“Oh, the sky is more blue today,” Bardar said as he looked at the vast blue sky. Not that he liked to admire the sky, but because he couldn’t bear to look to the front or the side. He readied himself for the big day. He didn’t want to go to Oasis, but he had no choice. So he donned a dark khaki suit that had a dark shade of tan with a slight yellowish tinge. A suit that was tailored to perfection, followed by a muted yellow shirt peeking from underneath the blazer. The ensemble gave him an air of authority, accentuated by the golden badge on his left chest, with outlines that resembled a human figure. He did a last check on his dress as they were supposed to leave for the city. That was thirty minutes ago.
His eyes got tired of looking at the sky, and with a sign of defeat, he looked to his left side. Standing just some distance away from him in the shades provided by the house, Cellia kneeled and kept checking on Rayen. She wore her favourite royal blue blouse with billowing sleeves, paired with navy blue pants that complemented her eyes. Blue crystal earrings dangled from her ears and a sheer white face veil protected her fair complexion from the sun. Rayen wore a simple yet sharp crimson shirt with black trousers that matched his dark brown hair and eyes, giving him a bold look. ‘It’s good and all. But why are you taking thirty minutes?’ He could also hear her words while she fixed Rayen’s collar and the mana fluctuations as she stacked spell after spell on Rayen like clothes in winter. Some for protection, some for cleanness, some for coolness against heat and one which deals with the smell of sweat. ‘Just why? He will not spend that much time outside, so why? Are you preparing him to meet his future wife?’
With his grumbling stomach full of complaints, he turned to his right. A scene of Bella and Cherry walking together in the shade entered his view. Not the shade from the house through, but from the mountain of things piled up in front of the house. Rows of food that reach twice the height of Bardar, sealed barrels full of fruits, stacks of boxes containing potion bottles and at the end, Bardar could see three tents along with camping equipment. ‘What is it? A trial of survival?’ As the duo drew near him, he could hear their words.
“Alright, you are good to go. Did you remember Rayen’s schedule?”
“Woof!”
“If you say so… tell me, when do you have to give him the red potion?” The dog answered each question like a first-class student and only when she finished asking a set of twenty questions did she nod to herself with a satisfied smile. Bardar could only take a deep breath at this and pinched his nose while closing his eyes. “You are a normal person, Bardar. Take a deep breath…”
“Dear, you shouldn’t talk to yourself like this,” Bella said as she came near him and concern filled her eyes. “ What if people start to think you are crazy?”
‘I wish I was crazy…’ He took another deep breath and while Bella waved her hand to put everything in the subspace of Cherry, which was also her collar. He asked in a meek voice. “ Grandma, can we leave now?”
“Bardar, you are now a grown-up man. You should have patience for things.” She shakes her head at him. She looked at the side and Cellia also came up while holding Rayen’s hand. Bella put her gentle hand on Rayen and said, “Rayen, remember to follow Cherry while you go out there and don’t trouble your brother or sister. Got it?” Rayen nodded his head. As they prepared to set off, Bella finally remembered something and looked at Cherry. “And don’t you dare to bite Bladurus this time.” Cherry dropped her ears at this and raised her right paw into the air, followed by a small whimper from her mouth. Bella stopped her with knitted eyes and said with utmost seriousness. “No means no. Stop troubling that child.” Cherry lowered her face at this.
“Take care and Bardar, you are going to Oasis after a long time,” Bella said with a serious face and utmost focus. “Make sure you let them know about your presence.” Bardar stared at her before giving a deep nod. As the group of four walked some distance away from the house, their figures snapped and disappeared into the air. Left alone, Bella looked at the vast endless sand and only returned to herself when the sky was dark. A deep sigh eluded her mouth as she made her way back inside.
***
The air swirled, and four figures appeared in another location. The yellow sand still made up the endless landscape, but one could see the outlines of a mountain at a distance. Badar’s fingers snapped, and the wind made the trio of him, Cellia and Rayen, float into the air, before zapping towards the outline in the distance. Neither their speed nor height above the sand was too high, and Cherry had no problem matching their speed, at least up to some point, before she disappeared somewhere.
