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Description

  Most of us naively assume that we will find true love some day, but in spite of their participants’ claims, a great many relationships are built on mere convenience – if not mutual desperation. True love is an incomparable blessing that few of us witness and fewer still know. For those who have never experienced it, no description will suffice, but those who have require none.

  Marley and Nate knew such love, but with this blessing came the curse of fearing it would die with them. The strength of their feelings could not transcend the frailty of their mortal forms, and they found no solace in religion, knowing time outlasts all gods. Yet they clung to a deeper, more personal faith that their love could last forever, and together they would make it so.

  This heady brew of hope and fear led them to seek out Ordias, the wisest man in Moht Bahru. He lived in a large round hut whose roof was a maze of petrified roots and whose walls were a mosaic of bones. Ordias owed his knowledge to three skulls which retained the power of speech and had given him valuable insights into the future, present and past. His home was lit by scores of candles ensconced in less remarkable skulls, though the constant play of light and shadow gave them a haunting semblance of life.

  Nate and Marley were more concerned with the prospect of undying love and asked Ordias if it were possible. Ordias looked at each in turn and was silent for a while; then he sadly shook his head. “I wish there was a way,” he said, “but nothing truly lasts forever. The best advice I can give you is to relish your love while you can; it might seem like the most fleeting thing, but that just makes it more valuable.”

  Marley and Nate were upset but Ordias would say no more. The lovers left him in his hut and walked to the edge of the town in silence. Here they encountered Vibion, who was sitting on a boundary stone, pounding a hide-covered drum. Insects buzzed and crawled around him, forming patterns in time with the rhythms he played and displaying an awareness that should not have been possible. The lovers watched him for a while; then Vibion stopped and the insects dispersed.

  “I know what you want,” he said, “for my insects tell me everything. Ordias can’t change a thing, and for that matter, nor can I – but I know of one who can. Would you dare to cross the Poisoned Sands and call on the power of Gingsley Greel?” Vibion smiled as he spoke, and the stones around him seemed to sigh, though this might just have been the wind.

  Nate stepped forward. “I sure would – if it meant our love would last forever.”

  Vibion turned to Marley. “And what about you?”

  Marley took her partner’s hand. “I would do the same,” she said.

  “Let time judge that,” said Vibion. He shook his drum and two masks fell out. “Your journey will be long and hard – but these Kaithian Faces will help. They will reveal the Path of Habbanth; this leads to the Jadderbox, which will show you the way to Gingsley Greel. They will also keep the sun from your skin, the dust from your eyes, and the blight from your lungs. They will even bring you sustenance, for the Poisoned Sands are not so lifeless as human traditions would have you believe.”

  “I guess we can give it a go,” said Nate. “What do you want in return?”

  “Don’t hurt any insects,” said Vibion. “The masks will stop working the moment you do. This shouldn’t be too difficult once you reach the Poisoned Sands, for you’ll find no insects there apart from my Lunar Moths; but the longer you delay your departure, the greater the chance you will fail in your quest, if only through some oversight.”

  Marley nodded. “We’ll leave as soon as we can.” She picked up the masks and gave one to Nate. They walked home very carefully, ever mindful of the insects they had previously ignored. They managed not to harm any, and showed the same caution as they put on sturdy travelling clothes, filled two backpacks with provisions, and armed themselves with hunting spears. It was still early afternoon when they left their hometown and they reached the Poisoned Sands by dusk. To their immeasurable relief they hurt no insects on the way. They put on the Kaithian Faces and a shimmering path appeared in the sand. Instead of stopping to make camp they pressed on immediately; being seasoned desert travellers, they knew they could cover more distance at night and save their strength in doing so. The next few hours were uneventful. They caught glimpses of strange beasts and heard stranger sounds across the dunes, but nothing interfered with their progress. The Kaithian Faces worked as promised; besides giving them protection, they revealed the presence of milkworms that lay just beneath the sands. These creatures were easily speared and drained of the life-giving fluid that gave them their name.

  The lovers followed the path for months, walking by night and resting by day. Some couples might have fallen out but the bond between them grew. They viewed their journey as a test, and being deprived of their usual comforts only reinforced their love. At last they reached the Jadderbox, which stood atop a mighty dune. It was made from weathered metal plates and the sands around it were strewn with debris. The Path of Habbanth went no further, and the Jadderbox had no signs or markings that showed them where to go from there. Nate wondered if they had been tricked. He struck the box with the haft of his spear. The sand beneath him seemed to shake and he heard a sound like distant thunder. Then a flash of white light blinded him; he fell to the ground and remembered no more.

  Nate woke to find dawn had arrived, though the sky was grey and the air remained cold. He looked for Marley, but she was gone; he called her name, but no-one answered. Then he turned back to the Jadderbox. Its top had swung open while he was unconscious and a gigantic effigy swayed drunkenly above the dunes. It had a cartoonish face, but its tattered garments, missing eye, and skeletal metal limbs gave it an aura of decay. Yet Nate felt a surge of hope. One of its long rusting fingers pointed to a mountain range that rose beyond the Poisoned Sands. If Vibion had told the truth, this would be the way to Gingsley Greel – and the promise of eternal love.

