BADUFF BADUFF BADUFF
HEAVY STEPS REVERBERATED THROUGH THE BRIGHT PLAINS. A BEING, CLAD IN STEEL, MADE THEIR WAY THROUGH SEEMINGLY ENDLESS AMOUNTS OF SAND. A GLARING LIGHT WAS REFLECTED BY THEIR SHINY ARMOR. GREY EYES LOOKED COOLLY INTO THE DISTANCE.
THE STEEL-CLAD FIGURE WALKED STEADILY AS THEIR FEET CONTINUED TO MOVE ON EASILY. THEY WHERE LIKE A SHEATHED SWORD, LIKE THEY ARE ABLE TAKE ON ANY CHALLENGES THAT COULD CROSS THEIR WAY. HOWEVER, THEY HAD NO GOAL IN MIND. NOT A EVEN A LITTLE ONE. THEY WHERE SUPPOSED TO DELIVER THE BOX, BUT THEY DIDN’T KNOW WHERE TO, SO THEY TRAVELED AIMLESSLY.
BADUFF THEY CONTINUED ON. BADUFF BADUFF
QUITE SOME TIME HAD PASSED SINCE THE START OF THEIR GOALLESS JOURNEY.
“WHEN ARE WE THERE?” THEY ASKED WITH GOLDEN EYES.
“NO IDEA.”
“WHEN ARE WE THERE?”
“NO IDEA.”
“WHEN ARE WE THERE?”
“NO I-“
“CAN’T YOU TWO SHUT UP FOR A GODDAMN MOMENT??” WITH RED EYES THEY FLARED, “HOW ARE WE EVEN SUPPOSED TO KNOW WHEN WE ARRIVE WHEN WE DON’T EVEN KNOW WHERE WE FUCKN’ ARE?”
“MY BAD, MY BAD.”
“...”
THEY GRINNED, “WHEN ARE WE THERE?”
“YOU-“
“SO MAD...”
“LOOK, THERE’S SOMETHING.” THEY THREW IN, INTERRUPTING THE BICKERING OF THE TWO.
IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ENDLESS SEA OF SAND THERE WAS A MOUNTAIN SIZED TEMPLE, SEEMINGLY CHISELED OUT OF A SINGLE PIECE OF STONE. A CLOSED GATE, GIANT-SIZED, WAS FACING THEIR DIRECTION. IN FRONT OF THE GATE STOOD A FIGURE EVEN LARGER. SO LARGE, HE WOULD HAVE TO DROP ON ALL FOUR TO JUST BARELY PASS THROUGH IT.
THE HEAD SIMILAR TO THAT OF A WILD DOG OR MAYBE A HYENA, SAT ON A HUMANOID BODY. IN IT’S HAND HE HELD A SPEAR AND ON THE SPEAR THERE WAS A FLAG AND ON THE FLAG WAS AN IMAGE OF DUNES, BUT THE DUNES WHERE MOVING.
“LET’S GO TAKE A LOOK, MAYBE HE KNOWS THE DIRECTION.”
“SURE.”
AND SO THEY MOVED INTO THE GIANTS DIRECTION.
AS THEY CONTINUED TO CLOSE THE DISTANCE AND KEEP WATCH OF THE FIGURE THEY NOTICED THAT HE ALSO SEEMED TO BE LOOKING AT THEM.
“STOP!” THEY BARKED WITH EYES RED.
“WHAT IS IT?”
“WE WON’T MOVE PAST THIS POINT.”
“WHY?”
“WHY? WHY YOU ASK? BECAUSE I SAY SO! BECAUSE I’M JUST SOOO BORED AND WANT TO STAND AROUND. CAUSE THIS PLACE IS SO GREAT TO SIT AROUND!”
“CALM DOWN…”
“FORGET IT, I WILL EXPLAIN.”
WITH THEIR EYES GOLDEN THEY GAVE A SLIGHTLY HURT LOOK BUT THEY STILL LISTENED.
“AS WE STAND HERE WE ARE JUST OUTSIDE OF THE RANGE OF ITS SPEAR. I CAN’T JUDGE ITS STRENGTH, SO I DON’T WANT TO RISK SUDDENLY BEING ATTACKED BY IT.”
“WON’T HE BE ABLE TO CLOSE THE DISTANCE IN A SINGLE STEP?”
“GIVES US AT LEAST A SECOND TO RESPOND.”
“SEEMS USELESS TO ME.”
“I INSIST ON THIS.”
“JUST LET THEM DO WHAT THEY WANT.”
“FINE!”
“FINISHED CONTEMPLATING?” AN HOARSE OLD VOICE PULLED THEM OUT OF THEIR THOUGHTS, AS AT THE SAME TIME SAND FLEW INTO THE FACE OF THEM LIKE THE BREATH OF A SLUMBERING DRAGON.
WITH RED EYES THEY GLARED AT THE GIANT THAT HAS JUST SPOKEN, WAITING FOR HIM TO SPEAK.
