A Tale of a Wanderer

Introduction:

This is a retelling of an extremely ancient tale that was first told over a thousand years ago. No one knows who actually created it, and it's been passed on anonymously for all this time. It may very well be a composite of several individual tales, but no one can say for sure. I've spiced it up, and made it a lot dirtier than the original. Enjoy.

Prologue:

A wanderer walked up to where several men and women were sitting around a campfire, roasting meat on a spit, and enjoying a variety of fruits and drinks. He bowed to them, and asked, "Might I have some money, or some food?"

They noticed that he only had one eye, and appeared quite downtrodden, and so, one of the men took pity on him. "We have plenty to share. Come sit with us."

The wanderer smiled, and walked over and sat down. A plate was handed to him, and pieces of roasted meat were pulled off of the spit and placed on his plate, along with some fruit. Then, a cup was thrust into his hand, and filled with good wine. "How did you end up wandering around these parts, and in this condition?" asked the man who had invited him over. The wanderer said, "I don't usually tell people my story, as it is one of my great misfortune, and it is painful for me to relive all I've lost, not the least being my eye, but, since you are treating me so well, I will share it with you:

Chapter 1

I lived as a sailor, for many years. On one occasion, I was at sea, and a great storm overtook the vessel I was on. We were blown off course, and completely lost. Once the storm cleared, one of our men climbed up the mast and looked out. He climbed back down and had a whispered conversation with the captain. The captain stumbled, and then collapsed onto a seat. "What's the matter? What did he say?" I asked him.

"He said all he could see in the distance was a black mass," replied the captain.

"Okay, so perhaps land? And we are saved?" I inquired, hopefully.

"No. I know these waters. Considering where we were when we were blown off course, this black land must be the magnetic mountain that rises out of the sea. It will rip all of the metal out of our boat, and destroy it."

Everyone became terrified then. We tried to steer away from the island, as it loomed ever bigger on the horizon, but eventually it became clear that we were stuck in its magnetic field. We were drawn closer and closer. The large metal things went first. I saw our stove start to shake, rattle, and finally be ripped out of its place, and made to fly through the air, until it slammed into the island, where it was blown to bits by the force. Cups, and other metal things flew off as well. Men started to wail and cry. The captain hung his head in his hands. I watched with gritted teeth as the mountain island approached.

The screws and nails that held the ship together started to twist, making an ear rending sound of shrieking metal. Then, they, one by one, flew out of the ship, and toward the island. Pieces of the ship started to come loose, allowing water to pour in. A few men jumped overboard, but others, like myself, noticed there were a great deal of rocks surrounding the island, and the rough water would slam a man against the rocks, killing him. I thought, maybe that's what they wanted, rather than deal with this horror.

There were still metallic components inside the ship, that couldn't be pulled free, and so the ship was being pulled, faster and faster the closer it got, and inexorably, toward the island. There was a calm, for a moment. The men just watched in terror, the water lapped at the sides of the ship. The water leaking into the ship made only a quiet gurgle. And, then, all at once, it happened. The ship hit the rocks nearest the shore, and was destroyed. The last thing I saw was the captain shouting in rage as he was thrown through the air.

Chapter 2

I woke up on the shores of the island. I had no idea how I made it. I looked around for any other survivors, and walked up and down the shore. There were none, and I found only innumerable pieces of our, and many other ships. I explored the island, and eventually made my way up the mountain. At the top I found a structure, and on top of it was a statue of a man on a horse. I was exhausted from the climb, and so I laid down, and fell asleep.

When I awoke, I vaguely remembered part of the dream I'd had while sleeping. I recalled that it was something about digging a hole next to the structure. I did exactly what I had dreamed. Inside the earth I found a bow and arrows with archaic symbols carved into their tips. I looked up at the statue, and thought it seemed like the ruler of the island. This enraged me, as the island had just destroyed so many lives, so I fired the bow at the statue. I was shocked to see what was supposed to be a futile gesture actually cause the statue of the man to fall off of the horse!

