PART 4

Ian and Raguel walked among the merchants and the people of the Dunes. Bathed in moonlight, children ran and chased each other down narrow lanes in between fruit stalls and ceramic wares.

Fruits! Out in the open! Ian wondered how the power of the Triune Jewel made it possible to grow fruits outside. In the floating city, crops were grown in carefully sealed indoor hydrofarms meticulously cared for by the scientists of the Elysian Fields. Food there was strictly rationed and counted. No commerce existed in the Elysian Empire. Everything was controlled and monitored by the government. Here fruits and foodstuffs were casually handed out, bartered, and even haggled over!

“It is quite a sight is it not?” Raguel remarked. “I know I am not supposed to pick favorites, but the people of the Dunes are quite frankly the most enjoyable lot. Orus lets the people and the country grow and evolve on its own. Life here is very laid back and free flowing. Much like the mighty river that runs through this desert plain, the Amanile River, its people ride through the current of time, making the most of each day as much as possible.

Ian could only nod in agreement. He can remember now how life was back in the floating city. The strict schedule, the streets watched over by vigilant soldiers, it was a different life. He also spent time studying about the Far Eastern Kingdom during his Centurion training. The East was mystical and also very set in its ways. And though it was not militaristic, the Kingdom was never as open as the Dunes were.

“What about Magus, what can you tell me about the Triune Object he has?” Ian asked.

“Magus has what we call the Triune Mirror. It enables him to store and recall vast amounts of knowledge from the past. The Mirror also has the ability to gaze far into the world, allowing him to see into places and people that are physically beyond his reach.”

“Wow, that is some crazy power” Ian replied.

“It is very significant.” Raguel answered. “But Magus is…a meticulous and careful person. Despite being open to trade and a few interactions with other communities, he has ensured that the Eastern Kingdom be free from outside influence or meddling. The people there have set their traditions and ideals in stone, taking to heart the legacy that their eastern ancestors left behind thousands of years ago before them.”

Ian grabbed the angel’s arm. They stopped in the middle of a little clearing overlooking the river that runs through the Dunes. The water flowed endlessly. It was a large and long body of water, miraculously placed in the middle of an arid desert. two small ports were constructed on the opposite banks of the water. There was a thick, long rope across the 20 meters of river. Some men used this to help guide the boats across to ferry some supplies to and fro.

“Hold on, back on top of the Pyramid, you said that I was to be the savior of the world, what did you mean?” Ian puzzled.

“The answer to that is simple my young friend. As I told you, the powers that be decided that they should intercede to save this world. And in doing so, created elements for the world to be saved. The three god-kings, or the Trinity Primes as they were called by the Divine, were given powerful artifacts to empower them to create new civilizations and thus pave the way for a brighter future for humanity. But, an insurance policy was also established in case the god-kings and their powers were not enough. The Prophecy talked of a new human, a perfect human, that would roam the world. This person was destined to learn of the new world, and thus judge whether the new world could ensure humanity’s positive survival. If this new being deems it so, the person could collect all Three Triune Objects and rewrite current history to remake the world in how it should be. See Ian, you are this person. You were made so that you can create a new world free from all the pain that humans have been suffering for millennia.”

“Hold on.” Ian answered. “I have the power to erase all this?” Ian raised his arms and pointed to the land surrounding him. The sands, the children running around, the merchant stalls, and the Great Pyramid.

“I’m not a savior? I’m a destroyer!” Ian gasped.

The angel Raguel looked fondly at the bewildered young man. He placed his arms on Ian’s shoulders.

“That fate lies in you. That is what you were made to endure, to make decisions that no other man or woman can. You have the strength of the gods, but you have a mortal’s heart and mind. You had the unique opportunity that no other deity has experienced before. You were born in the world as a mortal, you had the time to witness the world, walk in it, live in it, like no other divine being has, and see for yourself, what the best hope for humanity is. See the gods-kings are tied to their Triune Objects. They cannot venture far without them. Their power is the objects’ power. That is why they stay in the confines of their temples, their pyramids, or their castles. They watch over their lands, but they do not traverse the world like you, or I, or the people do. They do not know the world as soldiers, or merchants, or as travelers. They came here to build and to rule, but you were meant to live and to experience life. To see how it is and how it should be. See, the perfect human is not the one that is most like the gods, but someone who is like a god but chooses to be human instead. It is not the power of the gods that will save humanity, but humanity itself.”

The waves of the mighty river crashed on the banks. Ian’s thoughts crashed like those waves. This was just too much to take in. once upon a time, he was just a soldier. Someone who took orders and followed without question. His duties were only to train and carry out missions. Never in his wildest dreams did he think that the fate of the entire world would be in his highly incapable and unready hands.

Ian staggered to reply. “I, um…I don’t know what to say to all of this.”

Raguel laughed. ”Ha! And that is the perfect answer my friend! Sometimes saying you do not know something is the wisest thing to say! I would be afraid of someone who says they knew everything eh? Come on, there is still lots more to learn and see. Let’s take it one day at a time.”

They turned around when they heard the thump of hooves on the sand. Two horses were pulling a gilded chariot behind them. And steering the mounts was the god-pharoah of the Ancient Dunes…Orus.

“Hello my friends!” Greeted the newly arrived monarch. “Taking a lovely stroll on this lovely evening on the lovely shore of the Amanile River eh? It is such a wonderful time to be out and about. The moon is full, the sky is clear of clouds, and you Ian! Such a beautiful lad walking in my beautiful lands!”

“Greetings my pharaoh.” Raguel bowed. Ian did the same.

Orus leapt from the chariot and landed on the sand as smooth as a serpent. “Alright alright, enough of the pleasantries, you two had time to talk yes? Did dear old Raguel bore you to death with his tales of prophecies and salvation? He likes doing that you know! But before you continue, I have arranged a small celebration for my guests! Come! Come! Up the chariot and we will ride to the party!”

Ian through a puzzled look at Raguel. The angel only smiled.

“Of course my lord, we are humbled by your invitation. After you.”

They all climbed on the chariot. Orus whipped the horses and they galloped back towards the Great Pyramid!

“Off we go! We are going to have so much fun!” Orus exclaimed