*WARNING: Self-harm/Sexual acts and scenes/Gore.... Honestly, at this point in the story, expect everything from now on*
Seventeen days later, in the southern borders of Mesopotamia.
The team rode their carriage in the daytime to the coastal village. Instead of using horses, they chose the camels they traveled with as they were low maintenance and didn't need to be fed daily.
Numair and Hilal were the drivers, as the rest sat in the carriage.
Fadi stared at Taz in silence, and she stared back.
Talal was asleep, and Roheen was left to watch the two.
"Are you still holding a grudge against me?" Fadi asked.
"Yes," Taz replied.
"We are not children anymore, Taz," Fadi said.
"I know," Taz replied flatly.
"Then why are you still mad at me!?" Fadi said.
"Because you're a cunt," Taz replied.
"I was a child when that happened," Fadi said.
"You were a little cunt; now you're a big cunt," Taz said.
"I was trying to warn you!!" Fadi raged.
Taz lunged, grabbed Fadi's neck and shouted, "The only thing you managed to do was break our friend group apart because of your fucking ego."
Roheen grabbed Taz's arm and tried to calm her down.
Talal woke up from the commotion and called out to Taz calmly.
Taz released Fadi from her grip and sat down.
She crossed her arms and said, "It's funny that the peasants of Babilim were taught that the nobles were evil and the peasants were good."
She leaned forward, glared at Fadi and said, "I also believed that false idea. Until I saw my parents slaughtered like cattle by none other than peasants!" "The nobles you loathe sheltered me. Protected me and treated me with kindness and fairness. It made me think that the poor deserve their horrible lives because they are nothing more than animals."
Fadi leaned forward and retorted, "You were poor like me, Taz! Never forget that!"
Taz leaned back, crossed her legs and arms tightly and said, "Yes… I was, and I hated every second of that life."
Talal looked at Roheen and signaled her to intervene.
Roheen responded with a displeased stare and sighed. She leaned closer to Taz and Fadi and said, "Tanaz, holding grudges won't help."
Taz looked at Roheen and retorted, "You're not the one to talk about that, Roheen."
Roheen looked back at Taz in confusion and replied. "What are you talking about?"
"Roheen Al Biluda, that's your full name, right?" Taz said.
"How did you know that?" Roheen replied suspiciously.
"Did you forget? I belong to the generals' fighters. Getting information about the team is one of my privileges," Taz replied.
Hilal shouted, "We arrived!"
And the carriage stopped.
Taz picked up her bag and strapped her swords, then hopped out.
She looked around and analyzed her surroundings.
Talal hopped out of the carriage and walked to Taz.
"Come with me," he whispered in a displeased tone.
They walked together and stood on the coastline.
Talal looked at Taz angrily and shouted, "Who the fuck do you think you are?!"
"Did I offend you, leader?" She asked casually.
Talal turned to her and demanded, "Explain yourself!"
Taz turned to Talal and replied, "I lost my temper."
Talal stepped closer, glared and said, "I forgave you because of your history with Fadi, but to extend your arrogance to the rest of my team, that's a thing I will not tolerate! Is that understood?"
Taz nodded slowly.
Talal walked away from Taz, then stopped and said, "People blessed with magic often think they are invincible, but keep this in mind. All it takes is one arrow to end your life." Then he walked away.
Taz sighed, stood facing the sea, and took some time to cool off.
Moments later, she sat on the beach and pondered as the team parked their carriage next to the village and went inside.
Taz curled up, rested her chin on her knees, wrapped her arms around her legs, and stared at the sea.
The gentle tide's movement and sound gave her mental clarity. But with that clarity, her dark and painful thoughts emerged, like a Jinn in dark places. The voices in her head shouted and collided. Some carried the screams of the guard she bit, some had the sounds of the men who killed her parents, and some carried the emotions of guilt.
Taz remembered that cursed day she saw her parent's bodies. As she was informed of the details of that day by her uncle, the memories returned to her. Since then, she can't sleep a single night without having nightmares about it.
She remembered what human flesh tasted like when she bit that guard's arm; it tasted salty. And how the taste of blood stuck on her tongue for days.
Taz relived the time she met with the men who killed her parents. The sight of them blooded and their screams as they suffered. It felt satisfying, almost magical.
"Murder, savagery, and torture gave you a sensation of joy. It filled a hole in your twisted heart. Each time you took a life, you felt primal, predatory and accomplished," The voice said.
Taz grunted in displeasure.
"Yet you can't escape who you are, Tanaz. You are the daughter of Al Hayja. An offspring of tragedy and a supplier of despair.
Admit it. You never felt guilt about those guards. You enjoyed the feeling of taking innocent lives. You are a calamity disguised as a human. You only live to spill blood!" The voice said.
Taz squeezed her head and whimpered, "Stop!"
"I AM YOU! you're belittling yourself by not following your urges. I have been with you since you were born, and I remember every little detail of your life.
I know how many times you have thought about slitting Fadi's throat. I know how often you have wondered how it would feel to kill that whore Noor after learning she sucked your uncle's cock! I know you frequently thought about Talal and how his nude body would feel against yours.
