05-02-03 @ 6:49 am EDT

All righty, I've debated doing this, but I want to set some thoughts down before they get lost. They're already VERY mixed up and I hope they fall into place as the story goes along, but who knows. I'll probably forget a lot of them here. o_o; But these are plot ideas I've had for the Ameni Chronicles' future chapters.

A warning, and only one. I'm going to give away MAJOR plot points here, so please don't read beyond the line unless you never plan on reading the Chronicles someday, unless you don't care to have big plot surprises revealed, or unless you're an idiot. Thank you. :)

YOU WERE WARNED!

This part is already partially written but is ahead in the plot. Basically, Ahai'ikh arrives at Mahakhi's household one night, beaten nearly to death. He manages to tell Nehef that someone drugged and tried to assault him, before losing consciousness. On hearing this another lieutenant tells of how he himself was raped in a similar manner, and Tefkha's own assault is brought up. Apparently someone is going around assaulting lieutenants for an unknown reason. In a later scene, while Tefkha and Be'shen (who has been trying to get Tefkha sobered up) are passing through the city, they spy for a time on Tas'hukh and Ri'hus, the latter of whom seems to have acquired a surprise gift for archery. Tefkha makes a hasty excuse to leave, following a group of Kana who have just left a brothel of sorts. The scene shifts to Tefkha entering one of the Kana's households and confronting him under the guise of stopping by for a friendly visit. The other Kana, a sergeant named Shenkh'a, complains to Tefkha about his inability to attain the rank of lieutenant. When Shenkh'a turns around to get Tefkha a drink, the lieutenant draws a dagger and stabs him in the back. It turns out he recognized Shenkh'a's scent when the other Kana was leaving the brothel; Shenkh'a was the one who raped him in the alleyway beside the tavern. Now paralyzed, the sergeant can do nothing to defend himself. Tefkha proceeds to torture and mutilate him until his death, and sits in the house with the body until officials, summoned by Shenkh'a's houseboy, arrive in the morning. Finding the mangled corpse and Tefkha covered in blood, they take him into custody and he is later brought before the grand tribunal to stand trial for murder. Tefkha easily admits to the crime but pleads not guilty due to self-defense. The Kana Knuf'kha defends him, but doesn't do a very good job. Mahakhi wishes to let Tefkha go, as it's obvious Shenkh'a is the one who assaulted both him and the unnamed lieutenant, as well as tried to kill Ahai'ikh; but law dictates that some punishment be served else the rest of the Kana will feel free to commit crimes whenever they wish without fear of punishment. He finally finds Tefkha guilty of murder, but rather than demote him or flay his wings, decides on a still-harsh but unusual punishment: 250 lashes, temporary relieving of duties as barracks lieutenant and transfer to guarding the city walls for three (or four?--can't remember) months, and getting a tattoo upon his face as a permanent reminder of his criminal status. Tefkha agrees to the punishment without argument. Mahakhi further declares that Tefkha's comrades, his lieutenants, should be the ones to serve the lashes although they try to protest. Nehef is the first to whip him, albeit unwillingly. He and four others take turns doing so in the public square while the other Kana watch...but during this, Be'shen steps forward and turns his back on the proceedings, refusing to witness Tefkha's punishment. Resikh, Hiath'ikh, and the other lieutenants not busy whipping him follow suit until the great majority of Tefkha's comrades have turned their backs, symbolically absolving Tefkha of the crime and showing him their support. Mahakhi watches the act in silence; Ahen is impressed, but Rik'hia is just infuriated. Afterwards Tefkha is tattooed and released for a day or two of recuperation (spent mostly with Be'shen, who tends to his injuries), then set to guarding the city walls until he should resume his duties as barracks lieutenant. The trial scene is about where I left off on this writing.

Meanwhile in the River Tribe, Khetai grows close to Djefet and looks after Fe'kheru's health. She is unnerved by the constant attentions of Captain Khanef and finally rebukes him; on learning that he is the one who set her up with Djefet, she's enraged and humiliated. Khanef can't understand her anger. Khetai partially overhears a conversation between Fe'kheru and Meteri, regarding who should take the old general's place as leader of the tribe, but the decision seems to be unresolved.

Scouts sent out to patrol the grounds of the Great Red Tribe are killed by the invading Blue Oasis Tribe. One barely escapes with his life and warns Mahakhi and his men. They are forced to pull up stakes and destroy the city, beginning a long trek toward the north, in search of the Blue Oasis Tribe's original point of departure.

Djuta, Yekh'iet, Nehara, and Ze'thet, meanwhile, travel across the desert back toward the Great Red Tribe, not knowing the settlement is no longer there. They encounter a different destroyed settlement along the way. The only survivor is a little boy Kana (name pending), who despite his distrustful attitude accompanies the group.

The Blue Oasis Tribe finds the Great Red Tribe's city in ruins and continues on their way.

