Deep within an unforgiving land the golden sun shines high above the arid skies, branding the sands of the never ending desert with a searing hot intensity mirroring its own. Here, in this land of desolation, it is said that no life can sustain a meaningful existence. Birds that may happen to fly by avoid the skies of this barren, scorching wasteland. Those that wander into the skin melting embrace of this land relinquished of life might as well forfeit their own. It's an accepted fact of life in this far removed world that there is nothing here. But as life always does, it finds a way. Even under the worst of conditions, so long as there be will, life will survive to one day flourish. Far beyond the blistering swells of this sea of sand exists such an oddity. A sandstorm extending as far as the horizon and fabled to grasp the very stars rages on since time immemorial. Unknown to all, within this rampaging tempest of ancient origins exists another oddity, or, more accurately, oddities. In this hellish landscape, within the ravages of wind and sand, the will of life lives on in the form of an undiscovered kingdom built around an oasis teeming with life.
Deeper in, as coarse sand gives way to fertile ground, another peculiarity exists. A young man of seventeen years frantically runs down a sparsely populated dirt street and turns into an alley to catch his breath.
"Where is he?" A commanding voice questioned.
"I think he's this way!" An apprehensive voice responded.
"I told you to keep an eye on him!" The first man boomed.
As the two assailants argued, the honey skinned young man clothed in fine silk robes stood leaned into the stone wall of the shadowy alley with a vigilant ear. His head, veiled with a white headdress of fine silk that was hugged by a golden circlet, gently teetered back and forth against the smooth rock while his chest expanded and contracted rapidly. It quickly dawned on him that he may actually escape easier than he originally anticipated. With a silent giddiness about him he raised a hand adorned with golden bangles to cover his mouth and, with the other, grasped the rugged edge of the building. He stood frozen for a few moments to bring his breathing from heaving and desperate down to calm and controlled. Feeling the soft coolness in the shade that engulfed him brought a sense of clarity about his boiling mind and aided in quickening his respite. The back and forth of the two men had now become non existent leaving only the rhythmic ambience of people as they went about their days. A strange curiosity quickly took hold of the regal young man as he edged slowly towards the end of the wall. Never had he this much trouble with guards and he wanted to see if anything was different. He slowly removed his mask of a hand and pulled back the curtains of his headdress revealing eyes that glowed as a cloudless day. Beads of sweat blackened by his painted eyelids clawed dark streaks down his face and dripped from his clean chin. With eyes wincing in pain from the inky foreign intrusion he quietly peeked beyond the corner. The red road laid barren of activity save for a few people entering and exiting the brown stone buildings. A few men loafed about under the shade of canopies extended out from the tops of the stone structures. A warm flamelike glow radiated from the earth below as he spotted the two men. Still within sight, they seemed to be talking amongst each other, the bigger of the two waving around a thick spear while circling the other guard. The bigger resembled the other in attire but there was a different air about him, a certain heat that was lost to his usual pursuers.
"Man, you can see his neck vein from all the way over here." The hidden young man softly remarked to himself with a satisfied chuckle.
He quietly withdrew from the potential line of sight and with a sigh of relief turned to continue through the alley and make his escape complete. Much to his dismay he hadn't took two steps before his getaway was abruptly halted by an unseen obstacle. Although initially startled by his surprise run in, upon further investigation the lavishly dressed young man discovered a surprisingly cheerful old man sprawled out on the ground before him. He wore nothing at all save for a cloth wrapped around his waist and nether regions that kept him civil. His face was badly cracked and he had an even dark golden hue throughout the entirety of his visible body. The mostly gray hair atop his head tangled and reached all about, further evidencing that he had most likely spent most of his days in the sun.
"I'm so sorry! Are you okay?" The bent over young man said with genuine concern while hurriedly extending an arm to help the fallen elder.
"I'm fine, I'm fine! But oh what a niiice young maan yoou are to be worried!" The old man sang.
The old man's cracked face bent upwards as the toothless crevice that was his huge smile reached ever higher. It was this oblivious, almost akin to childlike happiness that convinced the youth of the elder's clear intoxication; in addition to the pungent spirits permeating from his open mouth. The young man took hold of one the senior's outstretched arms and with relative ease lifted him to his feet. The moment the old man returned upright was short lived as he immediately descended upon the young man and firmly held him in a low centered bear hug. The slightly glowing fine silk robes became visibly stained as if offended by the elderly man's touch.
"I'm soooo soorrry! The floor is being veeeerry crazy right now!" The old man snorted out as he swung an arm at the still earth.
The intensity with which the elderly man apologized and subsequently reprimanded the dry alley floor began worrying the young man; who was now looking behind himself to make his safety from the two brutes certain.