“Slow down, Cherry can’t catch up.” Cellia noticed the absence of Cherry and said to Bardar while her dress fluttered with the wind. She thought Bardar would slow down, but he just shook his head and said. “She’s not supposed to. Don’t worry, she will be there even before us.” His answer only raised doubts within her.
She turned her head sideways and found the sand changed while they talked. The yellow colour that glistened in the sun changed to red and kept getting darker as the mountain closed in. The dry smell of sand becomes an unpleasant rusting smell, with the mufti smell being mixed in between. In the distance, to their left, was a half-buried, decayed carcass of a beast with big burnt holes. It still had multiple legs and scales with remains of decayed flesh that half rose from the sand. Scattered remnants of humans, some with armour and weapons, while others without surrounded it. Whenever the wind blows, it moves the sand with it, which swallows everything whole, humans or beasts alike.
Cellia tightened her lips to prevent the vomit and put her hands on Rayen’s eyes and said while trying to maintain a natural tone. “Don’t look there.” She can’t help it. As they kept moving, the scene of decayed bodies became like the sands in the desert. Too many to count. They passed through the scene in silence. Bardar was busy navigating their path, though he would glance occasionally at the many bodies. The majority of them were old, with a few adults mixed in.
It took them another twenty minutes without meeting a single living soul as they came close to the walls that surrounded the bottom of the mountain. It was at this time that they finally noticed the group of other people. In a long line that goes back, with old people in the majority, waiting for their turn to enter through the city gates. Each one had some kind of injury on their body, some still fresh, as Bardar could see the clothes they used as bandages getting red. Some were missing limbs but still waited with patience to enter the city built on this lonely mountain. They had come over from all over the Thar and passed through countless beasts to enter Oasis. Sometimes, some junior family members come with them, but most times, it's old aged ones, those on the verge of their ends. And thus, most die outside before even reaching the city. Even so, they kept coming in droves as they chased after the mirage that was Oasis.
But he didn’t stop and zoomed past them. It was his control that even though they flew at speed, no cloud of dust generated behind them. “ Halt! Who are you to break in the line?” He finally stopped in front of the line. Cellia also removed the hand from Rayen’s eyes and what appeared before him was the gate made from some wood. Laden with cracks as big as his head, that allowed him to see the thickness of it. The wood itself was rotting with some fungus on the top part of the gate. The top part had makeshift wooden planks nailed to it, but through some tiny gaps, he could see the other sides. He looked sideways, and the walls were no exception. Filled with cracks and signs of ruin from lack of repairs.
Bardar didn't bother to say much as he just looked at the guard that blocked them. A cloth covered the guard’s face while he dressed in the light khaki dress made from a simple shirt and pants and three red ribbons on the shoulder. The guard saw Bardar’s silence and was about to shout, but his colleague stopped him with haste before he kneeled. “ Greetings to the Young Lord!”
It was then that other guards, as well as the crowd noticed Bardar’s dress, and most important of all, the golden badge on his chest with a human outline that made them freeze for a moment. “Greetings to the Young Lord!” they shouted the moment they came back to themselves and kneeled in front of him. The crowd behind them was no exception either. The moment they heard the guards, it didn't matter if they had injuries on them, each one of them kneeled without a question. Those who missed a leg simply fell to the sand.
“They…” Cellia looked at such a crowd and opened her mouth to say something but failed to. Bardar’s face remained the same. He knew this scene all too well. The almost blind devotion that superseded their self wellbeing, mattered little to them whether he told them to stop or not. He looked straight ahead and said to the guards. “Inform the city lord that we are here.” He then strides forward without caring if the guard or crowd were still kneeling or not. Cellia pursed her lips and grabbed Rayen’s hand before following behind. They didn’t choose the main road which led straight to the city lord’s mansion, but used alleyways instead. Cellia couldn’t help but ask him, but more than the need for an answer, she wanted to lighten the mood. “Shouldn’t we take the main road? It would be faster.”
