- This is it?
- This is it indeed.
A soft masculine voice echoed through the dark back of the dim lit cave. The light of the wobbling lantern casting their shadows across the walls.
- How do we get through here?
- I can't help you with that.
The voice retreated with a soft step from the back wall.
- You are the only one that ever made it back, you are the only one that knows how to cross the other side.
The second voice pleaded with utmost desperation.
- I said, I can't help you.
- You told us you'd show us!
- I told you I'd show you where the passage is, not that I'd help you cross it.
- I'm begging you please.
- I can't.
- You can! You've done it a thousand times.
- Thousand times never meant that it made it easier.
The soft voice sighed annoyed by the pleas.
- You have to get us across.
- I don't.
The voice started walking towards the bright light of the entrance.
The soft yet solid steps kicking up rocks, dust and sand reminding of countless entries.
It was a rather bright morning for the Kingdom of Eray. People have been hustling around the entire Kingdom Square. Children running around in excitement.
One child stopped their run.
- Mister Es?! When will you have another Story for us ready in the shop?
- Not any new ones, if that's what you're asking.
Mister Es chuckled at the child's curiosity.
- Then what about the Nomad story? The rebelling Nomad? You never finished it.
- Because I can't finish something that isn't finished yet.
He sighed and threw a glance towards the cave he was in minutes ago.
- Well, if you do, please tell us, we need the ending. You left us on a bad cliffhanger.
- I will, I promise.
Es smiled at the child.
He fumbled in his dark coat pocket and threw the child a coin.
- Get yourself something, so you don't hate me for the cliffhanger.
- THANK YOU MISTER ES!
The child caught the coin with finesse and bolted off with a smile on his face.
Es crossed the square and threw glances at various little propped up shops across the edges. The smell of fresh fruit filled the air.
Voices of countless shop owners roamed and roared in fulfillment with each exchange.
- Back so soon are we? How much did they offer this time?
A raspy voice cut through the surroundings.
- They offered their entire savings.
Es looked back at the cave sighing.
- You think he's still out there?
- Think? I know he is.
He grasped the golden pocket watch attached to his coat.
- How can you be sure?
The man dressed in light beige colours followed Es' gaze towards the cave.
- How can you be sure he isn't ? It's not like you're the one going.
He argumented.
- Well unlike you I'm not too much of a fan of the sand.
Es laughed and nodded in agreement.
- Well I'll catch you later, Es. Don't brood too much.
He rolled his eyes and watched the man lift his hand for a wave and disappear into the crowd.
***
A neat organized massive book shop that belonged to Es in the Kingdom or Eray, placed into a dead end alley of the connecting roads.
Small lanterns hung from each shelf, carrying the knowledge most people could only have dreamed about decades ago. Es spent decades getting all these books together from all the neighbouring Kingdoms. Which turned out to be a quite lucrative business for a guy like him.
He placed his pocket watch upon the reception and gave a heavy sigh, fixating his eyes onto the face of the watch.
Funny how time stopped for both of us that day, he thought to himself and was reminded of that tragic day.
- You have to trust me Es. You have to go back.
- I can't leave you here. The storm is coming closer, please Nao. We both need to go back!
- You can. I won't leave you. I'll come after. I promise, Es. I always have.
Es watched as the storm came closer, engulfing the campsite.
- NOW GO, ES! PLEASE!
He was frozen as he watched Nao disappear between the dust.
While the campsite disappeared in front of his eyes, he finally got to his senses and began to run. Es wasn't sure in which direction he was going, anywhere where the storm didn't reach yet seemed safer than where he was now. He stumbled across rocks and stones, bruised and whipped by the sand.
Es would stop every now and then turning back, trying to make out if Nao had started to come after but all he saw was sand and more sand. He covered his face with his coat trying to keep it from scratching his face further.
He always comes back, is what he told himself that day.
***
But that had been millennia ago.
Nao never followed after. Swallowed by the storm.
Es sighed and leaned back, closing his eyes.
