Advanced Beings and a Fork in the Road of Evolution

«Noumat,» Ichel said. «I am afraid. I have never been caught in a sand storm before but I’ve heard it can be really dangerous. What if…»

«Don’t!» Noumat did not let her finish. «There is nothing to be afraid of. The storm won’t hurt us. Stay close and you’ll be fine.»

At heart, Noumat was just as scared. And only the calm face of Laurus gave him confidence.

They could already see the storm in the distance. Worried, the travelers saddled up and urged the camels forward, hoping there was time for them to save themselves. However, it looked like they were rushing towards the storm instead of running away. Etan and Noumat were inflamed with rage, angry at themselves for obeying Laurus, for abandoning their path, and finding themselves trapped.

The wind roared. A wall of sand was growing in front of them, obscuring the sun. The travelers were both terrified and amazed at the hypnotic view, at the power and beauty of nature.

They breathed quickly, feeling the increasing helplessness. Their camels stopped dead, unable to move, paralyzed by fear.

The travelers could not take their eyes off the horrifying wall of sand, sweeping towards them with devastating speed. The storm seemed almost alive, it was like a hungry wild beast, chasing its prey and not letting it go. The travelers appeared to be the prey.

The hot breath of nature nipped at their faces. The storm was about five hundred meters away from them; it had already opened its jaws, ready to devour the travelers.

Following along Laurus, they all dismounted, covered their faces with the pieces of cloth, their hands shaking, and clang to the ground.

They could not see anything, it was as dark as midnight, but they could hear the increasing roaring sound and feel the mighty blasts of wind with their whole bodies. The wind whipped them with sand. They were aware of their helplessness and were scared to death, blinded by fear.

Noumat felt that this was the end. The happiest moments of his life flashed before his eyes. He remembered his childhood, carefree laughter, playing with other kids. For a brief moment, he even forgot what was going on around him.

Hugging the ground, Etan was agonizing over the failed task, regretting that he would die, leaving no descendants behind.

Ichel and Dune were nearly fainting, unable to cope with fear.

Heaven only knows what Laurus and his companions had on their minds.

Suddenly, the roaring went down. It was withering, drifting away. The travelers felt a glimmer of hope. They uncovered their faces, sprang to their feet, and saw that the sand storm was somehow moving away from them as if it went astray, pushed or maybe frightened, or drawn by some unseen force. Imagine the travelers’ surprise when they realized that the storm swooped in the direction where they would be if they didn’t slant off from the path at the insistence of Laurus. It seemed impossible! The travelers could not help crying, their faces wet with tears of joy. Many of them dropped down on their knees, weak from what they had just endured.

How could it be? One thing was clear: It had all been predetermined. Someone, or something, had warned Laurus so that he could warn the others. Whoever, or whatever it might be, it was a friendly force that had just saved their lives.

The travelers approached Laurus to thank him. Ichel and Dune were slowly coming to their senses. All these anxieties left their mark on them.

«My dear friends,» Laurus said in a clear voice. «What you have just witnessed is not something unique, something that few can master. Each of you is able to chime with the world of thoughts, the world of knowledge where you can learn about everything that has happened in the past and ever will happen and where you will be helped and supported, no matter what.»

Mesmerized, they were listening to Laurus, unable to break the ringing silence. Now, when the travelers had witnessed that Laurus’s words were true, his words were of even more importance, had even more influence on them. It’s one thing to hear about something and it’s quite another to experience it. The travelers hung on his every word, every turn of his head, every change in his facial expression. They did not want to miss a thing.

«Laurus,» Etan cried out. «May we call you Master?»

«Of course, Etan,» Laurus replied and exchanged glances with his companions, flashing a mysterious smile. «But you need to understand, you can all be masters. We are all tarred with the same stick, figuratively speaking. We are all the same. All I can do you can do too. You just don’t know about it yet.»

«Master, will you help us do it then?» Noumat said emphatically.

«Of course I will!» Laurus looked happy. It felt so good to share knowledge with those who are really eager to gain it. «But first you need to understand and accept that the whole world is filled with energy. It’s what the world, you, and I are made of. Now, the most intriguing thing is that energy is somewhat alive. It is capable of thinking, it knows everything. And it also loves us like our mothers do though it is never upset with us. Even if we let it down. It is always eager to help and believes in our success without reservation. It was this energy that warned us about the storm.»

