The case of being exiled in the Gedrosian desert

Days turned into weeks, and Rufus found himself slipping in and out of consciousness. The cell was damp and frigid, and he could feel his body weakening with every passing day. The guard never relented in his efforts to get Rufus to confess. He would use every method at his disposal to try to break him, from psychological tactics to light torture, and not allowing him to sleep. But always Rufus told the truth. For he was just trying to save his sister. He never believed him.

The guard would never actually enter Rufus's cell, preferring to use his words as a weapon against him. He would taunt and belittle him, constantly reminding him of his dire situation and the consequences he would face if he didn't talk.

As Rufus lay on the cold, hard ground, he suddenly felt a jolt of energy coursing through his body. He opened his eyes to find the guard staring at him, his eyes wide and unseeing, like he was in a trance.

A thick fog enveloped the room, and through it, Rufus could see two figures emerging, clad in black clothes and light armor. The two figures approached Rufus and handed him a letter.

"The Old Man of the mountain wishes to help you once more," the letter read. "Ask for Exile in the Gedrosian desert."

Overwhelmed with exhaustion, Rufus passed out once again.

~~

Rufus awoke to find his cell empty, the note he had left on the wall was gone, and the guard outside was looking at him with a wary eye.

"Have you decided to confess?" the guard asked, his hand resting on his sword hilt.

Rufus decided to go once more with the advice he had gotten from the unknown sassans who had aided him before.

"I wish for exile in the Gedrosian desert," Rufus replied, his voice barely above a whisper.

The guard's face twisted in shock, but he quickly composed himself and unlocked the cell door. Rufus stumbled out, his legs barely able to support him after a night of fitful sleep. He wasn't quite sure what was going to happen next.

As they made their way through the temple, Rufus could sense the guard's unease. The man was clearly conflicted, torn between his loyalty to the temple and his duty to escort Rufus to his destination.

The sun was already high in the sky, and the streets of the city were bustling with activity. Rufus could see the curious looks of the people they passed, but he kept his head down and tried to blend in with the crowd.

The crowds grew larger as they approached the grand temple, the home of Xerxes, and Rufus couldn't help but feel a sense of awe at the sheer size of the building. The white marble walls towered above him, and the sound of his footsteps echoed loudly in the vast halls.

"Keep your head down from now on," the priest guard said, his voice low and urgent. He yanked on Rufus's chain, causing him to stumble and nearly fall.

Rufus knelt down, unable to see much of the palace. "No average mortal is allowed to watch and see the grandeur of the palace of Xerxes," the priest said in a harsh whisper.

He couldn't see anything but the white marble floor, and every time he took a step, the sound echoed through the halls. The palace was unlike anything Rufus had ever seen before, and he couldn't help but feel a sense of fear and wonder.

Walking through the palace took what felt like hours, and the halls seemed to go on forever. The grandeur of the place was overwhelming, and Rufus could feel himself getting lost in the maze of corridors.

Finally, they reached an altar, and after a while, the whole thing started to shake. Rufus peeked ahead and saw the walls moving downwards. But it wasn't the walls moving; it was the floor. Gravity stone-powered elevators moved a large marble elevator high up.

"Head down. You are lucky I also decided to use this. Otherwise, I would have forced us to use the stairs, and walking it head crouched is not fun," the priest guard said with a wry smile as he pulled Rufus onto the elevator.

When the elevator halted, Rufus heard bird sounds and saw a window. H saw clouds and owls flying outside.

"That is enough, Hamael!"

The guard instantly fell to his knees. Rufus took a glance at who was talking.

"For a human, and in no way a godly human, to know to ask for exile Gedrosia. I am profoundly curious of whom might you be," A sassan, wearing a crown, consisting of many crowns. He had golden silk robes and his hands were that of owl's claws, but elegant with each nail glimmering.

"Centuries back, A wise king had been imprisoned by corrupt officials, and his son came to me, pleading for my help in saving his father. "This king had been a good ruler, devoted to his people, but he had made a mistake. He had bribed the Scythians to raid other cities while leaving his own city unscathed. The other cities, angry and resentful, paid conspirators to overthrow him.

I was faced with a difficult decision. Was this king truly righteous in his actions as a ruler? I asked him what he wished for me to do, and he replied, 'Send me to the Gedrosian desert in exile. I will wait there until my own people hang the traitors and beg for my return.

Years went by, and the wise king waited patiently in exile. Meanwhile, the Scethians continued their raids on neighboring lands and when they didn't receive their payment decided to wage war on the city of this king. During the ensuing wars, the king's own son fell to their attacks. But the king did not budge. He knew that his people would rise up and demand his return.

Finally, the day came when the traitors were hanged, and the people pleaded and prayed for the king's return. And return he did. As he had always done he paid off the Scethians to raid other cities, but this time, he joined in on the wars and fought and burnt the rival cities that had bribed the conspirators. From that day on, many of my closest friends and allies swore to honor their words with exile in Gedrosia, just as the wise king had done. And I have always taken it such and never questioned it. But only a few knew of this and somehow, you learned of this," Xerxes, the son of Cyrus, the ruler of the river cities, god of the Essyrians and many other sassan cultures and people, and the one who wished to be proclaimed, the shah of shahs.