At noon, near the kingdom's borders.
On the sandy fields among rough, dark mountains. The sky was clear, and the sun was scorching.
The trio arrived at their destination, but there was one issue.
It was hot, very hot.
The weather in Mesopotamia had its fair share of hot summers, but the further south they went in the peninsula, the hotter it became.
So much so that Taz broke her sacred rule of not clothing lightly in public, she wore flappy shorts that reached her thigh and left only her bra as her top clothing.
Daghir left only his shorts and roamed bare-chested.
Haider, on the other hand, never took off his robes. Due to them being specially made for this climate, they had air accessibility.
"The road to this kingdom is horrible; I hope it's worth it," Daghir said.
Taz looked at him and said, "It's not bad if you don't mind sandstorms, scorching heat and a flying beast."
Haider giggled, then said, "That beast was a surprise for all of us."
Daghir looked at Haider and said, "It's not just a surprise. It's not supposed to be in these lands."
Haider sighed softly, then said, "That's true. I wonder what drove it out from its home."
"If Nasya was here. She could've explained why," Taz said.
Haider smiled at Taz and said, "You'd be surprised to know she's not far away. Her home is southwest of here."
Taz looked at Haider and asked, "How far away is she?"
"A week or two on horses," Haider said.
Taz groaned, then said, "She's not worth the trouble. I'd rather return to Mesopotamia as soon as I can."
While they were trotting, suddenly, they noticed the ground changed dramatically. The side they were on was sandy; the other side they entered was lush green.
Not long after, the scents of nature slipped into their noses. One was the smell of wet, fertile dirt.
There were sounds of moving grass and branches. Birds and insects.
Taz looked around and asked, "How's this possible?"
"Life flourishes when there's a rich water source, but never mind. We're here," Haider said.
Soon, they arrived at a grand gate with walls reaching the sky. It quickly put the great walls of Babilim to shame.
Though Taz and Daghir were immensely shocked by its exquisite beauty, Haider quickly shut down their joy by telling them this was not their destination for the current season.
The city behind the Great Wall was the winter residence of that nation. But not to make them despair, he told them that the summer residence was nearby.
By the tales of the late king, it was much more.
They trotted to the gate of the summer residence. It was enormous, and its threshold was as tall as a wall.
The gate itself was on a mountainside with idols standing by it.
Taz looked at the idols and noticed they were unknown to her. She looked at Haider and asked, "Are those decoration idols?"
"No, they're their deities," Haider replied.
"How many gods do they worship?" Daghir asked.
"Three, but I never knew their names," Haider replied.
Haider looked around for a bit and noticed there was no one nearby. It was strange since he sent a message to the king before their initial departure.
Haider jumped off his horse, looked at Daghir and said, "Give me your club."
Daghir held his club and said, "Careful, it's heavy." Then threw the club to Haider.
Haider approached the gate before he could strike it. The sounds of heavy footsteps were heard.
He didn't know what to expect, so he retreated—and returned Daghir's weapon.
The heavy lock cranked, and the door opened.
From the gate, a giant figure appeared. It was a woman with brilliant features and a brown skin tone. She wore fancy clothing and a head veil.
The woman smiled at them and said, "Welcome! I assume you're our guests!"
Haider frowned. He didn't like that a mere giant woman was the one to welcome him.
"What's the meaning of this!?" Haider asked angrily.
The woman crossed her hands and said, "I don't understand, General Haider."
"Is this how King A'ser welcomes his guests? By sending women!" Haider growled.
"You're our guests, but this is not a formal visit," The woman said.
"Not only are you disrespectful, but you and A'ser don't know this is considered a formal visit by the standards of all nations," Haider snarled.
"A formal visit requires you to bring a proper escort," She looked at Daghir and Taz, then said, "But all you brought was two ill-fed little ones."
Taz sighed, then muttered, "This fucking bitch!"
Haider glared at her and growled, "You want numbers? Fine!!" He looked back and shouted, "All soldiers! Show yourselves!!"
Taz and Daghir looked back as well.
