The wolf and her foe faced each other.
None moved, nor a muscle twitched.
The wolf realized her foe was cautious, so she started the duel with a bang.
Taz shoved her sword into the sand, and Rizza stared at her in awe. She kneeled and placed her fists on the floor.
Rizza knew the wolf was up to a cunning act. He lengthened the distance between them and intensified the lightning coating his body.
Taz looked at Rizza and said threateningly, "Tell me, Rizza. Have you ever experienced the power of lightning?"
Rizza growled in anger and tried to shoot Taz.
But his shot was instantly picked off by Taz's field. Rizza tried to rush at her and attack her with his sword, but when he stepped into the area, he was repelled and flew back.
He landed on his back, gasped and groaned in pain. Suddenly, he saw the lightning in the clouds begin to run rampant, and the thunder roared deafeningly.
On pure instinct, Rizza balled himself and coated himself in stronger lightning.
Not a moment after that, he was smitten by lightning from the heavens.
First strike, he endured.
Second strike, his guard was broken.
The divine force reigned supreme in the third strike over his lightning guard.
He gasped and screamed in pain. His skin gained a vine-like burn pattern from the heavenly lightning.
Taz quickly stood, grabbed her sword and rushed to him.
Rizza noticed her, bounced back on his feet and rushed to her.
Taz swung at his neck, and Rizza guarded it. He struggled to maintain his guard due to Taz's brute strength and the shock coursing through his body.
She kicked his gut to distance herself, and they both shot each other in perfect sync.
They circled each other, glared and groaned their heavy breaths.
Rizza used the opportunity to heal himself discreetly, and Taz quickly noticed his scars fading.
She subtly lifted her finger and shocked Rizza with Nasya's technique. Rizza twitched, groaned and shouted, "You fucking pest!"
"Do better, boy," Taz mocked.
Meanwhile, with the tiger.
The great Marid looked haughtily at Daghir and shouted, "You pray for my safety!? Look around you, human! One touch from these pawns, and you'll die!!"
Daghir planted his club into the sand, spread open his arms as if he were about to sing, took a deep breath, activated his sound magic and unleashed his destructive guttural hum.
The earth trembled, the sea quaked, and the buildings nearby cracked and crumbled. The creations in the vicinity fell dead: humans, animals, birds and fish.
The Marid's pawns were no exception. One by one, they fell and left only the wicked Marid and the tiger.
Daghir fell on his knees and coughed blood. A sonic attack of that grand scale was expected to harm him.
On the other hand, the Marid was yet to recover from Daghir's hum; if he had known what the tiger was capable of, he would've avoided his attack. The wicked Jinn lay atop the water and held his ears as he screamed in pain.
Daghir healed himself, stood and saw the Marid in a vulnerable state. He wanted to approach and finish him off, but that was an idiot's dream.
Because his pawns weren't wholly exterminated.
From the sea arose more pawns, one foul and lethal, called the sirens.
Daghir looked at his new foes and muttered in frustration, "Sirens, out of all things, he brought sirens!"
But that wasn't the end of the pawns.
Behind the sirens arose another creature who was believed by most to be a far-fetched myth. It was a giant sea-blue serpent. It had bright yellow eyes and shiny white fangs.
To make matters worse for the tiger. More and more nefarious Jinns gathered around.
Five Ifrits appeared over the Marid.
To his right side, he heard the devilish grunts of beasts. One was bulls like the ones Taz faced, and they came in numbers marching towards Daghir.
The others were horrendous-looking quadrupeds with the head of a lizard, the feet of eagles and the hairy bodies of monkeys.
Daghir looked around and realized the situation had become direr than it once was. Foes surround him from all directions.
The serpent hissed while wiggling its tongue. It towered over Daghir and said in a deep, terrifying voice, "Leave."
Daghir glared at the serpent.
The serpent hissed again, then said, "Leave our master, and I'll guarantee your safety in these lands."
The beasts surrounding Daghir growled.
"Blessed be those who pursue peace," The sirens sang.
