Here, I am king (open to one woman)

"Catch her" one of the lieutenants called out as the other caught Nile in his arms and tried to get her to wake up, but it was no use. "She passed out!" the other man replied. Kneeling down beside her the lieutenant touched her forehead with the back of his hand and then peeled open one eye. She was alive, but she needed to be moved with someplace else.

Even with the twin cannon knocked out that didn't stop the attack. The enemy infantry began to come forward and my men were banging away. Their muzzle loaders were firing and then powder was poured down the hot barrels then a lead ball was rammed down then a percussion cap or another splash of powder was added into the frizzen then it was cocked and fired. There were men falling. My men were knocking them down like bowling pins, but Oscar's men were driven and began surging up and were soon at the walls. "Hold firm!" I shouted encouraging my men then saw a man trying to poke at me with a long stick so I shot him with a pistol. As I continued reloaded my eyes continued scanning for Oscar himself. If I could kill or wound him, then this may bring this overwhelming attack to a halt, but there were so many faces and hot bodies gathered around that I couldn't see him and I frowned and cursed as I continued to look for that fat king of theirs.

Nile was taken to the safest place her guard could think to take her and that was in the area once more where all wounded men lay getting as much help as as the poor remaining nurses could give.

This however for Nile was the most unsafe place but no one could or would know this for being passed out now and unable to speak in anyway or tell anyone that being in what should be the most protected space of all was in fact slowly killing her.

As Nile's guard walked away to then rejoin the fighting his last words to the head nurse there a mere child in the grand scheme of things at barely 23 years of age where as follows.
On your life you will keep this girl here safe and alive, and if I do not return back or if our leader King Jas does not come for her in ((however long the fighting is to go on)) time you are to take her and only her to this place. ((the meeting place I believe was mentioned in an earlier posting.))

The nurse would nod her head as she placed a cool cloth onto Nile's head before returning to the man right beside Nile who had been gravely wounded and was himself dying.

The numbers were piling up against us. Oscar's men were splashing against the walls and were now under the cannons. Some brought in ladders and others were making human ladders to pile up on top of one another to get at us. We were fighting hard, shooting and stabbing with out bayonets and clubbing the menacing people when they appeared on the wall. As I shot one then two and stabbed a third in the stomach and kicked him back into the field one of my lieutenants came to me and said that Nile had passed out again and was in the hands of the head nurse. She passed out a lot. There had to be a reason for this.

But my attention was diverted back to the fighting as I could see in several places along the perimeter walls that Oscar's men were starting to climb over. Turning my lieutenant I shouted, "Fall back to the buildings. Get back to Nile and have her ready to run. It doesn't look good. Get everyone to the fall back positions!"

My eyes were constantly looking for their king. If I could find him, I could kill him. But where was he? A pompous man as he was usually stood out from the crowd in many ways, but now I couldn't see him. As my people left their positions, running back towards the buildings in the center of the castle I jogged a short ways and saw a wounded man limping. I went to him, but he said, "Go on without me!" but I refused, took him by one arm and helped him along to get him to the head nurse for treatment. We made it a few strides when one of Oscar's men jumped behind us with a spear and was going to run us through but I produced my pistol quickly and shot him in the face and he fell flat on his stomach at no more than 10 feet.

Back in the tent with Nile and the wounded and dying man the head nurse was doing her very best to figure out what was wrong with Nile for Nile had no wounds save a few scratches on her body yet Nile was burning with fever but her lips where turning blue as if she was freezing.

Beside Nile the gravely injured man had just passed but there was no one to notice or remove his body from the bed yet.
As he passed Nile within her mind heard this time clear as day this time him speaking.
Please tell our leader that I did my very best and tell my wife I love her and the baby girl she gave birth too.

As Nile heard this from the soldier's hand slipped a picture which Nile also saw clear as day within her mind, and so too did Nile respond back within her mind to the man now fading into shadows.
I will.


Within moments of that the lowest nurse turned in time to see Nile's body beginning to seize and then become deathly still only a few seconds later, and a scream then came from the lowest nurse.

She's not breathing.

Seeing she was the only one who could do anything the lowest nurse quickly grabbed the mask from the man laying beside Nile since now he was dead wiped it down and placed it upon Nile's face.