You are a sinner, a murderer and a defiler. That's who you are, Tanaz," the voice said.
Taz stood on her knees, pulled her dagger and held it with both hands. She shoved the blade at her gut.
Before the dagger's tip pierced her, it stopped. A force unseen to the eye prevented it from moving forward.
She kept pushing the blade, yet it won't move forward.
Determined to stop the voice, she pushed with all her might, yet the blade held on to its place, never taking an inch forward.
Taz realized her attempt was futile. She threw the dagger away, rested on her side, curled up and cried as she covered her face.
"I want it to end...." She muttered.
The tears of torment dried, and she slept on the beach's sand, powerless and exhausted, not caring what danger might lurk near her, forfeiting her survival to the bringers of eternal rest. An act of mercy for Taz. An act of kindness to those who experienced misfortune by her hands.
A couple of hours have passed. It was past the afternoon.
Fadi ran to the spot he last saw Taz. He previously looked around the village but has yet to find her.
He muttered, "Where is she!"
Fadi walked on the coastline and saw two people. All were shrouded with black cloaks and wore the same outfits.
One stood and watched over the other as the other slept on the ground.
Fadi initially grew hesitant, but he ran in their direction and hoped they might have answers.
He approached them and asked, "Have you seen a girl wearing a cloak like yours?"
The one who stood over the other turned to Fadi. It looked like Taz, but its face was ghastly and pale and had empty eye sockets surrounded by a black circle.
He quickly jumped back, pulled his sword and shouted, "What did you do to her!?"
It disappeared into black mist.
Fadi looked around hastily, but the creature vanished. He sheathed his sword and dashed toward the person who lay on the ground.
He turned the person on their back, and shock rushed through him as the person turned out to be Taz.
Fadi quickly held her in his arms and shook her. He called for her until Taz woke up.
She opened her weary eyes and looked at Fadi.
Fadi chuckled, cried in relief, hugged her and said, "You're okay!"
Taz cried and said, "Fadi…."
"It's safe, Taz," Fadi comforted.
Taz sobbed and said, "It won't go away."
"It's no longer here, Taz," Fadi comforted.
Meanwhile, inside the village leader's home.
Talal and Roheen sat with the elderly leader around a wooden table. The sunlight lighted the room as it seeped through the small windows.
"Keeping information hidden from the military is a grave crime," Talal said.
"I am not. Please believe me," The leader said timidly.
"Then I guess you wouldn't mind if we tested everyone in the village," Talal said.
The leader leaned forward and begged, "I beg of you, please don't hurt them."
Roheen placed her hands on the table and said, "The military doesn't encourage harm against our people, but if the Jinn tainted your people and animals, then we have to stop it before it escalates."
"It promised us that it won't lay its hands on the living," The leader replied anxiously.
Talal crossed his arms and said, "Jinns live on deception. Trusting one is an act of foolishness."
The leader looked behind Talal and Roheen in fear and said, "Please, don't hurt them. Those soldiers mean no harm to you."
Talal and Roheen widened their eyes and looked behind their backs; there was nothing.
They looked back at the leader and saw his terrified stare.
The room's furniture shook, and the wooden window lids flapped erratically. A loud shriek followed, similar to the scream of a man.
"I demanded the king's presence, not his soldiers," It echoed.
"The king won't bother himself with a Jinn's demands," Talal replied.
The room's furniture stopped moving, and silence roamed.
Talal looked at Roheen and said, "He is stubborn."
The village leader stood up. His eyes became blood red, a small flame rose from the corner of his eyelids, and his elderly posture became fearsome.
The leader jumped at Roheen and started attacking her. Roheen resisted by holding his arms away from herself.
Talal rushed towards her and shoved the leader away from her. Numair and Hilal stormed into the house and ran toward them. Talal tried wrestling the leader into the ground, but his rapid movements prevented it.
Numair and Hilal grabbed the leader's arms and forcefully pinned him against the wall, and Talal gripped his neck to subdue him.
Talal pulled out a flask containing holy water and opened it. Before he poured it into the leader's mouth, the leader's neck snapped, and he stopped moving.
Talal stepped back and shouted in frustration, "Fuck!"
Hilal and Numair let go of the leader's corpse, and it plummeted onto the floor.
Talal returned the chair, rotated it toward his team, sat on it and sighed in displeasure.
Hilal and Numair approached him.
"Did the elder say anything?" Numair said.
Talal looked at Numair and said, "He didn't. The jinn was observing him the whole time."
"I heard a strange voice. What was that?" Hilal asked.
Roheen stood up slowly, rubbed the back of her head and groaned.
"That was the voice of the Jinn," She replied.
Talal looked at Roheen and said, "How's your head?"
Roheen looked at her bloodied hand and said, "It's fine, only a cut."
Talal placed his flask on the table and said, "The village's situation is worse than we thought."
"The Jinn is more violent than we anticipated. It's possible it tried to enslave the villagers," Roheen said.
"What's the plan?" Numair asked Talal.
"We need to bring the whole team together first. Where's Fadi and Tanaz?" Talal said.
"Fadi went to look for Tanaz, but he has not returned," Hilal replied.
"If we go looking for them, we will waste precious time," Numair said.
