Mongolia: Days of Future Past
St. Mark’s School, Michael Wong, Fiction: Group 3
W
hen I woke up, I realized I was cocooned in the sleeping bag, since the ruthless
wind had sent chills to me last night. My fingers stretched out and I propped
myself up on one elbow. I was weary, but my adventure still had to go on.
I swung my legs off the sleeping bag and slid into my boots. I put on trousers,
the shirt, tucked my long blonde braid into a cap, and grabbed my forage bag to retrieve the tent.
Here I am, in the Gobi Desert, which is made up of five separate eco-systems. With a view
to having an intriguing exploration at the Gobi Desert, I decided to start at Mongolia and went
across the desert to the north- western of China. On account of its vastness and untouched beauty,
I was exuberant to figure out what was beyond this wondrous landscape.
Today, being a brisk morning, a refreshing soft breeze gently kissed my cheeks. I strode
around the boulder in front of me and mounted on the Bactrian camel which I managed to settle
down last night. I admired the great diversity of species living here. Daylight glistened, and the
camel treaded the rugged road into the middle of the Gobi desert. After a few minutes, I noticed
that some cactuses grew on the landscape with its luster spark. As I glanced at the bottom of the
cactuses, some silhouettes were being reflected on the pebbles—they were some bird-like creatures.
I looked up into the vast sky; a flock of rampant falcons were gliding in a circle idly, as if I was
their prey. They had merciless beak, which added on to its insidious look. I could imagine the
nightmarish journey that the meek prey underwent before. Without any qualm, the crimson
fleshes of the prey would be slashed and punctured; the skin of it would be lacerated by the agile,
yet ferocious claws. I conquered the fear and guided the camel through this piece of scruffy land.
As time elapsed, I felt frazzled and I slowed down the drowsy camel. I drank a tumbler of
wine and recounted events in my life thus far. I remembered the stories my grandfather had told
me when I was in my prime years. He always beamed at me when he was telling those mystical
legends. He had told me about the legend of Mongo Empire, the human habitation there, mostly by
the influx of nomadic people, and also about the gold and copper deposits located at Oyuu Tolgoi.
On top of the above, the myth that startled me the most was about the Mongol Empire’s relics.
According to the myth, myriads of luxurious ornaments and a vast array of jewels were stored
in the urns by the Mongol ancestors. This consecrated and extravagant relic was also used to
commemorate their empowered tyrants and emperors, but for all, this was just a historical myth
hundred years ago.
When I was recounting my scattered memory, I had a glimpse that a razor-edged thing was
approaching me. Before I had time to turn around, someone shouted in an infuriated tone,
‘Stop right there, little girl, drop your supplies and camel, then go away.’
I was dumbfounded and speechless, as I had never heard such rude remarks before. I turned
my head and faced them. There were two crooked men, with flustered faces, intertwined with gory
images. They both wore black robes and hold a piercing sword. In addition, there was a dagger
inside the sheath of the first man. I handed out my supplies and surrender. However, I noticed the
anxiety of these bandits and I believed that they were just amateurs. In order to fend off them, I
considered taking away his dagger when he was inspecting my supplies, in turn subdue or even
backstab both of them. Although this was a risky run, it was also a dead end for me to be left in