“No, we will get delayed even more. Besides, it's better not to take that road.” Bardar said but didn’t explain and just moved his feet faster. ‘Besides, I better not have you or Rayen look at that.’ On the way, he sometimes answered the questions of Cellia, who was introducing the city to Rayen, but most of the time, his mind was not on them. It was as such that they arrived at the top house of the mountain, the one that houses the city lord.
The mansion was similar to how other surrounding buildings looked. Made with yellow stones with some murals of beasts engraved on the walls. The only difference was its size, others at most reached two stories, it reached seven. Before one could enter, they had no choice but to glance upward where an arc made of pure gold was shining with bright rays as the gate was facing the direction of the sun. It had the noticeable figure of a faceless human, surrounded by a wasp, beetle, centipede, cat and a strange wolf with six eyes and sharp teeth sprouting from his mouth.
“Look Rayen, do you see your reflection up there?” Cellia pointed at the spotless mural of gold, which made Rayen tilt his head, unable to understand the reason for her shouts. Bardar shook his head at due and looked up straight before releasing a whistle. “Woof!” The whistle just sounded and Cherry ran from the right alley. Seeing her arrive, Cellia can’t help but ask, “Are you waiting for us here?” Cherry was going to woof, but Bardar didn’t want to wait.
“Let’s go inside first. We shouldn’t let Uncle wait anymore.” Cherry was much more excited as she ran towards the mansion’s door and almost jumped too, but her body stopped in a crouched motion. She remembered Rayen was also there and over the past days, she had meticulously developed her image in front of him as a well-behaved lady, and can't ruin it yet. She straightened her body and moved with grace. When Rayen came to his side, she matched his speed and released the woof in intervals, telling him about the bowing guards and servants they met on the way. Cellia, who could understand her words, had a smile stretched on her hidden face with shoulders that trembled ever so little as she tried to stop the laughter that threatened to erupt. Bardar also had a wry smile on his face.
The cause for this was not Cherry introducing servants, but the way she introduced them. The left guard at the first door has crispy meat, the servant who bowed first needs to be marinated, and one person leading them overall is high quality but needs some spices to taste better. ‘Why did I even learn her language?’ Bardar thought. To distract himself, he looked at the maid leading them. ‘And high-quality meat? Isn’t it because she hands you the sweets now and then?’ Like all servants, dressed in light yellow khaki attire with billowing sleeves. But unlike the others, whose face covers matched their pale dresses, hers was a deep purple that contrasted starkly. Through the slit, one could glimpse at her wrinkled skin. Shasta, the oldest person working on the mansion and even Bardar gave her two points of respect. “Aunt Shasta, how has your health been in recent times?”
“Don’t worry, little Bardar,” Shasta said. Despite what she claimed, her words lacked pitch and strength. “ These old bones of mine could still go along fine for years to come.”
Stolen novel; please report.
“But you should still take a rest from time to time, and should offload this kind of work to others.”
“He’s not wrong, Madam Shasta,” Cellia said at this moment. She found the reason to get familiar with the people around Bardar, and this was a chance she didn't want to miss. “A good rest now can allow you to recover soon and would enable you to keep helping Sir Bladurus for more time. Also, I heard overseas that there was a case which makes you age twice if…”
Bardar felt Cellia had a thing for talking, as whenever she could maintain the conservation with almost anyone. Then an idea hit him. ‘I will just offload my management work to her and free myself for my research.’ Soon they reached their destination, the room on the seventh floor. Shasta knocked before she opened the door, and when Bardar entered the room, he found the person they came for. But calling him a person was a stretch, as he was a towering presence. His frame stretched out as wide as three people standing abreast. Even with his loose khaki-coloured dress, the fabric still strained against his body, emphasising the sheer mass they carried. He saw the group entering and smiled as he walked towards them. It was a wonder that he not only stood with two legs but also walked with each step that tested the floor to its limits. “Bardar, you are here. How was the journey?”
