A Long Time from Home Ch. 20

Tia lifted her head and wriggled her hips at the same time. "I guess you didn't come yet." She chuckled and got back up, placing her hands on my chest again. "Well, there's only one way to relieve that."

I opened my mouth to answer her but was silenced by getting on of her tits in my face, as she started to bounce up and down on me, wincing with pleasure while riding me.

There wasn't much I could do, so I resorted to just squeezing her ass, as her pussy squeezed my cock in return, while she rode me harder and harder. Her bouncing tits hit my face again and I closed my mouth around the nipple and began to play with it.

That only made her ride me harder and we both groaned in near ecstasy. To my surprise, I could feel another orgasm coming nearer. Not only for myself, but for Tia as well.

Letting go of her breast, I looked up at her, taking in the hungry green eyes and the weaving red hair that seemed to have a life of its own as she rode me. "If you keep that up, I'm going to come."

"Me too." She panted and used her internal muscles to tighten the grip around my dick.

Sensing that she wanted me to come, I moved a hand in between her legs, found the love-pearl and pressed two fingers against it, letting her bucking hips do the rest of the work for me.

It worked wonders. A few heartbeats later she screamed as she came in an explosion of an orgasm, her pussy squirting and gushing as her juices splashed against my crotch. Her moves became unsure, but she kept going even as her pussy contracted around my dick.

That and the feeling of her coming on me, set me off as well and I emptied myself in her, groaning and grunting as the orgasm tore through me.

Tia collapsed on me and I put my arms around her in a hug as we came down from our orgasms, enjoying the way she felt against me.

After a while, Tia raised her head with a sigh. "That was awesome, but we got to go. My father must be at Khaemweset's house now."

"I thought he already was there?"

She snorted. "You and I always end up sharing pleasure, so I allowed for some extra time. Unfortunately, that is used now."

"Fair, but I can't really move before you do." I pointed out, wriggling my hips.

With a smile, she rolled off me, ending on her back on the bed, before she cast a cleaning spell, that removed all the juices and odours from both us and the bed. "There. Now let's get dressed and go to Pi-Ramesses."

---------

Somewhat to my pleasant surprise, the medical examination was to be kept secret and for that reason, Tia Magnus and her brother Khaemweset had planned to have me do it during a family visit at Khaemweset's house in Pi-Ramesses.

At least 'house' was Tia's word for it, but in reality, it was a small palace, fit for a Prince and the High Priest of Ptah. Like most Kemetian palaces not belonging to the Pharaoh, it was a relatively low rectangular stone building with high walls topped with towers. Both the walls and towers were richly decorated with paintings and panels showing the glory of Ptah.

Ramesses II was already there when we arrived, as could be seen by the Royal Guard standing at the main entrance, but once they recognized Tia, they escorted us inside to meet their living God.

The interior was even more luxurious then the outside, with magnificent statues in each room, amazing paintings and carvings on the wall, as well as richly decorated furniture and braziers.

The one thing the palace had in common with Baylon houses, was the central court. However, instead of a simple garden, the central court in Khaemweset's house was a beautiful pool, surrounded by palm trees, pleasantly smelling flowers and well-kept bushes.

That was also in the central court, that Khaemweset and Ramesses was waiting for us and I studied the King as we walked closer.

Sitting down as he was, it was difficult to determine his height, but he had a strong face, with a wide jaw and a beak-like nose, that made him seem stern. The once dark red hair now had a light red tone, suggesting that it had been coloured with henna and there was a cane leaning against his chair, showing that he had trouble walking. All things I would expect from an eighty-year-old human.

Still, as he watched us coming closer, I noticed that his eyes looked younger than his body suggested, and I had no doubt that his brain was just as sharp as it had been when he ascended to the throne.

He also radiated power. The kind of power the came from the knowledge that he was the personification of Ra on the human world, the head of their religion and the one that maintained Maat, the cosmic order, balance, and justice. He also owned Kemet and protected his property as the commander-in-chief of the army.

I was wondering exactly how to address him when Tia bowed deeply and said. "My king, Embodiment of Ra, I present to you Ivah the Healer, Grandson of Horemheb. By the grace of Ra, Ptah, Heka, and Sekhmet, he is here to heal your physical body that holds the immortal glory of Ra."

