chair she liked. He told her what Raven had said and his voice was full of worry.

The Dowenger leaned her head back and slapped a stool next to her chair, "Sit down, you're making my neck ache." She said hoarsely. "Now in plain English, if you please. What is happening about your egg?"....

The little one inside can tell that we are there. The scratching sounds are louder and it can move the egg about." he said as he took a seat.

The Dowenger opened her eyes wide, "So soon?" She asked, but then laid back and smiled, "A mix between Angelus gestation and human. Something Raven had not considered. Much like the mating, it seems.".....

He looked at her raising a brow. "What do you mean?" he asked.

"Angelus gestation is 14 months, give or take a few weeks." She said, "Human is what, just over half that? Perhaps your child has run a more human gestation period than Angelus."...

Now that would be something the doctors would have to know about. The others would have to be checked to see if they would hatch early as well. "So the little one could hatch early?"

The Dowenger nodded slowly, "Angelus minus Human equals about 7 months. Raven birthed just over 7 months ago." She laid back further and smiled. She would see the hatchling after all.....

"But will it be all right? Fully developed in such a short time." he was still worried. he wanted the little one to be alright.

At this, the Dowenger's smile faded, "I couldn't say." she said honestly, "This will be the first hybrid born. We are in what humans call uncharted territory. For all I know, it could die yet, or it could survive. All I can adivse is to just be there. Raven will need you.".....

He nodded. Then stood and returned to Raven. He told her what the Dowenger had told him. "We can only wait and hope for the best. But remember, that little one is a fighter and has two very stuborn parrents."

Raven nodded and curled herself around the egg. What the Dowenger had said made some sense. "Hatching uually takes a few days." She said, "But if she's right, it could be as little as a few hours, maybe a day at most."....

"Then we stay here. I will inform my generals to take care of things for now and also get intouch with the others and let them know what to expect." As she wrapped her self about the egg he made the calls. He was going to be there with Raven for the entire time.

Word spread quickly and soon enough, all knew what Anubis knew. Word began coming back of congratulations and wishes of good luck etc. Kaitlyn came by briefly and was informed. The girl knew that Seth had to be looked after for a while and kept out of the way. A young male Angelus, Lucas, arrived shortly after with a camera. "The Dowenger sent me in her place." He said with respect, "She cannot be here to see the hatching, so has asked me to take pictures at each stage so she can at least see what happened. Would that be permitted, Elder Anubis?".....

Elder? The young Angelus had called him Elder. "It would be alright. But I am not an Elder. Mathaius is the Elder of the Angelus." He would not take that honor, he was not a true Angelus.

Lucas furrowed his brow, "Mathaius is an Elder, that is true." He said, "But as our leader and our savior, you deserve that honour as much as he does. The other see you the same way I do and you are the Dowenger's named son." He smiled and held up the camera, "Can I take a few before things start happening?"....

Now that was something that he had not really expected. The old woman had adopted him. He could only sigh and nodd his head. He bet that before the old girl died, she would name Raven her successor and then Raven would have nothing to say against it. "Go a head." he said. "Smile Raven." Anubis told her.

Raven looked up puzzled and Lucas took the picture regardless. He smiled at her and bowed his head slightly and then backed off. "I won't intrude." He promised. The egg moved again and Raven instinctively curled about it tighter. The noises started again and one began to sound like a distinctive infant sound. Raven brightened immediately, "I can hear it!" She said quickly, "A cry, I heard it. The hatchling is still alive." She waved her hand at Anubis, "Listen!"....

Anubis sat on the bed and put his ear to the egg. He could hear it and smiled. "When it hatches, what are we to do?"

"Clean it up as best we can and wait for the real cry." She replied....

Sophia showed up and stayed by the door out of the way. This was an exciting time and she has in the last few months been back at the collage continuing her studies and to work on her papers about the Angelus. Her eyes were wide and she looked on with facination.

Minutes soon turned into hours and the egg made little more than a burp so to speak. It moved many times, but never enough to warrant panic. The sounds also continued, but became more steady. There were a few more scraping sounds which made Raven very happy. Lucas took several pictures as the egg was slowly turned often. There was nothing definitive just yet, but there were signs of the scraping beginning to show. The sheen on the shell was being damaged by the scraping from inside. The day passed into night and things began to happen proper. Raven moved the egg into the middle of the bed now and completely surrounded it with her body and wings. She left enough of the view so Anubis could still be involved. The egg began to jarr and lurch about and it made some very strange noises as it rolled around in Raven's grasp. And then finally, a crack began to appear. "Anubis!" She called, "we have a crack!"....

Outside in the living area Mathiaus stood waiting and sending down humans to the Dowenger of what was happening. As one went down another came up. Anubis was still there on the bed with Raven and saw the crack. It would not be much longer. He took one of her hands and squeezed it.

With a sudden snap, the crack widened and the bed was suddenly flooded with foul smelling pale green liquid. Raven grabbed at the blankets and mopped it up as best she could, but didn't touch the egg now. In fact, she actually moved away a little, encouraging Anubis to do the same. The crack split wider and then enough for a tiny hooked claw to emerge. Raven beamed with pride and started fidgetting. Any noise, she quickly hushed. "Lucas, turn off the lights." She whispered. The claw disappeared again and all went quiet....

The lights were turned off and Anubis watched to see what was going to happen next.

After a few minutes, the claw appeared again. Just from the sight of it, it was incredibly sharp, quite dangerous actually. It poked out a few times until it found purchase on the shell and then another appeared. Raven smiled up at Anubis. "Those are shelling hooks." She whispered, "They'll pull and scrape at the tougher parts until there's enough for the hatchling to move more freely." She pointed to the elbow joints of his wings. "They grow here and then drop off after a few days." The crack got steadily bigger as the hooks pulled away the tough outer shell one piece at a time. Lucas continued to take pictures, but when the flash went off, it seemed to disturb things and Raven asked him to leave. Finally, the hole was big enough to take a look inside. Raven moved a loose piece out of the way and let Anubis take a look. And there it was, covered in the foul sticky fluid, a mass of slick pale skin, bare wings and a stubby mass of dark hair.....

Anubis looked down and smiled. The little one was a fighter for sure and would make them both proud. Anubis whispered, "Come on little one you can do it. Come on out of the shell. Come join your mother and me in a brave new world."

Once Anubis had taken a look, Raven peered inside. The smile was soon gone, "It's so tiny!" She breathed. She began to worry now, despite the good signs. It explained the sheer amount of fluid that escaped. The hatchling continued to claw at the shell and then suddenly, kicked out a tiny foot. It went right through the bottom of the shell and then just hung there. It was barely the length of Raven's pinky! The toes wiggled and then the foot disappeared back inside the egg. For several minutes then, all went quiet. Raven was careful not to touch anything at all now and she carefully pulled Anubis' hand away too. "It has to break out on it's own." She whispered, "Any interference and the shock might kill it."...

Anubis nodded and moved back a bit to wait to see what happened next. He could tell that Raven was worried about the size. Normal humans were small. It was a hybryd so it could be small. "Don't worry. Our child will be fine. A true fighter."

Raven tried to smile and nodded, "I know." she said. It took the infant nearly an hour before it started moving again and the movement was that fierce and powerful that both feet and both arms smashed through. It began making a gargling sound as it tried to cry. More pieces of the shell began falling away and Raven was careful to move them as they fell. Eventually, there were enough cracks in the shell that it fell apart. Raven handed Anubis a towel and then began picking off shards and some of the stinking slime. She didn't check the sex just yet, there was more to do....

The little one was covered in the slime and watching Raven, he did the same thing. Soon the little hatchling was cleared of the slime and egg fragments. He Smiled down at it. "Hi there, I'm your father."

Raven seemed to glow now and once the infant was cleaned up a little, she lifted a leg. A female. This was a very good thing. As Anubis spoke to the hatchling, Lucas sneaked forward and took a picture. The flash frightened her and suddenly, she let out a horrific sounding scream that made all the present humans cover their ears. To Raven however, it was the most beautifyl sound she had ever heard. After that first scream, the tiny female started gargling so Raven quickly turned her over and all the horrid fluid she had swallowed was thrown back. Raven was still worried though. The tiny female weighed little more than 4lbs and she was floppy....

A girl child. Another that would one day bear a child, help with a new generation. In his long life he only saw a few births of human children. Mostly back in the begining. Some were that small, others were larger. "She will survive and grow. I was thinking. I know you had a girls name picked. But I wonder if there is one that should be given. The one that gave us this chance so long ago.

Raven looekd down at her new daughter and furrowed her brow, "Are human children this floppy?" She asked. The infant couldn't even hold her own head up, "How is she supposed to hang onto me?" She looked down at her again....

"Yes they are that floopy for a while but they get stronger. Look at Seth. He was like this and he is strong now. Being part human the child will probably not be exactly like a Angelus in holding on to you. We will have to adapt." he ran a finger over the little body. "This is your mother." he whispered again. Word again spread fast. The child had hatched and was alive. The first to hear was the Dowenger.

Raven nodded, "Ok." She said and carefully picked the female up. The crying instantly stopped and the two females regarded each other for a moment. Then the crying started again and Raven literally melted. She smiled and curled the hatchling to her. Those sharp hooks found purchase in Raven's skin and she moved herself instinctively, then attatched herself to Raven's left nipple. The bare whip-like extentions that would become wings, wrapped around Raven and there the child then stayed. This made Raven happy. "That's more like it." She said quietly....

Anubis shooed everyone out except Sophia who he knew could help. It was time to bond with their new daughter. "So what do you think my love." she had not said anything about his suggestion for a name for their daughter.

Raven smoothed the sodden hair away from the tiny female's face and curled her wings about them, "I think she's nothing like I expected." She said quietly. As Raven ran her fingers through the hair, it became clear that this was no ordinary hair. In fact, it clumped together more like fine feathers than human hair....

Word came up that when possible the Dowenger would like to see the hatchling. Anubis smiled. He hoped that she could live long enough to see the others hatch and see that the new generation of Angelus was healthy and would grow up in a world that would respect, love, and fear them at the same time. He mometarily got up and fetched a small blanket and put it over the hatchling, to help keep it warm.

Raven smiled up at him and took the blanket. She tucked it under and then tied it around over one shoulder. She nodded to the human and carefully got off the bed. "Sophie." she said quietly, "The bed needs cleaning thoroughly and new sheets putting on." Sophie nodded and quickly made a start. Raven went to the door and to another human, "Tell Old Mother we're coming down."....

The human hurried off to do her bidding as Anubis walked beside Raven. The ride down in the elevator was quiet. He moved an arm about Raven as the doors opened and he guided her down the hallway to the dowenger.

The door was open and the old female was waiting in her chair. A couple of humans were hovering around her and one had just injected her with something. Raven looked on suspiciously, but the human smiled. "I've had to give her something a little stronger to ease her pain." He said honestly, "It will help her sleep." Raven nodded and moved forward. "Dowenger." She said quietly. The old female opened her eyes and she gave a long smile. Raven pulled back the blanket a little and showed the tiny infant. "She's perfect." The Dowenger said quietly. "I'm so proud of you." Raven knelt down by the old woman's feet and spread her wings. "What are you calling her?" The Dowenger asked....

Anubis smiled down at Raven. He had left the naming up to her.
:
"Evangelina." Raven said suddenly and without thinking. The name brought tears to the Dowenger's eyes and she looked up at Anubis with those same tired eyes. "I've waited a very long time to hear that name again."....

It was a beautiful name. "Who is our daughter being named after?" he asked.

The Dowenger wiped her tears away and then patted the top of Raven's head. "Once upon a time, Anubis of Nile, that was my name." She said quietly...

Anubis smiled and nodded. Yes a fitting name for the first new Angelus. "If the others are as short teermed as Evangelina then soon we will have several new hatchlings."

A strange feeling began to float around the room and the Dowenger seemed to glow a little, not unlike Raven had done. "I intend to see them all." She said, "Just as soon as I get back on these old pins." Raven looked up and smiled and the old Dowenger smiled back. "Thank you for giving her my name." She said warmly, "It means the world to me." Raven could do little but sit there and smile back. The old female then looked back up at Anubis and grunted in frustration. She picked up her cane and firmly slapped him with it. "Neck."....

Anubis laughed and sat down. He bowed his head to her. Now he had to let Cain know of what was happening. Since his take over and building of a new empire of his own, he had contacted Anubis. They had a firm communications link. He had wished that Cain could have been there for it but it had happened so quickly. Plus he had a feeling that soon his and Serene's would be hatching very soon.

The Dowenger smiled at them both and then prodded Raven with her cane, "Off with you." She said quietly, "Get some sleep. You'll need it. Anubis and I have a few things to discuss." Raven got to her feet and then put her forehead to the old one's before leaving. Once she had gone, the Dowenger hooked her cane around Anubis' neck, "Scooch up a little."....

He moved over a bit so she could see him better. "What do you wish to talk about Dowenger?" he asked.

"You've come a long way from what you were." She began, "And further still since Raven came to you. I suppose you've heard the rumours around the nest. No doubt Lucas will have spilled his guts already."...

"About me being an Elder?" he shook his head. "It is a great honor to be considered one, but I am not sure if I should be. Mathiaus I know is a good elder. He is older then I am and he has had you to give him advice and wisdom."

"Ahhh." The old bird said, "But wisdom is not everything. In times past, they believed their wisdom to be flawless, but you have proven them wrong. You have much more than wisdom up there." She tapped him on the head with her cane. "You have wisdom there." She prodded him in the chest. "That is far more important. Mathaius has the knowledge, but no desire to lead. To be an Elder, you must be both. They chose you like they chose Mathaius."....

"Then I will do my best not to disapoint them or you." he said with a smile. He was going to have his hands full that was for sure. Running an empire was not an easy task and then also to be a role model. "Is there anything else?" he asked. He was wanting to inform Cain about everything.

The Dowenger smiled, "You can show an old bird some affection." She chuckled, "Before you go running off to spread the good news."....

He gave the old woman a hug and placed his forehead against hers. "I am truely glad that you are here." he told her.

The laugh that came out of the old female was enough to brighten any downed spirits and she seemed truly happy just then. "I wouldn't have missed this for the world." She said, then shoved him with her cane, "Go. Spread the news and give Cain and Serene my regards. Tell them I'm waiting to see them."...

He rose to his feet and kissed her on the forehead. "I will do that." he told her and left. His study had been outfitted with the latest satilite phone equipment and he called Cain. Cain laughed and congradulated him. He took the news about the early birth to heart and could be heard talking to Serene about it. "Watch the egg carefully and give the hatchling encouragement." he told him. "Also the Dowenger would like to see you two soon." Cain said he would make arrangements for a trip back. Now that he had his own empire, and some private jets, the trip would be more comfortable and faster. They could travel over the Pacific Ocean.

Serene took note of the early hatching of Raven and Anubis' offspring, "But that can't be right!" She said, "That's half the time it should be. Is the hatchling actually breathing?".....

Anubis heard her worried voice, "The Dowenger has figured it out. Being of two species the time frame was changed. Yes the hatchling is breathing and fine. A fine daughter."

"But it must be tiny." Serene said...

"Yes she is small, but fully formed. Again something that will probably be the norm. We must get use to it all. We are having the doctors here check the eggs and will be there on hand now for it all. Do not worry, like us, yours is a fighter as well. Look who are the parents." he chuckled.

Serene cocked an eyebrow, "Well, one of us is anyhow." She said with some sarcasm. It was clear she did not share the same relationship with Cain that Raven held with Anubis, "I'll keep an eye on things and whenever Cain decides it's time to visit. Send Raven my affections."...

Anubis wondered at her remark. Was everything good with the two? "Perhaps you and Raven should talk. She can tell you more about it all." he handed her the SatLink. he was also courious as to what she had ment by her remark.

