Hama's Home; the Shadowed Man (Part 1)

I slide down the sandy hills and nearly break an ankle a few times as I run for the Hazara village. Tears threaten to overflow from my eyes but somehow I manage to stop them. As I enter the borders of the small hamlet my mind relives a memory of my time here when I was younger. I had just woken from a bad dream about a man and a woman both killed by the people of this very village. I had the same dream a few times and would usually cry myself to sleep. But that night I wasn't able to do so, so I got out of bed and sat by the fire watching the light flicker and dance along with the cinders. My grandpa had seen me and came out to talk to me. I told him about my dream. I'll never forget the pained expression on his face when I was done, but as soon as it had appeared it faded.

"Hama…there is something alive about this sea of sand. It looks after it's charges, the people who thrive and survive off of its harsh terrain in many ways we are not aware of. The sprits that linger here show us things we need to know. Sometimes in the hot sun we will see things that are not there that have special meaning, other times we shall catch a glimpse of someone who is there one minute and gone the next…an important person in our past perhaps. Dreams should never be taken lightly Hama…you should always listen to what they have to say. They may not make sense now but in time they will." He pat my head as if trying to console me, "I know right now…your dreams do not make sense, but when you are older- old enough to understand their meanings- your dreams will make sense. Never ignore them…no matter how trifling they may seem…"

I was stupid! I should have listened! I should have headed your warning! Please Grandpa, I'll listen to anything you have to say, just please be ok!

I make my way through the ruins passed the crumpled bodies and burnt homes until I come to the elder's home. In ruins the tent is in shambles broken and burned beyond any recognition. Debris blocks the way as I look on in disbelief. My legs, shaking and trembling barely hold me up as I try taking down the cloth of the tent that's in my way along with wood from other buildings. Eventually I get frantic and use Soren to cut it down in one swipe. Their impact causes dust to kick up and I have to shield my eyes for it to settle. When it does I step inside. The first thing I see is a corpse on the ground but not the ne I'm dreading to find. He too is similar to grandpa with white hair. I remember the chief being a cruel alpha wolf towards me; even if I never blamed him for it. The look in his eyes was one of a cold chill that hardly ever came here in the desert; it was the closest thing to winter that I could ever experience out here. But now as he lays there in front of me, his body half burned beyond recognition and the other half covered in his blood I can't even think of him like that. The body sends a chill down my spine.

"What sorcery conjured such cruelty?"

"Grandpa…?" I call barely registering Soren's words; my mind only focused on the elderly man I'm looking for. Walking in deeper I try to focus on finding him. The stench in the air, no matter how faint it is reeks of death and it sends continuous shivers down my spine. I pull back a draping tattered cloth somehow still intact acting as a door. Shadows seem to fill the room as I enter but some details are still visible due to the sunlight coming in. It's familiar to me as I look around, my grandfathers' sanctuary. Near my feet I find a figurine somehow still intact. Still half dazed I reach down and pick it up. The statue is a figurine of one of the many constellations in the sky. Grandpa told me about it which one it was but at the moment I can't think what it is. I hear footsteps behind me but make no effort to look; something lands on my shoulder when I look it's Teal.

"Hama…? Are you ok?" letting go of the statuette it falls to the ground I still see no sign of him anywhere, the one person I'm desperately trying to find. It's just an empty and tattered room scared from a slaughter. Looking around I try to remember anything that could help me find him. Something comes to mind,

"The alter room…" looking behind what was once a tapestry peeks an opening to another room. Every step I take my knees feel weaker and weaker. The darkness seems to swallow me as I follow the path. I was only in the alter room one time for a brief moment. It was the place where the elder of the village, the wisest and oldest of the tribe was able to interpret dreams or signs, omens that no one else could explain. Grandpa was the elder of our village and he brought me in this place only one time…to explain why I was named what I was, my real name, it's meaning, everything. It's like walking down a dark path of memories. When I enter the altar room my mind doesn't even register it's details instead it focuses on the figure on the ground. My legs, suddenly feeling heavy, shake under my weight. The robes they wear are that of the elder and they are charred and torn.

This isn't real…this can't be real…

Slowly I walk towards the body before falling to my knees next to it. The grey hair and beard is all to familiar to me. His elderly face bruised, battered, and slightly singed from fire does nothing to hide his identity.

" Grandpa…?" there's no answer, "h-hey grandpa…? It's me…please…please wake up." I wait for a moment again but still no answer comes. There's a faint glow that seems to come from under the rag of sleeve. When I move it away there is a small blue crystal connected to a chain. I remember seeing him wear it all the time but it never glowed before which makes me curious. I reach down and touch the crystal and suddenly the light goes out. I'm not sure at the moment what happened but I notice my grandfather's hand twitch slightly. The lump in my throat melts away slightly as I watch his eyes flutter open,

"Grandpa…?" he breathes out weakly lifting a shaking hand

"Ha…mazim…" I take his outstretched hand clasping it tightly feeling relieved.

