Link
I had never heard of the name Prometheus. How could I? There are no bookstores anymore. No libraries. No records of our past. But he seemed adamant that I was supposed to know, like he'd anticipated my confusion. And I was equally curious of him. Much like myself, his clothing - or lack thereof - was made of tanned skins. At first I hadn't noticed not having ever seen a naked man before. But my eyes adjusted quickly. His physique was lean. Not heavily muscled like my tribesman. In fact, his skin was much fairer than mine. He looked almost half-white from his features. His dark black hair and eyes complimented his light skin. He was tall, at least a head taller than me, but he looked frail. I'd never heard of a person's bones breaking before, but I swore he had. What used to be the left side of his chest was twisted inward. In his arms he carried an unusual pouch. It looked like leather but felt like metal. Within he carried a small metallic chest with a series of intricate whirring sounds.
"You do not recognize me." he said with his soothing voice, almost seductive. I felt calm. I felt a bond with this "Prometheus," and somehow I knew his intentions held no malice. I was curious. I asked him how he came to know my name.
"Hardly. I came across your name in the ancient records..."
"Records?" I asked. Was there some translation work that I had missed? I hadn't struggled enough to master the written form. I had always assumed that was just a story people told during their idle time.
"Yes. It was written on cave walls and hidaway in the back of books on the history of old." He reached into his pouch and retrieved the metallic chest from within. It clinked against the cave floor as he set it down. "Your name was written over and over in many languages. 'Ra' in different forms. My only lead. I searched and searched until I found the best translation I could. Prometheus. Came across it at last."
"What does it mean?"
"You may not know the answer to the question, but I know the answer to your deed." He grabbed the necklace around my neck and drew it out of my robe. I heard a loud clink sound as the pendant fell to the floor. "The name of the necklace you wear was the key to your past." And with that, he waved his hand and crushed the remains of the necklace in his remaining hand. From the metal chest he produced a suture needle and thread. He waved his free hand and the needle darted through the air. I flinched, but I didn't feel any pain. The needle was moving directly through my skin. I felt no pain. I didn't even feel the thread passing through as he sutured the skin. "Its story was a prophecy." He said as his fingers moved quickly across my chest, forming a design I had never noticed before.
"A prophecy?"
"Do you know what a seer is?" he asked.
"No."
"An artist in words. A seer is a person who casts their consciousness into other stories."
"I don't understand." I said. "What does me wearing your necklace have to do with a story?"
"It's the story of a boy, also you. A boy named Enki. A history of the world as it once was, before humans ascended."
"And what's the prophecy I am supposed to fulfill?"
"What is there more to tell?" he asked.
"This is all magic you're using, isn't it?"
"Of course."
"I don't believe in magic."
"But you believe in miracles."
"Shut up!" I said, but I instantly regretted my outburst. His eyes were searching for something in my soul. Finding it, he smiled. And then he tossed me into the cave behind me. No one would find me. No one would hear of my existence. And no one would think to look for me in that cave. The cave was beyond that waterfall and way to the top wall. A small stream I'd never noticed was flowing at the bottom. It simply disappeared. I didn't have time to ponder my situation. I only had time to keep on moving forward.
I hopped down the waterfalls and into the mouth of the cave. I felt a pull in my gut. I had to move forward. My instincts were telling me to head forward. I struggled to walk as the ground sloped downward. The air was warm and humid, as if I was in the forest instead of the frozen wasteland outside. I felt safe. I felt protected. I remembered Prometheus. His warnings. His stories. And that fueled my determination to go forward. I had to know more of this story. More of the prophecy. In my chest, my heart was beating faster, eager to get to the end. Then the ground leveled out. I came across a distinct blue vapor around my feet. Looking down, I saw that most of my body was covered in the blue mist. It wasn't very thick and I noticed that my skin looked younger.