The sky above this god forsaken place was covered in a veil of darkness⎼the heavens have long turned their backs on the land. The land itself, a wasteland drained of heat and life but not less cruel. A desert that stretches far into the distance yet the horizon is hidden by the rolling fog that kisses the ground softly as it approaches the "cradle". Inside, screams and wails of a mother echoed, each bouncing off the hollow walls. The women covered in their cultural wear and their face covers tried to calm her down. Manthrans, each of them both hands lay on the opposite side of their chest, mumbling prayers beneath their breaths.
"For you are the guide through trenches and the umbra. The beacon of the renewal…" the Manthrans muttered.
After what seemed to be harrowig hours of birth, a voice as new as the breath itself pierced the surroundings. The Manthrans quickly ushered for the women of cloth to quickly attend the child before "they" hear of its cries. The fog had now reached the "cradle", this sacred place of giving birth inside the Per⎼Netjer. The Per⎼Netjer is a place of worship for the Hvərəza(which were the people native to this cruel land). The preachers each rushed to four corners of the room as they slit their hands with golden daggers, their dark golden blood dripping on the floor.
"...father of the forever lingering flame, what has no name shall not hold your children. What has no face shall not gaze onto us. This is your holy Per⎼Netjer, a sacred home for us to call upon your name…" the Manthran and everyone in the room closed their eyes, hiding behind closed eyelids.
The Manthrans continued, "Womb of silence cradle us, let the Fallen pass this place."
Screeches and wails came from beyond the temple as the fog which had begun seeping into the door cracks receded. Suddenly beyond their closed eyes the room seemed to brighten and the baby seemed to let out a loud cry. The Manthrans sensed that the mother wished to get up and attend to her child.
"Don't move! Stay still and keep your eyes closed!" one of the Manthrans shouted, making her flinch and not even think about moving.
The rumbling of the building and the baby's cries continued for about 10 more minutes before everything calmed down. Yet the darkness in the room was covered by a brighter light which the candles could never hope of achieving. As everyone slowly opened their eyes, a blinding light filled their vision as they quickly shut them tight once more. When the mysterious light also subsided they all opened their eyes and a shock overwhelmed them.
In the ratu's arms(singular for a lady of the cloth) the baby slept silently, yet something was odd. The Hvərəza⎼Ra were known for their dark, sand colored hair, dark blue irises and golden bronze skin. The baby had been born with dark golden hair, almost black in color. With a flicker of his eyelids, the blinding light returned for but a millisecond. The Manthrans knew that the light was being emitted by the child's eyes.
"...a fracture…" one of the Ratus muttered.
"A fracture? That's impossible!" one of the Manthrans retorted.
"What else can it be? In the gospels of old, it speaks of such!"
The back and forth between the Manthrans and Ratus lasted for quite some time, almost waking the baby. The Elders of the two factions could no longer watch the younger generation bicker as they put a stop to the entire ordeal. Ratus and Manthrans were two of three factions in each Per⎼netjer and the most similar. They both wore the "shroud". Their vestments were a dark colored orange, each fold and tuck designed to hide the wearer. Their faces are covered with a thin dark veil of the same color, yet the face inside is always distorted from the onlooker's perspective. The oath taken by Ratus and Manthrans during their inaugural states that "..no man besides the Father shall lay their gaze upon me".
This also is directed to the Fallen which lurk the indiscernible fog, the vestments also serve as a protection against the malevolent. As inside it is filled with inscriptions from the Avest(The holy book of the Hvərəza, "Light within His word"). The elder Ratu who was holding onto the baby, distinguished from the others with her headwear, gave the child to the mother. She wrapped them with a cloth and walked towards the door.
"Layla, you and your child shall remain inside His holy home until we figure things out,' she advised.
"You cannot make such decisions alone!" the elder Manthran retorted.
"Shut up Abasi, don't make a fuss. The child is already exhausted and she also has a lot to think about."
"I do?" Layla, a bit confused, inquired.
"Yes, I'm sure naming the child will be quite difficult," she pointed to the baby.
