“No soul has seen the entirety of the Everlasting Desert. There are lands beyond, with edges, with endings. This land is not so simple.” - Nuru, Mother of Hanif

  ~*~

  Athia and Bayek rode on through the night, sleepily discussing the purpose of the jewel.

  It wasn't as fragile as the orb that contained Nef's powers, as Athia proved. Yet, it also seemed to be more than an emerald. There was a glow that came from it, almost unnoticeable, that could be created by the light or the way it was cut. Upon closer inspection, there were unique indents and strange curves.

  Whatever the purpose, both Athia and Bayek agreed it was a thing of beauty.

  Traveling by night was common in the desert, but still difficult. During the day, the two tried to sleep in any shade they could find, either beneath a dying tree or against a large rock, while the sun beamed down. When really lacking in decent shade, they used whatever shade the camel cast.

  At night, it was a battle to stay awake. The cold kept you sharp, but also sapped your energy. One moment you would be alert, but the next you would want to crawl up in a blanket and sleep until the morning light.

  "It's been four days, Athia," Bayek said, his voice muffled by the face cover which barely kept the cold air out. "I don't see anything…not even a rock."

  "If it's been four days we must be getting close," Athia replied, her face barely showing beneath the blanket she huddled in. She was jealous of the camel’s fortitude, as it trekked onward without even a shiver. "If we don't find something a day from now then I think we will soon reach the coast. It's somewhere in this direction…I think."

  Athia's words did little to ease Bayek. He did not expect such a long journey, he didn't bring enough food, or water. Athia, being so young, concerned Bayek more than if she were an adult.

  "I need to start eating less," Bayek thought. “One portion for me is two for her.”

  A sobering thought for many, but somehow, a positive one in Bayek's mind. Although, he wasn’t sure why.

  ~*~

  Dawn arrived and the red light hurt Bayek’s eyes. His eyelids felt stiff from the cold night air. Yawning provided him little comfort anymore. For what felt like the thousandth time, Bayek sighed. His body and mind once again settled in for a long ride. The camel seemed to understand the sigh and made a guttural one of its own.

  The hours passed and the heat of midday was approaching. Bayek and Athia scanned the dunes, searching for a small, shaded spot for them to rest. Instead, they were rewarded with something greater.

  After climbing a large dune, Bayek couldn’t help but gasp at the sight of the city that glowed in the sunlight. It hurt his eyes how pure the light was, how dreamlike it appeared. A city that was colored white so startling it made the light sands around it appear much darker.

  “Athia, I think we found it,” Bayek said.

  Athia twisted around on the back of the camel, kneeling to look over Bayek’s shoulder.

  “It must be,” Athia murmured. Her wide eyes and slack jaw didn’t properly express her awe. “It’s...it’s the most incredible city I’ve ever seen. My dreams could not make anything half as beautiful.”

  The nearer they got to the city, the easier it became to look at it. Closer still, they started noticing faults in the glow. Many buildings seemed to have ugly cracks and vibrant plant life spilling from the windows and doorways in the structures. It was only when the camel took its first step into the city, cracking the area around where it stepped, that Athia realized what the entire city was made of.

  “It’s porcelain…everything is pure, delicate porcelain,” Athia announced, climbing down from the camel to examine the shards.

  Bayek was curious and confused.

  “Porslin?”

  “Porcelain,” Athia repeated, looking at Bayek in momentary surprise. “It’s incredibly valuable, it’s rare for anyone who isn’t royalty to have a porcelain trinket, such as jewelry, but…”

  Athia looked at the city in deep wonder. The streets, the buildings, the pots and decorative pieces - everything was one piece of porcelain.

  “..nothing larger than a tiny, painted medallion. Porcelain like this is more valuable than gold. It’s a miracle. There’s no way men made this city, it’s a city made by...a god.”

