"He who foresees the upcoming calamity will suffer through it twice."
Kai found himself in a familiar situation. He was lying on the dusty floor of his family's tent. The sounds of his clan's early morning routine could be heard outside, with the hustle and bustle of people preparing for the day. The familiar scent of smoke and the sound of crackling firewood filled the air. However, Kai's mind was still filled with the intense, vivid dreams he had experienced the previous night. A deep sigh escapes his lips while he keeps gazing upon the ceiling before the voice of his father echoed through the hallway calling him out. The latter sits himself up on his bed knowing it's time to start his day. He rubs his eyes before letting out a loud yawn, readying himself to stand up. He hasn't slept the whole night, which he almost got used to after months of sleepless nights. He's not sure if it's the visions or just insomnia.
The dizziness persists as Kai continues to sit on the edge of his bed. He closes his eyes, attempting to regain his bearings and shake off the feeling of disorientation. His body feels weak, his muscles fatigued, a clear sign that the exhaustion and lack of sleep have begun to take their toll. As he sits there, the noises outside the tent seem to fade into the background as his mind becomes consumed by the visions that have plagued him for months.
But as soon as his father called him once again, Kai would snap out, finally managing to shake off the feeling and tiredness. His hands rested behind his back on the mattress before pushing himself off the bed, attempting to stand up. Upon hearing his father's voice for the third time, Kai puts on his clothes and heads off downstairs as he comes across his father. Although Kai tried to compose himself yet his expression betrayed him, the dark pots beneath his eyes and the exhaustion said everything.
"I presume you didn't get enough sleep... Kai?"
His father spoke up in a calm and steady tone, yet his expression was serious and firm, clearly not liking the fact that his son had gone without sleep for another night. Kai, on the other hand, looked defeated as he avoided his father's gaze knowing that no amount of excuses would save him.
"I couldn't sleep."
Kai finally replied in a quiet tone, almost whispering.
"I see."
The father said, despite his firm and stern demeanor, yet he couldn't help but feel concerned. He crosses his arms before letting out a soft sigh, thinking of a way to approach the situation. After a few moments of pondering, the father would speak up once again, but right before he could finish his sentence, Kai cuts him off.
"Son, it's past afternoon already. I think it's better off if you-" "I'll take care of the pack."
Kai said as he shifted his attention back towards his father, the latter had a slight yet satisfied smile on his lips before nodding his head.
"Just be careful out there... And make sure you come back before sunset."
Kai nods his head firmly before shifting his attention back towards his father.
"Very well then, I'll take my leave."
The father says once again before turning to go about his day. As soon as his father leaves Kai, he heads off towards the backyard where his family keeps the pack of sheep. Once he got there, he gathered all the goats around him before leading the way to the village's outskirts where he'd roam the region rearing the pack with a wooden staff in his hand.
After reaching the outskirts of the village, Kai begins to lead the pack of sheep to graze on the lush green grass. The wind blows gently, causing the grass to sway gently. The morning sun shines down warmly, casting a golden glow on the pasture. The peace of the surrounding area is interrupted only by the soft bleating of the sheep.
As Kai watches over the goats, he ponders over his recent dreams and the strange visions that have been plaguing him for months. The harder he tried to shrug those feelings off, the more his mind kept wandering back to those visions and everything he's experienced by far. He just sat there, with his chin resting on the palm of his hand wondering only to realise that he spent hours daydreaming instead of rearing before snapping out of it. But surprisingly, the pack was feeding upon herbs and grass. When Kai came to count them out, he found out there was one missing. The boy stands on his feet as he looks around him scanning the area, before noticing a black coloured goat attempting to flee.
"Damn it."
He muttered underneath his breath before looking over the pack, then back in the direction where the goat ran off. He was conflicted about whether he should stay or go after the fleeing goat. Eventually, he grabs his staff and follows the footprints scattered over the sand.
