Sairi reached the entrance of the oasis, his face beaming.
He began to gather its golden fruits, which were coated in a honey-like substance that made them taste as if they had been picked from paradise.
He devoured everything he could get his hands on, ravenously, as if he had never eaten in his life. The taste of the honey-like substance tickled his soul and delighted it, making him feel like dancing with joy from this fruit that tantalized his tongue with the most delicious flavors.
He looked ahead and saw a stream of water. He pounced on it like a lion on its prey and began to drink and drink until his thirst was quenched.
Then he lay on his back, his stomach full, and looked up at the sky, studded with stars of every color, and a red nebula surrounding the planet like a curtain embroidered with diamonds.
He placed his hand on his stomach.
"What a beautiful planet," he said. "I hope fate doesn’t strike them with its loss as we lost our planet and became wanderers in the universe, with no home to shelter us. We became a small, scattered group, roaming through space like mercenaries. But things will change when we achieve our goal. This will change everything, and we will reclaim our planet despite every damned galactic empire."
Sairi stood up and began the search for the source of this beautiful oasis.
After a short journey, he finally found it, buried in the heart of the oasis, surrounded by blue, green, and yellow grasses. He reached out to pluck it from its roots as if it were a fruit he was pulling from the earth.
As soon as he pulled it out, he felt a sword placed against his neck. ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴀɴᴛ ᴛᴏ ʀᴇᴀᴅ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs, ᴘʟᴇᴀsᴇ ᴠɪsɪᴛ 𝘯𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭⟡𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘦⟡𝘯𝘦𝘵
He held his breath for a moment, glanced sideways at the strange blade, and remained perfectly still until he heard the stranger say,
"Who are you, and what is this strange thing in your hand? Is it the source of this oasis?"
Sairi replied without turning around, having recognized from his accent that he was one of the Franks. He wouldn’t have understood him if it weren’t for the translator he wore in his ear.
"It’s nothing. Nothing in this universe could create such a beautiful oasis. It’s just a pretty crystal I wanted to acquire and sell in the market to perhaps earn some money."
The stranger pressed his sword against Sairi’s shoulder, insisting,
"Are you from this planet, stranger? If you are, hand over this crystal immediately, by order of the Franks government that rules this planet."
Sairi heard the sound of several soldiers aiming their rifles at him. He sensed his predicament and began to think: should he kill them and flee, or try to continue his deception?
"Does the great Franks Empire take the livelihood of a poor man," he said, "who has no power or strength, and owns nothing in this world but this thing to sell so he and his children can eat? That is not my impression of the Franks Empire, which came to our planet bringing goodness and peace."
The soldiers laughed at what they heard, and it seemed their leader had run out of patience. He raised his sword to silence them.
In that instant, Sairi spun around, aiming his right hand at them. Energy surged from it, throwing them all to the ground except for their leader, who planted his sword in the ground and retreated only a few steps.
Sairi saw that he was an old man with blue, crystalline features and a long, thick grey beard. He wore a blue woolen crown and a long blue robe, like a monk, and on his chest was the symbol of a lit candle. He held in his hand a long, thin blue sword with a sharp blade that gleamed in the light of the three moons.
Sairi drew his thermal sword and stood ready to face him.
"What is an old man like you doing in this desert, monk?" he said. "Shouldn’t you be in your temple, worshipping the god you worship, instead of braving the perils of this desert? And what desire do you have for this worthless crystal?"
The monk looked at the crystal, which shone with all the colors of the rainbow, life pulsing from within it. Sairi noticed his gaze and put it in a cloth pouch hanging at his waist.
The old man said, "I am Saint Jan Dark, and I have heard the legends about this thing you hold. It is a great power, if the legends are true."
Sairi said sarcastically, "Legends, you say? You came to this desert chasing after some legends? Senility must have begun to gnaw at your mind, you poor old man."
The Saint’s face contorted in anger. He waved his sword in the air, threateningly, as his soldiers got up, their bodies groaning in pain, while they grabbed their rifles and aimed them at Sairi again.
The Saint said, "If you value your life, hand over the crystal now. I don’t think it’s valuable enough for you to challenge the High Saint of the Franks Empire. But if you choose to keep it, then it is valuable indeed. And that makes me insist on taking it with me."
Sairi, his patience wearing thin, said, "You say you’re the highest-ranking clergyman of the Franks? And what could a clergyman want with this crystal? If you convince me, I might give it to you. I am a monk too, and I can understand your goals."
Saint Jan Dark stroked his beard, which had some yellow streaks in it, and said in the hoarse voice that characterized him,
"I will tell you, and I offer you the chance to convert to the religion of the Lord and join me in my great quest."
"I will think about it after you tell me what you want with this crystal. Hope you will not disappoint me old man."