  At these words, Bayek stared at it with similar wonder. The buildings were splendidly designed, and the roads and paths also had a similar decorative quality. Looking down the road they stood upon, the city went on like this as far as they could see. As for the buildings themselves, they were larger than normal, with wide doorways, like archways in palaces.

  Bayek and Athia also noticed something else.

  “There’s nobody here,” Bayek said, his hand instinctively lowering to the hilt of his sword. His thoughts on the city suddenly turned sinister.

  “Apart from a few cracks, the ground looks undisturbed,” Athia replied, eyeing the sand that collected. “But many of the roads are broken here…so there had to have been people here at some point. Nobody has been here in a long time, Bayek. Yet there’s no doubt, this is where Nef wanted me to go. The next god's power…it’s here, somewhere.”

  Bayek climbed off the camel, deciding it would be safer for the camel to walk on the road if there was less weight on it. The cracks were less serious as the two walked, but the sound was still disconcerting. No matter how carefully they stepped, the terrible sound persisted.

  As they walked, the two noticed a pattern. Every three blocks the styles of the building repeated themselves. It was easier to notice thanks to a large well that was centered in the road, appearing again and again until the horizon. More than that, with each repetition the buildings became less cracked and the plantlife less overgrown.

  “Such plantlife can only mean there must be water,” Bayek reasoned. “Yet these wells are dry...and too shallow, too wide.”

  “Maybe that’s why they are empty,” Athia said. “They all dried up. There is nobody here, Bayek...and this city seems to go on forever.”

  No sooner had Athia made this observation that the two noticed movement. What they saw was a figure, a man, crawling on all fours so delicately, onto the main road. Yet, what bothered them was the man's location relative to his size. He seemed normal, but only at a great distance. As he crawled closer, the two saw how much of a giant he really was.

  Bayek’s hand had drawn his sword and Athia clasped her dagger, waiting for a sign confirming their fears, but none came.

  “Peace, please,” the giant man, at least three times the camel's size, told them softly. Yet, despite the softness of his tone, both could tell his voice would be deep and booming to fit his size had he spoken normally. “I know I must seem terrible, but I am not a monster.”

  The giant’s words did little to calm the travelers' nerves. Bayek gave Athia a glance and the two silently agreed that they should be on guard. Bayek sheathed his sword, but kept his hand rested on the pommel, while Athia simply relied on his quick reflexes should something go wrong and withdrew her hand from her sash.

  “We’re not here to fight either,” Athia told the giant. “Are you a...god?”

  Athia was hesitant to ask. The giant was something so unusual, its size almost matching the stature of Nef. If it was a god, she wondered if it would be insulting to pose such a question. The giant only smiled and shook his head.

  “Only cursed by one, along with this city,” the giant replied. “That is a tale better told by my grandmother. I can take you to her, if you wish.”

  Bayek and Athia were as curious as they were cautious. Unsure of how to respond, Athia just nodded and the giant turned around, leading onward, deeper into the city.

  It seemed that the crunching of porcelain beneath the camel’s feet bothered the giant more than it bothered Bayek or Athia. Athia could see his hair rise, while Bayek noticed a funny twitch in his left eye. Yet, the giant didn’t say anything as they went on.

  Athia expected Bayek’s camel to panic, but it remained as docile and dopey as ever in the presence of the giant.

  “What’s your name?” Bayek asked, breaking the silence.

  “Bomani,” he whispered, eyeing Bayek. He had noticed that Bayek’s hand still rested on his sword a little too firmly. “And yours?”

  “Bayek.”

  “Athia,” Athia added hers.

  “Bayek, Athia, I can understand your caution, but I would advise that when you are amongst my people you keep your blades sheathed. There are many of us and while we don’t want to fight, we will if you give us reason.”

  “We won’t give you one, Bomani.”