One of the lizard-headed beasts growled, tilted its head side to side frantically, then said in a dry, wicked voice, "Our numbers are far greater than those you see."
A bull huffed loudly and said in a deep voice, "This is no longer a fight you can win."
Suddenly, as if it were a revelation sent from the heavens, a roaring thunder and intense lightning spewed out from the location of Taz's battle.
The pawns and beasts shifted their eyes towards it, and Daghir noticed the fear in their eyes.
He realized their bluff and laughed.
The pawns and the beasts looked back at Daghir.
Yet, the tiger kept laughing.
The lizard-headed beast tilted its head and said, "He's gone mad."
Daghir looked at them and chirped, "You're all scared! You're all scared shitless!!"
"The offer stan―." The serpent tried to say.
Daghir interjected and shouted angrily, "I'm an arrow!! There's only death or glory! Now, try your best to protect your master from the usurper that stands before him!!"
Meanwhile, with the wolf.
Amidst the clash of swords, Rizza tripped Taz and tried to plant his blade into her heart, but she rolled out of the way at the last moment and stood quickly.
Rizza panted, glared at her and asked, "You brought a sound user with you?"
Taz panted, shook her sword arm and asked, "A little hum made you scared?"
While they glared at each other, Taz noticed a blue flame trail flying towards Daghir's location.
"The sea spirit is giving him a hard time?" She thought.
Rizza noticed a blue glow off Taz's mask, then looked behind him. He saw what Taz saw.
Rizza looked at Taz and shouted, "You're targeting the spirit!?"
"Doesn't matter; both of you are targets," Taz said.
Rizza took a step towards her and said, "We're arrows! We should work together to kill that evil!!"
While in their talk, citizens of the village fled in their direction as it was the only one without immediate danger.
"You're a traitor, a coward, and worst of all, a cuck. You forfeited your life when you dealt with the spirit," Taz said.
"I made that deal for the greater good!!" Rizza snarled.
"You're delusional and a wannabe hero. You've thrown yourself into damnation to fix something that cannot be fixed," Taz said.
"It can be fixed! Only if we root out the sources of evil!" Rizza retorted.
A little girl ran towards them, and to her lousy luck, Taz was the closest to her. Taz yanked the girl and held her by the neck.
Taz gripped the girl's neck harder and said, "Good and Evil? You're so full of shit that you began to think shit tastes better."
Rizza became worried and said fearfully, "Let the girl go. She has nothing to do with our feud!"
Taz leaned closer to the girl and said, "Or what hero? Are you going to kill me? Will you become the evil you swore to destroy to save the girl's life?"
"Let her go!!" Rizza shouted.
Taz held the girl and said, "It's time for you to grow up, Rizza. There's no good and evil like our parents taught us. After all, the ones who reign supreme determine that."
She electrocuted the girl in the same manner as the ring champion and kept the lightning course through her frail and tiny body till it roasted and her eyes popped.
Rizza became furious and charged into Taz. They exchanged strikes as Rizza groaned in anger with each swing.
Their swords collided, and the two arrows were stuck in an overpowering moment. Rizza used his opening, gripped Taz's mask, and let his lightning run rampant.
Taz clenched her fist, charged it with repelling lightning and punched his gut. He was sent flying and rolled on the sand till he stopped.
Rizza gasped again, still bewildered at how Taz's lightning could break his defense. He stood up quickly, held his sword and shouted, "How are you alive!!?"
Taz approached him and snarled, "My mask is made from silver, idiot!"
Rizza made a desperate charge and swung at Taz. She swung at him with all her strength.
The master class sword proved its might.
The force of the clash was too much for Rizza's sword. It shattered like it was made from glass and left its wielder unarmed.
Taz used the opportunity and slashed open Rizza's gut; his bowels spilled out. She gripped his collar and shot the sand behind him that turned into sharp glass shards.
Taz lifted Rizza and slammed him down on the glass shards. The shards impaled Rizza from his upper back and sprung out of his chest, marking his end.
Taz tiredly sat beside him, panted and groaned. The fight drained her more than any before.
Rizza coughed blood and gasped. He looked at Taz and said, "Well fought, Wolf."
