‘I don’t have one, sir.’
‘Well…Tell me more about this place. What happened to the magnificent legends of the
undefeatable tribe?
‘That was over a long time ago. His majesty was once a gentle and understanding prince.
His… his majesty’s family was murdered during a hunting trip. His majesty was not allowed to
hunt for his young age then… their corpses were sent back here by the chiefs of the other tribes.
They gathered to overthrow our tribe… to warn us to not to interfere with them. Our prince then
changed, he became brutal and icy, forcing his people to fight, taking his revenge. Unfortunately,
our prince is too young and lacked the ability to lead troops… he never listens to his counselors,
not that he had any left. He killed anyone who dared to go against his will. No one dared to visit
Khara-hot anymore, no plants grow, and everyone is slowly starving to death. That’s our story, sir.’
‘That’s why you all hid in the shadows… ‘I murmured.
I thanked him for his story and waved him goodbye. I strolled down the deserted streets,
trying my best to find my way back. I could not help but notice the ground was cracked open,
leaving only dried up and burnt weeds. It appears as if no one has farmed for decades. There
were still a couple of camels supposedly left behind by merchants when they trade. The scrawny
camels huddled together, staring at me hauntingly with their gaunt eyes. Vultures were perched
on top of the collapsed walls, some swirling around the corpses, some tearing threads of flesh,
some pecking at the bones, all in hopes to feed themselves. I made out the howling of wolves as
I walked past the camels, there were growls and snaps. I looked beyond the walls and found grey
wolves fighting and slaughtering each other, over a small mouse the pack caught. They soon ran
out of energy and collapsed, with only a whirlpool of dust as a remembrance of their existence.
The onlookers closed in and devoured their pack mates, drinking their blood and chewing their
bones. Their eyes shone an amber tinge, reflecting the setting sun in the horizon. The night wind
whistled. I shivered. Not knowing if it’s the chill, or it’s the brutality I saw. Once again I turned
away and made my way back to the palace, with hopes to meet the prince. Along the way, I made
an effort to divert my the happenings around me, the soft sobbing of the peasants, the heavy
panting of the wolves, the weak beating of wings and the stressful glare of the camels. I ran the
rest of my way, burst through the doors and showed up abruptly at the prince’s party.
The music stopped. Every single participant turned around and stared. The prince recognized
me at once and asked, ‘Found it?’
‘Sorry to disturb the fun, your highness. Would you please spare some time for a conversation,
your highness?’
‘Leave us.’ He turned to the rest of the crowd who started rustling among each other. The
crowd worked their way towards the door, avoiding agitating the short tempered prince. He
pointed his chin towards me, gesturing for me to speak as he sat on his throne covered with the
skin of snow leopards.
‘Your highness, when was the last time you tread on your own land?’
‘Years, why?’
‘My lord, have you not notice the dreadful sight of your men? They’re just bones and skin for
God’s sake. Would give what you have to them? Would …’
‘So? It’s their destiny. It’s their fate. Blame our god who took away my family as well as their
happiness.’ The prince interrupted, clenching his fists as he spoke. ‘And who do you think you
are? You’re a captive. Your only purpose here is to bring me what I asked for. That’s our deal. Seek
