Black Adam and Isis - Homecomings
Who: Black Adam, Isis Where: Kahndaq When: Sunday, June 27th, 2010 What: Black Adam's looking to blow off a little steam while he waits for his wife to return from her humanitarian efforts in Qurac.
Rather than sit in his office and shuffle paper, and rather than sitting around waiting, Teth-Adam was blowing off steam in another way. In this case, he’d found a open patch of ground in the gardens and was recalling through his lost memory the ancient exercises warriors in Egypt did to keep themselves limber, to train themselves in mind and body for the rigors of combat. He’d clad himself in a shenti and sandals only, preferring to keep his upper body unfettered. In real combat, of course, he would wear armor but this wasn’t war.
This was rememberance. For a time and a place long-gone.
His body moved slowly, precisely. There was no explosive power in his movements, only iron-hard rigid control of body, breath, and mind. A form of walking meditation, come into being long before such things were considered fashionable.
He’d also dug out some of the older implements of war. The khopesh, freshly-sharpened and honed to a razor’s edge. The whip. The spear. The bow and arrow. Each had their place, each their proper use.
But for now, he would remain barehanded.
Isis was recovering slowly from exhaustion. It wasn’t often she hit the limits on what this vessel could take in terms for power, but this came close. She had returned home, but at least that was hardly a chore. She went in search of her husband and was rewarded with a pleasant sight indeed.
For a moment, she watched.
He could hear her heart beating. The soft inhalations and exhalations of her breath. The smell of her body. But his focus was almost legendary - the wizard Shazam had once remarked that if he’d had the aptitude he would have made an excellent magi. But he moved in the ancient ways, performing a martial dance no living human being had seen in centuries. Today, there were perhaps a half-dozen men on the planet who could be said to remember it, and of them, perhaps two could perform it with any degree of rigor.
He was one of those men.
For a moment she watched, lost in memories. She knew the movements, even if she herself had never been very good at them. Isis fought her foes with sorcery, with names and words. She was hardly ignorant of how much work it took to master any weapon though.
As his wife, it was her duty to care for him when he was finished. Comfort, after all, and it was hardly an unwelcome duty if it allowed her to be close to him. But to that end, she cornered a servant and sent them off for water and for wine. She continued to watch, she really couldn’t look away.
Black Adam ended his exercise and then looked over to his beloved Isis. “Wife.” he said, his voice uncharacteristically warm. “Welcome home.” he said with another of his rare smiles.
She smiled back, “I couldn’t stay away any more,” she said simply, “For some reason I was extremely lonely.”
“Surrounded by acolytes, priests, and humanitarians, and yet you found yourself lonely.” he said with a chuckle. “I cannot help but wonder how this came to be.” he said, using the back of his hand to mop sweat off his brow.
“Well, when there is a person who you have become accustomed to having around...” she said teasingly.
“Indeed.” he said, moving up closer to take her hand in his. “Have you dined?” he asked pleasantly.
There was warmth at the contact that brought a flush to her cheeks, “Not yet, husband. I thought we could do so together.” Because she was tired of being apart.
“You read my mind.” he said warmly. “But nothing formal. We can save that for tomorrow and your official welcome-home ceremony. But for tonight, for now, it is just the two of us.” he said.
“I find I enjoy it the most when it’s just the two of us,” she said, giving in to the temptation to steal a kiss, flowers blooming beneath her feet.
Adam merely gave her one of his inscrutiable looks. “Funny how that works out.” he said.