***
- I heard you could help me.
- Possibly. Depends on the job.
- I need someone that can get me down to the ruins of Goray. I'd go alone but that'd be half the fun if anything goes wrong down there.
- Why Goray?
- There's something that belongs to me.
- Besides ruins there's nothing left of anything that possibly could belong to anyone anymore.
Es stood up from the bench he was sitting on in the back space of the Kingdom's park.
- I see you've been there before? Possibly for a theft? You stole anything?
The stranger smirked underneath his hidden face and stayed on the spot where their backs touched seconds ago.
- Don't worry, I know what is mine, couldn't have been stolen, nor do I care for your items. I know it's still down there. I just need another Eternal like yourself to get me there.
- Who told you?
Es stopped in his tracks from pacing back and forth, accustomed to his job, keeping his eyes from looking at the stranger.
- You didn't think you were the only one left, did you?
The stranger laughed slightly and slipped down the back of his hood, turning his neck to push his brown long wavy hair to the side.
Es glanced at the stranger's neck, gazing towards the crescent moon shaped mark.
- You bear the mark of Goray?! The incarnate Goray?!
- Don't be so loud, nobody needs to hear I'm asking help from a small scoundrel like you.
- Excuse me, I'm not a scoundrel. Besides, why do you need me, why don't you go down there yourself, Mister Incarnate?
The stranger laughed.
- Because unfortunately what belongs to me can only be reached by opening a gate that takes two Eternals to open.
- Behind an Eterniwall? ARE YOU MAD? What belongs to you that's behind an Eterniwall?! That could destroy the entire Kingdoms.
Es was getting frustrated with this request.
- Destroy? Actually, that's precisely what it does not do. I need to get to it before the time runs out. I just need you to get me to it. I'll pay you, coin is not the issue.
- Will I be able to get back to Eray, after I help you open the Eterniwall?
- Ofcourse, or else I wouldn't be thinking about paying you.
The stranger laughed.
- When do you need to get there?
- The earlier, the better. It'll take us about 4 months to reach the ruins to begin with.
***
Es got ripped out of his flashback to the sound of the shop door opening.
Heavy footsteps made their way to the counter.
He watched as the figure dressed in heavy dark leather approached him.
- Are you the one crossing things through the dunes?
A deep voice emerged from the dark hood.
- I guess you can say that.
- I need you to go to the Kingdom of Rach and bring back something. If you do this, I will pay you so much coin, that you might as well start a new Kingdom of your own.
- Do I have to steal it?
- No, there will be a woman that will give you the item. Don't worry, it'll be transportable. I just need you to pick it up. A lot relies on you getting the item across the dunes.
- That seems like an awful lot of responsibility and coin for this item. What is it? Just so I know what to expect if I get caught with it by a guard.
- Nothing of that sort. Just a lot of people's lives rely on this item getting here.
Es learned better not to pry any further, if this is all his clients seemed to be able to reveal, so be it.
- I'll make my way first thing tomorrow evening when the sun is about to fall.
- In the right alley entering Rach, across from the blacksmith, next to the Magi Tower, you will find a thick wooden door. Knock on it 5 times and circle it once with your palm. A woman will open the door, she won't be though who you need. Ask for Murin. Murin will give you the item.
- How will she know it's me?
- About that, Murin will know. Only one person gets items through the dunes.
- What if I lose it along the way?
- Don't worry, in case anything happens that was not planned, there will be an emergency note attached to the item, of what you should do with it.
- Alright, I'll start preparing everything for tomorrow then.
The mysterious rough built man nodded in sealing the deal and turned around on heavy foot, walking towards the door.
He turned around one last time before leaving.
- Make sure to bring it in one piece.
Es swallowed heavy by that demand and glanced at the broken face of the pocket watch once more.
- I guess I'm coming back, Nao.
His delicate fingertips grazed over the pocket watch before he got up and rummaged through the Kingdom's Maps to find the one of Rach. After that he made his way to the back of his shop to check that he had all his bags ready just in case it turned out to be bigger than he imagined.
