Afternoon time, in Sakina's office.
Taz entered the office and was met by Sakina and Ariel. She stood before them and crossed her arms behind her back.
Sakina smiled, then said, "I've decided to test you today."
"Who's my prey?" Taz asked.
Sakina looked at Ariel and then chuckled. She looked back at Taz and said, "Ariel told me about your―ferocity, but I never expected you to view your targets as cattle."
"I heard rumors about the blessed ones, leader. As magic wears down their minds, they lose their humanity over time," Ariel informed.
Sakina smirked, looked into Taz's eyes and said, "Is that true, demon?"
"Anyone who wields power would lose their humanity, magic user or not. Our nature is to be corrupt," Taz replied.
Sakina smiled warmly and said, "You're an intriguing woman. Every time we talk, you impress me more." She licked her lips seductively and said, "Keep it up, and I'll have a hard time without your company."
Taz swallowed her disgust, faked a smile and said, "We're straying away from the point of our meeting, leader."
Sakina signaled Ariel.
Ariel stepped forward, handed Taz a sketch of an old man and said, "Your prey. A man named Rahim, also known as the father of the poor."
Taz glared at the sketch and asked calmly, "When do you want him dead?"
"A client paid extra to have him eliminated as soon as possible, preferably tonight or tomorrow," Ariel said.
"It will be done," Taz replied.
"Won't you require a weapon?" Ariel asked.
Taz placed the sketch in her pocket, looked at Ariel, coated her left arm with lightning, activated her reinforcement magic, and said, "What you see before you is how the red night became red. Do you think I need a measly weapon to kill an old man with his pitiful guards?"
Ariel stepped back with a frightened expression and muttered, "No…."
"You'll have that man's head on your desk today," Taz said before she walked out.
Taz left the brothel and headed onto the city's streets. She went to a place that held a dear memory for her when she used to work with Al Mutahirun.
She returned to the house they used to stay in and stood in front of it blankly. She then stood before the canal and leaned on the rails to admire the canal's view.
Soon later, Daghir walked to her in his disguise. He wore fancy robes and a white turban. He stood beside her, crossed his arms behind his back and sighed as they stared at the canal silently.
"Are we followed, Daghir?" Taz asked.
"No, I listened to your meeting with Sakina and heard what they said after you left," Daghir said.
"What did they say?" Taz asked calmly.
"They're afraid of you and want to handle you with caution. I also heard Sakina wanting to control you using erotic methods," Daghir said.
Taz chuckled, then said, "She wants to seduce me? What a naughty woman."
"Why are you back here, Tanaz?" Daghir asked.
Taz stood straight, turned to the house and said, "This home carries a fond memory."
Daghir turned to the house and asked, "About the time you spent with Al Mutahirun?"
"Yes, but also about something else. Talal, my leader at the time, wanted to know me better, to get into my life," Taz said.
"Did you allow him?" Daghir said.
"No, he wouldn't be able to handle my burden. He is a good man, but his heart isn't corrupt like us," Taz said.
"I feel you're implying something, Tanaz," Daghir said.
They turned back to the canal.
"I offer you my undying loyalty, Daghir, but it won't come easily," Taz said.
"You still don't trust me?" Daghir wondered.
"You're a vile man. What was written in your records didn't convince me at first, but the more time I spent with you. The more I felt that what was mentioned was merely a glimpse of what you're capable of," Taz said.
Daghir looked at Taz and asked, "Are you scared?"
Taz looked at Daghir and said, "The opposite―I'm curious."
Daghir smiled and asked, "How can I satisfy your inquisitiveness?"
Taz smiled and said, "The man they want me to kill. Aid me in that task, and you'll gain my fidelity."
"What do you want me to do?" Daghir asked.
"Clear a path for me and leave Rahim alive. I'll end him myself and bring my weapons before we start," Taz said.
"That's all? If you want to, I could discreetly eliminate everyone in the house," Daghir said.
"No, I need to tend to Rahim personally…." Taz said.
Later that day, at midnight.
Taz hid near an alleyway that gave a good view of the household.
Soon after, her ears rang again, and she heard Daghir's voice telling her to come through the front door.
She covered her head with a thick veil and entered the outer grounds of the mansion.
Daghir walked to her. He carried her swords over his shoulder and wore her demonic mask.
Taz looked at him and sarcastically said, "I might as well grow breasts on you and call you Tanaz."
Daghir revealed his hidden talent, perfectly mimicked Taz's voice, and said, "I am already becoming Luna-wolf."
