The Paradisaea and the Vultur

1

A few weeks after the beginning of his sixteenth year, he was invited to a grand party hosted by the regents of the young god-king, Kusanali. There were many guests at this gathering, though there was a prominent amount of individuals who had freshly become adults such as himself. It was an opportunity for the regents and the sages to learn more about the future nobility of the great kingdom of Sumeru. His invitation carried a few more purposes than simply growing acquainted with the nobility around him. Although his father was a jinn, his mother was the Paradisaea Sage. As she had recently parted from this world, he would inherit her title and responsibilities. He was invited to this gathering to prove himself to the regents, and the other sages who worked with his mother before him.

He took this opportunity in stride. He prepared thoroughly, learning all the necessary information about the other guests and donning himself in his finest robes. He would stand firmly in front of everyone, proving that he was as much his mother's son as he was part-jinn, an unfortunately frowned upon species in the kingdom.

He made many great efforts to appear capable, and his plan was nearly complete when an unknown variable slid right into his field of vision. A boy, no more than a few years younger than him, stood at the edge of the crowd and met his carmine eyes, and suddenly, he remembered something that he should possess no knowledge of. The people of Sumeru believed that the dead were laid to rest in the Golden Slumber. Their souls would remain in the Eternal Oasis, so the concept of reincarnation was practically nonexistent. No one would dare mention the possibility for fear of being charged with blasphemy. He himself had never thought about it, but now he is faced with the undeniable fact that reincarnation exists.

He knows this because at that moment when those two-toned eyes stared right into his soul, the boundaries between this world and another one became so thin that he was able to recall a previous life. In another world, cities are built from steel and glass. Technology and science have replaced magic and divinity. Humans are the only dominant species because jinn and other inhumans are regulated to stories. The idea of a god-king has become a figment of the past. Or, in his case, a plot point in a novel.

The Water Lily and the Vulture was a rather popular novel for its rich narrative and complex plot. The main character of the book is a young woman named Nilou. In the kingdom of Sumeru where the desert reigned supreme, Nilou's existence was invaluable because when she danced, she could call the rain down from the heavens as the Lily. It was a position that had not been filled since the late Nabu Malikata, the Padisarah, one of the god-kings who ruled before Princess Kusanali. As Nilou grows acquainted with the life of royalty and nobility, she slowly falls in love with the male lead, Al-Haitham, the Vultur Sage and Scribe of the Gods. Falling in love was only one plot point, however, as the book delved into the underlying nature of knowledge and the reason behind Nilou's existence.

He was one of the people who read that book. He read it until the very end when the two main characters are finally able to wed each other. He lived a lonely life of debt and misfortunate, his selfless nature losing him more than it gained in return. He was depressed, but somehow, he could vicariously live through Nilou and Al-Haitham. Their triumphs were worth more than his own successes, and their struggles convinced him that his life wasn't too bad. If they could make it to a happy end, he could, too.

He was wrong, of course. His misfortune struck him again as he died from overwork and malnutrition in the unclean room the landlord graciously called an apartment. If he were given the opportunity to exist in the Eternal Oasis like the characters of The Water Lily and the Vulture , he might have been content. It was a beautiful place described once in the book when Al-Haitham was on the brink of death and Nilou went into the Golden Slumber to rescue him. Although Al-Haitham and Nilou chose each other instead of the Eternal Oasis, he knew that he would choose the endless paradise in a heartbeat.