Nickar was a shaman who lived in the dry wasteland. He had gained a reputation as a great healer and helper of the people. For years he had gone on vision quest and traveled the realm of the Thunder Beings. Their mystery was now his, but for some reason his great vision was incomplete. Too many pieces of the puzzle were missing. He wanted to know more about the enemy of the Thunder Gods. He wanted to know about the Serpent.

“I see that you are troubled Nickar.” Master Moloch spoke. “You have spent your whole life here in the Dry Wasteland. Perhaps you should go see the rest of the world. Thirty years ago I went.”

Nickar responded, “The Dry Wastelands are the center of my universe I have no desire to see the outlands,” then put his respirator on and crawled out of his dome. In the distance he could see dust devils move across the poisoned land. These whirling updrafts feed the atmosphere with toxic salts, which return to Earth as moving walls of death and destruction. Thousand of years ago there was industry. Today all that is left is toxic waste. Each year a "silent spring" broken only by the sound of thunder as the deadly salt storms begin. Such is the way of the Dry Waste land.

Eventually Nickar traveled to the land of cornfields and sunflowers where the temple of the Great Goddess rises from the center of a swamp. Surely he was far enough from the Dry Waste land to take off his respirator. Never before has he ever breathed fresh air. How strange.

He was shocked at the extreme luxury and excess of the temple. The Thunder Dreamers believe that no man should own more than he can carry. All of Nickar’s possessions were in a small pack that he wore on his back. He had never before seen the obscene orgies of the Shemales in the temple, but Nickar understood. He has always followed the Animal in his dreams and understood that the celebrants of the great temple were also following their Animals.

“Look girls, here something we do not see every day, it is a Thunder Dreamer, the Great Master Nickar himself. How can we please you Master.”

Nickar knew this person must be Gomory the legendary high priestess. “I have come seeking knowledge.”

“Pick any girl you want each one has something to teach you.”

“I pick you.”

“Come to my room. Please do not insult me by saying that all you want to do is talk.”

In the Temple of the Goddess rank is determined by who is more skilled in seducing men. Gomory was known to be the best of the best. Though Nickar had never had any interest in the priestesses of the temple he found it hard to believe that this was a counterfeit woman. Once in her room he sat as far from her as he could and spoke. “I have come to learn more about the Serpent.”

Gomory had a good laugh. “The story of the Serpent who fights the Thunder Bird is a Thunder Dreamers myth. Here in the Temple of the Goddess we believe in wholeness and have no such myth.”

“I am sorry if I offend you,” said Nickar, “but I was told that the Serpent is a primal force of the Earth. Perhaps you could tell me more about the power.”

“Your going to be difficult,” Gomory then said, “instead of talking you should try learning by doing.”

“Do you know anyone who can tell me about the Serpent. What is the name of the Serpents power?”

“I don’t know,” said Gomory, somewhat annoyed. “The only people who know the name are the Black Lodge.”

Nickar had heard of the Black Lodge. They spread filth and corruption. They were exterminated over a century ago.

“One Karcist is still alive,” said Gomory. “An old man who lives on a ridge of hills called the Dragon’s Back. It is said that thousand of years ago the Black Lodge used the Serpents power to destroy the Christians.”

Nickar interrupted, “I refuse to believe that Christians ever existed. I can not imagine a religion that would completely reject the Earth.”

Finally Gomory said, “Close you eyes and believe what ever you want. I really do not care. Leave now. Your purity is nauseating to me. Leave now before I catch some of your righteousness. This is the Temple of the Water of Life. We do not need your Water of Death.”

Nickar traveled to the electronic city and examined the ancient archives. It would seem that Christians did once walk the Earth. The monotheist has one God but many cults who hated each other. The two most famous were Christianity and Islam. Each side tried to force its ways on everyone. Monotheistic religions spread like a disease all over the world and nearly wiped out all life. What seemed most disturbing was that the regimented ways of the Christians resembles the discipline of the Thunder cult. Perhaps Gomory is right when she says that Thunder Dreamers have no life in them.

The monotheists kept excellent records till near the end of their age, but most of these records have been lost. A black age lasted for centuries before the books began to be written again. The scholars had many theories why the monotheist age came to an end. It could have been war or technological failure. But Nickar knew that such could not be the whole truth. Civilizations will rebuild themselves unless something changes inside of the people.