A quick force of oxygen was really all Nile needed and less then 2 minuets later she was breathing once more on her own however looking even paler then before this of course due to the spirit of the soldier passing through her body which only for now Nile knew about. This act also had her body now cold to the touch and shivering which was quickly getting reminded as spare blankets where being placed upon her.

I came staggering into the tent to see the nurses frantically using the oxygen with the mask over Nile's mouth and nose. "What happened?" I asked, putting the wounded man on the closest cot.

"She siezed up and stopped breathing" the lowest nurse responded.

The head nurse added, "I don't know what happened. She only had a few scratches on her and now she's burning up with a fever. I think it's an infection, but we don't have the time right now to test her!" I went over to her and placed a hand on her forehead to get a feel for it remembering that there was some success last time I did this and said, "Nile wake up!"

The battle was roaring around us. My men were running back to the buildings and ready to go to the escape tunnels that every building had. "C'mon, Nile. We don't have time for this. Wake up!"

Nile's body jarred awake at Jas's touch just as it had done before.

It was so bad here. Promise me I will never be sent here again without you.
Nile began writing with her finger on Jas's arm her body shaking as she did so that all Jas would fully make out was the words bad and here.

Now as Nile woke more so her coloring began returning more to normal or what was now normal for her, and her eyes sparked with something even Nile was fully not understanding which was love beyond the fact that Jas had saved her. This was more of a love of Jas being her life line and a very possible forever mate.

Finally with some help Nile along with all the others who could walk where lead away from the tented hospital area. The head nurse staying behind with those unable to be moved.

As Nile turned one last time to look at the tent a chill went through her body as she saw all the death laying on the ground around from the battle fought.

The battle was looking grim. I gave the order to start falling back using the emergency tunnels to the river. The women and children went first with a couple of soldiers leading the way as the other men continued to bang away at Oscar's men. Going with Nile a ways towards the tunnel I signed to her that I would be staying behind to ensure that as many lives could be spared. She was scared, as was I, but I wasn't going to leave them just yet. I was going to try and kill Oscar, but didn't tell her that as I knew she would be frightened and try to stop me from doing so.

The hospital tent was overflowing and people were running to the buildings to get to the tunnels, but they were orderly and the guards kept Oscar's men at bay as they continued to climb over the walls, hurling axes and sticks, a few had firearms, but we had more and were dropping many as soon as they appeared.

"Get to the river" I said to Nile with my hands, "my people will look after you. I'll be back shortly. Once you get to the river just follow my people to our other safe haven."

Nile would nod her head at Jas not liking it one bit however she followed the men as she was told more grateful then not to be heading away from a lot of the death which surrounded her.

Once they reached the river Nile stopped and took one look back as she did she saw once more the fire of a cannon but she could not be sure from which side now it came at that very moment one of Jas's men grabbed her and pulled her down for they where not quite within the new safe zone and Nile did not know this.

The man then put his finger to his lips and made a motion to stay low grabbed Nile's hand and soon they where across this river and into the new safe zone.

Now all Nile had to do was wait.

While she waited there was one person who drew her attention. It happened to be one of the worst but still standing and able to walk men but the trip across the river had taken it's toll on him.

Nile also set to helping in other ways she could including doing something which she had not done since loosing her hearing and that was to sing.

Oddly evening being now deaf her voice rang like an angle out so that all the children gathered around her with pillows and blankets and soon she was lulling them to sleep to the great pleasure of the parents.

Once all the children where sleeping Nile would return to the wounded man and hold his hand to bring him comfort.

Little did she know by doing this she was in fact helping him pass less painfully nor would she know it until the next morning when he was found dead with a note written.

These are the last words these hand will ever write.
I served my King well and for this I know heaven a waits me.
A heaven I will gladly embrace for my wife and son await me there, killed too long ago to recall.
Tonight an angel came I heard her voice singing and then she touched me.
I knew all was right.
I felt peace, a peace like never before.
So I write this with fading eyes.
Thank you my angel, Thank you.

Nile would say nothing as she picked up the note and placed it safely away and then set to finding out where to bury the man since she knew he was alone.

"Sir, the women and children are away" one of my lieutenants came to me, having to shout above the din. By now I had retreated into the barracks where at every window my men were firing and loading and firing at Oscar's men as they ran around the courtyard. The hospital tent was hastily evacuated, the walking wounded taken to the tunnels or to the nearest buildings but many others were killed where they lay in utter butchery that turned my stomach. Bunch of savages, I thought. Oscar and his bunch deserved to die.

