E’lo felt his way around the spire.

The carvings were worn and crumbling away. E’lo had seen rubbings and recreations of similar carvings inside the oases in the past but while impressive they lacked scale. The carvings circled the spire, spiralling above his head and down into the sand below his feet.

Once a towering monument to his people’s greatness, it now served as an entrance. A battered doorway to one of their few limited sanctuaries. From this close the warbling sent a thrumb through his body. Designed to guide travellers to the oasis, the machine that created the noise had been running for centuries. It must never break down or both this oasis and nearby travellers would be doomed.

E’lo felt the jagged spikes which marked the entrance switch. He reached in past them, weaving his hand through them in a familiar way. The paths were never the same but after you had seen enough of them you learned to recognise a pattern. The switch at the end was a little stiff but E’lo was able to wiggle it into place. A grating noise rang out as the entrance opened and a siren rang inside the oasis.

E’lo felt his way over to the entrance. It was haphazardly hewn into the spire and the delicate carvings broke way to sloppy patchwork. On the wall inside E’lo pressed another switch and the entrance rattled shut behind him.

Footsteps rang out. The jarring clang against the floors startled him. The steps were too close. The sound of the closing door and warbling had overwhelmed his senses. In here his primary sense would not help him.

E’lo removed his face covering and opened his eyes.

“What seek you traveler?” The customary greeting rang out.

“Respite. Direction. Hope.” E’lo replied with the standard response. The customs were sacrosanct. Their people could not fall into infighting, not when survival was a daily battle.

The death of their world had not been quick. It had been a slow process over centuries. His people had roared. They had toiled. They had quaked. Finally they had pleaded. Nothing worked. The steady change was irreversible.

So when some gave up, E'lo's ancestors had planned and prepared. They spread throughout the land and paved the way for a solution found by future generations.

These greetings were a result of that preparation.

The pale greeter looked surprised by E’lo’s response but continued with procedure.

“What is your lineage seeker?”

“I am E’lo of the Gitt’an’ei. Offshoot from the Gitt’an who split from the Gitt.”

“Be welcomed to the respite of the Julon, E’lo of the Gitt’an’ei. Seek our direction to bring hope to your people.”

E’lo and his host bowed to one another and the greeting was complete. The both rose from the bow, E’lo to his full height and the Julon to a hunched stance that was common with oasis dwellers.

“Now that that is over. Hello, I am Tauw. Tinker and greeter on the rare occasions it is needed.” Tauw held a hand out to E’lo, fingers wiggling back and forth.

E’lo studied it for a second. Oasis dwellers never forgot the standard customs but they also formed some very strange ones of their own. The standard customs were set as one of the last actions of E’lo’s ancestors before all went to ruin. As soon as a child could speak the customs were recited to them in song. One they too were to learn and sing as they grew older and learned their letters from it.

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

E’lo held his hand out and wiggled his fingers in a similar way if a bit stiffly. Tauw smiled a wide smile, his lips cracking as he did so, and moved his hands so his finger tapped against E’lo’s. After a second Tauw withdrew his hand and gestured back down and into the building.

“Alright, let’s get you in and settled. Is there anything you would like? We can supply all standards.”

“Just guidance to your repository.” E’lo said, the reliance on sight throwing him off as he walked. There was too much information to take in and his body no longer trusted its instincts honed from years outside.

Tauw faltered.

“Already? You don’t want a hopai?” Tauw almost squawked. Then he straightened up. His bones creaked and tension was clear on his face from the pressure. When he spoke again his voice was as stiff as his frame.

“The Julon are proud. We can provide your due”

E’lo dipped his head to the man.

“Peace, greeter of the Julon. I have travelled far and it is hope that drives me. I will partake of your hopai after my trial.”

Tauw released his straining muscles and folded back down. E’lo longed to be able to close his eyes and hear the movement instead. But there was too much noise here and he would not be senseless.

“Oh. That’s alright then. Things are hard but we hold to the customs.” Tauw turned and led the way further in. The ceiling began to lower and the walls closed in around them as they walked.

After a minute, Tauw started to speak again.

“What of the Gitt’an’ei? What causes your people to fall on hard times?”

It was E’lo’s time to falter now. Did the greeter think his people unable to follow customs? That they were a burden? What action had he taken to cause this? Hurriedly he began reassurances.

“My people are strong and abundant. Our stocks are high and diverse. Worry not greeter, we shall bring bounty and prosperity to your people.”

“Oh but you’re.. Never mind me. The kahuom always said that I was born with my foot in my mouth.”

E’lo relaxed his tense muscles. He had assuaged the greeter and his people would still find shelter. The next minute was quiet.

“Foot in mouth and you are the greeter?” E’lo asked. He needed to make a better impression and finding out more about the man was a good start.

Tauw stopped and began to expel air from his nose. E’lo approached, concerned that the man was unwell. A deep rhythmic exhalation started from the man and E’lo aborted his movements and shied back. What was wrong with the man? Nothing too wrong as the man continued to walk as the exhalations continued.

“Sorry I didn’t expect that from you. Seekers are usually so stiff. But I guess I should have realised you weren’t so standard.”

“Hmm.” E’lo hummed an acknowledgement. He wasn’t sure what had happened but the strange greeter seemed alright so he would forget it.

“As for why I am greeter, I was always curious as a child. When the previous greeter caught me spying on a Seeker he found an apprentice in me.”

Tauw sighed this time and stopped in front of a door.

“Right here actually.”

Tauw opened the door and gestured E’lo inside.

The room was bare aside from the repository and a waste disposal.

E’lo kneeled before the repository and slid the colony off his back and onto the ground.

“Do you want me to stay?” Tauw asked quietly.

The offer was not rare but it was uncommon. What followed would be a long period of waiting.

“I am fine. Tend to your other duties.” E’lo replied and began to open the hatch to expose his colony. This was not his first trial and he had grown comfortable with the risks over time.

“I will check up on you. Let me know if there is anything you need.”

E’lo hummed an acknowledgement and pressed a button on the repository, releasing a small tray of goop. He lifted the tray over to the colony and slid the goop on the colony. Mechanically he placed the tray aside to be cleaned, the repository had already sealed itself up. He settled into his kneeling and closed his eyes.

And so E’lo waited.