Raven lifted an eyebrow and sucked her fangs a little before taking the satlink. "Hello Serene." She said with a sigh, "Glad to know you're doing well." There was laughter on the other end, "Of course I am." Was the reply, "I'm not some dumb juvenile, ya know." Raven nodded, "I noticed." She said, "The hatchling will probably be around 4lbs at most and don't expect too much. Aparantly, they're a little floppy, more like human infants." The phone clicked a few times, "Understood." Serene replied, "Any other nuggets for me?" Raven growled, "Some affection between the parents would be good during the hatching, but you'd know that already." The sarcastic laughter on the other end made Raven growl and she tossed the satlink back at Anubis. "Too much to ask." She told him....

MMMMM it did not sound to good. Evidently Serene and Cain were not having the same relationship that they were. He would have to talk to Cain privately and find out what was going on. (you are going to have to tell me what you are thinking of on this)

Cain took the phone again and said, "As soon as ours is hatched we will be on our way back. Thinks here are well under control now and I can take a little time out to come visit."

Raven looked to Anubis, then swallowed her pride. "It would be nice to see you again." She called out....

Cain smiled and spoke so she could hear, "Under much better circumstances now. It will be good to be there with family."

Raven smirked a little, "As you wish, Cain." She replied, then looked at Anubis again. "You need to find out what's going on with them." she said quietly, "That female needs bringing down a few pegs if they're gonna be any good as parents."....

Oh he planned to find out what was going on. Cain had never taken a mate back at the begining and if he took Serene as his mate there had to be something about her that drew him to her. "See you soon then." he said and hung up. "Sounds like Serene is not like you and the others."

"She's like I used to be." She said, "Like my parents, her's were paired because of their strengths. The difference being is that I was taught some notion of affection. She never had that. A far as she's concerned, males are a means to an end and nothing more."....

Anubis shook his head. "That might not go over to well with Cain. He is not the type to mate just to have children, otherwise he would have done so long ago with someone he could have transformed, or even with a human." It did not bode well that Serene was that well. Cain could see it as another form of rejection, because he was not a true Angelus.

"Serene may be one of the finest hunters our race has to offer, but she knows jack about everything else. That's why she lost the Primus to me." And with that, explained also the animosity between them. "When they get back here, she'll learn quick enough, or she'll disappear. Either way, Cain won't have to put up with her for too long."....

"A nice long talk with the Dowenger I would say would be in order." he told Raven. then he changed the subject. "How is our little daughter doing?"

Raven nodded and then smiled, pulling the blanket down a little. "She's doing fine." She said, "But I think a bath is in order before she stinks me out."....

He laughed at that and nodded. "You go give her the first bath she will have." Sophia had cleaned up the mess and got rid of the old sheets. She felt that the slime would not completely come out of them and the stench was horrible. She saw Anubis and Raven with their new Daugther and smiled.

Raven smiled back at her and nodded in approval at the clean bed before turning to Anubis, "Not a chance." She said with a laugh and carefully detatched Evangelina from her. The hatchling instantly screamed. "Your turn for a little parenting!" She said over the incredible noise....

Anubis took the little one in his arms and he began rocking her and talking to her in a low voice. "Sush now little one. We are going to get you cleaned up and ready for the world to see." he took her into the bathroom and while he held her ran water in the little plastic tub that had been gotten just for her even before she had hatched. Taking a washcloth he gently sat her in the water and began slowly and carefully washing her. She seemed to like the water and his voice as she stopped screaming and made other noises. "Now that is a good girl." he said. "Tommorow, we will have to introduce you to your brother, Seth."

Raven watched with a smile as she leaned against the doorway. "You've waited a long time to do that, haven't you." She offered quietly and then came forward. Evangelina stared at her father for a few seconds, but then suddenly, dug her shell hooks in viciously. She wanted out of the bath. Raven hissed through her teeth as she watched those vicious hooks dig into his skin...

Anubis gritted his teeth as the hooks dug into his skin. Luckly they were not big. "Well now I guess you have had enough of the water. He took her out of the water and laid her on a large, soft and fluffy towel and began to dry her off. He looked over at Raven as blood trickled down his arm. He sighed. "Yes, a very long time. Except from this part." he nodded to the hooks.

Raven grimaced a little, "They'll drop off eventually." She said, "When her first feathers come in." She moved forward and wiped some of the blood away from his arms....

"Think you can get them out of my arm." he looked at her appealingly.

Raven smiled and carefully unhooked him from Evangelina. She started screaming again, so Raven quickly moved her away from the bath and to a changing station. In seconds, the hatchling was dried, powedered and covered in a warm blanket before Raven put her back to her chest on the other side and tucked her into the blanket. Evangelina settled again quickly and started suckling. "That went well, I think."...

Anubis shook his head as he put a cloth to the small holes in his arm. They would heal up quickly. "Not to bad." he chuckled.

Once Evangelina was secured, Raven went back to Anubis and pulled away the cloth. He was already healing and she smiled warmly as she dabbed away some more of the blood and then moved his skin gently to make sure there was no damage underneath. "Generally, after they've been used to hatch, they're used to help the hatchling cling on to the mother." She said then looked down at Evangelina, "But somehow, I think they might be useless this time, or until she's strong enough to hold on. My mother told me once that she nearly clipped mine. They had gone in between the scales under her wings and pulled them off. Apparantly, she bled for quite a while and my father had to look after me. She got the clippers out and the file and everything." She laughed a little after that....

Cain was not to happy.  He had thought that Serene would be like Raven but she had turned out to be quite different.  Their sex life was good but there lacked that intamacy.  It seemed Serene did not really want a loving relationship.  All she wanted to do was mate and have offspring to help keep the race going. 
She left the care of the egg to human slaves, only checking on it now and a gain.  It seemed she really didn't care for their off spring that much, as if it was just a duty and nothing more.  Cain wanted a child and spent time with the egg himself.  His contact with Anubis had provided him what to look for and he listened and watched.  He didn't want to leave the egg there and he couldn't just take it along on a long flight, so he decided to wait. 

Serene had went into her cycle a short time after they had gotten to Iran which had only been a few days after Raven had laid her egg.  A few weeks later she laid the egg and had just gone about other things since that time.  They had some time before the egg would hatch.  But Serene would not see the hatchng of their child.  Her ways had done her in.

She had gone off to hunt or do something and had left her guards behind.  They found her body riddled with bullets made of depleted uranium her wings broken and her body smashed on the rocks.  He could only guess that it had been an assination.  That had been military type ammunition and there were only a few nations that had it.  His anger was great but he kept it in check for the time being.  He had his child to think of and worry about, even if it had not hatched yet.  He called and let Anubis and Raven know.

In Africa word had spread of the new empire being built by Cain. The discription of him and his mate had filtered even into the very hart of Africa. Their discription sounded so much like them, a bit different but yet the same. Then the word came of another group of Angelus fighting to create another empire to the west and other bits of news that the slaves of the Angelus brought in. The Dowenger of the group, looked at her small little clan. She knew that the elders would never have allowed such a thing which ment they were dead or so feeble as to be unable to control the others. Some one among them had lead them away from the Artic. It seemed two had come far to begin their own empire, and closer to the nest then the one far to the west.

She was not as old as the Dowenger in Los Angeles. That one had died some time ago. But her mentor had left a wise and determined replacement. She faced the five females, and three males. They were young, and did not know of the time when their parents had been banished for speaking out against the Elders. They were the last of their kind in Africa and like the one in the Artic had breed themselves to the point of not being able to produce any offspring that would live. She had heard the name of the Male and it made her smile. Her mentor had spoken out against the elders decision the one called Cain. Her and her followers had been banished because they supported the idea of at least trying. The Great Flood in the region had smashed any hope the the old Dowenger had. For Cain disapeared and they had retreated into Africa where word of Anubis never reached them.

Now in this modern world where communications were instantanious, word had finally came and she looked at her family. "We will go and seek out this one Called Cain. Pack only what you can carry on the journey."

While the others were eagerly packing what they could carry, one female was hesitating. She stayed on her perch in the massive tree and watched carefully. The Dowenger came to her and took a roost beside her. "What is wrong child?" She asked.
The female looked at the others in concern, "I'm afraid Mama." She replied quietly, "Are the stories really true? Cain has come back?"
The other female nodded her head and smiled, "It is true." She said warmly, "As Evangelina had foreseen. Our race has come back to the world. The rebirth of Cain has proven this and a second nest far across the ocean only backs the whole story up more. Look around you Afrika. We cannot stay here any longer. We need to rejoin the nest and take our place once again."
The young female looked at the others and then back at her adopted mother, "But the stories say they have changed. What if they've changed too much? How could we be with them if they're so different?"
The Dowenger moved aside some of the canopy of the tree and moved her hand over the horizon. "Look out there child." She said, "The long necks you see just beyond the ridge." The female narrowed her eyes and focused in on the herd of Giraffes grazing on some smaller trees. "Are they so different from one another?"
"I don't understand, Mama." Afrika said.
The Dowenger laughed softly, "Look closely, Afrika. Tell me what you see. Are they all exactly the same?"
Afrika studied the tall graceful creatures carefully. The younger ones were smaller, but that was expected. They all had the same colours on their hides, they had the same shape, the same dimensions and the same horns. They moved in the same way and they ate in the same way. "Well." She said after some time, "Yes, they are the same. There are no differences, Mama."
The Dowenger shook her head and sighed, "Look again child." she said, "Look beyond the obvious. See past the big picture."
Afrika narrowed her eyes again and cocked her head to one side. For several minutes, she stared intently at the herd until finally, she found what she was looking for. "Their markings!" She said, "No two are exactly the same."
"That's right!" The Dowenger replied happily, "They are all different. They belong to the same species, same herd, but no two are exactly the same."
"Cain is not the same as us, Mama. He is a mammal." Afrika said.
"Pish posh." The Dowenger said dismissively, "Minor symantics, nothing more. He has already proven he can mate with our kind as was foretold. He and the female already have offspring. Surely that makes you happy?"
"More like lonely." Afrika replied and then hopped down from her perch. she landed on another branch further away and then entered a small hole in the trunk.

The Dowenger looked out at the herd one more time and then sighed before turning her eyes to the rest of her tiny nest. She knew the heart of her adopted daughter, she had felt the same heartache once. They were all too closely related now and Afrika had suffered twice now for it. Twice, she had taken a mate and twice, her hatchlings had perished. The second egg had never even hatched. As for the Dowenger, she had lost more than she dared remember. She knew Afrika's desire to nurture her young, her need to find that one male she could be happy with. And now maybe, that chance had come.

The nest would move for the last time and go North. With so many humans now, she would lead them across the sea. It was a much safer route than taking them up through the land. That was how Afrkia's parents had died. The nest was soon packed up and ready and Afrika joined them shortly after with her satchel. The Dowenger tied her own bag to her back and then climbed to the very top of the massive tree. The winds were blowing from the South which made her smile. They would make good time to the Gulf of Persia.
"Mama?" Afrkia suddenly asked, "How will we speak to Cain? Doesn't he speak another tongue?"
The Dowenger nodded, "Yes, but we will find a way. He may still remember the old nests Dowenger's teachings, if only in part."
"And if not?"
"His female will."

The Dowenger waited for a few moments, feeling for the right gust of wind to come along and then leapt into the air. The rest followed with Afrkia bringing up the rear. The climbed quickly and then took on a more aerodynamic formation to ease the turbulance. To anyone looking up, they were a flock of large vultures and nothing more.

Cain had set up what would be called and ENTAC. A communication system that was secure and linked via satalites. It had the capability to send and receive teleconferencing, where one could see each other as they talked. He hoped that Anubis had gotten his set up. It was a good way to communicate. He sat down in a seat infront of the consol and nodded to one of the several humans in the room. The call was made to Anubis.

Word came quickly of the call and a lycan guard came running in, after knocking, of course. "Sir, Cain is on the phone." He didn't know exactly what the system was called. Raven looked up from her perch and lifted an eyebrow. A call so soon?....

Anubis went into the study and looked at the large plasma screen that had been set up. Everywhere now was communication gear. Their empire was growing and he needed it all just to keep in touch with everyone. "What is it?" Anubis asked. Cain didn't look happy or anything. He looked more down then anything. "Serene is dead. Murdered. She went out hunting and as usual ditched her body guard chopper escort. This time she paid the price for that."

Raven put her hands to her mouth and then shut her eyes tightly for a second. Her wings shuddered as though in pain. "How?" she said...

"Evidently an assasanition Team. They used 50 cal sniper rifles from the looks of it and depleted urainum shells. She didn't stand a chance against that." he told Raven.

Raven closed her eyes again and turned away from the screen to compose herself. "I'm not familiar with that kind of weapon, Cain." She said, "How was it done?"....

"Long range, probably up to a mile away. The rifle is a powerful weapon and the shell itself is very large. The rifle is larger then what you see your soldiers carring and it has a scope on it that can be adjusted to different distances. Once in their sights they just shot her out of the sky."

At this point, she had to sit down. "Oh!" She breathed, then covered her entire face with her hands...

"I thought you two needed to know this right away. I have my people looking for clues as to who has done this. Once I find out, they will pay and pay dearly."

Raven nodded and left Anubis and him to talk privately. She went to inform the Dowenger and then Serene's sister....

He saw Raven leave and he shook his head. "There was no real love between us but she was the mother of my unhatched child. I assume Raven is going now to inform the Dowenger." Anubis nodded, "Yes I believe so." he looked around at the room behind Anubis. "Where is that little granddaughter of mine. I would like to see her if it is possible." Anubis nodded and called out for Katilyn. She came in carring the sleeping child and handed her to Anubis. "This is your granddaughter Evangelina." Cain moved closer to the screen a slight smile on his lips. "She is beautiful Anubis. Simply beautiful." Anubis handed her back to Katilyn and she took the sleeping beauty back to her bed.

From the Dowenger's rooms on the floor below, there was a loud cry and then another as Raven handed over the bad news to the old mother and Serene's sibling. Angry shouts followed and Cain's name was mentioned a few times. Then Raven's voice was heard as she stopped the pair of women shouting at her. All went quiet after that....

It had been a couple of days since the Angules had departed their old home. As Cain talked to Anubis, a human appoached and whispered something to him. Cain turned and looked at another screen, his face all business now. He turned back to Anubis, "We have incoming. Comming in from over the Gulf." he half turned as one of the humans spoke again, "What do you mean to small and to slow to be aircraft? Are they Drones?" "No Sir." the man said, "It is nothing like we have ever seen. We detect nine bogies, flying low." the man told Cain. "I want eyes on them immediately. What is in the Area." He commanded. "Two choppers sir they are closing in on them. Vido feed is up and on the screen." Cain hit a couple buttons and now Anubis could see what the choppers seen as well. What was seen made Anubis and Cains eyes go wide. Flying in formation was nine Angelus. "Break away from them, I say again Break away from them and keep your distance." he turned back to Anubis. "Got to go my son." he cut the connection and was heading for the roof of the palace. He immediately launched himself into the air and flew towards the on comming Angelus. Behind him was his own body guard choppers.
Anubis turned to one of the lycans manning the computers. Send word to Raven and the Dowenger."

He nodded and quickly ran down to pass on the message. Raven arrived seconds later, "What's happened now?!" She asked quickly, "What's wrong?" On the other side of the world, Afrika's flock had reached the far side of the Gulf. They were all exhausted, their Dowenger especially. when the helicopters came towards them, Afrika was the first to turn. The Dowenger was the second, "Down!" She called, "Everyone down now!" The choppers then turned away, but by then, the flock were fast heading for ground. They landed and quickly found cover. "How did they find us?" Afrkia asked quickly, "The hunters never even knew we'd gone!" The Dowenger shook her head, "I don't know." she said, "Just keep down and we'll move again when it's safe.".....

The choppers circled the area, keeping a close watch but not moving in or acting threatenly. Cain flew as fast as he could, finding the jet streams that would carry him to where he needed to go. A couple hours later he was within sight of the area and then began to circle above the area that the Angelus had taken refuge. He spotted them and slowly came down to land a short distance away. "You can break contact now and return to patrol. Contact the nearest base to have large tents and food and drink brought here immediately." he commanded and then slowly walked towards the Angelus, bringing his wings down and back across his back.

