on fierce stallions . Darius approached me with a chestnut coloured horse and handed a set of reins to me saying “ It is yours , take care of him for the rest of the journey .” We set out from the gates of Xi ’ an to the western deserts at Dusk .
A week of travelling through the desert was the most gruelling , most dangerous and most uncomfortable during my rides through the Taklamakan desert . The sun bombarded us everyday endlessly without respite . Water became the most important good in this desert , sweeter than gold . The sounds of the yellow wasteland was nothing but the malcontent wind . The food on the march was nothing short of just bread and vegetables , laced with sand . The Desert offered nothing to its travellers , only a bystander and consumes those who fall . 6 Days and a majority of our water sucked out by our unquenched thirst and drooling with sweat , we arrived in area with arable land “ We reached Hotan , the last major city in the Middle Kingdom .”
Hotan had weathered sandstone walls which stood out from the orange desert . As soon as the wooden gates opened , we saw numerous caravans stopping to resupply and trading of goods from the far west . “ Guan , you might want to keep your sword close , I do not want to stay in this place longer than I have to ” muttered Darius . We lurked around the markets , refilling our water and gathering more provisions for the journey . As we finished up resupplying , I smelt something with a musty smell . I followed the scent as a Cat followed a piece of string and there was a grill , roasting meat . Lured by the smell , I asked “ What kind of meat is that ?” The old lady , busy fanning it says quickly “ Lamb ”. I took out a few coppers from my purse and took a kebab . I bit into it awashed with multiple flavours , it was divine combined with a perfect balance of sweetness with salt and pepper . My moment was interrupted by Darius saying with a impatient voice “ Are you done fantasising about being a gourmet ?” I quickly finished my kebab and left Hotan as soon as we arrived and we finally left the Middle Kingdom .
Very soon , Darius said “ We are entering the realm of the Sassanid Empire , one of the largest empires in the known world .” I asked out of interest “ Are you from the Sassanid Empire ?” Darius paused but for a moment “ I will tell you in time , now come .” The mountains in the region were huge with the summit capped with white froth , with the mountain air soothing our nasal senses . The temperature grew colder and slept into freezing nights , covered with a mountain of wools and rags that the caravan offered . Nothing happened in our mountain route but suddenly , Darius seemed more on edge than usual . It went to the point he held his scimitar with his right hand constantly . “ Wait here , I will check ahead .” Darius muttered , he galloped off down the path and the company of 30 men waited , all drawn from the Middle Kingdom and the Sassanid Empire and beyond . 30 minutes went by and he came back in due haste and said “ There is a party of marauding bandits in the region , numbering around 15 , we must take them out .” “ Why ” I asked ? “ They pose no threat .” Darius quickly snapped a reply back at me stating “ Travelling on the path for 15 years has made me experience rough things , terrible things .” Gasping for air and touching my shoulder “ Trust me on this ”. I smiled and the company readied for battle .
We followed Darius under the cover of darkness , we were in a loose formation and we spotted the bandits , sharpening their swords and eating their catch of the day . Darius ordered the men to stretch their bows . The wind howled and Darius shouted “ Loose !”. Arrows whistled in the air and hit their intended targets and Darius swirled his scimitar and shouted “ Charge !” and men shouted in unison and the fight began . I engaged a medium sized man , equipped with a club with a black jerkin . I lunged my sword onto his arm and successfully parried . He then dealt a series of blows , trying to knock me off my feet and he did . I dodged his mighty blows and got it and threw dirt in his eyes and screamed in agony . Using this opportunity , I stabbed him through the stomach with my trustee sword and he became lifeless . My heart was still pounding and the day was won , just . 5 of our company was killed during the hectic chaos that ensued during battle and I sat down with Darius on a fallen branch saying “ How far is the next stop ?” Darius still cleaning his sword from the bloodstains told me “ 3 days ride , as the crow flies . Do you want to talk about it ?”. “ I can never understand taking a life , missed opportunities , family and revoking the life to live .” Darius replied with his old wisdom “ The hardest part is sparing a life , not taking it , some people who live deserve to die , some people who have passed deserve to live . It is a hard question which haunts me still , lingering on my mind .”