The ruined city slowly faded behind them.
By midday the broken towers of Sa’ir’s old home were nothing more than dark shapes on the horizon. Ahead stretched an endless plain of dry grass and scattered stone hills.
The wind carried the smell of dust and distant rain.
Amina walked ahead with confident steps while Sa’ir struggled to keep up.
“You walk too loud,” she said without even turning around.
Sa’ir frowned. “How can you tell?”
“I can hear your boots scraping rocks from ten steps away.”
“That seems… exaggerated.”
Amina suddenly stopped and turned toward him.
“Stand still.”
Sa’ir froze.
Without warning, Amina disappeared behind a small rock formation.
A few seconds passed.
Sa’ir looked around.
“Amina?”
No answer.
“Amina?”
Then a voice whispered right beside his ear.
“If that had been an enemy, you’d already be dead.”
Sa’ir jumped nearly a full step backward.
“How did you—?!”
Amina leaned casually against the rock, clearly amused.
“Rule number one of surviving outside the ruins,” she said.
“Pay attention to your surroundings.”
Sa’ir sighed.
“Alright… lesson learned.”
The Knife Lesson
Later that afternoon they stopped near a small stream running through a shallow valley.
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Sa’ir knelt to drink water while Amina searched the nearby brush.
A few minutes later she returned holding a small animal she had caught in a simple trap.
Sa’ir blinked.
“You caught that just now?”
“Of course.”
She dropped it onto the ground and pulled out her knife.
“Second lesson,” she said.
Sa’ir eyed the knife nervously.
“I’m not sure I like where this is going.”
“You will if someone attacks you,” she replied.
She handed him a small stick.
“Pretend this is your weapon.”
Sa’ir awkwardly held it out.
“Like this?”
Amina immediately tapped the stick aside and lightly pressed her knife against his shoulder.
“You’re dead.”
Sa’ir stared at her.
“That was fast.”
“You hesitated.”
She stepped back and motioned for him to try again.
“Feet apart. Keep your balance. And don’t swing wildly like you’re fighting a tree.”
They practiced for nearly an hour.
Sa’ir stumbled several times, nearly tripped over a rock once, and accidentally dropped the stick twice.
But eventually his movements became slightly steadier.
Amina nodded in approval.
“Better.”
Sa’ir wiped sweat from his forehead.
“I never realized surviving required this much work.”
Amina smirked.
“And we’ve barely started.”
Cooking the Hard Way
As evening approached, Amina started a small fire between a ring of stones.
She cleaned the animal she had caught with quick, practiced movements.
Sa’ir watched carefully.
“You’re learning to cook tonight,” she said.
“Cook… what exactly?”
“This.”
Sa’ir stared at the animal.
“You want me to cook that?”
“You want to eat, don’t you?”
“…Fair point.”
Under Amina’s guidance he helped prepare the meal. His first attempt at turning the meat over the fire nearly dropped it into the flames.
Amina grabbed the stick quickly.
“Careful! If you burn dinner we’re both hungry tonight.”
Sa’ir laughed nervously.
“No pressure then.”
Eventually the food was ready.
They sat near the fire as the sky slowly darkened.
For a moment, the world felt quiet.
Peaceful.
Sa’ir reached into his bag and carefully removed the sacred book and one of the journals.
Amina noticed immediately.
“That the thing you mentioned earlier?” she asked.
Sa’ir nodded.
“It’s part of something the world forgot.”
She leaned forward slightly.
“What kind of thing?”
Sa’ir hesitated.
Then he opened the journal to a familiar page.
“It teaches about the Faith of the One Above.”
Amina frowned slightly.
“I’ve heard old rumors about that… stories people used to whisper.”
Sa’ir looked surprised.
“You have?”
“Only fragments,” she said. “Most people think it’s just myths.”
Sa’ir gently traced one of the symbols in the book.
“I think it’s more than that.”
Amina watched him quietly for a moment.
Then she leaned back and stared at the stars.
“Well,” she said.
“Looks like this journey just became more interesting.”
The Road Ahead
Later that night, after the fire burned low, Sa’ir practiced the Ritual of Devotion for the first time outside the ruins.
The wind brushed softly across the grass as he completed the final movement.
Amina watched from her spot near the fire.
“You really believe in that?” she asked quietly.
Sa’ir stood and looked toward the dark southern horizon.
“I don’t understand it completely yet,” he admitted.
“But every time I learn something new… it feels like I’m getting closer to the truth.”
Amina nodded slowly.
“Well,” she said.
“Truth or not… you’re going to need every bit of strength you can get.”
Sa’ir glanced at her.
“Why?”
She pointed toward the distant hills ahead.
“Because tomorrow we enter territory where bandits hunt travelers.”
Sa’ir swallowed.
“And I’m guessing they’re not friendly.”
Amina smiled slightly.
“Not even a little.”