Ramesses looked over at me, sounding grumpy as he asked. "Are you any good, Grandson of Horemheb? You look too young to be a healer."

"Yes, your Majesty." I answered, kneeling on one knee as protocol dictated. "I have been trained in my craft from childhood."

The Pharaoh nodded with a slight sigh. "Very well then. You may approach and examine me."

While I had been forbidden to use Ars Mentalis and Ars Magica, the Steward haven't said anything about Vis and as a Steward of the Securitas Externa would surely know about it, I assumed that she had omitted that on purpose, allowing me use at least some kind of power for healing.

Still, according to the Vis power I used to examine Ramesses, the Pharaoh was in a bad shape. I was sure that Khaemweset had done his best, but due to his advanced age, Ramesses suffered from a variety of illnesses. The worst was that his joints, including those of his spine, were stiff and inflamed, causing him a lot of pain, and it was a minor miracle, that he could walk at all.

Besides that, he had a hole in his jaw that was inflamed as well. A condition most likely caused by a cracked or worn-down tooth, a disorder common in Kemet, because no matter how much they sifted their flour, sand had a tendency to get into their bread, causing the teeth to wear down faster. The presence of sand in the bread was the very reason why I rarely had any here in Kemet.

"What is the verdict?" Asked Ramesses with grim humour when I was done. "Can you do anything, or will you leave it to the Gods, as the rest of the healers?"

"I would be lying, if I said that I could cure it all." I replied carefully, "But at the very least, I can heal some of it and make the rest better."

That caused him to laugh a crackling laughter. "An honest healer! How refreshing! Khaemweset's usually the only honest healer around." He waved a hand. "Do continue, Grandson of Horemheb."

With a "yes, your Majesty," I wrote down the names of the healing herbs I needed and handed Tia the papyrus, switching to Baylon as I said, "Princess, I'm going to need these herbs from Arcem Discendi."

Looking at the Lescarian script, she nodded. "I will go get them, then." She flashed me a smile. "Don't let them eat you while I'm away."

"I'll try not to."

---------------

The first thing I did was to block the pain in Ramesses. I warned him that it was only temporary, but it still improved his mood a lot and by the time Tia came back from Arcem Discendi with the herbs, he was telling stories from his military campaigns.

"< What did you do to him? >" She asked mentally, while I was preparing the herbs. "< I haven't seen his this talkative in years! >"

"< I removed the pain. That'll make anybody in a better mood >" I answered and looked into the bag to make sure she had the rest of what I needed. Not only was it all there, but Master Healer Sheng, had even supplied about half a dozen finished potions. I tested one of them, confirming that it was powerful, but temporary, healing potions.

"< Well, it worked >"

With a slight nod, I turned back to Ramesses and started the hard part of the healing. Due to the extend of the inflammation, I had to heal one body part at a time, using a combination of herbs and Vis to lessen the inflammation and make sure that it didn't return immediately. Some of it proved impossible to remove, but even in those areas, I lessened the pain considerably.

It took a lot of time and so much energy, that I had to stop to meditate halfway before I continued, but the end result was better than I had dared hope for, as most of the inflammation was gone.

Taking a few steps away from the Pharaoh, I said. "Please stand up, your Majesty. I have done as much as I possibly can."

Ramesses nodded, placed his hands on the gilded armrest and hesitantly stood up. Judging from his shocked facial expression, he had expected pain and when it wasn't there, the expression changed to one of pleasant surprise and a smile spread on his face.

"Please, don't try to straighten your back too much, your Majesty." I warned. "That is one area when I couldn't remove it all."

He still tried it, but having been warned, he did it tenderly and grimaced as pain shot through him. Relaxing again, he looked at me with a nod. "When will the pain return?"

"Hard to say, your Majesty. The inflammation is still there, so it will slowly start to spread again at some point. My guess is that it will happen within four or five years."

Ramesses looked pleasantly surprised once more and Khaemweset asked. "You said years? Not seasons or moons?"

I nodded. "Years." Reaching into the bag, I took the six healing potions that Master Healer had placed there and handed them to Khaemweset. "These are powerful healing potions, your Grace. When the pain returns, the King must drink one before each Sed festival. That will help a lot."

"Thank you." Said Khaemweset, emitting genuine gratitude as he took the potions.