Taz widened her eyes in shock and said, "I don't sound like that!"
Daghir laughed, then said, "Come on, Hakim is in his office."
They walked to the mansion together.
Taz looked around and asked, "Where's everyone?"
"Dead inside the house," Daghir said.
"How did that happen? I never heard a commotion or screaming," Taz wondered.
"I told you I can be discreet, and I'm known to be quick," Daghir said.
Daghir stood before the mansion door and asked, "Are you ready to witness the perfect carnage?"
Taz sniffed, looked at Daghir suspiciously and said, "No smell of blood or burns."
Daghir opened the door and said, "Go ahead, take a look for yourself."
Taz entered the mansion and walked through the corpse-filled hallways of the estate.
She ambled on, looked at the corpses individually, and saw nothing pointing to how they died. They all had one thing in common: the blood pouring out of their ears.
Taz looked at Daghir and asked, "Are you sure they are dead?"
Daghir pointed to the corpse of a young boy and said, "Touch his gut."
Taz knelt beside the boy's corpse, stroked his gut, then poked it. It felt bizarre, like it was filled with liquid.
She turned her head to Daghir and said, "There's no element of destruction magic capable of doing this; not even the Jinn have this power."
Daghir approached the stairs slowly and said, "There is―One passed on in my bloodline, one dangerous enough to be labeled the forbidden category of destruction."
Taz stood up and asked, "What cursed element is it?"
Daghir stepped on the stairs, chuckled, then said, "It's a secret…."
They went up the stairs and entered Rahim's office, then Daghir leaned the swords against the wall beside the door. They found the old man asleep on the floor.
Taz walked up to Rahim and said, "After all these years, I finally found you."
Daghir sat on the desk, crossed his arms and asked, "Do you want me to wake him up?"
Taz leaned against the door and said, "Yes, it's about time I wrap the last piece of my past."
Daghir lifted the mask off his face, grabbed a small pipe from his pouch, shot a dart on Rahim's neck, then wore it again.
Rahim jolted, shivered and gasped. He sat up, looked around the room and asked, "Who are you, people?"
"A wolf and a tiger," Taz replied.
"What do you want with me?" Rahim asked.
Taz approached him and said, "I want only a simple thing, O'father."
"If you're looking for my money, I've already given it to those in need," Rahim said.
"That's not what I want. I looked for you seeking answers," Taz said.
Daghir brought a chair, placed it against the desk and said, "Sit down, Rahim."
Rahim wobbled to the chair and sat down.
"When did you decide to give your money to the poor?" Taz asked.
"Since I was a young merchant," Rahim said.
"Not everyone deserves help, especially peasants filled with ignorance and hate," Taz said.
"It's not our place to decide who eats and who starves!" Rahim shouted.
"Feed rats long enough, and they'll infest your home. Those peasants you love rank even lower than mice," Taz said.
"What gives you the right to look down on them!?" Rahim growled.
Taz approached Rahim and said, "How about I tell a story? A story of how your Dinars caused a misfortune on an innocent family."
"At that night, unknown men attacked my family and me. I survived because I had the help of an old beast hunter, but my parents weren't so lucky and got slaughtered. What raised the question was how those men could find information about our true history and how they could afford their weapons and masks. After all, those attackers were nothing but farmers and butchers. They barely had enough to feed their families, let alone buy weapons," She said.
She crossed her arms behind her back and said, "We never found an answer for our first question, but we did find an answer for the latter. I found out later that there was a man named Rahim, the father of the poor. Had made a charity box and gave money to the poor. It turned out that those same men used your Dinars to enable them to commit their horrendous crime."
Rahim glared at Taz and said, "We both know the fault falls on those men, not me."
Taz glared back at Rahim and said, "I swore an oath to slay everyone who helped those men, and I intend to fulfill it."
She took off her shirt, displayed her scarred body to Rahim and said, "Do you know how I got these scars, Rahim?"
Rahim looked at her in shock and asked, "Why are you showing me this?"
Taz picked up her short sword and said, "Before I claim the lives of those who aided my family's demise, I offer them a fair chance to survive." She threw the sword at Rahim's feet and said, "I offer them, Faisal. With it, those men, women and children fought for their lives."
Rahim looked at the sword and said, "Faisal―The blade of the righteous."
Taz picked up her curved sword, unsheathed it and said, "Pick it up. It's time for Utu to deliver judgment on us."
Rahim picked up the short sword, unsheathed it and stood up.
