"I said let me go! I can do it myself!"
"You almost fell for the second time. It's dangerous to climb these steps for someone of your age. Please let me help you."
"The only time you'll be carrying me up is when I'm dead! Now lay off! I've been making the distance every day since I was a boy, and I'll be damned if I stop today!"
The elder shooed away the assistance from the younger man and slowly hobbled his way up the baked brick stair. The younger man flinched each time the elder teetered on a step, as even a small fall would mean disability or death for someone his age. Once or twice did the senior falter, but he regained his balance each time. They eventually reached the top.
"Humph. You see! I can do it on my own without your help! You're too worrisome!"
"And you're too proud. One day you're going to get yourself killed."
"If I die, that's my problem, not yours!"
"And what will the family think when I announce that you fell five-hundred steps to your death?"
"The family would be glad to see that the old man with one foot in the grave finally decided to add the other!"
"Stubborn old man," the younger man muttered, shaking his head. The elder had always been stubborn, even in his youth. The heat made him snippy.
The two approached a pair of simple seats under cover of a wide, planted tree. The sun was still high and bright, but the tree provided much-needed shade. The elder adjusted his shawl and sighed with relief as he sat down on the stone. He then rubbed his aching bones and looked out from his seat. The hill overlooked the city and the surrounding land. The great ziggurat stood in the center of that oasis.
"So, you're leaving us?" the senior asked, breaking the silence.
"I am."
The elder said nothing but continued to look over the landscape. Even without his poor vision, the heat rays on the ground made everything fuzzy.
"Why?"
"You know why."
The elder's voice grew loud and angry.
"I was under the impression you enjoyed living here! Why are you leaving us? Is it something you need? You know we can get it for you, anything at all! Do you desire a palace? Riches? Even our king would give you his own blood with joy in his heart! The people, they love you! They would all give their firstborns if they could! Just ask, and it shall be yours!"
"Please," said the younger man calmly, "stop. I have already made my decision."
"Fine then! Leave us!" the tired senior said in a forced voice, waving his hand in the air weakly, knowing he would never mean it.
The elder looked back toward the sprawling oasis, over the bustling city and the thriving planted fields that had crept out and turned the surrounding land to life. The complete scene was one of beauty and pride. Tears welled up in the elder's dry eyes.
"Look at this. Look! Look what you have helped accomplish here! It's magnificent! Look at the people. Your ingenious methods have ensured they have plenty of food, plenty to drink, and plenty of work. They go to sleep each night, knowing they are safe. I've been to many places, and let me tell you, I have never seen such a group of people so happy to live. Look at the grounds! The lush greenery is like emeralds in the rough! The temples and towers are grand and sturdy! Look at the palace! Within lives the royal family who leads with great justice and vision! We are the envy of others across this world! Those whom you have defended from those who would bring an end to our joyous existence! You have made it all possible! You have brought it all to fruition! The gods themselves have recognized your virtue and rewarded you with a long life unseen by any man. Can you deny any of these things?"
"No."
The elder turned and looked into the younger man's unusual, brilliant, green eyes in a rage, throwing his fists painfully down on the stone armrests. "Then answer me! Why must you leave this paradise!?"
The younger man's piercing stare faltered and could not meet the elder's gaze. Truth be told, he did not want to leave, but he needed to. "I have already told you," he answered calmly.
The elder seemed to crumple, defeated, knowing there was no arguing with him. "I… I see. Fine." He shook his head with a deep sigh. "I was hoping to change your mind, but I see no wavering." The elder closed his eyes and felt a breeze pass over the hill. The harsh sun and dry air seemed to disappear for a moment.
"I remember when my great grandfather, the adviser at the time, first met you. I was very small, but it's one of the few things I can still remember these days." The senior laughed to himself. "I remember him saying that, although you looked like a younger man, your eyes looked old... that your face seemed to carry all the weight of the world like you were journeying to a horrid place that no one else could know. I remember laughing at the absurdity since I was a child, but now..." He met the man's gaze again. "Now I know he spoke the truth."
Something in the younger man resonated with the spoken words, and his manner changed. He nodded in understanding. "I remember," he said, smiling sadly, recalling older memories. "A wise man. He didn't like me very much at the beginning, though."
The elder laughed. "To be honest, you can be a little intimidating at times. Nearly perished from fright the last time you fought. Do you remember?" he asked, "They sent out a raiding party, and we saw something from the legends fly from the gates, and in a blink of an eye, it was over! They haven't been seen since. Ha! Such times!" The elder recalled, exhibiting great enthusiasm as he recalled his glory days. Those days had passed long ago, and the elder was far past an age considered natural.
They both nodded.
"When do you leave?" the elder asked.
"Tonight."
The tone turned sombre once more.
"We... we are going to miss you. You've been here for so long it's going to be very different with you gone. How long has it been? Five, six generations from my memory alone... And you look the same as when I saw you speaking with my great-grandfather. And look at me now; I'm a very old man, older than I have any right to be."
"It has been a long time." The younger man looked over the city and sighed. "I'm going to miss our talks; You've been a very good friend. I'm proud to have known your ancestors. They were all wonderful, intelligent, honest people."
They both rose and exchanged a final farewell.
"Two things before you leave us," the elder added, "The family wants to bid you a final farewell before you go. I know you told us not to bother with a much-deserved celebration, but a proper farewell is the very least we can do. They owe you a great debt that can never be repaid, as do all of us for helping us build all that we see before us. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts and the tops of our minds."
The sad smile on the younger man's face grew until it expressed genuine thankfulness. "You are most welcome."
The elder nodded, his tired and sad eyes unable to meet the younger man's. "As for the second: Despite not truly understanding what you are or where you come from, I know that you harbour a dark and terrible secret - A secret that you have refused to tell a single soul since you first came to this place all those years ago. I can see it in your eyes and your face when you sit alone to think. It is the reason for your existence and the source of all your inner turmoil. For someone so invincible, its weight must be unimaginable. I do not know what it is, despite my and my ancestor's best efforts to coax it from you. If it is a mission of revenge or retribution, I will leave you with the following words:
"I have seen your warm and generous heart beat despite the cold violence you partake in. Wherever you may go or do, do not let the world make you hard. Do not let the pain make you hate. Do not let the bitterness steal the kindness. Take pride that even though the rest of the world may disagree or show you otherwise, you still believe it to be beautiful. If you ever doubt for any reason on your travels, I want you to think of this place and the good you have done here. If you have no place to go for any reason, I want you to know that you will always have a place among us here. Whether it be tomorrow or sometime down the winding path of time, the people of this city will always welcome you with open arms."
The younger man stood rooted in place, stunned, saying nothing for several moments as he thought about the elder's words. He recalled his life, his secret, and everything he had since done and endured... and could not stop the warm, salty tears from rolling down his face.
"You... you have no idea how much that means to me," the younger man said between tears, a current of long-repressed emotion exposing itself, sobs threatening to overtake him. "Take care of yourself when I'm gone. Thank you... for everything."
The man embraced his old friend one last time before slowly walking down the hill, wiping away the bittersweet tears from his face. This is precisely why he was no longer needed here, he proudly thought to himself as he disappeared from sight. The world as he left it here was alright.