Still testing his body by stretching a little, Ramesses nodded to me. "You will be greatly rewarded for this, Ivah, Grandson of Horemheb. I feel ten years younger!"

"No reward is needed, your Majesty!" I said with a bow. "It was an honour to heal the Embodiment of Ra."

He sent me a piercing look. "That might be so, but judging from how exhausted you look like now, it was also taxing work. Let it never be said that Ramesses II isn't a generous ruler!"

There wasn't much I could say to that, as I had no intention of insulting the most powerful man in the human world by refusing to accept his gifts, so I bowed. "Your generosity is legendary, your Majesty. I'm honoured."

Ramesses nodded and I could feel his satisfaction as he took his cane. "I'll grant you the title of Physician to the Royal Court and forty deben of gold for your excellent work here." He paused for a moment but then continued. "The Seal Ring will arrive later. Now the High Priest and I need to get back to the palace."

Taking the cue, the Royal Guards formed a protective circle around Ramesses and Khaemweset, escorting them to the hallway leading out.

I waited until they had left the room and then slumped down in the chair Khaemweset had been sitting it. I had used all the Vis I had in me twice over and I was tired to the bone.

Tia looked like she was about to sit on my lap, but then noticed my expression and took a seat in the other chair before she thoughtfully said. "You're a much better healer than I expected, Ivah. That was impressive work."

"Thanks." I said with a yawn. "Though I don't really know what you had expected."

Tia shrugged. "An examination and some herbal remedies, that would make my father better for a year or so. Long enough to not appear weak to the Assyrians and King Tukulti-Ninurta I."

I snorted to myself, as I realized why Tia had been allowed to request a Baylon healer to heal her father. If the Assyrians got the impression, that Ramesses and Kemet were weak, there was a chance, that they would try to take the Kemetian areas along the eastern coast of the Middle Sea, as that would allow the Assyrians access to a lot of trade, without having to go through Kemet.

That would allow the Assyrians to control both the land and sea trade routes between Bharata and the Middle Sea, and therefore all trade from that part of the world to Baylon. A situation that the Baylon traders wouldn't be happy about.

So, by keeping Ramesses, and thus Kemet, strong, King Tukulti-Ninurta would keep his focus on Babylonia, keeping two different trade routes open and ensure that one nation didn't control all the trade between the Far East and the Middle Sea.

"Why do you snort?" Asked Tia curiously.

"I'll explain it when we come back." I said and stood up. "By the way, what is the Seal Ring, the King was talking about?"

"Oh, it's a seal ring that identifies you as a Royal Physician." Said Tia as she stood as well. "It's a simple gold ring with your mark." She chuckled. "And don't worry: If you don't have a mark, they'll make one."

"That will be interesting to see." I yawned again. "Let's get back to Men-nefer."

"Agreed." She said with a naughty smile. "I have a few days off and good idea about how to use them, and you need to wait for the reward anyway."

----------

The capitol of Baylon

Coming back to the capital city of Baylon was always a pleasure, but even more so after having used months on end traveling all over the world, while living in primitive condition.

I don't consider myself addicted to luxury, but I like using a toilet or be able to take a warm bath after a long day and it was a relief when the ship sailed into the central harbour from where I could see the bathhouses on the outer circle.

Unfortunately, bathing would have to wait, as I needed to have my wares off the ship and into a warehouse as soon as possible, so the ship could take off again.

"Long trip?" asked Voloro the Shipmage, who was standing next to me, enjoying the view as well. A middle-aged man, he had the typical suntan of one that worked in the sun most of the time.

"Too long." I answered with a smile. "And it's good to come home."

"Well, that about sums up sailing: It usually takes longer than expected and it's good to come home." The shipmage said philosophically before he gestured in the direction of the cargo hold. "Do you have a deal for your wares, or do you need warehouse space?"

"No deals yet, so yes, I'll need a warehouse."

He shrugged lightly. "That shouldn't be hard. With the war in Babylonia, the amount of goods coming in is limited."

I nodded. Five days after I had healed Ramesses, a priest of Heka arrived with the reward Ramesses had promised me. The horizontal signet ring was, as Tia had said, quite beautiful. Made of solid gold, it was heavy for its size and the seal on the flat top surface read 'Physician of the Royal Court, Grandson of the Pharaoh Horemheb, Ivah', with Ramesses' royal cartouche on one side of the ring and Khaemweset's cartouche on the other side.

