Alexandrian Conspiracy

The stones that don't

On our journey Markus tells me stories about his nomadic lifestyle, his brutal upbringing, the necessity of fighting, the balance of strength in body and in mind. Human struggles and not having our way. 

Our camels are ditsy creatures that shit often and sleep whenever, somedays it's fun and we sing together, others I want to scream as his camel takes a shit and Markus starts explaining how camel's anuses work while I'm trying to eat. The man never shuts up and I puke out my food, the idiot camel turns around and eats it and Markus laughs. I don't know how to tell the genders of camel but I'm going to assume it's a man now. I name the camel Mark after a certain someone. 

One night Markus's talking ends however, and its cold dead silence, I try and ask him questions about Africa, what it's like, where were going.

"Shut up."

Im taken aback by this and I don't know how to respond.

"Markus, whats up?"

silence.

"Please Siena, quiet."

I nod as we ride on. I hear him mutter and it sounds like he's muffling tears. And then just like that it stops.

"How rich do you suppose I am?"

I want to angrily tell him to shut up, but that would be rude and I go along with the question anyways.

"Well, you don't have a house, so probably not too rich."

"Well, you'd be wrong. Being rich is matter of perspective, I might not have coins of gold, but to other people, salt is just as valuable. Similarly, one can be poor in cash, and rich in heart. For me I have nothing in the way of luck. But rich by the hard work it takes, and yet I wish it was the other way around."

"What does that mean."

"It means I've lost something I can't get back, no matter how hard I work for it". 

Markus sounds solemn and it's a time for reflection.

"We can talk about it if you want, or I can change the subject to get your mind off whatever it is."

"Siena, there are ancient evils, far older than me or you. Beings with knowledge and power that dwarf dictators and kings all the like. The lucky are counted as so insignificant as to not ever cross paths with them, my daughter was not lucky."

"Markus, I'm so sorry"

"Don't be, I should be sorry for even telling you of their existence, but since were on the subject..."

He stands on his camel, looks around and sits back down

'"AND NOBODIES AROUND FOR MILES, I'll tell you all I know about them, and why I travelled to Alexandria in the first place."

This is exciting, I've never been this intrigued besides the time I talked with a girl, (Before my dad chased her with a pitchfork). 

"Wait Markus! I should tell you something in return first."

"Hmm, go ahead."

"IM A LESBIAN, I love women, my father found out and he stopped talking to me, and ever since then I haven't told a soul. But I still got bullied for not liking any guys, one of them crossed the line once and insulted my mother, so I kicked him in the balls and shouted out that I'd treat his mother right..."

"Thats good and everything Siena, but the demons..."

"Oh yes, sorry for interrupting"

"No, thank you, I knew there was something weird about you and I couldn't think of it, it makes perfect sense, but it also means you're in danger."

"Markus, don't worry, I can handle any man."

"Thats not what I mean Siena, it has to do with the demons."

"Major religions are harshly against homosexuals, but I've been thinking, what if the reason for this isn't because of the holy, but because of the unholy. My daughter was also a lesbian, and the demons came for her and her girlfriend specifically. I couldn't make sense of it at first but then I realized something, Demons crave power... and lesbians have a lot of that."

I flex and hold the spear in my hand, I feel powerful, and less alone talking to Markus about all of this. 

"More powerful than that spear your holding in your hand right now."

"But Markus, Lesbians don't have that much power, they just have love."

"Stupid, you've never been in the library of Alexandria then have you!?" 

"NO, THAT PLACE IS OFF LIMITS"

"For men hahaha, silly, the librarians there are the most powerful lesbians to roam the earth. They won't let most men in however... "

I smirk.

"Wont let men in..."

"Good one!"

Markus laughs and coughs his throat.

"Most men can't enter the library because it's very rude to hit on the librarians there and there's a one strike warning". 

"That makes sense, but I thought most books were made by men?"

"Thats not necessarily true, both genders make them, but Women read more I think".

"So Markus, why are we going to Africa, is it something important?"

"You could say that...It's just a stone."

Markus is really weird sometimes, I fall asleep on my camel, who would surely take me away from any Demon.