Antiquity

Chapter 7--Conversation with the Dog


Tep-Tep had slightly kept his word about helping around the apartment. The next few weeks after his arrival were chaotic though Menefer was good about setting him straight again. Sophie had taken to hiding in Harley's room, crouching under the bed while Tep-tep, in his canine form, sat at the door pawing at it.

"Tep-tep, stop harassing Sophie."Menefer scolded, grabbing him by his golden collar and dragging him away from the door.

"She called me an annoyance."Tep-tep growled, trying to turn his head to look back.

"And you are being one right now. Go! Go lay down in the corner. Bad Tep-Tep."Menefer said, pointing to the corner where they had set up a food and water bowl as well as a nice dog bed for Tep-Tep that was covered in white cat hair.

Tep-tep stared, sitting down where they had stopped. "You have acted differently since we separated Master…"He commented. "You were graceful, poised and quiet. Now you make so much noise, I think I may go deaf from hearing your voice."

"Things change…this isn't Egypt and the tomb anymore. This place is home now."Menefer said with a shake of his head, pointing to the corner again. The black, sleek dog obeyed this time and sat down on the bed in an eerie calm.

"I don't like it. You are a place of high position in the Temple of Ra! Even as the structure itself has faded, you should remain constant as it is."Tep-tep growled, laying down on the dog bed.

"And be unhappy?"Menefer frowned.

The guardian went silent. Menefer shook his head again, moving over to the couch and sitting down with a sigh. "I couldn't stay there forever…That is not how the world works. It's not how the Gods would want it…"He said, shrinking down. "I am happiest where my heart is…I should be. Auburn taught me that many years ago…"

"Auburn is dead. His death stinks up Harley's very room."Tep-tep said lowly.

"And it is a sad thing…"The egyptian sighed.

"How so?" This was beginning to peak at his interest. Just what did Master Menefer see in this place anyway? The tomb they had lived in wasn't grand and it did smell of death in itself but it was home. They slept in the holy grounds of a Pharaoh and thus were protected. Here, there was only Auburn's death-stink, Harley's humanity and Amonen's…thing.

"Harley doesn't like to talk about his Grandfather…but I want to talk about him all the time. He made me happy…but now, Harley makes me very happy. It was like a dream seeing him standing at the front gate…It was like being at the tomb and seeing Auburn for the very first time. The same surprised face. The same hair and figure. It was like Auburn was in his twenties again…but I know that this isn't true. Harley and Auburn are two different people but share the same bloodline…"Menefer frowned, turning on the couch to look behind it where Tep-tep was laying in the corner.

"Do I not make you happy?"Tep-tep stared.

"You do…I missed you so much. You were my only companion for so many centuries, Tep-tep…but I know, that to exist…I want to meet as many new people as I can. I don't like feeling lonely…."Menefer said as he rose up, walking over to the dog bed and sitting down on the floor. Petting the pace between Tep-tep's ears, he smiled softly. "Don't take it to offense if I do not spend time with you…And you have to learn to make friends as well."

"I have had many friends…all of them just sniffed my butt and left."The guardian said, his tail wagging just slightly.

"Those are other dogs. I mean you should try to make friends with Harley, Amonen AND Sophie."Menefer tsked. Tep's tail stopped wagging.

"Master…Do I have to? Harley doesn't seem to like me very much anyhow and Sophie is too busy licking herself to care."The dog grumbled, lowering his head back down.

"Then try."

With that, Menefer rose to his feet and headed downstairs to see Harley as he was working. They spoke briefly, Menefer sitting on the counter when a customer came in by the sound of the bell. Harley's mother stood there with a sweet smile, waving to the both of them.

"Mom? What are you doing here?"Harley said, walking around the corner to give her a warm hug.

"I came to see how you were doing. I brought some groceries as well. There was this Arabic market that I found while going downtown and I thought Amonen and Menefer would appreciate it."She said, handing two paper bags off to him. Harely sat them on the counter and let Menefer raid through it for things he may have remembered.

Nothing came to mind until the key pulled out a bag of dates. "These are delicious. I haven't had these in years."Menefer said, biting at the package. Harley pulled it from his hands, pulling off the tab and opening it for him.

"Oh that's good! I didn't know if you would like them or not. Oh, honey, I have a favor to ask of you."Anna asked, smiling.

"What is it?"Harley questioned.

"Could you perhaps propose to Amonen to have dinner with me one night?"She asked, quite innocently. Harley and Menefer both raised their heads like meerkats, staring at her.

"You…want me to ask Amonen…to go on a date with you? Mom…he's 29!"Harley said, trembling a little. God…his mother and Amonen? If that ever happened and the man became his step-father, he would let a car hit him at 25 miles per hour to crush his skull in.

"I'm just asking him out to dinner! I would like to get to know him better, make him feel just a little more welcome. Plus, it seems you have your hands full with so many guests in the house."Anna frowned, sticking out her bottom lip.

