Ripples cross a lake, and water rushes past me. Pond scum fills my hands as I desperately claw it for speed. I focus on using my leg muscles to push harder and harder against the thin liquid and then the thicker pond scum. With a burst of effort, I emerge above the surface of the pond and gasp a lung full of air.
Splash! The whirling sound of water passes my ears. I finally reach water deep enough, and emerge. The hooded figure lay deeply bowing towards my direction. Brown pond water and mud cover my vision, so soon a hand wipes it away.
I see the situation and try to get a grip as quickly as possible. The hooded figure continues to bow, and I call out, “You! What do you want? Why are you there?”
“I am here to keep the prophet safe. The coming end is nigh, and you will lead us there oh holy seer. May you bless us with the sand of the world.” he says while his face rests inches above the dirt.
I look around the shore and only slight signs of primitive life are littered. A frog like creature croaks, and a large fly buzzes. The familiar coo of insects continues despite my own restlessness. I ask while floating on the lake’s surface, “Do you mean to kill or hurt me? I warn you now that I will defend myself, and I have the power to instantly kill you.”
I bluff with the coolest expression I can. I know I can’t kill another person, but I also know I can at least trap them in something. Silence pervades for a few moments, and the lake rests still again. My mind creaks at my lack of ability when intimidating others.
“I would consider it the greatest of honors to be sent to heaven by you seer. I only wish to talk shortly before my ascension.” he says.
I crease my brow and tilt my head. Swimming towards the shore, I start to rethink the situation. The man raises his head as I get off the shore, but he does not get off of his knees.
“Oh great seer please allow me to bestow my name and purpose upon you before my enlightenment. May I seer? ” he asks with tears lacing his cracking voice.
“I have no idea what you are talking about. Are you from Tauss? Are you sick?” I ask while attempting to help the man up.
The hood falls off to reveal a boyish young man. The moon barely lights his soft features and brown eyes. His hair is black, and his frame looks very thin. The forest looks quiet, and the small clearing has no signs of traps.
The teenager stands as I raise him and he speaks again, “Please do not help a lowly acolyte like me. I am but a pittance for the offerings you deserve...”
My look of skepticism shifts to complete doubt. My eyelids droop halfway shut and I lose all tenseness in my shoulders. I put my hands on his shoulder before saying, “Please just tell me why you're here.”
He shivers awkwardly under my hand and begins a largely contained confession, “ I am a member of ‘God’s Followers.’ I only wish to offer you understanding of your role in this world, and what you mean to my people. I hope you will follow me to my people, and allow us to be cleansed by the your righteous might.”
Hate filled fire erupts in my mind, and I can't control it. I turn my head towards him and say,“Okay. I see now that you are dumb...or deaf.” I say while dark globs of my hate float from my hand towards the night sky. My focus shifts to the dancing goo. It begins to smile at me, and then a loud crunch sounds through the air.
I jump back and stare at my hand. The black ooze is gone, and I look back at the teenager. He is smiling as he cries from the pain of my grip. I broke a collarbone in his right shoulder.
“Are you okay? What am I doing...I’ll take you where you can be healed. I-I’m so sorry. My name is Nox. What about you?” I say while leaning down and helping the poor child up.
“Thank you oh great seer. I am sure this...to has a purpose. I am Mark Sloven. Please let me guide you to my humble village but a few clicks away.” he says while standing up and holding his arm up.
I quickly take off my shirt and rip it. I fashion a small sling and tuck his arm into it. I see him nod before he leads me into the forest. We pass thick trees of a slightly different breed than the ones that surround the nearby area in Tauss.
“How far is your village from Tauss?” I ask.
“We do not know of Tauss, but we see traveler approach from that direction.” he points in the opposite direction I ran from. I had run at least a few miles before I stopped. I don’t know why, but I feel...off.
