Sea People
by Ruwen Rouhs
Chapter 16
The sudden change in the attitude of the harbor police brought about by the by young man nearly swept the Sun Seekers off their feet. "That has to be an extraordinary youngster, because the police drew in their horns without even giving a word of protest!" Aegir told the crew while they went on board. Discussing the invitation and a present for their host, they decided to look in the small shops around the mooring for a gift. Strolling through the narrow alleys they came upon a store offering an ample variety of cloth. Studying the look of his friends Kaa decided the whole crew needs new outfits. "With exception of Ye Shijie, we are looking lower than beggars, let's invest in new robes, not simple ones, but garments fitting for this kingly invitation." And they did! Looking through the wide variety of outfits Tsemo decided to stay for his usual wear, a white knee-length loincloth and collar-like cape for protection of the cool evening breeze. Waili, watching his new master closely, decided for a similar outfit. However he did choose a loincloth embroidered with small animals along the edges. The shop marketed fashions not only of local style but also of styles used in the South, in Kemet, and in the East, in Mesopotamia. Kaa decided for the Kemet-style wear and did not have to put much effort into persuading Buri to do the same. Seb choose a similar outfit because the shop did not offer cloth used by the nobles in Ta-Seti, his homeland. His counterpart, Laong, had to browse for a long time till by accident he discovered the attire the boys of the coast of the Black Sea used for hunting. At the first sight it contrasted to the one Seb had chosen and Kaa criticized that Seb and Laong outfit didn't match. But later at the party they got praise from the girls because their contrasting outfits as the different styles made them even more attractive as a couple. Aegir didn't have search the store thoroughly as he decided for a very simple loincloth made from linen and a collar of glass beads whose rainbow colors could rival with Ye Shijies warrior outfit.
As the dressed up Sun Seekers arrived at the torch-lit mansion of their host just before sun down they were flabbergasted. The house was neither a simple town house nor a fortress. It looked like a noble palace in a wide flowering garden. Neither high walls nor a donjon surrounded the stately home. It looked like the summer residence of a king in peaceful times, surrounded by green meadows and high rising cedars. The servant who had fetched the Sun Seekers at the Hawhk presented them to a very old man at the entrance to the garden of the palace. The white dressed man walking with a stoop eyed one by one of them suspiciously and then guided the guests to a wide pavillion placed besides the mansion. The wooden frame of the pavilion was painted in different colors while its panels of white linen were flapping in the evening breeze. Withdrawing the front panel like the curtain of a stage a scene emerged in front of Sun Seekers eyes that only Kaa and Seb had seen before at their captivity at the court in Tyruus.
In the pavilion their host was waiting surrounded in a half-circle by the young Alalakhians. In contrast to the time in the afternoon at the flight of stairs down at the Oront river the young maiden and lads were dressed in white gowns and arranged in pairs. In the center of the half circle the host himself was standing upright like a statue. The first thing Aegir noted on the host was a crown like head wear made of the feathers of an ostrich, giving him the air of a king or even the one a god-like being. This impression was enforced by golden chains and multicolored amulets around his neck concealing the strong upper body, a weapons belt around his slender waist and an almost transparent knee length skirt. He was girdled, but he didn't carry a sword or another weapon.
Not only the Sun Seekers were stunned, but the Alalakhians waiting in the pavilion also, because in the golden evening light the young strangers did not look like the simple youth they had been at the quay, but like ambassadors of countries all around the known world. "Ah" and "Oh" accompanied the group as the old servant, the mayor of the palace ushered them in to the tent.
The host waved the Sun Seekers nearer, bowed his head slightly, while the mayor began to introduce him to his guests. "May I introduce you strangers to the honorable and unsurpassed Ammitaqum, the son of Sharum Jarim-Lim, bestowed to our king by God the Almighty! Ammitaqum was not born by a woman! No! He was born by the mountain! He is the offspring of the earth." He paused shortly to let the word sink into the awareness of the guests. Then he started again, "Coming to legal age the young prince will be awarded the position of the commander in chief of the king's men and his duty will be to secure the border of the great kingdom of Alalakh. Up to this time he is allowed to run free like a wild horse. However he has dedicated on his own free will to learn the run of the world. In the name of Ammitaqum I proudly welcome you strangers and ask you to teach him and the Alalakhians the wisdom and skills you have brought from your homeland and acquired on your long journeys."
