“So… where do you think your friends are?” Zafar looked out at the night scenery in front of him but besides the whispering winds and several insects that came out, there was absolutely nothing that resembled the companions which Ali had described to him.

“Hmm… they should… be near caves,” Ali tried to remember any other details but after thinking for a while he realized he had no idea on what Amir had planned for their journey. All he knew was that they were headed north.

“Well let’s look for any cave nearby!” Zafar spoke out before he realized he had no idea what caves were. “Uh… sorry, but can you explain what caves are?”

Looking at the embarrassed spirit Ali began to laugh with his weird monotone sound. After seeing that his friend was pouting he finally stopped making fun of him and explained to him.

It took longer than when Ori explained things but eventually Ali was able to make Zafar understand. However, after one question was solved several questions appeared and before long the whole night passed by with Ali just teaching Zafar some new words.

During the night they had also searched for any caves nearby but, unfortunately, there were none and so they wandered aimlessly north until morning came.

Far off in the desert, a couple of tumbleweeds raced with one another as they glided about with the winds behind their back.

Eventually, the group of tumbleweeds was close by as they came across the big golem with a cactus on his back.

“Oi, oi, oi,” An arrogant voice came out on top of one of the tumbleweed.

“Haaah?” A different voice came out with a low and grumpy tone. “What’s up, Hassan?”

“Yakhi! Look at that!” Hassan pointed with his chin at the big golem in front of them.

The other voice shifted his view towards the big golem. “Wow! There’s a rock moving!”

“Tch, Abbas you are an idiot!” Hassan harshly spoke out towards his friend. “It’s a golem!”

“Bah! Who cares a rock is a rock!” Abbas grumpily replied.

“Tch,” shaking his head Hassan couldn’t help but wonder if his friends had eyes, “Yakhi, look at the cactus on his back! A spirit is there!”

“A spirit! Just like us?” Abbas carefully looked at the cactus and eventually spotted a small spirit on top of it. “You think he’s friendly?”

“Bah! It’s just a cactus spirit, most they do is sleep.” Hassan replied.

Abbas nodded his head but he remembered the cactus they had met not so long ago. “What about that devil cactus, he was quite aggressive.”

Remembering the encounter before Hassan mood quickly turned sour. “Well fuck it, let’s not repeat our blunder like last time.”

Mischievously looking towards his friend Abbas gave a wicked smile. “Alright, let’s have some fun.”

The two came running with the wind as they luckily approached the little spirit and golem in front of them.

“Oi, oi, oi!” Abbas came out speaking towards the golem and cactus. “Where are you two headed too?”

The golem and the cactus spirit who were busy conversing about adventuring was suddenly interrupted as they both look towards the group of tumbleweeds surrounding them.

As they shifted their eyes towards the two round spirit above the tumbleweeds they were surprised at how fierce they looked.

“Hah? What’s with that look? You want to fight?” Hassan spoke out as he tried to sound intimidating.

“Fight? What’s that?” Zafar looked at the two in confusion.

“Hah?” Hassan looked at the spirit as if he was a moron, he had thought the question was just a remark made to annoy him but seeing the confused look he realized it was a genuine question.

“Oi, Abbas, this guy is an idiot.” Hassan whispered to his friend, “I don’t think we need to be tough on them.”

“What should we do then?” Abbas quietly replied back.

“Well not much else to do…” Hassan stared at the golem and the spirit beside it. “They seem to have an interesting story, let’s hear them out.”

“Right,” Abbas replied with a smile.

Looking at the spirit who was still waiting for an explanation, Hassan couldn’t help but wryly smile towards him. “Never mind that word, I’m more interested in what you two are doing.”

“It’s very strange to see a golem and a spirit.” Abbas interjected, “How’d you two meet?”

Zafar was but a naïve spirit as he quickly opens up to his first new encounter with a spirit just like him. Excitedly he began to talk about his whole life.