"Jantu, it's really okay! Keep your voice down! Exactly how much how much have you had to drink already?! The sun just rose!" The young man exclaimed as he struggled to re-elevate the flailing old man.
"Ahh, phoogh! Those ungrateful ingrates can all rot in the storm! I've spent every last coin I've earned drinking there and after thirty years they throw me out!" He spat at the floor as his slightly warbling tone shifted towards further down the alley where a dingy old door stood closed.
"Hahaha, you must really be gone! They throw you out almost every night. I'm surprised you made it this early, you really are too much Jantu!" The young man said a bit too loudly.
At this point the young man realized exactly how loud they were being when a heavyset woman poked her head into the alley from an open window.
"Hey you two! If I have to put up with another group of drunks in th—" she began with great ferocity as if it had been boiling up within her for months but immediately stopped when her eyes met the young man's eyes.
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She narrowed her eyes and leaned into the window sill. Her once before aimless infuriating gaze sharpened into an eye gouging glare dedicated to the young man. The young man momentarily had a passing thought of running back the way he came. Even the old man was mesmerized by the eyes of this tempest of a woman. The day felt excruciatingly hotter with the intensity of her undivided attention. The pair gulped hard and, finally, the younger of the two took initiative and began to spoke.
"I—" he started
"Shut up." The middle aged woman ordered as she further stuck out herself.
The two stiffened at her snarled command. The old man almost appeared to have sobered up from his night of debauchery by her words, that is, if he could keep from constantly losing his balance.
"I thought I told you to stay out of here after the last time." She almost again commanded.
She motioned to a section of alley further down with a generous amount of absent wall due to a deep gouge. The old man seemed a bit perplexed, turning towards the cloaked young man for clarification of a growing hunch.
"Would it make it better if I said sorry?" He coyly responded with a nervous smile.
"Don't try to slither out of this one! Every time you come around the drunks get too loud and we pay the price then you sneak off back to your palace without a care." The woman hollered back.
"Well, umm. T-that's exactly the reason why I'm here now!" The regal young man assured as an idea stirred in his mind.
He reached up to the crown of his head and plucked off the golden circlet that adorned his headdress. Stepping forward revealed his feet strapped tightly a dozen times over to a flat leather mass at the bottom. The old man looked in a sort of familiar awe at the curiosity, that was a sandal, stepping away from him that had eluded the common man.
"Prince?" The words stumbled out of the old man's mouth and as they did his glazed eyes twinkled as his suspicion was confirmed.
The Prince quickly turned around with wide eyes and a sweaty finger to his lips.
"Jantu, quiet!" He hissed.
Jantu fell to the floor with his head pressing into the dirt and his knees dug into his bony chest.
"I'm so sorry my radiant, golden Sun! I meant no insult, I am true! I have no excuse but I have to admit that I was drinking a little. Forgive me!" Jantu repeatedly came up and vigorously slammed his head into the floor so much so that the puffs of dirt created a cloud.
"Jantu, quiet your mouth or—" the kneeling Prince was interrupted by the woman.
"Who's going to pay for our wall!?" The woman shouted.
"Please, the two of you keep your voi—" the flustered Prince started but was once again interrupted.
"Where's your respect? This boy is of royal blood and should be treated as such!" Jantu intersected as he stood.
"I'll treat him like I treat all of you street rats until he starts acting like a respectable person!" The woman huffed.
"Alright, everyone just—" the Prince immediately froze.
Poking in from around the corner a familiar eye met his own. His heart sank into his feet as he stared into the eager eyes of the one of the palace guards.
"I FOUND HIM!!! HE'S OVE—"
Before the guard could finish calling over his partner the Prince quickly loosened the knot holding his stained cloak on his shoulders. He swung the silk around the guard, capturing Jantu as in the process, and quickly tied it before kicking the pair into the doorway of a closed building. The guard struggled the be free even more so with a flailing Jantu weighing him down. The Prince then turned heel and sprinted down the sparsely populated alley.
"Catch!" He playfully suggested to the woman.
As he left he tossed his jeweled, golden circlet to the woman still at her window.
"I'll see you both later for drinks!" He announced.
With a grin not unlike Jantu's the woman hurriedly closed her window while the other guard rounded the corner in pursuit of the Prince.
"Prince I'lnu!" The guard shouted.
With a groan I'lnu, the Prince, exited the shaded alley which branched off into a labyrinth of paths that steadily became more narrow. The calculated, dedicated guard met I'lnu turn for turn and through every obstacle thrown his way without so much as breaking sweat.