Then he stopped as his palm touched the opened letter on his office desk. A warm bolt of electricity shot through his veins as he kept his hand a bit longer on the letter. With closed eyes he stood there in an unimaginable warmth, that could soothe the wildest seas.
***
- You know... You're pretty alright for a scoundrel.
- For the thousandth time, I'm not a scoundrel.
- Then what are you?
- I'm just an Eternal, that's stuck, I guess? I got bored. I hardly had anything to do.
- So you just decide to become a thief? What Eternal are you, if you don't mind me asking?
- I.. I belong to the Amori line. But I'm..I'm not the incarnate of Amori, unlike you being physically the incarnate of Goray.
- I didn't think any of the Amori were still alive...
- Not like I go around stating I'm an Amori.
- You just did.
The stranger laughed and nudged him.
Es slightly jumped not expecting that kind of contact from an incarnate of a God.
They walked along a trampled dirt path, between tall grass and huge boulders. It's been two weeks since they set out to reach the ruins of Goray. No carriage nor horse could take them there through all the harsh and narrow terrain.
The two of them would shoot glances at one another from time to time in awkward silence, prompting a few ''what?'' from either one following a ''just marveling''.
- You have an odd way of marveling.
- How so?
- You're the incarnate of Goray. Shouldn't you have seen everything already? Like visions? Flashbacks? Memories?
- So I can't marvel at things that existed for eons? What if I like things even if they're old as time itself?
- Doesn't it get boring?
Es stopped in front of a meadow cut off by a small quiet river running through.
He looked across the grass and found a small area closer to the surface of the river.
- We should rest here before we go further. I don't know when we'll exactly hit lake Kreto. So this might be the last water we encounter before we go further.
- Fine by me, can't be smelling like a scoundrel in this heat as a God.
The stranger looked up into the setting sun, a drop of sweat rolling down his temples.
Es threw him a glance.
- I didn't mean you smell.
He went up to the edge of the river and squatted down, dipping his fingers into the water. Es followed him and took off his heavy bags before taking off his coat.
His linen shirt underneath gave a little more freedom for air to flow, cooling him minorly off.
- You know.. Instead of calling me Mister incarnate, you can call me Nao.
The stranger went ahead and lifted the linen hood off of his head before cupping his hands and taking water to dab his face with.
Es stopped for a moment from pulling out the tent from his bags.
- Why are you telling me now?
- Because I thought you would ask me at some point.
- Most of my clients stay anonymous. There's never a reason to know their names unless it's people you need to ask for.
- I don't know if I should admire the professionalism or feel offended.
- You have the soul of Goray, why would you go by a different name?
- Just because I carry a God, doesn't mean I am just a God.
Nao responded before he began to undress, revealing his slender yet defined body from under all his linen layers. Es was busy fumbling together their tent for the night and occasionally looked towards Nao. He felt if he got caught, Goray himself would jump out and attack him in offense.
Es suddenly froze, watching Nao's back as he entered the river. It felt like his gaze could not be averted. Watching this incarnation of a God enter the water with such grace.
With a sudden noise of his bags falling from his hand, Es got pulled out of his flashback, sighing painfully.
He took the letter and tucked it into the very bottom of his largest bag, stashing it into a self stitched little hidden compartment. That letter was the only thing confirming him that it was all real, all the things they've gone through, experienced. It breathed reality.
Es went over to the small bathroom and took a warm shower, trying to go fresh to bed tonight before tomorrow.
After he finished, he neatly sorted out all his layers of linen that he needed for the dunes.
He didn't expect to leave in a hurry this fast either, but the mysterious man in leather sounded rather very demanding and in need of whatever the item was. It could've been medicine for all he knows.
Es placed his vibrant linen layers in the order he'll wear them tomorrow evening, to set foot out to Rach. As much as it took physical preparation, it also required mental preparation - for the dunes.
He had to try and get anything irrelevant out of his mind. Anything that might distract him could cost him his entire life.
