Fire and hate and fear and terror. The machines walked over the villagers. Tearing their lives down. Treading them into ashes. The Tyrant looked as I ran. “THIEF” it bellowed as the sword ran with me. I ran. I ran. I ran.
I could still hear the clash of metal in my ears as I woke up. The smell of nettle tea hung heavy above the stone floor I awoke from. The wise man tended a kettle a top a fire. The only one I ever knew from outside our village. Until… Until… Until… “Oh your awake?” The wise man creaked “I have some chores for you little one” “Where am I?” “In my hideaway, above your village” he paused “Well at least what’s left of it. I’d never seen anything like it. I always thought this staircase was the only way in and out of the room. But they must’ve found a way in, and another way out…” “They’re gone?” “Yes, I’m afraid” “And the village?” The village must have survived. “Go on have your tea” The wise man handed me the nettle tea. I felt it in my hands. “It’s lukewarm” I remarked “That’s funny?” the wise man remarked “It was boiling when I handed it to you” “I promise sir I’m not lying to you its…” “It’s fine little one, strange things are afoot these days say what about…” The wise man stopped mid-sentence “Did you put that sword there little one?” The sword glared right at me, as it slouched by the rock wall. “It followed me here” I insisted “I ran, and it ran with me” It glowed in the morning light. It was there. When did I move it? Why me? Why did this all happen to me? To us? Nobody ever visited us. Nobody had reached us for generations. Where is everyone? My mother and father and sisters and brothers and everyone? “It must like you” The wise man remarked “I barely saw it tucked into the shadows there” The wise man shuffled out into the daylight. “Come on” He called out “I have a task for you. And you might as well take that funny little sword with you.”
I walked out into the day light and up into the spiral stairs. What stonework was there had been replaced by great vines and branches. The wise man’s home was in a crack within one of the stones. Etched out by a root, tiny compared to the towering chamber above us. Below was a thick nest of nettles where the floor once was. He walked along a thick trunk that had grown along the side of the steps. “Where did the village go?” I asked the wise man. “They’re long gone now” He replied as he made his way up one of the branches. “Besides I haven’t told you the task yet” I followed him up the branch. “Where are we going?” I asked. “Up!” “Is my task up there by any chance?” “It is the task!” “Huh?” The wise man climbed up on top of a step and reached out his hand to help me up. As I stood up I saw the view from up here, of the room. My room. The only room I’d ever known. Filled with ash and burnt-out trunks. “The village?” I gasped “It. It can’t be??” “We never introduced ourselves little one. Nobody ever told you what my task is.” “Where are they?” “Gone.” “Why didn’t you save them??” “There was nothing I could do. Besides little one it’s time I explained the task in full” “Why should I?” “What else can you do? What else can we do?” “I… I… I…” “It’s okay little one” “I’m sorry for raising for me voice” “Very well. It’s time I told you about what my role is.” “You’re the wise man. You know stuff?” “Not just any stuff. Stuff on the outside.” “Outside the room?” I’d never considered there being this ‘Outside’. I guess I’d always knew it was there but, never gave it any more thought than that. “Yes. It’s the job of the Wise One to know about the outside. To advise on what few outside matters affect us, and to select the next wise one.” “Am I the next Wise One?” “We were going to pick another but, that’s not important now.” “I see.” “Yes, it’s still very raw for the both of us.” “How do I become Wise? I know nothing of the outside?” “There is a book at the top of the staircase” The Wise man gestured to the top of the spiral “A guide to the Outside, made by every wise one that ever came before me. Once a new Wise One is chosen they will embark on a wondering, to explore and discover. Both using the book as a guide and adding to its knowledge.” “And I must do this?” “I see no other option.” “So, who came here? Who burnt everything to the ground?” “There are many tyrants, but this must be a new one. That sword you have.” “It’s not mine” “I’ve never seen it before, but I see its power. It can be used for good.” “Would the Tyrant hurt anyone else? Are there other villages like us? On the outside?” “Yes, little one. I worry for their safety. If you do not stand up to this who will?” “But why us? Why did this happen to us? Why can’t the Tyrant leave us alone? Why is this sword following me? Why me?” “The answer you seek are up there?” The Wise man gestured once more to the top of the spiral “The book has the answers little one.” “So is that it? Just to the top of the staircase?” I asked. The Wise Man was already making his way back inside. “The Guide is what you need. Up, little one, up you go!” And disappeared down below. “Is that it?” I spat under my breath. The sword smirked at me from a couple steps up. “I hate this” and started the climb.
One foot above the other. The first hand above the second. My body ached. I pulled myself up the branch. I hated this. I hated every second. The next step was nearing. I never really considered how big this staircase was. How big the steps were? What Giants walked up these? Maybe that’s what the guides for? I pulled myself up. One hand above the other. The first foot above the second. I clambered onto a new step. Should I look down. I haven’t looked down for who knows how many steps. Five? Six? More??? I told my self I was saving the view. Maybe I didn’t want to look down. At what I was leaving behind… One hand above the other. The first foot above the second. It was starting to get easier again I felt. This step I didn’t mind the burn. I climbed up, pulling against the branch. Past the vines. On to the next step. This wasn’t so bad. I rolled over, letting myself breathe as hard as I could on the cold stone floor of the step. I took a couple of minutes. Just letting the air rush back into my body. Could have been minutes or seconds or hours. I looked up. There the sword was. Smirking at me. “How…” How could it? “How did you get up here?” The sword smirked at me. “Why are you following me” The sword smirked at me. “Why me? WHY DID YOU PICK ME?” The sword stood there, against the wall, smirking at me. “DO YOU THINK I WANTED THIS? YOU THINK I WANT TO LOSE EVERYONE I HAVE EVER KNOWN?? WHY DID YOU PICK ME HUH? YOU THINK THIS IS FUNNY, JUST APPEARING EVERY WHERE I GO??” The sword stood there in silence. “I…” I’m yelling at a sword. “I’m sorry you’re probably going through just as much as I am I shouldn’t have gotten angry at you.” The sword looked back at me. I’m talking to a sword. Everyone I’ve ever know was taken from me just hours ago and know here I am ascending a staircase for giants I’ve lived under my whole life and yelling at a sword. I sat back down and picked some food out of my bag. The wise man had prepared some food for me. I sat atop the step and ate it with my stolen sword. “Maybe this isn’t so bad”
The final step was the easiest. I almost walked up the branches and further than I’d ever dreamt of existing. I’d the left the room, the only room I’d ever known, as was in another one. A smaller one. There was a bookcase, with only one book. I moved over to it, it had no title but I could see it’s age. I opened it up. There were far flung lands and awesome monsters. Strange machines and unpronounceable names. Endless notes and revisions and pages falling out at the seems. Yet empty pages remained. I investigated my bag to see if there were any space for the guide. I took out a sword hilt. The Wise Man really was wise. I sat everything down. I put the sword hilt on and the guide into my bag. The sword lay right by the bookcase. “You won’t have to move everywhere by yourself any more. I’ve got a sword hilt now!” I placed the sword into my hand. It felt light, yet fierce. People named swords, right? This sword had a mind of its own, maybe it was best if it named itself right? I stood up and looked at the way out. Sunlight poured in from another room. I placed the sword in my hilt and walked outside. “Yeah, this isn’t so bad”