“It’s like the breeze on the sands,” Bardar said and hugged him. How are you, Uncle Bladurus?”
“Don’t mention it. All I need are the delicacies and my life keeps on increasing.” Bladurus then looked at Cellia and, with an even stronger smile, hit Badar’s back, almost launching him to the wall on the opposite side. “I thought you were a no boomer-only golem breed, but you turned out to be a silent killer. How the hell did you catch on to such a beautiful lady?”
Bardar can feel blood rushing to his face, but he is not sure whether it is because of the hit just now or the embarrassment. He coughed when trying to say something, and Bladurus hit him again. This time, the force was manageable. “Lad, don’t just stand there. Come on now, introduce me to your wife already.”
“Woof!” Bladurus' next words got stuck in his throat the moment he heard the sound. Current ran through his whole body, followed by the hairs that all stood up. With a slight turn of his head to behind Cellia, Cherry was introducing him to the boy. The boy didn’t matter to him at this moment because the golden labra beside him was looking at Baladurus with sharp eyes and he caught a saliva dripping from her mouth. Bladurus also knew Cherry’s language and could tell what she said. “A full buffet of juicy meat.”
“Ah, L-lady Cherry, you are also here?” Bladurus repositioned himself behind Bardar and said with a face full of sweat. “I didn’t know you would also be coming.”
“Woof!?”
“I-I would have prepared the sweetest food for you if I knew.” Cherry’s face and ears dropped at this. If she knew this would be the case, she would have sent a letter in advance.
“Uncle, let me introduce you. This is Cellia.” Bardar was too used to this, and his face didn’t even flinch. He knew if Bladurus knew Cherry was coming along with them, forget about the meeting, he would not even be in Oasis. “And the boy over there is Rayen.”
“Sir Bladurus, I always hear about your name back in the academy. It's an honour to meet you.” Cellia placed her right hand on her chest followed by a slight leaning to the front, a typical gesture of greeting a person of respect. Bladurus found Cherry turning to the boy, who started patting her. This made him relieved, and he regained his demeanour. “Don’t call me. We are now a family. Just call me Uncle Bladurus.”
“Then, Uncle Bladurus, it's a pleasure to meet you.”
“Wait, let me give you a greeting gift.” Bladurus still didn’t move from behind the now uncomfortable Bardar and gave Cellia a small box with a soft yellow colour.
“But, I can’t just-”
“It’s the thing Bardar refined while learning to inscribe runes. Some kind of ornament.”
“Then I would accept it.”
Seeing them shift their faces like this, Bardar felt the difference in skill. But he felt they should start with business. He turned to the strange duo near the gate. Since Cherry was here, Bladurus would not be going near Rayen at all. “Cherry, take Rayen for a walk,” he said.
Cherry turned around, but only after asking for tonight’s dinner. Bladurus couldn't conceal his relief the moment he heard her. He'd do anything to have her go away. Rayen received the instruction to follow Cherry and obediently trailed behind. As soon as the duo stepped outside the room, Bladurus released a sigh of relief. "Why are we still standing? Come here, let's sit and talk."
Cellia intended to follow, but halted when she noticed Bardar's lack of movement. Bladurus also sensed something amiss. Stepping forward, he narrowed his eyes as Bardar stared deeply into his own. Bardar remained silent, like being lost in his thoughts. Before long, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. And Upon reopening his eyes, a bottle of red potion materialised in his hands. "Grandma sent this for you." Cellia felt he was too slow and deliberate until the change happened. Bladurus' pupils to contract. His corpulent form trembled beneath his clothes, resembling a brewing storm. Cellia's senses tinged, and she took a step back. While Bardar looked at Bladurus' ravenous gaze upon the potion with only one thought. ‘Just like a crazed beast. Why did we go so wrong?’