I was amazed. I then had a flashback to another part of the dream I'd forgotten before. I saw myself burying the statue where the bow had been dug up, and leaving on a boat. In the dream, as well, my lips were glued shut, until I reached land, at which point they were freed, and I kissed the ground. I decided to do what I dreamed, again, and dragged the statue over to the hole, and pushed it in, and started pushing dirt over it. As I kicked the last bit of dirt onto the statue, covering its hateful face, the eyes of the statue closed. The mountain shook, and I was full of fear, then. It felt like an earthquake. The sea around the mountain churned, and huge waves crashed over the shores. I noticed that the metal pieces that were stuck to the sides of the mountain started to fall away, as if the mountain had lost its power.

Then the sea started to rise, and rise. Eventually it rose all the way up to the top of the mountain. I thought it would overtake me, and was about to climb the structure, but then a small boat appeared from the other side of the mountain. There was a man rowing it. I was saved! I waved, and shouted, "Hey, over here! Help!" I got no reply. I soon realized why: this was no man. It was another statue. I got in the boat, pleased to find it stocked with food and water, and the statue began to row again. I wanted to talk to the statue, hoping maybe it could speak, and explain to me where we were, but then I remembered my dream. I decided to keep mimicking my dreams, as they were serving me well, so I resolved not to talk until we reached the shore.

After several days of travel, I suddenly could see land in the distance! I was so excited I forgot myself, and shouted, "I'm saved!" The boat immediately capsized, tossing me into the water. I was horrified, and started swimming as fast as I could. The sinking boat caused a current, sucked me under the water, and for a moment I was sure I would die. At last, though, I managed to swim free, and my head burst through the surface of the water again. I gasped, and finally regained my breath, and started swimming. I swam all the rest of the day, and then night fell. I felt like I was in the middle of nowhere. There was just blackness, and water.

Then, a violent gust of wind came, and a huge wave, as tall as a mountain, pushed me onto the shore. I wrung out my clothes, and slept for a while.

Chapter 3

I was awakened by a hammering sound. I jumped up with a start, and looked around. In the distance I could see the fire of several torches, and dangerous looking men carrying them. I didn't know if they would kill me, as I'd no idea who they were, nor even where I was, so I climbed a tree to hide myself, while still able to watch them. They were using a crow bar and hammer to open a metal hatch that they had dug up and unearthed from the sand.

Finally they got it open, and then they moved in pairs, carrying large crates down the stairs that were hidden under the hatch. After they were finished, I saw another light appear, and realized there was a boat tied up at the shore, there. A man in his early twenties was walking down the gangplank of the ship, to the shore. Another man was walking in front of him, and was extremely old. He led him down to shore, and finally into the hatch, where they disappeared from sight.

The hatch was shut, and buried again, and all of the men and the old man boarded the ship, and left. I waited until they were out of sight, and then went and dug up the hatch. I opened it, and walked down the stairs to find the man. He was startled, and said, "Who are you?"

He looked terrified, so I said, "Please relax, I was shipwrecked here. I am just a sailor, and I mean you no harm." He relaxed, then. "What are you doing down here?" I asked.

"My father was told by a psychic that a man would topple the tyrannous rider, scourge of the seas, and that this man would then come and kill me a month later. The psychic said that the only way to save me would be to hide me from the world, totally alone, until the thirty days had passed. My father was perplexed, and the psychic told him he would warn him when the time approached, but would not elaborate. That day came, as the psychic appeared and told my father that the rider had been defeated. We had no idea what that meant, but it was clear I needed to be hidden, so, he took me to this place that he'd had built as a hideout previously," he concluded.

I realized that, while he and her father didn't know what this psychic spoke about, I had actually been the one to do the action described. I thought to myself, though, there is no way I would come to kill this man. I reasoned that maybe it was just a coincidence. I concluded that maybe I was just assuming I was the person described, when in reality the "tyrannous rider" was a different thing entirely than the statue I'd shot with the arrow. I said, "Well, it sounds like we're both trapped here! I will stay with you, if that is okay, and when your father returns, we can travel back to civilization together!"

He smiled, and said, "That would be wonderful! I was afraid of the isolation of being alone for thirty days!"