"What are his legs made of!?" I'lnu panted out to himself.
Something was off, his gut was screaming this at him. As I'lnu ran he turned his head to more closely identify this peculiar guard. A scan of his person revealed nothing out of the ordinary except one small detail, a certain yellow glow that shined from his weapon, his spear was gold tipped. I'lnu had heard whispers of an elite guard unit that was supposedly being brought up to quell even the strongest elephants. Not being one for rumors or information not pertaining to himself, the words had no meaning until now. Knowing of one way to properly identify this potential thorn in his side, I'lnu plucked a decent sized red gem from one of his many rings and squeezed it firmly in the palm of his hand. I'lnu began to intensely focus on the concept and nature of fire, mainly the heat. After a few missteps and near trips I'lnu squeezed harder and whispered to himself.
"Fire, fire, fire, fire. Sun, sun, sun, sun. Hot, hot, red hot!" He whispered to himself.
Suddenly his closed, shaking hand began to release a small amount of smoke and sparks.
"Thats harder than I remember." I'lnu panted out.
As he loosened his focus the embers within died out but were reignited with a renewed focus and a quick smack of his fist. Without stopping to aim I'lnu swung his fist behind him and when he felt it apex towards the guard he opened his hand and willed it forward. A meager fire, followed by a flurry of sparks, enveloped the guard. With a series of jabs from his golden pointed weapon the conjured flames were immediately dispelled. The smoke, however, lingered and made it impossible for one to see the other.
"No way! What the hell was that!" I'lnu coughed as the smoke flooded his lungs.
An audible coughing from behind signified the guard's presence. With this new knowledge that he wouldn't be able to use what little spells he knew, I'lnu felt his way through the maze of alleys into a heavy populated area he knew well. The street was much larger than most in town and home to the best deals. People gasped and watched as I'lnu tumbled out of the smoke flooded alley. Immediately jumping towards a man with a worn headdress and exchanging it with his own pristine one in return before making his way into the crowd. The guard soon followed with his dispelling spear in hand as while shouting demands.
"Make way, guard of the Palace! Move! Get out of the way!" He gruffly choked out.
I'lnu took big, hurried steps as he weaved in through the bustling crowd. All the while stripping himself of all his Royal indicators and donning the shabby clothing of a commoner. He even went so far as to cover his face, a practice reserved usually for women. A growing unrest sparked to life within the crowd in the wake of his exchanges.
"Gold! Palace gold here!"
"I'm rich!"
"These can't possibly be real!"
"Get your hands off, this is mine!"
The guard took notice of the growing unrest and rushed to investigate. Initially going in to question the inquiries, the citizens, agitated that a guard would threaten their acquisition of gold, quickly turned to violence. Looking to each other for support the people overpowered and disarmed this once proud soldier.
"I hate that I had to do it but I didn't have another choice." I'lnu sighed as the mob finished with the guard.
As I'lnu once more stepped towards freedom of the day when an inhuman silence from the previously restless crowd suddenly petrified him.
"Master!" An all too familiar voice boomed.
An astonishingly tall, muscular man had arrived looking about. The chiseled fantasy of a man dressed quite freely with nothing but a cloth hanging from his waist to shield him from indecency. Although more akin to a God he walked as a man, however, his feet also brandished the rarely seen footwear of nobles. His thick calves expanded into powerful legs that tapered into a granite like abdomen which in turn exploded in the form of an expansive upper body. The raw energy exuding from his being was enough to make the fiercest adversary flee. Apart from his superhuman physique he was a man but even that statement was questioned by the average person. Atop his thick, shadowy neck rested a pitch black mask trimmed with gold in the likeness of a jackal. His dark ears pierced the air average his head, there were no visible eyeholes, an ornately decorated cloth of unknown material flowed from the edges of the mask, covering what the mask did not, and grazed the tops of his broad shoulders. Many people averted eye contact and all cleared a way as he walked past.
"Master, the danger has subsided! You can come back now!" The masked man shrieked with worry.
"A guardian!"
"May the Sun have mercy."
"Look away, dear!"
I'lnu sank into the obscurity of crowd, further hiding as he acted as others.
"Master, this isn't proper."
The masked man peered into the crowd. Some groveling, others looking on with starry eyes but most going on about their business. With a groan of impatience he looked down and noticed the guard's shining spear amongst the crowd. A strange scorch scarred the length of the spear. The masked man abandoned calling out for the Prince and instead focused on making his way through the busy street. A task that was met with a mix of false praises, genuine terror and indifference. I'lnu, knowing much more of the streets, slipped easier through the crowd and into a less populated street with but one object still his in hand. A peculiar stone.