  Nate walked all day and reached the mountains as the sky was darkening. He saw a faint glow in the cliffs above and followed it to the mouth of a cave. He entered to find it was empty except for a small campfire. Then he heard a sound behind him. He turned to see Gingsley Greel had arrived. Her hair was bound with ribbons and she wore a schoolgirl’s uniform, but her eyes were pools of entropy and her body seethed with parasites.

  “Welcome to my home,” she said. “Don’t be afraid; you won’t have to stay long. Nor will you have to explain why you’re here, for the Lunar Moths have already told me. You’ve done very well so far, but you must pass one final test. When you touched the Jadderbox it revealed my location, but such knowledge always comes at a price. Your partner is trapped in another dimension – and only you can set her free.”

  Nate’s heart lurched. “What should I do?”

  “It’s simple,” Gingsley Greel replied. “Go back to the Jadderbox and strike it with your spear again.”

  “Is that all?” asked Nate.

  “That is all,” said Gingsley Greel. “Only love can set her free, and now that I have met you in person, I know your love is strong enough. Such love deserves to last forever – and you have my word it will.”

  Nate nodded. “I can’t thank you enough.” He left the cave, and although he was tired, he retraced his steps across the sand. He reached the Jadderbox at dawn and struck it with his spear again. There was another blinding flash – and he remembered nothing more.

  Marley woke to find dawn had arrived, though the sky was grey and the air remained cold. She looked for Nate, but he was gone; she called his name, but no-one answered. Then she turned back to the Jadderbox. Its top had swung open while she was unconscious and a gigantic effigy swayed drunkenly above the dunes. It had a cartoonish face, but its tattered garments, missing eye, and skeletal metal limbs gave it an aura of decay. Yet Marley felt a surge of hope. One of its long rusting fingers pointed to a mountain range that rose beyond the Poisoned Sands. If Vibion had told the truth, this would be the way to Gingsley Greel – and the promise of eternal love.

  Marley set out for the mountains and reached them as night approached. She saw a light and found a cave. Here Gingsley Greel told her to go back to the Jadderbox and strike it to set Nate free; and when she did so the next day, Nate woke on the sands alone with no memory of his recent deeds. Centuries have passed since then, but Nate and Marley still take turns to seek a reunion forever denied; and though their love may never die, is theirs an eternity that any of us would choose for ourselves?

Description

  Most of us naively assume that we will find true love some day, but in spite of their participants’ claims, a great many relationships are built on mere convenience – if not mutual desperation. True love is an incomparable blessing that few of us witness and fewer still know. For those who have never experienced it, no description will suffice, but those who have require none.

  Marley and Nate knew such love, but with this blessing came the curse of fearing it would die with them. The strength of their feelings could not transcend the frailty of their mortal forms, and they found no solace in religion, knowing time outlasts all gods. Yet they clung to a deeper, more personal faith that their love could last forever, and together they would make it so.

  This heady brew of hope and fear led them to seek out Ordias, the wisest man in Moht Bahru. He lived in a large round hut whose roof was a maze of petrified roots and whose walls were a mosaic of bones. Ordias owed his knowledge to three skulls which retained the power of speech and had given him valuable insights into the future, present and past. His home was lit by scores of candles ensconced in less remarkable skulls, though the constant play of light and shadow gave them a haunting semblance of life.

  Nate and Marley were more concerned with the prospect of undying love and asked Ordias if it were possible. Ordias looked at each in turn and was silent for a while; then he sadly shook his head. “I wish there was a way,” he said, “but nothing truly lasts forever. The best advice I can give you is to relish your love while you can; it might seem like the most fleeting thing, but that just makes it more valuable.”

  Marley and Nate were upset but Ordias would say no more. The lovers left him in his hut and walked to the edge of the town in silence. Here they encountered Vibion, who was sitting on a boundary stone, pounding a hide-covered drum. Insects buzzed and crawled around him, forming patterns in time with the rhythms he played and displaying an awareness that should not have been possible. The lovers watched him for a while; then Vibion stopped and the insects dispersed.

  “I know what you want,” he said, “for my insects tell me everything. Ordias can’t change a thing, and for that matter, nor can I – but I know of one who can. Would you dare to cross the Poisoned Sands and call on the power of Gingsley Greel?” Vibion smiled as he spoke, and the stones around him seemed to sigh, though this might just have been the wind.

  Nate stepped forward. “I sure would – if it meant our love would last forever.”

  Vibion turned to Marley. “And what about you?”

  Marley took her partner’s hand. “I would do the same,” she said.

  “Let time judge that,” said Vibion. He shook his drum and two masks fell out. “Your journey will be long and hard – but these Kaithian Faces will help. They will reveal the Path of Habbanth; this leads to the Jadderbox, which will show you the way to Gingsley Greel. They will also keep the sun from your skin, the dust from your eyes, and the blight from your lungs. They will even bring you sustenance, for the Poisoned Sands are not so lifeless as human traditions would have you believe.”