The eyes of Ammitaqum were smiling and he greeted every single Sun Seeker by a big hug. As he embraced Aegir, he whispered, "I have never seen hairs flaming like yours. I envy you because of this gift of the almighty and I love you from my heart!" Bending down to Tsemo happiness spread over his face, "Welcome Flaxen-hair, you are bringing light into the dark night. The shine of your hair rivals the light of the moon. You are welcome like a brother and I know I can't resist your charm." Then he embraced Ye Shijie, stroked his blue-black hair, "While the hair of your friend rivals the light of the moon, yours rivals the sweet darkness of a moonless night." And on and on Ammitaqum went prizing every single Sun Seeker. Then turning to the Alalakhians, "What happy fate has brought together such an amazing group of beautiful young men, what a lucky tide has washed them ashore of our petty country. Let's celebrate this unique opportunity. Let's become friends!"
The Sun Seekers were baffled about this praise. Aegir shook his head in wonder and smiling he answered, "We are just simple travelers Prince Ammitaqum. We are Sun Seekers by name and vocation. Every one of us is striving for enlightenment, every one of you is invited to join our endeavor." Then he smiled, "The reason of the diversity of our looks is an ancient one. Remember that in every tribe on earth young people are looking for the light, for enlightenment. But only a few will be able to pursue the way to the light! And we are the choosen!" The other Sun Seeker nodded their assent. "Everyone who is striving for enlightenment is our brother!"
After introducing each of his comrades with name and skill, Aegir dared to ask, "And you Sir? At the beach I mistook you as a simple citizen, as a young man who because of his looks and feature, his behavior and demeanor was the head of the beach urchins, but now I am wiser. You are the king of this town!" and the Sun Seekers bowed their heads in respect.
Ammitaqum however smiled, "You are again mistaken my friend. I am not the king Jarim-Lim, the mighty Sharum of Alalakh. I am his humble servant Ammitaqum, the one that has escaped the darkness of the sacred caverns, the one that has overcome the darkness and icy cold of the depth." As soon as he realize the doubt in the wide open eyes of the Sun Seekers, he smiled, "Yes I am Ammitaqum, the boy from the darkness and therefore I have a fool's license till destiny decides to endanger Alalakh, then I have to defend the town and its people with my life." Turning to his friends, "Now, let's celebrate till the sun rises and the Sun Seekers leave for their mission."
The Sun Seekers were ushered to the main table. Aegir had to take the seat to the right of Ammitaqum and Tsemo to left, beside the redhead Ye Shijie was placed while Tsemo ask Waili to sit with him. Next the Luwian student, Laong and Seb took their places, while Buri and Kaa were seated beside the moon eyed Wu Shu fighter. The Sun Seeker wondered because between each of the low seats a soft pillow was placed. Noting their surprise Ammitaqum clapped his hands three times and out of the nothing eight young girls turned up wearing nothing but a wreath of roses in the hair. The group of giggling maidens was headed by young lady in a transparent veil. While the young lady took her place besides the prince, each of the girls took her place on the pillow besides one of the travelers.
Now it was the time for Ammitaqum to explain this arrangement. "True to an old tradition in our town of traders I ask you for two favors. The first should be pretty easy to you to fulfill. It's quite simple. Coming from different countries and growing up in different traditions each of you surely possess a special skill. Therefore we ask you contest with one of my friends in this special skill. An assortment of weapons is over there. Have your choice. After we have crowned the winners, I will ask you for the second favor. This favor may sound extraordinary to you, very unique and surprising. Please do not turn us down, because it also roots in the tradition of this multicultural city."
Now whispering fanned out in the rows of the Alalakhians. One after the other of the girls with the roses in the hair blushed and got even tauter than before. When Aegir bowed down to the girl by his side to ask her politely what the reason for the blushing, she blushed even more, hid her face behind her delicate fingers and smiled rather uneasy. However she did not answer his question.
While waiters served food and drinks in abundance Ammitaqum produced a shaker with eight different colored pebbles and asked each Sun Seeker to select one. "That's the way we set the order of the contest." Studying the pebbles he pointed at Buri, "You are the first one to compare your skill with one of the Alalakhians. Tell us you favorite skill and one of my followers will volunteer for the contest." Buri hesitated a moment, then rose and bowing his head announced. "I am an armorer from the cold country in the north-west. We had to fight against wild beasts to survive. We used throwing axes to keep hungry bears and mountain lions in check. Therefore I will choose an axe for to nights contest. I will not throw my axe on a man and therefore ask you to define another target. It may be a warrior's shield or a tree or an animal." Ammitaqum approved Buri's proposal and selected a shield as target. The target was placed on a rack about 60 strides away. Buri choose an axe from the heap of weapons and did the first throw.