As Nickar would leave the Library, people would shout, “All hail Nickar greatest of saints. Teach us your wisdom.” Nickar would reply, “I have no knowledge.” Perhaps the blind faith that these people feel is the same as the blind faith of the monotheist. What ever stopped the monotheist must have been powerful.

A few weeks later Nickar reached the Small village North of the Dragon’s Back. The local people asked him why the great master would come to their small village. He said that he has come to meat the old man who lives in the hills. The local people began to shout.

“All hail Nickar. He has come to kill the evil sorcerer.”

“Beware the hills are full of demons.”

“The woods are like a maze. Many men have end up lost walking in circles.”

“The few who lived have gone insane.”

Nickar asked if anyone knew the way to the Dragon’s Back. Eventually they told him of a man named Naberus who knew the way. Naberus lived in a house near the end of the village. Nickar was about to knock on the door when he heard, “what do you want?” From a man covered with dirt.

“I have come to hear the old man who lives near the Dragon’s back.”

“How many times do I have to tell you stupid bastards that there ain’t no god damn old man in the hills? Just follow me and I will show you the ridge.”

To be polite Nickar said, “I do not wish to trouble you.”

“Yea right.” Naberus said as he put on his backpack, “Your kind never leaves me alone until I show you. So follow me and shut up. I do not wish to hear your mumbo jumbo.”

The Dragon’s Back is a ridge of heavily wooded halls. Nickar was impressed. Naberus said, “It ain’t nothing but lumps in the ground.” They camped on top of the ridge. Nickar has never felt a night so hot and muggy. Everything seemed to be covered with wet sticky slime. Eventfully Nickar was just as dirty as Naberus. Naberus said, “Some of the dirt you get up here will never wash off.”

Nickar woke up early and began to prepare to say his morning chant when he heard. “Don’t do that.” It was a young man who spoke. “We don’t do that in this neighborhood. No puritanical hateful prayers here. You will never know the Serpent as long as try to protect yourself. Open your mind. Let the darkness in.”

Nickar asked, “What is your name?”

“I am Baphomet, a student of the Black Lodge.”

The young man said that he had come to get something from the house of the old senator who had just died. The dead man was once a senator in the old republic. He had come to these hills because he was sick of it all. Nickar asked if the senator could be the old man that the town’s people think is a sorcerer.

The young man said, “No the old man hates the senator.”

Naberus then shouted, “The old man is nothing but an old fool.”

“I thought you said he did not exit,” Said Nickar.

Naberus Replied to Nickar, “I am not talking to you. I don’t talk to a neophyte.”

They followed the young man to the senator’s cabin. On the way they passed two girls who were returning from a visit to the senators cabin. One was good looking and the other was better looking. They young man spent several hours taking to them.

“If I have the power of the old man,” said Naberus, “I would make love to two girls at the same time.”

Inside the senators house they found a serpent drawn on the floor. The young man reached up into a shelf and took a jar full of purple sand. He poured it along the serpents back. “ The old man buried him,” said Naberus “The senator had no friends. No one to bury him but his enemy.”

“What did the senator do up here?” Nickar asked.

Naberus responded, “He would eat berries and jack off. What else is there to do up here?”

The young man spoke, “The Senator thought that the dark side represented the success of the elite. He never saw the full potential of life. Instead he shackled himself to a few limited ideals. The old man hated him for his limited point of view.”

Nickar walked outside and saw the most beautiful bird he has ever see. “This is Melek Taus the Senator’s peacock,” said Naberus as he grabbed the bird. Then broke the birds neck and said. “He is dinner now. Any one else hungry.”

After the sun set the young man began to speak, “The Earth is half dead, but it could live again. There is a place where all life once emerged. The source of all dreams. The place where the book of life was written. The underworld that is below every step you take. Here the Serpent once slept. Would you like to see it?”

Before Nickar could respond Naberus said. “I’ve seen it. Why don’t you take dickweed to it? All he does is ask stupid question.”

As Nickar followed the Young man he asked, “Where is the old man?”

“You will only see Him if he wants you to see him.”

“Is he a holy man?”

“More like an unholy man.”

“What is the name of the Old man?”

“His name is Satan.”

“I never heard a name like that. What kind of name is it?” asked Nickar.

The Young man giggled and said, “It is a Christian name.”

“Are there Christians in these woods?”

“There have never been Christians in these woods.”

“I thought Christians once covered the whole Earth.”

The young man stopped, looked straight at Nickar and said, “There have never been Christians in these woods.”

