"The Traveler of Light"

He was walking at the beach, only his foot steps would show what places he'd been visiting and what dangers he'd been into. Some times he ran, sometimes he walked, and sometimes he fell; but with scares on his body, again he rose. At sunset he slept on the sands and rest till tomorrow. The shadow of doubt had been following him far too long but still he was going on. One day when shining sun emerged in the sky he saw someone on one of the cliffs near him, surprised; he began to follow that person. Finally he found her standing among yellow sunflowers on a cliff, she was so beautiful that he couldn't resist, he had never seen such pure beauty in his own life, and the only word he could say was "This is unbelievable". Yes she was so pretty, with only one look in her eyes, one single glance; he felt that he's going into an endless space of beauty. She said: "Don't talk I know who you are, you can stay here if you want", it was like a dream come true, he accepted with all his heart, without asking any question. And that was how he lived with that girl for 3 magical months.

In one enchanted evening when they were sitting together on a big rock near the sea, he said "I'm sorry darling but my destiny has to move on, I can't stay here", she said: "you can't leave me alone", he replied: "I don't have a choice", "but I love you and I can't love anyone else" she said with great sadness. He stood up and without saying a word he entered the house near the cliff. Tomorrow by the sunrise he packed and without turning back for the last goodbye or the last look at the sunflowers as a reminder of her eyes, he left her for good.

He went on and on until he arrived at mountains, first night it was terribly cold but with a small fire he survived. Next day when nature was still asleep, he woke up with the sound of a hymn, a praise; he followed the sound and found an old temple. Who could live in that cold place? Asking himself he entered the temple and saw monks praying in an odd manner. He got close and asked who they were, they said: "we can give you a power to be stronger, you have been progressing very well, but you need our help to proceed", one of them came closer and took his hand, suddenly he saw himself when he was living with that girl and also he saw what would happen if he didn't leave, he saw he would be alone and he wouldn't have anyone to take care of him. Now he could see everything, therefore he was happy he made the right decision.

Tomorrow he continued his journey but he felt that he is stronger than before, it was the effect of that power he was granted. After a few days the weather was getting warmer, he realized that he was heading toward a warm climate. 3 days later he got to grassland, it was like heaven, and he felt he wouldn't leave this place for a long time. And so he settled there for 2 weeks, and totally forgot about his journey. It was in the middle of the third week when he woke up with a sign of horror on his face, yes he had seen a nightmare the night before, it was more like a vision and it was about his future in this lovely grassland. Something horrible would happen if he wouldn't leave that place so he packed and with a great sorrow, he left that beautiful nature.

It was only a few hours since he had left that imaginary grassland when he saw an old man with white beard, wearing an old rope, sitting beside a tree with his stick in his hand. He turned and changed his way to talk to that old man. The old man stared at him and said: "So young but wise, hmm" I haven't met someone like you before. You are aware of your destiny so I will grant you a power that increase your strength, here take my hand", and so he did. After giving him the power, that old man disappeared in a flash of light. He felt strength and also wisdom in himself, that was the power he was granted.

With a new sense of power he continued his journey; he passed beautiful prairies and rivers. After one week he felt the hot wind of desert on his skin, he knew that he's near desert. It was almost dark and the sunset was the most fabulous scene he had ever seen in his life. That night he rested peacefully and without trouble. The next day he woke up when the golden light of the beautiful rising sun opened his eyes, after packing he continued his way. The weather was getting warmer; it was noon when he got to the deadly, deceiving desert. He walked and walked for hours until he got tired and thirsty, there was no water storage and no food neither.

Finally the heat and thirst pushed him on the sands of gold, he remembered when just few months ago he had been on these sands but near water, he also remembered the face of the girl he saw and everything that had happened to him before. He was losing his consciousness, the only thing he was thinking with himself was: "I won't survive, but it's not right! I shouldn't die now!", His eyes were half open when he saw a shape, a shadow, and then he fell asleep.

He woke up in a tent. A man entered, he was mysterious, and with his head and body covered in some kind of cloth and deep black eyes he stared at him. The man asked him: "It has been years since I saw the last traveler passing this desert! What is your purpose here?" he answered: "I'm traveling to find my destiny". The man hesitated, asked: "Hmm".so it is you, I've been expecting you. We shall wait until its dark and then you will come with me, I have something for you".

So the time came, the man and the traveler went outside, the stars were shining in the sky like the moon light on the moving waves of the sea. After a long walk they got near a cave, the mysterious man said: "come with me, don't be afraid and just follow my lead" and so he did. They went to the depth of the cave; they turned and turned until he saw something shining, it was so beautiful that he couldn't look away. While he was looking at the light, the man said: "beautiful isn't it? It's yours but you should know that while you're carrying this light you're vulnerable to darkness, so you should be very careful. Don't follow the darkness. If you want to survive in this desert you should carry this gift with you. It won't be an easy one for you because the desert won't let you see and the sky, her old friend will keep his light out of your sight. Don't be lost".