At his first attempt his axe missed the target, traveled a long distance and finally got stuck in a tree about 200 strides away. Everyone laughed because he missed, but they also applauded because of the width of the throw. With a shrug of his shoulders Buri declared, "I am used to much heavier axes, to axes with a head of flint stone not of bronze. But I tell you I will do better." The axe of his competitor, a lanky boy, met the target but missed the bull's eye just by a breadth of a hand. In his second throw however Buri's axe hit the bull's eye, split the shield in two and was announced the winner by the cheering crowd.
The next one to prove his skill was Seb. "I am the nephew of the king of Ta Seti far in the South where the sun scorches the earth. We also have wild beasts like lions and panthers. I however prefer to hunt for delicious meat, like the one of antelopes or kudus. If you want to be a successful hunter you have to sneak up on the animal till you are just an arm length away and then use your lance to kill the animal." Looking around, "I see fine lances over there. I will pick one without a sharp head and ask my competitor to do the same. Then we will try in a joined effort to sneak up to one of you and make him or her captive." Seb turned around sized up the lads and asked, "Who will join me. In my contest there will be no winner and no looser, because a successful hunt needs a joint action." Seb's speech convinced the onlookers and soon the smallest of the boys arose asking, "Can we become friends and hunt the big beasts? But I better like to hunt real animals not my friends. My uncle has goats out there." and he pointed into the dark. We should try to catch one of his big rams, because they have horns like antelopes."
"Sure, I like to! What's your name, I am called Seb." "Me? I am Pallucha!" Seb's next question was, "So you know the place where we could find our game? It's already getting dusky!" Tugging his nose the boy thought for a moment, "My uncles' pens are a bit out of town and we will need some time to get there!" When both looked questioning at Ammitaqum, the prince answered with a nod and suggested, "You just go ahead! Meantime we will start the next contest!"
While Seb and Pallucha disappeared in the descending light, Waili rose from his seat and smiling presented a stylus to the audience. "That's my weapon!" When some of the Alalakhians shook their heads in disappointment and a stocky guy in a fancy robe even blurted out, "That's a weapon of girls and women. What are you? A girl?" Waili just answered unimpressed, "Let's fight big boy! I bet you fancy dress against my simple one! You get mine and I go bare, if you can decipher my writing!" Turning to Ammitaqum, "Isn't it of great benefit for a leader to be able to read the enemies messages?" The prince grinned at the big boy, "Didn't I tell you over and over again that a real fighter does not only have to know how to wield a sword and not also a stylus? Now Sargon rise, I just hope you don't blame the youth of our town! You may find your master in Waili." The stocky boy turned pale remembering he liked to skip lessons in the temple school. He came forward stuttering, "If I loose, what's the punishment? Do I get another penalty besides going bare?" "Sure! Additional lessons, till you catch up to our guest!"
Meanwhile Waili had started to scribble at the board. The first line was: The cat catches the mouse! He did this in Luwian hieroglyphs, so it was pretty easy to decipher. In the next line the text read: The dog catches the cat. But this time he used the Luwian cuneiform script. The next line was in Assyrian cuneiform script and read: The snake catches the dog. Finally he used the hieroglyphs used by the writers of the ruler of Kemet, the Pr-A'a. It said: The falcon catches the snake!
Sargon was able to decipher the lines written in hieroglyphs because he recognized the outline of the animals, but as it came to the cuneiform inscriptions he could nothing do but guess. Therefore he went wrong with the dog as well as the snake. Waili was a good winner. He took only the belt of the Sargon with fine dagger but left him his fancy dress. The Alalakhians accepted his defeat and promised the prince never to skip a lesson anymore.
It was nearly dark as Seb and Pallucha left Ammitaqum's garden. "We have to head out of town." Pallucha told Seb. "This late we will not encounter any animals besides cats and dogs insides the confines of the city! My uncle's pens are there by the woods" When the two finally reached the pens they leaned against the fence of the nearest one and studied the animals inside. In this pen only some nanny goats seemed to relax, while the kids were coming to the fence to greet at the late visitors and lick their hands. In the next pen young goats were dozing chewing over the grass and leafs they had browsed in the afternoon hours. In the third pen more action was taking place despite the late time.
