My memory is foggy when I open my eyes but I know enough that this isn’t Lunis Station. Smoke floats lazily above where I lie, filling the cavernous space. When I slowly move my head to the side, I see a fire burning in the center of the room. The heat of it moves over my body and when I close my eyes once more, I see her.

“Marilyn,” I say, my voice sounding strange and hoarse. I want to jump up from the floor to find her, but my body won’t cooperate.

“Yes, I’m here.” She moves to my side and takes my hand in hers, sliding her fingers in between mine. It comforts me in a way that makes it clear she has found her way into my silent heart, making it beat with purpose once again. “I’m so glad you’re finally awake. I was worried,” she says.

Her words take a moment to sink in but when they do something doesn’t feel right. “How long have I been out?”

“Seven days,” she says. “Do you remember what happened?”

I close my eyes and try to think, but it is like there is a wall preventing me from seeing beyond it. “I don’t remember. Why don’t I remember?” This is very strange for a Gaian. Our bodies heal fairly quickly with rest and basic medical treatments. The fact that I have been unconscious for seven days fills me with a worry that I cannot explain.

“You were about to sneak onto the Atronox ship when you were ambushed by Stosk and his men. He shot you,” she says, looking at my chest, “and you fell. I thought you were dead.”

I squeeze her fingers with mine, trying to reassure her that I am here now. “Apparently I was close,” I say. There are so many questions on the tip of my tongue about what the hell happened to me but before I can decide what to ask next, I’m overcome with thirst and my head begins to spin. “Is there water?” I ask.

There’s a soft rusting next to me and a moment later Marilyn holds a cold, metal cup to my lips. The water tastes like the finest delicacy as it quenches my thirst and soothes my scratchy throat. Even the strange floating feeling I was experiencing is beginning to fade. “Better,” I say quietly.

“Are you hungry?” she asks. “I can get you something to eat. It’ll help you build your strength again.”

Her question is simple but it makes me think about something very obvious that I should have asked right away.

“Marilyn, where are we?”

She looks down at me with a smile and it doesn’t escape me how different she seems in this moment. Instead of being a victim, she has been in charge of keeping me alive. It has changed her. “We are in the mountains on Zephyrus. It might sound crazy, but I needed help and just before I thought we were screwed, these people materialized out of the desert behind us, offering their help.”

“What people? Most of what you find on Zephyrus will not come to the aid of someone in need. The only stories I have ever heard are about the sand healers that are said to live in these mountains. But that story is a myth and no one has ever actually seen them.”

“Hmm, well get ready, because you are about to meet them.” She gets to her knees and arranges my blankets for me, making sure I’m comfortable. “I will warn you, though, they are quite unsettling at first. For me, it was the red eyes … and the fact that they don’t say much. But they carried you here for me and used their healing powers on you. So, I don’t know if they are the ones from your legends but I believe in them and the magic they wield. You are living proof.”

My mind is reeling. Is it really possible that the Ruiht really exist? “My mother would tell me stories of their magic when I was a young boy,” I say.

“Oh yeah?” she says. This time she lies down next to me, resting her head next to mine. “Tell me.”

“Okay,” I say, shifting in my blankets trying to get more comfortable. My body is sore and weak after so many days of inactivity, but having Marilyn lie next to me makes me instantly aware of the feelings inside of me. “Before Zephyrus became what it is today, it was inhabited by the Mecek tribe. There was no city like there is now, but they thrived with what they had. When word spread of a special mineral in their soil that made any crop thrive, other species came to the planet for trade. The Mecek became wealthy from this arrangement but they began to deplete their supply. Then one day, a ship landed but no one disembarked.

“When the Mecek finally ventured on board, everyone on the ship was dead. They had all contracted a contagious illness that became known as the red death. The Mecek were infected from those on board and it quickly spread throughout their village. Most of their people lay dead or dying when it is said that the sand healers arrived. No one knows where they came from but they traveled throughout the village, entering the huts of the sick with their smoking lanterns, chanting quiet verses in an unknown language.”

“Yes! That’s exactly what happened,” Marilyn says excitedly. “I didn’t want to leave you because I had no idea who these strangers were but being awake and experiencing it was surreal. I was filled with peace and you finally settled comfortably after the unsettling journey into the mountains.”

“Then there is truth to the stories and I’m thankful for it.”

“So what happened after they healed the Mecek?”