We lived there for several weeks. We got into the crates, and found them to be filled with all manner of food, drink, personal supplies, and entertainment, like books and art, as well. We became friends, and we agreed to take turns preparing our evening meals. On the thirtieth day, it was my turn to slice up the melons, and prepare the other foods, however, I couldn't find the knife.

"Where is the knife?" I asked him.

"On the shelf, up there," he replied, pointing to the shelf above where he sat reading.

"Thanks," I said.

"No problem," he replied. "This is the last night! The thirty days are up, and we get to go back to our normal lives finally!"

"Finally!" I concurred, and walked over to grab the knife. As I reached up to grab it, though, I slipped, and bumped my head against the shelf, which caused it to come loose, and fall. The knife slid off, and flew through the air. It sliced directly across the side of my friend's neck.

"Oh!" I yelled, and knelt down beside him. He had terror in his eyes, as he held his hand over the injury, but the blood wouldn't stop flowing. The knife had severed his jugular. I grabbed a cloth napkin and tried to press it onto his neck and stop the bleeding, but it didn't help, and his eyes closed. He was dead, and I'd been the cause!

I was full of terror, and couldn't think for a moment, but I realized, then, that his father would be returning, and they would blame me, and kill me for having caused the man's death. So, I left the underground dwelling, covered the hatch with sand, and escaped into the hills. I watched from there, as the sun came up, and the ship returned. The old man and his men were surprised to find the sand loose, and freshly disturbed. They dug up the hatch and opened it. The men went in, and brought out the body of the son, and the old man fell to his knees as he watched. He clutched at his heart, shrieked, and then fell over onto his side, and his soul left his body.

His men were startled, but appeared to be professional body guards, or mercenaries of some sort, so they quickly recovered. They carried the bodies of the man and his son onto the ship, and left the island.

I went back into the underground, and saw the book my friend had been reading. It lay on the floor, pages bent, and with a few drops of his blood on it. It all hit me at once, then, and I collapsed onto the floor, and tears blurred my vision, as I wept bitterly.

Chapter 4

I spent the next month on that island. I now had no idea if anyone would ever return here, and I started to despair. After a few days of walking around aimlessly during the day, and staying in the dwelling underground at night, I climbed up to the highest point on the island and looked out. To the west, all I could see was a storm rolling in, and mist and haze below it. To the east, north and south were just clouds and sky. I realized I was probably in the middle of the ocean, on an island no one was aware of but the guards who had left. Since they had no employer now with an interest in the island, they surely wouldn't be coming back.

One day, though, I climbed up to the peak again, and noticed that the water was receding on the west side of the island. I still couldn't see anything though, due to what seemed to be ever present clouds and mist. After several more days, though I could see dry land.

I decided to explore, despite not being able to see what lay beyond it, due to the storm clouds and mist. I waded out through the shallow water, and onto the dry land, and kept walking. Eventually, after several hours of walking, I came through the mist to permanent dry land! There was land so close, and I had no idea! I fell to my knees, and closed my eyes. I was thrilled. Finally, though, I opened them, and looked around. There was only sand, as far as the eye could see.

I started walking again, wondering if I wasn't better off on the island, since I at least had food and shelter there. After a while, I saw a flicker in the distance. I kept going, and saw that it was a huge fire. I figured there must be a bonfire, and people had started it, so I started jogging towards it. Once I got closer, though, I realized it was actually a building, plated in metal, which was making it appear to shimmer, like fire, in the distance.

I walked up to the front door, ravenous with thirst after the long walk in the hot sun, and banged on it with my fist. It was immediately opened by a man in his mid-twenties. "Could you please help me? I was shipwrecked and-"

The man cut me off, and said, "Come in! Come in! Please, tell us what happened to you!" He stood aside, and allowed me to enter. Inside I saw that there were nine more men, and one very old man. It struck me that each one was missing his right eye. Other than that, though, they were each dressed smartly, and the inside of the building was beautiful, and full of luxurious furniture and decoration.

They led me to a banquet hall, where they all sat at a long table, laid for a great feast. Just as I was about to sit, the old man pulled me aside and said, "You may stay with us, but you may not ask about our situation, nor what happened to our eyes."