When Layla and company turned to look at the child, it had only dawned on them then. Where every person alive was cast in singular molds, the child was poured twice⎼ they were born with both sex organs. Layla began to lament, maybe this meant her child was sick. The elder saw her worried look and reassured her everything is normal because this is mentioned in the books of old; children who are born with two sex organs. The Elder ushered for the Ratus and Manthrans to follow as they all left the "cradle".
…
Towering stone doors creaked open as the two elders, Abasi and Isis, entered. Isis removed her facecover and Abasi seemed alarmed.
"We were bound together beneath His love and gaze, you just love fussing over things," Isis mumbled.
"Anyone could enter this chamber you know."
"Don't be foolish, only Elders can enter this library. And each town can have only three elders watching over each Per⎼netjer. Besides Horu is on an expedition with his team, we aren't expecting them till the next four Breaths, when the fog recedes."
Abasi also removes his facecover. His eyes were deeply set and his skin was slightly dry and only begun showing signs of aging. Isis' hair is tied in a bun just below her nape. She possesses beauty that is formed by accumulated knowledge over time.
"Seems I'm the only one getting humbled by the passing Turnovers," Abasi winked at Isis.
"Yes but it cannot humble that tongue of yours. Now, what should we do about this?" she retorted.
She didn't need to say what "this" is because Abasi knew. They walked around the library searching. Abasi soon shouted, exclaiming with excitement that he had found it. In his hands, a book bound by leather; its cover portraying two hands that are holding a yellow sun that is seemingly bleeding over mountains, the "blood" forming a river. It was the Solumbra, which only elders get to study. Immediately after turning its cover they are met with a solid black page with white letters at the bottom edge of the page. Isis who is studying the ancient tongue could barely understand a few of the words.
"...Beware…light that…flicker…it is…dead…"
"...Sātar hāmai…raocah ýatha…Ātar frašišta…asti…marəiia…"
…
His feet quickly dash through the surface, the sand swallowing them with every step. Hands placed on his abdomen, a blood trail follows after. The grains of sand began to vibrate, he can no longer gather strength to pull his legs from the sinking sand. His heart was hammering as it tried to escape from his ribcage, growing faster with each second. Turning his head the only thing that filled his vision was a dense everpresent grey. He knew the fog also silences as it also hides yet that did not stop him. His cries for help clawed at his throat, blood splattering with each syllable.
Then it appeared. Hunched over like a starving man, four elongated limbs that stride in an unnatural manner. Hair covering patches of its black flesh, swaying with the breeze. Two pale yellow eyes and rows of no teeth but what seems like hooked, finger-like bones. One, two, three and four of these creatures, shadows given form emerged from the dense screen of the fog. Nehren. The light slowly vanishing from his eyes as he saw this sight.
He swiftly let go of his abdomen as he used his red dyed arms to crawl on the sand that was also swallowing him whole. With a burst the Nehren rushed to the man, before a scream could escape his lungs one sunk its fangs into his windpipe. Another ripped out the already exposed intestines, each grabbing its desired target. Hoarse wails mixed with a choking of his own blood echoed in the silence. Blood splattering on the golden sand, leaving only a skull connected to the spine to be swallowed by the sand; wiping the utter gruesomeness that had just occurred. The beasts within the fog are cruel, however the land wishes for your demise.
…
"Hmm, what should your name be? It would've been easier if you were either a boy or girl but now I am confused," Layla put forth.
"...Nefer? Because you look very beautiful with your unique dark hair and strangely enough, you have very light golden eyelashes." she chuckled.
Nefer's little hand could barely cover Layla's finger as they held on to it. Layla began to hum a melody her mother used to sing when she was young, "Here comes the night, goodbye morning" :
"Here comes night,
little shadow don't you cry.
The sun recedes,
like an ending dream.
Hush now, close your eyes,
though the dawn will never rise.
The sun has gone into an endless deep,
but we'll pretend it's just asleep.
The candles flicke, the beetles hum⎼
That's the closest that light will come.
"...Too bad mom didn't remember the rest. It's a really sad song isn't it, Nefer?" Layla cried, holding her child in her embrace.