His heart thud like the war drums of a distant memory, yet one so vivid it seemed palpable like he was reliving the nightmare over and over and over. The Egyptian sun blazed down upon him, baking his dark skin covered in scars. The wind swept past, blowing grains of sand up into his stoic face as he stared off into the distant dunes. This was his home. This was where he was born and where he planned to die, for the vengeance of his people…

He trekked on over the scorched sand, thin sandals doing poorly to protect his feet as he marched on. The sun was now sinking below the horizon, a ruby as red as the blood of his family spilled on the same sands all those years ago. By the time night fell, he had reached the palace walls. He clutched the cold gold lying upon his chest for reassurance, and under cover of the shadows, he slid along, a snake ready to strike at the slightest threat. He glided over the earth with the grace acquired only through endless practice and experience, his feet silent even as his heart hammered loudly in his chest.

Finally, he was within the palace, past the royal guards standing post along its border. He made his way through the countless breezeways, buildings, corridors, and rooms looking for that one treasure that would assure his revenge. His lithe body clung to the columns like darkness. He reached one section of the sprawling palace grounds separated from the main complex of opulent buildings. Could it be a shrine of sorts? A safe for the treasure in which he seeks?! It was certainly isolated enough to be considered of interest. He dashed across the expanse and crouched next to the door. He could hear breathing and rustling around. A fist clenched tightly and a bead of sweat rolled gently from his temple in anticipation of a fight. He slowly strained his neck in order to face the opening to see inside. It looked as though bundles were laid out in rows along the floor.

He cautiously stood up and crept inside for a closer look and… Came face to face with large chocolate colored eyes, wide with terror. The thief realized his mistake. This was no shrine or safe, but slave quarters! Disbelief flooded him as he blinked and noticed the terrified slave was no longer in front of him, but running past him for all he was worth. The thief grumbled in frustration and cursed under his breath as he made a mad dash to get as far as the hell away from the palace as he could before he was ratted out by that little bitch and caught by the guards.

He broke free of the palace walls that constricted his heart with hatred and high tailed it toward his haven far enough away to avoid capture. He slowed once at the outskirts of the village surrounding the Pharaoh's palace and began the tiring journey home. He finally looked up as he approached his own village of Kul Elna. A look of warm recognition flickered across his hardened features, then one of sadness and desperation before his face returned to its stoic, constant scowl. He walked past the familiar buildings with his head to the sky cursing Ra for what he allowed, and asking for an answer to his prayers. However, he would never plead. Come Hell or the high waters of the flooded Nile, he would exact his revenge and redeem himself, bring peace to the countless souls that haunt him and the desolated village of Kul Elna.

Once at the doorstep of where he stayed, he swept aside the loosely hung wooden door and ducked in, breathing in the familiar scent of his family's hut. His eyes snapped open and scanned the quarters; his muscles tense and his hand reaching toward the hilt of the dagger at his waist. He felt the disturbance of his now not-so-empty abode. Like that of a wild feline, his muscles rippled as he leaped toward one corner and tackled the huddled figure that was lurking there. The dagger was plunged toward the throat when an unearthly scream rang through the air and familiar brown eyes snapped open in dread. The glint of the dagger matched the utter shock that glistened in the thief's eye before rage flared into those gray orbs.

"WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING HERE?!" he bellowed in anger at the very same slave he saw earlier that night. The slave cowered in the grasp which was practically ripping the long, silver hair from his sensitive skull.

"I-I. I…" The smaller boy stuttered in dismay as the man before him shook him roughly.

"I asked you a damn question! Why the hell are you here?! Are there others?! Did you bring guards?!

"N-no!" the boy uttered out, shaking his head fervently despite the pain it caused. He winced. However, the thief visibly calmed at the knowledge that neither of them had been followed. He tossed the small body aside and sat with a fwump onto his cot. He looked down at his palms in contemplation and then tossed the dagger he had been clutching into the dust at his feet. Why did shit like this always happen to him? Weathered hands ran roughly over an exhausted face. He finally looked over to get a closer look at his newfound capture.

The moonlight shining through the still open doorway offered little lighting sufficient to see in any great detail. The thief's wary, gray eyes roamed up and down the form curled on the opposite wall before him. The boy was only a year or two younger than he, but his lines were softer, like those of a child. His eyes were large and a deep brown; silvery bangs, the color of the moon, hung limply upon his forehead. He had a slight frame and was shorter than himself by about a head. His hair ran down his back and long, slim arms; his skin was almost as pale as his hair. He truly was a sight to behold. "If you were into that sort of thing," the thief thought with a snort, admonishing himself for where his thoughts began to linger.

He reached out tentatively for the boy who flinched as he brought his hand near. But the thief meant no harm, at least not then. He simply scooped up a handful of the moonlit strands of silver and sifted them through his fingers. It was real alright- soft as the silk he'd steal and the scent of lotus blossoms wafted toward him. The boy gave him a scared and bewildered look but did not back away. If anything, he seemed just as fascinated with his captor. The thief smirked.

Chocolate orbs strayed from their captor's mesmerizing eyes and raked over the ripped body before him. Tanned skin veiled with scars stretched across his uncovered chest beneath his red robe. Chiseled muscles twitched under his skin. Hair nearly as light as his spiked unkempt from the sculpted face containing those deep, stormy eyes. A rumbling was heard, and he realized that the man before him had asked him a question.

"Hey, I asked you a question. Answer me wretch." he ground out in annoyance.

"Ah-, y-yes, s-sorry I d-didn't catch t-that." he stumbled over his words in fright and embarrassment from so openly gawking.

"I asked you how the hell you got here. How'd you know about this place?" the man repeated, not liking to repeat himself, but half amused at the boy's embarrassment.

"I-I d-didn't." he said and cleared his throat. "When I saw you sneaking around, I-I thought you were a guard and ran blindly. I f-found this abandoned v-village out of l-luck." He explained cautiously.

"Abandoned?! You think the people who lived here just up and LEFT?! You have no fucking idea what happened here! How dare you make such accusations?!" the thief thundered.

The escaped slave's eyes widened in shock at the blowup and he attempted to scoot back. "I-I d-didn't m-mean any o-offense!" he cried. "I d-didn't realize that something e-else h-had h-happened!" he persuaded, hoping to calm the unpredictable being before him down.

The thief huffed and glared in barely suppressed anger, but willed himself to sit back down and try to pry some more information from the other male. "Why didn't you rat me out, or send the guards after me?" The thief took pause as he reprocessed what the boy had said. "Wait. Why would you run if you believed me to be a guard?" The man was actually truly curious about this. If it were anyone else he was sure he'd be in the hands of the men who killed his family, being tossed in some Ra-forsaken cell beneath the palace floors to be forgotten, either that or awaiting his execution. The boy just stared at him.

So, this is my first ever entry to the site! I hope everyone or anyone reading it enjoyed it, even if only a little. Please read and review! With it being my very first uploaded work, I really want to know what you all think about it and how I can improve. I know it's a short chapter, but I feel it's a good start. If anyone is reading this, I really appreciate your support! *