Homecoming

In front of a house made from sandstone, a young boy paced nervously. His eyes frequently darted to the expansive desert horizon, where the constant mirages of water danced—a common illusion caused by the heat playing tricks on his sight.

The eternal flame cast a golden glow over the boy's bronze skin, which bore the tan of many days under its unforgiving rays. He was clad in his red Ra'ed, the traditional attire of his people, crafted to withstand the desolate heat of the desert. He preferred to walk barefoot, enjoying the familiar warmth of the hot sand beneath his feet, a sensation he had known his entire life. His short, curly black hair shimmered with specks of sand.

This was a typical sight in Zephyria, where one's appearance was secondary to the whims of the windy desert. The winds, after all, would soon erase any effort to look presentable. At least, that's what Kael would retort whenever his mother scolded him to finally wash his sandy clothes.

Then, he'd have to venture to the qanats, the intricate water channels supplying the city and its suburbs with flowing water, just to fetch extra water for washing his clothes. The silver lining was that if Kael managed to look somewhat civilized afterward, there was a chance his mother might take him into the city.

But today, none of that mattered to him. He continued to stare at the horizon, at the massive dunes that stood like time-frozen waves, their crests sparkling under the eternal flame.

He was the only person brave enough to stand outside in the scorching afternoon. The rest of the area was deserted, with most citizens taking refuge in the sandstone houses that surrounded Kael. At this time, only a madman would willingly be outside; only when the eternal flame dipped lower, and the desert winds carried the cool evening air would the place come alive again.

Yet, Kael had a good reason to be there. And finally, he saw it. In the distance, he glimpsed tiny figures of people and camels moving across the dunes. The caravan consisted of hundreds of people and animals, making it impossible for Kael to spot his father just yet. But he knew he was there, for today his father was due to return after being away for months.

Ignoring the heat, Kael set off running. His lithe figure darted across the sands like a windrunner, a wide grin spreading across his face beneath his curious brown eyes.

After a while, the caravan drew closer, though it veered away from Kael's hometown towards the capital. However, a lone figure broke away from the caravan and headed towards Kael. When they were close enough to hear Kael's shouts, the figure pulled off their headscarf, revealing the face of a bearded man.

Kael's father was a man sculpted by the desert. His dark brown skin bore the creases of effort and age, but his stern face suggested anything but weakness. A black beard with hints of gray adorned his face.

He wore a light brown sand cloak, designed for the long trek through the desert. A long spear, its tip wrapped in cloth, hung from his back. Numerous pouches were attached to his belt. Despite the large leather sack slung over his shoulder, nothing detracted from his overall appearance, which was both proud and formidable.

But to Kael, he was just his father, Ammar Adar.

"Ab'an!" Kael called out with joy. He only used the respectful address for his father when he was in trouble. Or, when he finally got to see him again.

"Boy! Come here!" Ammar called back, though it was unnecessary as Kael was still sprinting full speed. He leaped towards his father, and as his father spread his arms, Kael collided with his sturdy body.

Like a battering ram, Kael threw himself at him, knocking the breath out of his father's lungs. Together, they fell into the sand, and heartfelt laughter filled the desert air.

Kael's father pushed him off, and the boy landed in the sand but quickly sprang to his feet like a cat. His father also got up and ruffled his son's curly hair.

"You're getting too big for me, Kael Adar!" Ammar complained, though his warm voice belied his words.

"And you're getting old!" Kael retorted, taking his father's leather sack with curiosity.

Kael's father handed it over without resistance but warned his son, "Don't open it, you hear? It's a surprise for the whole family."

Kael nodded reluctantly; he would have loved to witness his father's adventures right here under the gaze of the eternal flame, but he knew his father wouldn't allow it. If his father brought a gift, it was usually intended for Kael's mother. Children only received something for their sixteenth birthday when they came of age.

So, if this time it was a gift for the entire family, his father must have brought back something truly special!

"But mother and Safiya are still at the temple! They won't be back until late." Kael still tried his luck.

His father just smiled and shook his head. "Then we'll wait until then. Come, boy, I've traveled long enough without a bath, even Talak must smell better than I do!"

"The worm lives in the sand, it doesn't get dirty," Kael objected.

Ammar had already started walking towards the village, and Kael tried to keep up. It was quite a challenge without running, for although the boy was already fifteen years old, he was shorter than his friends of the same age. His father, on the other hand, was a tall man. Kael still hoped that one day he would grow as tall.

As his father's gaze swept over their home, he responded to Kael's remark, "That's just a saying, boy. But if you ever want a beautiful wife, you should still take care of your appearance. Women don't like it when you have sand in your hair like a street beggar."

