Two weeks had passed and the sage didn't see the girl in that period. His legs still felt weak, but he managed to walk with a help of crutches. The caravan stopped under the curvy peaks of rocky mountains, their further journey would seem to be long and full of hardships.

The young leader of the caravan greeted the sage with a nod, who returned the gesture. They both stood silently, trying to absorb the savage nature with all of their senses.

"Did you notice it?" - The young man spoke.

The sage just nodded.

"An absolute silence. As If the time seemed to have stopped." - The young master continued.

"Indeed."

"It empowers the sense of solitude, heightens the intuitive understanding of the important truth, that you're nothing but on your own up there."

"It makes people wary."

"Precisely." - There man paused, his tone became serious. - "Sage, tell me. Should I be wary of you?"

The sage's expression didn't change, even slightly. He was as calm as usual. - "No."

The young man turned to look back at the mountains, pondering. - "Then, it's your slave that I should be wary of."

Sage's expression changed, he became rather reserved and worried. He slowly opened his mouth, exhaled a puff of steam, and uttered. - "Your observation is correct, but still, you shouldn't keep her in the cage."

"May I inquire, why?"

"She went through a hell, it'll only leave her still stuck in that place."

"I understand. It might be as you say." - The young master lowered his hand to his belt and tossed a ring of keys to the sage. - "It would devalue your property. She is in the last wagon."

[ . . . ]

The sage walked across the dark corridor, accompanied by howling of wildlife trapped in the cages and other aggressive growls. There was no distinction between animals and human creatures, which were kept next to each other, the stench of their urine and feces was very hard to endure.

A bony arm reached the sage, begging eyes of what was left of humanoid creature appeared unusually large in an emaciated skull.

"Have mercy..." - Weak, sick voice spoke between convulsing coughs.

Sage just yanked his leg, releasing his robe from the twig-like fingers. The voice became louder and lamented over his fate, dozens of others were awakened from slumber and joined, causing all imprisoned animals to bark and howl, but the sage kept walking, as If unmoved.

He only stopped twice, to inspect the cage with flies and larvas coming out of it, finding a rotten corpse, then next to a child who kept its arms wrapped around its knees and swayed back and forth, silently.

At last, the sage arrived at 'her' cage. She was sitting in the corner, her disheveled hair covered her gloomy face. Her bowl of edible slush was untouched, but there were a few apple cores, fruit peels, and seeds lying around.

The sage sighed, then knelt and looked at her closely. She looked tired and malnourished, but strangely calm.

"Is this what you want?" - The sage spoke while searching for keys.

The girl lifted her eyes, it was as If she had already forgotten the incident where she tried to murder her accidental savior. - "What I want? When did it start to matter?"

"It always did."

"Then, I want them free." - She grabbed steel, rusty bars with her arms and stuck her face between them, her silver irises stared right into sage's eyes.

"We can't do that."

"Then, you're a liar."

"It would be dangerous to upset the man who saved us and lack of order in a place such as this would end up in disaster."

"...so, you're not only a liar but also a coward."

"...and perhaps a fool on top of that, but at least I'm alive." - He said as he opened the cage.

The girl, however, refused to leave.

"You don't have to be here." - The sage extended his hand.

"You should be aware that I endured way worse. To compromise with the likes of you, would be the death of me. I belong here, with the lonely and the broken."

"You speak as If your hands are clean. We both know you are not much different from us. You proved it, not long ago."

"You don't deserve half of the life that you've got." - She hissed furiously in response.

"Perhaps you're correct, but does it give you the right to take it?"

"You... you don't understand anything." - She retreated back inside her cage and wrapped her arms around her knees, averting her face. - "I... I... didn't want to, but my mind... was consumed by emotions out of my control and I had to let it out... somehow."

"I see." - The sage stroke his chin. - "It seems two weeks in solitude did the trick instead."

The girl's infuriated gaze targetted the man, but she spoke nothing.

"Well, If you still need more time to meditate, take it, but I will leave the cage open." - He declared as he left.

[ . . . ]

The caravan climbed the steep slopes and rocky ravines for several weeks, until they reached the point known as 'The Signal of Solemn Symphony'. It was a vast, flat plateau, hidden between the walls of stone and separated by deep chasms.