Meanwhile Mahakhi's tribe themselves cross paths with another decimated tribe. I will have to work this out somehow, as they are ahead of the Blue Oasis Tribe and they never cross paths; so how would they find a destroyed tribe? Unless another, unrelated massacre took place? Anyway. Here they meet a small band of surviving Moru who holed up behind a wall to avoid being killed. They are led by a former Kana (Setaija/Sutaija/Setaja; spelling to be decided later) who tells of what happened. Like Dja'mui, he vows revenge on the killers. Mahakhi allows the Moru to accompany the group of them already traveling north.

Djuta and the others, missing Mahakhi's group (who have followed a different route), arrive to find the Great Red Tribe's city in ruins. Baffled, Djuta and Ze'thet inspect the rubble and manage to find one straggler lurking behind--U'heta, the Kana who threatened to rape Khetai and revealed her secret to the rest of the tribe. It turns out he was long ago branded on the face as a rapist and child molester and he has been serving as a slave to the tribe, his wings flayed, near the prisons; when the city was vacated, he slipped away unnoticed and was left behind, where he has been living upon scraps of food that he's managed to find here and there. From him Djuta finds out what has happened, though at first he refuses to believe Mahakhi would destroy his own city. He first learns of the Blue Oasis Tribe at this time, and decides to follow Mahakhi the best he can. U'heta is brought along against his will, and they turn back north. Unnoticed by Djuta and the others, U'heta eyes the young boy traveling with them in an ominous manner.

Djuta's group arrives at the River Tribe. On demanding admittance, Djuta is escorted inside to speak with the new general--who turns out to be Meteri. Captain Fe'kheru refused the position, and advised the young Kana to seek promotion at a meeting of the tribe's top captains; although he expected to meet refusal, Meteri was granted the position based on his fighting skills, charisma, and leadership abilities. Still, he is unsure of his new rank, but listens to Djuta's tale of the destroyed city and of the Blue Oasis Tribe. Meteri informs him that Mahakhi's group did not come within sight of their city, but promises to keep his eyes open for any developments. Djuta briefly meets with Khetai, who strikes him across the face and refuses to listen to his explanation of why he sold her to Fe'kheru. Djuta's group is outfitted with supplies to last them on their journey north and they leave again.

Meteri and Fe'kheru are left in an anxious state about the possible approach of the Blue Oasis Tribe, and ponder what to do. Somehow, the question of how they even got the name the River Tribe pops up, and Khanef tells them of a little something the deceased Captain Sut'khut left behind, in one of the unused barracks at the edge of the city. The Kana enter the building to find a giant Kemeti ship, fully outfitted, as well as several disassembled boats. Sut'khut pillaged them from a human settlement long ago, and kept them here unknown to most others. Out of pride he even renamed the lead ship the Sut'khut, after himself; Fe'kheru declares this act to probably be the only useful thing his half-brother ever did. Unfortunately, most members of the tribe have long lost the knowledge of sailing the river...although Khetai knows something about it. It turns out her brother liked to sail from time to time, and she is able to advise on how to repair and man the ships for departure. Meteri commands that the tribe leave the city as soon as possible, to try to join up with Mahakhi's group in case they need assistance.

Somewhere in here the character Ra'rukha (name uncertain; I thought I had another name somewhere, beginning with P, but can't remember it!), teenaged son of Sut'khut, is introduced. He is a very swaggery, bragging sort, much like his father, and Fe'kheru accosts him in front of Khanef, Meteri, and Khetai, slamming him against a house and warning him that he will not let him turn out like his father. Ra'rukha shrugs off the warning and insists on going his own way. At another point he and Khetai meet alone; Khetai tells him of what a brute his father was, and Ra'rukha, in a rage, pins her against the wall and denies that Sut'khut was such a Kana. Khetai stares him down, however, and is released without harm. Khanef witnesses the last moments of the confrontation and vows to go after Ra'rukha, but Khetai insists he let him go. She sees that, despite his and everyone else's protests, the swaggering Kana is not quite like his father, and fears that intervention will only reinforce Ra'rukha's anger. Khanef reluctantly agrees to abide by her wishes.

Possibly sometime during the River Tribe's journey, Khetai feels a growing urge to become a mother. Despite the earlier declaration that Rik'hia's attack on her has left her unable to bear children, she decides to try anyway...and seeks out Khanef's assistance. The two of them have grown close, as Khanef reminds her of her deceased brother; and despite Khanef's obvious infatuation with her, he has maintained a fraternal distance for her own peace of mind. As such, Khetai's request comes as an uncomfortable surprise, but, as Khanef is the only one Khetai trusts in such a manner, the two of them agree to try. They make love, and Khetai anxiously awaits to see whether the act was fruitful or not.

In the meantime, Djuta's group is still traveling through the desert, when they stumble across...

*gasphuffpant* This is only PART of what I have planned!! I would type the rest, but this is getting tedious and I really have to post it before I lose it. So...I may post another, followup entry or two later on. Until now, enjoy, or not, whatever. I just had to type this all up or bust from keeping it all inside. >_<

Tar...