“YOU HAVE TRESPASSED THE TERRITORY OF MY RULER! HOW WILL YOU TAKE ON THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THAT?”
“WHAT DO YOU MEAN?”
“MY MASTER RULES THESE PLAINS SINCE TIMES IMMEMORIAL AND WILL SO FOR ALL ETERNITY!”
“COOL.” THEY NODDED WITH EYES GRAY.
“AND YOU WILL NOW TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR TRESPASSING!”
“NO WE WO-“ THEIR EYES WENT FROM GRAY TO RED:: “OI, SHUT IT YOU ANCIENT SLAVE, WE DON’T EVEN KNOW WHO THAT SHITTY KING OF YOURS IS!”
“CALM DOWN!” THEY HISSED WITH GRAY EYES.
“WHY?!”
“YOU WANT TO PROVOKE IT? SUDDENLY ABLE TO JUDGE ITS STRENGTH?”
“TCH.”
“SO BACK TO THAT KING OF YOURS: WHO IS HE? AND HE RULERS OVER THIS PLACE IN PARTICULAR OR OVER WHAT EXACTLY?”
“MY KING,” THE GIANT STARTED AS HIS EYES CAST THEIR VIEW INTO THE DISTANCE, “HE IS THE GREATEST BEING YOU COULD IMAGINE. HIS POWERS HAVE NO BOUNDS AND NO LIMITS! HE-” AND SO HE WENT ON TO TALK AND TALK.
HE TALKED ABOUT HOW HIS MASTER HAD CREATED ALL THERE IS AND ALL THERE EVER WAS AND HOW HIS MASTER HAS ALL HE DESIRES TO HAVE. HE RAVED ON AND ON ABOUT HOW GRATEFUL HE IS FOR SERVING HIM AND HOW MUCH HE OWES TO HIM. AND ON AND ON HE TALKED AS IF HE WAS TALKING ABOUT WHAT MATTERED MOST IN ALL OF EVER.
AS HE HAD FINISHED TALKING THE STEEL-CLAD LOOKED AT HIM CURIOUSLY WITH GOLDEN EYES AND ASKED: “YOU SAID HE IS THE MASTER OF ALL THERE IS. SINCE THAT IS THE CASE WHY DID YOU ALSO CALL THIS HIS TERRITORY?”
“BECAUSE THAT IS WHAT HE DECLARED.”
“HUH. AND YOU ARE DEFENDING HIS TERRITORY?”
“YES!” HE DECLARED PROUDLY.
“WHY WHEN HE IS ALL THAT POWERFUL THEN?”
“BECAUSE THAT’S IS WHAT IS GOOD AND WHAT IS GOOD IS WHAT I’M MEANT TO DO!”
“HOW IS IT GOOD THEN? I DON’T QUITE UNDERSTAND.”
“BECAUSE THAT IS WHAT HE DECLARED.”
THEY NODDED WITH EYES GOLDEN.
“AND WHAT DID HE SAY ABOUT HELPING PEOPLE AND BEING KIND AND JUST?”
“HE SAID AND I CITE ‘HELPING AND PROTECTING THOSE WHO CAN’T DO SO FOR THEMSELVES IS WHAT DIFFERENTIATE THOSE WITH SOULS FROM THOSE WITHOUT.’ THIS I BELIEVE MAKES MY MASTERS STAND CLEAR!”
“SO THAT IS A YES?”
“SINCE THOSE WHO HAVE NO SOULS ARE TO BE BURIED IN THOSE LAND OF LONESOMENESS WE ARE STANDING ON; I BELIEVE MY MASTERS STANCE IS CLEAR!”
THEY NODDED.
“BETWEEN HELPING PEOPLE AND GUARDING THOSE LANDS, WHICH DO YOU DEEM MORE IMPORTANT.”
“THEY ARE EQUAL IN MY MASTERS EYES!”
“AND IN YOURS?”
“I BELIEVE IN MY MASTERS WORDS!”
“SO GUARDING A BEING THAT HAS ALL IT WISHES FOR AND HAS NOTHING THAT THREATENS IT IS EQUAL TO HELPING THOSE WHO HAVE NOTHING AND COULD END AT THE WHIM OF FATE IS EQUAL?”
“MY MASTER DOES NOT DESIRE AND WISH AS WE OF MORTAL DESCEND HAVE!”
“PLEASE ANSWER MY QUESTION WOULD YOU?”
“I WILL NOT PARTICIPATE IN THIS SLANDER!”
THEY SIGHED.
“FINE. WOULD YOU THEN BE SO KIND AND HELP US FIND OUR WAY OUT OF THESE DEAD LANDS?”
“SURE, WHERE DO YOU WISH TO GO?” HE RESPONDED RELUCTANTLY. HE THEN QUICKLY ADDED: “WHERE DO YOU WISH TO GO FROM THIS PLACE BLESSED BY MY MASTER?
“WE WISH TO FIND THE MOUNTAINS THAT ARE LOST, DO YOU KNOW WHERE THEY ARE?”