Taz chuckled, then said, "You as well, lightning expert."
"Who told you about that name?" Rizza asked.
"Daghir, the red tiger," Taz replied.
Rizza coughed again and said, "How's my little brother?"
"His heart is broken; he knows about you and Josef," Taz replied.
Rizza's tears fell.
"Take care of him for us," He said.
Taz nodded and said, "I always will."
Rizza looked at her and said, "I've heard about you a lot, but I never saw your face."
"Do you want to?" Taz asked.
Rizza nodded.
Taz took off her mask and placed it beside her. Her face had vine-like burn marks, and one of her eyes was reddened.
She looked at Rizza and smiled at him.
"You have a beautiful smile," Rizza said, then smiled.
Taz looked away shyly and giggled. She looked back at Rizza and saw his expression became blank. Alas, he departed to the afterlife.
Meanwhile, with the tiger.
Daghir sat atop the Marid's chest and pinned him with Haider's sword.
The battle was over, and Daghir emerged victorious, but wasn't without a price. The coast turned from brown to ashen. The rocks went from grey to red and black. The sea went from blue to red.
Countless creatures died from the ripples of Daghir's voice.
The battle was harsh, and the tiger gained vengeance for his brethren—but also acquired a deformity.
The tiger lost his left eye and gained a diagonal scar that started from his temple and ended right past his lip. It was given to him by the lizard-headed creature.
"You killed them, you killed all of my subjects!!" The Marid said.
Daghir pushed the tip against his throat, which burned the Jinn, then mocked, "Who dares challenge the great marid? Even a whore can make a more fearsome claim than that."
"You got lucky! If those traitors didn't help you, I would've emerged victorious!" The Marid snarled.
"We both know what happened before they came; you were lying atop the water like a bitch," He pushed the tip harder against his throat and growled, "The only reason you're not dead now is because those traitors wanted you alive!"
Haider approached Daghir and said, "The mean looks fit you, Daghir. A lion is more feared when there's proof of his battles."
Daghir looked at Haider and asked, "Why do you want this filth to remain alive!?"
Haider held up his palm and said, "Patience, tiger. This one has a history with me and my father."
Haider stood beside Daghir, looked at the Marid, smiled and said, "How the mighty have fallen."
The Marid glared at Haider and said, "Haider!!"
Haider stepped on his neck and said, "Surprised you remember me; last time we met, my father was a young man."
The Marid groaned in pain and said, "Have you come here to flaunt your victory!?"
Haider smiled, then said, "Actually, yes!" He looked at Daghir, took back his sword and said, "You can get off him."
Daghir went away to collect his club.
Haider stepped harder on the Marid's neck and asked, "Do you remember what you told my father when we tried to recruit you?"
The Marid grunted in displeasure.
Haider leaned closer and said, "Let me refresh your memory. You said you'd never bow down to a weak bloodline and a weaker kingdom." He then giggled. "Don't you just love it when the tides turn, and your impotent-minded decisions get proven wrong."
Daghir came back to Haider.
"We could start anew. I can gather more forces in the name of Kurigalzu. I admit I was wrong not to listen," The Marid pleaded.
Haider laughed.
Daghir stared at him.
Haider looked at Daghir and said, "You can kill him now. I had my fun." Then he stepped away.
Daghir didn't waste a moment and immediately crushed the head of the Marid.
Days later, nighttime at Haider's camp.
Daghir, Haider and Taz sat around the campfire as they ate and drank. However, they weren't in a cheerful mood.
They were silent and expressionless.
Haider noticed the sad mood and decided to cheer them up.
"Why the long faces?" Haider asked.
Taz looked at him and said, "I miss my home."
Daghir looked at him and said, "I regret coming on this journey."
Haider chuckled, then said, "Both of you were warned about the dangers of the peninsula."
"I know, I didn't expect to run into my old team, especially here," Daghir said.
Haider leaned forward, then said, "The moment we depart from here, we won't stop till we reach the Kingdom of Aad."
"What can you tell us about them?" Taz asked.