We walk for about an hour in silence. I hear the crunch of pine needles as we happen upon a very vertical village. A deep valley goes down far below the ground, and houses are situated into its cliff side. The familiar gleam of fire lights the small holes in the valley, and grass covers the walls surrounding the windows of the houses. An intricate set of stair ways link the houses together, and each stair is made from hardened dirt.
I glance to the sides of the valley and see no signs of any other houses or villages. Mark takes me lower towards the very bottom of the valley. Hundreds of feet of rock and grassy cliff are passed as we traverse. We reach a flatter open area at the base of the valley, and inside the rocky cliff is a set of stone doors. Mark walks to the large stone doors and knocks.
A very loud scraping noise is created as they open. Inside a large collection of fires and other robed acolytes lay inside. I instantly turn around. “Now is the time to leave.” I think out loud.
“Seer! Please do not go! We only seek guidance from one with the holy power. One such as yourself is rare, but to have your talent...We are awed.” a large man wearing a much more intricate robe says.
I cringe as I turn around to see the very sight I imagined. A large group of acolytes wearing shabby brown robes all bowing towards me. They almost lick the earth with their exaggerated prostration. The old man approaches me, but before the mood is set in stone I say, “Please stop this. I am a child. Please....think about what you are doing....This looks...kind of ridiculous...”
No one raises their heads, and I quickly decide since that incredibly simple piece of logic did not work. Neither would more complex logic. I start to walk away, and whenever I reach the cliff I see Mark jump in front of me and grab my feet.
“Oh seer. I am sorry if our land does not suit your tastes, but please listen to our humble request. We mean you no harm. We only seek deliverance.” he says while his face reddens with intensity.
I look downwards and pinch the ark of my nose hard as I sigh. The boy has slung his arm out of its sling, and he seems genuine even through the pain. I turn around and approach the gray bearded man. He takes the hood off to reveal an incredibly hideous figure. He is missing his teeth, and liver spots form star like constellations on his face.
One eye socket lay barren, and his left arm is missing a hand. I take an even deeper sigh before I say, “What is it?”
The old man grins with a toothless mouth as he says, “But to receive a blessing from you seer. We know of your great power. We have watched from afar for a while now, and we wish to know if it is true. Can you sand?”
“What?”, I say while crossing my arms.
The old man looks back at mark and mutters, “Is he not a prophet?” Mark shrugs in response, and the old man turns around and puts on a very fake smile.
“We have an agent who says they saw you turn a tree to sand, as well as nightcrawlers to gel. ”
“Doesn’t everybody have crazy agents reporting all sorts of nonsense to us? Those zany agents...You got the wrong guy. Sorry.” I say while turning around.
The old man’s smile disappears as he grabs me and yells, “Mark, why did you bring someone who isn't the seer? Now we have to...”
I flip the heavy weight man over my shoulder. His large body barely traverses the distance needed. I turn around to run away, but I see the acolytes are already running towards me. The old man grabs my leg, and the clearing is narrow enough that if even one of them gets ahead of me…
“WAIT! Wait! I can sand things.” I hover slightly off the ground. The old man scrambles away. A second later a meter of ground in every direction around me turns to sand. A light crunch pierces the pure silence of the surroundings as I land.The bowing congregation returns. Especially the old man.
I hold up my hands to keep them at bay. I then slowly say, “The prophet wishes to know. Why is he a prophet, why would you need to get rid of me, and why...Do you guys worship this power?”
“You are gifted by a god, and therefore a seer. We do not let outsiders know of our villages location, and because it means you are chosen by the gods.” Mark cries out loudly.
“...You worship the Eldritch? ” I say while my mouth hangs wide open.
“What is an Eldritch Seer?” the old man asks.
“The gigantic beast that is taller than the trees, and has a million arms. I promise it sticks out. ” I say while continually scanning the group for a possible sane person. None appear.
“Oh! Thank you oh kind Seer for granting us the name of the gods. FOLLOWERS! Let us rejoice together that we now know the god’s names!”
