Auspice of the Desert by: Pent Ghelsburg
Disclaimer: All characters in this story are fictional. They are my creation and intellectual property. Any resemblance to persons living or dead is purely a coincidence. They are not many to resemble anyone else's characters. This piece contains underaged characters. Some details have been fictionalized for simplicity sakes. You have been warned.
The grand visage of sands lay in the distance. A sea of floating grains scatter along with what little wind rolled through the area. Travelers on caravans trek across the vast deserts of the Sahara. The sun overhead burns brightly, making the sand even hotter than it already was. Some camels stopped at an oasis where they parched their thirst in the lukewarm water. Trees cover the area around the oasis, offering some shade from the otherwise unforgiving sun.
A young teen looked out from his canopy, dragged ever onward by his Arabian steed. His face was covered by the wrappings of his turban, which protected his face from any sudden gusts that picked up in the area. He held the reigns in his paw, and the horse beneath him continued to trot at a slow pace. It was midday, the most unforgiving part of the afternoon when he knew he couldn’t push the beast of burden anything beyond a leisure speed.
Miraj looked into the beyond and saw naught but the sands before him. The oasis seemed like a welcome sight for sore eyes. The rabbit steered his reins over so that the horse made its way over to the more lively area. As he approached some of the wild animals nearby eyed him and scattered. Only the local camels paid him no heed and continued sipping water from the reservoir.
Miraj felt an immediate sense of relief once he entered under the foliage of nearby palms. He unwrapped his turban to allow himself more of a chance to breathe fresh air. The air was somewhat stagnant but it was more refreshing than breathing from his cloth. The pooka took a deep breath and dismounted from his horse, once it was going slow enough as to not injure himself.
The horse continued its way to the pond without worrying about its master. Miraj followed to the side of the small pool of water. Some of the nearby wildlife that remained eyed him warily. He got close enough to the basin and crouched down so he could gather up some water in his hands. The pooka washed his face and then followed up by walking back to the horse to grab his water bag.
Miraj knew he couldn’t trust drinking the water here unless he boiled it. He snatched his waterskin and drank from it. Wetting his whistle was always something he enjoyed, especially in the middle of the desert. He grabbed a small kettle from his horse satchel and headed back to the small pond. The rabbit filled it up with water and looked inside. At first look, it didn’t seem to be dirty but he knew better than to judge it based on appearance alone.
The teen grabbed some nearby broken branches and arranged them so that they were all together in a bundle. He saw some remnants of dead plants nearby and gathered them so they could act as tinder for the burn. Miraj reached into his pocket and grabbed the piece of flint he kept for such an occasion. The rabbit began striking the flint against a stone to generate a spark. Each time he did so, the flint didn’t catch ablaze.
It took a few tries but eventually, he got it to light. Miraj picked up the waterskin with some sticks before sticking it into the flame. The small fire waved back and forth as he held with the kettle overtop of it. The water inside began to heat up to a boil. He allowed it to keep for a few moments before considering putting it out. It was still mid-day and there likely weren’t any other spots like this one nearby. He still had a ways to go before the labyrinth, or at least he thought.
He wasn’t too sure how much progress he made. All he knew is that he’d been traveling for a few days. Even keeping track of that was difficult as everything seemed to blend. He placed the canteen on the floor, allowing it to cool while he stepped on the fire he just created. It wasn’t a very big pit so putting it out didn’t require much effort. Miraj sat down and took a load off while waiting for it to cool before pouring it into his skin to refresh and fill it up.
The pooka was just about ready to go now. Looking over at his horse, the beast of burden seemed to be done with drinking. Miraj wrapped his face once again and took his canteen over to where his steed was waiting for him. He mounted the horse and slapped the reign just once, to signal that he was ready to ride off into the distance. They made their way out of the oasis and back into the vast emptiness of the desert environment.
The moment they did, the wind picked up from behind them. Miraj was glad that it was not deterring their progress. The pair continued to trot along until the oasis was well behind them. Had they looked behind them, they would not have been able to see the site due to the sand flying around up behind them. The rabbit pulled out a small compass from his pocket to determine his direction.
Looking at it the spinning arrow showed that he was going West. The oracle had told him he’d find the labyrinth in the far west but that there would be some indication of whether he was going in the right direction or not. Yet Miraj had seen nothing out of the ordinary just yet. The rabbit tarried onward in the distance, ever hopeful that he would find something that would give him hope.