  “I guess we can give it a go,” said Nate. “What do you want in return?”

  “Don’t hurt any insects,” said Vibion. “The masks will stop working the moment you do. This shouldn’t be too difficult once you reach the Poisoned Sands, for you’ll find no insects there apart from my Lunar Moths; but the longer you delay your departure, the greater the chance you will fail in your quest, if only through some oversight.”

  Marley nodded. “We’ll leave as soon as we can.” She picked up the masks and gave one to Nate. They walked home very carefully, ever mindful of the insects they had previously ignored. They managed not to harm any, and showed the same caution as they put on sturdy travelling clothes, filled two backpacks with provisions, and armed themselves with hunting spears. It was still early afternoon when they left their hometown and they reached the Poisoned Sands by dusk. To their immeasurable relief they hurt no insects on the way. They put on the Kaithian Faces and a shimmering path appeared in the sand. Instead of stopping to make camp they pressed on immediately; being seasoned desert travellers, they knew they could cover more distance at night and save their strength in doing so. The next few hours were uneventful. They caught glimpses of strange beasts and heard stranger sounds across the dunes, but nothing interfered with their progress. The Kaithian Faces worked as promised; besides giving them protection, they revealed the presence of milkworms that lay just beneath the sands. These creatures were easily speared and drained of the life-giving fluid that gave them their name.

  The lovers followed the path for months, walking by night and resting by day. Some couples might have fallen out but the bond between them grew. They viewed their journey as a test, and being deprived of their usual comforts only reinforced their love. At last they reached the Jadderbox, which stood atop a mighty dune. It was made from weathered metal plates and the sands around it were strewn with debris. The Path of Habbanth went no further, and the Jadderbox had no signs or markings that showed them where to go from there. Nate wondered if they had been tricked. He struck the box with the haft of his spear. The sand beneath him seemed to shake and he heard a sound like distant thunder. Then a flash of white light blinded him; he fell to the ground and remembered no more.

  Nate woke to find dawn had arrived, though the sky was grey and the air remained cold. He looked for Marley, but she was gone; he called her name, but no-one answered. Then he turned back to the Jadderbox. Its top had swung open while he was unconscious and a gigantic effigy swayed drunkenly above the dunes. It had a cartoonish face, but its tattered garments, missing eye, and skeletal metal limbs gave it an aura of decay. Yet Nate felt a surge of hope. One of its long rusting fingers pointed to a mountain range that rose beyond the Poisoned Sands. If Vibion had told the truth, this would be the way to Gingsley Greel – and the promise of eternal love.

  Nate walked all day and reached the mountains as the sky was darkening. He saw a faint glow in the cliffs above and followed it to the mouth of a cave. He entered to find it was empty except for a small campfire. Then he heard a sound behind him. He turned to see Gingsley Greel had arrived. Her hair was bound with ribbons and she wore a schoolgirl’s uniform, but her eyes were pools of entropy and her body seethed with parasites.

  “Welcome to my home,” she said. “Don’t be afraid; you won’t have to stay long. Nor will you have to explain why you’re here, for the Lunar Moths have already told me. You’ve done very well so far, but you must pass one final test. When you touched the Jadderbox it revealed my location, but such knowledge always comes at a price. Your partner is trapped in another dimension – and only you can set her free.”

  Nate’s heart lurched. “What should I do?”

  “It’s simple,” Gingsley Greel replied. “Go back to the Jadderbox and strike it with your spear again.”

  “Is that all?” asked Nate.

  “That is all,” said Gingsley Greel. “Only love can set her free, and now that I have met you in person, I know your love is strong enough. Such love deserves to last forever – and you have my word it will.”

  Nate nodded. “I can’t thank you enough.” He left the cave, and although he was tired, he retraced his steps across the sand. He reached the Jadderbox at dawn and struck it with his spear again. There was another blinding flash – and he remembered nothing more.

  Marley woke to find dawn had arrived, though the sky was grey and the air remained cold. She looked for Nate, but he was gone; she called his name, but no-one answered. Then she turned back to the Jadderbox. Its top had swung open while she was unconscious and a gigantic effigy swayed drunkenly above the dunes. It had a cartoonish face, but its tattered garments, missing eye, and skeletal metal limbs gave it an aura of decay. Yet Marley felt a surge of hope. One of its long rusting fingers pointed to a mountain range that rose beyond the Poisoned Sands. If Vibion had told the truth, this would be the way to Gingsley Greel – and the promise of eternal love.

  Marley set out for the mountains and reached them as night approached. She saw a light and found a cave. Here Gingsley Greel told her to go back to the Jadderbox and strike it to set Nate free; and when she did so the next day, Nate woke on the sands alone with no memory of his recent deeds. Centuries have passed since then, but Nate and Marley still take turns to seek a reunion forever denied; and though their love may never die, is theirs an eternity that any of us would choose for ourselves?