'Tubby and Blinky should be coming back from their round, and Baldy and Twitchy are always late to replace them,' Renier thought, using the nicknames he had given the guards that patrolled his side of the camp. As he woke for his meditation, Renier had observed the gap left open by the guard's behavior and thought he might be able to get away. 'The biggest problem will be water,' he noted. 'Food I can stash, but water… I'll have to chance it. This might be the only opportunity I get.' Renier stashed bread on his person during the meals for the next two days and hid it in his bedroll.
"What is the word for water," Renier asked the overseer in Vlach, "Su," the young overseer answered. "River and lake," Renier continued. "Nehir and Göl," the overseer said, finding it strange that the usually quiet Renier was asking questions. "I have not seen any water, rivers, or lakes," Renier said to the overseer in his broken Turkish as if trying to use the new words learned. "That's good, Ohran," the young overseer commented enthusiastically. "There are some rivers and lakes around," he added, "but the road doesn't lead to them."
On the third day, he silently lay awake, waiting for Tubby and Blinky. Then, as quietly as he could, he got up, rolled his bedroll with the bread inside, and started to leave through the opening left by the lapsing guards. He stealthily moved through the darkness to just outside the guard's path and waited for any sign of pursuit.
"Don't make trouble for me, Ohran," he heard a whisper that froze him. "There's no water around for many kilometers," the voice continued in perfect Vlach. "Go back and do your meditation. We're not taking you anywhere that will harm you." Renier, defeated, returned to his previous sleeping spot. Meditation would not come that day as he sat in the padmasana position. His recurring question was, "How could the overseer have known?"
Ten days of travel had them reach the outskirts of Ancyra, and each child was dropped off at one of the city's myriad country estates. The carriage would stop, one of the boys would get off, and the overseer would talk to the people receiving him and hand them a pouch.
As the carriage traveled over a broad cobblestone road, Renier looked out the window and saw a grand estate in the distance, its tall stone walls bearing the warm hue of the dwindling light. The tip of a delicate minaret peaked behind the walls, announcing proximity to a sanctuary of faith and home. Deeply colored stained-glass windows adorned the exterior of a tower off to the side. A faint aroma of blooming jasmine wafted through the air, alluding to the well-tended gardens that lay beyond visibility. An imposing and exquisitely crafted grand wooden gate signaled the entrance. Each panel on it told a story of birds in mid-flight, intermingling with gracefully twisting vines and robust, blooming flowers. Peonies and tulips, symbolic of wealth and prosperity, took center stage amidst the luxuriant foliage, eternally captured in perpetual bloom—the robust bronze door knockers, shaped like the majestic heads of lions, welcomed. Beyond the gate, a path lined with fragrant rose bushes led the way, their soft petals a kaleidoscope of color beneath the verdant leaves. A gentle breeze carried the sweet, intoxicating scent of the blossoms and caressed the traveler's noses.
As the carriage approached, two people - an old man and a young woman - could be seen hurrying to the gate. "Orhan, this is your new home," an overseer told Renier while looking at a parchment as the carriage stopped in front of the entrance - the couple already waiting. Renier stepped out, followed by the overseer. "Selamün aleiküm, " he said with a slight bow, "This is Orhan. Per the sultan's decree, you will get three akces a month. I will also give you twelve akces for clothing and thirty for equipment now." As he finished, he took a pouch from the satchel he carried and handed it to the old man. "Make sure the funds are employed correctly. I will be coming in fifteen days to check the progress. This is a huge investment the sultan makes to ensure the boy is well cared for. At the end of the year, you will get rewards depending on his results during testing. Guard him; he might try to escape."
"Aleiküm selam," they both answered, bowing respectfully. Then the old man continued, "Yes, gran overseer. Mustafa Pasha has given the order. The boy will be cared for as a young master of the house, and the estate is heavily guarded. We will make sure he learns all that is expected," and bowed again to the overseer. Then, turning to Renier, "Selamün aleiküm, " he said with a bow. "Please follow me, young master," he continued as he motioned with his hand, showing the way.
As the overseer got on the carriage, he turned toward Renier and said, "You should answer Aleiküm selam, Orhan, learn well; in a year's time, your training will begin. Don't make any trouble for me."
Renier understood his meaning, if not his exact words, "Yes, overseer. I learn," he answered in fain submissiveness with his burgeoning Turkish. Then, he turned to the couple and added, "Aleiküm selam."
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As they walked up to the mansion, the old man, pointing to himself, said, "I'm Gazi, young master," and then, as an afterthought, pointed to the woman, "And this is Hayme. We will care for your needs and teach you our ways while you are here."
As he entered the mansion, Renier's jaw dropped. An expansive foyer greeted him, tiled in exquisite patterns and adorned on either side with murals depicting great battles in vivid colors. Further, you could see a courtyard with a large central fountain. "This will be your new home, young master Ohran," Gazi said in welcome. They continued through the foyer and turned left onto the courtyard's corridor. The wall was covered by stones, varying subtly in hue and size, conjuring a tapestry of earthly tones. On the right, a succession of columns supported the corridor, each meticulously crafted from marble with veins of subtle pink ascending to meet an elegantly arching portico above—a series of pointed arches open to the courtyard between each column, carving the space. At the top of each arch, ornate geometrical and floral designs were meticulously carved into the stonework. Underfoot, the path was adorned with ceramic tiles, hand-painted with indigo, turquoise, and earthen tones, forming a vibrant mosaic.