Afrika and the others stayed low and well covered between some rocks. When Cain landed, all were in shock. Cain was actually real and alive! The Dowenger was the first to emerge, but she did it cautiously. She recognised him, not for himself, but for another. She kept her wings up to make herself look bigger and enough tension in the muscle that she could flit away in a heartbeat should he get aggressive in any way. In her hand, she held a short spear that she put up and out, showing she was armed, but not making any threat with it. Her head and eyes moved contionuously as she checked and rechecked every possible angle. "You are Cain." She said finally.....

He stopped and smiled as the female Angelus approached. She was older looking, greying feathers. He gave a bow at the waist to her, "I am indeed Cain." he straightened up and looked around. "You have nothing to fear here. Those were soldiers of mine checking you out. You were spotted coming in over the gulf and with my empire not on the best of terms with neighboring countries I ordered your formation checked out." Cain stopped talking seeing that he had slipped from talking in their language to english that he was so use to. He knew she didn't understand a word he had said. He thought a moment and took a deep breath. Slowly he spoke again trying to remember their language that he had learned some of long ago. "No Fear." he hunted for the words. "Safe." he pointed to the ground and then held up his hands to show he did not have a weapon. He pointed to himself and said "Cain." then pointed to her.

The Dowenger furrowed her brow as he spoke in a strange language, but then changed and tried to speak in the ancient Angelus tongue. When he pointed to her, she put her spear down. "Dowenger." She said. "Where is your female?"....

Dowenger! They had a Dowenger. Again he smiled and bowed low. He listened to her and went through what he knew. When he realized what she had asked, his face fell and he shook his head. "Dead. Hunters."

The Dowenger's face went sad and she nodded. She understood. She then turned away and went back to the rocks. "It is Cain." She told them, "He won't hurt us. His female is dead. Hunters killed her." Gasps of sadness went through the small group and one by one, they came out of hiding. Afrika was the last. The Dowenger stepped forward. "Cain." She said, pointing at him, then pointed at each of her own in turn. "Mika." The male bowed low. "Artemus." He too bowed low. "Seline." The older female nodded her head. The Dowenger introduced the others and then finally brought Afrika foward. It was clear she was the youngest of the flock. "This is Afrika." Afrika nodded her head nervously and then quickly stepped back again, her eyes pinned on cain for any sign of aggression...

When Afrika stepped forward Cain could not take his eyes off of her. She was beautiful. He finally realized he was staring and brought himself back to the matter at hand. He nodded to each of them and said, "Honored." In the distance trucks could be seen moving in and then stopping. He held up his hands and said. "Food, Drink, Shelter." The men in the trucks quickly went to work putting up the tents. They were the large Bedawin tents. Airy and large, they were good to help give the Angelus a place to rest. He pressed a finger against the com set he had on his head. "Get everything set up and then make a perimeter about the area to secure it. If anything happens to any of my guests, you will pay with your lives. I want a ComSat link set up in one of the tents. I need to get back in touch with Anubis." He got confirmation of his orders and then Cain motioned for them to follow him. Back in LA, Anubis informed Raven of the Angelus approaching Cain's empire. "Have the Dowenger brought up here in her chair. I think she will want to see this." he replayed the copied vidio feed for Raven.

Raven watched with an open mouth and then waved her hand at a guard to do as Anubis ordered. The old female was brought up. The other Dowenger moved forward and the others followed. She told them he had food and water for them in the tents. Once again, Afrika was the last to follow and she kept looking nervously between Cain and his loyal minions. Once inside the tent, she looked around carefully and then moved for the water. The others quickly tucked in, taking their fill after their long journey. The Dowenger eagerly emptied an entire tray of fresh meat, swallowing some of the large chunks whole and then an entire pitcher of water. "Oh, this is so good!" She said to her flock. The others agreed happily....

A few minutes later a couple of Cains human soldiers entered with the ComSat equipment and table. The quickly set it up glancing at the Angelus as they did with wide eyes. Once set up Cain motioned for them to leave and he set about contacting Anubis. In LA the Screen came alive with a picture of Cain. "Greetings." he looked over in a different direction and could be motioning for some one tocome forward. In the tent he motioned for the Dowenger to come to the table. She came into view of the camera and could see Anubis and Raven.

And it wasn't just Raven's jaw that dropped. The old Dowenger's mouth also dropped open and she sat forward in her chair. "Sanura?" The younger Dowenger also looked just as shocked, "Evangelina?" Both females then laughed happily, "How?" Sanura said quickly, "How did you leave?" Evangelina smiled and nodded, "Anubis sent a ship for me." She said. sanura laughed again and nodded, "Are all of you there?" Evangelina nodded, "Everyone that agreed to it, yes. There's just over a dozen of us and some new hybrids like Cain and Anubis. We've set up a new nest here in LA." Sanura nodded and smiled, "That is such good news!" She said, then turned to head to Cain, realizing he didn't have a clue what was being said. "I think he's forgotten." She said. Evangelina shook her head, "He never really made it beyond the basics. He was human back then, remember." Sanura shrugged her shoulders, "Then we need someone to translate until he can learn more." She said. Evangelina laughed again, "Or you could learn English." She replied, "It's actually very basic and easy to pick up. When you make it here, Raven and I will teach you."....

Anubis didn't understand a word they were saying and he looked to Raven to translate. Cain on the other end could see that the old Dowenger was very happy seeing the younger one. He heard Raven's name spoken and English. If he had the jest right, the old Dowgener was inviting the younger one to LA. He looked around and saw Afrika, and again he could not take his eyes off of her.

While the two Dowengers were talking, Raven leaned over to Anubis. "They are happy to see each other." She said to him, "Sanura is the Dowenger's niece. Her sister and some of her companions were banished from the nest before I was born. They stayed in touch for a while, but then her sister vanished. We all thought the hunters had got them." She then smiled and bit her lip, "They're making fun of Cain. He never really grasped our language. We still considered humans quite basic back then and incapable of actually understanding our language. Our Dowenger has just invited her over here and between us, we will teach her English so he can understand her."....

Anubis laughed and shook his head. "Will that mean the entire group will be coming?" he asked her.

Raven nodded, "I hope so." She said quietly. She turned her eyes back to the screen and then had to blink twice. She got up and moved forward, "Dowenger." She said quietly, "Pardon my interruption." She nodded her head to the Dowenger on the other end, "Pardon my presence, Dowenger." She said in the ancient language to the other one, "But may I see the rest of your flock? Has there been some climate mutation with your offspring?" Sanura turned and looked at the others, "Yes." She replied, "And our habitat. We are primarily tree dwellers now instead of cliff dwellers like yourself. The following offspring were born adaptant to their surroundings. They are not mine personally, though I adopted the youngest when her parents were killed. That is her there, Afrika." Afrika and Raven locked eyes and both smiled. Raven patted her Dowenger on the shoulder, bowed her head and then moved away.....

Anubis noticed the look Raven gave the young Angelus and the pat on the Dowenger's shoulder. "What is up?" he asked.

"They have evolved differently to the rest of us." She said to him quietly, "They have adapted to tree life. The Dowenger there adopted the youngest. A young one named Afrika. I'd say she was about my age, give or take a few hundred years. She's very striking. I've never seen a colour combination like that before. Brown, honey and silver."....

"It is different." he told her. Cain looked at the old Dowenger, "If you could tell her that They can rest here for the night and I will take them to the palace in the morning. If they are planing to go to LA I will provide safe transportation."

The old Dowenger nodded and turned her eyes to Sanura, the younger Dowenger. "Cain has offered you safe roost for the night in his nest." She said, "And safe passage to LA if you wish to come." Sanura's eyes went wide and she nodded quickly, "Of course!" She said, "To finally feel you around me again would be wonderful." The old Dowenger nodded and turned her eyes back to Cain. "She has agreed." She said....

He smiled at the younger Dowenger. "Tell her also it is an honor to have her and her flock here. If you will excuse me, I need to ensure my soldiers have secured this area." He got up and agained gave a bow to the younger Dowenger and left the tent, after again looking over at Afrkina.

The two Dowengers spoke some more, but in the background, Afrika was watching everything, especially Cain. He seemed to make his excuses to leave and when he exited the tent, his eyes were as much on her as hers were on him. she turned her head slightly, but her eyes remained focused. He looked like Angelus, even sounded like one, but he reeked of mammal. It was all incredibly odd to her......

Anubis whispered to Raven. "Think an introduction to our daughter is in order." Cain moved about the encampment. Troops had beend deployed about the camp. The trucks were parked at a distance. The patrols were out and about and he was happy with everything. He got back on the com link he had on his head, "Make sure the palace is ready for our visitors. They have certain needs." he explained that they had lived in trees and needed roosts to simulate that.

Raven nodded and collected the hatchling from Kaitlyn. The very second Sanura saw her and knew her name, an entirely new conversation was started and Raven leaned over to whisper, "They will be at it for hours and I'm already getting a stiff backside. I'll see you later." She kissed his cheek and made her exit. The hatchling would be brought to her when needed. From the opening of the tent, Afrika watched everything very carefully, but her main focus was still on Cain. He was still a complete and utter mystery to her. She watched him walk the camp and speak to someone that clearly wasn't there. He was using technology. Her honey coloured eyes glittered as they shifted to look around every few minutes. and every few minutes, she took small bites from a fresh meat steak, making sure she spent a good minute chewing on it....

Kaitlyn held the little hatchling so she could be seen. Anubis could see how the younger Dowenger was inthralled by her and this made him grinn. Cain looked back at the tent and saw Afrika looking at him. He raised a brow and moved towards the tent. He couldn't talk to her, she would not understand him nor him her. He wondered what she was thinking.

Afrika looked back curiously, but when he started back towards the tent, she made to move away. She was skittish, nervous. The classic signs of a well trained, suspicious hunter, but still a very young one. He kept on coming and something told her to stay put. He wasn't going to hurt her, she knew that much. The closer he got, the more she had to look up. He wasn't quite as tall as some she had seen, but he was still much bigger than her. She finished her meat just as he came into reach and swallowed hard. Her honey coloured eyes flashed with silver as the light caught them. She didn't smile, but she didn't glare at him either. Mostly, she was just curious.....

He gave her a warm smile as he looked her up and down apraisingly. He wished he had learned more way back then. But he had not. It would take time for them to learn english and other languages, and perhaps he could begain again learning theirs. Anubis signaled Kaitlyn to take his daughter back to bed. He looked at the old Dowenger who was as happy as can be and just talking up a storm with heher neice. "Are they all coming or just their Dowenger?" he asked the old one.

"All of them I hope." She replied with a smile. In the tent, Afrika looked up at Cain and finally offered him a smile. "Afrika." She said, pointing to herself, then pointed her hand in the direction she came from, "Africa. Born." She tried to keep it as simple as possible for him.....

He nodded. It seemed she had been named after the country she had been borned in long ago. Oh how he wished he could talk to her. Everything about her was beautiful and graceful. Inside he could hear the two Dowenger's talking and then the others seemed to get intrested and came over to listen and say hello.

Afrika pointed to him, "You? You born?"......

He held up a finger and went over to a vehicle and pulled out a map and brought it back. he opened it up and showed where his empire was now. He pointed to where they were. "Born, Iraq." he moved a finger over the map to a location that would be approximately where he had been born. Finally inside one of the Angelus came out and motioned for him to reenter. It seemed that the two were done talking for the moment. He sat down and looked at the screen so the old one would not have to look up. He grinned and asked. "So all of them will be going to LA?" he briefly looked up at Afrika.

The Dowenger nodded, "Hopefully." She said, "There is a lot to learn from them and to bond once again as one family. After that, they will probably go where they choose. Most of them might even go back with you. They are most suited to the climate and Sanura feels it would be good to have more Angelus with you to help you start rebuilding."....

"Then I will have a transport plane prepared and an escort prepared. Anubis will be able to send aircraft to meet them and bring them all the way in. They will be there fast and you can see them in person. In the morning I will take them to my palace and get things arranged." he then cut the link and turned to the Sanura. "Rest." he said with a smile and went out of the tent. There was no trees but Cain knowing how hard it was to sleep on a bed with his wings, had some old fashion type furniture brought. They looked like long Roman couches that they could lay on since they had no backs and only the ends. They had soft coushions. He had found that this type of bed worked best.

A few seconds after, Afrika came in with the map he had given her. The others by now had drifted to find something else to study or eat. Afrika smiled at Cain and put the map down on the table. She opened it up and ran her fingers over it. "World." She said....

He nodded and smiled. "World. Big."

Afrika smiled again, but this time more honestly. She pointed to the place she was born. "Here." She said. It showed a mountain range surrounded by jungle. "Big trees. Big food. Many hunters." Her face sadenned at the last one.....

"Hunters." he moved his hand to differnt parts of the world. "No Like." he pointed to himself and her.

"I don't like them either." She said without thinking, "They killed my parents." Some of it was understandable....

Cain didn't understand what she said. But the tone was unmistakeable.

Afrika looked back up again and made a sign to him that he would recognise and remember. She touched her forehead with her first two fingers and then touched where her heart was. It was a sign to say family. She then rolled the map up and handed it back to him. "I wish you could understand me." She said to him, "But I'll learn quickly." She pointed to the map and gave half a smile. "Map." she said then in English. She had put the markings and sound together....

He smiled and nodded. "You, rest." he told her. He pointed back the way they came and then to where they were, "Long way."

Afrika nodded, but then shook her head. "I'm not tired." And she wasn't. Her wings ached, but her feet were just fine....

He chuckled. "Walk?" he pointed out away from the tent and began moving away. It was a beautiful night. The sun was slowly sinking now and night would be upon them soon.

Afrika smiled and nodded. She began to move away from the tent and once out of the lights a little, she looked up. "The stars look different from here." She said....

The stars were begining to come out. With no lights from the city they began to fill the sky as night fell. It was different walking with her then it had been with Serene. Afrika was quite different. More and more he wished he would have learned the language.

Afrika stood and watched the stars come out for a good while, smiling at some of them. She then looked at him with that same smile. "Some humans say that their loved ones look down from the stars and watch over them." She looked back up, "Ignorance is bliss." She looked around and started walking some more. The land looked so barren and she wondered how anyone could actually survive out here.

It seemed Afrika had forgotten that he could not understand all she said. It wouldn't take her long to learn English or perhaps one of the other languages spoken in the region. Since she was going to be heading to LA English would probably be the easiest language to learn.

One of his captains came on the com line, "Sir our spy to the north has picked up the trail of the assassins. They are heading into Jordan."

"I want a team assembled to follow them and to retireve them. I want at least one alive!" he ordered.

He turned to Afrika and took one of her hands in his and brought it to his lips and kissed it. "Must Go. Tommorow Palace." he gave her a slight bow and backed up some and launched himself into the air, his powerful wings beating the air. The soldiers he had left behind knew better then to go near the Angelus or to let any harm come to them.

Back inside the tent one of the males approached the Dowenger. "Who is this Cain? He looks like us, yet he is a mammal. How is this possible? Who is this Anubis that was on the think over there? He to is not like us. Tell us Dowenger."

After Sanura had explained the where's and whyfore's of Cain and the experiments performed on his family, the flock made their way to Cain's palace. It was far grander than their treetop home and for a while, they weren't entire sure what to do and where to be comfortable. Cain's guards showed them some rooms they had adapted partially for them. They ended up all staying on the one room. They were used to sharing the same space and they happily roosted together on the same perch. Afrika joined them for a short time, but then tiptoed out once they had fallen asleep. She wanted to explore this place for a while. Why did he need such a large nest? There had only been him and his former mate. Eventually, she chanced upon his private rooms....