While it seemed like a simple gesture from Ramesses, I wasn't ignorant of the benefits it carried with it: From the moment I put it on, I could ask for an audience with most members of the court and expect to be received. I could also go into any temple in Kemet belonging to one of the healing Gods and at the very least get food and a place to sleep.

In short, it was an awesome diplomatic tool for a Securitas Externa agent and the Steward had been flabbergasted when I gave my report. She still remembered the one-fifth tax on the rest of the gold, but she was surprised and pleased in equal measures.

With everything in order, I had the wared transported to a Securitas Externa ship and continued my journey towards Baylon.

Keeping my merchant disguise, I bought and sold things in Tyre, Alashiya and other places on my journey, eventually reaching Tartessos from where we sailed south to the Dog Islands, before we turned west for Baylon and now we were here.

Thankfully, it had been an uneventful last half of the trip and there had no more unplanned delays or forced detours, making it go a lot faster than the first half.

However, with all the trading I had done, I had a shipload of wares and no idea about the procedure in the harbour, so I asked. "Do you know how to get room in a warehouse?"

"Yeah. You simply declare it to the Harbour Master and if you pay for it, he'll even arrange for the transport of the goods." The shipmage said with a chuckle. "I've seen quite a few trainees returning from the human world, but I think it's the first time I've seen someone returning with a whole ship load of goods."

"It just sort of happened." I admitted. "I was trying out a merchant disguise."

He sighed. "So did I, but by the time I reached Baylon, I only had two bags of goods. I did make some gold out of it, but not more than I could use it pretty fast. What're your goods?"

Normally, I wouldn't tell, but as he was a member of Securitas Externa, he knew how to keep a secret and I might need his help to find a merchant for some of the wares. "Well, I have ivory, pearls, spices and Lazika Stone from Bharata, linen and from Dilmun, alabaster from Kemet, Tyrian Purple from Tyre and olive oil from Athens."

His opened his mouth as he looked at me, but then closed it and swallowed something, before saying. "How long were you away?"

"About three years."

He snorted. "I took a year and a half, but I would gladly have spent double that for coming home with a haul like that. You're going to earn a lot on this."

"I hope so. As far as I know, this journey is one of the few times where we're allowed to keep the money we make." I said with a smile. It had been in the briefing, along with a warning about using powers to earn money. I guessed it was to ensure that an unscrupulous agent didn't use mind-powers to rip off the local merchants and like all traders, we would be subject to examination when we returned to Baylon to enforce the law.

"You're right and sometimes I wish that I was a better trader." Said Voloro the Shipmage with a sigh. "They pay us well enough, but from time to time a little extra would be nice." He shrugged his shoulders and sent me a smile. "Anyway, if you want an honest merchant with gold enough to buy what you have, I suggest that you contact either the Pulchers or the Serranus family."

That made me raise an eyebrow in surprise. I haven't known the Varo family dealt with anything else than magical artifacts. "The Serranus family?"

Voloro smiled at my surprise "Yes. I know they're famous for their Mentats, but they're some of the biggest traders here in the capitol. That's where most of their family fortune come from."

"I did not know that."

He shrugged. "If you're not from the city, you wouldn't. They mostly sell to Ordo Architectus and other merchants. I know one of their traders if you're interested."

That almost made me laugh. "Thanks, but I know a Serranus myself, so that won't be necessary. Thanks for the offer, though."

We talked a bit more, but then we arrived at the docks and he had to go back to his duties, leaving me alone.

With a slight smile on my face, I activated an Ars Mentalis trick and got hold of Verina. "< Hey Beautiful, I hope I'm not interrupting anything >"

There was silence for a few heartbeats, but the Verina answered. "< Yes you are. My sleep! It's in the middle of the night here! >"

"< Sorry, I forgot... I've just arrived from my journey with some goods. Do you think the merchant part of your family would be interested? >"

Her pearly laughter echoes in my head. "< Ivah, I haven't heard from you since you were in Kemet and now you contact me about a business deal? >"

"< Well, in my defense, I can't get off the ship until I know where my wares are going to be stored and you have just come home from a long trip to Lescare >"