The pooka carried on for a while, only the hunger in his belly reminding him of the passing time. However, he knew he could not stop until he found shelter. As the sun began to set and a rouge color light plastered over the land, Miraj could see a faint figure in the distance. It was the first time he had seen anything since the Oasis and he quickly kicked the horse into gear. The beast picked up the pace and soon the dust of the sands of the Sahara was blasting against his face again.
Yet, he knew he could not tarry long. It often got cold at night and he needed to find shelter to weather any storm that might pass through. As he got closer to the figure, he saw that it was an obelisk looking over what seemed to be a pit in the otherwise flat sand. He continued ever onward until he was near enough that he could make out the pillar itself. A black obsidian tower that spiked at the top. Looking around it appeared to be the only fixture around.
Miraj got close enough to examine it, running his paw up and down the side closest to him. As he touched it, he found some indentations that resembled Arabic. He knew the language well but it was too dark to make anything out. Suddenly he heard a pop and the nearby rattling of stone. He looked around him and from what he could see the sand seemed to be shifting. Keeping his cool, he kept ahold of the pillar hoping that it might offer him some stability.
The sands around him continued to rumble and shift under his feet. It was as if he was experiencing a miniature earthquake, even if they were uncommon in this part of the world. Once it settled down, Miraj noticed there was a slight decline in the sand underneath his feet now. Looking as far as he could see, he could barely make out an opening in the sand that seemed to resemble a door.
He trod forward, taking slow and careful steps to not slip down the decline leaning to the opening. Fortunately, the moon above offered him some light or he might not have been able to see where he was going. The Pooka was able to make his way down without falling and looked into the entrance. Only the opening itself was lit enough for him to see and he contemplated going inside for a moment.
As he was standing there idly the sands began to fill in from behind him. Miraj figured he didn’t have long to act, he either had to go in or climb back out. The door in front of him began to squeak and rattle. Without another thought, he rushed inside. In mere moments the door shut behind him, leaving him in the dark as he stood there at a loss for what to do next. The teen reached around searching for anything he could use to create a torch.
Yet, there was not on the stone paneled floor except sand. He felt very stupid about his decision now to come inside but he knew he had to press on somehow. Miraj touched the floor until it led up to the wall and followed it up. He reached to his left and right to verify where the door was. Once he verified where it was he began to shuffle his way in the opposite direction while maintaining his touch against the wall.
He continued tarrying his way forward until he was forced to turn. On a few occasions, he ran into a wall but he was going slow enough that it didn’t cause him any injury. Miraj still had no idea where he was or where he was going but knew he couldn’t just stand around and wait. As he was walking he overheard the sounds of stone scraping against each other. A moment later and the Pooka felt himself falling as the wind rushed by him in an upward fashion.
He felt his insides leap inside of him. The sudden sensation of feeling and nausea that came with it rocked his very core. He looked below him and could make out a faint blue light, the first time he’d seen any illumination since he had entered the place. Before long his body catapulted into a body of water and he completely submerged under it for a few moments. Miraj struggled for a second before bringing himself to the surface.
He emerged and spit out some water from his maw and opened his eyes. The same light blue light now surrounded him and it took him a moment for his eyes to readjust after being in the dark for a while. Miraj looked above him and realized he could only see as far as the blue light extended. From what he could see it seemed to be the inner core of whatever building he had entered. Looking back ahead of him, he could see there was a canal that led forward.
Miraj was already soaking wet so the matter of swimming through it didn’t bother him. He began pulling himself forward, keeping a brisk pace as he was glad to be seeing his progress for the first time in a while. He continued swimming for a few minutes, the physical activity not taxing him since he had been sitting on horseback all
day. He stopped for a moment to catch his breath, looking up at the ceiling again seeing only the concave structure of the path that was leading him forward.
Miraj continued to swim forward again, hopeful that it would lead somewhere. Every so often he would stop to see if he could notice any difference in where he was. Yet it continued to carry on. He looked around once again. Nothing seemed to have changed. He panned his head downward and looked at the water. It was still and lifeless despite him treading in it. A thought came to mind, what if he were to dive under the water? He wasn’t sure how deep it was but he knew he had to try something different.