Taz approached slowly as she scratched the floor with her blade.
Rahim hurried at her and struck down his sword. Taz evaded swiftly to the right, cutting off his head with a powerful upward swing.
His headless corpse gushed blood from the neck and twitched as it fell onto the floor. At the same time, his head rolled on the floor and stopped as it faced Taz.
Taz squatted before the head, looked into its eyes and said, "The sword passed its judgment, and so did Utu."
Daghir approached, and Taz stood up.
She looked at him and said, "I'm faithful to my word, Daghir." She extended her hand to him and said, "From now on till the bitter end. You have my undying loyalty."
Daghir shook her hand and said, "And you have mine―working hand in hand will make us better arrows."
Taz gave her sword to Daghir, and he collected the short sword from Rahim's corpse.
As She wore her shirt. She looked at Daghir before he left and asked, "Did you learn anything about them?"
Daghir turned to her and replied, "No, all their talks are about funds, supplies or associates."
"I'm suspicious of one woman, and I think she might be whom we're looking for," Taz said.
"Who?" Daghir wondered.
"A whore named Rana," Taz said.
"I'll keep my eye on her," Daghir said.
They both left the mansion soon after. Daghir kept Taz's swords and mask, and she went with Rahim's head in her bag.
Tomorrow, at midnight.
Daghir sat on a rooftop and scouted the brothel in hopes of finding any hints or clues about the identity of the secret spy.
To pass the time, he brought snacks with him; sunflower seeds and carrot juice.
As he waited. His eye caught two people going behind the brothel.
He focused his monoscope on them and saw a tanned woman accompanied by a man with unique features.
"Hmm―that woman looks like the one Tanaz talked about," Daghir muttered.
He then focused his magic on them and listened to their conversation.
"I'm sick of this place," Rana said.
"Patience, Blessed one. Remember, what you do here benefits Kemet greatly," The man said.
"By doing what!? Acting like a whore and handling Sakina? I want to return to the holy land, fight in the battlefields in the name of our great emperor," Rana retorted.
"You can serve the emperor in more ways than one. What you and Sakina accomplished here is unprecedented, and even the emperor has praised your efforts," The man said.
Rana smiled like a child and said, "He did? I'm truly honored and blessed."
"I'll talk to our leader and hopefully convince him to let you return home," The man said.
Rana panicked and said, "By Horus and the emperor, NO! Let me continue my work if the emperor was pleased with my servitude."
"As you wish. Do you have your reports ready?" The man asked.
Rana handed him her reports.
The man stashed them in his bag and said, "Glory to Kemet."
"Glory to the emperor," Rana replied.
The man left, and Rana stood in her place with a grin.
"The emperor is pleased with me…." She muttered, then giggled.
Meanwhile, with Daghir.
He placed his monoscope away and muttered, "Interesting…."
He quickly packed his belongings and snacks, then left to follow the man Rana talked to. He tailed him discreetly on the roofs as he wore Taz's mask.
As the man entered a dark alleyway alone. Daghir jumped down behind him silently and choked him until he passed out.
He lifted him, carried him on his shoulder and blatantly walked through the city's streets as he headed to the military base.
Though Daghir thought he would be confronted or tackled. But all who dared look at the mask fled or cowered.
"I guess the rumors about her mask are true―useful," He thought.
Even when he approached the military base, the sentries' knees gave up, yet some pulled their swords at him and said, "The demon of Baghdad is here!"
Daghir showed them his medallion and said in a commanding tone, "Open the gate! An arrow demands it!"
The guards hurried and opened the gate for him.
Daghir walked through, then stopped. He looked at them and said, "Guide me to your cellars."
The guards froze; none wanted to approach due to their crippling fear.
"NOW!" Daghir shouted at them.
A sentry tried to follow, yet his weak knees failed him, and he plummeted onto the floor.
Another sentry followed instead, but he was brighter than the one before. He approached Daghir and kept his eyes on the floor. As he passed him, he told Daghir to follow him.
The sentry led him to the cellars. It was a gloomy, well-lit basement that had spacious corridors.
They went deeper inside, and the sentry asked Daghir what he wanted to do with the man he carried.
To which, Daghir flatly told him he wanted to interrogate him.
The sentry took Daghir to an interrogation room reserved only for the Royal forces. Though compared to the arrows, their authority held no power.
They entered the room. It was squared and spacious. It was lit by magical lanterns that glowed a bright white light.
In the middle were chained handcuffs connected to two sturdy thick pillars. Behind those pillars were two tables with pain instruments placed on them.