Cain had returned to his palace to keep updated on the pursuit of the assassins. He was in the ENTAC room watching everything, as the pursuit team had helmet cams. He didn't want to disturb the Angelus with the hunt for the killers of one of their kind. He had been planning on returning to the tents in the morning but the tracking and capture of the assassins took all night. They had finally been caught in Jordan when they had seemed to slow down and take their time. It was as if they didn't have to worry about the Jordanian Military, and they were not part of that country's military but were found to be Isralie Masad. They were brought back to the palace to be questioned. In the morning it was reported that the Angelus had been escorted by the choppers to the city and one had lead them to the palace. He broke away from his interigation to make sure that they were comfortable. When Afrika entered Cain's rooms, she saw a very comfortable place. There was a roost built of beams high above the floor, a very large round bed covered in silk sheets. There was a study, that had several clay tablets written in ancient Sumarrian. There was a very large living area with couches, roman like benches with coushions and tables.

Afrika stared in awe at the grandeur of the rooms. She had never seen such riches all in one place before. Taking a quick look behind her, she made sure she was alone and then started looking around the room. The roost looked incredibly ceomfortable, but she wasn't sure about the big round bed beneath. She cocked her head as she felt the sheets. They were softer than any cloth she knew about and they had a sheen on them that puzzled her. Off to one side, she saw couches and benches laden with cushions and rich looking fabrics and on the other side, she spotted a study with large stone out on display. Giving into her curiosity completely, she checked over her shoulder quickly and then went to them. She touched them lightly, feeling the grooves of text and then looked a little closer. "Sumarian." She said to herself and began reading them. She smiled as she read the stories of Cain's adventures and his truth. She read about how the Elders had condemned him for crimes he had no part in and a hatchling named Salia. It sadenned her, but it made her only more curious. It was like he had written down his entire life in case something happened to him. She knew of another that had done that. Sanura had told her stories that she had been passed from her mother's sister, Evangelina. She carried on reading, leaning over to read the tiny text....

There was yet another room that the door was shut on and singing could be heard coming from it. It was across from the study on the other side of the living area.

Afrkia shook her head as she read, hearing something that didn't sound right. Eventually, it distracted her enough that she lifted her head from the tablets and turned towards it. There was another door. "Hello?" She asked. Getting no reply, she went to the door and tried the handle....

The door opened as she turned the handle. Inside on a large bed was two women and a deep green egg. As the door opened the women stopped singing and immedately moved infront of the egg to protect it. Their eyes went wide as they saw Afrika.

Afrika blinked dumbly for a minute as she tried to take in what she was seeing. Two human females were guarding an egg! Then her heart dropped as she realized what had happened. Cain's mate had been killed and left him alone with an unborn hatchling. She looked between the women and then again at the egg. It was well looked after, that was for sure. She held her hands up and backed up a step to show them she was peaceful. "I didn't realize." She said to them, "Forgive me."....

Cain was going to go welcome the Angelus to his home but first wanted to change clothing. When he entered he saw Afrika backing up out of the Nest as he called it. He wondered why she was in his private rooms. He moved up behind her.

Afrika backed up another step and then hit what she thought was the wall. However, it wasn't a wall. It was warm and it moved! With a small yelp, she spun around, her eyes wide in shock and fear. That made her panic and without warning, she opened her wings and leapt upward. One wing hit one of the women and knocked her down while the other slapped against Cain viciously. In a heartbeat, she hit the ceiling and bounced onto a beam....

Cain was knocked back by Afrika's wing. It was a shock but he had gotten to close to her and had surprised her. When he recovered he looked in to see of the slave was ok. She stood up a bit shakely but looked to be unharmed. He looked up at Afrika on one of the beams and raised a brow.

Afrika grunted and rubbed her head, then her hip from where she hit the beam on the bounce. After a few seconds, she regained her senses and stared down in total fear. "I'm sorry!" She pleaded, "I was curious! I didn't mean to pry, I swear!"......

Cain could tell by her voice she was scared and sorry. She still was talking in her language and he didn't know what she was saying. He motioned for her to come down. At that time the young Dowenger, that had notice Afrika's absence had gone looking for her and had heard the comotion and entered Cains private chambers and saw Afrika up on the rafter.

Afrika shuddered and clung to the beam and shook her head at Cain as he motioned for her to come down. He didn't look angry, but she rarely trusted in such gestures. When Sanura entered, she covered her mouth in shock. "Afrika!" She yelled, "What on Earth do you think you're doing?!" Afrika snapped her gaze to her Dowenger and shook her head, "I was curious!" She cried, "I didn't mean to pry, I promise, Mama." Sanura shook her head and moved foward, nodding her head to Cain, "Forigve?" She asked him....

He nodded to the Dowenger and then again motioned for Afrika to come down.

Sanura nodded back and looked up at Afrika. "Down, now!" She ordered. Afrika let go and dropped to the floor with her head low....

Cain looked back into the Nest and saw the two slaves again move to be between the egg and them. When Afrika dropped to the floor he motioned to the Dowenger towards the nest. "It is alright, they may enter and examine the egg." he told the women and they moved aside.

Sanura looked into the room and her eyes went wide as she spotted the egg. She moved forward and stared at it. As she reached, she tenderly reached out and tapped the top of it gently with her fingernails. There was a small sound from inside and she smiled again before moving back. She smiled broadly at Cain and nodded. "Good." She said to him and then spotted Afrika vying for her attention. "He has a book!" She said, "In Sumarian. Over there." She pointed to the clay tablets. Sanura furrowed her brow and looked at Cain. She moved forward and spotted them before turning her eyes back to Cain again. "You read Sumarian?" She asked, then sucked her fangs. "Can you understand this?" She asked in Sumarian.....

Cain smiled, "Yes. I can speak it fulently." he told her

Sanura suddenly beamed with a smile and clapped her hands, "Wonderful!" She said bopped herself ont he chin with her fist. "That is wonderful." She said again in Sumarian. "We can talk to each other."....

Cain laughed and nodded. "That is a releif." he switched to summarian. He looked back at the egg. "In a few weeks it will hatch. It seems a joinging of our species has shortened the time. I will have to find suitable lactating females for feeding the hatchling."

Sanura smiled again and nodded, but then looked at the egg. "Lactating females?" She asked....

Well that part had not been discussed with him. He assumed that the female Angelus produced milk like humans did. "When the hatchling emerges from what Anubis has said, begins to suckle."

"Oh!" Sanura said, then nodded, "I understand. So you have other Angelus females to help. This is good."....

He shook his head. "No I don't." now he was a bit worried. Was there something different that the Angelus women produced to feed the young. "What does the hatchling feed upon? Is it milk or something else?" he asked.

Sanura furrowed her brow. She understood the biology of human mothers when they fed their infants. Physically, it was exactly the same, but that was it. She scratched her head slightly as she tried to think of how best to explain it. "It isn't milk in the same way a mammal female produces it." She said, "A female Angelus produces a fluid that is far more rich in protein and other vitamins." She chewed her lip and then suddenly dropped her shoulders, "You're best seeing it to understand it." She told him. Without a thought, she dropped one shoulder of her skin top and showed him her breast. Using her thumb and finger, she squeezed the nipple hard and then massaged it lightly with the other hand. Slowly, a thick brown liquid emerged. It dropped down onto her finger and held it out to him. "Taste it and you'll see." She said....

He did and it tasted like nothing else he had tasted. "All female Angelus produce this without being with child?" it was the only way he could explain it.

Sanura nodded as she wiped away the excess. She sucked it off her finger and then tucked her breast back into her top. "Yes." She said, "Angelus are social beings and if a nest is large enough, it will have a nursery for hatchlings to be safe while the parents are hunting. Mammal milk is all fine and well for mammals. Fat and some protein for example, but Angelus milk also contains the mother's blood for immune defenses and arich source of iron to build the muscle and carry the blood better."....

"Then my little one will need that for sure." he told her. Serene was gone and would not be able to feed the child. If all the Angelus was gone then he was going to be in a world of hurt.

Sanura nodded, "I will speak with my females and see if one of them would be willing to help." She said, "I am willing to help should you need it." She then looked to Afrika and cocked her head to one side, "Afrika will also help."....

He nodded and then shut the door. "Well it will be a few more weeks." Perhaps some of you will be back by then." he motioned to the door of his chambers. He looked over at Afrika and smiled.

Sanura nodded and moved to the door. "Evangelina told me you were planning to go over there soon anyway. She suggested it would be better if we all travelled together." Across the room, Afrika looked back cautiously and then turned her eyes back to the clay tablets. She wanted to read more, but wasn't sure Cain would allow her after barging in on his nest....

He caught her look and chuckled. "If you wish to read them let me know. I will have them brought to you." he told her

Afrika nodded quickly, "Please." She said in Sumarian, "I would like that very much."....

"They are from ruins of the city I built ten thousand years ago. The foundation of my first empire. Since my return I have started getting it escavated. It wasn't that large but at the time it was." he noticed that they were not weary of him nor being Angelus did not seem to have any animosity towards him. He wondered why. "If I may ask, The Angelus have not always seen me in a favorable light. If I understand from what I seen last night, you would not have known about the LA Dowenger finding the truth about me."

Afrika furrowed her brow for a moment and then shook her head, "We knew very little about you." She replied, "But we were cast out just like you were. They never even acknowledged our existence after we left. Dowenger's mother and Evangelina kept in touch for a short time after our banishment, but we lost touch again after she died."....

He raised abrow on that. "Why were you banished?" he asked.

"From what I know, Dowenger's mother and some others defied the Elders and questioned their rule over the rest of us." She said, "Beyond that, I couldn't say. You're best talking to Dowenger about it."....

That he did, he moved up to her and posed his question to her.

Sanura's face dropped somewhat. "My mother, along with others, questioned the Elders rule." she said, "We wanted to go back to the world after the last Ice Age ended and study what mammals had come about from it. By then, our numbers were already very low and we thought early humans might hold the key. The Elders refused and called them heratics and mammals. Back then, being called a mammal was a great insult. My mother stood up to them and said they were too old and too feeble to lead with any justice or true wisdom anymore. By the season's end, they forced us out."...

It figured. The elders were a bunch of self rightious idots that thought they knew it all. They may have lived long and aquired a wealth of knowledge, but to him they didn't know how to use it or any wisdom glemed from it. "Now you and the rements of that group will be reunited. I am happy for you."

Sanura smiled, "The last time I saw Evangelina, I was barely a juvenile. It has been far too long. Seeing your grandson has given me hope, I can tell you that much."....
granddaughter

He chuckled, "She is beautiful and quite the fighter. But of course so are her parents."

Sanura nodded and gave a small laugh, "That doesn't supirse me." She said, "And the fact she's female is also a very good thing. With a few more, we might actually balance the numbers better."...

He stopped a moment. "I could do here what Anubis has done in LA. Create others like me, both male and female that could mate with those of your group."

Sanura lifted an eyebrow, "You're proof it's possible." She said, "And Evangelina has told me of the success your son has had." In the background, Afrika was listening closely to everything being said....

Soon after they arrived at the room that they had decided to share. They looked as if they had made themselves at home and were comfortable. "I am sorry I didn't return this morning to personally bring you and the others here. My people found the ones that killed Serene and I was interogating them."

"Serene?" Sanura asked, "Serene was your mate?" She looked shocked....

"Yes she was." he went to a window and pointed out to what looked to be a marble building in the courtyard. "That is her tomb." He closed his eyes and sighed. Then he turned back to the Dowenger.

Saruna shook her head gently and sighed before moving to the window to look at her tomb. "I suppose you must have loved her incredibly much."....

"I am afraid it was a one way relationship." he said softly. "She didn't seem to care for anthing realy intament." again he closed his eyes. "I have those responsible now and the country that sent them. They will now pay for what they have done."

Sanura nodded, "That's the Serene I remember." She said, "Far more interested in hunting and messing with the young males, than caring for hatchlings. But it is good her killers will be punished. She may have been a terrible nurse mother, but she was still able to breed."....
i'm gonna have to go in a sec hun. my bed is calling me

"War will be coming. That is for sure." The way things were getting in every country, it was going to be interesting. Islam was falling apart as was the jewish faith, now that he had shown that all their founding beliefs were totally wrong. The government was trying to hold things together but that was a fragile thing. "I must make arrangements for the transportation you will need to get to LA. I will make sure that you have an escort all the way and I will be coming along with you. I want the egg to be in a safe haven and not where it will be put at risk."

Sanura nodded in agreement and then looked out of the window once more before turning away. "I need to retire for the night." She told him. "Tomorrow brings a whole new adventure." She touched his shoulder lightly and then moved away from him. A little further down the corridor, she spotted Afrika hiding in a shadow. "You're not good enough to hide from me yet, child." She said. Afrika came away from the wall and lowered her head slightly. "Now why are you hovering?"
"I'm curious, Mama." Afrika said quietly. "This place is a puzzle to me."
Sanura lifted an eyebrow and looked over her shoulder. "Yes it is." She agreed, "But it's more likely that he's the puzzle."
Afrika blushed lightly, "He intrigues me." She said honestly, "I feel I must know more about him."
Sanura smiled and lifted Afrika's chin slightly, "Then why don't you ask him?"
Afrika pulled her chin away, "I do not wish to impose on him. I have already invaded his nest and I do not wish to further anger him."
"You haven't angered him." Sanura said shaking her head, "I think he's as curious as you are. I've been watching him. He's utterly struck by you."
"That's a lie." Afrika replied sharply, but still quietly, "He doesn't even know me and he's barely spoken to me, how could I be such a distraction?"
Sanura smiled warmly and lifted her daughter's chin once more, "Because you are beautiful, child." She said lovingly, "And his heart sees you."
Afrika shook her head again, "His heat is fickle then, Mama." She said, "His mate is not yet ash and he's already turning his head at me." She moved awya and started back to the rest of the flock.

Sanura followed quickly and walked level with her adopted child, "His mate did not return his affection." She said, "She cared only to hunt. She had done her duty by birthing his egg and wanted no more dealings with it or him.
Afrika slowed her pace, but did not stop walking, "He is still a fickle soul to turn his head so soon, even if she didn't share his heart. He should concentrate in his coming hatchling before seeking a new pairing. It is only right."
"True." Sanura replied, "But nonetheless, you have left your mark. It would be wrong to let this slip by you, Afrika. You should spend some time with him. Come to understand him and you will see what I do."
Afrika stopped her walking briefly, "I will consider your advice." She promised and then carried on her way to the roost.

Sanura stayed where she was for a moment and then turned her head back to Cain. He couldn't see her, but she could see him and what she saw was a broken heart. It was not broken entirely by the death of his mate, but the rejection of affection he showed her. At least, this was what Sanura believed. He had been used and cast aside when he no longer served Serene's purpose. That kind of treatment was cruel by any standard. That thought in mind, she turned back towards the roost and made her way there. She took her place with her flock and slept until morning......

Cain had stood there looking out at the tomb for some time. He had thought that he had found someone that could match him for his sexual needs as well as a deeper and more meaningful relationship. But perhaps he had jumped at the first opportunity and to soon. He had tried but the relationship had failed. He blamed himself for most of it. He had wanted to have a real son or daughter of his own after seeing the egg back in LA of Anubis and Raven. He had gone way to long with out a real relationship.

Once Sanura and Afrika left he turned back to the nest and sat by the egg on the bed. "Yes little one, your father is here. He gave it a slight smile. "We will be traveling soon to see your step brother and his mate and child. "

When night came he brought one of the long Roman like couches in and a blanket for himself and put it close to the bed and laid down on it. The two slaves retreated outside the nest and found their own couches and blankets.

In the morning he had the tablets sent to the Roost for Afrika to read and made the arrangements for fighter escort and a cargo jet to take them all to LA. They would be leaving in a couple of days. He sat in his study now going over various old journels that he had written the first few hundred years of his life. The clay tablets had been when there had been no pypirus or paper. Later when the materials had been created he wrote down everything. Some of it was not very good. Those times he had hunted Raven, had done evil things because of his anger. Oh his life had been a real mess and dark at times. But others had been good. Though he considered himself much better then humans he helped inspire some of them, made sure they were put onto the right path. Leonardo Di Vinci, Michle Angelo, and others he helped support but in ways as not to bring attention to himself.

