At midnight, three days later.
Taz and Daghir sat at the coast while posing as siblings. They wore casual local clothing and spent their days at the beach. Though there wasn't much to do as siblings near a coast, the only thing they could do was fish, which they were both horrible at.
The mere act of fishing made them almost invisible to everyone, which was perfect for them, yet horrible as it meant no frequent meals. Also, it was terrible as they had to endure condescending stares from the locals for their incompetence.
Though some locals were generous enough to hand them a small fish, that fish would taste horrible as the donators would always give them a smug stare as if they were gracing dirty plebs.
Alas, at the current moment of midnight. The pair had decided to make a move on the warded house. They took so long before raiding the place simply because they lacked information.
The raid was simple. In the end, they were two mighty arrows. Raiding a house to kill one man wasn't difficult for them, but that wasn't the case.
The man they were hunting was a lightning user.
Out of the three, only Taz stood a chance against him. Even with that in mind, if Taz was caught off guard and got shot. That'd mean instant death.
Lightning was the most lethal out of the four elements of destruction magic. It was unstoppable, undefendable and unavoidable. Indeed, there were methods people used to try to resist such a destructive element.
The rich use a full armor made of silver, but barely any can endure the burden of wearing one.
The poor try to close the distance to force the user to rely on his strength more than magic.
The smart and devilish ones did what most hadn't thought of. They burned every book concerning the use of lightning magic, then waited out the devastating results, simple and effective.
That result was a dramatic decrease in lightning users and decimating the hopes of anyone who wanted to become one.
On the coast, the pair twiddled their fingers while pondering a plan. A man stepped out of the house they were watching.
Daghir poked Taz's shoulder and said, "Look, someone came out."
Taz looked at the house and asked, "Is that Rizza?"
Daghir used a mini monoscope to see, then hummed and said, "That's weird."
"What?" Taz wondered.
"That's not Rizza, but he wears Mesopotamian clothing," Daghir said.
"Do you think he changed his appearance?" Taz asked.
"Possible," Daghir said, then stood. He looked at Taz and said, "Wait for my call; I'll go capture him."
Daghir hurried to the house while crossing indirectly to the left. Once he reached the alleyway entrance of where the man went into. He activated his magic and listened.
There were a few noises to be heard, two of them being a man whistling harmonically and urinating; prime time to pounce.
Daghir went into the alleyway and saw his victim facing a wall. He snuck behind him, activated his sound magic, then whistled.
The victim fell like many others.
Daghir stood over him, looked into his eyes and said, "There's no chance he's him." Yet, the victim in question was not ordinary by any means possible.
So, Daghir dragged him along and called to Taz with his magic. Taz hurried to the house and approached Daghir.
She looked at them and asked, "Is anyone inside the house?"
Daghir looked at her and said, "No, I don't hear anything."
"Are you sure!?" Taz asked assertively. If the culprit were inside, she'd die.
Daghir grunted and said, "I can hear bowels and blood flow! Do you think I'd miss the sound of breathing!?"
Taz groaned, then walked to the house's door. She activated a new technique that acted as a hidden shield from lightning attacks and forcefully entered; her protection works similarly to her hidden field but is compacted to her physical size.
She looked around and was surprised at what she saw.
The house looked more like a tactical hideout. The walls were full of maps, routes drawn and papers.
Daghir entered, dragging the man with him, then he stopped and asked, "What the fuck is this?"
Taz looked at him and said, "I have the same thought; it's unexpected."
Daghir placed the man in the middle of the room, approached the maps and inspected them. Taz crossed her arms, came to the papers and began reading them.
Daghir looked at Taz and asked, "These are trade routes, but why would Rizza be interested in them?"
Taz plucked a paper from the wall, handed it to Daghir and said, "Because he fell, Rizza is working as a highwayman."
Daghir read the paper, sighed in distress and groaned, "By the gods, Rizza."
Taz looked at the man and said, "I guess this one might be his lackey or slave."
Daghir crumpled the paper, threw it aside and said, "It makes no sense. Why would someone as capable as him choose to become a criminal?"
Taz leaned against the wall and said, "I have a theory, but I'm unsure if it would make sense."
"Let's hear it," Daghir said.
"If by a slim chance Rizza is simply an evil man, being an arrow wouldn't hinder him from committing atrocities," Taz said.
Daghir nodded.
"And if Rizza needs Dinars, being an arrow would be the best choice," Taz said.
Daghir nodded.
"So, what if Rizza was being forced into becoming a criminal? We must keep in mind this village is infested with witches and Jinns; maybe someone or something placed a curse on him," Taz said.
"It can't be possible. The medallion would've protected him," Daghir said.
Taz stared doubtfully at Daghir.
Daghir furrowed his eyebrows and asked in frustration, "What? Are you suggesting he was tricked?"
"No sane man would downgrade on purpose," Taz said.
Daghir groaned. He looked at the man and kicked him hard. He stood over him and said, "I know you're awake, idiot!!"
The man winced, then said, "What do you want with me!?"
Daghir pointed at Taz and said, "Is what she's saying true?"
"I don't know," The man said while holding his stomach.