The Eternal moved to the kitchenette and placed all the counted off canned food he'd need to cross the dunes. From all his trips he calculated the days it took to get from one Kingdom to the other through the dunes, if he managed it without sticking to a place for too long. It would take him approximately 2 weeks til he can see the borders of the Kingdom Rach through the sand dust. And another 2 days till he'd reach the gate to Rach, unless boulders have slipped down into the passage.
He packed his bags in advance, everything he'd possibly need, compass in case the sandstorms start earlier this year, obscuring his way.
As precaution he mapped out the path he would take with the Eternal ink, so he'd remember the path like the back of his hand.
Was he ready to go back out there again? He wasn't sure. Sometimes Es was worried each trip would take away more than he could take, although there was nothing left that the dunes could take away from him.
At the same time he was also looking forward to the dunes. He felt it in his bones that he was still out there. There was no second that Es doubted Nao would not be there anymore.
He took one of his appointment journals off the desk and started to write down where he would be going in case King Ilos demanded a visit from him.
After all this, he made sure to check the shop once more before locking it down for the night.
He grabbed an apple from the kitchenette and paced back and forth through his little living space, mentally preparing himself for tomorrow.
After he finished clearing his thoughts, he slipped into an old linen shirt of which he had preserved the smell of him for all these millennia.
Es rested his head onto his bed and took a deep breath, inhaling Nao's scent for comfort with the thought of finding him again.
***
- Press your hand here.
Nao's voice echoed through the hollow space of the marble ruins.
- I know how an Eterniwall works.
- Shhh.
Nao reached for his hand delicately and placed it a few inches higher up onto the cracked marble wall. He did the same on his side of the wall.
- I've never been here with another person. It feels so..
- Intimate? Like experiencing something grand? Unique?
- Yes.
- I know.
Nao agreed and placed his ear to the wall.
In between the dark marble wall one could hear about a thousand cogs start a chain reaction.
With an echoing clank, the wall announced that the Eternilock had been successfully unlocked.
- Do you still want to leave right away?
Nao looked at Es and nudged his head into the direction of the dark narrow hallway that hid behind the wall.
- You know whatever lies beyond this, you probably never witnessed Es. I know you hold a lot of history in your own veins, but this is more history.
Es hesitated, did he really want to risk stepping across this Eterniwall? Whatever lies ahead could put the entire Kingdoms in danger.
- I know you want to go through. I can feel it.
Nao stepped closer to Es and took his hand.
- I'll show you what really is beyond this wall besides the myths and rumors that you heard.
Es followed while Nao led with a tight grip on his hand.
Their steps followed them with each echo, bouncing off the marble.
Nao rushed a little bit faster before they stopped in front of a huge hall.
- It's here.
Nao ran up to one of the huge stone pillars that held the ceiling of the hall.
He ran his fingers up across it, motioning the mark of the crescent moon.
A bright grey light beamed from a compartment. Nao waited patiently for the compartment to open.
The lid flopped with a heavy sound down, echoing through the hall.
- I can't believe I got it. So many decades. They'll be so proud when I get back. I did it.
His face lit up brighter than Es had ever seen on his face. Nao reached in with his hand and gripped it tightly.
Slowly he pulled his arm back, revealing a solid invisible cube.
- TOUCH IT.
Nao demanded of Es.
Reluctantly Es followed his demand. His palm suddenly pressed against the solid cube, sending electricity through his veins.
- It's...
- It's my power.
- What will you do with it?
- Save the world of course!
- What if it doesn't?
- I know it will. I promise.
Es watched with worried gaze as Nao without hesitating took a huge swing and smashed the cube onto the floor.
You could hear the cube shatter into million pieces amplified by the echo.
With a swift motion Nao cut into his own mark, while all the pieces started to form into a smog, trailing and blazing it's way into Nao's mark on the back of his neck until it ended with a bright flash of light, illuminating Nao's veins dominantly for a split second.