Pallucha's uncle had placed several goats on heat in there together with three rams with big horns. Naturally that meant action because one of the goats obviously was rutting. While the two smaller rams were fighting, the third, a big male with long curved horns. was performing the mating dance with the goat interrupted by fierce attacks to the younger rams. Both boys got excited by the spectacle and instinctively got a hard-on.
Checking his own excited state Pallucha dared a glace at Seb. Straightaway he was fascinated by the Seb's tool which pushed up the thin loincloth appreciably more up than his own cock did. Seb becoming aware of Pallucha's curious glances, grinned, pushed the loincloth out of the way and whispered, "You want to have a better look?" Pallucha gulped with excitement but shook his head scared to reveal his desire. Seb laughed lustily, "Don't be shy, you even can touch it, but only if I can touch yours!" When the Alalakhian still not dared to do what he longed for, the dark skinned boy took Pallucha's hand and placed it on his cock, while fishing for the one of his new friend. Pallucha's voice became hoarse and searching for an excuse he stuttered, "You are so big. I never had a chance to stroke such a big one!" Then after a moment, "So far I never have touched a black cock." Eagerly he wrapped his fingers around Seb's turgescent cock which the next moment went full mast. and When droplets of pre-cum oozed from Seb's the piss slit Pallucha dove down and licked the salty drops.
Seb who had been watching the events in the pen with one eye suddenly Pallucha up, pointed at the mounting ram, "Let's get the ram now, he is more than absorbed with the goat." Seb was the first one over the fence, sneaked up to the mating couple and even before the eve was impregnated by the ram he snapped the big-horned animal and put him to the ground. Meanwhile Pallucha had also arrived and flung a rope around the ram's neck.
Together they dragged the resisting animal back to Ammitaqum's garden, while goat had to stay back bleated frustrated. "She will find another mate!" Seb laughed, "The two younger rams are waiting for their chance anyway." "And I?" Pallucha complained, "I didn't get your seed either! Can we repeat our game?" "Sure we can have more fun, provided my friend Laong does not object!" "The maroon-haired cutie?" Pallucha snickered, "I am sure, I find him a substitute for this evening!"
Meanwhile Sargon had lost the competition with Waili and it now was time for Laong to prove his skill. The maroon-haired youngster examined the pile of weapons on the ground carefully, than picked up a long bow and three arrows. While everyone watched Seb and Pallucha dragging the ram through the gate of the premises he asked for a competitor, "My contender and I will compete in arching. One possibility would be to shoot for the ram, but that would be too an easy task considering the white coat of the animal and the short distance. I would rather prefer a target flying in the air. However it's already dark and the only birds flying around are owls. These birds however a sacred in my country, therefore I am not allowed to shut owls!" Ammitaqum eyeing the sky pointed up to small animals zigzagging the air, "Look stranger, there are other creatures up in the sky. Do you see the harbinger of death? The bats? Do you see them cruising the sky? Aren't they a worthy target for your arrows? These heralds of death? Or are they holy in your religion also?" "Not that I know! Whom of your friends can I dare to a shot out?" After a long time a girl rose, "I will risk to compete with you maroon-haired stranger because later on I want to joint the maiden guards of the king and defend our town in case of a war. I want to become an archer." Laong was surprised and impressed. A beautiful girl would compete with him? He never had expected that such a sweet girl would strive to joint the king's archers. This was the first time he did hear of the famous amazons, the greatly feared female warriors. Gaschera that was the girl's name, walked up to Laong who looked surprised "You don't believe women could compete with weapons also? We are competitive! Do you believe we only compete with our looks! I tell you we compete with our brains also and if it's necessary as well with the strength of our arms. Let me prove it to you stranger!"
She picked up a bow, took three arrows and aimed at the bats zigzagging the nightly sky. At the first attempt she missed and the arrow came down without a prey. Also her second try resulted not in a hit. With the third arrow however she speared a bat and the arrow came down with small creature shrieking terribly. Laong also needed three arrows to hit a bat. Therefore the contest was declared even and Laong bowed his head before Gaschera and this way apologized for his ignorance.