"Thank Erza…you're alive…!"

"Yes…but barely my child…"

"Grandpa what happened? Why is the village like this? Who did this?" he coughs violently, and I try turning him on his back. However my arms are to shaky to do so and Dust helps me to do so. Grandpa looks over at him, eyes half lidded.

"…Thank you…my boy…" he takes a few deep breaths before continuing, "…are you a friend of my…my granddaughter…?"

"Yes sir."

"Then I have a favor to ask of you…" Grandpa coughs again, "please…look after her for me…" his words send a cold pit forming in my stomach,

"Don't…don't talk like that…you're going to be ok grandpa!" my voice cracks,

"Hama…my child…how many times must I tell you? When the life thread calls…for you…you cannot ignore it."

"You're going to be alright! Just- just tell me what to do! Please!"

"then listen to what I have to say…before my time comes child… the crystal merely preserved a shard of my soul, the effects will not last long…"

"I'm sorry…I'm so sorry this is my fault…I shouldn't have ignored that dream. I should have come home."

"…this is not…you fault Hama…you could not have known…" Grandpa somehow manages to place his hand on my head and smiles weakly, "Hama…I have foreseen signs of a great evil that is to come soon…they mean…destruction for all of Elysium…"

"this evil is what did this?" Dust asks,

"…I fear…that may very well…be the case… it was one man…clothed in darkness. He moved quickly… and destroyed everything in his path…he set fire to the village using a strange instrument of destruction…"

"How…could one man cause all this?" I ask.

"but where there is darkness…there is also hope. A light…I have seen it…one that came from the sky in the form of a star…and another that came from the desert itself… looking at you two now…I now see those lights are you…" another fit of coughing interrupts him, "…You…you must make your way out of…out of this desert…more of them are in the Evergreen…these monsters of darkness." Grandpa suddenly goes quiet and closes his eyes. My heart thumps in fear that he's dead,

"Grandpa…!" he hears opening his eyes again; he looks at me a tired smile covering his lips,

"You have grown…strong Hama…in the years you have been gone…not a day went by that I did not…pray for your path to be one of peace…that the desert treat you kindly…" I take his hand trying to hold back my tears, "Hama…never forget…that you are you…no matter what…others think or say…and I was always…proud…proud to call you my granddaughter…" I could practically see him answering the call of the life thread as his eyes close; his grip in my hand goes slack and this time there's no way he's coming back. I try holding back my tears but his words replay over in my head and try as I might the tears don't stop. I burry my face in his beard and chest sobbing uncontrollably.

I never knew…he was proud of me…I…I thought he was ashamed everyone always looked at him and the chief with such pity I left to save him from that. I didn't think he would ever have been proud of me- just me. I never knew he thought of me as his granddaughter…after everything my very existence put him through he still…

I clutch onto his robes wishing that I had just one more chance to understand that, to hear him say it one more time.

We've set up camp for the night unable to continue on after what's happened. Although I help I make no effort to talk. I make my way over to Torin to start unsaddling him from the rest of the provisions. The camel sensing something is wrong brings his face closer sniffing my face before letting off a small sound. It's as if he's asking if I'm alright. Quietly I pet him before going about helping with the camp. With our site surrounded by the four moonstones we make sure it's safe. Using a twig I poke at the fire half lost in thought; my mind can't seem to stop thinking about everything that just happened today. Teal suddenly jumps in my lap holding something in his hand, he slightly startles me out of my daze. He holds a piece of meat and dried fruits to me; the look on his face pleads for me to eat something while asking if I'm alright. I give a small smile in response and take the food and start eating. I'm sure that everyone is relieved to see that I'm at least eating even if I'm not speaking. For some reason though I can't handle the silence,

"I…I'm sorry…"

"You are apologizing? Why?" come's Soren's question.

"I guess because I feel like this is partly my fault…"

"How is it your fault Hama? You didn't know about this. you couldn't have." Dust says.

"because in this village it always is my fault." I say the memories coming back to me. "I listened to your story…will you give me a chance to tell you mine?" I ask looking at Dust pleadingly. "If we are going to be traveling together through this desert, I think you have a right to know who you're traveling with."

"Hama…" Dust takes of his satgat and nods giving me his full attention. "Yeah."

"the truth is there's a reason I ran away from this place and it all starts with before I was even born."

Sorry I can't type more right now, I've got a bunch of classes that require homework and I also have a writing class that I'm having to type a paper in at the moment as well. But I hope u enjoyed this part and the next part will hopefully be out soon. RXR please.