Chapter 30
Nahlah
Awakened in the dead of night by a melody as soft as a whisper, I sat upright, disoriented. The camp was quiet, with Rami and Huriyah sleeping soundly nearby, undisturbed by the tune that had stirred me. Compelled by its haunting pull, I rose, my feet moving of their own accord.
As I passed Rami’s bedroll, he jolted awake, sitting up in alarm. “Nahlah?” His voice was rough with sleep, yet sharp with concern. “What’re you doing?” he asked, swiftly rising. His words felt distant, as though we were underwater, and I frowned. What was I doing?I opened my mouth to answer him when the melody pulled at me more urgently, causing me to turn immediately, needing to reach the source.Rami cursed, grasping my arm and pulling me back sharply. “Nahlah!” The sudden contact broke the song’s spell, and I blinked rapidly, meeting his worried gaze.
“What?” I asked in confusion.
“What are you doing?” he repeated, his eyes scanning the dark anxiously.
“Do you hear that?” I asked, the melody reaching a crescendo. With his touch grounding me, I managed to resist its allure, even as it lingered in the air.
He paused, tilting his head as if filtering through the night sounds. After a moment, he nodded. “Yes. It sounds like music and singing, but I can’t make out the words.”
I frowned, the enchanting chorus beckoning me forward. “Should we follow it?”
He hesitated; his bottom lip caught between his teeth. “It seems risky.”
“It might be important,” I countered. “It could be the dunes themselves whispering to us.”
“It could,” he agreed. “Or it could be a trap.”
“We won’t know unless we check,” I insisted.
“Nahlah,” he sighed. “Our destination isn’t on any map and we’re relying on a tale for directions. It seems foolish to just go off into the night.”
His point was valid, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that I needed to find the source of the sound. “Is there a way you can keep the wards up while we investigate?” I asked hopefully. “Like during the elemental storm?”
“I can,” he nodded reluctantly, glancing over at the still-sleeping Huriyah. “But I would feel safer leaving him here.”
“You can manage two wards at once?” I asked in surprise. Beings of immense power typically managed such a feat, not elemental fae.
“I can maintain them as long as the one around us is small. It will still offer protection, but for it to be truly effective, we’ll need to maintain skin-to-skin contact.”
”Okay!” I agreed, hurrying to pull on my boots before securing my satchel across my chest.
“Do you have the elemental dagger?” he asked, conjuring a canteen and handing it over.
“Yes,” I confirmed, patting the front pocket of my sirwaal.
“Good,” he nodded in approval before approaching Huriyah, who was snoring softly. Huriyah stirred as he patted his flank. “We need to check something, but I am keeping the wards up around you.” The horse chuffed in response, and Rami smiled. ”I’m sorry I woke you from a pleasant dream, but I didn’t want to leave without telling you.” Huriyah nickered, and Rami rubbed his neck fondly. ”Ready?” he asked, extending his hand toward me.
”Let”s go!”
As we stepped outside the wards hand-in-hand, a smaller barrier immediately slid over us, giving our skin a sparkling purple hue. “The wards won’t cover you if we break contact, so don’t let go,” he warned. ”I”m agreeing to investigate as long as we turn back at the slightest sign of danger.”
”Okay,” I agreed, squeezing his hand gently.
“Now, tell me the tale of the Whispering Dunes,” he requested. “I want to be prepared.”
THE WHISPERING DUNES
In a realm caressed by both sun and silence, legend spoke of an elusive sanctuary guarded by the Whispering Dunes—a vision of beautiful verdant life—that promised enlightenment to those deemed worthy.
The ever-shifting dunes were far from passive, challenging travelers with storms and shifting sands, testing their willingness to surrender control. Only those who embraced humility and trusted in the journey could understand their whispers and were led to the Oasis of Truth.
Among those called to this journey was a young seeker named Kaliya. Unlike others who sought wealth and power, she searched for answers to a past shrouded in darkness. Venturing through the desert, she held onto the hope that she would find what her heart desired most.
Though the dunes tested her resolve and strength with tempests and mirages, she continued bravely on her quest. It was only when she surrendered and followed without resistance that they guided her to the Oasis of Truth. There, the true test awaited her—a trial of self-reflection.
Confronted with her deepest fears and darkest memories, she grappled with her innermost doubts and regrets, facing head-on the self-saboteur that lived within her. Through facing these challenges, she gained unprecedented clarity and strength, breaking the chains that bound her to the past and kept her from claiming her future.With her spirit enlightened and her purpose clear, the sands, now silent observers, parted ways to reveal the path Kaliya sought.
Thus, the tale of the Whispering Dunes and the Oasis of Truth continue to whisper through time. It serves as a timeless echo for those who wander in search of not just what lies in the universe, but what lies deep within themselves.
“Hm,” Rami remarked thoughtfully as I finished recounting the tale.
“What?”
He glanced at me; his brow furrowed. “We’ve endured the storms, so that means that the dunes are calling us?”
“I think so,” I nodded. ”That”s why I want to investigate.”