  Athia looked at Bayek and although a large part of her hesitated, she nodded to Bayek. The nomad let his hand slip from his sword. Yet, in his heart, he wondered if he could fight one such giant, let alone many. Bomani was not slowed by his size and he moved with such delicate intent that he didn’t even crack the porcelain road beneath him. That only told Bayek how careful and tense Bomani had to be, a sign of a dangerous combatant.

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  "Bomani is an interesting name," Bayek pointed out. "You're from the South, right?"

  "Across the White Plains, yes, but that was a long time ago," Bomani murmured, his mind drifting.

  "There certainly isn't anyone as big as you there, Bomani," Bayek challenged.

  "You will get your answers, don’t worry.”

  “What is it like across the White Plains?” Athia asked.

  Bayek looked at Bomani, wanting him to answer, but the giant remained silent as they walked on.

  “There is far less sand, more trees, grass, and plants. The land is dry most of the time, but we have more storms and rain than the Everlasting Desert…much more,” Bayek told Athia, his voice filled with pride. “And our people are strong.”

  “Because they often fight each other,” Bomani muttered.

  “What tribe did you belong to?” Bayek asked, happy to get something out of the giant.

  “It does not matter, this is my home now,” Bomani said with slight anger in his voice. “I shall never return to that land of blood and war.”

  “Yes, there is always a war...often over nothing, but the rest of the time it is justified,” Bayek grumbled. “There are tribes that are no more than animals, cruel and often searching for a reason to fight. You will be glad to know that most of the tribes were destroyed.”

  Bomani looked at Bayek. Concern crossed his face for only a moment.

  “It was always heading that way,” Bomani sighed.

  “Yes, but it was not of their own doing,” Bayek challenged. “It was thanks to the Sultan and his father that many tribes were destroyed...good ones as well as bad. I belonged to the Blessed Paw.”

  Bomani’s eyes narrowed. He didn’t like something Bayek said but didn’t make it clear what. Once more Bomani nodded, although he did not reply until after a minute of silence.

  “Yes, the Blessed Paw...and mine...it was the First Lion,” Bomani said sadly, as if remembering the name brought additional pain. “The First Lion, are they still alive?”

  Athia could see Bayek was much more at ease having heard Bomani’s tribe. It must have been a way of deciding who a person really was in their homeland. In the Everlasting Desert, it took much longer to make that decision and even then, you never knew if they were really a friend or enemy.

  Bayek came from a land of strength and simplicity, but Athia knew that the Everlasting Desert was filled with cunning people.

  “Yes, they survived. Although, like most tribes after the Sultan’s visit it has united with another and now has a different name,” Bayek answered.

  At this, Bomani couldn’t even manage a nod. It was five minutes later before he spoke again.

  “Not far now.”

  ~*~

  Further in, the city’s plantlife was no longer overgrown. It was pristine. White was really starting to hurt Athia’s eyes, but she couldn’t help but look and take it all in. Eventually, they reached a well with water, although it was green and scummy. Yet, with each repetition, the well was cleaner and the level higher. Soon, the water seemed so splendid and cool.

  “The heat…I would happily climb into one and float there until nightfall,” Athia thought.

  At last, Bomani led them off the main road and along the blocks of houses. Between the buildings, there were small plots of dirt where vines and plants grew. Trees were of incredible size. The fruits and vegetables were fittingly large. Bomani said they could take what they wanted, the city never lacked food.

  Bayek and Athia helped themselves, marveling at dates the size of their fists, and fruit as big as their heads. The garden was beautiful, and Athia found herself giggling as she went, while Bayek was already taking large bites out of a slice of apricot.

  With their food packs restocked, they continued down the path, past more thriving greenery. Eventually, they reached the rest of Bomani’s people.

  Giants were everywhere, crawling in and out of the buildings, careful in their movements in case they brought the house down in one slip. Like Bomani, everyone crawled on all fours, but despite their manner of moving and their size, they acted like everyone else.

