The Kingdom

If I hadn't heeded the advice of the words spoken to me from an unknown source I'd be torn into so many pieces by now that all that would've been left of me would have been shards of broken bone scattered in the sand.

I watched as the large dogs congregated in the ruins and picked fights with each other. One dog limped back from a scuffle and an entire pack of the dogs attacked the injured member, consuming it live. It was unnatural and terrifying to behold.

All of a sudden, with a flurry of high-pitched yips and howls, the packs holed up in the ruins of the old city dispersed and ran out into the dunes in every direction. I closed my eyes and silently prayed that I would remain hidden from them.

Surprisingly none of the mongrels seemed to pick up my trail, which left me blessedly undiscovered beneath the sand.

Time went by and my lips moved in a whisper, "Thank you," I said into the darkness of the night.

"You're welcome. Now get some sleep," came the response from within, which, oddly enough, I was getting used to.

My eyes closed as if on command and I drifted off almost instantly into the realm of unconsciousness.

*****

My eyes were gritty with sand and a general lack of moisture. It was a pain to open them, but I forced myself to. It was daylight.

Were the hounds back from their evening jaunt? I sure hoped so!

Feeling stiff and on the lean side, I eased out of the sand and carefully slipped down the side of the dune and began making my way away from the city. When I was out of sight of the forlorn ruins, I made my escape from certain death out to the greater unknown of the windswept plain devoid of larger sand dunes.

I'd escaped death for the moment, but if I didn't get water soon I'd suffer death of a different kind.

"Over here," came the response to my need.

I turned to the southeast, somehow sensing that was the direction of "over here."

It wasn't long, and yet it felt like a long time in coming, until I drew near the still figure of a man staring out over the desert to the south. As I came to a stop the man broke his focus on the southern horizon and gave me the full force of his gaze.

At once I felt completely overwhelmed by this man's presence. Swallowing nervously, I waited to see what would become of me, because against such a man I would be helpless.