Suddenly, out of thin air. Legions of Blue Jinns, Ifrits and towering brutes appeared.
The woman stepped back and glanced at the hordes of Jinn in fear.
Haider looked at her and shouted, "Go back there! And tell your masters to welcome us formally!!"
The woman ran inside.
Taz looked at Daghir and asked, "Since when did he bring a legion with us?"
Daghir looked at her and said, "Do you honestly think a man of his position would travel unguarded?"
A team of blue Jinns approached them; their leader stepped forward and said, "You can leave the horses with us."
Taz looked at him and said, "I don't think Jinns know how to handle horses."
"Who cared for them while you two went on that adventure? It's certainly not general Haider," The Jinn said.
Daghir sighed, jumped off his horse and said, "We'll leave them in your care."
Taz jumped off and handed her horse to him.
Soon, a minister arrived. He had a long, black beard and braided hair. He wore dark, fancy garments and a head scarf.
The minister smiled and said, "General Haider! I'm glad you arrived safely."
Haider glared at him and said, "I expected better, minister."
"Apologies, we're not blessed with observing an unseen army," The minister said.
"With an army or not, I'm still the supreme general of Mesopotamia's forces and a representative of the kingdom," Haider said.
The minister kept his fake smile while he sighed.
"Where's the king?" Haider asked.
"He's in the court, awaiting your arrival," The minister said.
They climbed atop the back of the Jinn soldiers and entered the gate.
At first, they strolled through a vast corridor with statues of deities on both sides. Even though they didn't see the underground city, they could smell the fresh water, trees and nature. They heard the sounds of the waterfall, animals, people and wind.
Haider looked at them and said, "You two should wear your clothes; caves tend to be cold."
The minister stopped, looked at Taz and Daghir and said, "The general is correct. I'll wait for you to clothe yourselves."
Taz and Daghir went to the side and started wearing their clothes. Daghir leaned closer to Taz and whispered, "Wear your mask; those people underestimate us. We cannot show weakness."
"I understand," Taz whispered.
After they wore their clothes, Taz pulled out her mask and wore it.
They approached the minister, and Daghir said, "We're ready to go."
The minister looked at Taz and freaked. He gasped and said, "By the gods! What a foul mask."
They kept walking towards the entrance and reached the inner gate. They saw giant soldiers lined up from the gate to the city path.
The city was bustling and full of people. Well, giants, to be accurate.
The city was colorful, and the buildings were ridiculously larger than even the most significant buildings in Babilim. One floor of those buildings equaled two in comparison to Babilim's structures.
Behind the city was a sizeable royal palace, which had a waterfall to its left and a massive tree to its right.
It was indeed an underground paradise.
The trio walked amongst the line of soldiers, and the minister was leading them. On their way, Taz noticed that most soldiers looked at her anxiously.
"As they should," She thought.
Now, they were in the city's path. And instead of soldiers lining their sides, it was the people. The men, women and children glanced at Taz and Daghir, then started whispering among themselves.
Daghir approached Taz, leaned closer and whispered, "Do you think they'll give me a wife?"
Taz held her laughter, leaned closer to Daghir and said, "Didn't know you have a giantess fetish."
Daghir held his laughter and said, "That was a good joke, but seriously, think of the seed I'll produce. They'll be beasts."
"How can you satisfy those women? I don't think the sizes are compatible," Taz said.
Daghir leaned away and said, "That's a good point."
Haider looked at them and asked, "What are you two whispering about?"
Taz looked at him and said, "We were talking about the architecture."
Haider looked around and said, "It's marvelous, right?"
"It is indeed," Daghir replied.
They arrived at the grand royal palace. Yet again, Taz couldn't process how big everything was. The walls, the buildings, the people.
It was maddening. Even the minister who guided them to the palace was so tall that Haider's head only reached right past the minister's knee. And Haider was considered the tallest man she met.
On the other hand, Taz was more concerned not to get stomped by accident like some mere bug.