"What if Fadi was harmed, Numair?" Roheen asked.
"He can protect himself. I made sure of that," Numair replied.
"What about Tanaz? She doesn't have combat experience," Roheen said.
"She lied," Talal said.
"How do you know that?" Roheen asked.
"I'll explain it later. We have other things to worry about for now," Talal replied.
Talal stood up and said, "First, never tell anyone what happened in this room, even the absent team members. Second, never tell the villagers that the jinn is confined in their village until we figure out who got tainted by it, is that understood?"
"What about the corpse?" Numair asked.
Talal looked at Roheen and said, "Men will believe the words of an injured woman." He looked back at Numair and said, "Bury the corpse or hand it over to his family. If they asked, tell them the leader was conspiring with the jinn and attacked Roheen."
Roheen looked at Talal and said in disbelief, "Are you going to use me as an excuse?"
"Yes. Any more questions?" Talal said confidently.
"No," The rest replied.
"Good, finish the first task, then we will meet later to plan our next move," Talal informed.
Meanwhile, Taz and Fadi sat next to each other on the beach.
"What happened to you in the past years, Taz?" Fadi asked.
"A lot happened," Taz replied.
"Start with the day you went missing," Fadi said.
Taz looked at him with confusion and said, "Missing? I never went missing."
"Where were you? Rashed cried after hearing what happened in your house," Fadi asked.
Taz chuckled and said, "Rashed? How is he doing these days?"
Fadi chuckled and said, "He's still living in Babilim, working as a carpenter."
"And Raghad?" Taz asked.
"A lot happened since you were gone," Fadi said.
"What happened to her?" Taz asked in concern.
"Nothing happened, except she is my wife now," Fadi replied.
Taz stood up and held her head in disbelief. She walked back and forth, then said, "Since when did you and Raghad get married!?"
Fadi stood up, laughed, then said, "Long enough to have a daughter."
Taz ran to Fadi, hugged him, congratulated him, and they laughed together.
She let go of Fadi and asked, "What's your daughter's name?"
Fadi smiled and replied, "We named her after you to honor your memory."
Taz smiled, wiped her eye with her left hand and started crying.
Fadi approached her slowly and said, "Are you crying, Taz?"
Taz wiped her tears and said, "Nooo!"
Fadi hugged her and said, "Your friends still care about you, Taz. Remember that."
Taz gasped and said, "Thank you….Fadi."
Fadi chuckled, then said, "My daughter also has a foul mood like you."
Taz chuckled and said, "Shut up....."
At sunset, inside the village's tavern.
The rest of the team gathered in a private room on the second floor. They stood around the table.
"What's next, Talal?" Numair asked.
"We let the tainted kill themselves," Talal said.
"You don't mean...." Roheen said.
"Yes, Roheen. That," Talal replied.
"Even by my standards, that's cruel," Numair said.
"If anyone has a better plan, speak now," Talal said.
"The generals won't like this solution, Talal," Hilal said.
"The generals only care about results, not the process," Talal said.
"The temple doesn't think the same, Talal," Roheen said.
"What are they going to do? Preach me to death," Talal mocked.
Hilal and Numair laughed.
"This plan is going to backfire, Talal. We need to find a better solution," Roheen said.
"What's your suggestion, Roheen?" Talal said.
"If we spill more blood in this village, that will draw Beasts and Jinns to it. We need to solve it peacefully," Roheen replied.
"Do you still believe the temple's lies? The tainted can't be cured without getting harmed, and that's for men. For women, they're doomed from the moment they get tainted," Talal said.
"What are you trying to say, Talal?" Roheen curiously replied.
"Your family was never a part of the cleansing priests, but mine was. We do it by bathing the tainted in holy water," Talal explained.
"No harm comes from a bath," Numair said casually.
"Jinn semen boils when exposed to holy water. What do you think happens when you bathe a person with it inside their body?" Talal argued.
Numair nodded as he was surprised by that information and replied, "I see…."
Talal looked at Roheen and said, "There's no peaceful solution for this village."
Roheen sighed, rubbed her neck and said, "I understand."
Talal looked at his team and said, "All in favor of letting the temple handle the villagers raise their hand."
"Before that, can you explain how we would handle it?" Hilal asked.
"We'll spread a rumor that the Jinn has already tainted some villagers and explain to them the methods of revealing one," Talal explained.
"How would we let the temple handle it?" Numair asked.
"We will focus solely on finding and trapping the jinn. After we are done, we will send word to the temple to sort out the mess," Talal replied.
Roheen crossed her arms and said, "It's either inciting a massacre or risking the tainted will escape."
The team pondered making a choice and voted for the second option, although the first one was tempting. Facing a beast was a risk none was willing to take.
In the evening time.
Fadi and Taz strolled into the village, heading for the tavern the team stayed in. Along their way, they passed the stone houses of the town.
They were small and had spaces between them. Some buildings had cracks on them, and the paths were mainly sandy.
They chatted and chuckled as they went. After a short while, they reached the tavern.
They went inside, and both had bright smiles on their faces.
But to their surprise, the rest of the team sat opposing the door and saw them in their newfound harmonic chemistry.