They went back to the surface and as the mysterious man said, it was still dark. He asked that man: "who are you?" he answered: "just a servant of light, go now brave one and don't let your eyes trick you, I wish you the best luck". He saw the mysterious man vanished in the dark, so he went on. This time was different because he had to open his eyes and observe carefully, the sound of rocks rolling under his feet was the only sound he could hear in that darkness. In the distant he saw a good place to rest so he put his pack near a rock and lied on the ground with the light in his hands.

When he woke up he couldn't realize whether it was day or night or even for how long he'd been sleeping but at least he knew he wasn't tired anymore. Sometimes fear took all his body but a new power pushed him to move on.

He was loosing his hope when he saw light! But how could this be possible? The light in his hand began to fade. He ran toward the light, suddenly he found himself walking on the stairs of a golden castle, "whose castle is that?" he asked himself. He walked up the stairs, on the top there was a golden door. The door opened and two best dressed servants invited him in.

They took him in one of the greatest and magnificent room in the castle, with soft green curtains and golden walls decorated with fabulous paintings. There was someone sitting on a golden chair on the top, she was like a queen. She said: "you have done well; I thought you would be lost forever in that dark desert, but I was wrong because now I know you have strong faith, your most powerful weapon." He asked: "who are you?" she didn't answer that one.

She took him to another enormous golden room of that castle. She said: "you can stay here as long as you desire" he answered quickly "I can't stand here more than one day, I have to move on". These words were not pleasant to the taste of the queen but she didn't say anything.

Tomorrow morning when he woke up he couldn't believe his eyes, the sunlight on the walls made them fascinating. Pure golden color of that castle was attracting him. Those two well dressed servants showed him the way to the breakfast table with respect. The table was full of foods and drinks most of which he had never tasted in his life. He sat with the queen at the table. After their breakfast, the queen said: "I suppose you are willing to leave this castle today", "yes, I am" he answered , she said with curiosity: "You may stay here with me as long as you want, I will be your queen and you will be the king of this castle." It was an offer he wouldn't be granted in the future.

He was in another detour of his journey would he stay or not? He got confused, at one hand he had to continue the journey and find his destiny and at the other hand he would be living in a great castle with a beautiful queen and a lot of wealth if he wouldn't leave. He was thinking when he suddenly remembered what great things he had done so far in his journey and of course there would be more in the future, so he made his decision and went to the queen.

After hearing him speaking, queen smiled, he asked: "what is it, are you"" she interrupted him: "no, I'm impressed; your desire for finding your destiny is growing even more than before". With a confusing impression on his face, he asked: "So you're".you're another servant of light?" She, with a smooth smile on her face answered: "yes I am, and you are the only person who has ever made this decision. Come with me".

She took him to a door at the end of the castle. "This is where your journey resumes, go now brave one, go in the name of faith" said the queen. For the last time he took a looked at the castle and the queen standing on a golden balcony with a look of faith in her eyes.

It was a new beginning for him; he knew he was going the right way. Everywhere he looked was full of trees and flowers, and mountains at the distant. He asked himself: "at the other side of the castle was all dry lands but on this side..!" but he had seen enough unbelievable things that it was nothing important for him.

He was observing the beauty of the nature when he saw something on the top of a hill. He ran as fast as he could to find out what it was. As he got closer he began to see what it was, it was a stony book. The book was carefully placed at the center of a shrine; it seemed it had been a long time since it had been placed there because the shrine was ruined and a lot of purple flowers were around and inside of the shrine.

He began to read the book, it was written in an odd language but when he looked at the book, the words changed into understandable ones. There was written:

"Greetings the one, you shall be rewarded for your faith"

As soon as he read the words, he saw the blue sky opened and the stairs of light landed on the ground and a voice said: "Come, come to me my faithful one, I have waited a long time to see you"

He put his foot on the first step and he went higher and higher until he found himself above the clouds. On the top of the stairs a great silver door opened, it seemed that someone had been expecting him. He slowly walked inside, a flash of light got his eyes, and at first he couldn't believe his eyes. Mountains, beautiful and rare trees and flowers, a river with clean water, an eagle souring in the sky, and the fresh air he could breathe, were all wonderful.

And a voice began to say: "These are all for you my son, you're one of my children who could keep his faith to me, this is the destiny you have chosen for yourself, and you shall have everything you have desired before for eternity"