Ali vaguely sensed that two in front of him had no malicious feeling and so readily accepted them as he began walking alongside the tumbleweed to wherever they were led to by the winds. When his story came up he, just like Zafar, opened up to them quite easily.

At first, Hassan and Abbas had prepared themselves if the two would be reluctant to share their stories, but surprisingly both of them were very friendly and open to the two unknown strangers. Having experienced the sincere feelings the two felt glad to have encountered them.

Hearing Zafar story Abbas had already begun crying as he empathizes with the loneliness Zafar must have felt in the desolate region.

When he heard about Ori, Hassan felt envious of the relationship but was happy that the little spirit was able to find happiness. Yet, when he heard of the promise and the current situation he became furious and sad for Zafar as he couldn’t imagine how hurt he must have felt to have waited for 5 years all alone.

Hearing how Ali came and how they both met, Hassan and Abbas were quite curious as to the mystery behind Ali but they were glad he had helped Zafar in his times of need.

“You guys are truly kind!” Abbas spoke out as he cried by himself after hearing the rollercoaster of a story. His tough persona had been broken as his true self came out.

“Don’t’ mind him, he gets a bit too emotional sometimes.” Hassan looked embarrassingly at his friend. “However, you guys are very kind to us strangers.”

“Ah! I forgot to mention our names. Zafar and Ali, I am Hassan and this is my friend Abbas.” Hassan politely introduced themselves to the two.

His sudden change of attitude was surprising for Zafar and Ali but they both passed it off as them being nervous in the beginning.

“Nice to meet you!” Zafar spoke out happily knowing that he was able to be acquainted with another spirit.

“We don’t have much of a story besides traveling through this desert.” Hassan spoke out with a calm tone, “We haven’t really done much compared to you two. In fact, our journey has been quite fruitless.”

“It truly was boring!” Abbas sighed, “I think meeting you guys had been the greatest thing that happened in our life.”

“Uh hum,” with a cough Hassan stared at Abbas hinting him of something. “Well since we heard your story maybe we could help you out in finding your friends.”

“Really?” Zafar surprisingly looked towards the two. “That would be great! Thank you.”

Ali looked towards the two with a frown. “You guys are not coming with us?”

Hassan gave a small smile but shook his head, “We can’t… we have… our own journey. Right Abbas?”

Abbas looked at the innocent cactus spirit and the friendly golem and reluctantly nodded his head. “Yeah, it’s an important one for us.”

Zafar had been too excited that he had readily thought that the two would journey together with them, it had never crossed his mind that the two would go their separate ways.

Sensing the dispirited cactus, Hassan cleared his throat to grab his attention. “Separation is something that occurs quite frequently… but, it isn’t all that bad.”

“If we split up there will be a higher chance for us all to encounter a clue on your friends. If we meet them we will gladly tell them about you two.”

“Yeah, yeah! Since you guys are going north, if we met them on our journey we can tell them of your situation.” Abbas agreed.

Zafar thought about it for a while and reluctantly agreed. “I guess you’re right…”

“Ah! Zafar, from the way you described your friend Ori I believe he isn’t a native here.” Remembering something Hassan interrupted the conversation.

“What!?”

“Yeah, from Ali’s story I understood that he was talking about the nezkarians and azedians that lives here, but from how you described Ori, I’ve never heard of such race living here,” Hassan replied.

Abbas thought deeply as well and agreed with his friend, “Now that you mention it, I’ve never heard and seen a person like that.”

“Unfortunately, I don’t know much else…” Hassan unhappily told the cactus spirit.

Hearing the news Zafar couldn’t help but feel lost, but having found a little clue of Ori’s origin he felt relieved. “Thank you!”

Hearing the sincere gratitude made Hassan and Abbas felt glad, though they couldn’t help any further, knowing it gave Zafar a sense relief was plenty enough.

“A spirit has to help another right?” Abbas confidently replied. “Unlike a certain cactus spirit, you are a pretty nice guy.”