The team's men stared at Fadi and secretly gave him a thumbs-up in appreciation of his skill in making Taz smile.
Fadi and Taz stood before the team.
"Roheen, I would like to apologize if you'd accept," Taz said sincerely.
The men stared at Fadi in shock.
"Of course, Tanaz," Roheen replied softly.
The men stood up and stepped away.
"We will leave you two alone," Numair said.
They walked by Fadi, and as Talal passed. He grabbed Fadi's shoulder and dragged him out of the tavern.
The men stood outside the tavern and surrounded Fadi.
Talal grabbed Fadi's shoulders firmly and said, "What the fuck happened between you two!?"
Numair leaned closer to Fadi's right side and said, "Did you beat her in a fight?"
Hilal leaned closer to Fadi's left side and said, "What type of narcotics did you promise her?"
Talal leaned closer to Fadi's face and said, "What type of sorcery did you use?"
Fadi laughed, then chirped, "None. I only talked to her!"
"Lies!" They all replied.
Fadi chuckled, pointed to his medallion and said, "I swear, we only talked,"
Talal let go of Fadi.
"Married men are dangerous," Numair said, then went inside the tavern.
"After we leave this place, we're going to discuss this," Hilal said, then went inside.
"Remind me to approve your promotion when we return," Talal said, then went inside.
The team spent the rest of their night casually, chatting and drinking the night away, except for Taz. She didn't drink since her last experience was unpleasant.
At midnight the team went to sleep, each in separate rooms
Taz had a hard time going to sleep. She didn't feel safe, especially in this village, and for a reason unknown, the room was warm.
She rolled and rolled but couldn't sleep as she kept sweating. Desperate, she removed her clothes and kept her underwear on; she never liked being lightly clothed, even alone.
When her right wrist became sweaty because of her bracelet, she removed it and placed it in the drawer beside her bed.
Taz felt comfortable after taking it off and sighed in relief. She felt the room became more suitable for a good night's sleep.
Colder, but not too much or too little. It was as if the room's temperature had adjusted to feel just right.
She dozed off and slept soundly.
During her sleep, in Taz's dream.
She was in a small room with the perfect dim lighting without a light source. The windows showed the clouds as if the room floated in the sky.
The room had drawers and one large bed in the middle, enough to fit five people.
Talal rested on that bed, naked. He looked at Taz with the prettiest smile no girl could've resisted. His muscular and scarless body shined as he reclined there, fully erect.
Taz was hesitant initially, as she was still a virgin and had never felt a man's touch or romantic words, neither in reality nor in her dreams.
She crossed her arms, trying to cover her naked body, and smirked shyly.
"I have never expected this to happen...." Taz murmured.
Talal jumped off the bed, walked towards her and said softly, "It is happening, Tanaz."
"Doesn't my body or my scars scare you?" Taz asked.
Talal smiled and held her chin gently. He looked into her eyes and said, "No, they only made me fall for you."
She was charmed by his words, finding comfort in her imperfections.
Taz leaped on him as she couldn't hold arousal any longer, tripped him onto the floor and unleashed her wildest fantasies on him. As she knew well, This beautiful moment would fade away if she woke up back into her bitter reality.
As Taz awakened. She sat up and stretched her back.
Happy as she was after a wet dream, she sniffed a weird smell from her bed sheet.
She lifted it off and saw the mess.
Wet spots on the sheets and her underwear, clammy skin, and a more pungent smell. Taz didn't take long to realize she had orgasmed from a dream.
Someone knocked on the room's door and called. From the voice, Taz recognized who it was.
"Tanaz, are you awake?" Roheen called.
Taz hurried to the door, embarrassed that Roheen might see her in this messy state.
She opened the door a bit and stuck her head out.
"Did something happen, vice-leader?" Taz said in a high pitch.
Roheen was concerned with Taz's complexion and said, "No, but you haven't woken up for breakfast, and you're about to miss lunch."
"I don't feel hungry," Taz said flatly.
Roheen stared at Taz suspiciously and said, "What are you hiding?"
"Nothing!" Taz said.
Roheen leaned closer, placed her hand on the door and whispered, "Is there a man inside?"
"No!" Taz snapped.
Roheen pushed the door and said authoritatively, "Tanaz!"
Taz extended her arm, grabbed Roheen's wrist and said in frustration, "I told you I'm not hiding anything!"
Roheen looked at Taz's muscular and scarred arm in confusion and said, "Why does your arm look like that?"
"Call me when something happens!" Taz confronted her and then slammed the door shut.
Roheen exhaled sharply in displeasure and walked away. She returned to the team. They sat in their usual spot in the tavern's main hall.
She told them about what happened between her and Taz, to which Talal informed her that Taz wasn't a child to be monitored and escorted.
Roheen also told them about Taz's arm. They were all surprised except for Talal.
Who indirectly admitted to witnessing her body. When they asked about it, he reflected and brushed it off.
After lunch, the team prepared and discussed their plans in the private room.
All they needed was present except for one thing.
They could trap a Jinn with what they had, but they lacked the means to lure one in. For that, they needed a particular book only found in the capital.
It would take a week or two to arrive at the village since they only needed one page of that cursed book.
