A slight warmth came to Taum’s face as he laid on his back looking up at the sky. He figured it was already morning, at least what he could consider morning since in the settlement they chose there was still no sun to hang directly above them and only it moved in the distance somewhere, it’s pleasant and warm rays barely kissing their faces as morning drew. It was now the eight morning, maybe ninth since his brothers have gone and there were few ways, they could mark the passing of time and even fewer reasons to do so. The only one Taum thought of was the ever-passing chance of seeing his brothers again. About seven days maybe since he last saw Rahul and Gohola, that means low chances. Not to mention Gohola was dying when they left him in the desert.

  “We should have gone back for Gohola together.” He spoke out loud, still lying on his back. “There was no reason to leave him there.”

  “There was reason and there was a cause - should we have all died together?” Eish replied to him calmly.

  “You are right. We should not have died all together. It is good now that only two of my brothers are likely dead.” Taum exhaled in annoyance.

  “They are not as stupid as you think, son.”

  Taum sat upright.

  “I never said I thought they were stupid.” he protested.

  “You are right, they are not as weak then.” Eish corrected himself.

  “I never said I thought they were weak either.”

  “If you thought they were smart and strong you would not be condemning them to death so easily.” The good God Eish surmised. And perhaps he was right. Rahul and Gohola could still be alive, but what could they possibly be doing? It was the desert after all. Six days since he last saw Yiwu.

  “Did not need to send Yiwu all alone to the desert.”

  “My son of little faith, it troubles me that your best ideas you seem to have left for after the fact.” Taum could sense Eish was annoyed with him too. It was the anxiousness of having to wait for all of them.

  “And to think yesterday you were so thoughtful and open.” he added.

  “I do not know of which you speak.” Taum put his finger in the ground and wiggled it around, breaking the surface of the dirt.

  “Yes, only yesterday you were so full of gratitude and wisdom and now you seem so bitter, what have I done to you that demands such a degree of spite?” Taum thought Eish was toying with him, he did not know of what gratitude he was speaking. Sometimes the God Eish just spoke in riddles and it felt like he was more playing a game than having a conversation with him.

  “I feel not spite, good God Eish, merely longing for my dear brothers and regret over how we have divided. “The land they found was a bitter gift. At times Taum thought it was the price they paid; a curse put on them for trying to escape their home. Perhaps they were wrong in their endeavor. Perhaps they should have stayed in the desert. That’s what Taum thought only until he imagined all of them back together again to the idea of which his heart rejoiced and he was glad they came here.

  “You have sent everybody out, God Eish, all of my brothers scattered and only I sit dormant here and useless. May you not find me a quest so that I can be no lesser than my brethren? Do you not see me as valuable? Do you not see me as powerful or strong-willed?” Taum beckoned the good God Eish.

  “I saw you from the very first time as thunder hidden in a living form, you are untamed and at times I fear you could not be contained.” Eish turned to his son and spoke.

  “I can, my good God Eish.” Taum protested.

  “So be contained.” Eish cut his sons ambition short and got up towards the river.

  “Where are you going?” he did not answer so Taum followed in his footsteps.

  “My good son Taum” Eish spoke as he walked towards the river. “I consider you to be intelligent and forward. You spoke of what we should have done in the past, so please if you think there is some place you should be right now, speak now before the deed is done and you have not yet had the opportunity to claim there is something that we did wrong.” Eish spoke and stopped to look at Taum awaiting his answer. He on the other hand seemed startled by the forwardness of Eish.

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  “I do not know.” He exhaled and hung his head. Eish put his arm around him and led him again now along the riverbank. “Worry not my son. I know you feel idle right now but there is great work for us to be done and you will have a chance to show your virtue. Now let that show of virtue be patience, so that we may not be scattered even more than we already are. You would not leave me alone here would you?”

  “Of course, I would not.”

  “So, let your head not hang as if you were a prisoner. Your role is that of my protector and the guardian of our new home. Look before you and around you. There is land here and water and flowers and trees and beasts of plenty.” Eish smiled and Taum looked around.

  “Indeed, there is.” He agreed sulking. They came to a field where the wildebeest drank from the river and sat down to watch them.