The towering gates opened, and they went inside. They entered a royal court of the Adites and saw King A'ser and his ministers.
King A'ser wore dark, fancy robes and a crown of gold that had precious stones in it. He held a staff made from gold and had a diamond orb atop it. His throne was made from gold and decorated with more diamonds and precious stones.
However, you looked at him, the man reeked of wealth and power.
The king smiled at Haider and said, "Welcome, my brethren in Sam."
Haider smiled at him and said, "Thank you for the hospitality, King A'ser. Overlooking how I was welcomed."
A'ser waved his hand and said, "Nonsense, General! That woman who welcomed you was a gift. Or do you Mesopotamians don't like our gifts now?"
Daghir leaned closer to Taz and whispered, "See! They do hand women."
"The size difference wouldn't work!" Taz whispered.
Haider crossed his arms behind his back and said, "You're referring to a gift given seven generations ago. At that time, we were bigger."
Taz leaned closer to Daghir and whispered, "I told you! Sizes matter."
A'ser sighed, then said, "The further we go from the forefather, the more we shrunk." He stroked his beard and asked, "How's Kurigalzu these days?"
"He passed away. There's a new king now," Haider said.
"Which nation is he planning to conquer?" A'ser asked.
"Not yours," Haider said.
A'ser laughed, then said, "Already? I like this new king of yours. What's his name?"
"Nimrod the second," Haider replied.
A'ser frowned. He didn't like what he heard. He stood, struck the floor with his cane and asked, "What's the meaning of this, general!?"
Haider crossed his arms and said, "The selection of our kings is of no concern to you."
"You appointed the seed of evil to rule Mesopotamia! Do you not remember what the first king of that name did?" A'ser said.
"What the king demands, we obey. Even if it meant conquering the entire world," Haider said.
A'ser sat down and held his head in fear.
"Since you're in a foul mood, you could conclude our meeting by giving us what we came for," Haider said.
A'ser signaled his servant and said, "Go to your quarters. Our scribes will need three days to finish the diagram."
The king's servant escorted them to a room that would've been easily mistaken for a grand hall. It was neatly decorated; the walls were light-brown, and the ceiling was sky-high.
Yet, everything was normal-sized—the tables, drawers, seats and more.
The servant stood by the door and said, "If you need anything else, just ask."
Haider looked at him and said, "Bring us food, plenty of it."
The servant nodded and left.
Taz and Daghir approached Haider. Daghir crossed his hands and said, "How were they able to do it?"
Haider looked at him in confusion and asked, "Do what?"
Daghir pointed at the court's direction and said, "Breeding with those giant women!"
Taz laughed.
Haider giggled, then asked, "Do you have a giantess fetish?"
Daghir grabbed Taz's shoulder and said, "Like I told her. My goals aren't lecherous. They're for the sake of producing a strong bloodline."
Haider walked past him and said, "Forget it, tiger."
Daghir turned to him and said, "Your family used that to their advantage! Why can't mine use it?"
Haider stopped, turned to Daghir and said, "Simply, you're too small to accomplish your fantasy."
"I told you, Daghir!" Taz said.
"There must be a way to enhance my bloodline," Daghir said.
Haider approached Daghir and said, "If you want a starting point, tell your family to stop wedding every man or woman with a spark of magic."
"I feel you're offending the both of us," Taz said.
Haider looked at Taz and said, "Not at all. The House of Namer is famous for gathering magic users under the banner of marriage. Didn't you think it's weirdly convenient that they have the highest number of magic users?"
Daghir smirked at him and said, "You're merely jealous because the royal family comes second in that regard."
Haider smirked at him and said, "This is why we refused to wed you a princess. You and your house never cared about preserving your bloodline but merely looking for a way to upgrade whenever possible." He walked away, stopped, looked at Taz wickedly and said, "In the meantime, why don't you ask your partner why he has over fifteen children." Then left.
Taz looked at Daghir suspiciously and said, "I always wondered about that. Even if you were a debauchee, there're pregnancy preventers."
Daghir looked at Taz and said, "I can afford to have many children."