Miraj took a deep breath and dove under the water. It was too murky to see much but the blue light itself. He breast stroked a few times to carry him further into the deep, wondering how far it went. It wasn’t long before his hand reached the floor, touching proved nothing more than it is just as stony as what was above him. Using the floor to spring back above, he brought himself to the water's surface. He caught his breath and rubbed his eyes to get rid of the water that had collected there.
When he could see again, what he saw was surprising. No longer was the concave ceiling above him. Instead, he found himself in a room where the canal came to an end. Miraj found himself able to stand up with ease now as he brought himself to the shore. He shook his fur as he stood on the mostly dry ground once again. He looked before him and saw what looked to be a door. Torches sat on both sides of it, better illuminating the area.
All around him he could see inscriptions. He got close enough to the engravings so he could try to read them but they seemed like hieroglyphs. He had never learned to make out the long-dead language but knew all too well what they looked like. Nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary as he continued to examine what was around him. He repeated the same with the opposite side of the room.
He looked at the door, which appeared to him to be made out of sandstone, unlike the area around him which seemed to be more of a natural earthen design. It was smooth and there was nothing to distinguish where it should open. Miraj stepped back and looked at the door from afar. Nothing seemed to stand out from what he could see. He approached it once more to grab one of the torches.
The moment he pulled down on the torch, the sound of scraping rocks resounded through the chamber. The torch detached rather easily, revealing a small lever behind it. Miraj felt the warmth emanate from the torch as he held it in his paw. A stone panel slid to the side, showing that a narrow passage was behind it. The pooka began to press on into the passage once the door had stopped moving.
Inside the pathway, some water dripped down from the ceiling onto the floor below. The sound of water dropping echoed through the chamber. Miraj held the torch in front of him to illuminate the otherwise dark path. His body and clothing were still soaked so the extra water falling on him didn’t bother him as much as it might have otherwise. His stomach rumbled, reminding him that he hadn’t eaten in some time.
Miraj knew he would have to stop and eat at some point but figured this wasn’t the best place to do it. He continued walking down the path and looked behind him. It was too dark to determine how much distance he’d made. The pooka tarried on even still, bringing himself down the hall until he finally reached its end. A stone wall stood in front of him. Panning the torch around, he looked for any signs of entry through it or some other trap.
He reached forward to touch the wall in front of him. His paw seemed to go right through it. Slowly he took a single step forward and sure enough his leg had no issue either. The rabbit smirked as he walked through the illusion to the other side. The darkness he had been surrounded by was now replaced by a warm light that emanated from a large room in front of him. He continued holding the torch even despite that, taking it to a nearby table that had already been prearranged in front of him.
Miraj was certain this had to be another trick. In front of him lay a huge feast, fit for a prince. All sorts of sundries lay on some of the finest porcelain plates that he’d seen since the inner city of Karbad. He reached out to touch it and the large slab of ham did not seem to be just as firm as any other slice of meat that he’d feasted on. A single chair lay at the head of the table with an empty plate in front of it. It was as if he was being invited to a feast.
The rabbit contemplated his options for a moment and placed his paw on some leafy greens to see if they were just as tangible as the flesh. The salad was wet to the touch and seemed cold as if had been chilled recently. He picked up a single leaf of it and brought it to his mouth to taste it. It tasted just as any leaf of lettuce might and he nibbled on it a second while contemplating what to do.
The second resounding of his rumbling stomach made up his mind rather quickly. He tossed the torch on the floor, not worried about it catching fire since the room was just as earthen as the rest of the complex. He took a seat in the huge chair, which was much big than himself. His body sunk in the stone furnishing, kneeling up so he could reach the table. It felt much bigger than it had looked from afar. Leaning in he took a whiff of the food in front of him. It smelt rich and it only made him even more hungry.
Miraj saw no utensils and reached in to grab some fresh greenery that he found sitting near a corner of the feast. Upon tasting it, he found that the salad had been slathered in dressing. It resembled something close to Vinegarette but despite the heavy amount of it, the pooka did not hesitate in gorging upon it. He was much too hungry to care. He continued chowing down on the salad, looking around for something to wash it down with but seeing no beverage.
Fortunately for him, the greens had been washed beforehand and the water was helping with consuming them. Miraj ate more than he normally did as it had been a while since he had anything to eat. When his hunger was finally settled, he looked at the food in front of it. The stuff that had been cooked was still steaming with fumes. He couldn’t help but wonder who had made all of it since it seemed so fresh.
