Advanced Beings and a Fork in the Road of Evolution

Etan and Noumat were brave. They walked on, void of fear.

A man came forth from amongst the group of people and headed toward the brave travelers. The stranger was tall, lean, and oddly dressed.

«Who are you?» the man shouted, scowling.

«We come in peace,» Noumat shouted back with his ringing voice. «Our names are Etan and Noumat. We went off on this journey by order of Pharaon, the head of our settlement. We are here to learn. We will be your apprentices.»

The tall man eyed them with suspicion but he believed that Noumat had told the truth. After some thought, he said: «Follow me. I will introduce you to the chief of our brotherhood. My name is Verum.»

Etan and Noumat followed Verum straight away.

«Come over here. I know who you are,» a man, standing in front of the others, said rather huskily. Neither Noumat nor Etan had ever seen such an old man. «Yes, I remember your manly faces very well. I’ve seen you in my dream. My name is Laurus. They also call me Dream Seer. We’ve come from faraway lands, rich with lush meadows and thick forests, the lands that are nothing like this barren ground, in order to meet you. Pharaon’s desire (yes, I know who he is) was so strong that I could see him and so I set on a journey towards you together with my faithful friends and companions.»

Etan and Noumat’s amazement gradually turned into fear of the unknown power. They were in awe of the astounding knowledge of the old man. But they didn’t undertake such a long journey just to yield upon meeting the unknown they were looking for. Moreover, the young men did not want to let down the people of their settlement, who needed help and support from the outside.

«There is no need for you to beware anything or anyone here,» Laurus said. «We’ve brought two spare camels with us. For you. So let us not waste any time and set forward, to the lands that will captivate you. You will be given special knowledge and your people will be able to multiply and replenish.»

Etan and Noumat had never seen camels before since their lives were so poor and meager. The friends of Laurus helped them get on the bizarre beasts and walked by their side, making them safe from a fall.

«You know why I love the desert?» Laurus spoke again, sitting on the back of a leisurely walking camel. «You are alone with your thoughts here. There’s nothing to distract you from yourself, your inner voice. I like meditating here. But first things first.»

The desert was indeed lovely, especially now, embraced by the late sunlight. The sandhills imitated the wild waves of a vast ocean as if they had frozen motionless only to offer the travelers a chance to get an eyeful of their magnificence. It was easy to lose the way in the endless desert, as their tracks were immediately covered with wind-blown sand. But the travelers moved with confidence, easily navigating the peculiar waters.

It got absolutely dark. The sky dressed up in its best apparel, sprinkling stars, shiny like diamonds, over travelers’ heads. They rode in silence and only the quiet conversation between the wind and sand could be heard.

«I wonder,» Noumat thought, «what do the sand and wind know? What are they talking about?»

He remembered what his father had told him when he had been a child: «You can confide your secrets in the sand and wind, they will never betray you. If you wish for something, ask them for it and they will help you get it. Before a man was born into this world, the sands and wind had already been inseparable. They know the secret of eternal life and undying love.»

Lost in his thoughts, Noumat was swayed by the powers of the dream world and sank into a deep sleep. Etan fell asleep too. The camels kept walking, leisurely carrying their heavy bodies.

But Laurus’s people didn’t have time for rest. Laurus raised his hand, barely visible in the darkness, and then all the travelers stopped and dismounted. Only Noumat and Etan were still sleeping right on the backs of their camels. It didn’t seem to bother anyone.

Laurus and his companions sat on the sand, forming a wide circle, reached for the sky, and closed their eyes. The night was far advanced. Suddenly, Laurus began whispering quietly. If you listened closely, you could make out words of gratitude.

«Almighty World around us and within us,» Laurus said in a low voice, «we thank you for the travelers you have sent us in response to our prayers. We took the Great Path and we won’t wander from it. We can feel your support.»

The rest of the words got lost in the murmur of wind that was carrying the sand from one hill to another. But one thing was clear: As Laurus uttered those words, he looked happy and pleased, and his companions did too. For a little while, they kept nodding their heads rhythmically, then opened their eyes, stood up, and continued on their journey.

The next morning, when Etan and Noumat woke up from their deep sleep, they thought their eyes were deceiving them. The sands were gone. The mountains around them were buried in verdure. The air was thick with the chatter of birds and the soft rustle of waterfalls.

«What a fertile land!» Etan said in bewilderment as he dismounted his camel. Noumat stood agape, trying to get a good view of the surroundings, and couldn’t say a word.

There was a clap of thunder and it suddenly began raining hard. All the travelers hid under the crown of an enormous tree: Only rare drops of the rain could get there.

«My dear companions and new friends,» Laurus said in a calm voice. «Let’s sit down. Many of you are marveling at the metamorphosis of the surroundings. You keep asking yourselves about the sources of these phenomena.»