A page containing instructions for a targeted jinn summoning spell.
They went to the leader's house, used his falcons to send a letter to the capital's leadership, and waited.
While waiting, the team tended to the peacekeeping of the village and patrolled whenever there were disturbances and strange noises.
In the meantime, Taz chose solitude as her urges were becoming out of control and more robust.
She barely left her room, only going out to eat or buy extra underwear. The stained underclothing she had was burned using her lightning magic.
Taz was never a sensual girl, but those dreams she had felt natural, enjoyable and more desirable than reality. Many nights she wished for an eternal dream, a blissful one like the ones she already had. Although the mere remembrance of those dreams often pushed her to use her hands to stimulate herself to exhaustion.
She wanted to stop. She knew what she was doing was wrong, but every time she resisted, her body would tickle in the most sensitive places.
She would feel hot air gently breezing on her sweaty neck and the gentle touches and pinches on her thighs and shoulders. She would feel a force pressing on her parts and breasts.
At that point, Taz was too deep into the intoxication of lust.
She could not think nor focus and didn't even realize she had bruises as the days passed.
From the time she woke up till she slept, the only thing on her mind was to satisfy those erotic urges before she lost control over herself.
On the day the letter arrived.
Roheen walked to Taz's room and knocked, but there was no response. She called out as a courtesy, yet no response as well.
She sighed and said, "damn."
Although she was scared of Taz, she owed them her assistance when needed.
She opened the door and walked in, but Roheen quickly covered her nose as the stench of the room was foul.
She looked at Taz sleeping on her back.
Her upper body was bruised, and the sheets under her bed were soaking wet.
Roheen pulled the sheets covering Taz lower as she thought Taz was dying or severely ill.
She saw the trail of bruises from her neck to her heavily scarred abdomen ending at her toned thighs.
Many questions ran through Roheen's mind about Taz's bruises and toned figure, but upon seeing those scars, she fully realized to what extent Taz was lying about her combat experience.
Roheen shook Taz, but when she touched her. Taz was hot, almost as if she had a fever. She touched her cheek and felt her high temperature, but Taz was still in a dreamy state.
Taz moaned. Unconsciously, she grabbed her hand and started sucking on Roheen's thumb.
Roheen felt repulsed and disgusted. She quickly pulled her hand and slapped Taz awake. "Wake up, you little slut!" she disdainfully shouted.
Taz woke up and glared at Roheen. She quickly grabbed Roheen's collar and slammed her against the wall. She leaned closer and growled, "I told you not to come inside!"
Roheen tried to break Taz's hold, but she was too strong.
"You never left your room in two weeks!" She replied.
"That is none of your business!" Taz growled.
She then pushed Roheen to the door and shouted at her to get out.
Roheen stood up and shouted back, "Look at yourself! There are bruises all over your body. Whomever you've been fornicating with is mad and perverted!"
"There are no bruis….." Taz stopped talking as she looked at her body and noticed her bruises. This was a surprise for her, as she had just seen it. She looked at Roheen, concerned and said, "I never had a man in my room."
Roheen looked at her, repulsed and said, "Don't even bother explaining yourself. Get yourself ready in an hour and meet us downstairs."
After an hour.
The team sat in their usual spot and waited for Taz. She came shortly after and sat with them. Talal joked about Taz's sudden appearance, which the team chuckled about, except for Roheen and Taz.
Talal then went to notify Taz that she would accompany him in the final stage of their task, which he refused to clarify. Yet he hinted that she should bring her swords and dagger, as they'll need them.
He looked at the team and asked if everyone knew of their tasks in the final stage, to which they all replied, "Yes!"
They stood up, left the tavern and split into two.
The first team was Talal, Roheen and Taz. They went to an abandoned stone hut on the edges of the village and waited.
The second team was Fadi, Numair and Hilal. They brought the carriage closer to the hut along with their holy water.
They sprayed the hut's walls with holy water except for one, which was the back wall.
Numair placed a wooden stick that had a small cloth piece on top.
The reason was that when the jinn gets dragged in by the summoning, a gust of unnatural wind will follow, as it was an indicator of a Jinn's movement.
He then notified the first team of completing the preparations from his side.
Talal asked Taz to give him her curved sword.
"But why do you need it?" Taz asked.
"Silver repels Jinns. It will stop it from escaping through the door," Talal replied.
Taz handed her sword without its sheathe. Talal then took it and drove the blade into the sandy ground outside the door.
Their preparations were now complete.
Now the rest was left to Roheen.
She pulled out the page of the cursed book and started reciting the spell while Talal cut his palm and dripped his blood on the floor to tempt the jinn even more.
Numair saw a cloud of dust rushing towards the hut at great speed.
It swerved on its path, then slammed right into the back wall of the hut.
Fadi, Numair and Hilal quickly splashed holy water onto the wall and trapped the jinn inside.
From Inside the house.
The smell became that of rotten eggs. The temperature increased and made everyone inside sweat. The atmosphere of the room became uneasy and restless.
Talal felt the sudden change and knew that the jinn had arrived.
Roheen stuck to the plan and left, leaving only Taz and Talal inside.
The reason was that in case the jinn went wild, they were the only two who had the means to kill it.
