The Crown of the Sultan of the Jinns Under the shadow of the Hindu Kush, where whispers of ancient mountains cradle secrets in their snow-kissed peaks, I, Detective Rahim Khan, embarked on a treacherous journey, chasing the elusive trail of a vanished caravan that dared defy the reign of Amir Timur. I reached the site of its disappearance, and I couldn’t believe my eyes. A ditch, large enough to envelop a three-thousand army, lay before me. I looked down, and gold, silver, and all kinds of jewels sparkled. “The gods are angry,” said a Buddhist monk on top of a cliff to the right. He wore an orange shawl, his skin as fair as the snow, and his face soft and puffy like cotton. He had no hair, but a strange symbol similar to an arrow drawn on his head. “You mean to say that the gods did this?” I asked. “I do not mean anything.” The monk opened his eyes, and lightning sparked in his eyes. Dark clouds appeared in the sky, and thunder roared. Lightning crashed and shook the ground. “I am the Sultan of the Jinns,” said the monk. “And your Amir has stolen my crown.” “Your crown?” “The people of these mountains have always been good to my kind. So, I entrusted them with my crown as a sign of my eternal protection. But your Amir destroyed it all.” “Sounds like the protection wasn’t that eternal,” I whispered. “Silence!” The thunder roared. “Do not think I do not hear you, human? This is my last warning. Your Amir has caused much destruction, but I am willing to forget that.” “Oh?” “But my crown must be returned to these people. Peace shall be restored, or I will kill every man, woman, and child in this empire.” “Wait, don’t have it. I mean….” I pointed at the ditch. “The caravan was attacked before I intervened. The crown stolen.” “I see.” “Return it!” Lightning flashed, and when I opened my eyes, the monk was gone, leaving a smoking cliff. I sighed and took the long path to avoid the ditch. The black flag with three dots adorned the peaks. I walked near three men sitting under the shade of a tree. “Peace, my friends,” I said. They took one glance at my blue thobe and turban and went back to talking. “Um, do you know anything about the caravan that was recently attacked?” They continued talking among themselves. “Work with me here, people. The caravan was carrying personal gifts for Amir Timur himself.” They eyed me as they heard his name but went back to talking. “And the crown of the Sultan of Jinns.” They again glanced at me, then continued talking. “Okay, that’s enough.” I unsheathed my sword and marched toward them. A staff blocked my way. “Woo, woo, calm down.” A man smiled at me. His beard reached the end of his neck. “What do you want?” he asked. “A caravan was recently attacked here,” I said. “Do you know anything about it?” “We are simple people. We don’t know what goes on your road.” “Do you know anything about a den? Maybe somewhere thieves hide.” “I’m Bensen. Follow me,” he said. He guided me through a cave. Blood tainted the walls, and scimitars scarred them. Arrows lay embedded in them. “Who did all of this?” I asked. Bensen chuckled. “Are you so blind? This is all your Amir’s doing.” “My Amir would never do this. He is the leader of the faithful.” “And a murderer!” He stared at me with his red eyes. “He spared no one. Not even the children were spared.” “We would never do this.” “He killed my family! Do not tell me what he can do.” We didn’t talk for the rest of the journey. We crushed bones as we made our way through the cave. Teeth covered the ground like spikes. We reached an opening. Mountains and mountains of bodies burned. Men, women, and children, no one was spared. The disgusting smell suffocated me. A black flag with three red dots waved at the very end. “They are no more thieves here,” said Bensen. “Your Amir killed all of them.” My eyes bulged out of horror, and I could hear my heart pound. Bensen patted my shoulder. “Enjoy.” And he went away. I took my turban and untied it. I tightened it around my nose, and I smelled nothing but my own odour. I searched every nook and cranny but stayed away from the mounds of bodies as much as possible. After an hour of searching, I found nothing. I sighed and looked at the mounds. Something golden sparkled in the mound near the entrance. I plunged my hand into it, and vomit reached the end of my neck. I pushed it down and pulled out my hand. The mound shook, and my eyes widened. I made a run as the mound came crashing down. The dust blinded me for a moment. I searched the bodies starting with the ones clothed the best. One man wore a heavy gold necklace with a green shirt. His moustache reached his cheeks, and a half-melted silver dagger was strapped to his hip. I checked his pockets and found a letter. The page was unexpectedly thick and of good quality. I opened it, and the seal of the Amir marked it. “From the Amir of all Khans to the Thief King of Hindu Kush,” I read. “By the grace of Allah, the Sultan of Sultans, I present you with two good options. Give the tax, obey my commands, and return the legendary crown of the Sultan of the Jinns or be subjected to the wrath of Allah.” Guess he chose