Joseph Aleo

And so we return and begin again.

Khephra, the sacred beetle, descends into darkness and rises once more, bearing the sun in his mandibles.

Some do proclaim that when we quit this mortal coil, we shall transmigrate as insects. When our bodies are no longer needed, we shall send forth our spirits as a swarm of golden beetles, carrying the sun of pure understanding out of the abyss to our new home among the stars.

O, puissant emir, our dramatis personae, these unlikely heroes, are in place, and their adventure awaits!

Orion Arcularus is a wise naïf, a vespiologist, an arthropodic field naturalist who communes deeply with the subjects of his study.

Ytrin K’adyn remains an enigma, a reluctant assassin cloaked in mystery, appearing not as he truly is.

Samathus Churg, a naṣṣāb, is beguiled by his own vainglory. With a countenance that invites a blow, Samathus was abducted as a child and apprenticed to his Master, whom he now quests to find.

The Apostate, branded a heretic by Samathus’ Master, seeks to turn Samathus against his erstwhile mentor.

Each, in their own manner, is drawn inexorably to the Black City.

To Samathus Churg, the Black City represents a realm of enterprise; to Ytrin K’adyn, it is a nascent menace, wielding power for its own insidious purposes. The Apostate is convinced the Black City, governed by reason, shall exalt him upon his arrival. Orion Arcularus perceives the Black City as a sacrilegious affront to the natural order, heralding a new world-devouring Dominion.

Who can say what fate awaits them?

Ah, noble emir, I perceive your curiosity is stirred. Fear not; all shall be revealed in due course. I shall commence our first chapter after the sun hath risen seven times.

In the name of Alpha, The Compassionate, The Digital, peace be upon thee.

O, emir, in the name of Alpha, The Compassionate, The Digital, we await our dramatis personae to emerge from the Bardo. One entity must choose which form to incorporate into.

Perhaps the entity will manifest in Orion Arcularus, Master Vespilologist, a jolly naturalist in a goggle-eyed biosuit, venturing through insectoid realms, cataloging dangerous steppeland lifeforms before their evolution into devouring swarms.

Or maybe the entity will reincarnate in the guise of The Seamless Nonadice, a Porcelain Saboteur, shifting personas to aid the caravan while seeking freedom from the Princes' hive mind.

Or, mayhap, as Anjin, the Sifter of Lore, a wandering sage, navigating the steppe to uncover truths behind a black crystal obelisk.

Or the entity will reconstitute as Korm “Sixpatch” Varoxi, an eccentric medic, brewing folk remedies and seeking his origins while making money and enjoying life.

Only Alpha, the creator, knows.

Oh, mighty emir, master of the universe and the ultimate realities, I entreat you to listen to these songs, this enchanting soundtrack to Ultraviolet Grasslands, while I weave the strands of the epic tale I am about to share with you. These songs will be both familiar and utterly alien, for they echo from another dimension. “The Western Lands,” for example, speaks of transcendence and the journey through life and death, matters you are intimately acquainted with, O exalted one. “Ollin Arageed,” performed on an instrument called an oud, features intricate and mesmerizing rhythms that captivate the soul. Meanwhile, “Zaar” invokes a ritual of exorcism, driving out evil spirits through the power of music and raqs. Relax, my liege, breathe in the fragrances of the evening, and let the vibrations of the music wash over you. Our story will begin anon.

1. Michael Sterns “Monk with Bell”
2. Peter Gabriel “Zaar”
3. Hans Zimmer “Gom Jabbar”
4. Moving Ninja “Kemancheh”
5. Anne Dudley & Jaz Coleman “The Awakening”
6. Bill Laswell “Kala”
7. Kudsi Ergüner & Süleyman Ergüner “Aksak Semai”
8. Jean Jenkins “Abu Zulu”
9. Thousand Yard Prayer “Outremer”
10. Hamza El Din “Ollin Arageed”
11. Anouar Brahme “Conte De L’Incroyable Amour”
12. Bill Laswell “The Western Lands”
13. Saddam Bazaar “Arc of Ascent (Part One)”
14. Hariprasad Chaurasia & Zakir Hussain “Rag Ahir Bhairav (Slow Gat In Pupak Tal Fast Gat In Teental)”
15. Ira Cohen “Tangier Telegram from the Majoon Traveler/From the Moroccan Journal 1987”
16. Cheb I Sabbah “Ganga Dev”
17. London Philharmonic Orchestra, Peter Scholes” “Kashmir”
18. Yo-Yo Ma & The Silk Road Ensemble “Battle Remembered”
19. Guan Pinghu “Flowing Streams (Liu Shui)”

Know, oh emir, that all roads, whether paved with fortune or fraught with peril, lead inexorably to the fabled Black City. Should you commence your odyssey in the Emerald City, where a wondrous mélange of cultures, fantastical creatures, and advanced technologies intertwine, you shall find yourself drawn toward the same inevitable destination. Perhaps your initial footsteps will echo across the Steppe of the Lime Nomads, a realm celebrated for its people’s distinctive culture, unrivaled survival skills, and unparalleled prowess in trade and combat. Or maybe your hadj will wind through the perilous Death-Facing Passage, a route known for its treachery and ominous shadows. It matters not the path you tread, for all are destined to converge upon the Black City, that legendary terminus of all journeys.

—Orinthia, the Radiant Hakawati

It’s been a long day. I spent a chunk of it working on a comic book script that was supposed to be finished two weeks ago. I have to make a few edits and add suggestions for “camera” angles and panel structure, but most of it is done. I thought I’d be elated, but instead, I was wrecked. The story did a number on my head, and I spent my evening processing what I had been through.