“From what my mother said, most of their people died from the disease but those that the Ruiht saved moved on from this place. Much of the rich soil was no longer. They were left with the land that you see today, rough and dry. And then the Ruiht vanished as well, presumably returning to wherever they came from. Zephyrus was a deserted wasteland, until slowly it became inhabited again.”

“It turns out all along the sand healers have been living under the mountains. And thank God for that, there’s no way I could have saved you on my own.”

“I don’t understand what happened to me. I mean, I know that Stosk shot me, but I have been shot before and it never affected me like this. Unless Stosk has acquired a new weapon more powerful than before. In which case, the Force needs to know.”

“You were struck with a weapon more powerful than any we have seen before,” a voice says from the entrance. Surprised by the intrusion of another voice, I sit up on my elbow and rest my eyes on a Ruiht for the first time in my life. It is a strange feeling having a childhood story come to life before my eyes. Before I can say anything, he steps closer into the room, approaching me. He is wearing plain robes that reach all the way to the floor and when he moves he glides more than walks. His bald head is a stark contrast to the colorful paints adorning his face.

I want to ask questions but I’m too curious about what he’s doing with his hands when he stands above me. Marilyn moves out of the way as he kneels next to me, hypnotizing me with his strange chant and arm movements. Just like Marilyn said, there’s a pale red tint to his eyes that make them unnerving to look at. Instead, I close my eyes and let the strange calming sensation slowly move through my body. Whatever he’s doing, it is invigorating. The fatigue that was draining me starts to fade and I start to feel more like my normal self.

“Breathe deep,” he says, barely louder than a whisper. When his hands pass over my face, there’s a pungent scent that makes my eyes water. He rubs his hands together vigorously just above my face, releasing more of the scent from the oils on his hands. This must be a special kind of magic, I think to myself. My senses awaken and for the first time since I’ve regained consciousness I have the power to sit up on my own. “When you are ready, rise,” he says, settling his hands on his knees and bowing his head.

Marilyn moves to my side and puts her arm behind me when I begin to lift off of the blankets. There’s a strange pulling sensation in my chest that makes me go slow, but it doesn’t hurt. When I finally look at my chest there’s a large wound — healing, but still visible. I reach up to touch the skin, dismayed at the damage Stosk’s weapon caused.

“Does it hurt?” Marilyn asks.

“No. I don’t know how he did it but it is already significantly healed.”

I sit up facing the Ruiht, meeting his gaze. There are centuries of wisdom hidden in his stare.

“How can I thank you?” I ask him.

“You need not,” he says simply.

So, I bow my head to him, trying to convey my gratitude. After seeing my wound with my own eyes, there is no question that without his help I would have died. We sit together like this for a short while until he rises and bows. “You are healing well. When you are ready, it is safe for you to leave.”

“Thank you,” both Marilyn and I say simultaneously.

He bows and continues walking out of the room.

“How many of them have you seen?” I ask Marilyn when we’re alone again.

“There were six of them just outside the city and even more when we returned here to the mountain. From what I could tell, they are all males, which surprised me. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t women among them as well.”

“It is fascinating,” I say.

Now that I’m up and feeling more like myself, my mind starts turning, thinking about what we need to do next. “Now we need to walk back to the ship and make our way to Lunis Station.”

She nods her head in agreement. “There are some repairs that will need to be made to the ship before we’ll be able to take off.”

“What happened?” I ask. Worry grows inside of me as I begin to realize everything that must have happened while I was unconscious. The best scenario would be that they tried to get into the ship and couldn’t, but it still sustained damage. That has to be what happened, otherwise how would Marilyn still be here with me?

“They came to search the ship once you were shot. The hatch held for a while but eventually they took the whole damn thing off.”

“And they took you?”

“They did,” she says simply.

“But they let you go?”

“I convinced them that you needed me to tend to your wounds. Otherwise they would be dealing with the murder of a Force member. I assumed that was something they didn’t want on their hands, and I was right.”

“Are you okay? Did they hurt you?”

“I am okay. The worst part about it all is that while I was being held, I saw the other women. They have a lot of other women, Koba. And once again, I made a bargain and left them behind.”

“There was nothing you could have done for them right then. You can’t blame yourself for finding a way to survive. If you hadn’t, I would most certainly be dead and you would be a slave.”

Her eyes begin to water and I know this is weighing heavily on her. It does not surprise me that she would do whatever she needed to in order to survive. In order to keep us both alive. Survival is an innate force that drives us all.

“I hope there is still something we can do for them,” she says.

“We will find a way. I promise you.”