In the afternoon, in Kemet, at the imperial palace of the Pharoah.
The imperial palace was a monumental, otherworldly one. Great walls and gardens surrounded it. The building itself was colored red and had sizeable beige pillars.
The throne room was laid with a shiny marble floor. It had a high ceiling and dark red walls. The room had great pillars, and its right side had no wall as it served to present a view of the gardens below.
A soldier rushed to the Pharoah's throne and shouted, "Pharoah Ramses, the king of Mesopotamia sent you a letter!"
Ramses looked at him from his high throne and said, "What did that lowly creation write?"
The soldier opened the scroll and read loudly, "Good afternoon, Pharoah Ramses. I have decided to pay you a visit to determine the rulings of our treaty. By the time you or your servant read this message, I had arrived at your palace. Note: look to the right..."
Ramses became furious and shouted, "Who allowed an uninvited pleb to enter Kemet!?"
The soldier took his eyes off the scroll, looked to his right, became terrified, pointed and said fearfully, "Who's that man!? Why is he walking on thin air!!?"
The soldiers gathered around and pointed their spears at the right side of the room.
What they saw was a scene of fiction. They saw King Nimrod walking on thin air with his hands crossed behind his back as if he was casually strolling.
Nimrod entered, looked at the soldiers and said, "Put your spears away; if I wanted to kill your god, I wouldn't bother coming here."
The soldiers kept pointing their spears at him.
Nimrod smiled at Ramses and said, "Stubborn soldiers you have here."
Ramses leaned forward and said, "Mesopotamians aren't welcome in Kemet."
Nimrod approached, stood before the throne's stairs and said, "Ah yes, I know, my dear Pharoah. The land of the gods, the black land or Paradise, is only for the pure-blooded people of Kemet. But I've come here to present an offer, one you cannot refuse."
Ramses leaned back, crossed his legs and said, "If your offer turned to be mundane, expect a spear in your heart."
Nimrod smiled, then said, "Mesopotamia will no longer abide by the treaty written by Kurigalzu and your father. Instead, Mesopotamia will offer a new treaty."
"And what will that treaty entail?" Ramses asked.
"Mesopotamia and Kemet will be free to expand and conquer until there's no nation left to take, and after that, the treaty ends," Nimrod said.
"Did you come here to declare war on Kemet?" Ramses threateningly asked.
Nimrod crossed his arms behind his back and said, "Make no mistake, Pharoah. We're never allies or friends; if anything, we're like lions and hyenas. Once I conquer every nation, my armies will burn Kemet to the ground."
Ramses stood, knocked his staff on the floor, and banged loudly. He descended the stairs of his throne. His very steps trembled the floor and thumped.
He stood before Nimrod. The Kemetic giant easily towered over the Mesopotamian one and glared into his eyes.
The Pharoah's soldiers trembled. It was difficult enough to stand in the presence of Nimrod, but to add to that, Ramses. It was like standing before two great beasts.
"I like that. Conquering the world and placing Mesopotamian filth under my feet," Ramses said.
Nimrod smirked, then said, "You can't achieve that dream without getting rid of the rattle first."
"Or maybe. You're full of shit, and you want Kemet to be exhausted," Ramses said.
A soldier ran into the room and shouted, "Pharoah! The Mesopotamians have―." The soldier froze as he saw the king of Mesopotamia before him.
Ramses looked at him and commanded, "Speak!"
The soldier flinched and twitched. He kneeled and said, "The Mesopotamians have crossed the borders of Persia. It's a war!"
Ramses looked at Nimrod. And Nimrod smiled.
Ramses laughed, stepped away, then turned to Nimrod and said while pointing at him, "Kemet accepts your offer! Once every nation submits to the glorious land of the gods. I will personally drown you in boiling gold!"
Nimrod laughed, then walked away and said, "For the first time, a Pharoah and a lion agree on something."
And that something was a mutual promise of destruction.
Meanwhile, with Taz and Yara at her farm.
Taz entered Yara's room.
Yara was breastfeeding her child, and she wore a white dress.
Taz stood at the door and asked softly, "How are you today, Yara?"
Yara looked at Taz and said, "I'm fine, Tanaz. You shouldn't worry yourself with me."
Taz leaned against the door, crossed her arms and said, "You know I can't do that."
"You shouldn't blame yourself for what happened; it's time you moved on," Yara said.
Taz sobbed and said, "You were under my care, and I failed you."
"Why do we have to go through the same conversation daily? I told you I am fine!" Yara said.
"You have to realize not every woman can recover as fast as you did," Taz said.
"Not every woman is born into prostitution like me; being defiled is something I got used to at an early age," Yara said.
Taz sat on the bed at Yara's feet, held her leg and asked, "Are you sure?"
"Yes, after all, my daughter is healthy and well-fed. I couldn't ask for more," Yara said.
Taz stared at Yara's child regretfully.
"Tanaz, I want to see my daughter grow up. I know what you're thinking of," Yara said.
"It will be painless for her. She wouldn't suffer," Taz said.
"No!" Yara snarled.
Taz sighed, stood up and said, "I have to go. If you need anything, ask Amin or Ariel."
She opened the room's door, and Yara called for her.
Taz looked at her, and Yara said, "Please, Tanaz. Let it go; I hate to see you so miserable."
"My family has a history of everlasting regrets," Taz said, then left.
The next day, at Daghir's office.
Taz wore her uniform, strapped her weapon and left for Daghir's office. He summoned her to discuss important matters.
