Chapter One ~ The Well of the God ~ A.Fisher

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Even as a young boy Samad was wise and sage. His father would come to him with the family’s concerns and somehow young Samad would know just what to do. As he grew, Samad became respected by all the people in his small village and by his twenty first year he was their most valued advisor. He was given a large home and after wedding a wonderful young woman they quickly had a son of their own.
One day a group of weary travelers stumbled into town crying out for the help of Samad, whose wisdom had become legend far and wide. They bade him to travel with them back to there village lest all be lost.
Samad was as brave as he was wise and quickly gathered his small family and began the long trek though the baking sands of the desert. After three exhausting days in the unforgiving heat, they saw the village off on the horizon. Samad pushed the group on towards there destination even as those around him cried that they should head west to make a stop first at a local well to water there animals and quench their unbearable thirst. Samad would not hear of it, he felt he must reach the village quickly and do what he could.
The sun was low in the sky, and the cold of night had begun to drift in on the soft winds, as Samad and his family were led in to the village. At first it seemed to be deserted but, upon closer inspection Samad noticed with horror the bodies of the dead and dying laying contorted in the shadows.
A plague! Why had they not told him it was a terrible sickness? Samad hurriedly turned his wife and child back to the desert.
“You must leave this place my love,” he cried, “I will do what I can here and if I survive I will return to you, I promise.” Without another word she took their son and left, knowing that her wise husband was only doing what was best for his family.
Samad himself turned to the task at hand. Though he had no medical knowledge he new that doctors had already tried everything they could and failed. Instead he would try to save the rest of the villagers by finding first the source of the illness.
He spent that evening and the next day, speaking to those who could still speak and asking questions of the families of the dead. Samad soon realized that all of the sick had one thing in common. They had drunk from a well to the east.
“Take me to this well,” Samad commanded, and the villagers obeyed. Upon arriving at the place, Samad realized this was the very well that his guides had wished to stop at on the way to the village. Had they done so they would have all died. “Fill in this well and leave a mark to let all know to never dig here again, the well is poisoned!” he advised. Immediately the men began to shovel sand into the dark hole, but one old man stood still and stared at Samad.
“Why are you not digging?” Samad inquired.
“This well is sacred,” whispered the old man. “The gods told us to dig it!”
“Then your gods are fools and anyone who does there bidding is also a fool!” Samad calmly stated.
“We shall see.” Replied the old man, his voice failing.
As the men continued to fill in the well, Samad trekked back to the village. He had the women empty all of the jars of water in town and sent them to get fresh water from a well to the south. When the new water arrived he instructed the women to force all the sick to drink as much of the new water as they could in the hopes of cleansing their bodies of the poison.
Over the next few days many of the gravely ill died, but those who were strong fought hard and began to recover. To the delight of the townspeople things began to return to normal and Samad was praised mightily. “You have saved our village, Oh great Samad! How can we repay you?” asked the town’s leader. Who himself had been saved by Samad’s quick thinking.
“I ask only a guide and camel that I may return quickly to my home.”
The townsfolk would not hear it and piled there best camel high with gold and jewels and gave two of there best guides to take Samad home.
The trip back seemed short and easy but as he entered his village Samad knew that something was wrong. “Samad’s father came running from his home to embrace him. “Thank god you have returned son, your wife and son are gravely ill.”
Samad’s heart sunk. Being so wise, he immediately knew what had happened. In haste he had sent his wife off into the desert to return home and she must have stopped at the poisoned well to get water for the trip.
He ran to them and tried to get them to drink the clean water from his traveling jug but, it was too late for his beautiful wife who managed a small smile that she had, at least, been able to see him one last time before she died.
Samad’s son was no less sick, but being young he was strong and Samad worked feverishly, night and day to save him. On the third night of his return Samad’s son took a turn for the worst and all appeared lost. As Samad sat on the edge of the bed he noticed a statue of a man with four faces standing in the corner of the room. He rose and approached only to realize that it was not a statue but a living thing.
Wise Samad surmised he was looking at a God.
“Please, won’t you help me?” He wept.
“WHY WOULD I?” asked the Four Faced God, and with that he was no longer in the room and Samad was alone with nothing but the sound of his sons labored breathing.
Stricken with grief and anger he picked the small boy up in his arms and carried him to the town square. Samad held the little one up to the sky and screamed at the gods.
“Oh heartless one! I have given so much! I have toiled day and night to help others! I have taken on the burdens of my friend’s pain and my enemies woes and helped them my whole life! I do not ask that you give me anything that I have not already given. I only ask you that you provide me with what I need to save my little boy!”
Without warning a whirlwind rose up and lifted the small child from Samad’s outstretched hands. Out of the whirlwind stepped the Four Faced God carrying Samad’s dying son.
“GRANTED” he said in a voice made of thunder and howling wind, and with that Samad knew immediately how to save his son.
“Thank you, thank you!” cried Samad, as the whirlwind returned and gently lowered his son back into his shaking grasp.
Samad rushed back into his home and began to prepare the cure. Upon drinking the mixture his son was instantly cured and Samad was brought to tears of joy.
Samad returned to the town square and kneeled with his head bowed. There as still as stone stood the Four Faced God.
“Oh thank you God, I love and appreciate you. Thank you for helping me to save my son.”
The Four Faced God spoke “YOU HAVE BEEN GIVEN A GIFT SAMAD. WILL YOU REPAY YOUR DEBT?”
“Anything!” answered Samad without hesitation.
“VERY WELL” The Four Faced God kneeled down and trust his hand into the sand. After a moment his pulled his hand out of the sand and in his grasp was a dull, tin lamp. Slowly he poured sand from the lamp and once it was empty he turned to Samad.
“YOU SHALL KNOW WHAT IT MEANS TO SERVE” he roared and once again the whirlwind appeared. This time the wind came towards Samad and engulfed him. Samad screamed but all that could be heard was the whistling of the wind as it pulled Samad into the lamp.
-to be continued...