He put his hands over his face, his elbows on the desk. If he had only known of this flock back then, perhaps things would have been different for him.

Afrika woke shortly before dawn as was her usual routine. While she ahdbeen sleeping, someone had brought the tablets as Cain had promised and she read through those while the others came round. It didn't take her long and when she was done, she stacked them in order carefully and put them back to be taken away later. What she read had only fuelled her curiosity. She more she knew, the more she wanted to know. As Sanura had told her last night, the best thing to do would be to spend time with him. As the others were stirring, she sneaked out and made her way back to Cain's nest. She knocked twice, but got no answer. She knew he was there, she could smell him. Once again, curiosity won and she entered the rooms queitly. She saw him leaned over his desk and for all intent and purpose, he seemed asleep. She moved to him, spying the scrolls and papyrus and paper around him. It looked like he had kept every detail of his life to date written down, just like the tablets she had read. Moving around the desk to be opposite him, she ducked down and put her elbows on it. She then laid her forearms across and put her chin on her wrists. Her head lolled to one side and she watched him silently.....

The Elders had really did a number on Cain. His mind was dwelling on some of the evil he had done and had not heard Afrika come in. But when she leaned down and put her arms on the table and put her chin on her wrists, he caught her scent and his head jerked up. He gave her a slight smile and took a deep breath, his eyes full of sadness.

Afrika jumped when he did, but when he smiled, she relaxed again and put her chin back on her wrists. She saw the sadness on his eyes and so started the first line of questions, "Are you sad for your lost mate, or sad that she didn't share your affections?"....

Now that took him by surprise. She was quite to the point and didn't seemed bothered to ask questions. "I was just thinking about parts of my past." he told her. He shook his head and stood up. "I have done a great deal of evil in my past, and now I am not so proud of those times."

"So that is what is sadenning you?" She asked, "And not the loss of your mate?".....

He looked at her, "That to saddens me and angers me as well." he told her as he closed one of the thick tomes on his desk. "Though she didn't seem to share the same feelings, she was my mate and the mother of our unhatched child."

Afrika nodded slightly, but remained where she was, "Why do you stare at me?".....

He raised a brow. She was direct and not subtal at all. He finally chuckled. "Are you always this direct and no nonsence when you aske people questions?"

"I have many questions to ask." She told him, "Is it not better to simply ask them instead of pandering?"....

He grinned and nodded, "It is refreshing to have someone not be pandering." he said and motioned for her into the living area. Here he took a seat and looked at her. "Well I find you quite attractive and aluring. It is hard not to look at you." he told her.

Afrika followed him into the living room and placed herself on the back edge of the sofa. She squatted down and put her hands between her feet as though she were perched on a branch. "Why?" She asked....

He leaned an arm on one of the head rests on the Roman couch. "Why?" now that was a hard one. "I am not sure." he told her. "Just something within me seems to like what I see."

Arfika cocked her head to one side slightly, "What is that something?" She asked....

"You have never looked at a male and found him interesting?" he rubbed his chin. "I have seen you looking at me, so I ask you why?"

Afrika furrowed her brow and cocked her head to the other side. "You are a puzzle to me." She told him, "I like puzzles. Dowenger says I've left a mark on you. Is that true?"....

He could not help but laugh softly. "I think she ment you have left an impression on me. Does it bother you that I find you attractive?"

Afrika shook her head, "Not entirely." She said, "I'm just curious as to why. Why would you not take a mammal female instead? You are a mammal, right?".....

"Humans are frail things that have short life spans. I have no desire for that. Also I have never found one that intrested me so much as to change her into one like me. They are alright for a short term afair. But I really don't know why I have not found one I liked until Raven and then Serene and now perhaps you."

"Who is Raven?".....

"Another Angelus that is apart of the other flock that is now the mate to my adopted son Anubis. It is a very long and sorted story there." he told her.

"Anubis." She said, "The male on the glass screen. The female behind him, that was Raven?" Afrika furrowed her brow as she thought it over. "She stared at me too.".....

"Probably because you reminded her of how she was some time ago.

Afrika raised her brow and gave half a shrug, "She looks a lot different than I do." She said, "Her feathers are all so very dark. Your's are too. Is she a mammal like you?"....

"No she is pure Angelus. All those in the north have black wings. I did not mean she thinks you look like her, but that you were like her in manerisms, experience, and things like that. She once looked at the world in a very different way then she does now. That is mostly becasue of me and what I have done in the past." he looked away from her.

"So you and her have a long history." She said....

"A long and not so good history." He looked back at her. "You have read my account of my life up to the Great Flood. You know what the elders did." he paused a moment, My anger was great and it effected my reasoning and what I did. I gathered forces to wage war on those of the north, wanting nothing but their destruction. Raven had been sent out to learn all she could about the world and I 'made her life a living hell. But I guess still down deep within me was the desire to fullfil a pledge I made to a dying fledgeling. I tried to force her to mate with me. At that time she only knew what had been told to her about me, not the truth." he shook his head and stood up again and walked to the large window. "Like I said, I have done great evil in my past."

Afrika nodded and looked down at the desk sadly, "You seem to have a lot of regrets over your life." She said quietly, "Was Serene your redemption for all that?"...

"Perhaps. I had not found anyone I could settle down with in any kind of lasting relationship until Serene followed me out of LA. I thought that perhaps she was the one, the one that really could complete my life for me. But I guess I was wrong."

Afrika nodded, "When you found uot she wasn't, it must have hurt you.".....

"You could say that yes." he whispered.

"So what will you do now?" She asked....

"Not sure completely. But I will ensure that my hatchling is loved and cared for." he turned to look at her again

When he turned and looked at her, she smiled back. "That much I can guarantee." She said, "Dowenger will be in her element when it arrives. She hasn't had a hatchling to care for since me.".....

"She will have her hands full. There are more in LA." he told her

Afrika smiled brightly, "Wow!" She exclaimed, "That's wonderful news." Then she went a little sad again, "I'm happy for them."....

"What of you, don't you have a mate?" he asked.

Afrika shook her head, "He died some time ago." She said. "Took on a Big Horn and lost."....

He felt there were more. If they were like the other flock, the inbreeding had made it impossible to have any egg that would survive. "You have lost more then that haven't you?"

Afrika sucked her cheek in slightly before standing up. "No more than any other of my flock." She said....

He nodded. "Hopefully we can correct that as it has been done in LA." he told her

Afrika nodded and offered a small but honest smile. "So do you intend to carry on what the other flock has done in LA?"...

"Should your flock decide to return here, yes. I can create others of my kind and with the proper encouragement they will sprout their wings and pair up with your flock. They will be the new gene pool and hopefully like in LA produce another broode of hatchlings.

Afrika offered another smile, "What made you change your mind?" She asked. "You hated my kind for so long. What happened to make you so different now?".....

He grinned. "A talk with the Dowenger in LA. She finally learned the truth and realized I was not the one that killed Salia the fledgling. I am not sure but she had been the one that had made the decision that I was guilty, and her finally bringing me back there and offering her appology for the wrong doing......... I think it was all that I had actually been wanting.

Afrika furrowed her brow, but then smiled. "Sometimes, it's the small things that make all the difference." She said. With a slight flutter of her wings, she began moving around the study...

"So will you be returning her after the trip to LA?" he asked her.

She shrugged her shoulders, "I don't know really." She replied, "I suppose I'll go where I'm needed." She looked back at him from a book case and then looked up. "You have a lot of books." She climbed up a few levels to see what was at the top, but wasn't aware that her clawed toes were damaging the wood....

"You would not want to be paired with one of those I create." I hear that those in LA have grown quite fond of each other."

Afrika grabbed at a book and turned the spine out so she could read the title, "I wish for nothing less." She said without thinking. "G...greet.. No. Great (gree-at)?" The second word, she just couldn't put a sound too. She was trying to say Great Expectations.....

"Great Expectations." he told her, "A fictional account of a person's life."

"Oh." She said and put the book back. She moved along the shelf, leaving more deep gouges in the wood and flapped her wings lightly to help keep her balanced. "T..Tenessee Wi... Williams. Sounds interesting. A Str....." She shook her head, "This English thing is harder than I thought.".....

He chuckled, "You will get the hang of it." he told her. "What are you intrested in reading."

Afrika put the second book back and started moving along the other way. "Dowenger has some books that I've read." She said. "Some of them are interesting the first few times. One I've read a number of times always makes me laugh. I know it's not real, the stories are far too fantastic. It mentioned you and how you killed your brother. Dowenger said it was about as close to any truth I'd ever read in books like that."...

Cain shook his head. "No Afrika, that book if it is what I think it is, is not the truth at all. The first half of it tells the story of my parents, my brother and I, but now what really happened. The rest of the stories are made up by the other children my parents had and their decendents. Trying to impress the generations with stories of their ancestors. There is some factual things, like the great flood, but Noah was not told by God that there would be a flood and to build a large ship. No he and his family survived because they were trading and using a reed boat, and who in their right minds would go into a land to become slaves. No that to is mostly fictional.
"How is it that you can read that book if you do not understand english?" he asked her.

Afrika looked down from the book case and lifted an eyebrow, "Oh, you know about the book then. Yes, the stories in it are too far fetched to hold much truth to them." She then shook her head, "It wasn't written in English. It was written in Latin. Dowenger spent years trying to translate it and then read it to me to cheer me up when I lost my hatch...ling. She taught me how to read it so maybe one day..." She cleared her throat and picked up another book. "The funniest thing about it was it was named after some human king or other." She furrowed her brow as she tried to remember. "James!" She said suddenly, "Some human called King James, that's it."....

He chuckled and said, "That was just a version of the book. There have been many translations and each have put their names on it. You had best come down now. I don't think my poor book cases will survive much more."

"Huh?" Afrika then looked down and turned a deep shade of blush before she quickly hopped off the shelves. "I'm so sorry!" She yelped, "I can fix it, or I can find someone who can."....

"Do not worry about it. I have people that can do that." She was a breath of fresh air, and made the heavest of hearts lighter. At that time there was another knock on his door and he looked out to it. "Enter." One of the human soldiers entered, "Sir, an envoy from Jordan has arrived and wishes to speak with you." Cain thought a moment and then said, "Have him taken to the council chamber. I will be there shortly." The soldier saluted and the closed the door. "Would you like to accompany me?" he asked Afrika.

Afrika smiled and moved to a window, "I'd like..... Oooooo!" She pressed her nose against the glass and almost jumped with joy. "You have goo-goo trees! I didn't see them last night. I must get some!" Her smile was utterly happy, almost playful. She felt around the window for a way through and popped open the catch. With another yelp of joy, she squeezed herself through the gap and crawled down the wall to the palm trees lining his palace forecourt....

She evidently had not heard him and he shook his head as he looked out the window at what she was doing. "Goo goo trees?" he muttered and looked down to only see the palm trees.

Afrika pounced onto the top of one tree and started searching around. "Goo-goos!" She called up to him, showing him a small, but perfectly formed coconut. "I didn't know they grew here!"...

He shook his head and opened the window more. "You enjoy yourself." he told her in merry sounding voice. "I will be back later." he then turned and made for the door. He had alot to discuss with the envoy.

Afrika bounced up and down in the tree top laughing before untying her belt. She removed the top half of her clothing and unfolded the large rectangle of cloth to use as a bag. She gathered up as many of the nuts as she could and then swayed herself in the tree. As it swayed back forward again, she leapt off and dug her claws into the wall of the building. Using a door never crossed her mind.

Once she had reached Cain's window again, she squeezed back through and then pulled her cloth bag through. She landed on the floor with a thud and turned to find a guard looking at her very shocked. She smiled brightly and skipped past him and out of Cain's nest. She kipped all the way back to her roost, whistling a rather happy sounding tune. Guards and other people of Cain's nest stood and stared in shock as she passed. Some smiled and whistled back, others made more lurid noises but Afrika didn't understand and simply carried on. Once she reached the nest, she entered with a jump and held out the bag.

"Ta da!" She yelled, "Guess what I found in Cain's garden." The others turned and smiled and some came forward to see what she had found. They took out the coconuts and passed them around. Afrika joined them quickly and soon enough, the floor was covered in the husks and the smell of underripe fruit started wafting through the building. Along with that was a loud sound of singing. It wasn't unpleasant or painful. It was happy and jovial and many of Cain's people started hovering around the roost to find out what was going on.

Coconuts, or Goo-goos as Afrika knew them, had a strange effect on her and her flock. The fruit itself acted like a strong liquor to them. The fruit itself would be chewed on to extract all the juice and goodness and then spat out again. The milk would be drunk in small sips as it was a more concentrated flavour and strength. Within a couple of hours, the flock was dancing around in the rafters and having a whale of a time. The males had taken to swinging by the knees and performing basic stunts like jumps and turns off and between the beams. The females were sat either laughing or cheering them while preening each other. As the bringer of such a fine event, Afrika was treated to a full feather preening. All her feathers were stood up on end, including her fine 'hair' feathers, and Sanura and Seline were happily combing through them all to bring a high shine. She looked like a huge puff ball and was laughing hysterically at herself......

Cain had heard her in the tree. She sounded like she was a child in a candy store. He laughed as he walked down the hall ways of the palace. He reached the counsel chamber, a large room with a very large oval shaped table and comfortable chairs. Here the envoy from Jordan sat looking about nervously. Two lycan guards in their human form stood close by.

The man stood up and looked a if his knees were about to buckle under him. Cain gave him a hard and not so friendly look. "I, I.... I wish to say that King Asman had no knowledge of the assassins that you caught in our country." he licked his lips. "King Asman condems the Isralies for what they have done and sends his deepest condolances to you."

Cain did not smile, did not take his eyes of the man. They looked as if they were boring into him, into his brain. The man began shaking. "If not your King, then who else could have agreed to let them pass through your country with out the slightest problem." he came very close to the man and his legs finally gave out and was forced to sit back down.

The envoy looked down at the table, not wanting to meet Cain's gaze. "The minister of the army, King Asman's cousin, gave them permission with out the King's knowledge, I swear this is the truth."

Cain moved back around the table and crossed his arms over his chest. "This is what you will go back and tell yor King. I know that his people are not pleased with his rule, some have joined me here in my empire. The bring word that many would welcome me as their ruler. If your King wishes to retain his title and to rule over Jordan then he will submit to my rule over him. He may continue to rule Jordan but will obey my orders, my laws, and will join my forces against Israle. My forces will move into your country and they will be made welcome. If not then he will fall shortly and I will give him to the people to execute in their own way."

The envoy looked up fear in his eyes. "Now go and do as I have bade. I wish acknowledgement by the end of tommorow!" He then turned and left the envoy. When he left he smiled. Some of what he had told the envoy was true but not all. It would frighten the King of Jordan enough to comply with his wishes. As he walked down the hallways he heard the singing and looked puzzeled.

One of the guards told him what he had seen, a half naked Afrika running down the hallways to the Roost carring something in a cloth. Soon after that the singing had started and it sounded as if the Angelus was having a party. None had dared go near them not knowing what was happening but many wondered. Cain entered the Roost to find the entire flock of Angelus drunk, and the hucks and shells of the cocanuts laying on the floor. Then he saw Afrika and he cocked his head to one side. He feathers were all preaned and puffed up and she was half naked. Her lovely full tits exposed.

One of the male Angelus, Mika landed before Cain with a huge grin and handed him a chunk of coconut. "Join us!" He said in a drunken, but jovial voice. "The females are about to sing for us." He staggered to the wall and crawled back up to the beams above. Sanura began in a slightly low tone while Seline brought in the base tone. Another female named Aldiera started in a higher tone. The three created a perfect harmony and the song began. An older female, Loky began the words tot he tune and Afrika joined in on the higher notes. It was a truly beautiful sound and it was clear what they were singing about. They sang about love and the soul. During this, the males hung from the beams and stared as they drank the coconut milk. Seline and Sanura continued to preen Afrika while they all sang. Afrika hadn't spotted Cain yet and she sang and drank while her feathers stood up proud on display....