"If you see Oscar, tell me!" I said to each man as I went by.

"Sir," one man called out, "I think I see him! Above the gate!" pointing that way. Going to the window and taking a quick peek there indeed was a large man there standing at the same place I was when looking over towards his once large tent, but in the haze of battle it was hard to tell accurately, but I didn't want to risk letting him through my grasp. Calling for a rifle one of my tired, filthy, men gave me his rifle and I took careful aim with it and fired. The large man didn't react for a moment then hunched forward and fell face first where several people swarmed around him. Certainly seemed like he was important to warrant such attention and then he was slowly carried down the stairs. "Kill them!" I shouted pointing at the group of men carrying the body and several men began firing dropping them one by one until only two were left and they ditched the body and ran for their lives out of the fort.

Back at the new camp Nile was doing everything she could to keep herself busy.

There had been no more deaths there which she was glad for.

Nightly she sang the children a sleep and morning she woke and gathered fire wood so that the ladies in charge of cooking could do so.

As the days past Nile began missing Jas more and more so that now in private when she get private time which was maybe once a day when she collected fire wood Nile found her fingers reaching and playing with her nipples over her shirt as she thought about his lips upon them.

Each time however she quickly stopped herself for that was the way a slut or whore would think and she was neither and she never wanted Jas to think that way of her either or even worse find out that she was doing such things.

I lost all track of time. With the mothers and children gone there were only a handful of us left inside the buildings, but none of Oscar's men could get inside. Every time they tried, they were picked off by my sharpshooters. Ever since I shot down the big man on the gate, the enemy seemed to lose their momentum and cohesion. It became a stalemate. There were thousands of them out in the courtyard, the ground was littered with bodies, we were taking them down by the dozens, but another problem arose. We were running low on ammunition. The still air inside the buildings was stifling, filled with the acid stench of burning sulfur and we were running low on water. During the nights several brave souls would run out to the well to fetch water or to get barrels of the precious water.

As I took a break, I wondered how Nile was doing. She was a strange yet strong spirit and her development has caused a great deal of concern, but I knew that once we dealt with this then we would be able to find out just what has occured. Everyone's minds was focused on just surviving. Water was low and so was food. We got the signal that the others had made to the safe haven across the river, so that eased our minds, but we had to find a way to get these bastards out of the fort. They were rooting through the other buildings and tents, eating the few morsels left out there. Fortunately, we still retained the kitchen and its basement, but where I was we couldn't get to it. A couple of nights someone would hurl loaves of bread at us and we would catch them, but that wasn't enough. We had to find a way to get out. One of my men had a plan.

We did have a few bows and arrows. We wrapped the tips with cloth and started to dip them into some paint or other flammable material and set them alight and began launching them at the barricades. The flames kicked up the enemy as they tried to put them out. With them distracted we slipped out the windows and doors and came rushing at them with our blades, firing our few rounds shouting as hard as we could to make it appear that we were larger than what we were. I held my sword and started hacking at every head I could see, blood was flowing freely. The enemy couldn't stand up to us and were running in mere moments and were running towards the gates, throwing aside their weapons. We cornered a few and forced them to surrender, as much as we wanted to kill them. Our faces were smeared in dirt, grime, and black powder, our eyes flashed and our teeth red from our cut gums and lips that we looked like demons to them. They begged for mercy. We wanted to kill them, but I ordered them to stay their hands. We could get some valuable intelligence from them.

When the fort was secured, the enemy was sent running in every direction. We had won, surprisingly. We were far outnumbered, but had won. A message was sent to those at the safe haven of our victory, but we still had not found Oscar. However, according to one of the prisoners, he was struck in the chest by a bullet, but had disappeared short thereafter. It led me to wonder if that was him on the gate and I ordered a search of the fort. If he did suffer a chest wound, then he couldn't have gone far.

As fire rose voices in the camp began yelling in fright.

Nile herself began feeling very oddly as if hundreds of hands and voice where talking at once. They where whispers this time and father touches nearly like a soft breeze coating her skin, but the sound and feel as there all the same.

Through all the madness Nile heard a voice clear as day.
It was her father, Oscar, but he was no where near.

