Title: The Red Amph – Prologue / Chapter One
Author: Sajid Al Fahid Genre: Fiction / Adventure
Description: A fictional account of an event within the Kurdish Republic a year before Ali Al-Sarshees declared war against the Empire of Azadistan.

---

The Red Amph edged its way slowly towards the tip of the cliff. Now it was only a matter of time before the dreaded beasts of Azadistan tore away the remaining flesh of the ruined city…

---

The year is 2298 AD.

During the last 5 years, the Middle East had been the setting for various political, religious and civil rivalries; in the name of God, and of power. Ever since the economic downfall of the various oil-producing countries in the Middle East due to the diminishing supply of fossil fuels, conflicts among the warring nations have resulted in the division and unification of diverse countries that sought to regain the power they once had. In the end, only two major powers remained; the Empire of Azadistan, a newly founded nation comprised of the unification of the more prosperous countries of the Middle East such as Israel and Saudi Arabia, and the Kurdish Republic, the land of the once homeless denizens of the desert.

For a thousand years, the Kurds have existed without a land they could call their own. Ever since the division of the original Kurdish territory brought about by the invasion of the Ottoman Empire during the 10th Century, the Kurds have hidden themselves among the shadow of prosperous nations in the Middle East, seeking vengeance against those who have conquered and divided their once proud race.

While the Kurds fought for freedom, the newly formed Empire of Azadistan tried to take it away. With its massive manpower and advanced technology, Azadistan was fast becoming a threat to the minor countries who did not want to get involved in a conflict which started since the dawn of time.

Even in the middle of this impending crisis, the Kurds managed to find themselves among the pages of their forgotten history. Settling among the remains of the former Uzbekistan, the Kurds established their first nation since the age of the Ottoman Empire; the independent Kurdish Republic. The embodiment of tradition and religion, the Kurdish Republic was one of the last pieces of the desert that Azadistan had not set foot upon.

But it was only a matter of time before everything changed...

---

Chapter One

Explorer's Haven

Sajid knew quite well the way to the hidden cave he found while taking care of the flock of sheep his father tasked him to do. It was another unfamiliar place in a not so familiar environment. But for Sajid, this was another mark in his half-filled desert map.

Since the day his father taught him how to stand on his knees, Sajid Al Fahid had become a frequent visitor of the ever-scorching desert in the outskirts of the Kurdish Republic, searching for another oasis to conquer. For him, everyday was a quest to quench his thirst, for water was scarce in this part of the world and it was as precious as the remaining drops of fossil fuel beneath them.

The young Sajid dreamt of becoming an explorer since the day he first laid foot upon the sands of the barren desert. Wherever he set his eyes upon, Sajid could only see the distant horizon where the earth and the sky meet. This sense of awe and mystery fueled Sajid' desire for exploration. While the Kurdish children played among the streets of the republic, Sajid swam among the virgin waters of his prized oases.

But little did he know that there existed such a magnificent work of nature in the barren desert as the hidden cave. Sajid had seen many caves among the rock formations in the desert, but none which could match the beauty of the newest addition to his collection.

The cave was huge. It towered to an awesome 20 meters in height, enough to engulf a two-storey house amidst its gaping maw, and enough to give him shade against the burning sun. The interior looked even larger. In fact, a natural pool of water the size of a badminton court had formed in the middle of the cave. Sajid knew that this would be the perfect resting place for someone like him, and that this would remain as his most prized secret for a long time.

This was the third time that Sajid will be visiting the cave and he was excited as ever. For Sajid, a dip in the cool, crystalline waters of the pool was a refreshing sensation that was rare among the villagers of the Republic. Here the young boy could swim in the very liquid that was deprived from he denizens of the desert.

As Sajid approached the cave, he felt an unfamiliar presence nearby. There was something wrong this time around. The young Al Fahid noticed footprints on the sand proceeding to the entrance of the cave. But these were no ordinary footprints. They were as big as a fully-grown human from head to toe! Upon closer inspection, Sajid noticed that there were etches in the sand similar to the markings under desert footwear. The young boy realized that this was made by an artificial monstrosity. Although fear crept in, Sajid knew that he had to find out who or what invaded the sanctity of his so-called "haven". He knew that his life would be at stake. But the feeling of adrenaline rushing in his veins pushed him to the brink of the unknown.

There was no turning back now...