Cain shook his head and smiled. He smelled the coconut shell and it contained no alcohol in it. He tasted it and it was just coconut milk. He chuckled. They got drunk on that. That was entirely strange. When they left he would have to ensure he took some with him and see if those of the other flock would become the same way. He listened to the song and moved in a bit closer, looking Afrika up and down again.

The sing reached it's climax and Loky let her voice fade for Afrika's to rise. The note was perfect and she opened her mouth wide and let her head fall back for the full sound to erupt from her. The males whooped and howled their pleasure and Afrika bowed her head in gratitude. Sanura touched her forehead with her thumb and laughed before looking down at Cain. she smiled brightly and gave Afrika's hair a slight tug. The female turned and smiled brightly at Cain before losing her balance slightly. Hanging by her knees, she swung down and laughed at him upside down. "You look funny!" She chortled as she swayed back and forth and she reached out and patted him on the top of his head. The entire flock started laughing and they suddenly scattered amongst the beams. A game of chase had ensued and Cain had been tagged....

This was something that looked like it was out of a childrens book. He could not help but laugh and join in. Not only could he now fly with his wings, but he had the ability to jump up to extreme hights and of course move as if he was in one place and then another in the blink of an eye. He did this and found himself on a beam next to one of the females and tapped her before moving away. When he did he wound up next to Afrika.

The female he tapped was Aldiera and she gave a false pout at being tagged before grinning and starting her own chase. The flock scattered and Afrika didn't give a second thought to literally crawling right over Cain and she didn't care what he saw. Aldiera managed to tag Mika and the male was quick to pass it on. The noise and laughter was amazing and many of the flock fell from the beams from their drunkeness. The tag was passed between many of them a number of times, but Afrika managed to stay clear of them all so far. The game quickly turned on her and they were all trying to catch her. Sanura missed narrowly, but this game if chase didn't seem to include the females much. "Move your ass!" She called in laughter to Afrika as the males started to surround her. She laughed blew kisses at them before launching herself onto another beam and out of their way. They whistled and howled at her and she lifted her hair feathers in display and ruffled her wings. This only served to intensify the chase.....

Cain watched and shook his head. He moved quickly and out of the way when some one tried to tag him. He watched Afrika get surrounded by then escape. They were having fun, probably more then they had in a very long time. It was good to see it.

While the males tried and failed many times to catch her, Sanura landed beside Cain with a slight bounce. She was drunk and very happy. "Are you not joining them?" She asked as she handed him another chunk of coconut....

He laughed and didn't know what to say. If he did he was afraid he might take advantage of Afrika being drunk. That would not be right. But it was tempting, very tempting and he knew he could capture her where all the other's failed. "Do you think I should?" he asked.

Sanura pushed his shoulder, "You have more hope than they do." She laughed, "They couldn't catch her if she was stood still with her wings crossed!" She laughed again and took a bite of the coconut he turned down. "It's all in fun, but you might get a few bruises!" She pushed him again and yelled, "Move it Afrika, Cain's in the game!" Afrika turned her head and lifted her feathers further before grinning at him.....

He launched himself from the beam he was on and seemed to disapear and reapear next to her. He grinned and said, "Hi there." as he tapped her on her fore head.

The males began to boo at him and Afrika even frowned a little, "No fair!" She said, "No magiks." She meant his abilities. She tapped him back and then darted across the beam on her fours.....

He laughed and used his acrobatic skills, keeping his wings back against his back and moved from one beam to another and watched Afrika. He watched how she moved and from where to where. Like a good stratigest he saw a pattern and when she moved one way he moved another and as she landed so did he. "You can't get away from me." he chuckled.

While Cain was watching her, she was watching him and when he landed in front of her, she stuck her tongue out at him in jest and suddenly hit the deck. The chase had moved to the floor. The flock cheered and jeered and Sanura almost fell from her perch in laughter. "Get going Cain, or you won't get your prize!" She called.....

He did a sumersault from the beam and landed on the ground not far from her. "Now you will get caught." he told her.

"Oh really." Afrika replied with a purr, "You haven't seen me run yet." And before he knew it, she was on her fours and running faster than a cheetah down the hall. She used the floor, walls and even the ceiling to make the chase as fun as possible and she made sure to counter as many of his movements as possible. She would make him work for his prize......

Now this was something that Cain's people had never thought would happen. They saw him chasing Afrika and laughing, and she was laughing as well. Oh but Cain was cagey. He had hunted for along time and knew how to anticipate ones moves. She lead him on a merry chase, but it was not long before he was right behind her but a couple inches. All he had to do was reach out and touch her if he wanted, but he was having to much fun.

When Cain got close enough, Afrika suddenly turned around. The movement looked far too quick to be possible and it was completely unpredictable. In less than a heartbeat, she turned, pounced and then bounced off his back, heading the other way. She laughed the entire time and looked over her shoulder as she tucked her wings in and headed back to the roost....

He was quickly back on her heels and as they reached the door he gave her a tap on her ass cheeks and chuckled.

The tap on her ass made her stop dead, digging her claws into the floor and he would have no option but to slam into her. When he did, she turned and grasped hold of him to make them both tumble down the corridor in a tangle. When they finally stopped, Afrika was sat over his hips and she grinned down at him as she pulled her wings loose of him. "Fair's fair." She told him breathlessly....

He chuckled. He lay on the ground and she was on top of him. He wondered what would happen next. The Guards had all pulled back and out of the way of the made race and most wondered what was going on.

Afrika's hair feathers slowly dropped down until it looked much more like hair again and she cocked her head to one side with a smile. She then leaned down and kissed him on the cheek. The rest of the flock cheered for more as Afrika then clambered off him again. She stepped over him and smoothed down what was left of her skirt. she had a few bruises down her back and sides where they had tumbled together, but she didn't notice them. Mika handed her some of the coconut milk and fluttered his wings at her. "Would you let me catch you?" He asked. Afrika laughed and flicked his nose with her finger, "You couldn't catch me on your best day ever." She joked....

Cain got to his feet and walked back into the Roost and closed the doors. At least they were now enjoying themselves. That was important as well as them getting their race back on track. "Now what he asked?" as he walked beside Afrika.

The others began picking up the mess as they finished the coconuts. It was piled up in a corner to be taken out later and they all began congregating in the beams once more. "Bonding time." Mika said as he passed them and leapt up into the beams. Afrika smiled at Cain and then jumped up to join the rest of her flock. "You're invited." She told him and moved up to make space for him. The rest began cuddling up and preening each other. It all seemed very intimate.....

He jumped up tothe beam next to her. He watched what the others were doing and then at Afrika. She still was half naked and she had already been preened quite well. He opened his wings to help keep his balance. He was not use to being on just a beam.

Behind him, Aldiera moved up close and began running her fingers through his feathers. The touch was incredibly sensual, but not sexual and she kept her hands firmly away from the base of his wings. She encouraged him to do the same with Afrika, as she did with Loky......

He shugged his shoulders and did what he observed. It was strange but he supposed Raven and Anubis did this quite often. Serene had never done it nore had asked for it to be done.

Afrika purred slightly at the feeling and relaxed her wings into his large hands. The flock carried on this way for a short time and then one by one, they turned. Afrika turned on the beam and looked at Cain. She smiled, "My turn." She said softly.....

He smiled and nodded. It felt strange but quite nice to be a part of something like this. Something that perhaps had it not been for the elders, he would have enjoyed along time ago.

With his back to her, Afrika smiled at the fine condition of his feathers and began running her fingers through them. Her touch was soft and sensual and she purred again gently and she buried her fingers right to the flesh of his wings and then back out again. Tenderly, she moved her hands down each wing from near the base to the very tips and then over again. Every once in a while, her hands touched on his actual back and she ran her fingers down the line of the muscle before returning to his wings again. At one point, she very nearly touched the very sensitive base of the wing.....

He felt her hand running through his wings and it made him smile. He felt her fingers move down his back and he took a deep breath. This was something again that was not talked about when he talked to Anubis. He was completely new at all of this and would have to have a talk with his adopted son.

Judging by his reaction, Afrika knew he'd never done this before. She leaned in a little closer, "Is this making you uncomfortable?" She asked him quietly, "Do you want to stop?"......

He turned his head and looked at her. "No, it is alright. It is all new to me." he said softly, "Continue."

Within the flock, two were getting closer than before. Artemus and Seline gradually seperated themselves from the rest of the flock and went about preening each other in a much more intimate way. They faced each other and Seline sat across Artemus' lap and then touched heads while they preened each other's wings. Afrika smiled at them and they smiled back as the flock adjusted to the gap. She returned her attention to Cain's wings and let her head loll a little as her fingers worked gently through his feathers. After a few minutes, she moved up to his hair and began preening that....

He was glad that the door was closed and no one was seeing what was going on. They probably would not understand to well. He was learning or hoped he was. They were like birds in a sence but more inteligent. His hair was not like theirs, she would find that out pretty quickly.

And she did. After touching it only once, she discovered it was actually individual strands of hair and she parted a few and ran her fingers over them to feel them. It was coarser than her featered hair, but no less pleasureable to run her fingers through. On another beam, Artemus and Seline had pulled their wings closed for more privacy and Afrika smiled, "I miss that." She said quietly as she scooted up to his back a little more. Her closeness meant that she had to hunch her feet slightly and part her knees around his waist so she could reach the top of his head....

He felt her body up against him and again he took a deep breath. Seeing her half naked and she was not even the slightestly embarased or concerned. He felt her tits press against his back as he had opened his wings to let her preen them. He looked over at the two. "Are they mates?" he asked. He wondered if they weren't but had feelings for each other how would that effect them bonding with those he would create to help keep their race going.

Afrika nodded as she carefully removed a tangle from his hair, "They've been paired since before I was born." She told him quietly....

"But unable to produce a living hatchling." his voice was sad. But then he had an idea that might work especially for those two. Once he created his next generation of his kind, he would have to get with the doctors and see if they could do it. Artificial insemination had worked on humans and on certain animals. It might not be his sperm but at least they could have a child of their own, and a new gene pool.

Afrika nodded, but not for the reason he said, "They are both too old to breed successfully now." She said, "Their last hatchling was Mika." She peered over Cain's shoulder and smiled at Mika briefly before returning to Cain's hair, "Since him, she's been egg bound."...

"Egg Bound?" he asked.

"Seline is too old to produce an egg." She explained...

He nodded. It would not be possible then for what he had in mind. "But they have Mika and they have each other."

Afrika nodded as she licked her hand and then ran her fingers through his hair one more time. The wetness served to smooth down the upper layers of it and give it a nice shine. As she did that, she noticed Sanura and Aldiera move off. They huddled together and Mika and the other two males followed suit. They were settling down for the night. Afrika remained where she was for the time being, enjoying the warmth of his body. "I feel like I'm basquing, being this close to you." She said, "Are you always this warm?".....

"Yes." he told her, "I think that Raven likes that about Anubis as well and perhaps the others that he created." He noticed the others moving off and looking like they were getting ready to settle down down for the night. "Perhaps I should go. I do not want to intrude on your sleep. "I am not like you in this matter. I can't sleep on the beams, the long backless couches yes but I fall off up here, he chuckled. "Besides I have been sleeping next to the bed that the egg is on. I want to be close to it when ever I can."

Hearing that, Sanura peered out from under Mika's wing, "Take Afrika with you." She said softly, "We've locked together and Aldiera would fall if we moved." Afrika peered over Cain's shoulder and nodded before swinging down and then back up again to face him. "Would that be alright with you?" She asked politely....

Now that was something he definately had not expected, but he smiled and said, "If that is what you would like to do." he told her. He hopped down and stood beside her. He placed a hand on the small of her back and began walking towards the door.

Afrika dropped down to the floor and then pointed up. "If you look where everyone is." She said, "And Aldiera in the middle. If they moved, she'd lose balance. I'd rather not disturb her if possible." She followed him to the door and then made her way down the corridor. "I won't get in the way and I'm a silent sleeper."....

He smiled and kept his hand on the small of her back as they walked down the hallways. The guards, slaves, and others were slowly reapearing and looking wide eyed again at the two of them. They got to his chambers and to the nest. The two slave girls bowed and moved out of the room. He closed the door and sat down on the bed to caress the egg shell. He felt it move about and smiled.

Afrika moved as he moved, but she wondered what the others were staring at. When they reached his nest, she moved to the far side of the room and looked up for a good roost. She smiled as he caressed his egg. After a moment, she jumped and pulled herself up to the beam and straddled it. With her legs hanging down, she put her head on her hands and let her wings drop down...

He smiled and after spending a few minutes talking to the egg, he took his place on the couch and pulled the blanked over him a bit. His wings curled under the couch and over him. He looked up at her and wondered if she knew what she had done to some of his soldiers. He was sure they were talking about her even now. Something he would have to speak to them about. He could not blame them but he didn't want them wagging their toungs while she was about or any of the others. Also he wanted to make it plain that her and the other females were off limits to all of them.

Afrika looked down and smiled at him before yawning. She closed her eyes and gave a long sigh as she fell asleep...

He closed his eyes and was soon asleep himself. He was up before dawn and looked up at Afrika. He could sleep on the Roman couch but not on a beam. Plus it was not as comfortable as a bed or the couch. He had learned how to sleep in his own bed with his wings. But that was not possible with the egg on its own bed. He sat up and then stood up. There was some major changes he had made when he took over the palace, one of many in the city of Bagdad. He had the shower enlarged so he could shower. He quickly patted the egg and leaned over and kissed it. Then he left the room and back to his to get clean clothes and a shower. He stripped and entered the shower, turning on the water. He let the hot water run over him. The previous night's activities had worked up a sweat and he didn't want to smell."

Afrika slept silently as she had promised. she woke when she felt the air move below as Cain passed under her for the door. Her eyes opened and she found she was alone. She stretched and yawned and then let herself fall from the beam. The previous night's drinking had not affected her too badly, but her eyes were a little sensitive. She groaned and left the nest and then heard the sound of running water. Her curiosity was pricked yet again and she decided to invesitage. When she saw the steam, she furrowed her brow and peered around the door. Her brow lifted quickly and she pursed her lips at the sight of Cain's rather firm looking backside. From this angle, and the water running down him, Afrika felt a stirring she hadn't felt for a long time. This being the case, she moved away from the door as silently as she had arrived and exited the building through his study window. A few minutes later, she had found herself the perfect dust bath at the end of his garden....

One could not come up on Cain totally silently, and he had that sixth sence. But he knew who it was , her scent was unmistakeable. He was about to turn around when she moved away, he turned his head and watched her go out into the other room. When done he stepped out and dried off. He russled his wings to shed the water on them. The oils in the feathers kept the water out and the wings dry. He dressed again and slipped on his shoes as he walked into the other room and then looked out the window to see what Afrika was doing.

And what a view he got! With her ass high in the air, Afrika pushed herself through the sand front first and blew up plumes of it over her wings and back. When she had done that suitably enough, she turned over and arched her back to bring her wings through. It showed her agility as she repeated the action, pushing her hips right up and pushing herself through the dirt to get it right into her wings. She then sat up and got to her knees. she put her ankles together and then spread her knees incredibly wide. She then threw her head back and shook the dust back out of it before opening her wings and doing the same. All in all, Cain got a view of every curve the female possessed and every muscle that kept her strong and agile.....

He smiled and enjoyed the view. He continued to stand there watching. He liked everything he saw about her, and then there was her personality. He liked that as well.

Afrika stayed in the sandy dirt for another hour before she finished and got back to her feet. She moved onto the lush grass and oddly, got back down again and started rolling around on it. Just then, the sprinkler system kicked in and Afrika stretched our every limb she had. The cool water covered her and she shook herself in it before rolling around some more. All in all, she looked to be having a really good time. It soaked what was left of her clothing, so she took it off and snapped it open to clean it in the sprinklers. After another ten minutes or so, she moved out of the water spray and wrung out her skirt. She snapped it open again and shook it before she tied it loosely around her hips. Every inch of her now gleamed....

