"Heard that the helmet of Jin paid you a visit."   Lailah said to him. She was standing before him. He was seated on a wooden bench planted under one of the boabab trees along the route.   One thing was making meaning of how she knew that he was plying that route, another was how she knew about the helmet.    After the trauma of the arrival of the helmet, he had gone to ask around the market square for the sorcerer in the town, but he was told that the man ceased to function.    He was returning home to decide where to keep the helmet when he had been called upon by Lailah from behind.    He had wanted to lose her in the first place, but she was swifter than he ever imagined. Well, he could had done himself a favor of never imagining it in the first place.     "What do you know?"   He shot back at her. But she smiled. T

        The Kingdom of Kula.    "We'll be loyal till our last breath to whatever bidings you toss at us."   One of the three kings bowing before him said. Another of the Kings didn't hide his detest but there was little he could do at the moment. He only tossed his head to and fro as though he had been bewitched, his bounty beards flowing in the air.     "Speak for yourself, Ivanama."   The King of Kula shot at that king. Ivanama, the King of Haojo put his head down. Not in respect but in both rage and shame.   You know, when you're being belittled and there's little you can do about it. You have an idea how hot it'd burn. So was the manner at which the fellows were burning.    But the degree of the pain varied.     "Airu seems to have a contention."   The King of Kula said again, looking at that king with bou

          The land of Hubrim.     "What's up with them guys up there?"    Jimin asked, struggling to share his gaze between Lao Tzu and the sight ahead of them.     There was a group of men in sight and they seemed to had gathered around another who seemed to be acting out some moves.     Lao Tzu obviously wasn't in the mood. And he didn't have the strength for the odds,    "You don't get sick of surprises, eh? This time, twould be your head that'd be chopped off. "    Jimin wore him out with a scornful look. He didn't owe him much of an explanation. He left him standing and hurried to catch a suiting sight of what was going on in the midst of the group.      "Damn youth."    Lao Tzu said in akimbo. He was wearied. Not only of the wandering but of the crazy younger brother. He could just dispose of h

      "Is he also with you? He seems restless. And I do not deem the restless folks fit for my attention."   The sorcerer said sharing his gaze between the boatman and Jimin. Twas hard to tell who he was referring to in precision.     Jimin was about to talk when Tzu hopped on the discourse in his place,    "He is our rider. He's with us. But we could make him stay outside if he should bother any further."    "Let him stay. He seems old enough to tame the wild part of him. And if he doesn't, I might be forced to cast a spell on him."    The sorcerer added. Jim was getting fed up of the tale of the man. He almost spilled the mud.    The boatman was seated beside him. He had no idea why he had made that mistake. Tzu was seating opposite them and the sorcerer was standing at their front before the throne.     The boatman pinched him by the

     The Kingdom of Havila.     "Get the fuck off me."    Tzu said, meaning to hurl Jim away from him if twas possible.    Jim fought himself free. He started pressing his hands to his robe as though he had lost something.     Few of the market fellows took interest in them in the first place, but seemed to had lost it.    "Do they have a thing for strangers too?"   Tzu asked Jim. Jim wore him out with the how-would-you-expect-me-to-know kinda ogle.      "Aiiieee"     They heard from behind them. A man was pushing a wooden barrow behind them trying to pass through. They hopped off the road.    Jim to the right, Tzu to the left.     They had been standing in the middle of the road. They could see the huge gate of the city several metres away from them.