“But are we willingly walking into danger?” he asked thoughtfully. “Kaliya had to face her fears somehow, Nahlah. From experience, I know that any trials dealing with ancient powers like the Heart of the Eternity are never easy. Even if it’s merely a test of the mind, we need to be prepared.”
“Do you have any idea what it could be?” I pressed. When his silence stretched a moment too long, a sense of unease crept over me. “Rami?”
He exhaled sharply. “There’s a legend that speaks of one where you must confront your inner saboteur. You essentially face every part of yourself, from the light to the dark and everything in between.”
”Literally, or figuratively?”
”Figuratively,” he said. ”But that doesn”t make it any less daunting.”
“I”m sure.” I glanced up at him, my stomach churning. ”And you think that’s what is waiting for us?”
He shrugged. “I can’t say for certain, but it’s the first thing that came to mind.”
“Hmm,” I murmured thoughtfully. We fell silent as we continued walking hand in hand, my mind racing through the possible scenarios we might encounter. When the melody rose in pitch, I mused, ”The tale didn’t mention a song. It only spoke of whispers.”
”That’s one reason I’m worried.”
“Legends and tales evolve, though,” I pointed out. “Maybe the original spoke of a song, but it changed over countless retellings?”
“Maybe. But melodies like this are often used to lure victims toward something.”
“Or to lure something toward us,” I added, the realization sending a shiver down my spine.
“We’ll be cautious,” he said comfortingly.
As the song began anew, as if restarting from the beginning, I could clearly hear the whispered singing, but couldn’t understand what was being said. ”Can you make out the words?”
“No, they’re speaking way too fast.”
“Really?” I frowned. “It sounds more like they are speaking in a lower murmur.”
“Huh, I suppose it makes sense it would be different for each individual. Especially if the trial focuses on confronting oneself.”
”That’s true,” I agreed. ”I can”t help but won—”
“Stop!” Rami’s stride faltered, bringing us both to a sudden halt. He looked up sharply, his expression tense. “Something’s not right.”
“What?” I asked, straining my eyes against the darkness.
He scanned the shifting sands, his body coiled as if expecting an attack. “I’m not sure,” he finally admitted, his uncertainty sending a wave of anxiety through me.
“Should we keep going?”
He nodded slowly, but a few steps later, he thrust out an arm, stopping me abruptly as a massive dune rose before us, stretching upward and outward at an alarming rate. We stumbled backward, attempting to retreat, when another expanded directly behind us, its crest looming like a wave poised to break. With quick reflexes, he pulled me against him, and we dodged out of the way just in time to avoid being swallowed.
“Let’s go!” Rami exclaimed, gripping my hand tighter as we started running, the surrounding dunes growing faster and faster.
“What do we do?!” I asked, my panic rising as I panted from exertion. No matter which way we turned, they continued to spring up and block our path. Again and again, we skidded to abrupt halts, constantly changing directions.
Rami pressed a hand to my hip, guiding me to turn with him. “We need to think differently,” he said, his gaze darting around frantically in search of an escape. But as quickly as we found openings, the sands shifted again, closing them off. Eventually, we found ourselves with nowhere left to run, the landscape trapping us.
“Look out!” I exclaimed, pointing behind him to where the sand was rapidly growing taller and taller. Faster than I could follow, he summoned a wooden spike into his hand, hurling it through the air. To my surprise, the dune exploded on impact, the sand drifting away harmlessly. “What happened?” I asked cautiously. ”Where did it go?”
“Mirages,” he murmured, slowly releasing me from his embrace. “Storms and mirages tested Kaliya. We’ve already faced the former; this is the latter.”
“Oh! That makes sense, but how do we know what’s real?” I asked, moving closer to him.
“Look for inconsistencies. Mirages often can’t replicate details perfectly—especially around the edges,” he instructed, flicking his wrist. A vine shot out, and as it pierced straight through a dune that erupted in a shower of sand, he gave me a quick, triumphant smile. “Use your dagger!”
For what felt like an eternity, we moved back-to-back; our efforts synchronized despite our clasped hands. Rami’s elemental weapons and my blade moved in a desperate rhythm, yet each time we struck through one mirage, two more formed in its wake.
“This isn’t working,” I panted, holding my side.“There are too many.”
“We’re still missing something,” he admitted, wiping sweat from his brow as he summoned a long stick, sending it flying backward over his shoulder.
“What should we do?” I asked, quickly jumping sideways as the sand we were standing on surged upwards.
”We have to do what we did during the storm—surrender control,” he grimaced, clearly displeased with the idea.
”You”re right,” I conceded. ”A common theme has been trusting...” I trailed off with a shriek, throwing my dagger straight through a dune that was an inch away from swallowing him.
“Shukran,” he breathed out as it exploded, quickly returning the weapon to my hand with a vine. “One of us needs to stay alert to keep the mirages at bay. The other should listen, and hopefully, it’ll guide us.”
“How should we do it?”
He didn’t take his eyes off me as he cast out his palm, a rush of stones shattering another encroaching dune. “It’ll be easier for me to handle them. You listen.”
“Okay,” I agreed, feeling the weight of responsibility settle on my shoulders.
“Don’t let go,” he reminded, offering a smile as he tightened his hold on my hand.