***
Cherry took Rayen through the hallways laid with red carpet and towards the gate of the mansion. Rayen was following right behind. He looked straight ahead and gave little mind to the various attention-seeking paintings. Some depicted rows of people marching towards the mountain city, others had countless wasps dotting the sky with endless numbers. The largest painting among them was to the right and goes along the length of the wall. In it, the range of mountains stood tall and fireballs with countless arrows rained down from their snowy peaks, towards the city that stood at the foot of the mountain range.
Cherry turned and woofed with force towards the two maids and the five guards who were following behind them the moment they left the mansion. Her bark made every single one of them tremble. They bowed their bodies before going back inside. Rayen followed Cherry to the side alleyway and stopped as Cherry turned and circled around him. As he tilted his head, Cherry opened her mouth and in front of Rayen’s eyes, peeled away the layers of spell Cellia stacked on him. Spells that could attack and defend, but also maintain the cleanness of his clothes. Each one got sucked into her mouth without any resistance. A crunchy sound came from her mouth as she chewed on them before swallowing them whole.
She then used her paws and kept throwing the sand into the air. It should be called a cloud of dust that one could choke into, but it was not. The sand seemed to be under some unknown influence as it stayed well away from Rayen’s nose and only stuck to his body with a gentle nudge. When the dust settled, Rayen looked like a dirty bagger with his hair filled with sand as to his clothes. One can’t even make out the fabric of his clothes from looking. Cherry was the same as him, her golden hair had become brown, like some rundown street dog. Then, like some human who invented his beautiful creation, she moved her head up and down. Compared to Rayen, who tilted his head and looked at his dirty clothes, she was used to this.
Once this was done, she started walking again, and Rayen could only follow. She started explaining the city to him. There was not much in terms of artistic nature in the alleyways. Crammed pathways with old stone buildings, few even having the remains of any paint. Even with Cherry, they walked away from the main street. Thus, the view can only have some webs of spiders in the half-broken windows. Cherry didn't forget to explain about not eating them as they lacked the sweetness. Then she kept woofing and woofing, and before long entered another alley, this one was not empty. Some people walked back and forth. The reason for this was because of the endpoint of this alley. It meets with the path of the main market.
Rayen observed these people because when he looked through their smoky figures, he had to strain his eyes to see the orbs in their hearts. They are too tiny. Only occasionally could one or two even reach the size of his fingernail. The size difference attracted his attention and while Cherry was entering another alley, he walked towards the market.
The scene outside the alleyways was like another world, with wide streets filled to the brim with aged people. A flow that doesn’t allow one to stop, and thus pushed Rayen along with it. Clatters of their voices filled his ears, each going on to their mundane daily tasks. Some argue for a fair price, others shout in hopes of getting the attention of the wave of crowds. Stalls had what one could hope for, from the low-hanging clothes that swung with the winds to the pieces of jewellery that shone in the sunlight. From the small mountain of spices to the meat being grilled. Under his eyes, the small orbs in people’s hearts glowed as they bargained for a higher price, while others wanted a lower price.
These back-and-forth bargains made their orbs shaked with every word they spoke. For someone who can see the lies through with a single glance, it made him tilt his head. How could he understand what bargaining was? Only that whenever an orb shakes, a lie is being told. No idea what it signifies, but Bella said it was bad and one should avoid it. He wanted to go away from here, but the wave kept pushing him along until it didn’t.
A ring of bells sounded throughout the market, and everything seemed to stop in motion. A silence fell into the crowd. Everyone looked at the other end of the main street, the source of the sound. And everyone kneeled to the ground. From the shopkeepers to the guards that patrol here, no one was standing anymore, other than Rayen. They just kept their heads down in absolute silence.
Farther ahead, unknown to Rayen, a wide space had appeared among the wave of people. Another ring sounded. With that bell, the silent people seemed to have regained their lost voice. “Great Mother is Coming!” Their overlapped voices took away the attention from their hidden faces, which were stretched to the limit. Their bodies tremble with anticipation and hands gripped tightly on the sand with closed eyes filled with absolute devotion. The shouts filled the entire market.