Nao wiped his hand across his mark, sealing the cut permanently.
He cracked his knuckles and neck and took a deep breath.
- Finally! I feel like myself again.
He looked towards Es that had stood there frozen in place due to the entire spectacle he just witnessed.
- Ah shit.
Nao exclaimed and took a golden pocket watch out of his linen and tapped it a few times to get the arms to start ticking again.
With a huge gasp for air Es came back to himself, panting heavy.
- WHAT IN THE WORLD DID YOU DO?!
- I took my power back? I am sorry though about the whole time freezing thing, that was unintentional.
- Your power? Time freezing? ARE YOU INSANE?
Es completely freaked out, panicked as he witnessed an incarnation of Goray just infuse the pure undiluted power of Goray into himself like it was no big deal.
- I'm fine, Es. Don't worry.
- WAIT IF YOU DIE ON OUR WAY BACK? YOUR BODY ISN'T BUILT FOR THIS.
***
He tossed and turned himself in his sleep, without getting a deep sleep at all, the flashbacks of Nao haunting him as if he started to live with the guilt.
Had he never went out there with Nao, this all could've been prevented.
Perhaps this was his punishment for helping Nao in the end.
Plagued with guilt by all that had happened, Es woke up. The sun had risen and threw it's rays through the shop's front display. With a lot of courage Es had managed to get himself to rise and assess his situation before he'd make his way out in the evening.
He recollected himself and got up, inhaling the scent of Nao once more before getting out of his bed.
Es undressed and wrapped his linen layers around himself tightly, securing each layer before making his way out of his living space. He decided he should go one last time through the Kingdom's Townsquare before he'd make the two week long journey.
- You're going again? I didn't expect you to go back out there so soon.
A man in noble grey linen with stitched golden arches along the sleeves walked up to Es.
- Yeah, I got an unexpected job yesterday, your Grace.
- Stay safe out there dear.
He gave Es a soft nod and a tap on his shoulder before he gracefully wandered across the square.
- I will.
Es said to himself, watching King Ilos vanish in between dainty shops.
The day was different than usual. It was rather quiet, than the usual loud rustling of items across the square being exchanged. He wandered past the shops and stopped in front of an old man that had a small workshop set up in the far back of the market.
- Fine day, isn't it boy?
- I suppose so.
Es' eyes wandered across the table, various small tools spread across it. Tiny cogs and arms of clocks and watches neatly sorted into a maple wooden box.
- You fix watches?
- Do you need any fixing?
The old man replied softly and gestured across the table.
Es hesitated and shook his head for a moment - about to leave as he gripped tightly to the golden pocket watch in his linen.
He turned back to the table and looked at the old man with warm eyes again.
- Actually, I might need to have a watch fixed.
Es took out the pocket watch and held it out to the man to take a look.
The man took it ever so gently and ran his fingers across it's shimmering golden casing.
- By the Graces of Uzesh.
He exclaimed and reached for his magnifying glass, taking a close look at the pocket watch.
- Where did you get this my dear boy?
- It belonged to a friend.
- I can't fix this watch for you.
The old man looked up to Es.
- It has to stay like this.
- What do you mean?
- This watch you hold here is the Goray watch. It's meant to do what it does.
- It's broken, it doesn't work. There's no use for this watch.
- Oh dear boy, this watch is not broken. Who gave it to you?
- A nomad.
- I see. Take good care of this peace, please.
The man held a sparkle in his eyes as he handed back the watch to Es.
He sighed and clasped his hand slowly together and looked up into the sky.
Not long after Es had left, a small crowd had gathered around the old man whispers and unbelievable gasps had filled the air.
- Are you sure?
- Would I ever lie to you? I wouldn't have believed it myself, had I not held in my own two hands.
- By the Graces of Uzesh, this is a miracle.
- We need to send word, hastily!
The group around the old man's table exclaimed various agreements before disbanding.
Es walked back to his shop and sighed, holding tightly onto the broken pocket watch.
***
- I want you to have this.