Talal looked around and said, "I can force you to show yourself, or you can obey peacefully."
The jinn Showed itself in the image of a goat-headed human. It had a goat's legs and a man's torso and arms.
It manifested in the corner, giggled as it walked to the center of the room, pulled a chair, and sat on it facing Taz and Talal.
Its penis grew longer, yet it was flaccid. It stretched from his crotch to the floor like a disfigured snake.
It looked at Taz with a smile and said, "Does this size impress you? or do you want it to be bigger?"
Taz furrowed her eyebrows, aimed her palm at it and said, "I can cut it short since I don't fancy disfigured cocks."
Talal grabbed Taz's arm and said, "Crack the wall or the floor, and it will escape."
"Tsk. You won't let me do anything, you damned human," The Jinn said.
Talal looked at it and said, "It's my job to keep your kind in check."
The jinn laughed and said, "Is that so? Taz won't agree with your claim,"
"You should lie better if you want to piss me off," Talal said.
The jinn looked at Taz and said, "Oh, she knows what I am talking about. She couldn't get enough of it in her dreams."
Taz glared at the jinn and said, "That was you all along…."
"I have fucked every living creature on earth, both males and females, but none were as ferocious as you, Tanaz. You milked my cock like no other!" The jinn said, then it laughed.
Taz lunged at it as if she wanted to kill it, but Talal grabbed her and pulled her away; he reminded her that jinn was not to be harmed.
"Why should I let this cunt live!?" She shouted.
Talal pushed Taz to the door and commanded her to get out until he was done speaking with it.
Talal turned Back to the jinn and approached him with his hands behind his back.
"You better be useful for letting you live this long," Talal calmly said.
"Unwise of you to let her go. Now you're alone and defenseless," The Jinn said.
"Against you? Jinn might be fast, but they are also weak," Talal mocked.
The jinn leaned forward, looked at Talal and said, "If I tell you why I was imprisoned, will you set me free of this village?"
"Sure," Talal complied.
"There was a prophecy that came to light, one important and dangerous enough to stir the Jinn lords," The Jinn said.
"What does that have to do with your imprisonment?" Talal asked.
"I tried to tell your king, but the Jinns stopped me before that happened," The Jinn said.
"What's the prophecy about?" Talal asked.
"It prophesied about the birth of our king," The Jinn replied.
"Fuck off. The five great Jinn kings died in the great war," Talal said.
"The prophecy came from Sateeh Al Gas'sani," The Jinn said.
Talal glared at the jinn, sighed in distress and said flatly, "What did he say?"
"His prophecy was, 'The King shall return wielding a blue flame. He will be clad in tainted emerald armor and accompanied by a brown wolf. He will have a fearsome demon as his guard and a cheetah as his advisor.' That is the prophecy." The jinn said.
Talal approached him and said, "Can you repeat it?"
"I said….."
Talal stabbed the jinn in his heart with Taz's pickpocketed silver dagger.
The jinn shrieked, gripped Talal's wrists and said, "Damn you!! My tribe will demand blood!"
Talal leaned closer and growled, "Then the sons of aegis will welcome your kind with swords and spears!"
The jinn screamed in agony until he turned into ash, marking Its death.
Talal walked out and said, "Your kind were right to imprison you and wrong for not killing you."
On his way out, he grabbed Taz's sword and went to the carriage, where his team stood, except for Taz.
"Where is Tanaz!?" Talal asked in a panic.
"She is sitting inside the carriage and extremely angry," Hilal said.
"Everyone get in the carriage. We are leaving now!" Talal shouted.
They all hurried in, Numair took the driver seat, and Hilal sat beside him. And the carriage took off.
Hilal peaked inside and asked Talal where to go.
"Al Basra!" Talal shouted.
Roheen nervously asked Talal, "Why are we leaving suddenly!?"
"The Jinn died. Its tribe will overrun the village," Talal replied.
"Did you kill it?" Taz asked calmly.
"Yes," Talal replied.
"Good," Taz replied.
"What have you done, Talal!?" Roheen shouted in fear.
"I prevented a great war from happening!" Talal shouted.
"By starting another war!? That jinn's tribe will hunt down yours," Roheen said.
"Let them come!" Talal growled.
Fadi, in the meanwhile, was looking at the rear. He turned around and said, "They are already here!"
Talal went to the rear of the carriage's bed and saw it.
A giant sand wave was after them. Its height reached the clouds with a width covering the horizon.
"Fuck," Talal said.
He quickly went to the front of the carriage, opened the curtain, and shouted at Numair to hurry. If that sand wave caught up to them, they would die.
Taz went to see what was behind them and saw what the others did. She then looked at Fadi.
He trembled. His arms shook. His lips jittered, and his eyes were weary and anxious.
Taz grabbed Fadi's shoulder and comforted him.
"I will ensure you'll return to your home safely," Taz said.
"Don't throw your life away, Taz. I accept my death," Fadi croaked.
"For Raghad's sake, I can't let you die," Taz replied.
"How can I face her if I let you die!?" Fadi shouted.
"Trust me, Fadi. I will return," Taz said.