He picked himself up from the chair and staggered for a moment. He had overeaten and contemplated allowing his food to settle for a moment. He looked over in the corner and noticed a fire pit arranged behind some bricks that opened up to a stone exhaust behind it. Miraj approached it and looked at it. It looked like any old fire pit but the amount of wood at the base of him told him it had been stoked recently.
Suddenly Miraj overheard the tapping of footsteps echoing through the chamber. With each passing second, they grew louder. The Pooka assumed that whatever was coming his way and made a quick motion back in the way he came. Yet looking that way showed nothing but a wall. He saw no sign of any fracture in it to indicate a way out. He looked back the other way, hearing the footsteps still growing ever louder.
Panic began to set in as Miraj contemplated what to do. He knew he couldn’t go the other way since that was likely where the sound was coming from. He looked at the table again, considering which options he had for dousing the fire. The teen figured he could climb up the smoke stack if he could put out the flame at the bottom of it. Miraj quickly
Padded over and grabbed a canister of salt, figuring it to be the best chance he had of it not making the fire any stronger.
The steps now echoed as if in the next room after. Miraj knew he had to act fast or he would be caught. He spread the salt all over the fire, which put the flame out without issue. The rabbit hopped in, hoping the chimney stock was narrow enough for him to carry his way up. The bottom of the stock was hot, and singed his clothing a bit but luckily not enough to scorch through it. Using the force of his back legs he wedged his way up the stock. Just as he was halfway, he heard an unfamiliar voice.
“I thought I stoked the fire before I left?” Miraj knew this meant he had to get out of the tight space he was in or he would likely be burned.
Miraj continued to hop his way up the chimney stock until he reached the top. The square spill let out into another room that smelt of smoke and soot. The pooka choked and coughed feeling as if he was being suffocated from the lack of oxygen in the area. He covered his eyes with one arm and with the other he extended it out and began to walk in a straight line. He had no idea where he was going but the congestion of smoke did not make it easy for him to carry on.
The teen continued struggling through the thick smoke, coughing and choking as his lungs continued to fill with carbon monoxide. It wasn't long before he couldn’t carry on any further. His body dropped to the floor, passed out from the lack of oxygen. Yet, he hadn’t passed. He lay in an unconscious state, motionless on the ground. His constant choking had alerted the keeper of the place. The same person who had stoked the fire below was now on their way to the floor above.
The vanguard's chains clanged as they dragged them down the halls leading to the upper floor. Bringing itself to the uppermost level, where they opened the door allowing the ash and soot of the chimney to release. It had been a while since it had been cleaned and they had all but forgotten about it. The person saw the disheveled pooka, whose body was covered in soot from his climb up, on the floor.
They rushed in and squinted their eyes as they lurched forward to grab the motionless body. The pooka was easy enough for them to lift over their shoulder, bringing the teen
back into an area that wasn’t as tarnished by soot. The elderly man touched the rabbit on its stomach, the creature seemed to still be breathing. It had been some time since the vanguard had a visitor and he wasn’t about to allow this one to perish.
The kind elderly man took the rabbit into a room where he could be cared for, placing the teen onto a flat surface made from granite. The teen fidgeted as the vanguard stepped away to grab a wet rag. Taking the small cloth he soaked it in water before bringing it back over to his charge and dragging it over the boy's forehead. It didn’t take long before the Pooka came around, gasping as he expected to still be in the same soot-filled room as before.
“Relax, boy. You’re out of the chimney room now.” The man tried to calm his charge.
Miraj looked over him and a human man overlooked him. It wasn’t very often that humans treated furs in this way and he was still a little wary of it. He remained silent for the time being.
“What brought you to this edge of the desert? It’s not every day I get visitors.” The vanguard's voice was cracking and hoarse from age.
Miraj hesitated before he answered. “I ended up here by mistake, kind of.”
“Mistake? Why would you enter this forsaken temple?” The man removed the wet reg and grabbed a glass of water to offer the boy.
The rabbit sat up to drink the water, immediately feeling better. “Temple? I had no idea what this place was when I entered it.”
“Well, you are in the labyrinth of Karbad.” The man sat down in a chair, having some difficulty in doing so.