As the sky began to slowly dim in the evening, Kai walked through the sandy plains of the Sahara. The only thing he could hear was the sound of the wind blowing against the desert and the occasional shuffling of his boots against the dunes. As the last ray of sunlight slowly vanished from sight, he found himself facing a massive sandstorm in the vast desert heading west. His heart sunk at the sight of that sandstorm and his eyes widened to the fullest. Although it was miles away, he could feel the wind picking up as it approached him. Perhaps he was better off looking after the pack. His heartbeat was almost racing a marathon. How could anyone outrun a sandstorm? But above all, how could anyone survive it?
Kai raced through the sand dunes, his heart pounding against his chest as he fled from the approaching sandstorm. The wind blew fiercely, sending sand particles flying every which way and creating a loud, menacing roar that sent a shiver down his spine.
The sky was now almost completely darkened, and only occasional flashes of lightning broke the complete darkness. The ground beneath Kai's feet trembled as the wind increased in intensity. It felt like the dunes were cooling down his movements, dragging him back as the sandstorm was growing in frame the more it approached him... There was no point in trying to escape anymore but Kai doesn't quit yet, his survival instincts kicked in as he kept running.
The sandstorm raged on with no end in sight. Kai was struggling, his body ached, and every step became more like a battle. He couldn't see anything but the wind whipping the fine sand around him. Each breath was like drawing in tiny grains of sandpaper, and his throat and lungs felt like they were being scratched to the bone yet he kept stubbornly moving forward.
Just then, a bolt of lightning flashed overheard, filling the sky with a fierce glow. Through the brief illumination, Kai could see the outline of a structure in the distance but right before he could take another step the lightning struck down the very ground beneath his feet. The impact of the lightning strike sends Kai sprawling to the ground, knocked unconscious by the raw force. For what felt like an eternity, he laid there motionless, the sandstorm raging around him.
When he finally comes to, Kai finds himself surrounded by darkness. The wind is still howling but it's less violent, and he can no longer feel the grains of sand scratching his skin. He tries to move but finds his body heavy and his limbs numb.. Once again he feels his lungs tightening, a sense of dread waves on him as his vision becomes blurry, he tried to resist but eventually he'd faint on the sand... The sun has disappeared below the horizon already, the moonlight casts off shadows on his motionless body. Fortunately a convoy of travelers happened to come across the boy, the leader motioned them to stop before hopping off his camel then approaching Kai.
The leader of the small convoy approached Kai's motionless form, his face betraying a mix of curiosity and concern. He cautiously knelt down beside the young man, peering at him in the dim light to assess his condition. The rest of the convoy shifted their attention towards their leader and Kai who was laying on the ground unconscious as their curiosity piqued.
"What is it?"
One of them spoke up. The leader placed a weathered hand on Kai's shoulder, gently shaking him in an attempt to rouse him from his unconscious state. The leader of the convoy turned his head towards the voice and responded, his eyes still on Kai.
"Looks like we've stumbled upon someone unconscious here. We should see if he's alive."
The leader then placed his fingers on Kai's neck, searching for a pulse.
"It must've been the storm."
The same person added before glancing at the horizon.
"Could be," the leader replied, still focused on checking Kai's vital signs. "The storm was intense... He's alive, but barely."
He then reached out to gently roll Kai onto his back, making sure to support his head to prevent any further injury. Upon hearing those words, one of the men who was an Egyptian man hopped off his camel as well joining the leader.
"Are you telling me he's still alive? That's... Miraculous."
The leader nodded, gently propping Kai's head up on his own knee.
"Barely. If we hadn't come along, I doubt he would've survived much longer, especially in these conditions."
The Egyptian man knelt beside them, his gaze also on the unconscious young man. The first man to ever speak cleared his throat before speaking up once again.
"So what do we do about him?"
"I suggest we take him with us. My tribe will take good care of him."
The brown African man replied as the former glanced at him suspiciously. But the leader knew better. Mamadou, the African man, was trustworthy for he's gone on oodles of trips with him as his companion. The leader considered the suggestion, taking in the African man's reputation for a brief moment. His eyes then moved back to Kai, studying his unconscious form.
"Your tribe would take care of him, you say?"