“Leader...type person. I want your second in command to please explain some things to me.” I say.
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“GUSS! Bring the Seer to your home. The rest of us will go back to our homes to allow the prophet what he asks.” the old man yells throughout the large square chamber.
A small goblin looking man walks up to me. His head is oddly spherical, and his teeth are almost all gone. He looks much younger and older than the chief at the same time. His hair has large bald patches, and one eye bulges slightly out of socket. He shambles towards me and grabs my hand. He attempts to kiss it when I yank away and say, “ I change my mind. Do you have a third in command?”
This time an even more awkward looking man shambles from the crowd. Before his hideous visage becomes truly visible I say,“Leader! I change my mind...Again. Please take me to your home instead.”
The old man looks up and smiles towards me. The crowd remains oddly bowed as he and I leave. After we scale halfway up the cliff they finally begin to move. We continue onwards and a pair of wooden doors approach from our left side.
He opens the wooden door to reveal a subterranean home. It has set of torches hanging in each room, and holes rip through dirt to the surface. Smoke funnels through the holes, and well made sets of furniture are in each room. The house extends quite a ways into the cliff, and the further we go, the rockier the walls become.
We walk through 4 rooms to the back of the house where a table is. The man’s wife sees me and immediately lands on her knees. She crawls towards me and attempts to kiss my feet. I reach my foot back instinctively and I grimace in disgust…
“You know I am slowly getting tired of all this, Seriously...What the are you people doing. Even if I’m a ‘prophet’ please think before you...Like that’s demeaning. Stand up. Stand up.” I say while forcing the woman to her feet.
“I-I-I‘m so sorry Seer. I only want to ap-p-peal to you in any way I can...” she says.
“Try talking, and smiling. The entirety of what you did was...It isn't appealing. Imagine if some random stranger came to you and started kissing your feet...” I say.
She smiles like her life depends on it. Every single molar in her mouth becomes visible. Her face creases in pain as muscles strain harder than they are meant to. I change my approach.
“Stop. Instead treat me like you would another boy my age. Exactly. None of...this” I gesture to all of her.
“I could never!” she says.
“She could never!” the old man says in unison.
“No way! What is that?” I point towards my hand shaped like a fist, “It’s reality! It’s coming to smash this situation. Just wait for it….boom! Now you can do it. Just try.” I say after smashing the fist into my other hand.
“H-h-h-h-hello. What’s your name?” she stammers.
“I’m Nox. I’d usually make jokes about how amazing I am. Something tells me that wouldn't blow over too well.” I say while grabbing her hand and shaking it.
The old man stares. His jaw hangs wide to reveal bare gums. I see him stare at my face and then his wife’s. The old woman seems slightly more comfortable, and I smile at them both.
“Now. Let’s go talk.” I say.
The man tells her to quietly leave so we may speak alone. She walks to the other side of the house, and the man closes the wooden door. He sits across from me, and I see the fire of the torch flicker on his face.
“So...I wanna know why do Eldritch attacks give us power, and why is it making sand and fusing things together?” I say while staring into his eyes.
The man smiles and says, “I want to thank you for this hon-”
“Stop with all the pleasantries, call me Nox, and please treat me like a normal human being.” I say while leaning forward.
“Of course...Nox. We know not why the gods do what they do, but we do know that the more severe the trial from a god, the more bountiful the gift. Many are given trials we cannot pass, but that is of no fault of the gods.” he says.
“Yes, I guess....So you guys just know about as much as I do. Tell me how bad a usual trial survivor gets injured?” I ask.
“We have never had a survivor ever directly get hit before. As you probably know, if a god’s power so much as touches you...You are brought to an enlightened state. The ones such as yourself are here to guide the ones who are left behind.” he says.
“What if I told you I had my leg blown off and it grew back. Would that be at all in one of your old books?” I ask.