Haider leaned back, rubbed his chin and said, "I never met them personally, but my brother did. He told me their kingdom is nothing like we've ever seen. They have endless amounts of fruit and vegetables. In the summer, they live in lush valleys with waterfalls and forests; in the winter, they live above ground where they have palaces carved from the mountains."
"I understand the part about lush valleys, but how could they carve palaces out of mountains?" Taz asked.
"I don't know. Even my brother was amazed by that fact. It was a specialty of those people, so much so that they even carved palaces for amusement, only to leave them abandoned," Haider said.
Taz raised her eyebrows and pouted in awe.
"I wouldn't mind hiring them for that skill," Daghir said.
"Even if you offered them all the money you have, they wouldn't accept it," Haider said.
"What's the reason?" Daghir asked.
"They're wealthier," Haider said.
Daghir giggled.
"What did the late king also say about them?" Taz asked.
"A lot of things, he was an admirer of that kingdom. One of them being their physical build," Haider said.
"What about it?" Taz asked.
Haider sighed as he thought, then said, "Who's the biggest human you've ever seen?"
Taz furrowed her eyebrows and said, "The late king, Asad and you."
Haider giggled, then said, "You'd be surprised to know that we're not equal to them. My brother told me that on his first day in the kingdom, the people thought he was a dwarf."
Taz and Daghir laughed.
Haider giggled, then said, "It's true, the people of that nation are giants."
"How tall are they compared to the king?" Daghir asked.
"The shortest one is twice the size of the king," Haider said.
Daghir looked at Taz and said, "That's about six or seven meters." He looked away worriedly, then said, "Someone armed is coming here!"
"I know," Taz said.
"I know," Haider said.
They looked at each other with suspicion.
Moments later, the mysterious person came, or in this case, the Persian came. It was Bahar, the information dealer whom Taz and Daghir met.
Bahar approached them and shouted, "What have you done!!?"
Haider watched in silence.
Taz looked at Bahar and asked, "You're alive?"
Bahar glared, pointed at her and shouted, "You promised no one would get harmed!!"
Taz looked at Daghir and said, "I think he's referring to your magic."
"It was both your damn lightning and his cursed voice that killed everyone!!" Bahar snarled.
"My lightning?" Taz asked in confusion.
Bahar approached Taz and snarled, "The lightning you brought down from the sky killed the villagers near you!"
Daghir smiled at Taz and chirped, "You brought down lightning!? I'm impressed, Taz!"
Taz giggled.
Bahar stepped back, stared at Daghir in shock and awe and shouted, "How can you be insensitive!!?"
Daghir leaned back, smiled at him and said, "Look, Bahar, we honestly couldn't give two shits about what happens to your people."
Bahar gripped his hair in frustration, grunted angrily, then snarled, "We had a deal!!"
Haider looked at Bahar and said, "Your deal was about relaying your demand to the king in exchange for providing them with information about the medallion. Isn't that correct, Persian?"
"And who are you!?" Bahar growled.
Haider glared at him and said, "The supreme general of Mesopotamia's forces, Haider the fourth. I suggest you watch your tone before I make the Jinns use you as a sex slave."
Bahar became terrified.
"Do you understand?" Haider asked threateningly.
Bahar nodded fearfully.
"Good, now fuck off," Haider said.
Bahar ran away.
"Masterful social skills, supreme general," Daghir joked.
Haider and Taz giggled.
Haider looked at Taz and asked, "Did you bring down lightning?"
"I didn't bring it down; it's more like I attracted it," Taz said.
Haider furrowed his eyebrows and said, "How is that different?"
"I need natural lightning to be present to do that," Taz said.
"You didn't get my point; you manipulated the natural element. That's the essence of being a master class user," Haider said.
Daghir hummed and said, "That's true; I can manipulate natural sounds. Flame users manipulate natural fire. So, that means...."
Taz looked at them in confusion and said, "What are you both trying to say?"
Haider looked at Daghir, and Daghir looked at him. They both laughed.
Haider smiled at Taz and said, "Tanaz, you've transcended into mastery."
The End