Once Seifeddiin heard Basset’s encouraging words — “The journey
begun Now.” — excitement filled him. He leapt out of the cave, with Basset
close behind. But as soon as they were outside, Seifeddiin realized he
hadn’t asked the lady which direction to take. He quickly turned around —
and the cave door was gone. In its place stood a solid, towering rock.
Seifeddiin frowned and looked at Basset while and for the first time wondered: “Does Basset hears my thoughts the way I hear her?”
Basset paused mid-lick, flicked her ears, and sent a soft hum through the
air to assure him that yes, she could hear him.
Relieved to know that she can, Seif focused his eyes on her shouting:
“Now what? Where do we go?” Basset replied with disbelieve, ”Don’t
you know! I could only bring you to the cave. From here on, it’s your jour-
ney. I’ll just follow you, like a good cat.” Basset moved her head cutely
Siefeddiin got busy thinking hard to find the way to the first village on the
list.
Seifeddiin looked up at the road ahead. When he turned his gaze to one
side, a strange warmth spread across his palm. Glancing down, he saw the
baobab’s mark glowing softly, pulsing with light. He looked up following its
direction — but it led upward, toward a steep, rocky climb.
When he turned his head the other way, the glow faded, revealing the river
below them. Curious, Seif turned back again, and the mark flickered to life
once more. Basset hopped onto his shoulder, her golden eyes fixed on the
shifting glow. “Look that way again, Seif,” she said with a sneaky smile curl-
ing across her whiskered face.
He turned — and the light went out. “What does that mean?” Basset asked
with big wide eyes full of amusement and confusion.
“The mark is broken,” Seifeddiin replied with voice full of sarcasm, moving
his head side to side as the glow blinked on and off. Finally he stopped that
seediness and be serious,
“We’re looking for the Water Village. Down there is the river— but up
there?” He glanced at the steep hill. “Nothing but rocks.”
“You make the decision,” Basset said. “Lead the way.”
A few steps on the direction of the river, and suddenly they were tumbling
— rolling down the slope with no way to stop. Stones scattered beside
them as they plunged toward the sharp rocks below. Seif lost his staff mid-
fall, wishing desperately for softer ground. Then, the staff struck something
— and a soft, misty cloud blossomed beneath them, lifting them safely into
the air. It carried Seif and Basset gently back to the top of the hill. With cuts and bruises covering his skin, Seif sat in pain trying to under-
stand what happen and wishing his was back home. Tumbling in front of
him fall his healing pouch. Out of it appears the only thing seems to be in-
side at that moment, a small bottle filled with antes. They crowed out to
work on his wounds, leaving the skin smooth and whole again. Once they
fished they ran away. Seif and Basset enjoyed watching them even seeing
them disappearing leaving tiny footsteps on the dirt then jump over the
deep cliff that was going to take their life. As soon as the wounds healed,
the pain was gone, and the shock of what happened gone, Seif was able to
think again.
“I think shortcuts aren’t always the right way,” Seif admitted.
“Let’s follow the glowing mark,” he added. “It might take longer, but it’s
safer.”
Basset grinned. “And maybe dinner waits that way too.”
They began walking, zigzagging playfully. Every time they stepped in the
right direction, the mark on Seif’s hand glowed; when they strayed, it
dimmed. It became a game — a living compass guiding their path, their
laughter echoing between the rocks.
At last, the shimmer of water appeared ahead. They ran anxious to see
Water village of the river. The mark on Seifeddiin’s hand is steady now, and
the glowing mark is bright and no longer flecking . They looked around
to only see the riverbank quiet and nothing is there as far as their eyes can
see. Nothing seemed unusual. Basset stood tall on Seif’s shoulder starch-
ing her nick as high as possible searching for anything can help Sief but
there was nothing. She jumped off Seifeddiin’s shoulder, having him loose
balance and stumbled forward. Once his hand touched the water surface
Seifeddiin heard the river’s call. Its voice was soft like lullaby but there was
something old and urgent it its song.
While waves danced shimmering mist began to rise. It grew thicker and
taller creating a round ball of fog. through the swirling fog, a figure ap-
peared. A beautiful woman emerged — her blue dress shimmered like liq-
uid sapphire, and her braids, adorned with shells and pearls, glowed softly
in the light. She moved gracefully across the water, arms open, her smile
calm and welcoming.
“Seifeddin,” she called him like she knew him all her life while her face got
closer to his,
“long ago, we left the surface. That world grew too fast… too loud… too an-
gry.
We took with us the wisdom of Patience and went deep beneath the river where time still moves gently like it
should.
Suddenly, the river parted, and Seifeddiin stepped gently into the glowing
current. Basset the cat shimmered beside him moving her tail like a fish
gliding happily in the water.
They soon were beneath the water, where the world was hushed and
slow.
At the bottom lay a village of blue light, homes made of pearl shining under
the beams of light and gardens of coral reef and lawn of seaweed. The
people moved with grace, as if they had all the time in the world.
Seif thought right to Basset’s head :” there is nothing more calming than
this”. Basset paid no attention and kept gliding left and right in the water.
A wise Elder, with skin like polished stone and eyes deep as wells, ap-
proached.
“Seifeddiin,” he spook as if he is counting the lady speech, “We remember
when the world had room to breathe. But then came speed, noise, and
computation. People forgot the power of waiting, observing and of listen-
ing. “ with a voice filled with disappear and sadness, he added “And so we
left…
We took Patience and hid it here, to keep it safe.”
The old man opened his hand and revealed a glowing blue pearl.
“Take this,” he said. “It is small but mighty.
It grows in silence.
It blooms in stillness.
Carry it to the Village of Fire, and remind them that life is peace and that
true peace takes time.”
The blue pearl floated into Seifeddiin’s palm. It pulsed gently, like a heart-
beat slowed to the rhythm of peace.
As he held it, Seif felt the whole world slow down —-/the river, the wind,
even his own thoughts.
“To walk with Patience,” the Elder said,
“is to walk with strength.
It means choosing peace… ONCE PEACE IS PERCENT life would make -
much needed sense.”
Seifeddiin rose from the depths with the blue pearl glowing in his hand. Basset climbed back to his shoulder, quiet and still.
Outside the water they noticed the wind changed. The sky glowed red.
The Village of Fire was waiting.
Seif walk with confident armed with-not only the fire of justice that he is,
or the light of the sun, the peace of wisdom that his parents gifted him and the quite power of Patience.
Basset the cat heard his thought and whispered: “ And that would change EVERYTHING.”