  People discussed small, simple things, but Athia and Bayek didn’t learn more as all eyes focused on them. It seemed a lot of them were curious, some cautious, but nobody was fearful or angry to see them. Once they realized that it was simply a man and a small girl, they calmed down, returning to their daily life.

  Seeing the fearsome expressions of some giants, Athia and Bayek kept their hands far from their blades.

  “My grandmother is usually asleep at this time of day,” Bomani told them. “But I’m sure she woke up with all the noise.”

  Bomani guided the visitors into a home like all the others. Athia saw how nothing had an edge to it. It was all rounded, from the furniture to the corners of the room, completely seamless. She already knew that such a city could only be created by a god, but now she wondered which one.

  Bomani’s grandmother was larger than Bayek, but not by much. Of all the giants that had been seen so far, she was by far the smallest. She sat in a chair that was much too big for her, but ideal for Bomani and the other giants. What was worrying was the way she was slumped over the armrest. Her chest lifted and sank, letting Bayek and Athia know she was alive, but the way she was sprawled out looked uncomfortable. A line of drool running down her chin did not help her look either.

  While Bomani crept close and tried to wake his grandmother up, Bayek wondered where he had seen her expression before. He didn’t wonder long as a blob of drool hit the edge of his shoulder and he looked up at his camel.

  “Wha-what is it?” the grandmother snapped. For a woman who appeared so frail, skinny, and weak, her energy when awake was astounding. She sat up quickly and hopped down from her seat, the porcelain crunching beneath her feet. Bomani winced. “Don’t you flinch, you should have grown used to it by now.”

  “Bibi, please, everything is louder for us,” Bomani explained, pointing at his large ears. “We have guests...guests that want to learn about the city. Athia, Bayek, this is my grandmother, Nuru.”

  “Storytime, then?” Nuru asked nobody in particular. It was like she was checking in with the universe before she went through with it. Athia didn’t like the way the old woman’s eyes focused on her. “Why does it interest you? Why are you here?”

  “Bibi, they are-”

  “They aren’t just curious travelers that wandered into the city,” the grandmother snapped again, reading her grandson's thoughts. She wiped her face suddenly. She must have felt the drool cooling on her chin. “They are here for a reason, they are here for something, not just curiosity.”

  The grandmother stepped closer to Athia. There was a coldness in her eyes. At once, Bayek remembered what Athia said about people meaning harm by getting close before they drew a blade. He stepped in front of Athia and met the old woman’s eyes. Giantess or not, he felt he could win a fight with the old woman.

  “Calm down,” Nuru muttered. “I want my questions answered before I answer yours.”

  Athia placed a hand on Bayek’s arm and pushed him gently aside.

  “What do you want to know?” Athia asked. Nuru’s lips twisted into a cruel, knowing smile.

  ~*~

  “I sure am glad that our curse isn’t yours,” the grandmother laughed.

  Athia told her story, stopping short of her exploits with Bayek in Red Rock. It was easy to talk with the giants, especially Nuru, about her encounter with a god. Nuru was brutish, much like Bayek, but a lot more friendly. Athia wondered if it was because Nuru smiled more.

  Night had fallen. The giants collected themselves and prepared a feast around a roaring fire. It reminded Bayek of his youth, living in the Blessed Paw tribe. The people smiled and even danced a strange dance as delicately as they could. It made him a little homesick, but then he grew angry.

  They didn’t sing the old songs with all their heart. They didn’t stamp their feet when they danced. With such a dramatic blow to the culture, he thought they looked more like injured and abused animals. He decided to keep his eyes averted.

  “Nef, mistress of souls, goddess of death...you could not have asked for a more dangerous god’s quest to undertake,” Nuru continued, sinking her teeth into a chunk of meat. Like the people, the animals were large. There were many and well-looked after. At least, until feasting time. “Our ‘blessing’ came from Vel.”