Taz unstrapped her broad sword and gave it to Fadi.
"Keep this sword. May it serve you well," Taz said.
Talal approached her and asked, "What will you do?"
"I'll get my vengeance, one dead Jinn isn't enough for me," Taz replied.
She removed her cloak, sheathed her dagger and grabbed her curved sword.
"Are you planning to fight the Jinn?" Talal asked.
"I plan to dominate my enemies, not live as a coward," Taz stated.
She sheathed her curved sword and jumped out of the carriage onto the sandy road.
Taz looked back as the carriage rode off and turned to face the sand wave.
She ran toward the wave, pulled out her curved sword, and coated her left arm with lightning.
Taz rushed into the wave. It was barely visible inside. The air felt thin, and the sun's light dimmed.
She then heard an animal rushing towards her.
Taz turned to it and saw an elephant with blood-red eyes, and tiny flames rose out of the corner of its eyelids. It trumpeted as it approached her.
Taz aimed her palm at it and shot its head with a thunderous lightning bolt.
The elephant went down, and Taz rushed to it. She shoved her sword deep into the elephant's skull; It turned into ash.
A swarm of snakes sneaked behind her, and they all jumped and bit her in various places on her body.
She growled, plucked a snake off her side, then bit its head off its body. Taz then coated her entire body with lightning and killed every snake that stuck its fangs on her.
She healed her injuries quickly and stopped her bleeding wounds.
Another snake showed up; it was as large as a house. It had the appearance of a king cobra and had black scales.
It lunged at Taz with its mouth wide open.
She quickly rolled to the side and evaded it. Taz then used her reinforcement magic and sliced the snake's body in half.
"You're persistent!"
Taz looked around and grunted as she did.
A hulk of an amphibian lion approached her. It carried a large sword and wore ragged cloth.
Taz glared at it and mocked, "Am I going to fight animals all the time?"
The lion swung down on Taz, and she evaded it. She shot a lightning bolt at the lion, but it quickly dematerialized and avoided it.
The lion showed up behind Taz, kicked her side, and sent her flying. Taz landed and rolled to the ground; she quickly got up and coughed blood.
She healed her internal wound and grunted, "You fight like a bitch."
The lion approached her and said, "Your arrogance is sickening, human."
The Jinns that surrounded them laughed.
Taz stood straight, held her sword, and said, "I will enjoy killing you."
She approached it slowly, but as she went, Taz heard the hissing of snakes behind her.
She coated her body in lightning again, sending a clear message to the snakes.
The lion noticed the lightning covering Taz's body and murmured, "A blessed one?"
Taz rushed toward the lion, and it swung at her. She slid underneath and grabbed its ankle.
She electrocuted the lion, and it screamed in pain.
Taz stood behind it, slashed its back, and again on its thigh. As she was about to cut its head, it vanished again.
She looked around and shouted, "Show yourself, you furry cunt!"
The lion appeared behind her. It gripped her left arm, crushed it and dislocated her shoulder.
Taz screamed and swung her sword at its arm. She cut it off, using her anger to distract her from the pain.
The lion stepped away, screaming as its blood poured from its arm.
Taz growled and said, "Your head is next."
The lion grunted, "You can't use your magic anymore."
Taz looked at It arrogantly and said, "Is that so?"
She healed her arm with her right hand and inflated it to its original shape. Her bones recovered, and her shoulder went back into place.
She shook her left arm and clenched her fist.
The lion lunged at her and drove its sword straight at her.
Taz stepped to the right, pushed her sword into its throat, and watched as the lion faded into ash.
She panted, looked around, and waited for the next jinn to show itself.
Taz heard howls of wolves and muttered, "Fuck, there's no end to them!"
A crowd of amphibian bulls marched to Taz, and the ground shook as their immense weight slammed against the floor.
Taz noticed them, lowered her posture and gritted her teeth. The veins in her face expanded more, and her face turned red.
She was ready to fight to her last breath. Although the odds were not in her favor, she won't yield to an enemy, no matter the numbers or the size.
Taz was brave but not stupid. She knew if those bulls surrounded her, her short-lived life would end.
She approached them, fearless and hungry for more as her warrior spirit thrived within the presence of death and the infliction of pain.
A calamity disguised as a human, she was.
Taz sheathed her sword as she needed to strike fast and move faster.
She coated both of her fists in lightning and ran toward them.
While running, she shot the bulls to lessen their numbers. They fell one after another and left particles of ash floating in the air.
Taz jumped on the lead bull and climbed on top of its shoulders. She grabbed its horns and plucked its head out of its place.
She threw the head on the other bull and shot it with lightning, then jumped onto the ground. As she turned back to check on the other bulls, a massive fist smashed right into her face.
She rolled back and fell to the ground. Her nose broke, and five of her frontal teeth fell.
She stood, not wavering, as blood flowed from her nose and spilled to the ground.
Taz's perception of the battlefield slowed down.
The crowds of the jinn surrounded her, and what she feared had already happened. There was no escape anymore; either fight or die.
She heard screams coming from behind the jinn. Something was attacking them from the rear.
It was the wolves she had heard earlier, the battlefield was loud, and Taz's magic and the screams and roars of the jinn attracted the hungry wolves.