Daghir noticed that strange gesture, went inside, brought a cup of water, whispered a recitation, and blew on it. He splashed the water on the man and waited.
The tiger's sharp instincts were correct.
The man turned out to be a woman who placed an illusion on herself. The woman had long black hair and a sandy brown skin tone.
The woman glared at Daghir and growled, "Are you glad you put your hands on a woman!?"
Out of all the things she could've said, she said the one thing that made Daghir lose his temper.
He picked her up, pinned her against the wall, and hammered her with furious punches. He lifted her and slammed her down on the table; she broke through it.
Taz crossed her arms and said, "Congratulations, dumbass, you killed her."
"She's alive," Daghir groaned.
"Barely," Taz said condescendingly.
Daghir stepped on the woman's chest and growled, "Where's Rizza?"
The woman whimpered, then said, "Don't step on my stomach..."
Taz looked at Daghir in confusion and said, "What does she mean by that?"
"She's pregnant; that's why she's protecting her gut," Daghir said.
The woman looked at Daghir pleadingly and said, "If you know, then spare me."
Daghir stepped on her harder, then growled, "Where's Rizza!?"
The woman cried.
Daghir leaned closer and said, "Listen, bitch! If you don't tell me, you will die, your child will die, and your dear Rizza will come home to find his woman and child slaughtered like cattle."
The woman sobbed, then said brokenly, "He'll return in the morning."
Daghir stepped away.
Taz approached and asked, "Why did Rizza betray the order?"
"He asked the sea spirit to grant him a wish," The woman said.
"What was that wish?" Daghir asked.
"He asked for insight, to see what's within people's hearts. He thought it would help him become a better man, to be a beacon of hope for those too afraid to confess their miseries," The woman said.
"Knowing the Jinn, I assume everything went to shit quickly," Taz commented.
"At first, everything was great. After he hunted the information sellers, he took the money from their ship and gave it to those in need without them humiliating themselves by begging. I admired that about him; he was courteous, well-spoken and caring. It made me fall for him," The woman said.
"After we married, he began to change for the worse. The wickedness of the people's hearts became apparent, and he saw their darkest secrets. It drove him mad. What was once an instrument to bring out people's wishes was now an instrument to peer into the rottenness that lay dormant within the hearts," The woman informed.
"Haven't he tried to break the curse?" Daghir asked.
"He returned to the sea spirit and begged it to return the wish, but the spirit refused, saying it won't be done for free," The woman said.
"The spirit demanded three payments to take back the wish. The first payment was by blood, the blood of his ally, Josef," The woman said.
Taz looked at Daghir and noticed the sorrow in his expression and the overly wet eyes.
"The second payment was by purity, the..." the woman sobbed.
"Speak, woman," Taz said.
The woman wiped her tears and said, "The spirit demanded that Rizza cover himself with his excrement and watch as the spirit took my virginity and impregnated me."
Taz's face clenched in disgust.
"The final payment was by gold; the spirit demanded a horse's weight of gold," The woman said.
Both realized why Rizza worked as a highwayman and knew how broken he became.
Daghir left without saying a word.
Taz approached the woman and said, "Close your eyes."
"You promised you wouldn't kill me!" The woman said.
Taz kneeled and said, "Your child is cursed. It will bring ruin to this village. Once you give birth to him and the villagers see the baby's wicked form, they will burn you both."
"I'll run away!! Go far as I can go," The woman pleaded.
"Then what? Assuming a pregnant lonely woman crosses these harsh lands, the Jinn will hunt you down to claim their kin once the baby is born," Taz said.
The woman cried.
"Do yourself a favor and die," Taz said.
The woman sobbed, then said, "Is there no way for my child to live peacefully?"
"No," Taz said.
Taz touched the woman's heart and said softly, "Close your eyes."
The woman closed her eyes and sobbed.
Taz took a deep breath, charged the lightning in her arm and shot it like a pulse. The woman's body clinched and stiffened, then died painlessly as her heart stopped.
Taz stood up, pulled out her sword and shoved it into the woman's womb, eliminating all chances for the baby's survival.
She left the house and saw Daghir sitting beside the door, his eyes pouring. She closed the house's door and sat beside Daghir in silence.
"They didn't deserve this fate," Daghir brokenly said.
Taz looked at Daghir and said, "You never told me about your relationship with Josef."
Daghir wiped his tears, sniffed and said, "Do you know how old I was when I joined the arrows?"
Taz shook her head.
Daghir cleared his throat and said, "I was fourteen years old. I got accepted at a young age because I excelled at combat and mastering magic. On my first day as an arrow, no one wanted to be paired with me for many reasons, so I spent my first month alone without being able to take on missions. But things soon changed when I met Josef and Rizza. They were great men, the best. They broke the law of pairing for my sake after begging Qutaibah to let me be their third. They took me in, mentored me about everything I know and treated me as their brother."
He looked at Taz and said, "After two years of working together, they had to let me go because the royal overseer got wind of us. Saying that day was the worst day of my life was an understatement because I never found suitable partners after that."
Taz poked Daghir's knee, smiled, and said, "You have me now."