They walked around the courtyard past three doors before Gazi entered a room. "This is your bedroom, young master," Gazi said as he opened the large door and showed him in. Upon entering the room, Renier's eyes were drawn to a grand bed framed with dark, sturdy walnut and engraved with delicate patterns of nature. Luxurious linens, woven from the finest cotton and dyed in rich, subdued hues, draped gracefully over the sides.
Adjacent to the bed, a substantial wooden desk held a place of importance. Upon it, meticulously ordered lay quills, ink pots, and scrolls. "On the desk are lessons in governance, language, and history, young master Ohran," Gazi said. A singular, artisanal lamp crafted from polished brass rested to one side, and a towering bookshelf laden with volumes spanned the wall. Underneath, a woven carpet teeming with intricate designs sprawled across the floor.
On the opposite end of the room, near a window that overlooked the lush estate gardens, stood a small table set with an elegant yet sturdy chess set—each piece carved from ivory and onyx.
"Let me draw you a bath, young master," said Hayme - her voice barely audible - as she moved into his private bathroom to fill the tub with warm water. "If there's nothing else, young master, I'll take my leave. Hayme will take you to dinner with the Pasha later, and tomorrow, I'll come early for your lessons and our trip to the city for your clothes," said Gazi with a bow. "Thank you, master Gazi," Renier replied politely and bowed as well.
The Pasha never came to dinner, and Renier ate alone, served by Hayme, who didn't say a word. Back in his room, Hayme pulled a prayer mat from an armoire and extended it by the table. "For your evening prayer," said Hayme, sheepishly adding, "Qibla is that way, young master," pointing out the window. "If you permit me, I'll take my leave. If you need anything, you can pull the hizmet zili," she said, pointing to a cord on the left side of the bed. "Please don't leave the room, as the guards do not know you yet," she finished and bowed. "Thank you, Hayme," Renier answered with a bow of his own, which caused Hayme to giggle as she left, closing the door.
Renier changed into the bedclothes left for him and did his evening prayer in case they were watching him. Then, he went to sleep on a bed for the first time in months.
Unlike other times when he found himself in front of Ayg in a temple-like structure, this time, Ayg floated on top of him in his bedroom. "Come child, we're close." Renier's body rose, Ayg next to him. Passing through the ceiling and into the sky to about a thousand meters. "It's that way," she said, pointing southeast. "Look for landmarks; you need to learn the way," she added as they started to move in the direction she pointed. Renier gazed in awe at the landscape, his hand instinctively finding the warmth of Ayg’s as they picked up speed.
They crossed the nearby city, flew over a mountain range, and passed over two lakes and a river before they came to a monumental plateau, its surface a tapestry of ancient trees and vines. They circled the plateau clockwise and, about halfway through its circumference, found a cave concealed by the overlapping tendrils of nature on the face of the cliff. Ayg led Renier into the cave, "Come, child. This is the entrance. When you're ready, you will challenge the labyrinth, but for now, I will take you." They floated to the end of the cave before dropping to the ground. On the floor was a carved circle - its patterns identical to the one tattooed on Renier's hand. Ayg positioned them at its center. "In the real world, the talisman will open it, but in the Veil of Somnus, I must," she said as she performed a hand seal that made the circle glow as the rear wall opened to reveal a tunnel.
Ayg took his hand, and once again, they floated. "Come!" Ayg said, a huge smile of satisfaction on her face. They moved through the tunnel, passed a series of rooms, and came to a chamber, "the rooms are a series of challenges you must pass when the time comes to reach here," Ayg explained. The chamber also had a circle carved into the floor. Intricate runes and patterns were carved inside it. "This is the main chamber of the Moirai temple, and this is the array to take you to Ombre Island, child. There, we can perform your Psycho-Physical Symbiosis once you're ready. Then, your journey will begin, and hopefully, you'll save us all," Ayg said with hope in her eyes. "It's been thirteen thousand years, child. I never thought it would take this long."
"We'll take the trip several times so you learn the landmarks, but for now, remember, this is your destination!" she faded.
Renier woke refreshed. He had forgotten how incredible it was to sleep in a soft bed. He did his meditation on the prayer mat with renewed vigor after Ayg's revelation the night before. Then, he did the prayer - just in case. Following, he started his exercise routine, but not having a weapon; that was as much as he could do. Then he went to the bathroom, washed and dressed, ready for the day to begin.
Finally, he sat by the window, contemplating the gardens outside while waiting for Gazi or Hayme. He was genuinely happy after months of struggle. Not because he was in a safe place, not because he had slept in a great bed, not because he finally had found the first destination on Ayg's quest, but because he had finally, after many days, been able to pee without pain.