Nile knew it to be unwise to leave the safety of where she was but his voice it kept beckoning her and so after much fight within herself Nile slipped away and began heading back towards where the two river sides met.

From there she could see more clearly all the bodies, and death that floated around, and the voice and feeling of hands grew stronger within Nile's mind and upon her flesh.

So much so she ended up being briefly frozen for a moment before turning and running back to the safety of her now side of the river where she was caught and nearly scolded by the men in charge of keeping her safe.

All that stopped the scolding was Nile and the way he looked as if she had seen a ghost. Now ll that came was a question of one of the men.

Miss are you OK.

All Nile could do was nod and softly ask.

How do we know if King Jas is alive or dead, and what too of my Father King Oscar being alive or dead?

The sun was setting, so a messenger had to be sent through the tunnels and across the river to find the others at the safe haven to relay the message that the fort had held out. It was an unbelievable feat that we were able to stand up to the might of Oscar and his horde, but we did. The bodies were collected to make several large pyres, the only real way to get rid of the bodies as burying them would take too long and we didn't have the shovels.

They were taken outside the fort, piled up and covered in branches and any broken wood that could be found. We were even allowed to go into the remains of Oscar's once great camp and started rooting through the tents. There wasn't much to go through, just some scraps of moldy bread and meat. However, once we reached Oscar's tent, we found a treasure trove of loot including gold and silver coins, chests of jewels, and the treasure of hundreds of conquered towns.

The messenger reached the other at the safe haven and passed along the wondrous new. They could return to the fort! The messenger sought out Nile and passed her the new that Jas was alive and well and waiting for her back inside of the fort.

Nile was over joyed by the news written to her so much so a tear fell from her eye,but even in the excite all around she had to ask, she had to know.

What of my Father, King Oscar?

This after learning that Jas was alive and well which in the end was all Nile fully cared about.

She would not say why she asked of her father either.

She would not mention she had heard his voice in the wind begging her return home.

She would not mention that she had felt his touch upon her flesh as other men too passed away.

No, Nile would not mention this at all, for surely they would think her crazy, and Jas would lock her away or worse yet have her killed for being a witch or worse yet something inhuman.

Now the trip back through the death lands had begun, all Nile could think of was Jas's arms and so finally when he came into view she no longer could contain herself and ran straight into them with tears of joy rolling down her face.

A messenger came back to inform me that Nile and the others were safe and were on their way back to the fort. There was not much of a fort to come back to. By my reckoning we lost about half of our men in the fight and were recovering their remains where they had been butchered. The food stores were safe as was the well so our future is secured but we lost many and it weighed on my mind.

We gathered up the enemy dead and piled them up and began burning them. For our dead we would burn them but I had them be covered and wait for their loved ones to come and say their farewells. There would be many children that would be proud of their fathers.

As we waited, one of my men found a large man that was still moving and called out for help. Several men hustled forward with their weapons at the ready. They rolled him over and found that it was the King Oscar barely alive. "Be in him before Jas."

Nile settled in as best as she could in a tented area with the Mother's of the young children, and the children too.

Now the children where all scared so Nile began singing to the again, her voice carrying far this time even without trying.


Mean while Oscar had been found and with gurgling breath spoke weakly and with great effort into a ear of man brave enough to get near.

Bring me my Nile. I must say good-bye. I know she is alive I can hear her voice ringing as her Mother's past did.

Oscar then went limp still breathing but barely.

The man would then step back and begin looking for his King, Jas to tell him what Oscar had said.

Such a pig. We didn't care or weep to see him passing. He was still Nile's father and it would be a shame to see him pass before saying 'good bye' to his daughter, but that would be her decision. I sent word via messenger to find Nile and inform her of this. I stood guard nearby. He was limp, mouth slightly quivering. The only real way to know he was still alive was his occasional cough. The messenger followed in on Nile's singing and gently placed a hand on her shoulder and whispered into her ear.

"M' lady" the messenger said, "My lord Jas has sent me to find you. We have found your father, King Oscar, and he is alive. Barely. He requests that you come to him."

The children and the women were sad to see her go because she had a beautiful singing voice, a rare treat now a days.

I posted the few men on the walls as engineers began working to fix the damage done by the attack after the dead were gathered up for burial, but there was still the stench of death hovering over the place as there were stains in the ground where many had fallen.

