Scheherazade
The sky was all Zade could help to look at, she was handcuffed with Void-Metal cuffs and completely drained of her power, she was surrounded by two other ghazis and was kneeling in the courtyard. She was kneeling on old and creaky hardwood, and ahead of her was the entrance and exit of the palace. She was stripped of her armor and forced to wear raggedy and tattered common clothes. She was to be executed in an hour, a slow crowd was forming and filling the courtyard. She could only help but remember her past time, a time better than now.
6 years ago...
She was 19 at the time, she was seated alongside a 13-year-old Alakazam. He had his usual sly grin on his face while Zade felt this pit forming in her stomach. She had news to tell him that possibly would mean this being their final moments together. "Whats up Zade?" you haven't said anything in almost five minutes." He said downing his drink. "I am going to become a Ghazi, my initiation is tomorrow." Alakazam didn't even react as he just waved his hand and laughed. "No really what's up?" He asked not buying her statement at all, she sighed and shook her head. "I'm not kidding Alak, this might be our last day." She said looking at him seriously, he smiled and then shook his head, "I have no clue why you would wanna become a lackey for the nation. However, I support you Zade, and we might be taking different paths but I'm sure our paths will align one day. After all, I'm going to become the King of Thieves." She laughed, as the two shared a final drink. She blinked and woke up to reality, the sun beaming in her eyes as she felt more and more eyes on her.
All she could think about was just getting this over with. She eventually saw a tall and slender man walking through the entrance. He wore long purple robes adorned with the Masiyan flag on his back and the family Khan crest on the right side of his chest. He was an aging man, who had long dreadlocks tied back into a knot, with several gray locks. He had an angry face and strolled to the podium Zade was kneeling on.
"Today we execute Scheherazade a former ghazi, who is charged with crimes against our nation. She has betrayed our nation's ideals and has broken her vow to be of service to Masiya and only Masiya." He spoke in a loud boom that could be heard throughout the entire courtyard. She looked down closing her eyes, she didn't wanna see the crowd's faces, she couldn't handle the shame. She couldn't handle seeing that face before her death.
She would rather die in peace, and for the first time in her life be able to control something. The two executioners raised their pistols, one aimed at her head and the other pressed it at her back, she could feel the cold metal press against her skin. The Sultan started the count down, she tuned it out, trying to clear her mind. Moreover, let go, she snaps back as she hears the countdown dropping down to 2 then 1, and the two ghazis ready their pistols, and she swallows her fears.
She wished she could have seen her friend one more time, there's so much she has left to do, people counting on her, she couldn't die like this, she can feel the pistols being ready to fire before the two executioners scream in pain as she feels them fall off the podium, she heard the sultan screamed. "What is the meaning of this!" She felt her cuffs broken and opened her eyes. Tears fell down her face as she saw who her savior was, it was Alakazam, he looked older his hair was much longer and but one thing didn't change, he still had that grin. "There will be no execution here because I am here!"
Alakazam shouted pounding his chest, "you fucking crazy kid, you realiz-" she pushed him out of the way as a torrent of flames came rushing she put up a wall of flames to protect the two. He stood up and nodded, as he ducked and dodged two sword strikes for another ghazi, kicked one's sword out of their hand, and punched another square in the face, they go flying straight into the palace. As the sultan roared in anger, they were quickly surrounded by six ghazis.
One ghazi is strong enough to decimate an entire army, but Zade knew their tricks and knew her firepower outmatched their best ghazi, and she smiled. "Ready for some fun Alak?" Alakazam nodded as he dodged a sword strike and countered with a vicious counter, Zade channeled her power into her hands as she took a deep breath, visualizing her inner flame. She pictured a small fire, and mentally commanded it to grow, bigger and bigger as this small flame looked like a voracious flame. Her eyes glowed bright orange as an intense wave of flames surrounded the entire court, several were escorted out as many of the ghazis screamed out in pain.
The entire courtyard was on fire, as Alakazam looked at her with wide eyes. "Well shit, why didn't you lead with that!" He said as she leaped through the sky, using flames from her hands and feet to propel herself up as well. "Yeah yeah, where are we headed? Because we just now became a national threat, Alakazam smiled leading the way forward as the two flew through the red sky. They stopped eventually in the slums, where he showed a large airship parked in the alleyway. "Who the fuck did you manage not to get robbed?" Zade asked surprised, he shows off the tattoo on his hand and as she looks closer she notices the same symbol on the side of the air. "You didn't join Azure did you?" She asked terrified of his answer, but he only responded with a nod, as he dropped the ladder for them to climb.
She climbed up after him and found the beautiful ship with a steering wheel and large sail with the symbol of Azure's family. "Where are we headed?" Alakazam smiled as he got the sails ready and smiled, "we are headed to Danshu."