Opium Dreams

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

This is an interesting story, Nile, but I find it necessary to point this out to you from the start; A long time ago, a group of people, collectively known as the dragon folk, forgot who they are. In essence, that is what this whole story boils down to. Everything else I'm about to tell you is details and background noise. As with all stories, it can start at any point in the history of this land you call the Ghentii region. However, I'll start it at a place that is particularly close to my heart. When man and dragon became one. His name was Khen. His mother was a warrior of one of the rural tribes of the Hexis. His father was a cursed dragon. Their union was unlikely yet inevitable in hindsight. Their meeting was what we call a tectonic event; a simple, seemingly random event that changes the face of the world. Khen was his name. It was his only name, chosen by his mother. The legend says that it came to her in a fever dream. He was the first king of the dragon folk. He united

Like a horse about to be put down, the winter’s last moments are always its fiercest. On the desert of Ghobi, separating the highlands next to the shore and the lands of the dragon folk, and as all of God’s creatures took to hide from the cold, a man was dragging a carriage. Next to him walked a camel, solemnly and reverently, its eyes beaming like a lighthouse. The sun has been down for a couple of hours, and the icy winds were as playful and unpredictable as young pups. The moon and stars lit ablaze, as if aware of their importance to precarious adventurers in these settings. The man was bigger and bulkier than average, clean shaved and wearing a delightful smile. He had a white robe, furry shoes, and he tied a turban around his head. He seemed to be enjoying the situation, as if on a Sunday afternoon stroll. On the carriage was a big pile of wool covers, under which a young face gazed upon the night sky with empty eyes. It was Nile. Neither asleep nor fully awake, stuck in a state o

Standing at the cliff was Zolf, listening to the waves caressing the rocks beneath. Not far from him sat Manong, who seemed to be enjoying the view as if seeing it for the first time. “You’ve been here for a while”? asked Zolf “A couple of days, more or less” answered Manong  “And you’re ready to leave?” “As ready as I can be” he paused, then added joyfully “In any case, I have no choice” “No, I guess you do not” smiled Zolf "at least you enjoyed your stay I hope?"  "It brought me immense pleasure" he answered. "I'm still enjoying it" he added, then made a swift gesture with his hand to Zolf.  a big wave crashed on the rocks, its violent sound filling up the space and commanding silence. "you've been a bit too harsh on the boy, don’t you think?" said Manong "Yes, I suppose so" answered Zolf. “I got excited and made a bad gamble”  "I see what you mean,” said Manong “It is truly marvelous to behold” "So you saw it too,&q

Nile woke up inside a room of wooden structure. Through hazy eyes, he saw a boy sitting at the corner of the room, with a puppy on his lap. He noticed the sunlight coming through the cracks on the ceiling and from its angle, he deduced it was before noon.  Besides him on the floor was a bowl of a concoction that he did not know. The boy nodded at him and he understood that as a sign to drink. He drank and felt the flow of liquid inside his throat. It tickled a bit but quenched his thirst. He saw the boy looking at him but could not decipher his face from the distance. The boy patted the puppy's head gently with his right head. The boy kept his gaze fixed at Nile as he continued patting slowly. Nile's brows felt heavy and he dozed off. In his slumber, he sensed something familiar, an odor. Faint yet perfectly distinguished. Narjes flower extract. The smell of his mother. The scent took his by surprise and he started to look around but he could not see. It was pitch black. A stra

"Panjia still has so much to teach me" I thought, as I was looking at that most magnificent scene unfold. I was not expecting to see anything this rare so early in this journey. I arrived at Santa Laura 3 nights ago and spent most of my time on the outskirts, at a mountain monastery facing the sea. It is always a pleasure to engage in passionate conversations with bright minds, although I cherished my solitary time with the sea the most.    I took into this enterprise to combat my own hubris and to shed light on my lack of knowledge. Ever since I took into this business, the more I learned the more my ignorance seemed greater to me. I've always been ever so thankful for the opportunities that came on my way and my biggest wish is that my gratitude never diminishes in intensity.  Today I came within the walls to meet an old acquaintance at his request. He spoke vaguely about an initiative that he is planning to put forth, something about common interests. I was happy to ob

In the beginning, we are all but one. Good is bad and bad is good. We are all one and the same. Panjia. This process is heavy on my body and soul. But I need to do it, and I only hope that my efforts will be accepted.  I have enough juice left for one journey. I need to make the most of it.  I light up my pipe. "This time will be a bit different," I say to myself with a tired grimace, "a bit grimmer". I lie down and look up. I take a dive.  Inhale I look deep into my memory. I feel my mind drifting.  I see myself on a horseback. My skin as soft as butter and my soul unburdened. I am a newborn. I extend my hand and touch the horse's mane. I can not see it but we are connected. I look up and see a man riding the horse. Young and powerful he is. He looks at me and I meet his eyes, as black as a moonless night. I guess we all have the same eyes where I come from. I let myself sucked into his eyes and feel the infinite night surround me until there's nothing but

Let the time come and go freely. It is but a construct of your soul to protect you, to remind you of your limits, what you can do, and what you shouldn't do. Give it its freedom and it shall give you yours. I thank you for indulging and hope this journey will be less arduous than its predecessors.  Inhale I look deep into my memory and I see myself. I see myself lying down a tree. It is nice to be able to enjoy the shade after a day's work. I have no worries. My world has ended and I am lying on top of its rubble. If I have survived this long, it only goes to show that my survival is inevitable. I fear nothing and no one. I think about nothing and no one. My mind is as present as it is absent. I think I have reached it. The state my master always spoke of. Panjia. I like myself at this moment. "I'm in good shape" I tell myself. Nothing can get to me.  It doesn't take me long to notice that I've fallen into my own trap. My hubris was lurking just below the