On a flat area on top of the Dragon’s back they reach place where the trail crossed another trial next to a dead Tree. The young man pointed to a path on the right that led back to town. And reminded the Shaman that he could go back to town or he could continue to the pit. Nickar asked where the left path goes. The young man said those girls went that way. They are witches. I will return down that path in a few days.”

The young man went over to the dead tree and said, "432 decades ago you taught the me how to make the waters of life. We are the power and the Glory everlasting EVOY."

They came to the edge of the Dragon’s back and followed a trail down the side until they came to a huge slab of rock sticking out of the hill over hanging a large grotto. Water trickled over the side of the Rock and the young man walked under the water to cool himself off. Unpolluted water is so rare in Nickar's world. Once Green places like these hill were common. Man forgot that he was part of the Earth, and tried to live separate from it by using technology. Now 90% of the Earth’s Land surface is dead.

“Wow,” said Nickar, “I can see why people would say that this is the source.”

The young man said, “It is nothing but a big scary rock. The source is down here under the rock.”

The young man cleared mud from the ground under the Slab until he reviled a small hole in the rock floor. He took a bowel out of his pack walked over to the trickle of water and filled the bowel. He them placed it in the Small hole where it just fit. There was a pentagram drawn in the bowl surrounded by words in the sacred language of Goetia. CASED AZOTE BOROS ETOSA DEBAC, which can be translated as, Lust, Eternal, Devouring, Locked, Following. The Thunder Cult considers these words to be forbidden black magic.

“Are you disappointed Nickar. You came all this way just to find a small hole.”

Nickar replied, “I have seen similar holes used by many tribes. They represent the imagination, and human nature inside us.”

“So that is what you think it is?”

The young man took a paper mask out of his pack. And began to tear it up and through the pieces around. “This mask belonged to the senator, I have come here to return it to the source.”

Nickar seemed to understand and asked if he should say some words.

“No,” the young man replied. “The senator was a worthless sack of shit. Now I have returned him to the primeval slime. Maybe something worthwhile will grow out of him.”

The young man reached into his pack and took out a rock. “Have you ever seen one of these? This rock has three circles. One is the Earth, one is the Spirit and one is the Stars.”

Nickar then said, ”There is no difference between the Earth and the spirit and the Stars and the Spirit. There is no difference between the stars and the Earth.”

The young man seemed pleased and said. “Right they are combined on this rock. Did you know that long ago men left the Earth and colonized other planets? Some of those men have forgotten that Earth was there mother. Times change. New fashions come and Go. Ages ago there were thousands of symbols of the Dragon. As the ages passed symbols were forgotten or destroyed. The monotheist destroyed most of them. One day a great Shaman, from the Black Lodge, asked Tiamat the goddess of filth and corruption to teach him how to make the waters of life. He was able rediscover enough of the symbols to end the age of the white light religions. Christianity, Islam, and Buddhism came to an end. Since them new religions have spread across the land such as your Thunder Dreamers cult. Man began to forget the symbols again. All that is left today of the old symbols is this one little stone. This is the Dragon”

The young man placed the stone into the bowl. And said, “Combine we achieve Rasse.”

“Is that the name of the power?”

The young stared into the bowel for a few seconds the said, “You’re the first person in a long time to ask for a name. Rasse is a name, as useful as any other name. So be it.”

Then Nickar spoke, “The bowel is us and the stone is the Beast within. And this Beast is the Dream that my parents told me to follow.”

The young man then said, “Looks like you came all this way just to rediscover the superstitions that your parents gave you. That is what most people end up doing when they go on a vision quest.”

“Did I fail?” asked Nickar.

“No you did well.” Was the reply, “You will only see what your level of understanding will let you see. Yours is better than most people. Some people become angry because all they see is a hole. Other people become too happy, when they invent so many ideas that they can't see the ground.”

Nickar woke up and looked around. He was at the camp on top of the Dragon’s back. He woke Naberus and said, “I thought you were in the senator’s cabin. Where is the young man?”

“What young man? There is no cabin up her.”

Just them Nickar realized that he was dreaming. As the two returned to town Naberus said, “See I told you no one lives up here. About thirty years ago another guy came up here and never found the old man, but did say that he met a young man who showed him a hole in the ground in some cave. And a few years back, some sissy boy wearing woman’s clothing went up there and came out saying the exact same thing. I think you're all nuts.”