"Let the world introduce itself to you." His words sounded far away when blended with the sounds of nature.
"I am the East," spoke the breeze proudly as it coiled around her, carrying a delicate floral scent.
She twitched. She knew that voice.
Follow the bird.
Her body trembled — not with fear, but with recognition.
The large hands that had steadied her peeled away, satisfied with her breakthrough.
"Right… a talking wind," she muttered. "That poison really did a number on me." She rubbed at her aching head and thigh.
Perhaps she was stuck in human ways.
A western breeze smoothed along her side, its touch grainy, dust-laced."A valid hypothesis," it said mildly. "At present, your body is flooded with endorphins to counteract the immense pain you are experiencing."
"You really need to work on your bedside manner," Zahra shot back.
A soft snigger came from the furred presence now settled in front of her.
"Do I have much time?" she asked quietly.
"More time than you think," he said. "Assuming your Pharaoh can reach the Living Waters in time."
Her lip curled. "The Living Waters?"
"The Forgotten Oasis is filled with many miracles," he said. "It is why humans have long sought it. The Living Waters are not merely 'holy water,' as they believe — they are a living, breathing organism. The source from which the Oasis was born."
"It is why we can communicate with you," the eastern breeze added as it circled her right side. "And why you can hear us. You are part of the Oasis."
"I'm… part of the Oasis?"
"It is where you were born." Flowers bloomed in her nose. "She created you. He created you. This is your home."
"It is why you are able to heal yourself so quickly." Sand trickled over her skin.
"Heal?" Zahra scoffed. "If that were true, I wouldn't be here right now in cloud-cuckoo land, while some poison is killing me."
The breezes swirl together, combined.
"Death is the biggest lie that humans tell themselves."
Sand scraped lightly across her skin. The scent of petals danced through the air. She heard fruit fall, leaves tumble, dunes shifting — the land reshaping itself in slow, living breaths.
"Nothing ever truly dies," the breezes continued. "It transforms. There is only life. Every grain of sand is as alive as I am."
"You think you're alive?" Zahra asked, sarcasm sharp.
"What is life?" A chill brushed her right side.
"Is it breath? We are what you breathe," murmured the left, tingling against her skin.
"Is it touch? I feel every fruit and leaf I guide to the ground."
"Or is it choice?" they said together.
"Free will?" Zahra murmured.
The winds laughed softly as they encircled her, lifting her hair high. It felt like boneless fingers running through every strand — deeply unsettling.
"If that is life," they teased, "then you, yourself, are not truly alive."
A frustrated groan came from Maahes as he turned away. "The Eastern and Western Winds," he muttered. "Powerful forces. They speak plainly. Without mercy."
"Is it true?" Zahra asked, her curiosity outweighing her fear. "That nothing ever dies?"
"If it were not," Maahes said gently, turning back to her, "I would not
still be here. Guarding. Watching."
"Waiting." He added softly.
She reached out, hand trembling.
She wanted to know what he looked like. To feel who he was.
He was so familiar.
"If you wish to see me," Maahes said as he rose — she heard the crunch of sand beneath his weight — "open your eyes."
"But… they are open," she mumbled softly.
"No," he said, his voice suddenly commanding. "Your human eyes are open. Open your eyes."
Zahra frowned, trying to understand.
Fuck it. Worth a shot.
She reached inward, down to the pool of energy she had touched before — the place where she found the other senses.
Deeper.
Further.
Down and down.
How far will I go? How far can I go?
Then — something.
Her senses brushed against a presence. A child. No — a young girl. A woman.
She heard muffled sobs. Felt pain radiating outward.
Zahra reached forward.
"Hey," she called gently. "Are you okay?"
Slowly, the girl lifted her head. A delicate hand smoothed over her forehead, into her hair.
Zahra gasped — not in fear. It was realisation.
Her eyes shot open.
The world was a blur, fogged and indistinct. The first thing she recognised was white — crisp bedsheets and duvet.
There was a smell she didn't recognise, one which almost stung her nostrils and caught in her throat. All around her were rhythmic beats.
As awareness returned, sensation followed. Needles. Tubes. Something clipped to her finger.
Her vision refused to clear. Her head throbbed as though caught in a vice, and even the slightest movement sent pain screaming through her skull.
Suddenly – a familiar smell.
Lilies.
She turned her head despite the nausea clawing at her stomach. She had to know.
Beside her bed sat a woman, turning a brilliant blue petal of a bunch of lilies sat haphazardly in the vase between her fingers.
Dark flowing locks.
Warm caramel skin.
Boundless dark eyes.
Zahra knew her in an instant.
"M-mother…" she croaked.
Those eyes lifted to her, clear and full of love she hadn't felt in years. Centuries even.
A mother's love.
"Zahra," her mother said softly. "You're awake. I'm here."
Zahra grasped her hand.
Relief crashed through her — overwhelming, grounding. Everything felt real. Solid.
Every weight on her suddenly lifted at her touch.
In that moment, she knew that everything would be okay. With her mother here, she could face anything.
"I'm ready," Zahra whispered, her voice hoarse.
Her mother smiled. More precious than gold.
"Do you remember what I used to tell you?" she asked. "All those years ago."
"People will always… underestimate me."
Pride radiated from her mother as her grip tightened.
"And you must make them pay."
"I will."
A sudden whoosh ripped through the room. Zahra's stomach lurched violently, nausea surging as her eyes darted back and forth.
She gagged, the urge to vomit sharp and immediate.