Daghir chuckled, then said, "Do my fond memories a favor, Taz. Put Rizza out of his misery."
Taz nodded and said, "I will. What will you do now?"
Daghir stood up, looked at Taz and said, "I'm going to kill the sea spirit." Then left.
Taz returned to the house, grabbed a paper and wrote on it the following.
"If you want revenge for your fallen, meet me outside the village to the west at night.
-The wolf."
She placed the letter on the woman's chest and left.
Morning time, at the same house.
Rizza returned from his criminal duties and approached his house.
He was a handsome man with a fit stature and broad shoulders. His hair was long, black and shiny and wrapped in a ponytail. His beard was short and trimmed. His skin tone was light-brown, and he had a healthy complexion.
He wore a white shirt and pants turning brown from the dirt. He had a long sword strapped on his back.
Rizza grabbed the door handle, sighed in sadness and muttered, "When will this torment end?"
He opened the door and saw the corpse of his wife. He stared at it in awe and shock. His knees began jerking and weakening. He took one step towards her and fell on his knees. He covered his face and shouted in agony as his eyes poured never-ending tears.
Nighttime.
Rizza finished burying his wife and gave her a short prayer as he held his hands together. He stood up, picked up his weapons and discharged his lightning to prepare.
After all, his opponent was the wolf. Mysterious as the warrior was to him, he never heard of the wolf's defeat. The wolf for Rizza was the ultimate challenger. He knew there was a slim chance of him surviving the encounter.
A warrior wielding thorns for swords and frightening foes with the face of a demon. A warrior with an unmatched pace of progression and unequaled in ruthlessness. A force of carnage and an arrow of oppression.
That was the wolf Rizza knew.
Before Rizza left his wife's grave, he pulled out a pouch and brought a drug. One that he saved for utmost desperation when facing death.
The drug was in a vial. Rizza opened it and drank it all.
He held his heart as the drug kicked in, growled and gasped. He shortly felt the effects taking their course. The man felt like a beast; he clenched his fists and shouted at the sky. He ran to the meeting spot through the village.
On his way, he spotted a man taking a stroll in the night.
To everyone's eyes, the scene would appear normal.
To Rizza's eyes, the man he saw had leaches towering over him. Each was whispering a sin he committed.
One leach twirled and whispered demonically, "Lust."
Another leach twirled and whispered demonically, "Greed."
Another leach twirled and whispered demonically, "Gluttony."
With those whispers, the foul scent of each sin reeked. So nasty that even the dirt the man stood on became rotten.
Rizza clutched his head and groaned. He blocked his nostrils and panted.
The man approached and asked, "Rizza? Is everything okay?" The whispers became louder, and the foul scent became more robust.
Rizza glared at the man and shouted, "GO AWAY!!"
By divine blessings, the man heeded Rizza's order and fled. If only that man knew he was seconds away from death.
Rizza rushed to the meeting spot once again and avoided the main streets. He reached his destination, looked around and found no one.
Soon, he heard lightning sparks, and the wolf appeared from the shadows.
Rizza glared at the wolf and was surprised at what he saw.
There were no leeches.
There were no scents.
As the wolf approached him. He became able to see what hid under the wolf's skin. It was something far worse than anything he had ever seen.
Behind the wolf were two beings.
One was a blue royal Jinn with horns of fire. Big as the mountains and broad. The royal Jinn growled demonically, then roared, and flames spewed out of his mouth.
The other was a black wolf as big as the Jinn next to him. Its eyes were fierce and engulfed in intense flames. Its fangs were as long as two men stood atop each other, and its mouth drooled a river from hunger. The wolf growled, then howled louder than thunder.
Rizza tried peering into the wolf's sins; the ability he gained was a curse he never wanted, but this time. Only this time, he wanted to use it.
What sin did the wolf carry?
A leech crawled on the floor like a snake, and the wolf's sin was shown, and it was wrath.
Rizza pulled out his sword and muttered, "Such a calamity."
The wolf pulled out her sword and coated herself in lightning. Rizza responded by doing the same.
Meanwhile, with the tiger.
Daghir sat before the coast and glared fiercely at the sea.
Soon, hordes of the one-legged, one-armed, one-eyed, pale-skinned creatures walked out of the water, known by many as the Nes-Nas.
Behind them arose a giant blue Jinn, much like the Jinns that served the late king and Haider, but this one was much more sinister and powerful. He floated in the air and held a large, golden staff.
The mighty Jinn looked at Daghir, laughed in arrogance, raised his hands and shouted, "Who dares to challenge the mighty Marid!?"
Daghir stood, glared at him, gripped his club's handle firmly, activated his reinforcement magic and said threateningly, "May the gods protect you, son of fire, because my wrath is the mistress of death, unstoppable and inescapable."
Two great battles were about to happen near the village. One that would bring ruin and destruction. One that might destroy the town from its scale.
The clouds gathered, the birds awoken and fled, the animals ran to the mountains, the fish hurried into the ocean's depth, and the ants left their colonies and departed. For what was about to happen was a calamity.
The calamity of the tiger's and the wolf's wrath.
The End