«It’s too good to be true!» a murmur of surprise ran through the listeners. «So it means we are in good hands, doesn’t it? Someone or something that knows everything willingly takes care of us. This is incredible!»

«It’s the best thing I’ve ever heard!» Noumat exclaimed.

«And now,» Laurus said. «Sit down, close your eyes, and listen to your breath, leaving all your worries behind. We’ve undergone a severe experience, so we have to restore the emotional balance and return harmony.»

They all did as Dream Seer had told them. Many of them succeeded, especially among those who had spent a lot of time accompanying Laurus on his journeys and had the chance to practice meditation many times.

«Laurus,» Noumat said with a hint of annoyance in his voice. «No matter how hard I try to concentrate, I’m getting all itchy every time! What does that mean?»

«Just try not to pay attention,» Laurus said quietly.

«Try not to pay attention…» Noumat thought. «Easier said than done! Maybe it’s this energy that’s tickling me? Otherwise, I don’t know how to explain it.»

Etan, Ichel, Dune, and other travelers looked concentrated and relaxed at the same time. They seemed to be successful at mastering the art of meditation.

Ichel felt her body to become as light as a feather. She could not quite understand whether she was still sitting on the ground or started soaring above it. It was a weird feeling but she made up her mind not to open her eyes and keep meditating until Laurus told her to stop.

She was impatient to see what would happen next.

Etan felt vibration passing through his whole body and was no longer aware of the position he had taken. He ceased sensing his body as usual, as if it has lost all of its weight.

And then, all of a sudden, Laurus told them to stop. The travelers did so, albeit with great reluctance: They grew quite fond of the state of meditation. This time no warning messages were received, and they were all ready to continue their journey to Pharaon’s settlement.

Chapter Three. A Fork in the Road of Evolution

It was hard to say how many days the travelers had spent on the road when they saw a familiar land in the distance. That’s it! Pharaon’s settlement was at a glance distance from there.

Pharaon, his father Pharoum, and a dozen other men were staring intently at the approaching big group of people. Among them, they saw Etan and Noumat.

«It’s amazing how many people they managed to bring along,» Pharoum said calmly, letting the wind kiss his face.

«Well, they’ve spent so much time away with a good reason,» a contented smile lit up Pharaon’s face as he was looking forward to finally meet the travelers. «And the best is still to come!»

Etan and Noumat rushed to hug their parents and friends. All the people of the settlement were happy to see them.

While Etan and Noumat had been away, they had been living the same monotonous, uneventful, and boring life. Every day had been the same.

«Pharaon!» Noumat ran up to him. «I am so glad to finally see you!»

«It’s good to see you too!» Pharaon said as he hugged his friend.

«You won’t believe what we have endured! We brought Laurus, a wise old man, and his fellow thinkers with us.

Some of them will stay with us. Oh, and they possess thorough knowledge of incredible things and they want to share it with you and all those willing. Also, Laurus said that you are the chosen one.»

«The chosen one, you say?» Pharaon said matter-of-factly. «And here comes my friend Etan!» Pharaon hugged the other one of his two close friends, beaming.

«Listen up, everyone!» Pharaon addressed the people of the settlement in a deep, strong voice. «Travelers from far away came to us to greatly increase our knowledge. Some of these people will stay with us forever! Let us give them a warm welcome!»

The people of Pharaon’s settlement were really happy to hear the news since their lives were incredibly uneventful. The days went by, one after another, as identical as grains of sand in the endless desert.

What did the settlement look like? It didn’t take up much land. Its territory was covered with soft sands but the settlement was lying on the bank of a large and deep river with the blue water of incredible beauty, rich with fish, big and small, and thick bunches of moss. The river was everything to the inhabitants, and besides, its banks were covered with grass and bushes. The people of the settlement used its waters to cool off on hot summer days, wash their bodies and ragged clothes, or just enjoyed taking a swim there. The river served as their food source, mirror, the main attraction, and heart of the settlement with around thirty inhabitants, all of whom were still pretty young. However, now, just like any other summer, the river went low, and there was not much fish in its waters.