THE GIANT SHRUGGED. “THEY ARE LOST.”
“CAN’T YOU ASK YOUR OH SO GREAT MASTER?” THEY SCOFFED WITH RED EYES.
“HE DOESN’T SPEECH TO LOWLY BEINGS SUCH AS ME.”
WITH GRAY EYES THEY FROWNED AND ASKED: “THEN HOW DO YOU KNOW WHAT HE SAID?”
“THE ONE WHO GUARDED THIS PLACE BEFORE ME TOLD ME ALL WHAT OUR GREAT MASTER HAS SAID!”
“AND WHO TOLD HIM?”
“THE ONE BEFORE HIM!”
“AND WHO TOLD HIM?”
“THE ONE BEFORE HIM!”
“THAT SEEMS UNRELIABLE...”
“THAT WE DO NOT HAVE TO FEAR. OUR MASTER CORRECTS US IN ALL WE GET WRONG AFTER ALL AND WITHOUT US EVEN NOTICING, SO ALL WE SAY WILL BE THE TRUTH AND THE TRUTH ONLY!”
“IF YOU BELIEVE SO...
“TO GET BACK TO OUR QUESTION, DO YOU AT LEAST KNOW WHO COULD HELP US IN OUR SEARCH?”
HE PONDERED FOR A MOMENT BEFORE NODDING. “GO MEET THE SEEKERS OF TRUTH – THEY KNOW MUCH ABOUT THE LOWLY TRUTHS OF THE MUNDANE WORLD. THEY MIGHT BE SINNERS WHO QUESTION MY MASTER AND ALL HE STANDS FOR, BUT WELL READ THEY ARE NONE THE LESS.”
THEY NODDED AND THEY ASKED: “HOW DO WE FIND OUR WAY TO THEM?”
“JUST KEEP FOLLOWING THE SUN WHENEVER IT IS IN THE SKY. WHENEVER IT DISAPPEARS, HALT YOUR STEPS AND WAIT. ALL THE WRONG WALKING WILL WASTE TIME MORE SO THEN WORTH YOU COULD POSSIBLY SAVE BY WALKING SOME EXTRA STEPS”
“THANKS A LOT FOR THE HELP!” THEY RESPONDED, HAPPY TO FINALLY HAVE A GRASPABLE GOAL IN FRONT OF THEM, “SEE YOU AROUND.” AND THEY TURNED AROUND AND LEFT.
“WAIT! WON’T YOU CONSIDER TO BE MY MASTERS LOYAL SERVANT AND FILL YOURSELF WITH HIS GRACE AND FOLLOW HIS WISHES TO THE ENDS OF TIME?” THEY, HOWEVER IGNORED HIM AND JUST MERELY WENT ON THEIR WAY.
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“THAT WAS ONE INTERESTING FELLOW FOR SURE.” THEY GAVE OF A THOUGHTFUL EXPRESSION WITH THEIR GOLDEN EYES.
“HE IS NOT SANE! WHAT WAS ALL THAT BULLSHIT HE WAS SPOUTING? CAN’T HE THINK FOR HIMSELF? DOESN’T HE HEAR HOW STUPID HE SOUNDS?”
“BUT IT SEEMED TO MEAN SO MUCH FOR HIM…”
“THAT’S EVEN WORSE! HE PUTS SO MUCH MEANING ON A WASTE OF TIME!”
“AND WE ARE WASTING OUR TIME SEARCHING FOR SOME LOST MOUNTAINS, DO WE WANT TO GET JUDGED FOR THAT?”
“THAT’S NOT THE SAME!”
“HOW SO?”
“WE ARE DOING IT IN MEMORY OF SOMEONE THAT WE OWE SOMETHING.”
“AND WHY DO YOU BELIEVE HE DOESN’T DO IT IN MEMORY OF THOSE BEFORE HIM?”
“BUT THAT IS NOT WHAT HE SAID!”
“SO YOU BELIEVE PEOPLE ALWAYS KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THEY WANT AND EXPRESS IT PRECISELY AT THAT?”
“THAT IS-“ THEY FROWNED, “LET ME THINK ABOUT IT. WE WILL TALK ABOUT IT ANOTHER TIME!”
“SURE.” THEY NODDED.
“ENOUGH OF THE BICKERING, LET US GET MOVING.”
“YOU THINK WE WILL MEET HIM EVER AGAIN?”
“I DON’T KNOW… BUT SOME PEOPLE ARE BETTER TO BE AVOIDED I BELIEVE – EVEN SOME WHO ARE NOT QUITE EVIL….
THEY LOOKED UP INTO THE SKY. THE SUN WAS ALREADY HALF HIDDEN BEHIND THE BIG SOMETHING THAT HID IT EVERY NIGHT. A CRESCENT SHAPE WAS LEFT OF THE SUN, WHICH THEY COULD FOLLOW FOR SOME TIME YET BEFORE IT DISAPPEARED COMPLETELY.
THEY CONTINUED THEIR JOURNEY.