Opium Dreams

General Kitchiner, of the Red army, was celebrating 55 years of age.  He was past his prime. His fighting and hunting days were behind him. Now he only rode for leisure.  He left Terrouge as a young army recruit 35 years ago, traveling from land to land and across battlefields, fighting and killing in the name of his king.  He first set foot on Khentii 20 years ago. He was a senior lieutenant at that time, sent to Khentii to hose down a small uprising before it metastasized. He was handpicked by the king for this mission.  He was still young back then. Decisive and excessively unforgiving. He saw black and white, ones and zeros, and acted on it without forethought. That attitude was what got him to where he was at that time, and he had no intention on changing it.   He crushed the rebellion instantly. Mercilessly executing the leaders in the central square, earning himself the title "The lizard hunter" in the Red king's court, and being anointed governor of the region. Si

The air above Darkhen is getting heavy. Hearts are fearful and lungs are suffocating. The city feels like a cooking pot and fire is brewing under it. The night is shaping up and a full moon is nigh. Something is going on below the surface. Idir is walking back home. His encounter with Manong and Freda lingering in his mind. He did not believe in the existence of such people. Such incredibly powerful people with supernatural prowess. He is a soldier of the common folk. He was taught to reject such ideas and trust in tangible gunpowder. But now he saw, and what he saw changed him.  He enters his house and finds his grandmother sitting at the table, praying. He sits facing her and they exchange looks. She can read his eyes and see faith.  "You saw something" she says, and smiles with a tired face.  He does not reply. He was not listening as his heart is elsewhere. He can not shake it off. This feeling that something big is cooking. A permanent change in the power dynamics of his

The Fifth unit of the red army started regrouping around nightfall.  On paper, their mission was simple. Arrest a young woman, sitting alone, in a hut.  5 minutes ahead of the action, Idir, the youngest of the unit, felt uneasiness in his chest. In fact, ever since this mission was announced, he felt it was a bad idea. Although they maintained a confident facade, he could sense that his comrades were starting to fret. Something was oozing from that hut. Some sort of waves. Not particularly malevolent, but not inviting neither. It was clear that the girl was not keen on company, and Idir and his unit felt it in their bones.  Freda, referred to as the red witch, was an emblematic figure in Darkhen. She was allegedly a descendent of the legendary Khen, and -most importantly- she was the sister of the dissident Chi, the most wanted individual in the red government’s bounty list in all of the Ghentii region. Together with Chi and their brother Mao, they were the ultimate threat to the red g

"These kinds of encounters happen rarely in the course of one's life, especially mundane people like myself" said Viola with a wry smile, as she sipped on her concoction.  Nile saw the statement and understood it as an invitation to comment, but, as has been his habit lately, he chose not to engage. He stayed silent, laying on a straw bed. Viola did not seem to mind. It was not conversation she was after, but listening ears.  "This land has been through a great deal of sorrow" she continued, "Half of it has already been forgotten. It makes my heart ache" Nile picked up his bowl and sipped a bit. It had a foul but familiar taste, and a smell that reminded him of his home on the hillside.  He looked at Viola, a middle-aged woman with fire-red hair and smart features. Her skin was a bit lighter than his but still dark, and she had on a rugged crimson gown that matched her eyes. She took his look as an invitation to carry on the story.  ''When Khen