Greeting the Dawn
A Thursday Prompt story
© 2024 by Walter Reimer

Thumbnail art by  technicolorpie, color by  marmelmm

Prompt: sunshine


Tarval, the twenty-first of his name and ninety-sixth of his line to be acclaimed as the Sovereign of the Race, sat alone on the beach to watch the morning begin. Behind him stood the beach house he and his mate had rented, on a peninsula southwest of the Empire’s capital city of Farz and stretching out before him was the Imperial Homeworld’s western sea.

The kam sat naked and cross-legged on the sand, his tail describing idle S-curves as he waited.

As he waited and watched, the sky began to lighten, the deep blue fading and being replaced by lighter blues and shades of yellow and pink that lit the few morning clouds. The world seemed to pause, and a broad shield of near-blinding radiance began to peer above the horizon.

Tarval faced Kīa’s light, his vertical pupils narrowed to slits before it grew too bright to be looked at directly and he lowered his gaze. The tide was starting to come in, each wavelet getting closer to him, and he slowly got to his feet.

It was bad enough that he was going to have sand in his fur. It wouldn’t do at all for shlani to see their ruler with a wet rear end.

He stood and stretched, enjoying the warmth of the Daystar on his fur and face, before he turned his back on it and made his way up the beach into the dune line that separated the shore from the entrance to the beach house.

His principal aide, Varith, stood at the base of the steps leading up to the door. She was wearing loose trousers and a matching shirt, and held her padd rolled up like a scroll in one hand. She bowed. “Lir tārintī.”

“Varith,” Tarval said. “Fair day.”

She smiled. “Fair day, Sovereign.”

“I gather that the Empire has survived another night without my supervision.” His smile belied his words. His tail brushed sand off his arse and legs.

Varith had seen him unclothed before and chuckled at his statement. “Yes, it has, my Lord. The Empress is also awake, and is preparing breakfast.”

“Aka i’?” He raised his muzzle and sniffed before smiling at her. “I hope she’s making enough for you as well.”

“She already asked,” Varith replied, “but I’ve eaten.”

“Ernh.” Tarval turned to face the blue-white giant star that the Homeworld circled, basking momentarily in its light and warmth once more before going up the stairs to the house.





end