He looked back up towards Mamadou, his expression still pondering the idea. The latter nodded his head firmly with a serious look before looking at the leader. The Egyptian glanced at the two, a man from Roma who was a part of the convoy was watching the scene silently observing them. The leader remained silent for a moment, his eyes fixated on Kai's unconscious face. The young man looked fragile, almost battered... He finally spoke up.
"Alright then. Seeing as we don't really have a choice, we'll take him with us. But we'll need to tend to his injuries before moving any further."
Mamadou finally alighted from his camel before pulling out a pouch and filling it sand, then he'd pour some water in it.
"Here. This will do."
Mamadou said before handing over the pouch to the leader. The latter accepted the pouch from Mamadou, his eyes studying the mixture inside for a moment.
"Is this what your tribe uses for healing?"
He inquired, his tone half-curious, half-skeptical. Once again Mamadou nods his head without saying anything else. The Egyptian man wasn't buying it, his suspicion of Mamadou only grew by the minute but little did he know it was an actual yet effective way to treat a wound. The leader seemed a bit unconvinced but decided to trust Mamadou's word.
"Guess it can't hurt."
He then turned his attention back to Kai's motionless form, gently tilting the young man's head to one side. With careful but firm motions, the leader began to apply the mixture to Kai's various cuts and scrapes. As he does so, he couldn't help but notice that the bruises were actually beginning to heal, his very flesh was regenerating. The rest of the convoy including the Egyptian man were clearly taking back, he was healing rapidly compared to the average human.
"Is this some kind of sorcery?" Said the Egyptian.
The leader paused, his eyes widening slightly at the sight of Kai's injuries healing at an astonishing rate. He looked up at the Egyptian man, his expression matching his own astonishment.
"I..."
He paused for a moment, still taken aback by the spectacle unfolding before him.
"I've never seen anything like this. It's... beyond anything I've ever come across before."
"Clearly it's not the sand's doing is it? It's either the boy is some kind of a freak... Perhaps he's a demon disguised as a boy to deceive us."
The Egyptian man added. Mamadou, on the other hand, glanced at the former before shifting his attention towards the west.
"It's getting too late. We have to continue moving forward."
The leader nodded, agreeing with Mamadou's words.
"You're right. We can't linger here much longer."
He finished up applying the mixture to Kai's wounds, his eyes still slightly widened from the rapid healing process. He gently lowered the young man's head back onto the ground before standing up.
The Egyptian man, still skeptical, continued, "But we must be careful. Who knows what that boy really is."
A subtle chuckle escaped the Romanian man before patting the Egyptian's back.
"You worry too much my friend."
He said before helping him up hopping back on his camel. The Egyptian man grumbled but allowed himself to be helped onto his camel.
"It's not worry. It's being cautious. Who knows what sort of creature this boy really is?"
Meanwhile, the leader had finished his assessment of Kai's condition. He turned to Mamadou.
"We'll have to transport him. Can we find space on your camel for him?"
Mamadou glanced back at his camel's hump before shifting his attention back towards the leader then nodding his head. The leader acknowledged Mamadou's affirmative nod with a small smile.
"Good. We'll secure him onto your camel. Hopefully, he'll be alright for the ride."
He then turned to the Egyptian man.
"I'll leave it to you to watch over Mamadou and the boy to make sure nothing suspicious happens."
The Egyptian half rolled his eyes but he manages to hold himself back before the Romanian man spoke up.
"I'll lend him a hand."
The latter said with a smile. The leader nodded at the Romanian man's offer, seemingly appreciating the extra support.
"Alright then. We could use all the help we can get."
He then glanced at Mamadou, gesturing towards his camel.
"If you'll allow us, we'd like to secure the boy on your camel."
"I'll look after him."
Mamadou confirmed. The leader, along with the Romanian man, helped secure Kai on Mamadou's camel. They propped his unconscious body up against the hump, his front side and abdomen pressed firmly against it. They positioned him in a way that minimized the risk of him falling off during the ride.
The leader took a step back, studying Kai's position on the camel. Once they he made sure he's secured he gave a nod to the whole group, signaling the start of their journey once again. The convoy began to move forward, the camels treading through the vast desert sand.