"Then can't you just have dinner with us here? I'd rather have my eyes on everyone right here."Harley said as he leaned against the counter, pressing the heel of his hand into one of his eyes.

"That's no fun, Harley…"Anna sighed.

"Let her take him."

Harley and his mother looked to Menefer who had finished off the bag of dates, holding it upside down and shaking it to see if there was any stuck at the bottom. Menefer looked to them with a smile.

"Let her take him out. Amonen has always been very very serious about everything. I have never seen him on a date before…I think he would enjoy some one on one time with a friend."Menefer explained, setting the empty bag on the counter. "Besides, Amonen is my…'friend'…I want him to be happy."

Harley stared, Anna smiling and going over to hug the egyptian male. "Thank you Menefer. I will pick him up tonight alright? I know this place that opened up that I think will make him feel right at home."She said, going to give Harley as kiss on the cheek before heading out of the Antique shop all smiles. Harley looked to the smaller male, observing him as he dug through the bag again for something to snack on.

It was oddly…kind of Menefer to suggest it but then again, he knew Amonen had feelings for him. Of course, there was a liability that if Menefer released what he was supposed to keep in hiding…that Amonen would lose his chance. Thankfully, they were far away from that.

The peckish male found another bag of something, tearing the top off and trying it though showed his disapproval with a stick of his tongue. "Blech, this tastes very bitter!"He said, spitting it out.

"That's because you just opened a big bag of coffee beans."Harley laughed, Menefer looking at him with a curious blink.

"That's…The first I've actually heard you laugh."Menefer said, staring at him oddly.

Harley immediately stopped laughing, flushing and walking over to the bags, stuffing things away to carry them upstairs, Menefer behind him. "Aww, don't be embarrassed Harley! I was just surprised is all, I like your laugh."Menefer said, poking him all the way to the kitchen where Harley started to unpack the things his mother brought.

"I'm not embarrassed. I just feel like I shouldn't have laughed."Harley said as he pulled the opened bag of coffee beans out, taking them to a bean grinder to test out what kind Anna had brought. Amonen came from his room, Tep-tep following right behind him.

"I heard a commotion downstairs earlier…Is everything alright?"Amonen asked as he saw Harley start grinding some beans. Inhaling, he nearly let out a moan. "That smell is amazing."

"Harley's mother brought us some treats."Menefer said, holding his hands behind his back with an adorable smile. Tep-tep came from Harley's room, sitting down by Menefer's feet.

"What is that foul smelling concoction?"Tep-tep inquired, lowering himself so he lay on the floor with his paws over his nose.

"It's coffee, Tep-tep. It's very popular in these times."Menefer explained with a wise nod. "I don't think you would like it though…you have a very sweet tooth. Coffee is bitter."

"I'll pass…if it's as disgusting as it smells, then I'd rather avoid it."Tep-tep huffed, lowering himself further on the floor. Menefer squatted down and gave him a soothing pat on his head.

"Aww, don't fret Tep."Menefer teased, getting a low growl form the dog guardian who got up and trotted out of the kitchen. Harley brewed everyone a cup of coffee, the shopkeeper taking his down to the Antique shop to mind the store.


Harley came back up in the evening hours, holding his empty coffee mug and carrying it into the kitchen. However, he stopped when he saw Tep-tep with his black fur covered in white powder, Sophie sitting on the counter licking her paw with a rather satisfied smile.

"Tep-Tep…"Harley said sternly, setting his cup in the sink.

"She knocked the bag on me while I was passing through. I had no intentions of messing with that ignorant fluff-ball you call a feline."Tep-tep growled, looking up the cat with disdain.

"Sophie, bad kitty."Harley scolded, getting a warm mew from the persian before he bent down, picking Tep-tep up with a grunt.

"Wait! What are you doing?!"Tep-tep said with a yelp, his feet having nothing to grip onto now to run.

"A bath. You aren't running around my apartment with flour all over you…And I have a feeling that there are two people who have some answering to do."Harley said as he struggled to get the dog guardian into the bathroom, swiftly kicking the door closed. Menefer had been given a little money to go out and buy Tep-tep some typical dog supplies so they could take care of him. Setting Tep-tep down on the bathroom floor, he went rummaging under the sink.

Tep-tep started to scratch at the door. "Let me ooooouttt…I don't like water! Especially lots of it."He whined, scratching a little more. Harley grabbed him by the tail and dragged him back to the tub.

"You need a bath and I'm too irritated as it is to teach you to use the stuff on your own."He sighed as he started up the bath. "Now tell me how to remove that collar of yours. Is that thing even comfortable?"

"Quite. I've gotten used to it."Tep-tep said, sitting. Raising a paw, he padded at a spot behind one of his ears. "There's a pin there. Just pull it out and it should come lose."