These were ordinary wolves, naturally born and bred. Although wolves hunt animals, they also hunt smaller beasts and jinn.
The wolves broke through the Jinns' lines, bit and tore every jinn.
The advantage wolves had was that they could kill a Jinn without it materializing. Now, the jinn had to deal with two powerful enemies.
The Tables had turned, and now the wolves surrounded the jinn.
Some of the Jinns began to flee, as Taz had already killed their leader. Their fight was prolonged in hopes that they could kill a single human, but they never accounted for their ultimate enemy to appear.
Taz picked on the disturbance among the jinn and took her chance to retaliate, demoralizing the jinn even more.
Taz heard one of the bulls coming from behind. She turned to it and kicked its knee.
She then grabbed its horn, forced it to its knees, and bit a hole in its neck. The blood sprayed on her face as she roared her battle cry. She grabbed its eye, plucked it out, and threw it at the remaining bulls.
The bulls stepped back in fear. They knew if they continued fighting, they would lose more significant numbers than before, and with the presence of the wolves, their chances of winning were slim.
The jinn fled, the battle was lost, and they'll carry the shame of defeat as they lost to a human female and a pack of wolves.
Taz looked around as the jinn started vanishing. She thought that was another cunning trick by them.
She heard the howls of the wolves again and ran to it, as she thought they had fled there.
The howls got louder as she approached the source of the noise. The dust started thinning.
Taz stepped out of the wave and saw a pack of wolves in a circle.
The wolves looked at her. Their alpha approached and growled at Taz and tried to assert its dominance.
Taz approached it slowly and aimed at it, but as she could see clearly.
She noticed her hand was dry, the skin was torn, and her bones were visibly apparent. She realized that she had overused her reinforcement magic and consumed the fat and liquids in her body.
She needed to eat and drink before her battle rush wore off. Otherwise, her body would crumble.
Taz pulled out her flask and drank all the water inside. She then approached the wolf and shot it with lightning.
She shot again at the other wolves to make them flee, which they did.
She pulled her dagger, cut the wolf's gut, yanked the liver, and ate it raw. She then removed the heart and ate it as well. That wasn't enough; she needed more.
Taz went after the wolves like a hungry rabid dog. She growled and breathed loudly. Her face was covered in blood. It was dripping on her neck, clothes and the ground. Her eyes resembled that of a fierce wolf about to kill its prey.
She followed the footprints until she reached their lair. It was a small cave that stood above ground.
Taz found the wolves.
They stood outside, glared at her, growled and showed their fangs. The wolves had no chance to kill the battle-weakened Taz, but they stayed true to their nature and took the last stand to defend themselves and their home.
Taz glared back at them. She drooled saliva mixed with blood and licked her dry lips.
As hungry as she was, Taz was up against eight wolves. In her logic, they were enough to restore her body, but she also had to account for their attack patterns.
She imagined a line in her head; whichever wolf crossed would get shot.
Taz stepped forward to agitate the wolves, and the lead wolf approached her.
She shot him. The rest of the wolves were mad and ran toward her, and She shot them methodically.
One wolf after the other, they fell at her feet. The hungry woman opened their gut and ate their hearts and livers.
As Taz finished eating the last wolf's organs, she heard a growl inside the cave. She turned to it and saw a giant wolf, more significant than the others.
She stood up and approached it, her hunger was sated, but the extra meat was more than welcomed to fill her demanding appetite.
The wolf rushed towards Taz, jumped at her and tried to bite Taz's neck. She stepped aside and jumped on its back. She held the wolf's neck and bit its ear off.
She flipped the wolf over on its back and sat on its stomach. She pinned its head to the ground, punched its throat, and broke its windpipe.
Taz stepped away from the wolf and stood by as she watched it twist and roll on the ground as it suffocated.
A wolf cub ran toward the giant wolf from the cave's shadows.
It stood near the wolf's head and started licking it as if trying to comfort it in its distress.
Taz watched the cub and its parent. She was conflicted by the image that lay in front of her eyes. The surge of emotions flooded her.
She approached the cub slowly, extended her shaking hand and said in a brittle voice, "I am sorry little one."
The cub turned to Taz and growled at her. It was scared but didn't want to let go of its dead parent.
Taz cried and sobbed, "I am sorry."
As Taz returned to normal, so did her body. She tensed up and screamed in pain as the cost of reinforcement magic took its course.
She fell on her back, gasping, breathed rapidly, groaned, and cried again as the pain in her body was unbearable. She was at her very limit.
The cub took the opportunity while Taz was incapacitated and went to bite her neck.
The bite's pain was Taz's last straw, adding to her unhealed injuries, damaged muscles and mental fatigue. She passed out as the cub kept biting her neck.
Black mist formed beside Taz. It was the same unknown creature that Fadi had seen at the beach.
It picked the cub off Taz's neck and stared into its eyes, bringing fear and terror into the cub's heart. It hurled the cub away like a rotten apple, grabbed Taz's shirt, and dragged her into the cave.
The creature went inside and placed Taz at the cave's end, far away from prying eyes. It stood at the entrance and watched over the place until fate swayed to Taz's side.
The End