"You're full of shit. I know plenty of wealthy people, and they never had more than five children," Taz said.
Daghir went to a couch, sat down, crossed his legs, smirked and said, "What can I say, Taz? I'm a stud, and my women are fertile."
Taz approached Daghir, sat on a couch beside him, then crossed her legs and said, "Lies and lies. You know, I grew up with every societal class you can think of."
"I didn't lie," Daghir said.
"I know, you're deflecting," Taz said.
"Then you should know what I'm hinting about as a magic user," Daghir said.
Taz furrowed her eyebrows in confusion.
Daghir became shocked. He leaned forward and said, "Are you telling me you have never taken that damned plant to awaken your magic?"
Taz shook her head and said, "No, I awakened differently."
Daghir looked at her in confusion and asked, "How!?"
"Severe trauma," Taz replied.
Daghir paused to process what she said. It was undoubtedly eye-opening information to know that magic awakens in different ways.
"What's this plant you're talking about?" Taz asked.
"It's a damned plant alchemists grow in their labs, one foreign to these lands. Eating one of those will make you stand on the verge of death and torment you with hellish pain," Daghir said.
"I assume not everyone who tasted it survives," Taz said.
"Well, surviving is one thing. Taking it only to find out you don't have the gift of magic is another," Daghir said.
Taz leaned back, crossed her arms, and said, "I see. That's why your family made you a breeding bull. Every one of your children will eat that plant soon," Taz said.
Daghir pointed at her and said, "Our family, don't forget who your husband is."
"Daghir, I'm surprised you're still sane," Taz said in concern.
Daghir furrowed his eyebrows and said condescendingly, "Says you."
The next day, at Taz's farm, in the late morning.
Five men marched towards Taz's farm.
They were a part of the newly formed force that Ahmad and Talal founded, called the judges of Utu.
The judges were the only force with equal authority to the arrows, like their counterparts; stopping them from carrying out their duties was punishable by execution.
Also, they have something the arrows don't have. By their names as Judges, they could carry out judgments, punishments or executions independently without turning to a court.
One of the five men who spearheaded the others was Talal, the leader, and with him were the rest of his combatants, who were all magic users.
Usually, Judges go in pairs, like their brothers in the arrows. But this time, four came to ensure the safety of Talal as the criminal they were about to confront was one to handle with caution.
Talal and his men wore black clothing with a symbol of a shining sun on their chests, as well as a circular medallion with Utu's sun symbol.
Talal entered the gate of the farm and looked around. Amin saw him from a distance and ran to him.
Amin approached him and said, "Thank the gods you're here."
Talal crossed his arms and asked, "Are you Amin? The farmhand Nawar told me about?"
Amin crossed his hands in fear and said, "YES! I'm Amin. Please, you must help us. Tanaz is gone for a long time, and we have no one else to turn to."
"Usually, the guards can handle a matter like this. Why did you request the judges?" Talal asked.
Amin approached Talal and said, "You don't understand! The guards refused to get themselves involved; no one wanted to get on that man's bad side. Especially with the status of Tanaz and his family."
Talal sighed in pity for him. He grabbed his shoulder and said, "You have my word never to disclose your identity. Go back to the fields and leave the rest to us."
Amin sobbed, nodded and said, "Thank you! Thank you!" Then left.
Talal looked at his men and said, "You two, watch the surroundings."
Two of his men spaced out.
Talal went to the house's door and signaled the rest to follow him. He knocked on the door thrice and waited.
Soon, Nash came out. He looked at Talal and asked in a displeased tone, "Who are you?"
Talal crossed his arms behind his back and asked, "I assume you're Nash?"
"I asked a question!" Nash said assertively.
Talal giggled, glanced at his men, then looked at Nash and said, "I'm the man who fucked your wife." He leaned closer and said softly, "I got to say, she's very loud when she gets on top."
Nash punched Talal and knocked him away. The other judges tried to intervene, only for Talal to stop them.
