Alyssa breathed what may have been her last few short breaths sharply before stepping (almost tripping) into the water. Forbidden water, until all of two minutes ago. To her surprise, it was warm. She winced and stifled a cry, leaving her slashed leg to stew. She smelt. She couldn't smell it before, but when she stepped in she definitely smelled it. Her journey across the desert had taken it's toll.

She ached to cover herself in the water, to hold her breath until her cheeks puffed out and sit down and be clean. But she knew it would not clean her. It may kill her. She began chanting, calmly at first. Almost a murmur, what the natives of the ancient world had taught her.

Kundahi aurublaii kundahi goestehai Auruti Auruu. Kundahi..

She had thought they were mocking her at first, just another tourist trying to seem worldly, to get her fill of travel before heading home where she belonged.

But they had seen it in her. They had seen why she had come. They had taken her in, for a time. Given her a name. Jyoti.

Kundahi aurublaii kundahi goestehai aurutii aurelai Kunlii...

They had seen the loss. Her Gideon, gone. Ripped away with no warning, no chance at closure. She looked down as she came to the end of her chant. Her cut had healed.

...kundaii aurubahi, theol.

No scar. That she could see. She had plenty of the other kind. The great pillars had lost form, one of the great statues had no face. Not since two minutes ago.

Alyssa considered asking more. She knew the chants enough. She thought against it. Wouldn't serve to overreach here, so far, so close. But to come this far and be too afraid to ask? She opened her mouth. Then she felt it. Her back had a glyph on it, she knew. She couldn't resist, she got her phone out and took a picture of her back. She had to know.

And wished she hadn't. The picture was not of the glyph for resurrection, as the natives had told and showed her. They had showed her the right ones. The last short breath came as a gasp. They had taken her in, given her a name, taught her chants, glyphs, they all worked. But the wrong ones. They had done it to spite her. Show her that she was no native after all. Just another tourist. No matter the cause.

This glyph meant 'Death'.

She thought of Gideon.