I thought this very strange, but was in no condition to argue, and was extremely hungry and thirsty, so I agreed, and sat down and began eating. I told them of my disastrous luck of recent times, and they listened intently. After dinner, the old man brought out ten trays, each covered in cloth. He set one in front of each man, lit a small candle on the handle of each tray, and removed the cloths. There was ashes and soot on each tray, and the men started smearing it on their faces, crying and saying things like, "If only I'd listened!" "I could have stayed in heaven, but I was too curious, and was cast out!" and similar things. After they did this for quite some time, the old man brought out water, and they cleaned their faces off, and went off to change their clothes.

After they returned, I couldn't help it, so I asked, "What was that? Why would a bunch of seemingly normal, level headed men do this to themselves?"

One of them looked at me and said, "Young man, you do not want to know. Do not ask. You will be better off if you just let it go."

I thought him calling me "young man" was strange, as I thought myself to be older than any of them. I started to object, as I still wanted to know, but another of the men held up their hand to silence me.

He said, "The only way for you to know, would be for you to go. Then you would know, but would with you didn't."

I relented, as that sounded like a threat. The men acted normally after that, and we chatted for a while, and then I was shown to a room, and everyone went off to sleep.

This repeated, as I lived there, for about a month. I asked a few more times, during the ash process, as it was too disturbing to just let go. It was especially difficult to hold my tongue on nights where I'd had too much wine. But, each time, I got similar responses as I had before.

Toward the end of the month, I couldn't handle it any longer. I had to know. I told them, "You've got to tell me why you are like this? What happened that caused you to lose your eyes, and be in this state, stuck between opulence and misery? If I can't know, I'll just leave, and take my chances wandering in the heat, because if I never saw you people again, I could get my mind off of it."

"It is impossible to tell you. We are incapable of speaking the words. We can show you though, if you want to go, and see what happened for yourself. Though, you will regret it." said one of them.

"Show me, please!" I begged.

"We have kept the secret only out of pity for you. Pease, don't ask, unless you want to end up one eyed, and like us." he said.

"I have to know!" I responded, firmly. The mystery was driving me insane, and the wine wasn't helping, as I had inadvertently gotten quite drunk that day.

"Fine," replied the man. He waved to the other men, who went off and came back with a large cloth sack. "Since you are doing this, though, against our advice, you will never be allowed back here again."

I nodded, and said, "Okay."

They brought the sack over and set it in front of me. One of them said, "Get into this sack. We will stitch it shut and leave you outside. A massive bird will pick you up and carry you away. When you feel it has set you down, cut your way out of the sack," one of them handed me a knife then, as I began to step into the sack. The man went on, "You will find yourself on a mountain. Walk east for one day, and you will come to a beautiful palace. Go inside, and you will understand how we each lost an eye, and why we are so full of regret that we rub ashes on our faces every night."

They stitched up the sack, and I was in darkness. I felt like I couldn't breathe, and was jostled around as they carried me outside. I started to get hot, and realized they may have just left me here to die. The alcohol was wearing off, now, and I thought, what am I doing? Why would I do this? Just to learn why these men were the way they were?

Then, I felt a great force slam into the sack, and was shaken around. I realized, then, that I had been lifted into the air. After some time, I felt that I had been set down again, so I cut open the sack and crawled out. The hot air felt cool compared to the stifling sack, and I was glad to be out. I figured out my directions, and walked east for a day, and finally came to the palace.

Chapter 5

It was as glorious as they'd described. A massive structure, adorned with all manner of precious metals, paints, and other decorations. I walked inside, and was greeted by a large group of voluptuous women. Their beauty was unparalleled. Their skin ranged from dark and rich to pale and olive toned. They all had silky black hair, and eyes from brown, to gray, green and hazel. They smiled, and seemed extremely happy to see me. "Welcome! You are our lord now, and we are here to please you." one of them said. And then they led me to a soft, large couch, and had me sit down. They started putting foods before me, and others rubbed my shoulders. Some kissed me on my cheeks, while still others rubbed my feet.