Nile would get the news and quickly follow the man to her father.

As she neared the sight and smell of death nearly overwhelmed her.

Seeing Jas she smiled however softly and motioned from him to come nearer.

Nile then took her Father's hand into her own, not saying a word.

Now of course Oscar did not know his daughter was now deaf as he spoke in gasping gurgles.

Chenille sing me one last song my angel. Sing to me of heaven.

Even without hearing the words spoken Nile looked upon her Father's near lifeless body and began in an almost whaling sound to sing a melody from ancient times that would in fact bring the men surrounding the area to a stop.

Nile was maybe five minuets into the song which was meant to last around twenty minuets when she felt Oscar squeeze her hand and then his body went limp and passed.

As his spirit passed Nile would feel it go through her body as this happened a matching tattoo from her left side would appear on her right side now, and Nile would say allowed very puzzled.

Twenty-One.

Nile would then fall to her knees and begin weeping.

Had it not been for Jas and his strength and power at that very moment Nile likely would have gone mad or worse.

Thankfully however other then being shaken and have a complete matching left and right sided tattoo now Nile was basically OK.

((a faded looking tribal tattoo going from her lower back clear up her arms and into her finger tips which resembles a featherless wing.))

It was over. The king had passed. I stepped towards Nile and placed my cloak on her shoulders. She had to let go of his hand so that we could tend to the body. She was cold and trembled as I helped her up to her feet and take her away from the scene as two of my men took up Oscar's body to take him out to the pyre. There wouldn't be a ceremony for him, just throw him onto the pile. His body was not special so it wouldn't receive any more attention as everyone else.

Nile and I went out of the room and into the hall where there were several wounded people being tended to by the nurses. There were simply so many that they were filling up every empty space we had.

Walking side by side with her I used my hands to rudimentary sign, "We tried to save him, but his wounds were internal and we couldn't get to him in time. I'm sorry. But with him gone his army has scattered and we don't believe they will be a threat to us for awhile. We cleared out his camp and have secured the water wells again." My face and hands were still smeared in grime and dirt having not bathed in all of these days, but my attitude began to turn up beat knowing that we were safe.

Nile would nod her head numb from everything she was feeling, hearing, and seeing as she walked through the where all the wounded and dying soldiers where now being tended too.

All Nile wanted to do was keep walking but as Jas let her hands go to speak to her on of wounded men touched her lightly upon her hand and when he did so a fire was quickly ignited within her body and the tattoos upon her Nile's hand since that was the only part of the tattoo showing began softly glowing white.

What happened next would likely forever change Nile and how Jas or anyone anymore thought of her but Nile could not stop what she was doing or the words which came as if she suddenly had hearing where still she did.

Do not worry Sir Munford your wife and son await you.
Now rest in peace as you wish so to do.

Now what no one knew or could tell was that Sir Munford as Nile called him had at some point fallen during battle and hit his head. Due to the hit on his head blood had been slowly pooling within his brain so that at almost the precise time Nile said what she said Sir Munford's body convoluted one time with Nile still holding his hand and he then slipped away dropping Nile's hand.

Once her hand was free Nile could do nothing she was frozen standing there for a few moments but then her eyes found Jas again and all pain and fear washed away.

There were eyes all around staring holes into Nile and me as they just witness this. They didn't know what they saw, but they did and there were some hushed whispers, "Sorcery...witch..." Giving her a touch on the shoulder, I ushered her down the hall. People tucked their hands and feet to clear a way and didn't want to be touched by her, thinking she was the Angel of Death. I didn't know what to make of it, but I was touching her and I wasn't dying.

Getting outside and feeling the last few rays of the warm sun before it set behind the horizon, I drew a deep breath and let it out before looking over at her white face and hair as it contrasted greatly from the dark and heavy coat on her shoulders, "How are you feeling?" asking with sign language.

The battle had us all rattled. I was wounded, only slightly, but I was also heart broken by the many losses. All around us there were weeping women as in the distance the black pyre smoke rose up to the darkening sky.

"We will discuss this in my chambers," I signed, "You'll be better off there right now than with them. Let the nurses tend to their business."

Nile would just nod not saying or motioning to say anything simply walking beside Jas until finally they reached his room area, only then Nile begin frantically sighing.

