I requested a favor from my friends to spend some time with that guy's woman. It turns out they are cousins who were made "lovers" so that the fields wouldn't divide and go to strangers. The man had lame feet and decided not to have any relations with his woman. He told me that his woman often enjoys the odd traveler if she likes them, and I was certainly one of those strangers.
I've been indebted to my brothers in arms. They accepted a half-hour delay, so I could enjoy myself.
"Thanks for waiting for me, guys. You are the best."
My brothers in arms were smiling under their mustaches. This is entertainment for them. I've become the butt of the joke with my incessant lust. So be it. Being perceived as a man whore is a small sacrifice to make if I'm going to get laid this often.
As we were going back to camp, the villagers burned the corpses. The criminals were not going to Anubis with their bodies complete. They shouldn't have extorted all those people. When we die, we leave our bodies in the care of society. The same society might bury us with our belongings and have our souls prepared by a priest, or they could burn you, making sure you have no body in the afterlife. You can't just abuse people for that reason. They will be merciless toward you after you are dead.
My brothers in arms approached me with their camels and asked.
"Nazhotep, could you introduce us to some girls?"
They are looking at me expectantly.
"I could introduce you to girls all day long. But will you be able to talk them into your beds?"
The men looked at each other in shame. They lacked the proper social acumen. They would squander their chances and make me, who introduced them to girls, look bad.
"No, we don't know how to."
I wasn't a ladies man before either. All I did was to save people. While doing so, I displayed strength. I think these men need to have a way to display their strength to women.
"Today, after our meditations, we could organize a wrestling match or arm-wrestling match and have ladies watch us compete with each other. After seeing us, they might take some interest. Every woman I've been with has been impressed with me. I'm sure that would work for you guys too. We are all in shape. We have been going through military training. I'm sure the women would like to see the imagery.
You have to put on a show when we do this, boys. Also, I need to sit this one out. I'm too famous."
One of the guys was silent for a moment before talking.
"That makes sense. Please help us, man. We came here, you scrambled that Quraishi guy like an egg, and we are just loitering around now. It's dreadful."
We arrived at the camp, and that evening, after the meditation, we went to a tavern. I am a celebrity in these towns these days. For that reason, I picked Zaliki up to be my arm candy. She was to shoo away all the girls so my friends could get all the attention. If I sat calm and they were rumbunctious, chances are that they would get most of the attention. They took off their shirts and started wrestling on the dirt patch near the inn.
First, Aroeris and Paru went up. Aroeris was a large man with a beard and a hairy chest. Paru was a bit shorter than him, but his muscles were more prominent. They met in the middle of the empty dirt field, with a crowd forming around them. Aroeris pushed and almost put Paru out of bounds. The crowd cheered when Paru sidestepped and caused Aoreris to stumble. He almost threw himself out of bounds.
Paru caught Aroeris by the wrist and elbow and attempted to arm-lock him. However, Aroeris was far too powerful for that. He lifted Paru up over his head instead. According to the rules, if he had managed to keep him off the ground for forty steps, he would've won. However, Paru managed to sway himself off Aroeris's grip and put Aroeris into a headlock. Now Aroeris was on the round and pinned. He failed to free himself from the headlock and tapped out.
When they returned to the crowd, one of the servers approached Aroeris and lightly slapped him on the arm.
"You dumb mountain of muscle. I've put money on you! How dare you lose?"
Aroeris scratched the back of his head, embarrassed. He smiled at the waitress and said,
"I'm sorry. Let me buy you a drink to make it up to you."
The waitress smiled while playing with her hair.
"You just know what to say to a woman, don't you?" Several meters away, Paru was having the time of his life. A soft looking patron of the inn was feeling the muscles on his left arm, and a tall, dark-haired woman was feeling the muscles on his right arm.
On the dirt, Sadiki was wrestling with a man I don't know. The boys have come out of their shells. Men die far more often than women do. Among the surviving men, there is human trash. Above average men like Aroeris, Paru, and Sadiki were commodities. They have proven their prowess to the local girls. And as a result, some were interested.
They scattered to their homes and alleyways to have fun. I princess-carried Zaliki to my tent in the barracks. She was looking at my face with a loving smile on her face. I jokingly said,
"Who is the slave here? Why am I carrying you instead of the other way around?"
Zaliki's drunken face suddenly turned serious.
"That won't do, master. Come on, climb on my back."
She jumped out of my arms and onto the ground. She then leaned forward and exposed her back to me.
I pinched her skinny butt.
"Are you trying to fart the baby out? What do you mean by telling me to climb on your back? Did you forget that you might be carrying my baby?"
She chuckled and smiled at me.
"Oh, I totally forgot. Well, it was no problem when you tried to poke it in the eye with your dick."
That bothered me more than it should.
"Doing it is completely safe when pregnant. Lifting heavy things is not."
Zaliki suddenly blushed.
"So you care about me."
I nodded.
"I do."
She hugged me, and all of a sudden, she was rubbing her face against my chest.
"I'm so happy, master! I can barely hold myself back when you're around."
We then arrived at our tent and let go of all restrictions. The next day, the news came. Aroeris came and found me.
"Good news, Nazhotep. The reinforcements for the guards have arrived. We are bound to leave this town shortly. We are going back home."
Man, I missed Aisha and Salma.
"I'm glad to hear that."
I turned toward Zaliki.
"I'll free you once we arrive at the capital. You will live as a free woman and my lover. However, you'll have to work for your coin. Are you alright with that?"
Zaliki nodded.
"I'm willing. But…"
She was ashamed.
"I'm but a lowly slave. I don't know much. Sure, I know how to read because my father is a merchant, but I know not much else."
I smiled and leaned in near her ear.
"You have an arcane heart. Don't worry, you can find a job wherever you want after you go through your education."
She wasn't that reassured. A slave is hurt by their status deeper than most think. There is a leash on her heart. She can't imagine herself free.
"I'm fully confident that you'll do just fine. Don't worry."
Aroeris, seeing that my conversation with Zaliki had ended, said to me,
"Thank you for last night, man. I appreciate it. I got lucky."
***
During the next few weeks, Pharaoh's many aircraft have carried warrior priests away. I was able to take Zaliki with me, as she was my property. When I returned home, Aisha and Salma ran toward me and kissed me.
I turned toward Aisha while lifting Zaliki's chin. There was a slave collar there.
"Aisha, would you like to do the honors?"
Aisha cut off Zaliki's slave collar. During the next half-hour, they got to know each other. Then I took Zaliki to the temple, and she was accepted into the priest training program.
The next stop was a real estate merchant. My award gold was depleted when I bought a house in a place that is out of the slums. It was big enough to house me and my lovers. It had a nice garden to grow things in and for the children to play in. I paid it upfront and bought the house.
We just needed to stay in this old woman's house for a week more.