She arrived at his office and knocked, then she was called inside.
Daghir was speaking with Prince Nadir, yet their conversation ended with Nadir saying, "Your plan will backfire on you."
"It won't," Daghir said.
Nadir left.
Daghir looked at Taz and said, "Take a seat."
Taz sat before him, and Daghir returned to his seat.
Daghir leaned forward, clasped his hands and said, "What I'm about to say to you is confidential. I hope you keep it a secret till it's announced."
"Let me guess, this is the reckless plan Athir predicted," Taz said.
"From my perspective, it's necessary," Daghir said.
"Go on," Taz said.
"All I can say to you is either you return to your old home or stay in your current one. In the next days, all arrows will be hunted," Daghir said.
"What happened!?" Taz asked seriously.
Daghir leaned back, crossed his arms and said, "Do you remember our last journey to Aad? Bahar has told us that a major war is coming. Well, it has begun."
"Who are we fighting?" Taz asked.
"The armies have crossed the Persian borders and are now stationed there," Daghir informed.
"How does this relate to the arrows being hunted?" Taz asked.
"Who do you think is also in Persia?" Daghir asked.
Taz shrugged her shoulders.
"Al Hashashin. After the last meeting I had with you, the judges waged an internal war on them and pushed those people back into Persia. Since the war has begun, it's only a matter of time till they join hands with the Persian army," Daghir said.
"And it's only a matter of time till those assassins use their skills on us. Targeting important figures and striking at the nerves of the kingdom," Taz said.
"I see you've studied them, good. As I said, you have a choice of relocating. Apart from that, wait for the announcement by me or the king," Daghir said.
The next day, at the royal court.
All high-profile figures gathered for a war meeting.
The king of Mesopotamia, Nimrod the second.
The supreme general of Mesopotamia's forces, Haider the fourth.
The new four generals of the Mesopotamian military.
The ministers.
The advisor and leader of the royal espionage agency, Ahmad, son of Amir.
The advisor and former leader of the arrows of Ishtar, Qutaibah.
The rest of the advisors.
The current leader of the arrows of Ishtar, Daghir, son of Shihab.
The leader of the Judges of Utu, Talal, son of Hamed.
The king sat on his throne and announced the beginning of the council.
Nimrod looked around at the faces of those who were attending. It was a way for him to see who was weak.
"King Nimrod, what happened during your meeting with the Pharoah?" Haider asked.
"Ramses accepted the offer and decided to join the race for global conquest," Nimrod said.
"My king, I have received reports about Kemet's military. Their armies were split into two, one heading west and the other heading south," Ahmad said.
Nimrod stood and said, "Our foe is challenging us! Who has a way to counter his methods?"
One general stood and said, "We can end the Persian war swiftly! If only Daghir would approve of lending us some of his arrows!"
Nimrod looked at Daghir and asked, "Is this true? You refused to send the arrows with the army?"
Daghir stood and said, "It's true, King Nimrod. I also explained why to the general, but he never mentioned it."
"Your plan is suicidal, Daghir!" The general said.
Nimrod gestured the general to be silent, then asked, "What was your reason?"
"In this war, there's a bigger threat than the Persian army, the group called Al Hashashin," Daghir said.
Nimrod looked at Talal and asked, "Haven't the judges cleared them from the kingdom?"
"Every member was slain; the rest fled into Persia," Talal said.
Nimrod looked at Daghir and asked, "I'd like to hear your reason as to why you're conserving the arrows?"
Daghir stepped in the middle, faced Nimrod and said, "It's only a matter of time before that group joins hands with Persia, and to counter that, I devised a plan. I will intentionally and discreetly expose the locations of all arrows across the kingdom so the Hashashins will go after them."
Chaos roamed the court as the generals all opposed Daghir's plans.
The king silenced them, then looked at Daghir and said, "This is a daring and reckless plan you've come up with. What results are you hoping to gain from it?"
"For us, it will filter out all weak links within the order. For them, it will break their morale and spirits, and lastly, it will end with us discovering the headquarters of the Hashashin by capturing and interrogating their members," Daghir said.
Daghir looked around and said, "You all might think this plan is self-destructive. But need I remind you all! The king's ambitions do not stop at Persia. It is beyond it! For that to happen, we need the arrows stronger than ever!!"
Nimrod sat and stroked his beard as he pondered. He looked at Ahmad and asked him and Qutaibah, "What's your opinion on Daghir's methods?"
Ahmad stood and said, "It has logic behind it. There's a considerable number of arrows who have never experienced war and the fear of being killed at any moment. By his plan, those arrows will be put under a trial to test their capabilities."
Qutaibah stood and said, "I must agree with Ahmad and Daghir. This is no longer the age of peace; this is the age of war. The arrows need to become warriors instead of hunters."
Nimrod looked at Haider and asked, "How about you Haider?"
Haider stood and said, "I've been an arrow in the past and a warrior after. It's a wildly different situation from both. An arrow embraces safety once he finishes his task, and a warrior embraces it when he dies. I support Daghir's plan."
Nimrod looked at Daghir and asked, "How long will your plan last?"
Daghir crossed his arms behind his back and said, "A maximum of three months if and when the Hashashins join hands with the Persians. I will start it."
"If I may add, my king," Ahmad said.
Nimrod gestured his approval.
"I can coordinate with the military and my agents to subtly speed up the process to make it easier for the assassins to slip into the kingdom," