Chronicles of Akhani - An Awkward First Night
Akhani did not know what to make of the situation. All he knew was that now, for a reason only the gods knew, he had a Syverenian woman – at least three times his size – following him like a lost lap dog. Worst of all was the deafening silence between them.
Nearly an hour had passed, and Akhani could not tolerate the silence any longer. He spun around in the most exaggerated manner that he could.
“What is the will of the gods then? What? Where am I supposed to take you? Tell me. Tell me now,” he raved while gesticulating like a mad man.
Dazed by the sudden performance of her small companion, the Syverenian woman had a moment of doubt. She looked at this flailing creature and wondered how he was supposed to be the one. Regardless, she knew that the Word was heard for a reason, and that the gods have their ways of forcing their wills on the disobedient.
“I have not heard any Words. The gods speak only when they are ready, and they only reveal what can be received,” she replied stoically in her silky voice.
“How? How do you not know anything and yet know to look for me?” Akhani’s face went from its typical greenish-beige tone to a dark crimson. He let out a screamed as he looked into her blank face then took a moment to compose himself. “At least tell me your name. Surely you barbarians have name, and I’m not to just refer to you as ‘That pale blue giantess over there.’”
“My name is Zhorovna.”
Akhani paused expectantly.
He waited.
He stood there in silence staring at her.
Zhorovna still made no sign of further explanation of who she was, and this infuriated Akhani all the more. Thinking better of doing any further reactions, Akhani practiced a few meditative breaths. His heart rate returned to normal and his skin lightened back to its normal pale green complexion. He knew that the conversation would not go any further, so he turned, and continued his march.
“Why couldn’t that have just been a sand dragon? Where are they anyways? They’re supposed to be crawling all over this area this time of year. Did I miss mating season again?” Akhani grumbled to himself as he trudged along allowing his feet to sink into the sand.
As they made their way out of the heart of the desert, Akhani could help but wonder about these gods that she had referred to. And what does she mean by a Word? These all sounded so foreign to him. His upbringing had never hinted that there was anything more to this world than what could be seen. Was she a crazy person? And why was he just accepting that it is the “will” of these “gods” that they should meet? Most of all, what happened to him in that moment? Why did he not attack while the opportunity was at hand? These raced through his mind incessantly as he auto-piloted his way back to the oasis.
By this point, Zhorovna felt thirst as she had never felt it before. She had never imagined that the sun could be so cruel. Her lips cracked and confusion was setting in. She found herself barely able to follow… who was he again? Why was she following him? Her vision faded as she crumbled to the sand below her.
“Bah! She let herself get so dehydrated that she passed out? She’s way too big for me to carry…” Akhani spoke to himself as he tilted his waterskin to her lips.
She remained unconscious, but her body reflexively accepted the water. Akhani took his time with her, giving her only enough water that she could accept. She remained limp, as she had progressed too far into dehydration.
Akhani sat beside her feeling the heat of the day dissipate as the scorching sun nestled itself below the dunes. The sky filled with colors of red, orange, yellow, and purple, such as Akhani had not seen since his childhood. The beauty soothed his soul and he relaxed.
“Thank you,” whispered Zhorovna as she slowly regained consciousness.
“Don’t thank me, yet. We’re still in the desert and the sun is setting. If you thought the heat was bad, just wait for the frigid desert air of the night,” Akhani replied in a soft, caring voice.
“I am used to the cold, so worry not about that. Are we making camp or are we carrying on?” she asked, regaining the silkiness of her voice as she took more sips from the waterskin.
“Seeing how you fared in the day lets me know that night is better spent traveling than resting,” Akhani said while standing back up and instinctively offering his hand to help her up. She smiled, sat up, and Akhani withdrew his hand embarrassed as, even while sitting, she towered over him.
“The oasis is this way. It’s where I camp on hunting trips.” Akhani began walking as he said these words, not waiting for Zhorovna to stand up.
They walked in silence once again, but this time it did not infuriate Akhani. Something had changed in his heart. In that simple act of giving her water, something stirred within him, and the beauty of the sunset had lowered his guard. He remained confused, but something… just something… was setting him at ease.
His camp was encircled by what desert dwellers would consider lush vegetation. The outermost vegetation was the same scrub bushes that littered the entirety of the desert. However, closer to the water were acacias of many varieties, date palms, laurels, and mesquite. It was truly a sight to behold.
Akhani made himself busy gathering fruit and firewood. Zhorovna was pointed to the firepit, where she was instructed to rest and recover, as she still appeared weak and had not fully retained her wits. Sipping from a newly filled waterskin from the spring, she marveled at the beauty in such an unlikely place.
Their journey had taken them deep into the night, and the stars shone above them like a million little candles. The moon was waxing, and in the soft light that it provided, she could discern that no one but Akhani himself had been to this little hideaway in quite some time.
“I feel privileged that you have brought me here,” she said with a sudden onset of shyness as she watched Akhani build the fire.
“I had no choice. Either bring you here or let you die out there. What sort of man leaves a woman to die alone in the desert?”
“Certainly not one chosen by the gods,” she whispered while taking another sip, but Akhani’s large ears were not just decoration – he heard even the most silent whispers and hers did not escape him.
“Who or what are these ‘gods’?” he asked setting himself an arm’s length away from her facing the fire.
Confusion beset Zhorovna as she pondered this question. “Y-y-you… d-do not know?” she stammered.
“No, I have never heard this word before. What does it mean?” The sincerity of this question begged Zhorovna’s full attention.
“The gods… well… they are the creators of all that is. They have always been, always will be, and are in every moment at every moment. No language, but their own, can fully convey who they are.” Her shyness was growing as she said these words. She had not expected that the gods had not revealed themselves to the one they had chosen.
“Can you try to explain? Even if words fail you?” Akhani sat cross-legged like a child and stared up at his companion.
“I… don’t know how… I only know that I hear them… sort of… and they let me know what needs to be done.” Her face flushed.
“What do they sound like?”
“There is no sound.”
“Then how do you hear them?”
“I feel the silent words shape my thoughts.”
At this, they both fell silent. They sat staring at the fire. Zhorovna stole many glances at Akhani from the corner of her eye, as did Akhani towards her, but their eyes never met. They both wondered at each other, and did not know what to make of this all. Zhorovna, giving in to sleep, laid down on the soft sand, and drifted to sleep. Akhani remained awake until his thoughts had calmed.
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