the second option. But if the Amir had already eradicated the bandits, who stole the crown? The right wall depicted an army of cloaked figures that swirled above the mountains. The left wall depicted a cloaked figure towering above the mountains. All the monks bowed before him. The front wall depicted the crown. Its finials touched the clouds. ‘Bondage’ written under it. If the thieves knew about the crown, why steal it in the first place? I looked around, and the faces of women and children flashed before me. They didn’t steal it. They were protecting it. But who has the crown now? The one who wants a war. Bensen sat under the shade of a tree. He slowly looked up at him. “Where is it?” I asked. He smiled and looked down. “I don’t understand your question?” “Stop lying. Why did you do it, huh?” “A tyrant killed off. What could be better?” “You know better than I the consequences of a war.” “At least we’ll be dead, and why am I even listening to a Mongol? You are the reason for all of this.” “Tatari.” “What?” “I am a Tatari. Not a Mongol.” “What's the difference?” “Why help me?” “I thought if you could see the death, you might change your mind. And I don’t have to do this.” “Do what?” Something hit me in the back of my head, and darkness fell before my eyes. I opened my eyes as water crown.” “You— you attacked it. So, the storm—” “Yes, it was I.” He grabbed his shoulder, and the monk's nails turned to an eagle’s talons. They pierced into Bensen’s shoulder, and tears slipped from his eyes. The monk waved his hand and my ropes turned to ashes. “Sultan, a request,” I said. “What?” he said, and thunder roared. “Have mercy. He only wanted to save his people.” “By plunging me into a foolhardy war?” “You are the one who made the choice. Not him.” He gawked at me, and darkness engulfed everything, and lightning flashed before his wrathful face. “You dare.” Thunder banged like the sound of a thousand cannons. “He just lost his family, Sultan. Have mercy.” Lightning flashed again, but now on the monk's sorry face. The sun came from behind the clouds, and light beamed upon me. The monk dropped Bensen and vanished. I tried to help him get up, but he pushed me away. “Why help me?” he whispered. “My Amir says that he is the wrath of dropped on my head. I tried to move, but my hands and legs were tied. I winced my eyes as white light pinched my eyes. A monk walked into the cave, and Bensen kneeled before him. He presented him with the golden crown and said, “My Sultan, I present you with your crown.” The monk smiled and patted his shoulder. “And I also caught the thief. He was sent here by Amir Timur to find your crown.” The monk stared at me, and lightning sparked in his eyes. “So, you are the one.” “I am not a thief. You know me. You are the one who told me about the crown.” Bensen ran and kneeled before the monk’s side. “He’s the thief. He wanted the crown from the caravan.” “But there was no crown in the caravan. You stole it!” I said. “Don’t lie before his grace, thief!” said Bensen. “He’s right,” said the dropped on my head. I tried to move, but my hands and legs were tied. I winced my eyes as white light pinched my eyes. A monk walked into the cave, and Bensen kneeled before him. He presented him with his golden crown and said, “My Sultan, I present you with your crown.” The monk smiled and patted his shoulder. “And I also caught the thief. He was sent here by Amir Timur to find your crown.” The monk stared at me, and lightning sparked in his eyes. “So, you are the one.” “I am not a thief. You know me. You are the one who told me about the crown.” Bensen ran and kneeled before the monk’s side. “He’s the thief. He wanted the crown from the caravan.” “But there was no crown in the caravan. You stole it!” I said. “Don’t lie before his grace, thief!” said Bensen. “He’s right,” said the monk, and like water, he flowed toward Bensen. “I attacked the caravan and found no crown.” “You— you attacked it. So, the storm—” “Yes, it was I.” He grabbed his shoulder, and the monk's nails turned to an eagle’s talons. They pierced into Bensen’s shoulder, and tears slipped from his eyes. The monk waved his hand and my ropes turned to ashes. “Sultan, a request,” I said. “What?” he said, and thunder roared. “Have mercy. He only wanted to save his people.” “By plunging me into a foolhardy war?” “You are the one that made the choice. Not him.” He gawked at me, and darkness engulfed everything, and lightning flashed before his wrathful face. “You dare.” Thunder banged like the sound of a thousand cannons. “He just lost his family, Sultan. Have mercy.” Lightning flashed again, but now on the monk's sorry face. The sun came from behind the clouds, and light beamed upon me. The monk dropped Bensen and vanished. I tried to help him get up, but he pushed me away. “Why help me?” he whispered. “My Amir says that he is the wrath of Allah, and his soldiers are born out of Allah’s anger. But I am not them.” I stretched my hand. “I didn’t kill your family.” He grabbed my hand and got up. “What will you tell your Amir?” “That the caravan fell the mountain during a storm.” He smiled and nodded."