A big carriage, draped with strips of red-coloured piece of cloth, which was laced with golden threads at the ends, appeared at the end of the street. Made from the yellow stones that got splashed in the front, from the blood of humans that pulled it. A group of thirty-six people were at the front with their hands nailed to the support they pulled. Blood seeped from their hands as they pushed the carriage of stone, with eyes that had lost their will. They cared about nothing. A good look at their bodies and one could see some tattoos of the sun, which were now covered with dried blood.
Even among them, the people in the back row were the ones treated with the most brutality. Large nails dug into their backs, connected with chains that clinked with each moment on their part. Eyes dug out into hollow circles and mouth sewed shut. And atop the carriage they pulled was a headless skeleton of a human that glowed red with heat that boiled out the air surrounding it.
It was kneeling in front of a white statue of a woman. A spotless statue that no dust could touch. One could see the many efforts put into it by the sculptor, as even though the outlines of cloth hide half her face, one could still feel her arrogance along with her enticing smile. Her equally smooth left hand held a long sword and her right hand raised to her chest with a front finger along with her thumb half open and rest closed. At this, the people who were guiding the carriage from behind noticed Rayen.
One of them walked towards him. He was carrying a big club in his arms. That club, too, dipped with fresh blood and stained his otherwise black attire. Similar to an executioner, no part other than his hands was visible. He stopped in front of Rayen and stared at him from behind his black mask. Then, without a word, as Rayen was tilting his head, he raised his club high into the air and dropped without a thought.
“Wait! He’s mentally ill.” A voice called out, and the club stopped just an inch away from Rayen’s head, who just stared at it. The executioner turned his head sideways and a skinny, malnourished-looking boy of about 15 years with fiery red hair and sharp eyes. With old, torn clothes that draped his lithe frame, along with many holes in the fabric. The boy bowed his head and said again. “ Mercy my lord. My brother here is mentally ill. That’s why he showed disrespect to the Great Mother."
The executioner shifted his eyes back to Rayen, and when he gazed back into those brown eyes, he didn’t find any fear of the club that emitted a smell of blood just inches away from smashing his head. He took back the club and said with a grunt voice. “Bow before the Great Mother. She would have mercy on him.” With his words finished. A sudden pressure fell on Rayen’s body which pushed him to the ground. In just a blink of an eye, he was lying on the ground. Only then did the executioner turn towards the carriage that had long passed through the market.
“Hey, do you have a death wish?” The red-haired boy asked Rayen as others stood up and returned to their business. From outside it looks like nothing happened, if one ignored their eyes that were shifting towards Rayen. “Shit, come with me.” He grabbed Rayen, who lay on the ground and pulled him through the crowds and into a random alley to the far left.
***
“So who are you? I didn’t see you here before.” After fifteen minutes and passing through many cross alleys, the red-haired boy stopped and seeing them along, a relief washed his face. He took a look at Rayen and found him to be the same as him, a street kid. “Come on now, I will give you a discount for making me lie in front of the Great Mother.”
“...”
“Hey, I am still waiting for the magic words now. You know, if I didn’t say you were mentally ill, you would be a goner now.” He crossed his arms and waited for Rayen's words of thanks. But the party in question only stared back. Rayen had no idea what he was talking about and also did not want to follow him. But his body was too weak as compared to normal kids. Seeing him not replying, the red-haired boy scratched his head.
“You are not really a fool, right? Or are you just too scared? Hey?” He shaked his hand in front of Rayen’s eyes but the eyes didn’t waiver. “Ha… just wonderful. That’s all I needed for my life.” He sighed. But he knew the rules of Oasis. Disabled people needed to be treated with care. If not for this, the executioner would not have stopped his club. And since he saved him one, he planned to finish his job. “I think you don’t know where you come from, right? Let’s go. I am sure there were some market guards stationed near this place.”
He once again grabbed Rayen’s hand and started walking after choosing a direction. “By the way. My name is Azir. Make sure to remember this until we are together.” He said without turning back.