Harley put his hand gently on the collar, feeling around for the pin. When he found it, just a swift tug of it released it, the collar falling apart like a clamp, landing in his hand as he set it to the side. Menefer would know how to clean it. Reaching over, he turned on the tub and corked the basin so he could let it fill a little.

"Master…used to give me baths…"Tep-tep said lowly, his eyes focused on the collar on the sink counter.

"I'm sure he did in the middle of the desert."Harley sighed as he removed his sweater so it didn't get wet.

"No…there was an oasis in the desert we would go to draw water…He would bath me there."Tep-tep grumbled a little, huffing a little when Harley picked him up and set him in the tub while it was still filling. "Every time we went, he would scrub me down so my coat shined perfectly…"

"Why are you telling me this?"Harley asked as he grabbed a cup from the side of the tub and filled it with some warm water before he ran it along Tep-tep's fur.

"I've got no one else to tell right now and if I'm going to be stuck in a room, it's going to be stuck in the room talking to someone."Tep-tep growled a little though he was quite comfortable. The water was warm and it felt so good to get a bath after so long.

"Fine. Spill your guts."Harley said as he dumped a big cup full of water over his head.

"Well, Master and I would travel several miles to the oasis and back to retrieve water but he would always, always make sure I got a bath. He was so lovely then…Instead of those stifling clothes he adorns himself in now, his clothes were made of a sheer swaddling cloth…you could see everything and in the desert, it didn't matter if you were naked…."Tep-tep sighed, grunting a bit when Harley poured the cold shampoo onto his head and started scrubbing.

"I figured…On television shows, cartoon movies and such, the clothes are always white…"Harley huffed as he felt the heat rise to his cheeks from the heat of the water (and partially because of Tep's stories).

"It was true back then…I remember when he was in the temple, adorned in gold and rich greens…Ah, he was the envy of many of the female servants there."Tep-Tep continued, shaking a bit and spraying a mess of bubbles everywhere. Harley stared at him through his steamed-up glasses, cleaning them off to rinse Tep-tep down.

"Uh-huh…and how did you end up becoming what you are? There's no way you could have been brought out of the blue."Harley said as he gave Tep-tep another scrub to make sure the suds were all out.

The dog went oddly silent. "I wasn't a dog. In fact…I was human once before."He explained, his ears flattening when Harley dumped another cup of water on his head.

Harley raised an eyebrow, running his hand over Tep-tep's head. "You don't say…"He said with a roll of his eyes.

"Don't act so sarcastic to this! My humanity was lost to the temple Master served."Tep-tep growled, hopping out of the tub and shaking himself out.

"Cripes I'm sorry, just don't shake all over the bloody place."Harley said, grabbing Tep-tep and pulling him over so he could wrap the dog up in a big towel, wiping in him down.

"You deserved to at least be soaking wet after that remark."The dog huffed, shaking a little after Harley had given him a good dry-off and a pat on his sleek back. "Thank you for you fine job."

"Uh-huh…I'm going to take Menefer to a pet store to pick up a collar for your spoiled butt."Harley said, having a smack to Tep-tep's back end, the dog turning around to stare at him and then fled form the bathroom after Harley opened the door for him. Harley started to clean up, hearing a surprised gasp.

"Tep, you look and smell so clean!"Menefer said as his bare feet padded to the bathroom, smiling to Harley. "Thank you for giving Tep-Tep a bath, Harley. I was hoping to do it myself eventually but never got to it."

"Well, he did get covered in flour from the kitchen. Couldn't let him run around like that."Harley said as he headed for the bathroom door, stopping when Menefer leaned in the door frame, blocking his path. "Do you mind?"

"It's not every day Tep-tep let's someone bathe him…Just what did you talk about while you were washing him?"Menefer inquired, a coy little smile coming across his lips.

Harley raised an eyebrow. "Menefer…That's something you should ask Tep-tep about, not me. If you wanna find out, go to him. Now step aside."He said, bringing his arm under Menefer easily and making him stand straight, then move back. Harley desperately wanted to shower and stop smelling like wet dog.

Menefer followed him from the bathroom to his bedroom while he got some clean clothes, returning to the bathroom where he stubbornly sat on the toilet until Harley threw his dirty sweater at him. "Menefer, I swear…Just go and ask Tep yourself!"He said as he unbuttoned his shirt. Menefer didn't move.

"Tep-tep doesn't like to talk about personal things with me. It's been like this for thousands of years. I'm curious. What did my long-time friend talk to you about that he couldn't talk to me?"Menefer said as he caught Harley's button-down shirt this time, frowning.

Harley got fed up, turning around as he started to undo his belt. "He was talking about baths at an oasis in the middle of the desert. He liked it. That's it."He said as he pulled the belt out from the loops. "Now will you go?"

Menefer blinked, smiling and getting to his feet. "I should figure out how to work the washing machine then and take care of these."He sighed, slinking out of the bathroom with the flick of the tails of his hair around the corner of the door frame.