  “God of wealth?” Athia murmured, catching Bayek’s curious eye. He couldn’t ask the question, too busy eating at a pace that matched the giants, but his expression asked it for him. “Of the six gods, Vel is considered the most...benevolent. Many nobles pray to Vel, make offerings to him, and wear his mark, some still do to this day. Yet, like all gods, it takes a powerful act to attract their attention and even then, you don’t know for sure which god’s interest you will gain.”

  “Exactly! And Vel was most generous,” the grandmother laughed again, finding her sarcasm hysterical. When she stopped laughing, her smile shrank and her old eyes focused on the fire. “Like Bayek, many of us braved the White Plains and survived its unforgiving nature. We lost many before we reached the Everlasting Desert. We found others, travelers and merchants...we liked each other's company and we saw a prosperous future in the desert.”

  Nuru took another bite of her food and chewed on it thoughtfully. The giants close to the small circle stopped their discussion and listened to her. Even Bayek started eating at half his usual pace just to hear her better over the chewing.

  “But we didn’t prosper, we just survived. We soon became content with what we had, at least, some of us did. Many of my people had hoped for a better life than the one we had with our tribe, not least of all was our leader, Hanif. He was the one who made an act to get the god’s attention. He believed sacrifice was the best way, so he sacrificed everyone, in a way. He took all our food and burnt it, he poured out water in the sand. Without food or water, and too far away from any spring or oasis, we would eventually die. Night and day he yelled at nothing until nothing replied. A voice that could only have belonged to a god. A splendid vision of gold and decadence…and fat...then he was gone. I saw Hanif collapse, and then we all fell. We awoke in this city...this fragile, beautiful curse of a city.”

  “And you were all giants?” Athia asked.

  “Patience, I’m getting to that. For a long time we didn’t believe it was a curse,” the old woman said. “We were all normal-sized back then, the food and water was plentiful. We walked a bit more carefully, lived longer, and pretended we were royalty.”

  Nuru coughed horribly, taking a moment to clear her throat. Bomani looked at her with concern, but she waved him away.

  “But Vel was not done with us. We lacked the refinement worthy of such a city, so we grew, our children and our children’s children especially. We can’t sing our traditional songs, we can’t yell, we can’t run without the porcelain cutting our feet to bits. Vel gave us this finery, but showed us what we were to him; animals. That’s when we knew it was not a gift, but a curse.”

  Athia could hear the anger in the woman’s voice. It was Bayek who asked the question that she had on her mind.

  “Why do you stay?” Bayek asked. “No walls are keeping you here.”

  “None that you can see,” Bomani answered. “Stay here long enough and you can never leave. We have seen travelers come here, enjoy the splendor, but after a while forget they came from a different land and have no desire to leave.”

  “But you wish to leave?”

  “We do not, but at the same time, we know that the only reason we stay is because of the curse.”

  “Gods can be generous,” Athia said, her eyes drifting to the fire. “But they can also be wicked. I’ve heard old stories about such gifts from the gods. Many…almost all of them were strange and twisted.”

  “What about the overgrowth?” Bayek asked. “At the entrance, we saw buildings taken over by plants, water old and foul.”

  “All things come to an end,” the grandmother replied. “The city is made endless, but not so endless that our line will persist for eternity. You could walk around this city in a day as long as you don’t stand in it. If you were to stand in it, you could walk down the main road until you forget why you were walking.”

  “How long before we have to leave?” Athia asked.

  “Three days,” Bomani answered. “After that, you will never want to leave and you never can.”

  Bayek continued to eat without slowing down, but Athia lost her appetite completely. She could only think of what would happen to her should it come to that. Nef would probably step in and do something about it, but that might mean destroying Athia and finding another pawn to carry on her quest.

  “I think Nef wanted us to find this place for a reason,” Athia told Nuru. “Do you know why?”

  “Probably to undo what that last traveler did,” Nuru replied while pulling the last meat off the bone with her front teeth. “Bomani, what was the young man’s name? The one with the funny hat.”

  “I believe it was Atlasi, Bibi.”