What is our world inherently?
The dungeon of forever reborn souls?
A place that can be left only after gaining enlightenment.
He pushed his slimy bodies with his hands until he saw the light. All blackness was left behind when a naked young boy fell out onto dusty ground and sighed frantically. Reflexively he rubbed his eyes and, opening them, he saw a gray landscape full of night calm. A vast ash valley lies before him. The trees stood everywhere like dark, drained silhouettes. Their black bark was once heavily damaged by fire. Stingy grass fluffy islets appeared in the desert fields. Thunderclouds covered the sky with an impenetrable heavy canvas.
He turned and saw a creature hanging over him. A huge, thick creature with a torso resembling a human in shape, which was crowned by a huge head. From the places where the shoulders were supposed, some limbs grew, resembling tentacles. The young man was frightened and crawled away when he noticed that hundreds of eyes gazed at him from the body of the monster. The entire surface was dotted with tubercles of large and small faces, which expressing desperate suffering. Their mouths opened, with a soft buzzing praying for help. Only one face remained invariably calm on the monster's head. It was bigger than others and did not express any emotions. His firm gaze stared at the young man and boy suddenly heard in his thoughts a distinct voice: "Ishira."
The young man, frozen in horror, could not move, and the huge carcass of the monster, under the howling of the suffering people, turned and began to slowly crawl away. The thick tail into which the torso passed became noticeable. The faces on the lower part of the tail exuded so much saliva to the ground that the creature, like a huge slug, crawled forward along it until it disappeared into the dark. Horror let the young man go. He looked around. An ash plain stretched all around, on which islands of dry vegetation blackened in some places. Dry lifeless trees stood also around the meadow on which he lay. Through the thick clouds covering the whole sky from edge to edge, the rays of moonlight did not break through, but still managed to see the surroundings. The young man got up and, looking around nervously, went forward. He did not know where he was going. He just went where he thought he should go.
After a certain amount of time, very tired boy got to the hill, which overlooked the valley. From here, a light in the distance became noticeable. It seemed to him that this was a sure sign of life and with impatience he rushed forward. Stones sticking out of the ashes pricked bare feet, sparse dry bushes ripped off his knees, and a cold wind pierced the lean body through and through. Soon, breathing was lost, and running turned into a quick walk. Now, a small stone house with a thatched roof is already visible. The young man accelerated again when the door opened and a bearded old man climbed out on the threshold. Seeing the young man, he immediately removed a piece of cloth from the drawer and, as soon as the boy reached the house, wrapped his body, trembling from the cold.
- D ... demon ...
- I know, I know, he will not return... He will not harm you.
- Who was it?.. - the young man whispered.
- It was Akshayah. Our doom. Our meaning...
- Who am I than?.. What happened?..
- You are his creature. - Did he tell you something?
- He said ... Ishira. - What does it mean?
- Akshayah gave you a name. In the language of demons, it means "Fire."
- So it was a demon?..
- Angels, demons ... dark and bright spirits... Gods... what's the difference, what to call. Akshayah will take my soul when the time comes. He will come to my doorstep and take my life. I do not want this to happen, but there's no getting around. He will harm me, so for me he is more like a demon ... Let's go home, you need to rest.
The old man made for a boy a place to sleep, putting the skins of animals on the floor. All night he dreamed of Akshayah's terrible stone face, and his eerie voice sounded in his thoughts. It was an uncomfortable, terrible night. The next morning the old man invited the young man to have breakfast. He put on the table fried meat and several types of differently prepared root crops.
- These lands are not abundant in vegetation, - he said, - I am pleased that I sometimes get game. It has become difficult for me to hunt in recent years, I began to see poorly...
- What should I do? - The young man asked, without even touching the food, - where to go?..
- Do whatever you want. Go where your eyes are. One day your true destiny will be revealed to you.
- Destiny?
- Each generation has its own purpose in this world. Or several purposes. These are the deeds that we must commit before the doom takes as again.
- It will take?.. It will take me back?
- Many years later, yes, - the old man answered, smiling meekly. The young man was silent for a moment, pondering what was said, and then asked again.
- Why does Akshayah not say what he needs from procreation?
- I do not know, - the old man shook his head, - but that doesn't matter. You cannot escape your destiny. Eat, - the guest obeyed, - I will tell you something else, but we will need to take a walk to another hill. - Yes, you can take your shirt, pants and cloak over there. I have prepared it for you. On the road, so be it, you will get a camping staff and a bag of supplies. I can't give you much, but for the first time it will be enough.
- What? Are you driving me away? Already? - wondered the young man and pushed the meat.
- Of course I am banishing you. You are not my son; I do not have to look after you. Yes, I helped you yesterday, but you didn't think that I was going to feed you further?
- I can learn to hunt! I can grow some food for you, and...
- No, I don't need anyone's help. Soon the doom will come for me and my path will end there, - the old man looked at the meat. - Kill your pride. Eat. Now I feed you, so take advantage of it. I don't know when you can eat meat again.
- Just...
