After a long flight, the City of the Empress

Marcus yawned tiredly on Nasir's back, his eyes fluttering open after a short doze. Wrapped up in that nice cloak, lying back on Kihara's chest with the slow beating of the eagle's massive wings to lull him, it was quite easy to nap despite the heat. It was late afternoon now, and the sun wasn't quite as strong as it had been a few hours ago, something which the young prince was very grateful for. He really wanted to like Kihara's home, and there was something just amazing and beautiful about the endless sea of rippling sand dunes over which they flew, but the relentless heat and dry air was rather much to bear for a pampered boy like him who'd hardly even left his Castle home before. Soon after they'd left the oasis this morning, he'd started feeling dizzy, his throat dry and his skin prickly and sore.

At around noon, Kihara had noticed him flagging and insisted they stop in the shade of another patch of palm trees despite his limp and feeble protests that he was okay. They'd rested there for a couple hours or so, waiting for the worst of the heat to pass, as Nasir watched over them with a cocked head and curious golden eyes.

Exhausted by the sun, Marcus had lain limply with his head in Kihara's lap, hardly able to move. She'd had him drink a lot of water from a gourd in her hand, and even poured some in his hair and shirt to cool him down, while tenderly stroking his cheek with a worried look on her face. The young prince hadn't wanted to scare the woman he adored, and tried to get himself up so they could get back to flying, even though he'd still felt dizzy and tired. Of course she'd just pushed his head firmly back in her lap and insisted he stay there until she was sure he was feeling better. A raised eyebrow and a sharp warning about what had happened the last time he didn't trust her had kept him there, quiet as a mouse. She knew better than him what he needed, after all.

When she pronounced him ready, they'd taken to the air again, with Kihara's arm wrapped even more tightly around his body. Marcus had slept on and off for most of the journey since then, but now he rubbed his eyes and tried to stay awake, peering off Nasir's back to stare at the desert sands below. He was starting to enjoy flying rather more, especially when it meant resting back against the woman he adored, with her strong arm holding him so tight and safe. He smiled faintly, wriggling back on the saddle so he was even closer to her.

"We're almost home, little one." Kihara purred in his ear. "See that, just ahead of us." Marcus leant forward, peering over the desert through the hood of his cloak. There was a river snaking through the golden sands ahead of them, with a lush green band of trees on either bank. "That is Laha, the great river. Most of my people live along her banks. The land she floods is one of few places in the Empire where crops can grow." The young prince glanced along the thin band of blue eagerly. He could just make out patches of cleared land that had to be farms, with the faint and tiny shapes of people moving across them. Kihara's people, he really wanted to meet some, so long as they weren't as scary as those women who'd nearly attacked them in the pass. "And look there, further up the river." Kihara continued, her hand slipping from his belly to point ahead of them over Nasir's head.

"Wow." Marcus breathed, staring in wonder. There, nestled in a great curve of the winding river, was a huge city, ringed by high sandstone walls. It must have been several times the size of the town his parents ruled over from their castle, teeming with stone buildings and paved roads packed with bustling crowds he could just make out from the air. At the center, towering above the other buildings, there was must have been some kind of great palace or temple, built all of gleaming white marble. "That's amazing!" The young prince squealed in delight, craning his neck up so he could see Kihara's gorgeous face. "Is that city your home?"

"Yes, little one." She chuckled, patting his belly gently through the cloak. Her other hand give Nasir's reins a little tug and the eagle folded his wings, cutting through the air towards the huge city. "That is the City of the Empress, and the Imperial palace she rules from, our destination. Now, we shouldn't have any more trouble before we land in the Imperial Eyrie, but once we do there's some people I will need to explain myself to. You must be a good boy and just keep behind me and stay nice and quiet, okay? No matter what they say about you, just let me do the talking. I'll make sure no-one lays a hand on you, no matter what."

"Yes Kihara." Marcus nodded, his chest welling up with warmth at that promise in her strong voice. He snuggled back into her body, promising himself he'd be a good boy now and do exactly as she said. Still, when she told him to stay behind her and keep quiet, that worried him a little. Hopefully it didn't mean anything scary was going to happen. As amazing as the city they were heading to looked to be, part of him couldn't help but wish they'd stayed a few more days in that beautiful oasis, making love under the stars and spending his nights wrapped in her strong arms under the shelter of their little tent. Just the two of them, safe and happy like he'd never felt in his life before. Well, he trusted her, right? So everything was going to be okay. He just had to keep listening to her and she'd protect him.