The Mother of all Camels
German Swiss International School, Jade Poon, Fiction: Group 2
B
EEP!” An alarm clock rang, vibrating so strongly that it bounced off the table and onto
the floor.
“Who set this annoying thing?” Charlie grumbled from underneath his covers.
“We’re supposed to be on holiday while travelling with the Mongolian tribe!”
A noise sounded near the doorway and he turned to see his younger siblings, Luke and Zaila,
standing there, already fully dressed. “Wake up, Charlie! We’re going outside to see the camels,”
said Zaila over her shoulder, as she and Luke exited the yurt.
Wiping the sleep from his eyes, Charlie quickly changed into his clothes and ran to join them.
The three of them silently watched the tribal members brushed the large sand-coloured animals,
awed by the twin humps of the desert camels.
“Guys,” Luke said, “let’s ride them!”
“What?” squeaked Zaila. “Do we have to?”
Charlie shook his head in amusement, and heaved himself between the camel’s humps.
“Oomph! How long are we going to ride these crazy creatures?” shouted Charlie to Luke.
“Until this afternoon!” came the response as they all clambered onto their camels.
A few hours in, Luke stopped his camel. “A woman!” Zaila and Charlie halted beside him and
watched a young woman dressed in bright colours appear in the distance. She was gesturing
urgently, and as Luke peered closer, the sand around them began to shift and swirl.
“SANDSTORM!” Luke yelled.
Zaila cried out in alarm; Charlie leapt forward to shield her. “W-worm,” she mumbled. Charlie
felt a flash of red on his face. Excruciating pain immediately swept through his body, and he
collapsed onto the desert sand.
“Charlie!” Zaila cried out in alarm. Luke desperately looked around and the woman from
earlier appeared before them. “Please help our brother!” Luke said to the woman.
“Very well,” she nodded. “As the shaman, I will communicate with the spirits.”
She started to sway back and forth, and flung her head in every direction as she danced
around Charlie. Then she sank to the grassy ground and held out a hand. Luke gulped, and placed
his hand on hers. The Shaman took out a brown brush, scraped Luke’s hand, and then touched it
to her face.
“Charlie has been poisoned by the death worm’s venom,” she rasped. “There is but one cure
–milk from the mother of all camels. To find it, thou must travel to the east of the Gobi with
one companion. Thou has a week and a day to succeed, or else Charlie will die. Does thou accept
thine quest?”
“I-I accept,” Luke stammered. “I choose Zaila as my companion.”
“The quest has been confirmed,” croaked the Shaman. An old map materialised in her hands.
“Take this. It shall show where the mother of all camels may be.”
The Shaman then whirled around, saying, “I shall bring thy brother back to the tribal yurt.
May the spirits watch over thee.” There was a flash of light, and the Shaman disappeared.
Let’s go,” said Luke.
One week later
“