He chuckled as the water came on and watered the grass. He liked to have a little oais in the middle of the city that was surrounded by desert. When she took her skirt off he grinned and felt that stirring in his pants. His cock was hardening and he had to look away, the thoughts in his mind making it hard to concentrate.

Afrika gave a final shake and then started looking around a small orchard near the perimeter wall. She picked dates and figs and then lifted her skirt to carry them all before returning to the building. She tied her skirt up so as not to lose the fruit and then started climbing up the outside wall to the study window again.....

He would also have to talk to her about being clothed. They may have no inhibitions about it but among everyone else it did have an effect. When she returned he turned and looked at her and smiled. He handed her one of his shirts he had specially made to accomadate his wings. "I know you do not have a problem with showing off you body, and I do hate having you cover it, but............Here in the outside world people have a different view on that." he grinned. "I think it a shame but it would help keep my soldiers and those males around here not to see your lovely body."

Afrika furrowed her brow. She really didn't understand the concept of the clothing. But then, she had grown up in a culture and a country that had never taken much thought over such things. Even the humans didn't care much for it unless they were in a township. Still, she took the shirt and put it around her shoulders. She poked her wings through and then shrugged it on. The buttons however, she really didn't have a clue about. "Fair enough." She said, "Your nest means your rules.".....
charles says:
He chuckled. "Sadly it is not really my rules but that of a world that has become a bit to prudish. If you like in the roost and here you can remove your clothing." he would not mind seeing her naked alot. He saw the fruit and got her a bowl to put it in.

Afrika smiled and nodded, "I think I read something about that in one of Dowenger's books." She said, "Humans and their stupid rules. They never used to be so retentive about these things. The evils of religion and all that crap strike again." She dropped the fruit into the bowl and smiled again and quickly removed the shirt. "Excellent." She said, "I can use the cloth to clean them up before we eat."...

He looked down at her and again she was half naked and it was distracting him something fierce. Being that close to her in her present state of dress he didn't know if he could control himself

Afrika took the bowl from him and moved tot he desk. She put it down and started cleaning the fruit up a little with the shirt and checking them. all seemed fine and well and she opened the shirt once more. However, instead of pulling it on as she had done before, she started tearing it apart. She made a long rip up the back of it, making it into a large V shape and then hooked the join behind her head. That done, she pulled the halves down and tucked them into her belt. She felt more comfortable with her back still bare. After giving Cain a brief smile, she moved to the door with the fruit....

He looked at her as she tore his shirt up and fixed it so that it covered her tits and left her back bare. It was functional and made her look good as well. He followed her back to their Roost to see how they were faring after their little party.

It seemed the males were suffering more from the night before and they were still asleep. The females were awake and already cleaning up the roost. They were all naked as they used the cloth they wore to wipe down the beams and bag up the coconut husks to be taken out. Seline smiled as she swayed past Afrika and Cain and Sanura dropped down from the beams and touched foreheads with her adopted daughter. "I bring food." She said as she handed over the bowl. Sanura took the fruit and smiled to Cain. "Your garden is blessed." She said to him....

Now there was an eyeful. A room full of naked female Angelus. Nice but he was not intrested in them, but in Afrika. The way they used their clothing to clean and carry things, it seemed he would have to bring in some material so that they could make a few more outfits. "If you wish more I can have more fruit brought in from the city. "

Sanura smiled as she snapped open a long strip of cloth and then tied it around her hips. "That would be nice." She replied as she moved to a window. "You must have to go far to find your food in this desolate land. I'm suprised humans have managed to survive for so long out here.".....

"Oh it was once a fertial land long ago. Climate shifts made it a desert. But below the ground is what the humans want, Oil. They pay hansomely for it and with that yes we do have to go far for a number of things." He grinned and looked at Afrika.

Sanura nodded, "Before the flood, you mean." She said, then turned her eyes to follow Cain's gaze. She looked between them curiously for a moment, then her mouth curled slightly with a smile, "You like her, don't you.".....

Cains head snapped back to Sanura when she asked the question, surprised at her frankness. He guessed that it was not just Afrika that was like that. He looked back to Afrika. "I would be a liar if I said I didn't." then turned to looke at Sanura again.

Sanura looked back at her again, "Is it her beauty that has captured you, or her nature?".....

"Both." he told her, "Her nature just enhances everything though." he looked back at Afrika. "She is a breath of fresh air in a world that is choked with foulness."

Sanura smiled, "She is unlike any I have witness in my life." She said honestly, "It has forced much attention on her over the years, but no male has yet to tame her nature. Our stories tell of females like this. They are called Primus."....

He chuckled. "That was Raven. She was the primus of the flockin LA." Tame her nature. he grinned, "why tame her nature when it is what makes her what she is." he said.

Sanura nodded, "I can imagine." She said, "The female I saw with Anubis, she is very striking and beautiful too. The stories say there is one every ten generations or so that appears and acts so differently from the rest. They excel in everything they do and they live with a passion unmatched." Her eyes turned to Afrika again. "You think yourself worthy to have her, like your son?"....

He shugged his shoulders, "I think that she would have to make that determination. That is what Raven did. She found Anubis suitable and gave herself to him." He looked at Afrika again.

Sanura smiled again, "But he must have done something worthy of her attention." She replied...

"From what I have been told they were at odds at first. She was sent to kill him or bring him back to the Elders. It was her scent while in her cycle that brought about his change. From that point it seemed she gave herself to him." Would Afrika give herself to him, he wondered?

Sanura lifted her brow, "What change are you talking about?" She asked. She had known very little about their meeting and Evangelina had only known so much and so had only told her little....

"Anubis never knew that he could grow wings. I found I could do it at will when I was dropped from high in the sky by one of the elders. Mine emerged on my decent and saved my life. But Anubis didn't know, and when Raven went into her cycle and gave off her scent, it made him grow his wings and made him look more like an Angelus."

Sanura opened her eyes wide, "That would certainly gain attention." She said. Across the room, Afrika had set the bowl down and the flock were happily helping themselves to the fruit for breakfast. The males were even tucking in and feeling much better for it. "How ould you go about gaining her attention?" Sanura asked.....

He grinned. "I think I already have. It is. I think. now that she just needs to want to give her self. Unless she is waiting for me to tell her I want her." It might be that she thought it was to soon after Serene's death to go after another. But he would wait if necessary. He wanted a relationship that was a real one and not just one sided.

"Oh?" Sanura asked.....

"Well the way she has been asking me questions, looking all over my chambers, wanting to read about my history, then there was last night." he said. He watched her with the others. "It would not be up to me I think to make the first move. She might think it is to soon after my mate's death."

"Last night?" Sanura asked, then curled her mouth in a smile, "You mean the bonding. Yes, I noticed the way the she groomed your feathers. She was impressed, I think." she turned her eyes to the young female briefly and nodded in agreement, "Yes, it is very soon.." She moved a few inches closer and grinned knowingly, "But an opportunity like this is rare." She grinned again and then walked away with a slight swagger. He wouldn't know she had said almost exactly the same thing to Afrika the day before.....

He raised a brow at that and grinned as he move over and behind Afrika. He was not sure what to say to her, she was completely different then Serene. He didn't want to mess anything up.

Afrika could feel his warmth as he came up behind her and gave a small smile as she turned around and handed him a fig. "These are lovely." She said and bit into one.....

He took the fig and bit into it. "Not bad." he said with a smile. They were very close now and he looked down into his eyes.

Afrika looked back up and smiled warmly, "How is your egg today?" She asked honestly, "I heard some movement last night. You must be getting excited now."....

"I am." he said. "I can't wait to see my child and hold it." He had no idea of how good of a real father he would be. He was a bit nervous on that. Anubis and the others had been fully grown and he had not had to watch them grow, worry about them and the like. Then it was only him. Nurse maids and the like is one thing, but it is always good to have two parents to love you, even though his had not loved him that much it seemed.

Afrika kept her smile, but her eyes turned a little sad, "I'm happy for you." She told him, "I hope he or she is as healthy as you are.".....

He saw the eyes and lifted a hand to her chin and moved her head back to look at him. "Care to help me with the little one." he asked.

Afrika blinked a few times as he lifted her chin up, but then furrowed her brow slightly, "I already agreed to help you." She said with some confusion....

He was not sure he was able to make him self clear. "Help me raise the hatchling, together."

Afrika cocked her brow slightly, "I already will be." she said, then pulled him aside, "Are you alright? Sanura and you already discussed this, did you not?"....

He looked back down into her eyes. "I am not good at this." he told her, "I have not had....." he didn't even know how to put it into words. Nor did he know if she truely knew what he was trying to get at. Raising the little one together. To him that ment as mates but he doubted she realized that.

"You've not had....." She encouraged, then believed she had found the answer, "You've never had offspring before?" She smiled, "That is alright. I will help you all I can and Dowenger will always be on hand to give you adivce. The hatchling will not suffer for a lack of the maternal mate, I promise."....

He smiled and caressed her face. "Well that is true. Not having offspring before, but that is not what I was talking about.

Afrika furrowed her brow again and touched his hand lightly, "Then what are you talking about?".....

He took a deep breath. "You said you would take another mate."

Afrika nodded, "Eventually, yes." She said....

He raised a brow and looked at her with a questioning look.

Afrika looked around quickly and then back at Cain. His body language told her what his mouth couldn't seem to and she finally cottoned on, "Oh!" She said suddenly with her eyes wide now, "When you said together, you meant just us, didn't you. You want me exclusively to help you."....

He smiled and nodded his head slowly. "Would you be willing to?" he asked. He knew that they had just met and everything, but there was something about her that had not been there with Serene.

Afrika gave him a small but honest smile before nodding, "Yes." she said, "I would be happy to be your offpsring's exclusive carer."....

He sighed knowing she did not quite get it yet. "Not exclusive carer...............Mother and my mate."

Afrika blinked dumbly, "Mother?" It wasn't an unknown concept to her as Sanura had adopted her as her own. Her mouth moved, but it took a moment for any sound to escape. "And your mate." She looked passed him for a second to Sanura, who smiled back knowingly and then began talking to Artemus. Afrika returned her gaze to Cain, "You understand I am a number of years away from my cycle so you won't be able to breed me, right?"....

"Well enjoying one another is not just for breeding." he smiled. "Humans do it all the time, and not just for breeding." he chuckled a bit. "As for your cycle and another chance to have another young one. I can wait for that."

Afrika laughed, "I'm not completely naive." She told him, "Artemus and Seline mate outside of her cycle often. They did so last night, if you remember. I only commented because you need to know if you intend to make us a pair.".....

He slipped his arms about her and pulled her to him. "That is my intentions." he whispered.

Afrika smiled and turned her head slightly as he pulled her close. Once again, she felt that warmth. "Then you should know we would not be considered a solid pair until that time. Until then, I would be your offspring's surrogate and nothing more." At this point, Sanura came across and grinned broadly, "Do I smell the bloosoms of affection?".....

Cain turned his head slightly and looked at Sanura, smiling. "Officially i would say we would be a solid pair, mates. It would just be the formalization when you go into your cycle. To me you would be my mate, and the queen of this empire."

Sanura clapped her hands and smiled, "Wonderful!" She said and quickly turned to the others, "Afrika is to be paired with our generous host!" She announced. Mika didn't look entirely happy about that, but he clapped and cheered with the others nonetheless. Afrika blushed somewhat and smoothed her hair feathers back again. They had begun to stand up as she blushed.....

Again he moved a hand up to her face and caressed it. "A breath of fresh air." he whispered. "I guess it is official then?" he smiled as he looked deep into her eyes.

"I guess it is." Afrika replied softly, then looked around, "So what happens now?".....

"I let my people and the people of my empire know. That you are my mate, my queen and your orders............are to be obeyed without question."

"Orders?" Afrika said, then shook her head, "I don't give orders. That's down to Dowenger."...

"He smiled, "When you are helping run an empire you give orders. Raven does that with Anubis. She is his confidant, they discuss things before they make laws and such. The Dowenger....." he turned to her, "advises them as well with her knowledge and wisdom."

Afrika smiled, but shook her head, "I'm no good at giving orders." She said, "And I'm not Raven, I'm Afrika."....

"You might not now, but there will times when you feel that things need to be done and my soldiers, slaves and the like will do as you tell them." He chuckled. "You will no longer have to tiptoe through the palace taking peeks at things. They will know you are allowed anywhere at any time. If you need something all you have to do is tell them what you want. you will get use to it." He then thought of the Nest, "You can also show me how to keep my balance on the beams to sleep." he put his fore head to hers, then lifted her chin up and kissed her lips gently.

Afrika kissed him back with a smile, but then frowned, "I don't tip-toe." She said, "And I come and go as I please anyway." She then smiled once more and laughed, "Haven't you ever slept in a tree before, or on a log off the ground?"....

He laughed. "No never. Tried to do it here on the beams but I would roll off."

Afrika finished her fruit and took him by the hand. "I'll show you." She said, then whistled at Aldiera, "Move over!" She called and then jumped up. She scooted along until there was enough space for Cain and then sat down astride the beam....

He followed and sat down like she did.

"Ok." She said, "Make sure you're in the middle like this. You're best off sleeping on your front. That way, your wings act like a counterweight and they're a blanket too." She leaned forward and let her wings relax until they dropped down below her. She then lifted her feet behind her and rested them just behind her backside. "See?"....

He followed her lead. It was not as comfortable as the bed or couch. The beam was hard and he did like something soft to lie on. He might have to have something special made for him. The wings did make it a bit more comfortable and steady.

"Just let your body relax." She said, but she could see he wasn't entirely comfortable. "I saw your cloth covered thing on the floor. Maybe you could find something to make it more comfortable?"....

He grinned and nodded. "Oh I think I can have something made for me." Below there were a knock on the door. One of the Angelus answered it. The soldier looked around and then up at Cain. He came to attention and made his report. "Sir, the King of Jordan has agreed to all of your terms." That made Cain grin. "Excellent, have my generals assemble in the confernce room." the man saluted and then backed out of the room. He looked at Afrika. "Time to let the world know." he slid from the beam and landed on his feet.

Afrika smiled and nodded, "I'll be here when you get back." She told him....

He shook his head and streached out his hand to her. "I want you to come with me. They need to know who you are and you should know them."

Afrika lifted her brow, "They do?" She asked. She dropped from the beam and moved towards him, "Ok, I guess."....

He took her hand and began walking to the door. She was not the worldly Raven that would know why one needed to be introduced because of her changed status. She would learn though. He lead her to the confrence room, where his generals were. There was a Vampire, lycan, and two humans. He looked at them and drew Afrika to his side. "General Lukus, Riad, Assan, Reeves....." he took them in order, "This is my new mate Afrika." All four stood and gave a low bow from their waists. "She is to be obeyed in all things. I want everyone to know who she is." he looked at Afrika, "If you need anything special, they are the ones you can go to. They will see that it is done." his voice was soft and gentle with her, where it was more harsh towards the generals.

Afrika looked on in puzzlement as he spoke to his generals. One clearly hadn't seen real daylight for a number of years and another smelled really musty. That and when he spoke to them and then her, she couldn't understand a single word of it. He hadn't gone back to the language she understood after speaking to them. "I don't understand." She told him, "What are you saying to them and me?"...

He shook his head. "Sorry." he said in summarian. He repeated what he had told them and what he ment for her to know. "Have to remember to switch when talking like this, until you learn the language." he smiled at her.

"Unless they understand Latin?" She said in latin...

"Ohhhhhh not that many speak that language anymore. Only those that had belonged to the Church spoke it with freqency. I guess I will have to translate for you for a bit."

"Hmm." Afrika said, "What languages do they understand?"....

"English, Arabic, French, perhaps some Spanish." he told her

"Arabic." She said, "Isn't that a handed down version of Arameic? I can speak that just about."....

"Yes he said, it is. A bit different but you might be able to understand it

"I'll have a look through your library later to see what I can find." She said with a smile, then frowned slightly, "Two of your humans look normal for this part of the world, but the other two are strange to me." She said in a whisper. "One of them looks to need some time in the sun and the other smells like a wet dog. Why is that?"....

