The Gift That Has to be Given

There was no trace about the existence of any talking crystal in my mind. Even humans were not aware of it, despite that they sought for it and came all the way here, risking their lives.

-They were looking for some answers- I recalled.

"W-who are you? What are you?" I asked.

"That is not very polite of you" it answered after a long silence. The crystal wasn't showing any sign of movement. Yet it was able to speak. Its voice was deep and soft.

"I apologize. Where are we? What had happened to me? What am I?" I was getting closer to it, shooting as many questions as I could.

"Calm down" its voice echoed back strongly this time.

Now I was at the end of the stairs, just about to touch it.

"I wouldn't recommend touching me. You wouldn't survive before you gain anything of it" It stated calmly.

That stopped the urge.

"You are looking for answers. But you don't even know the questions" it said

I felt frustration. Sat on the stairs facing the walls with figurines on them.

"These are creatures of this world." I thought out loud.

There were distinct faces, shapes of the countless living being. Each one of them was unique.

"But I assume that I am not among them. Since I had no shape before."

The crystal was silent.

"It is sculpted well, but I don't think humans did not build it." I continued.

The figurines were quite detailed. Every kind of bird, insect, mammal, plant, every living thing were represented. I wasn't sure that humans had that elaborated information about every species on earth. Besides the couple who had vanished probably were the first people stepped on these halls. It could have been one of the other races. But still, something was odd.

"You are still too young." The voice behind me stated.

"What do you mean?" I asked without turning back.

"You think you know everything already since you became a more complex being." It sounded like an old-timer as humans would say. I knew a long monologue was on its way.

"You try too hard. You believe you have total control of the knowledge you have just acquired. Also, you find it endless. Therefore you are not capable of seeing its limits. You are just like a teenager, a brat. If putting it that way will make you digest it better."

I turned back to look for some facial expression instinctively which I already suspected that I will not find any.

"Take it easy. That is the only advice I can provide. And the gift I gave you, treasure It" It continued. There was some kindness in its words.

"Are you the one who turned me into a human, made me look like that swordsman and give me all those dreams and memories which I remember hardly now?" I was surprised.

"No," it said "And, Yes" crystal added.

"I don't understand" I didn't.

"What made you take the shape of that person was nothing but your own will. Hence I gave you something suitable for it. You are all orphans now since the main purpose of your existence is gone."

I was puzzeled. There were others like me. I lived in a cave for so long and so long that none of the living things should have bee alive. I was thinking that I am a some kind of a mistake. But it did not let me ask that right away and continued:

"I guess you were orphans right from the beginning. But that has no importance now. I gave you something that you should give something to others in return. Thats how a gift works."

"What do you mean by orphans? I thought I was alone. Nothing like me was in those memories. I may not remember them fully but I know that for sure" I finally asked.

"Well, you already know that you are not a human or belong to any other race on earth. And you realised that you are not pictured on the walls here. Yet you are breathing, thinking, feeling, living."

I am not human. Nor an animal or a plant to be sure. I might have belonged to an unknown race to the humans. But lived in that cave for hundreds of years, all alone. I couldn't-

"Tell me now. What are you?" it asked when my mind had frozen for a second.

"I am a Monster!" I jumped in shock.

It explained everything. The humans were hunting and hunted by deformed, mutated life forms since they had settled in this world. Many had similarities with predators, bugs and birds, even with plants. They were wild but more intelligent than others and derives from the living beings randomly at some point. When they encountered humans, they always attacks to kill crazed by rage.

"You were derived from anger, spawned with it. Therefore you were fated to be chained and blinded by it." The crystal continued like it was reading my mind.

"You are saying that we are now free since every human get that message and vanished from the surface just like that two." I was pacing back and forth on the platform.

"Well. You were not prisoners, to begin with. But let's put that aside for now. You have been in your slumber for some months after the event. The world outside is falling apart. All the races are at the dawn of war. Your folk wandering around unguided, not so different than the others, but they are all alone. You can guide them. If only you choose that path yourself."

A blue light flickered behind me. It was the portal cast by the old wizard months ago.

"What am I supposed to do?" I asked. "I don't know anything about the outside world. I was born here and lived for my entire life."

"Yet you do know, don't you." It said. "I must admit that you were the best neighbour I ever had. And I mean that. But you know well that you can not go back to crawling on that cave for eternity."

I looked at the portal.

"I gave you a gift. The gift has to be given. Therefore its spirit travels. Remember that." I heard its voice for the last time.

I didn't know what to do. But I have decided to take a leap of faith. Without looking at the crystal one more time I stepped out of it and found myself in a barren field. Silhouettes of mighty mountains, For me It was the most beautiful thing I have ever seen.