The mention of the forbidden god startled Miraj, yet this was where he needed to be. “I need your aid. I have come here for the Ankh of Paskar.”
“Oh? But did you not just say you happened upon this place by accident? Now you have a purpose here?” The older male leaned back in his chair, trying to relax.
Miraj crossed his arms defensively. “Well, yes. I didn’t know that is where I am. The Oracle sent me to retrieve the Ankh.”
“I see and why would they want that cursed item?” The man hummed as he listened to the teen change his story.
The pooka hopped off the table and stood up. “She never mentioned. How is it cursed?”
“Have you not heard the tales of the treasures of Akbar? Do you not recall that the Ankh was the one she did not retrieve?” The human fiddled his fingers in a wave, seeming deep in thought.
Miraj rolled his eyes. “Those are children’s tales. Akbar is the stuff of legend and so are her treasures.”
“Oh is she now and what if I told you she condemned me to this place because I did not give her the Ankh? What would you say to that?” The man leaned forward staring intently at the rabbit.
Miraj bit his tongue and did not answer. The man seemed earnest in his words and he knew not how to respond.
“Cat got your tongue, boy? Out with it.” The vanguard picked himself up from the chair easily, no longer to be as weighed down by the age that shackled him only moments ago.
The rabbit wished he could take back his words now. He tried speaking to carry on the conversation yet no words came out. He looked at the man whose eyes burned with fury. The elderly man lurched forward as if to grab the teen. Miraj lept out of the way just in time to watch the figure of the vanguard fade into the shadows.
“Leave this place boy. I will not aid you with this task. Never come back. I will not warn you again.” The man’s hoarse voice echoed through the room.
Miraj looked around and saw no signs of the man who helped him. He was at a loss for what to do. He knew all too well where he was and he wasn’t about to leave empty-handed. Yet, he had no idea where he was and his experience in the labyrinth had been naught but setbacks so far. He tossed the cup on the floor, causing a shattering of the clay before looking around to plot his next course of action.
The Pooka saw only one exit from the room, figuring it was his only route out. He made his way through the hall, which was a much more narrow area than the one he came from. The ceiling seemed low compared to what he had just come from. As he continued walking, he realized that the space was getting tighter. He looked behind him and the walls seemed to have shifted as he walked forward.
He remained still for a moment, examining his surroundings. The wall didn’t seem to be moving any further. Taking a few more steps forward, he noticed the corridor became even more narrow. He stopped once again and considered what he could do. Looking around showed no signs of something that was triggering the motion. The floor and ceiling looked the same in make and design.
He tapped his foot on one of the tiles. Some of the dust that had built up over time picked up and clouded around his foot. One of the tiles seemed indented so he tried applying pressure on that one. The moment he did so, the floor underneath him gave out allowing his body to catapult downward onto a shoot. Miraj felt a rush of wind push back his fur as he raced down a sloping path, rolling back and forth.
Miraj couldn’t help but smile as he continued to descend what his mind considered a slide. The ride ended before long with his body making muffled thuds on a pile of sand that had collected at the end of it. In front of him, he could make out a small pedestal of bronze standing before him at the center of some stairs. A platform leading to it, making it all seem rather convenient.
He picked himself up and made his way to the pedestal. The amount of dirt led to it in an uphill fashion but the rise wasn’t aggressive enough to deter his progress. Once he was close enough to the pedestal to look at it, he could see similar symbols to the one he’d seen outside the place. Miraj reached out to touch it. The moment his furry digit touched the obsidian structure it rumbled and began to descend.
The floor beneath him trembled as Miraj was certain he was about to be dropped to an even lower. He ran off the mound of sand and watched as the earthen soil began to fall off and reveal some stone structures arising from concealment. After a few moments, the pillar was completely gone, replaced by a stone platform with some stairs leading up to it. The rumbling had ceased so the Pooka made slow methodical movements up to the top of it.
When he reached the leveled-off area of it, he looked over it. It seemed like just the base of something but it was connected to nothing. The stone bricks all looked the same, so Miraj bent over to get a closer look at them. Unlike the pillar itself, there were no inscriptions scribbled on it. Running his paw over it, further proved that the panels were smooth. Only the small layer of sand over it tarnished the surface.