He wiped the blood off his lips and said, "Leave him. He wants to fight me." He stood up as Nash approached him.
Talal smiled at him and said, "I kicked your wife's ass, it's only fair that her husband gets the same treatment."
Nash tried to swing again, only to be countered by Talal slamming him to the floor. Talal pressed Nash's chest with his knee and hammered his face till it bled.
Nash was in a daze and couldn't fight back.
Talal got off him and said, "Where's Yara?"
"I will kill you!" Nash retorted.
Talal stepped on his throat and said, "I'm doing Tanaz a favor by being here. You're facing a serious accusation, and those men cannot wait to kill an aristocrat."
He pressed harder on his throat and said, "I'm giving you a chance to clear your name!"
"That pale whore is put to where she belongs!" Nash growled.
Talal looked at one of his men and said, "Cuff him, we're going inside the house."
They went inside Taz's home and searched everywhere but could not find where Yara was. They gathered in the living room, and Talal was displeased that they couldn't find her.
Talal looked at Nash and asked, "I'll ask again. Where's Yara?"
Nash looked at him and said, "Go fuck yourself."
Talal slapped him and said, "Let me make something clear. Your wife isn't here to protect you, nor is your sister. Acting tough isn't the best option."
He pointed at one of his men and said, "Do you know who that man is?"
Nash looked at him and said, "No."
Talal leaned closer and said, "He's a sound magic user. Have you ever tried having your bowels liquified while you're alive?"
Nash looked at the man Talal pointed at and said, "The house of Namer looks after their own."
The man Talal pointed at was a distant cousin of Nash called Sameer. He had long, curly hair and frightening wide brown eyes. His skin tone was sandy-brown, and his face was clean-shaved.
Sameer approached Nash and said, "That statement is a lie, cousin. The House of Namer cares about excellence, even at the price of blood."
"My sister will not forgive this treason," Nash threatened.
Sameer looked around as his ears picked up something. He looked at Talal and said, "There's a sound under us, faint and feminine."
Talal looked at him in confusion and said, "We never found a basement door."
"Maybe because the door isn't inside the house, but outside," Sameer said.
They all went out hurriedly and headed to the back of the house. They saw a cellar door that was covered with dirt and leaves.
"Break it open," Talal commanded.
One of the men shot the door open with lightning, and Talal entered first into the basement.
He went deeper and finally found what he was looking for: the missing woman, Yara. A part of him wished he never did.
Yara was cuffed to the wall, naked. Her belly was bloated from the late stages of pregnancy, and her legs soiled by filth. She was skinny to the point that one could see her skeleton.
Talal approached her slowly, kneeled and lifted her hair to check if she was awake.
Yara jolted and said, "Please don't hurt me, Nash! I've been obedient!"
Talal held her face and asked, "Yara, are you in pain?"
Yara looked at him, sobbed and said, "High priest? Please help me before Nash finds us."
Talal shook her face gently and said, "Are you injured? You need to let me know before I free you."
Yara cried and said, "Everything hurts. I haven't eaten in days." She looked into Talal's eyes and said, "Is Tanaz home? I don't want her to see me like this. I don't want to break her heart. She loves Nash so much."
Talal bit his lower lip in anger and had a sad expression. He stood and said, "One of my men will care for you. Leave the rest to me and relax."
He left the cellar as one of the men tended to Yara.
He stood outside where Nash and his cousin were and glared at him.
Sameer looked at Talal and said, "I've heard the conversation. Shall I enact the judgment?"
Talal stood before Nash, who was on his knees. He glared at him and said, "Nash, for the crimes of rape, abduction and torture. I sentence you to death; may Utu be pleased with my judgment." He looked at Sameer and gestured for him to kill Nash.
Sameer knelt beside Nash, spread his ear open, activated his sound magic and hummed.
Soon, Nash's eyes turned red. His nose and ears bled, and he began to vomit blood. He died by Sameer's magic and fell.
Talal looked at Nash's corpse and said to Sameer, "Inform the houses about the execution that was done by my direct command."
Then he left.
The End