Hong Kong Young Writers Anthologies Fiction 4 - 7 2018 | Page 102

Of Dragons and Dreams
Island School, Foong, Katya - 14
I
t started with a dream. A dream of a serene place, unlike anything he had ever seen before. Rows of
gleaming golden roof tiles, each end curling up towards the clear blue sky, sheltering sturdy brick-red
pagodas. The faint smoky wooden smell of incense wafting out from behind the brass doors. Engraved
into the middle was a swirling steel dragon, a staggering bright red ball stuffed tightly in its mouth. All of a
sudden, the dragon leaped out from the doors. Fluttering its wings, it scooped him up from the ground and
took to the skies.
Then… he was in the air, soaring through the skies. Cruising through the clouds. The wind gently caressing
his face. Below him were mounds of sand dunes, carved into the sand were intricate patterns swirling in all
sorts of directions. The dragon started scaling higher into the air. When he looked down again, the deserts
had disappeared completely. Instead, there were snowy-white mountains planted on fields of luscious grass,
stretching out for miles. The clouds below him merged together and the beautiful view of the mountains
was gone. This time when he looked down, he saw not the home of nature, but the home of man. A
golden castle, with shimmering silver crystals decorating the sides of the freshly polished walls. He shut his
eyes tight. He felt the wings of the dragon being pulled from underneath him and he was no longer flying.
He was falling. Falling all the way down. Into a vast, empty pit of nothingness.
--
Floating sandy plains stretching on for miles into the endless horizon, ripples of sand snaking across the
barren land. The air was parched, dry and very hot as if in an oven set to the highest temperature. The
desert, almost inhabitable, yet with the occasional cactus and a nearby oasis; life is somehow sustained.
An enormous shadow loomed over the dreary bleakness, interrupting the desolate landscape. There he
stood, auras of light radiating off him, casting a beacon of life in this wasteland. Propped on his back was a
towering bamboo rucksack that hung over his well-built shoulders. Xuanzang trekked grimly towards a
nearly dried-up oasis, threw his pack to one side and collapsed on a nearby rock. He cupped his hands
together and lifted the cool water to his chapped lips. Etching forward to drink the little water left.
Xuanzang hadn’t drunk in days. The water slid down his aching throat, soothing and cooling it. He
continued drinking, hungrily, greedily, fearful that this could be his last.
Finally, feeling satisfied, he continued on his journey, aimlessly roaming the desert, desperate to find even
the smallest signs of life, all to no avail. Suddenly, he saw something that made stop dead in his tracks.
Squinting into the distance, he saw a shapely figure, seemingly floating through the deserted plains. It was
coming closer towards him. He prepared himself for a fight. The sandy mist started to clear and the
mysterious figure came into his clear sight. He was taken aback. It was a young woman. Draped on her back
was a pure white gown, dancing on her back to the tunes of the wind. This woman was unlike anyone he
had ever laid eyes on before. She was absolutely beautiful. She flashed him a nervous smile with her pearly
white teeth in between her painted lips. His pupils dilated. Without speaking, she beckoned him to follow
her. As if in a dazed trance, he eagerly agreed. She took him to a nearby hut in the middle of the empty
desert; the hut was made completely out of straw. The edges were frayed and torn apart; bits of straw were
peeling off the sides. He followed her inside. The hut was cramped to the brim with unusual objects
scattered everywhere. Golden chains, patterned wooden boxes, a large collection of watches and loose
change of foreign money in odd places. In the corner of the cramped hut, sitting in a straw armchair sat a
mysterious old man; presumably the woman’s father. They both seemed incredibly welcoming, offering
delicious treats everywhere in the hut.
The woman questioned him “What is a handsome young man doing out here alone in the middle of the
Gobi desert?” Xuanzang smiled, “I am a Buddhist monk, I have been sent on a journey to Nanjing to
uncover the true teachings of Buddhism.” At the sound of this, both the hosts in the room perked up their
ears. The woman raised her eyebrows and flashed her father a quick glance. He silently nodded. She
continued, “I see, you must have been travelling for quite some time. Here, have some of this to help you
relax.” She passed him a flask containing a dark mysterious liquid. “It’s Chinese wine. It’ll help you…
unwind. Drink it.” She smiled her charming smile at him again. Dazed by her overwhelming beauty, he