"Lukus is a vampire. He can not stand the light of the sun. It would kill him. Something happened over the centuries to make them weaker and unable to stand the light of the sun. The other is a lycan. A creation of Anubis. He is able to transform into a large wolf and when he bites some one, it changes them. They become a form of human like wolf that is quite powerful, a Lycan. They are loyal and will put themselves in harm way to protect.

Afrika cocked an eyebrow. The term wasn't unknown to her, but most of what she knew, she had learned from stories and legends overheard from humans. She had never really seen them though, so this was something new. "Ok." She said, "And they will do whatever I say?".....

"Yes." he said, "your word will be law. Though if it is something that will change who things are done, I hope you will confer with me first. That is how it should be. And I will seek your advice on matters."

All manner of weird and wonderful things suddenly shot through her mind and she couldn't help but smile. "Your lycan then." She said, "If he is this wolf creature, why is he walking around like a human? Is his other appearance so frightening?" She grinned, "I'd like to see."....

"Lycans can assume their human form and move about among the humans. They make perfect spies. They only change when they hunt humans for food and that is only once and a while, or when they go into battle. In ancient times they were called Anubis Warriors, after their creator. One can see them on the walls of tombs and ruins of ancient Egypt." he told her.

She wanted to see what one looked like. He turned to Lukus and told him of her request. He smiled and gave a bow, then removed his shirt and boots, then he began his transformation. He bulked out and grew taller. His hands formed became almost claw like with long fingers tiped with sharp, hard nails, as did his feet. His face extended out to form the mouth and nose of a wolf with sharp fangs that could tear a mans flesh to ribbons. His ears grew pointed and looked like a wolfs and his body was covered with hair. A fearsome and powerful looking creature. One that retained his inteligence, not like in the fictional stories or movies where they were mindless brutes.

He stood there proud and again bowed slightly to Afrika, before slowly resuming his human form. Cain leaned over to her and whispered, "They are not dogs. They are proud of what they can become and will fight to their deaths to protect you and me." Like Anubis he respected the lycans.

Afrika watched as the man slowly shifted into something much more lupine. He still stood upright, but his features became that of a wolf. This frightened Afrika quite badly and she gripped Cain's hand tightly. Not only that, but her feet gripped the floor to the extent that her claws dug into the wood so viciously that she could no longer move from that spot. Eventually, he changed back, but Afrika could still not move. "I've never seen such a thing!" She squeeked, then tried to pull her foot up from the floor. It would not come. "I'm stuck!"...

He looked down and raised a brow. "Just relax and you should be able to free your feet." he grinned. "You can see how frightening they can be."

Afrika nodded quickly and tried to stretch her toes somewhat to release her claws from the wood. They wouldn't budge. "My claws." She said, "They won't come loose." She gripped his arm in an attempt to balance herself as she tried to lift her foot again....

He knelt down and took one foot in his hands to help her pull it free.

Afrika put her hands on his shoulders and she looked at the two guards with a blush in her cheeks. There was clearly something stopping her from unfurling her claw enough to free it from the wood. "They won't budge." She told him....

He rubbed her foot. "Relax." he told her and again pulled on her foot.

She relaxed her foot as much as she could, but when he pulled, it still would not come free.....

"You really dug in to the floor didn't you." he chuckled. He might have to have the wood cut out so that it could be cracked to release her feet from the wood.

"I couldn't help it!" She whimpered, then yelped in pain as something under the wood cut into her toe. "Stop! Stop, that hurts!".....

He stopped and turned to one of the guards. "Go find a carpenter." he ordered. He stood up and looked at her smiling and shaking his head. "Might have to have stone replace the wood here." this was the second time she had tore up some wood with her feet. While he was trying to help her he ordered his generals to make battle plans for the invasion of Israel. He wanted all to be ready when hereturned from his trip to LA.

Afrika grunted and gave it one more try as he spoke to his men, but they still wouldn't move. She couldn't understand how her claws could get in, but not back out again. "Perhaps it is time I trimmed them." She offered, "Quicker and easier than changing your floor."....

He turned to her and slipped his arms about her. "Floors can be replaced." he smiled. A bit later a man came in with a tool box and looked at the floor. He rubbed his chin a moment then selected a battery powered tool and attached a blade to it. "This will just cut through the wood around the feet. Once that is done I will make cuts, here, here and here, on both sides. That will enable us to break the wood and free her feet from it.

Afrika looked to Cain to translate and looked at the cutting tool with some fear, "Uh, what does he intend to do with that blade thing?" she asked....

"He will cut the wood around your feet and then behind and infront of your feet, to break the wook from your feet without hurting you." he told her

Afrika nodded and then closed her eyes as the human went to work. Thankfully, he was quick and soon enough, she heard the saw stop. She looked down and smiled in relief. "Ok." She said, then tried to lift her foot again. Still, it would not budge and she grunted as she tried and tried again. "I still can't get them free!" She whimpered, "I don't understand."....

The Carpenter then took out a chisel and a hammer and gently began breaking the wood free from the subfloor. Cain explained. "It is glued to the floor." Then when he had both sections losened he lifted one foot up and where he had cut groves front and back, worked them back and forth till they broke freeing her foot from the wood. He then repeated the process with the other foot.

Afrika sighed in relief as her feet were finally freed and she looked down to see the damage. Why they would glue wood down like that, she had no idea. Underneath, she could see where her claws had gouged out holes in the floor underneath and she could still feel some of it between her claws. It felt funny and when she put her foot back down, it hurt. "There's something in my foot." She said as she leaned over and flopped into a chair. She lifted her foot and turned it over on her knee. There was a large shard of something stuck in the groove between the claw and the toe....

"What is it?" he asked. "A sliver of the wood?"

"I don't know." She replied as she spread her toes and looked at it closely, "It looks like the floor underneath." She pointed to the grey concrete and then used her finger and thumb and take hold of the shard. It hurt badly and she yelped as she let go again....

He looked at the shard and took hold of it and gave it a good yank to pull it free and hold it up to look at it. "This is not concrete." he said. It looked more like somesort of metal.

Afrika yelped loudly and gripped her toe tight as it began to bleed heavily. It was that shard that had dug in when Cain had pulled on her foot, "Then what is it?" She said as she tore off a strip of her skirt and wrapped it around her toe. It was soon soaked in blood and she kept a tight hold on it to try and stop it....

"I don't know." he said. He examined the floor beneath the wood where the hole had been made. There was a small buldge in the concret as if something had gotten mixed in it and had not been completely smoothed out. Turning to Lukus "I want that dug out and examined." He then picked her up in his arms and carried her back to what was now their quarters and had the Dowenger sent for. He took some of the towels and ripped them apart and took off the blood soaked make shift bandage and began cleaning the wound with clean water.

Afrika hissed in pain as Cain tried to clean the wound. Sanura arrived within minutes and looked at Afrika's foot with wide eyes, "What happened?" She asked as she quickly picked up some cloths and tore them...

Cain told the Dowenger what had happened and showed her the shard. "It is a strange metal I have not seen. Not iron, copper, not steel or other metal that has been made."

Sanura looked at it oddly, but then turned her attention back to Afrika's still bleeding toe. "Well, whatever it is, it's found the most sensitive and vulnerable part of us." She said angrily. "It may as well have ripped the claw off entirely." Much to Afrika's discomfort, Sanura began pressing down on the flesh around the wound to see if there was anything left behind. Thankfully there wasn't and Afrika was much relieved to have the prodding and poking done with. She cleaned the wound over again and then wrapped a length of cloth around it tightly....

He placed the shard on the mantal of the fire place and moved over to caress Afrika's face. "You will be alright."

Afrika smiled and nodded, "I know." She said, "I did this once before in a tree a long time ago. It took forever to roost proper again." Sanura laughed and nodded to confirm this, "You were barely a hatchling and you only clutched because you lost your balance. This situation is entirely different."....

"Well you rest and stay off that foot for a while." Cain told her. "Let it heal." he bent down and kissed her lips.

Afrika kissed him back and then smiled. Sanura tutted as she bound the toe again and then strapped it to the next for support. "You won't be able to roost." She told her adopted daughter. Afrika groaned, "I hate sleeping on the ground!" She said with a pout. Sanura finished and looked up at Afrika sternly. "Fine." She replied, "Roost if you want, but don't come crying to me when you fall and hurt yourself." She then got to her feet, smiled at Cain and left. Afrika folded her arms and sulked as she stared at her foot....

He sat down next to her and put and arm about her waist. "It won't be long before you can get back up there." he told her. "He was pretty terrifing wasn't he?" he asked her

Afrika smiled again and then nodded, "When you said wolf, I though of well, a wolf. I didn't for a minute imagine he'd still be standing up or be so very big! I've never seen anything like it." She admitted. "How many lycans are there? I mean, I've never come across one before and I live on the biggest continent in the world!"....

"Back in the begining when Anubis created them he had a few hundred of them. When the great flood came, some were killed I am sure and he took some with him when he began his own empire in what is now Egypt. I know he has a few hundred again in his empire perhaps more. They are good soldiers and difficult to kill. Africa is a very large continent and where you were was deep into its interior. So the likelyhood of you seeing one was very rare." He moved his wings around them as he pulled her closer.

Afrika nodded, "So I can expect to see a lot more then." she said almost as much to herself as to him, "But I promise not to get stuck in the floor again." She then looked to the metal piece on the mantel, "Do you know what that thing might be?".....

"No I don't. But I am having the larger piece removed and examined. I should know something before we leave for LA." That would be sometime the next day. "We must pack a few things and prepare the egg for the trip."

Afrika nodded again and then got to her feet. The thick bandage and the pain in her toe left her unbalanced and she had to adjust her wings and move them to stop her falling over....

"I'll do the packing and You relax." he kissed her fore head. "Don't want you giving yourself more pain." For her packing would not be hard. She had really nothing to pack. He needed a few things, some clothes and other items. He definately had to get her some clothing. He informed the slaves that the egg would be going and they would be comming as well."

Afrika went to a long backless sofa and flopped down on it on her front. It was suprisingly comfortable and she soon found herself nodding off while Cain's slaves went about their business packing up his things to travel. She noted that his egg was treated with great care and was wrapped with as much softness as possible. Not that it would break easily though, she had known eggs fall a good few feet before and never crack, but that wasn't the point. The tenderness shown was just more prrof of how much this offpsring was loved. It made her smile as she dozed.....

A large baby buggy was brought in and packed with blankets and the egg placed within it. "There are more scraching from within." one of the slaves stated. This was good news to Cain. Luggage was taken away to be taken to the transport plane. The buggy and egg was placed close to the couches so that both Afrika and him could be near it.

Afrika heard the slave talk and half opened her eyes to find the egg sat in what she could only describe as a padded box with wheels. She stared at it intently and gave a small smile as she heard the goings on inside. It wouldn't be long now in hatching. It also made her sad that after over a year of waiting for it, its mother had abandoned it......

Cain gave the egg a gentle kiss and caressed the shell. There was plenty of the day left but he was wanting to be ready to go. He sent word to the others that in a few hours they would be leaving for the airport.

Sanura and her flock gathered up their things and were ready in a matter of minutes.......

Some hours later Cain gently shook Afrika's shoulder. "Time to go." he said

Afrika got to her feet and leaned on him as she moved forward. "Landing might be difficult." She told him....

"We will see." he said and pushed the baby carriage with the egg in it. As they left his quarters, guards fell in behind them to escort them to the Roost. There he showed the egg to the other Angelus and asked for a couple of the males to carry it to the airport as they flew there.

Artemus volunteered immediately, "I have a satchel it will be safe in." He said with a smile.....
:
Cain smiled and nodded. "I will lead you to the Airport. There we will board a transport plain. It has been outfitted with beams so you can rest on the way. Hopefully the trip will be comfortable. It is not like flying yourselves. It will be a new experience for you all but it will get us there alot faster then flying ourselves."

The flock stared in puzzlement. "Transport plane?" Seline asked, "What is that?"....

He laughed. "You have never seen a plane before?" he grinned, "It looks like a giant metal bird of sorts. But instead of flaping its wings it has man made propultion, called jet engines. They are powerful and will push the plane at a speed of 500 miles an hour."

Now they were all curious and easgerly followed behind. Artemus tucked the egg into the satchel he had and put it around his shoulders. It sat neatly between his wings and was safe and sound.....

Cain lead the way flying just above the city buildings. As they approached the airport he pointed out the planes. There were several planes of various sizes on the tarmac.

When the flock saw the aircraft, they were both curious and frightened. "How can something that big get off the ground?" Asked Artemus...

"You see those small things under the wings. Those are the Jet Engines. They are what makes the planes fly, along with the stationary wings and the airflow over them." he flew them down to one of them. The back end was open and a ramp was down to allow them to walk aboard. "It may feel strange at first but you should get use to it." The interrior had been modified with tree like branches everywhere so that they could find places to sit, or lay down on. Hopefully the flight would be smooth.

Sanura wasn't sure about the planes and she hesitated a long time, "I think I'd rather fly under my own steam." She said to Cain and then looked back at the plane.....

It would take several days, and we would have to cross many unfriendly lands that would sooner see us dead." he told her.

Sanura looked back at him and then the plane once again. "I know." She said, "I just don't like the idea of putting my life in the hands of something....." She waved her hand at the plane.....

He smiled and placed a hand on her shoulder. "I have flown on them when I did not have my wings. They are safe." In side there was plenty of food that had been brought. Various fruits, meatss and some vegtables.

Sanura nodded, "Then I will trust you." She said and entered the plane. Afrika also felt nervous, but she kept her mouth shut......

Once all were aboard, the back closed up. Special seats had been put in so that everyone could sit and buckle up for the take off. "It is necessary for the take off. You will feel why when we do. Once airborn we will be able to take them off and move about."

"Why?" Sanura asked nervuosly, "What happens when we take off?" It was clear this female didn't like the idea of flying without being in control.....

"You know when you take off from the ground the feeling of something draging you down? When the plane takes off and climbs you are not using your wings to go up and the force on you might make you fall backwards. Just relax and I asure you everything will be ok."

"That doesn't inspire confidence, Cain." Sanura said as she took a seat. A guard showed her how to fix the seatbelt. Te others followed suit.....

Cain looked over at Artemus and his egg. "Hold on tight to it." he placed a hand on his shoulder, and gave the go ahead to take off as he took his seat and buckled in. The plane's engines began warming up and soon they were moving and took it's place on the runway. The engines revived up and then they began moving faster and faster down the runway and soon they lifted up into the air. The plane climbed higher and higher. Cain pointed out the windows and they could see the ground receeding and everything getting smaller. "We will be flying higher then any of us have ever flown, where the air is thiner." he told them.

As the plane took off, the flock gripped their seats and Sanura felt frighened enough that she shut her eyes tight and held her breath. She didn't like this feeling at all. "I don't care how hostile the world is!" She cried at one point, "I am not coming home again in this metal cage!" Afrika was fascintaed, but she was frightened too and clung to her seat with her hands and feet, ignoring her damaged toe....

After a few minutes the plane leveled off and all was calm once again. "It is just the take off that is bad. The landing is not bad and not as much pressure." he informed them and placed a hand on one of Afrika's.

The flock all seemed to sigh in relief and soon after, they were getting up and walking around the plane. Afrika was the only one to stay put....

"Are you alright." he asked her.

Afrika gave half a smile, "I'm not used to flying without wings." She said with a laugh, "And my foot still hurts. I think I tried to grip with it."....
:
"Then you sit there for awhile until you think you can walk." he told her. "If you are hungry let me know and I will bring you something."

"Starving!" She said quickly.....

He chuckled and got up and went over to where the food had been placed in containers. He brought her back some fruit, figs, bannanas, apples and some meat. "No goo goo though. He told her."

Afrika laughed, "Very funny." She chortled and tucked into the food....
sorry to do this hun, but my bed is yelling at me