His wrinkled face betrayed a good-natured man: The deepest lines had to be caused by laughter. His stately body was wrapped in something like a dark, shabby long-sleeved robe. Silver curls framed his face with bright green eyes; surprisingly good teeth and full lips were hidden behind his mustache and beard. You could say that Laurus was handsome, confident, and composed. Everything around him seemed to give him real pleasure.

There was a nice chill and freshness in the air. Ants were running around tirelessly, engaged in some very important and urgent work. The whole world around them was moving, full of joy. The whole world welcomed the rain.

«Close your eyes. Take a deep breath,» Laurus said with deliberation. «Listen to nature.»

Etan could not stop looking at the beautiful, abundant landscape. He did not want to miss the rave of colors around him. However, he paid attention to Laurus’s advice and concentrated his mind on his breath. He felt in harmony. He was merging with nature. It was amazing.

Noumat could not concentrate. A swarm of midges was flying around his face and he couldn’t get comfortable on the hard ground, no matter how hard he tried.

Laurus kept on with his speech: «Everything in the world is connected: The sky, earth, stars, you, and me. Everything is just a thought at the beginning. But this thought is persistent, familiar, a thought of conviction, a thought of truth, your truth. Everything we see around us is this thought, already «ripe’, «begotten’. Poor thoughts build a poor world, thoughts about plenteousness build a world of plenty. But nothing in the world is unwanted. Nothing is wrong. All its parts complement each other. One thought leads to another. We feel each and every thought deep in our bones; each thought is the energy we feel within us. But you already know that. A thought of the terrifying will make your breath quicken, your palms sweat, or it may even turn your hair gray. A long-lasting thought of the horrible will cause ghastly diseases, set the wheels of destruction in motion. And by contrast, a happy thought will bring out the most pleasant emotions, a state of euphoria. Long-lasting happy thoughts will heal your bodies, attract happy events.

Everything around you and you, yourselves, are the ripe thoughts, fit for consumption right here and now, just like a fruit fallen from a tree. The good news is that nothing is static; things change.

Our friends came from the lands where soils are not as fertile as here. But if they choose to turn things around, it can be done. Now open your eyes. It’s time for us to go to the cave for the meeting we all longed for.»

No one wanted Laurus to stop. His speech was soothing, mesmerizing like the sounds of a wondrous instrument. The listeners’ bodies seemed to become as light as feathers, and they felt as if they were soaring.

Everything Laurus had said was bizarre for Pharaon’s friends but the old man seemed to know what he was talking about. Etan and Noumat decided to put themselves in his hands and followed him into the cave. They were growing more and more curious.

They saw an amazing sight. The rain had already stopped. The sun was shining bright, clouds were floating in the sky, constantly altering their peculiar shapes, reminding of a playful cat.

Laurus’s companions, Noumat, and Etan slowly headed towards the highest mountain. They passed by luxuriant growths of vegetation; the soil under their feet was alive with millions of living things running around and bustling, stirred by human footsteps. Finally, they reached a clearing and the mountain appeared before them in all its grandeur.

«My dear friends,» Laurus addressed the travelers, «follow me and have no fear.»

There is no way to describe the beauty of that mountain. Blanketed with broad-leaved trees, it looked soft and cuddly despite its monumental size. As the travelers came closer, they saw a small opening at its foot.

Laurus entered the cave first, followed by the rest of the travelers. He took something out of his pocket and the mysterious object lit up the dark cave.

The travelers went further down and, still not too far from the entrance, found themselves in a spacious cave. The walls were covered with inscriptions but no one could read them. Laurus placed the shining object into the center of the cave and sat down on the floor. The others sat down too.

Then, something unimaginable happened. Laurus closed his eyes, whispering quietly. His head was moving oddly and then froze. As he woke out of trance, he gave the travelers a strange look. Something changed in it.

«What is shining over there?» Noumat whispered into Etan’s ear.

«I have no idea,» Etan said, equally baffled.

«This is a stone that accumulates sunlight and then glows in the dark,» Verum, who was sitting next to Noumat and Etan, said calmly and quietly.

«My word!» Etan and Noumat said in unison, trying not to make too much noise.

«I’ll tell you what. I didn’t even think that learning can be so exciting and enjoyable!» Etan said.

«I know, right? And this is just the beginning!» Noumat said eagerly.

«I am glad to be here with you,» Laurus said in a strange voice. «It is good to see you. I welcome Etan and Noumat who came from far away. I know why you are here. Your land can be fertile too. You will manage to go far since Pharaon possesses the great power which he will discover soon.

He is the chosen one. Take these seeds and young plants and put them into your sands. Have faith, there will be a heavy crop.»

The faces of all the people sitting around Laurus expressed astonishment. His voice died down and there was silence. No one who was there had ever witnessed anything like that.