Kael cocked his head and a sly smile crept onto his face. "But mother is so beautiful. How can you then-"

His father's stern, yet amused look interrupted Kael, and he burst into childish laughter.

"That's enough..." Ammar threatened playfully, raising his hands ready to attack. Quickly, Kael ran off, and his father chased after him, deliberately a bit slower than he could actually go.

Kael's feet kicked up sand as his father ran close behind. To an onlooker, the rather ridiculous sight might have induced a shake of a head or two.

Just before Kael reached the village square, his father suddenly grabbed him from behind. Kael burst into laughter but was shortly startled when his father, seemingly without any effort, spun him around in the air with just one hand, leaving him hanging upside down.

Kael knew his father was a strong man, but he had never encountered anyone who could perform such feats effortlessly. Even though his father was once part of the Desert Spears, this was beyond human! It was as if Ammar Adar was not a normal man at all.

Yet, on his face was the triumphant and playful smile only a loving man could show, a smile Kael seldom saw these days.

"You got me," Kael said, his voice breathless. His father, in contrast, hardly seemed winded at all.

Kael's father chuckled softly and then gently set his son down. Sitting on the ground, Kael was about to stand up when he suddenly paused. The sand beneath him vibrated suddenly. Kael's eyes widened, knowing what this meant.

He quickly stood and scanned the horizon. His father also turned around.

"There," he said calmly, pointing into the distance.

Kael looked where his father was pointing and held his breath. Throughout his life, he had seen only two different divine beasts, the Sandworm several times, but each encounter was an event that turned his understanding of the world upside down. These colossal, supernatural beings defied all logic.

Deep in the desert sands, something massive and ancient stirred, whipping up sand like a giant volcano. Even now, with Talak kilometers away, the vibrations caused by his massive worm body were felt under Kael's feet.

Only part of the divine beast's back was visible. Yet even that was as wide as Kael's entire village. His mother had once said that Talak, in its full length, was longer than the tallest dunes, but Kael found that hard to believe! How could something like that even exist?

He had no evidence to the contrary, though, as Talak never revealed its full power close to human settlements. Its immense body moving through the desert depths made the sand tremble in a rhythm of power. Some claimed they had even seen Talak's mouth, which was the entire front end of Talak, an immeasurable black hole filled with long, sharp teeth that spiraled around its mouth. Such an image scared Kael a bit.

The sand trembled again, and Kael realized he had been holding his breath. He quickly inhaled, coughing a bit as he did so too hastily. Kael's father continued to watch the Sandworm, his face unrecognizable in the light of the eternal flame.

Ammar and Kael Adar stood in silence, admiring the divine beast. Although many said the brown, armored body of the Sandworm was ugly, none could deny the power of this majestic creature.

After all, Zephyria owed much of its success to their second divine beast. Life in the desert was impossible back then, but after taming and successfully bonding with the Sandworm, a time of peace, prosperity, and advancement began. Sirocco might be the will of the eternal flame on earth, but without Talak, Kael would not be standing here today.

After several minutes, Talak disappeared back into the sand. Its massive body plunged deep into the depths, perhaps in search of more underground water sources or on a military mission at the behest of the Desert Spears.

"A marvelous creature..." Kael's father murmured, pulling his son from his deep thoughts.

The last vibrations faded away until only the wonderful desert and dunes were visible again.

"This is the fifth time I've seen him... I can't believe it each time. It's as if the world itself crawled up from the depths of the earth," Kael whispered back.

Ammar looked at his son and raised an eyebrow. "The fifth time already?"

Kael just shrugged in response. His father frowned as he watched his son, who was still utterly fascinated by the horizon.

"That's unusually frequent... especially for a boy your age."

"The other boys in the village don't believe me; they say I'm a fool," Kael said with an annoyed tone.

"And what did you say then?"

Kael turned slightly red and averted his gaze from his father, who knew exactly how Kael dealt with such things.

Ammar sighed. "Don't let your fists speak so quickly, Kael. You'll soon come to your limits that way."

Kael nodded slowly, though he was not entirely satisfied. "But you were also a soldier," he retorted.

The father was patient with his stubborn son. "I trained and had the discipline of a warrior instilled in me for years. I would never fight someone for such a reason. I fight to protect, not to harm."

Kael turned around. "I was protecting my honor!"

"And harmed theirs, as well as mine, your sister's, and your mother's, by behaving this way. Let it go, boy. Talak was a good omen; let's not spoil the day."

With those words, Kael's father turned around, and although Kael was still a bit defiant, he let it go. His father had returned today, and he had truly missed him.

Today was a good day. And so, he and his father headed back to their house.

And deep beneath the sand, the divine beast continued to carve its paths through the desert.