The teamwork of Seb and Pallucha in catching the ram was appreciated with long lasting applause by the audience. Returning to his place at the princely table, Seb asked Laong, "Can Pallucha take a seat with us because I owe him a favor!" When Laong looked undecided, he added with a wink, "He tried to do me at the goats pen, but we couldn't finish and I fed him with hopes for later" Laong answer was, "You can go ahead, but only if I can invite Gaschera to join us too!" "If she is inclined to join our fun, then it's alright with me!"
The next of the Sun Seekers to prove his ability was Seb's big brother Kaa. Sifting through the provided weapon he shook his head, went to Ammitaqum and explained, "Youth men of my age prove their skill by fighting a lion. They hunt the beast down, bring him to bay and then kill him with a spear or with bare hands. You got no lions in your garden therefore I suggest another game. When two young men have a dispute over a woman's favor they challenge each other to a stick fight, called donga. The challenger and his opponent meet outside the village armed only with a long stick. These sticks however are special, because their tip is traditionally carved in the shape of a penis. They two opponents are accompanied by their friends. At the battlefield their friends are singing war songs to boost the spirit of the combatants and then the two rivals start the stick fight. The fight lasts till one of them gives up the fight." Ammitaqum got very interested. Wanting to know more about the fighting technique, he asked. "Is it a kind of a sword fight, but with long sticks. Is it as bloody as a sword fight?" "Sometimes yes! Often the looser ends up his head and shoulders smeared in blood or even dead!" "I think that not a game for a lovely night like this." was the prince answer. "You are right! Therefore I would suggest that I and my opponent fight each other with long twigs only. The looser is the one who first gets three strikes." The audience, especially the youngsters, was closely following the discussion and at the end a square young man rose from his seat, "I am Niqnepa, I challenge the big Kaa." Niqnepa was of square physique with black forelocks, which nearly concealed his eyes. He looked like fighting dog. He was renowned for his strength, his agility but also for his ruggedness against blows. Facing each other it looked like a pit bulldog was facing a tiger.
The fight with the long twigs was fierce but short. Watching each other furtively Kaa and Niqnepa circled each other till the challenger tried his first blow. Kaa intercepted the blow and while Niqnepa tried to reposition himself, the twig of Kaa hit his shoulder. The next round went to Niqnepa who out of joy neglected his defense and therefore got his second blow. Kaa's blow wasn't hard, but it met Niqnepa's right shoulder exactly at the point the first had struck. The pain handicapped Niqnepa in the next round somewhat and he lost. The result of the short fight was 1 to 2 for the prince from Ta-Seti but the Alalakhian boy wasn't disappointed to loose to such a skillful fighter. On the spot both took a liking to each and Kaa following his younger brother example asked the square young man to join him and Buri at the table of the prince.
With the grace of a dancer Ye Shijie turned to Ammitaqum, "Dear Prince!" he addressed him, "I guess it's my turn now. I represent the order of the Wu Shu fighters. We are renowned all over the eastern part of the earth disc to be able to fight three or more swordsmen without getting wounded. I would like to teach this art to you and your brave friends, but my time here is limited, therefore I will give you just a short performance of the skill of Wu Shu." While the young Alalakhians and even some of the girls expressed their disappointment that the fight would only be an exhibition bout by groaning, the prince chooses three of his followers to defend the honor of Alalakha.
The three lads pulled swords from the heap of weapons and arranged themselves in a semicircle around Ye Shijie. Their swords drawn they advanced towards the much smaller opponent. Ye Shijie however didn't move. He even didn't draw the scimitar from his belt. While the lads closed in he suddenly vanished from sight. Nobody saw him moving and while anybody looked around for the Wu Shu fighter his voice mocked them from the nightly sky. "Here I am my dear enemies! Get me!" While the lads as well as the onlookers still looked bewildered Ye Shijie touched down in the back of one of his opponent, touched his shoulder lightly and when the lad turned around, disarmed him.
While the audience still marveled Ye Shijie was in the air again, circling his opponents like a hawk. This time he touched down in front of the second, knocked the sword off his hand and with a summersault he confronted the third lad and ripped the sword out of his hand. Bowing down in front of the prince he smiled, "Am I right you would appreciate my service in the next war? But sorry, I am a part of the Sun Seekers and have decided to head for the sun. However if we ever return I will service you in emergencies!"