  “Besides your brothers Nessar and Liryas should be returning home soon. There should not be much to check for safety in this beautiful land.”

  “This is indeed beautiful. How do you think it was made?” The question clearly troubled Eish as his brows turned downwards in an expression of pensiveness.

  “I have no way of knowing my dear son. I was born to the desert. I do not know who the architect behind it was either.” He admitted finally.

  “Do you think there are other Gods besides you?” Taum asked and Eish exhaled tiredly but responded earnestly.

  “I am sure of it.” Taum nodded in silence and looked around once again to fully take in the beauty and majesty of this Great Green North.

  “How many others do you think were affected by the changing of the sun into Iragur?”

  Eish looked at him frowningly.

  “I do not know my child.”

  “Why did you make the one above us?” Taum kept inquiring and it seemed each time like Eish was about to lose patience but instead he just exhaled and answered to the best of his ability.

  “Because, my dear child, the greatest and most important of man’s endeavors is to be in company. Now there I was laying in the desert, mighty and powerful, and yet my life meant so little, it accumulated to nothing. Every walk around the desert, every day spent the exact same way, it all was just exhausting. To exist without purpose. More than that, when you are bereft of company there is very few reasons to do anything. If you were stuck in the desert with no hope of ever finding the green north or others to share the desert with even, would you ever do anything? Would you be content?” Taum nodded quietly.

  “And so, every day was the same and I did nothing. And because I did nothing, I fell into nothing. I became nothing. If you were to ask me right now how much time passed, I could not tell you. Every step I took was inconsequential to the next, how could I have known? There was no reason to smile, no reason to frown, only quiet, boring, tiring existence. Then I made you, and it was clear that now I have purpose. I have company of my own making and the days became brighter. But what also became clear is that you were not my equals. Not in power and not in wisdom. I had company of servitude. Since you are my children, and I am your God you are below me. I say this not in contempt or hate but it is a stating of an obvious fact, and what is more, I may ask you again – if you were to be stranded in the desert alone, again, without powers and man just emerged from the sand would you call them your equals?” Taum’s eyes were widened as he listened intensely.

  “I do not know… perhaps not.” He answered with little conviction.

  “And why is that?” Taum turned to look at the wildebeest drinking from the river.

  “Because I would be older, and of the desert, and more experienced.” He finally concluded.

  “And so, you see my son that it is a clear and obvious law of life, you were and continue to be not my equals – although in love and friendship I cherish you as you do me. So, I pondered upon your predicament then. The lightness of servitude. The simplicity of it. That when the God Eish say you walk, you walk, when he says stop, you stop. Do you understand? I admit I felt a sort of envy towards you. Not only to be devoid of the incredible weight of one’s judgement of his own deeds but also, I craved what I imagined must be a feeling of protection and comfort and wisdom. So, you could be seen by me when you toiled in the sun and I could see you, but it wasn’t enough. I could not feel what you feel, and I felt that to be wrong. And to know where you come from. Wherever you may go in life from now Taum you may say, I am Taum of the Erystu, son of Eish. What say I? Where do I come from? Who watches over me? Who judges my actions, who decides my fate? Is it wrong to say I felt I wanted to be free of the responsibility of being the one-above-all? I feared it. I feared that my experience as you put it was naught, as I spent my days in the desert under the sun and what wisdom I had only had to do with me. How could I be the one you called God?” Eish breathed heavily and as he spoke; he waved his hands passionately until he got so heated that he could see in his peripheral vision that Taum’s expression turned from interest to that of concern and so he calmed himself.

  “And so, I made Iragur. So that I to may have something above me that I can yearn to and confess to and promise my unending allegiance and servitude.” He finished finally.

  “Do you think he too yearns for there to be one above him?” Taum asked.

  “I doubt that. Whenever I turn my eyes to the sky and look at him, I just feel calmness.” They both nodded.

  “I understand.” Taum said finally.

  “Good.” Eish confirmed and nodded slightly to himself.

  “This is indeed a beautiful land we found here.” Taum said looking out onto the field. “We should call it Eshai”

  “Home of Eish?” The good God seemed surprised. Taum nodded.

  “So be it.”