As he was guiding his hand over it, he noticed what felt like a thin rope run through the ends of his fingers. He kept his hand right over it, pinching the strand of rope with two of his fingers. Sure enough, the thing budged from the ground as he shifted his grip. He rose his hand and watched as the rope emerged from the earthen soil. The strand came to an end before long, revealing what looked like an Ankh.
A new hope kindled inside him as he smirked. Was this what he was looking for? He looked at it. The medallion at the end of the chain looked like nothing special. It seemed bronze in make and appeared to have some rust on it. He flipped it around to look at both sides to see if he noticed anything on it. Sure enough, the insignia of Paskar was on the backside of it. He smirked before the item and looked around, wondering how he might get out of the room he was in.
The room was almost entirely sealed in except where he had fallen in. He saw no evident way of getting out. He wondered how he might escape his situation. He had no idea how far he was from an exit or even how long he’d been there. He sat down on the platform, considering how he would get out of the place he was in. He closed his eyes for a moment, taking a quick break to renew his spirits.
As he sat there idly, he ran through ideas in his head of what he could attempt to get out. Climbing up the walls seemed the most realistic but he knew he had no hardware to pull himself aloft. He felt a little lightheaded as he sat there thinking about it despite his thoughts being consumed by the want of freedom. He reopened his eyes once more and after his eyes refocused, he found himself in an all too familiar place.
Miraj looked around in disbelief. The sunken sands of the desert were all around him. It was now the daytime, which meant he had to have been there overnight at the very least. Only the pillar of obsidian stood out on the horizon. The pooka pinched himself to make sure he wasn’t imagining things. How had he gotten out so easily? There was no sign of the labyrinth either. He walked up to the pillar once more, running his hand across it as he had done before. However this time no movement was elicited behind him.
The thought of hallucination ran through his mind. Had he imagined the entire ordeal? The teen reached into his pocket to see if the necklace was still there. Sure enough, the string dangled against the hem of his left pocket. Miraj grabbed onto it and lifted it out. The trinket on the end of the string was still there. He looked at it closely again and saw no signs of the symbol of Paskar. Instead, an Arabic inscription of the number one was there.
He knew not what it meant and shoved the thing back into his pocket. Surely the Oracle would have to know what it meant. After all, she was the one who had requested the item. He gazed across the desert, looking for his trusty steed. Yet the beast could not be seen anywhere in sight. He assumed the thing had to of trot off in his absence. A rumble in his stomach reminded him that he had not eaten since the last night.
He had been keeping his supplies in the horse's satchel so now with that gone he
was without provisions. Miraj looked into the beyond once again to see if he saw any signs of civilization. All he could see was the long expanse of sand and visible heat waving in the distance. He considered his options once again. He still had no idea where he was and he was unsure what to do.
Then a thought occurred to him. What if the medallion had extracted him from the labyrinth? He reached his paw into his pocket and felt around for it. He recalled what he had done before, closing his eyes and thinking only of going home. He allowed the desire to fill the entirety of his thoughts. His head felt lightheaded again as the sounds and smells of the Bazaar began to fill his senses.
He opened his eyes to find himself at the center of town. He looked upward at the towering dome of the mosque which was the only landmark the place had to distinguish it from any of the other small towns that surrounded it. Miraj reached in his pocket, certain that the medallion he now had on him had some magic power to it. He looked at it, spinning it around to note that an Arabic two had replaced the one.
Miraj pocketed the thing once more, considering if the object was keeping track of his wishes. It all seemed to resemble the lamp from the tales of the Treasure of Akbar. He knew he had to bring it to the Oracle. However, a rumble in his stomach reminded him that he was still hungry. The rabbit made his way over to a nearby stall, forgetting all about the fact that he had no form of payment.
The person who stationed the food cart was one he was familiar with. It was an old serpent who was way past the age of her prime. Her voice was raspy and she was often hard to understand.
“Ah, hello Child. Have you come for the usual?” She recognized the Pooka from afar as he was one of her regulars.
Miraj nodded and reached into his pocket, forgetting that his coin pouch was still on his horse. “Oh, it seems I am without coin… never mind.”
The rabbit's stomach churned rather loudly.
“No worries, child. This one is on the house.” She smiled at him and handed over a veggie falafel.
Miraj smiled at her. “Thanks! I’ll make sure to send you some more clients.”
“I know you will, so don’t worry about it.” She shut the metal panel that covered the tray that kept the dishes warm.