- That's - I can't possibly take this.
- Trust me, I want you to have this.
Nao shifted onto his stomach lying next to Es, as the light of the lantern threw shadows across the fabric of their tent. He held out a golden pocket watch towards Es.
- I just shouldn't, Nao. It's yours.
- And now it's yours.
Nao lifted one brow and placed the watch into Es' palm.
- You are unbelievable. You know that?
- I know, thank the Graces, that so many of the Goray faith actually believe in me.
Nao laughed and shifted onto his back, placing his head against Es' shoulder while they both watched the lantern flicker into the night.
***
Es jolted back to reality and grasped the watch tightly to his chest.
It was starting to get close to the fall of the sun, he checked his bags one last time before he secured his linen layers and wrapped one around his face.
Es made sure to stick a note on the inside of his shop, before he made his way with assured steps towards the square and across the trampled path towards the entrance of the cave that led to the passage.
He set foot into it before placing his bags onto the ground. Es knelt down and started to quietly indistinguishable mumble his ritual prayer to his lineage before walking any further down the dark passage with only his lantern in hand.
After a while he'd reach the last wall that separated him between the Kingdom of Eray and the agonizing dunes.
He sat down in front of the wall as he had done a thousand times. Clearing his thoughts for what was about to come.
Es sat there in silence for a few minutes, before sighing loudly.
His hand started to trace the wall until he found the hidden indent and pressed it with all his might.
A red warm light had begun to form around his hand, beaming it's light through the entire passage.
The wall echoed the sound of stones moving and shifting as it split open, revealing the dunes engulfed by dust and more sand than the eye can see.
***
- Why are you here? You need to go back!
Es stopped in his tracks as his feet began to sink in the sand. The voice had struck a stake through his heart.
He knew this must've been the moment his mind must've broken.
- It's not safe here. You need to leave!
The voice demanded with such a harsh tone.
- He's lying, he's not even here. It's your guilt.
Another voice joined in with aggressive whispers.
- It's all your fault. It's all your fault, for thinking a boy like you could survive this.
The whispering got faster and more undistinguishable.
- You need to turn back right now. Eseah! I'm not asking, I'm ordering you to go back!
- WHO TOLD YOU MY NAME?
Es shouted out into the void of dunes, taken aback by hearing his full name.
- He's not here anymore boy. He's long gone to us.
He heard multiple voices repeat and talk over one another.
The sand whipping across his face, making him tighten his linen over his cheeks tighter.
With agony, fighting against the sand and storm he lifted his legs to press further on.
- I SAID YOU CAN'T GO!
The other voice echoed across the entire landscape of dunes with much force.
Es closed his eyes and clutched his chest, walking further and further into the dunes.
***
As the wall finally opened completely, Es stepped onto the sand, pinching his eyes together to muster up his courage to walk this path once more.
- You have to go this time.
The familiar voice from back then encouraged his journey.
For a split second Es was taken aback, he's so used to the loudest voice in all of the dunes to send him back, to keep him from walking the dunes.
- This time you have to go Es.
- What if I can't?
- THEN IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT! AHAHAHAHA
Another voice chimed in laughing in bright amusement as sand jumbled and flew across him.
- You left him out here to die ''I'll follow after you'' AHAHAHAHA AND YOU BELIEVED HIM.
The voices began to mimic the voice of Nao like they had done a million times.
And it never made it any easier.
He was sure the dunes had deep down broken his mind.
All of this wasn't real he thought to himself as the voices tried to get to him with more guilt.
- YOU COULD'VE FOLLOWED HIM; BUT YOU DIDN'T! AHAHAHAHA
- I TRIED!
- AND YOU FAILED!
The voices repeated over and over again, more malicious and faster than the last time, ingraining it into his mind.
Es took a nervous step in front of the other and fixated his eyes onto the sand ahead.
The sand had gotten blown away and Es could start seeing his own feet again.
- GO!
The dominant voice echoed with a piercing tone across the entire landscape that could've split entire mountains.