Saba’s farewell was not loud, for wise cities do not raise their voices when bidding farewell to those who saved them.
No drums were beaten.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9rQ57miPus
No banners were raised.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡttjR4Nu0Pz
No procession was arranged to celebrate a victory written in blood and decision.
A deep silence prevailed20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9Ts2V8JqUH
not the silence of emptiness,20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZVA9eDFovv
but the silence of respect.
As though all of Saba understood that some men are not honored with speeches,20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVMnaGamgEl
but are left to walk the roads they chose for themselves.
In the throne hall,20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0ie8UXY52z
Aram stood before the king.
There was no throne and ruler between them,20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbrT7gU1Cbx
no victor and defeated20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpqEXT79MsR
only two men who understood what it meant to choose20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDjvaWtAkIF
and then pay the full price.
The king spoke,20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLOuREJhJYB
his eyes moving between Aram’s face20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoJEiIZPSTj
and the sealed child in his daughter’s arms:
“You saved Saba …20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr3BsB79RjE
yet you did not ask for it.”
Aram replied with a calm not born of wisdom,20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUboKOuWYh9
but of loss:
“I did not come to rule it,20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTzJHVwmRCI
but to return it to those who deserve it.”
The king stepped closer20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWxKE5ACH7w
and placed his hand on Aram’s shoulder20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLv1fj0qNQW
not as a king granting a promise,20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQUVp8wbHzj
but as a father who knew the weight of what had been said.
“The gates of Saba will remain open to you,20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJvjxmby8Ev
to you and to all who bear your name.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJgPq4MVqzY
And if the balance is ever needed again…20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4XyHfWHN6N
we will know where to find it.”
Aram nodded without words.
Then he cast his gaze upon the city one last time.
He did not see the high walls,20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXhQlZnlbbR
nor the towers,20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGhlfX48XH1
nor the sigils carved into stone.
He saw only faces20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNzjncwNS1f
faces to which calm had returned20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ45PQ6X1OYn
after learning the true meaning of fear.
20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo684GPlPqs
Those who walked with Aram parted20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡydSygJRNEK
as roads do after a decisive crossroads.
No hostility.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtf6ExVU7m4
No regret.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEBkCJfYRFr
No need for long words of farewell.
Seham remained in Saba.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYmruWQwQYW
She asked for no title,20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxHwVDXjzny
no rank.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡajNsf7pjjt
She became its inner shadow20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT1lqkz5De8
the eye that sees danger before it is seen.
Nehram returned to the Valley of Fire,20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdeQTYLYvca
standing upon the boundary between two worlds,20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv7kSFgfbQt
guardian of a covenant that was broken…20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS4nBhaAKAp
and then restored.
Karem headed north,20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa27Iv8oGV2
where stories always begin20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz2weSh1tDv
from a small lack20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq8z4uK2FtC
that grows into a great fire.
Solan followed the winds,20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ3bVHWcquJ
with his falcon Bariq above him,20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz5LpzG2oUe
circling mountains not yet named,20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1kmMODY7K2
still waiting for those who understand their language.
Argus returned to the desert,20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1IfRQri5Xh
to the sand that never betrays20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEiNHGq4JHH
those who know how to read its traces.
Najjar remained near the king,20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLb8ew4vuNn
never standing in the light,20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6koiPWQe3m
yet never sleeping20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkvgR98OH3H
his wisdom mending what could not be spoken.
As for Marana and Riman,20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJTcoNu0RRp
they chose Saba.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvI0o9z5Trg
A safe city for a child20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP1pKST1WSf
who had seen more blood20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3TtrK2P9nT
than any child ever should.
20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuIF02i7tGs
Aram’s Path
As for Aram…20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYQMFZuDweB
when he departed,20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ12P0tUuvnH
he carried no sword,20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdW7S8JYbK9
no banner,20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPZIgt9fDS2
no mark of triumph to be displayed.
He carried his son.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEpEP17dZCw
He carried his wife.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTkiAkaaHo4
And he carried the memory of a long road20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi2hhDJIman
he did not choose20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvDGZFdsAcZ
yet walked to its end.
Those who accompanied him did so20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmRQ3ccgkLl
not by command,20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4SoNynhQch
nor by written oath,20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvIUXvtl4Qp
but by a silent faith20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkhUdfiJ8nI
that some roads20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTUSjYgVGqa
are only walked with those worthy of trust.
They walked together toward the horizon,20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ45znZpKt7t
where it was unknown whether what awaited them was an ending…20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy2zK8CfZVi
or another beginning.
20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8peOLo24sM
Tyranny faded as night fades20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡidd3coS3rh
not by a single blow,20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjW8AevJD01
but when it realizes20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG36HTTCGIy
it no longer has a place to stand.
A new dawn rose,20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp6zNSgud6y
not promising perfection,20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTANY4gDk8I
nor absolute peace,20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDEuDOOyeLv
but promising justice
and that was enough.
As for the story,20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOJMrm1psQD
it did not end.
It simply…20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR3BEn2WDLv
chose to fall silent for a while.
20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5snJH9ttxE
In the days that followed,20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa19Y72cW7O
whispers spread through markets and caravans:
That Ronen had been seen in the west,20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡai8sv9HSyf
near borders ruled by no king20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJcFGdgdVls
and bound by no covenant.
They said he walked alone,20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs7cL2htInN
his face pale,20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHuDWoyTIUh
his eyes never looking back
as though Saba had cast him out,20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6od6C9h5oT
as though the shadow he had lived within20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWRJsuiK4Ui
had grown too heavy to bear.
He was not captured.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy9myo7GNq6
He was not killed.
But no one…20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4Zev2DyzCL
ever saw him again.
And that…20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv25MGQBAxX
was enough.
- The story ended…20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOYDMfwFcmB
and its echo remained.
and then Add to home screen.