It also had two chairs that were facing the stage of torment.
Daghir placed his captive into those restraints and sighed in relief as he got tired from carrying him around.
He sat on the chair and said, "If anyone enters this cellar, they'll die." He looked at the sentry and said, "Is that understood?"
The sentry told Daghir that he understood his command and left.
Daghir had privacy with his captive. He activated his magic, closed his eyes and listened to his surroundings.
The Kemetic prisoner's breathing was regular, and his heartbeat was slow.
He stood up, removed the mask, placed his tools and bag on the chair, turned to the captive and said, "It's time I woke him up."
Daghir held his head and struck his mouth with his knee.
The captive awakened and groaned in pain as his busted lip bled.
Daghir looked at him and asked authoritatively, "Who are you?"
The captive looked at him and said, "I'm an innocent merchant."
"Wrong answer." He grabbed his head and kneed his face again.
He looked at him and growled, "I heard your conversation with that whore! I know you're both Kemet's spies. So, speak unless you want a painful night."
The captive smiled as his mouth bled more and retorted, "Go fuck yourself, you Mesopotamian dog!"
Daghir kneeled, grabbed his wrist, glared into his eyes and said, "Have you ever heard what an arrow is capable of?"
The captive's smile faded as he realized who was the man before him.
Daghir smiled wickedly, activated the flame in his hand and burned the captive's wrist slowly as if he was cooking it.
The captive shrieked and shook his arm rapidly as he yelled at Daghir to stop. His skin melted, and his flesh darkened as it reeked.
"How many spies are in this city!!?" Daghir shouted.
"Fuck you!" The captive shouted.
Daghir let go of his wrist, stood up and said, "Wrong answer." Then he kneed his face again.
Daghir pulled out his dagger and tore off the captive's shirt.
He scraped the dagger's tip along his back and cut three vertical lines from his shoulders to his lower back. As the captive winced and gasped.
Daghir went to his bag and grabbed a small bottle containing the essence of lemon mixed with a weak acid.
He turned to the captive and said, "I'd advise you to talk before I pour this liquid on your back."
"Pain cannot break me!!" The captive said.
Daghir chuckled, then approached him and poured the bottle on his back. He sat down on the chair and watched as the effects took hold.
The captive struggled and glared at Daghir. He groaned in pain and let out short growls.
Daghir noticed that the captive might have a higher pain tolerance than expected. Usually, at this point, people would scream or faint. Some may even soil themselves.
Daghir stood up and said, "It seems traditional torture won't work on you."
The captive glared at him as he twitched.
Daghir smiled and said, "A young wolf once tortured a man so badly. He became its faithful slave. Do you know how it managed to do that?"
"You can stuff that Mesopotamian folklore in your ass," The captive said.
Daghir approached him and said, "This is no folklore." He knelt, looked into his eyes and said, "That man became a faithful slave and turned against his people only after the wolf robbed him of his manhood."
The captive widened his eyes, and his neck and face twitched.
Daghir gripped his jaw and said, "Isn't it funny? You cut off a man's arms and legs, and he won't break but rob him of his manhood, and everything falls apart."
The captive resisted harder than before. He shook, wriggled and pulled his cuffed hands as hard as he could, not even caring he might tear off his hands.
Daghir stood up and walked to his bag as he laughed manically. He quickly removed his shirt and pants and brought a bottle of olive oil as a lubricant.
He turned to the captive, naked as the day his mother gave birth to him. With a wicked grin, he said, "It's been a long time since I fucked someone."
His cock became erect and twitched. He poured and rubbed the oil on his shaft and tip as he said, "I've long awaited a sweet release."
He threw the bottle away and went behind the captive. As he grabbed his waist, the captive shouted fearfully that he would talk. He would tell him everything he needed to know.
To which Daghir replied that he didn't care about the information anymore. He only wanted to feel his bottom's warmth around his cock.
By his waist, Daghir lifted him and shoved his entire length in him in one forceful slam.
The captive screamed in agony, his legs went numb, and the stabbing pain spread across his body.
Daghir bit his lower lip, gripped his waist harder and pounded him as if the captive was a lascivious woman.
The act of degeneracy continued for two hours and by the end of it. The captive passed out from the torment, and Daghir emptied his sacks into his insides.
He pulled out, released the captive and threw him down like a used towel.
He sat on his chair, crossed his legs, lit a pipe, smoked it and smiled as he enjoyed what had happened and longed for him to wake up to redo him once again.
The End