I am sorry. I am so sorry people saw that. I could not stop what was happening. I could not. Please don't fear me. Please. I can't be. I'm too young. I still have at least a year before this was fully meant to happen.

Jas would then watch Nile take a deep breath and peace would seem to settle over her face and body before she pointed to the couch and then moved over to it and sat down. Once they where both seated Nile again began signing this time slower.

I would have told you sooner,much sooner about who or what I was but I thought I had more time. I should have figured something may have been up when my hair and skin began changing but even from the beginning there was never time due to the war going on between your people and my father's people.

Another deep breath taken and the signing continues.

Here it is the short of the long story I know.
One of my great great great grandmother was not human at all, she was an angel of death or a death angel did a deed at some point so fantastic she was granted one week to be human. Well in this one week she was allowed to be human she found a male and was impregnated.
She did not know and returned to heaven only to birth a daughter in her angel form some 24 months later. Something about heaven time moving much faster or slower.

Shakes head and begins signing again but only after making sure Jas was following well enough so far.

It happens now every generation bares at least one daughter now to carry on the genes. I guess I got the genes. The only thing is it not suppose to hit until 21 and unless I was lied to my.................

Nile would just stop then and pale so that her skin looked nearly translucent and signed very slowly now with shaking hands as tears began streaming down her face.

My Father was trying to tell me before he died that I was 21. He knew all along what I was to be. After all none of my other sibling look anything like me.

That was it before Jas even knew it Nile had moved herself into his lap and taken his hands and arm and wrapped them about her ice cold body and just began sobbing until finally she passed out.

She was crying inconsolably. I didn't know what to make of it as she explained it to me. We had nothing ever happen to us like this. There were mutants because of the fallout, but nothing like this. She did have other siblings. They had to be close. I would have to send out patrols to try and find them before they get too far away. When Nile had fallen asleep in her tears I gently lifted her up and placed her on my bed and tucked her in, drying off her tears with my hanker chief then left the room posting two guards to watch her from the outside of the room. What Nile told me gave me a lot to go on. If we can get her siblings perhaps there was a way that we could be able to control her powers as her siblings knew her better.

Calling in a couple of my trusted lieutenants, I ordered patrols to go out into the dead areas and try to locate Nile's siblings. They were puzzled by the stories that they heard, about what Nile had done. "Is she some kind of witch?" they asked.

"No" I told them. "She has been blessed in some queer way with some sort of special powers. Powers that we can't comprehend, but she has assured me that she is with us."

The men would in fact find a sister of Nile the one who Oscar had tried to trade Nile for unfortunately the only thing she could tell them was that her or well their Mother was like Nile based on what the men where describing at least.

The only other information the sister could or would give was the fact the Mother passed away roughly 2 weeks after birthing Nile, and that she (the sister) was ten years older then that of Nile despite looking younger then Nile.

Just as men went to turn and leave the sister stopped them and spoke again.
I think there is more siblings, all girls, however Nile is the only one to take after Mother and that was because Mother knew Nile would be the last. Mother was very old but thanks to her being the daughter I guess who got the special genes Mother did not look a day over 40 when she passed.

That was it the sister turned and almost faded from view had the one solider not seen her slip through a crack in the rocks and into what one would assume a hidden room or pathway.




Mean while Nile was still sleeping peacefully for the first time in ages curdled up tight in the blankets on Jas's bed, holding onto his pillow as if it where a teddy bear.

When the patrol returned and gave the news of what the sister gave, it did answer some questions. Her mother wouldn't be able answer, but we knew that she wasn't a witch, just someone that was blessed. Not sure if the radiation did it or if it was in the genes, but I assured the others that what she had was not contagious, but that was a tough pill to swallow considering the rumors that were flying around already over what happened in the hallway. They didn't want to go near her out of belief that they would be killed in some way. "She's just different" I told them, "She's not to be treated any differently. We have bested Oscar and we have a lot of work to do in repairing this place for any other threats. I want patrols to continue to round up any stragglers. Stragglers could be used as barter or be given parole, should I do choose. Hostages would be able to yield a ransom or we could give them parole and exchange them for other prisoners.

I was keeping busy by detailing work groups to get the wreckage cleared out and getting new walls remade. Our walls were of brick and our furnace was damaged during the fighting, but we would have to make due.