- Eat, - the old man firmly repeated, and the young man obeyed.
After the meal, he dressed and accepted the proposed supplies. The old man went out with him from the hut and led the guest along. Light rays did not break through the clouds, and therefore the ashen wasteland was rather gloomy. However, the day was still brighter than night, which could not but rejoice.
- How do you live here alone? - The young man asked.
- I don't care anymore, - the old man answered, smiling, - I do not need much. I don't want to see people, most of them could rob or kill me, but here so few travels.
- You think that destiny cannot be avoided. So, until you satisfy your purpose, you will not perish, right? Why are you afraid that people will kill you?
- But suddenly I am destined to die at their hands?
- Then there is no reason to hide.
- You're right, you're right, - the old man laughed, - And what if I settled so far away from people... - he stopped suddenly in thought, - Only to equip you?.. - the old man turned and looked at the young man as if he had seen in him his doom, - Really for the sake of this I lived...
- So you will die soon? - The young man asked directly, not noticing fear in the eyes of the old man.
- Yes... - he answered, turning away, - You're right. I guess I'll die soon.
- It's nothing. Indeed, others will be born, - the boy put his hand on the old man's shoulder and smiled encouragingly.
- But I will disappear... - the old man whispered, after which he came to his senses and again went forward, - You were only born... yes. What do you care about death... how can you understand it? How do you know what I can feel... Akshayah is inevitable. He will take my life. He will devour my soul and make it impossible for me to see this world.
- It would be something to look at, - the young man answered scornfully, overtaking the old man.
- You cannot understand. You don't understand me at all... for me the choice between this poor landscape and eternal darkness is obvious. I do not want to die.
- Why? - The old man thought.
- Because I don't know what will happen to me after that... all these souls that fill Akshayah... they suffer so much... and I will become one of them when he devours me? I would just like to fall asleep here, then wake up... somewhere else.
- You won't know this until you die. Is it possible to wake up after death?
- Pure ones can.
The old man and the boy went to a high hill covered with wither grass, on the top of which a huge, branched tree grew. His crown was thick and stood out with a bright green spot against the background of the rest of the gray, almost lifeless landscape. Around the tree stood rickety stone tablets. Cold water flowed along the mighty trunk in small streams. It reached the ground and rolled a little more over stones, however, reaching dry soil, it quickly absorbed into its bowels, leaving no trace outside. The tree was bleeding but not with blood, but with water.
- This place... is brighter here than anywhere else, - said the young man, bewitched, - What is this?
- This is an oak! - answered the old man, - when the Pure One dies, he falls asleep in this world and wakes up in another... As say the legend. His body turns into a beautiful tree, of extraordinary strength. These miraculous trees with their powerful, long roots penetrate into the bowels of the earth and get water for us. Rains and thawed snow very quickly go underground, so... these trees are life for us.
- Who are these Pure? - the young man asked. He typed miraculous water in the palm of his hand and sipped. It tasted the best that he ate in the morning at the old man's house. And pure.
- Not only Akshayah gives birth to people in the world. Some of his creatures create families and they have children.
- Children?
- They look like people, only a lot less. They are pure and innocent. But over time, they grow and become no better than ordinary people. Most of them.
- They are called "Pure"?
- Oh no... to be born Pure is a special gift. Rare gift. But you're right... the creatures of Doom are not Pure. Only children can become pure.
- What is so special about Pure? - The young man stopped drinking, and began to examine the stone tablets. In granite, incomprehensible writings and scenes of the life of a man illuminated by light were carved.
- They can sing, - the old man said dreamily.
- What can they do?
- They can pour their voice out with a fancy stream that touches hearts! They say when their song pours, eternal clouds part in the sky and bright light spills from above onto the earth! Such as from a huge fire, only white... Their singing lifts water from the bowels of the earth, and it flows after their voice, without going back to the depths...
- What is written on these tablets?
- At this place the ancient Pure - Koti lost his spirit. His another name was Mad Sage. He often got into trouble...
- Pure made mistakes?
- Not that mistakes... Once he decided to give people a whole lake to make their life easier. Koti sang for ten days and nights around the hollow valley, until finally the water came out. But, as they say, Koty was pretty burry. Apparently he sang some songs not not as it should and the valley became not a lake, but a swamp. People were grateful anyway, but the water had to be cleaned intensively, although even after that it was pretty stink!
- Is it written on the tablets?
- Sure! - The old man extended, - I didn't invent it myself right now, believe me.
- It sounds like a fairy tale, - the young man remarked, looking around the gloomy surroundings. - Have you ever seen this, old man?
- No... I haven't. But I believe that one day the song will sound over this gray landscape again!
- Why do you believe in that?
- Because it gives me hope for something good that lies ahead.
- If your intention really was only to tell me about this, you will not live to see the realization of your tales. Thanks for the staff, clothes, food and story, but I need to find my own way.
- Farewell, Ishira, - the old man sadly looked after the departing silhouette of the young boy. He felt that he had fulfilled his destiny.