“...No. You are the first I have ever heard of to survive a direct impact...Even legends do not speak of...” he stutters before laying his head on the table and bowing towards me.
Heat flares from me as I lift him up off the table and say, “Do not bow. Okay? So how did the other people get…..blessed?”
“Most are underground, or not directly hit by heaven’s light. Instead they merely see the event from a distance. Some of those individuals eventually develop power, and once every few generations a blessed child will appear. They are usually born if the mother experiences a blessed culling from a distance.” he says with smile.
I cringe at his optimism towards genocide and death. I ask, “I was also born with the power. It just greatly increased after the injury...And what about healing? Do these prophets heal quickly? Maybe even...regrow limbs?”
“Of course not! Once they reach the final stage they heal faster, but we have never seen somebody...regrow a limb. ” he says while flinching at the last part.
“I’m a disgusting freak, totally fine to say it. Honestly, you knowing makes me feel a lot better about it all. At least it’s not normal. I’d haaaaate to hear I’m normal. ” I say while venom and sarcasm thread my words.
“I-I’m sorry N-Nox. I mean no offence to our holy prophet. ” he says while trying to bow.
I catch him mid bow and relift him. I say, “I’m joking with you. Thank you for all the information. What do you mean by final stage?"
"Well...After a Seer gets so old there mind slowly becomes one with the gods...They begin to speak in the god's tongue, and they usually turn themselves to sand..." he says.
I pause. I blink a few times and open my mouth. Words will not come out, and instead I just sit there. I am eventually able to say, "Can I get some food so I can go back to my home?”
“Of course. You can stay here till daybreak if you’d like. I have an extra room.” he says while standing up.
“I know nothing could possibly be safer than sleeping at the village...but I’ll pass.” I say while winking.
“We are so sorry, can we do anything to make you reevaluate our village?” he questions.
“Honesty? Or lies?” I ask.
“What?” he says.
“Honesty it is. Absolutely not. I’m going now...Food? Yes? No?” I say.
The man’s look of confusion continually grows as he says, “You can have as much food as you want. We keep Youse in the room over there.”
I stare with hollow eyes at a gigantic piles of uncooked orange potatoes. They stare back at me with even harsher intensity. I try to overcome the bland tasteless root’s pressure, but instead I begin sweating. My stomach rumbles and my head begins to shake from the strain of grasping the impossible concept of eating the uncooked roots. I realize when I’ve been beat, and I say, “I’ll be fine...”
I walk towards the door, and open it. Outside stands the entire village. They all have bags and other belongings attached to their bodies. I sigh heavily. They all begin a struggle to compete for enough room on the narrow walkway to bow, and I begin a contest of stepping over bowed people to escape.
Halfway through the old man emerges from his house with his bags and belongings attached to him. His wife follows, and they both look at me.
“Please prophet. Take us to the promised land!” he says.
I turn around slowly and raise my lower lip as I squint. Desperation from the surrounding people intensifies, and I crack. A million images of a calm future of me returning to Tauss by myself are destroyed, and instead replaced by a large group of groveling loonies.
“You may follow me under a few conditions...” I say.
“Anything Seer! What are they?” he says.
“Never bow to me again, never grovel again, never call me prophet, seer, Jesus, Ghandi, or anything else weird. You will all call me Nox, you will all not follow me after we get back to Tauss. You will not treat me differently after we arrive at Tauss. You will not kiss my hand either. That’s it.” I say in one sprint.
The congregation stares upwards at me and gazes made of iron devotion all agree. The chief says, “Of course...Nox.”
“Oh and no telling anyone I have the power, or acting out whenever we get to Tauss. Plus you will all go to school, and get jobs. I’ll remind you of all this later, so no worries. The prophet is going to lead you all to a better life. I promise.” I say.
They stare silently as I repeat, “Do you understand?”
“Of course...” the old man says.
The people stand up and I throw my arm above my head towards where we are headed. I begin the long walk home through the dark woods...