“A certain cactus spirit?” Zafar interest piqued when he heard those words. “Who? Where?”

“Ah! That cranky spirit is a devil I tell you,” Hassan furrowed his brows as he unhappily recalled their encounter. “He is very cold and only talks about the pride of a nature spirit, but really he doesn’t even know what he’s talking about.”

“Ugh, that guy…” Abbas frowned remembering him, “He really was annoying always nagging at us. He didn’t even see us as equals.”

“Troublesome…?” Ali spoke out.

“Yeah, he was trouble.” Hassan replied, “Better stay out of his way.”

“Really?” Zafar looked dejectedly after hearing their experience. “But… I want to know more about us nature spirit…”

“Ugh… that’s true.” Hassan couldn’t help but agree, “Sorry, but we’re not too knowledgeable about ourselves… we have a very special circumstance…”

“Don’t say sorry, you’ve already helped us so much.” Zafar hurriedly tried to soothe the depressing mood.

Abbas looked at his friend and sighed, “Well if you are interested in finding him, you can probably find him a bit north of here.”

With Abbas pointing towards the direction Zafar felt excited to venture out there. Sensing his friends enthusiasm Ali started to remember the direction as Abbas began to explain where they met him.

The group had already been conversing throughout the day as night had already settled in. As the four looked at the silent desert with the stars shining above them, they couldn’t help but feel that time had passed too quickly.

“I think it’s time for us to split.” Hassan suggested, “Since Ali’s friend moves about at night it’s better to start early.”

“Aww… I wanted to stay longer…” Abbas cried out to his friend.

Hassan gave him a sharp glance which made Abbas realize their situation. He reluctantly came to an understanding as he glanced towards his two new friends. “I guess it’s better to start quickly.”

“Ah… I really appreciate your help!” Zafar spoke out as he looked at the two preparing to leave. “I’ve always been alone… but I’ve met many who had always helped me.”

“From what I heard, there are those that are not kind in this world. Fortunately, I’ve never met any of them.” Zafar looked at the three friends he had.

“I don’t like goodbyes... it hurts to say and it hurts to know that it may be the last time.” Zafar’s voice became quiet but as he mustered up his courage he looked towards the two with a smile.

“Goodbye Hassan.” Zafar looked towards Hassan and slowly shift towards Abbas, “Goodbye Abbas.”

“I hope we meet again.” As he swallows his last words with tears in his eyes Zafar waved to the two.

Hassan and Abbas looked at the little spirit who had been traumatized from his last goodbye and had felt touched by his courage.

“Zafar… you are truly something.” Hassan replied, “I believe your name means king?”

Staring at the brave spirit Hassan couldn’t help but gave a bow. “It has been truly my pleasure to have met you, I hope your journey and adventure will be one that is all smile.”

Abbas looked at his friend and Zafar with tears in his eyes. He proceeded to give a bow as well, “Your truly one of a kind Zafar! I really, really love you and Ali!”

Slowly lifting his face, Abbas looked towards the small flower that was growing on Zafar’s cactus.

“It’s been a pleasure to meet a king like you!” Abbas began laughing as he teased his friend’s name.

Embarrassed Zafar could only nod his head as he tried to hide his face behind the cactus. “T-thank you…”

Ali looked at the two and said his own farewells. The two looked at the golem and tried to hug him with their spiritual body, but of course, they weren’t able to feel anything.

With small words of farewell, the two had also told their goodbyes.

“It’s sad to part Zafar, but life continues,” Hassan spoke out his last farewell. “I have no promises that we will meet, but when we do I hope you give us a tale of adventure we will never forget.”

“Yeah! Go wild!” Abbas cried out as he laughed. “Prince Zafar, the cactus prince! I can’t wait to hear your story!”

The two glanced at the golem and spirit as they began to part ways. Zafar and Ali waved back with a sad face but slowly smiled as they started their search north.