Aegir waited eagerly for his turn to display his skills. "Prince Ammitaqum, I'm the son and descendant of the great heroes of the North. In was named after the giant of the sea, Aegir. Like this hero I was riding the waves right from the cradle. I was sailing the stormy sea and was riding the white waves like you are riding your horses!" "This makes sense Prince Aegir. However to night the sea is calm however I own a horse named Tempest. The only one able to ride Tempest is me. If you can stay on the back of Tempest as long as I, you have won and you will have free choice to get the horse or this golden chain!" "I dare you! But if you win, I can't offer you our boat, because it's not mine it belongs to all of us." Aegir contemplated for a long time, in the end he searched the pockets in his gown and produced a grey pebble stone streaked with veins of gold. "It's the last memory of my boyhood friend Ruwen. He gave it to me on the night I left my tribe. Since then this stone was the companion on my ways through the rough and the smooth. It's my lucky charm and I will miss it, but it is yours if I loose."
In the meantime a servant had brought a white stallion from the stables behind the mansion. The horse neighed and tug nervously on the bridle. Ammitaqum jumped on his back with a single bound. The stallion sidled about but calmed as soon he heard his master's voice. The stallion obeyed every leg pressure of Ammitaqum and the prince rode the horse bareback through the dark garden. He didn't have to use the reins.
When Aegir got on the horse back it immediate started bucking, rearing, neighing, and kicking. The strong redhead could hardly stay on the horseback even less ride the stallion through the night. Noticing the trouble of his friend Tsemo took out his flute and began to play a soft tune. Immediately the stallion calmed down, became meek as a lamb and followed Aegir's commands like the ones of his prince. Ammitaqum smiled, "You two outwitted me. But I accept the defeat, but only with one condition, Tsemo has to play more of his sweet tunes."
Then Prince Ammitaqum contemplated for a moment and turned to Aegir, "I guess you cannot use a horse on your voyage to the sun with the boat, instead I offer you this golden chain as a reward. Keep your charm, because you will need on the way." Aegir bowed, took the chain and none the less presented the charm to the prince, "Take this charm Prince Ammitaqum. It's not of gold, but it will bring your love and success in all your endeavors. I do not need a charm anymore." He smiled and then pointed at his companions, "I do not need this charm anymore because I have seven charms around me all the time!"
The prince however hadn't completed his speech of thanks. He turned to Tsemo, lifted the lightweight from the ground and looked deep in his eyes, "Without you the Sun Seekers wouldn't be perfect. The tunes of your flute went straight to my heart, but not only to my heart and the hearts of my friends, it also turned the wild horse into a baby foal and the frightened ram into a proud one. Your tunes are turning foes into friend. Therefore the honor is yours also." Ammitaqum took another pendant from his neck, "Accept this amulet. It's unique as I found on my way out of the dark abysm of the mountain." He bestowed Tsemo with a golden disc on a silken cord. One side of it displayed the sun sending its golden rays into the universe, while the other showed the silver crescent of the moon and seven stars arranged in the shape of the great bear.
Having succeeded this far with his plans Ammitaqum decided to address his second goal. Staring in the eyes of Aegir he pointed out his issue: "All my live I haven't had guests of such diverse skills and of such diverse looks. Your skins mirror the diversity of men, so do your hair, so do your eyes. Look at your friend Tsemo! Doesn't he resemble the silvery moon in his graceful moves? Look at your strong companion Buri! Isn't he strong like a bear roaming the forest? And Ye Shijie? Doesn't he cut through the air like a falcon? Last not least you my friend, with that burning hair! Your hair blazes like fire on the mountain of the eternal beings. Together you Sun Seekers are representing the whole mankind."
He hesitated for a moment, then cleared his throat, "I have asked the parents of this town to send me their virgin daughters to be seeded by you the Sun Seekers, the representatives of mankind, because I want to create a nation incorporating the finest features of all people on earth. The son and daughters of the nuptial conjunctions of this night will renew the spirit of Alalakh." When Aegir hesitated, Ammitaqum pressed for a positive answer, "Don't decline the offer to seed our virgins. I know you are in love with Ye Shijie and Buri is in love with Kaa, and everyone of your crew has a special friend, which whom he spends hours of delight. But I also know that each of you is virile and able to donate his seed to the people of Alalakh." Aegir hesitated, but then requested, "Let me convey your demand to my friends. We always decide such important matters in consent!"
Forming a circle the Sun Seekers discussed the matter and then decided unanimous to take the offer. The following morning eight virgins of Alalakh had lost their cherries and carried the fruit of the mankind.
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