The rabbit made rather short work of the small meal. It was warm but not hot enough to burn his mouth. It was more than enough to sate his hunger. He wandered over to one of the public water spaces to wet his whistle, taking a few extra seconds to wash his face of the sand that had collected in his fur. Already he was more relaxed than he had been previously. Now he could finish the task at hand, then he could finally see himself home.
Miraj made his way back to the Oracle’s temple at the edge of town. The hanging gardens were visible from most places in town. He made his way towards it, fingering the little trinket in his pocket. It didn’t take him long to get there. The familiar stairs up the various platforms of the structure reminded him of how tall it was. His legs were already tired enough from the journey but still, he pressed on and continued his way up the ramp.
He finally arrived at the pinnacle and shielded his eyes against the sun, which had a very little clouded obstruction in the sky. The familiar woman was waiting for him underneath a cloth awning near the fountain at the center of the structure. Once she saw him approaching her, she came out from under her protective cover to greet him.
“Back so soon? Have you accomplished the task I set for you?” She asked with a smile on her face.
Miraj nodded and reached into his pocket to find that the little medallion had vanished. “What…? It was right…”
“Ah, I see.” The oracle had summoned the medallion to her hand.
Miraj sighed in relief and looked up to see her holding the medallion. He wasn’t sure how she had gotten it but it didn’t matter.
“You have done well. You are dismissed.” The woman turned around without so much as even a thank you.
The Pooka hesitated a moment before inquiring as to his reward but before he could speak she interrupted him.
“You can come tomorrow for that. It has been a long day and you need rest. I need to study this artifact.” The woman walked away and faded into the distance without another word.
Miraj figured he would be rewarded tomorrow. He felt odd that she hadn’t even asked about his journey. She had been rather short with him in comparison to normal. The pooka shrugged and decided to not let it bother him.
The rest of the night came to pass like nothing special. Miraj only went out of his way to pay back the stallkeeper so the matter didn’t bother him anymore. He didn’t like feeling in debt to anyone, especially someone so nice to him. When that was finally taken care of he returned to his home to find it just as he had left it. The thought of his horse came to his mind but he decided that he would just have to let the beast of burden go as there was little hope of recovering it in the vast expanse of the desert.
Once Miraj washed and retired to bed, it wasn’t long before he fell asleep. It had been a tiring last few days and he hadn’t had much good sleep during his expedition. No dreams visited him that night and he was greeted by the morning sunlight the next day. The Pooka knew he had to visit the Oracle once more to see what new task she would have for him. He redressed himself and grabbed only a small bite of fruit to eat before heading out the door.
At the temple of the Oracle, there was a small group of people gathered around. It wasn’t every day that the hanging gardens got visitors as many people thought the place was off limits. As he was passing by Miraj overheard one of the patron's words being uttered despite it being kept in what they considered a hushed tone.
“I heard she passed in her sleep…”
Miraj’s heart skipped a beat a moment. Had the Oracle come to pass? He rushed up the stairs of the hanging gardens as he had many times in the past. At the pinnacle of the structure, he noted that the skies overtop were clouded. Perhaps an omen, he thought to himself. Some people were crowded under the awning where the Oracle usually greeted him. A guard stopped him just as he came within a more personable distance of them.
The guard informed him of the Oracle’s death from the previous knight. Once Miraj told the man who he was, he brought him to the vizier who was overseeing the matter. The tall woman was also the Imam at the Mosque and had been charged by the Sultan to oversee the hanging gardens.
“Are you the young augur under the oracle's auspice?” The lithe snake had piercing eyes that looked deep into the young teen's soul.
Just as Miraj was about to speak he was interrupted by her. “I see, well her charge is your own now. I hope you are ready for this responsibility. She spoke rather highly of you.
Miraj stood stunned trying to take in the words as they were spoken to him. The tall reptile woman handed him a robe.
“You will ascend on the morrow. Meet here at sunrise so we can continue the rite of passage. For now, leave me. I have to tend to the body.” She shooed him off with a wave of her hand.
Miraj was shown away by the same guard who had taken him there. Left only with his thoughts. Was he really to become the Oracle? He didn’t even recall being selected as her successor. Many thoughts ran through his head but he knew not what to make of it. He slowly walked back down the stairs wondering…was he ready for this? Was this something he wanted? He wasn’t sure he even had a choice…