At its middle hovered a cube construct made of black iron, its mechanical tentacles were suspended loosely above the short, green grass. From afar, one could loud hear a sound akin to a beating heart.

The young master exited his wagon, carrying a small casket and with three chained slaves behind him. He walked alone, all the guardians of the caravan remained in their position. He knelt before the levitating giant, then spoke:

"In the far echo, we heard your call. You, who foresees the altered past, grant us the wisdom of your twins. For beyond the veil, lies the key to control the flow of northern lights."

A double hatch in the center of the machine retracted, revealing a red, organic eye. The whole sky became black almost in an instant and a thousand smears of bright colors illuminated the firmament, each carrying hundreds of white lights. The smudges seemed to intensify above the robot, as If they were creating a large vortex.

The sage observed the event carefully from his wagon. He was somewhat aware of the young master's intentions, who was going to consult the primordial beholder, to ensure the safety of his journey. Unfortunately, it was not without a cost, but the risks of the expedition far outweighed the price.

Three tentacles moved to the slaves and pierced their chests, network of electric-blue perpendicular circuits gradually forced their way underneath their skin, until they reached eyes which were burnt out until only empty sockets remained. After the bodies collapsed, the creature generated a hologram with its pupil. It was a map of mountains routes and all their possible futures.

"Thank you, the old one." - The young master said, then opened the casket. Inside, was a crystal rhinoceros beetle. - "I would like to once again request your generosity, we have an additional traveler and his cargo with us. Please, allow them to pass."

The machine directed its gaze at the sage, inspecting him cautiously, then answered in robotic - "No."

The young master was unpleasantly surprised. This was the first time the machine revealed its voice.

"Why?" - He nervously inquired, in an attempt to negotiate, but it was met with silence.

However, the answer stood right in behind him. Aileen, the fallen one left her cage and stared, alternately at the man, alternately at the chained corpses of the slaves.

"Sage!" - The young master desperately implored, petrified by fear.

"I would rather not get involved." - Sage declared, but still, took his staff and climbed down the wagon. - "Aileen. You must accept this customary practice. What was lost here, prevented tenfold or twentyfold deaths."

"What gives you the right to take their lives?" - The girl answered in a low tone.

The sage had no answers.

The young master hastened to explain himself, even If he considered the girl a lowly servant days before. He was visibly troubled. - "Lives? You speak as If they were not property! Do understand, you're unlike us. You're commodities, merchandise. That's the nature of things. Nothing of value was lost here, they were damaged goods."

"There's no turning back from what you've become." - Aileen's eyes were burning with fury. The young master intuitively lowered and averted his head. Aileen corrected him. - "Lift your head, look at me. Am I not the ware? Why are you so afraid?"

"You don't understand what's at stake here!" - The man uttered, barely, like with a lump in his throat. - "We could all die!" - He whispered.

"There are fates worse than death." - Aileen replied.

The young master lifted his head, to look at her, but her gaze was unaltered.

"Like losing yourself." - She added.

The sage observed, unnerved by the presence of the beholder, which gradually became more and more disturbed. He felt like there was a need to interrupt. - "It seems like we are at an impasse here. May I suggest a solution?"

"There is no solution. What once was, shall never be." - Aileen responded.

The sage shuddered and leaped to the girl. - "Don't speak those words!"

"I doubt any of you understand their true meaning. You distorted it, just like you distort the principles of order." - Aileen rebuked.

The young master backed off, their exchange was beyond his understanding, but he sensed and dreaded the weight of the words. - "Sage... do not proceed with it any further. We need to get out!"

"Leave it to me." - The sage declared and approached the beholder. He knelt before it, on his knees at arms, holding a staff before him. - "Elder one, I offer our sincere apology. We will discontinue our journey with the caravan."

The watchful eye scanned the sage with a beam of red light for a long while, until it finally turned green. - "Don't walk this path. It's reserved for the lost."

"Aren't we all lost?" - The sage said, as he lifted himself.

The young master was terrified, the sage not only disputed with the beholder, but it was as If nothing happened.

"You... you both. Who... who are you?" - He only muttered out.

"Nobody." - The sage answered. - "Let it stay this way."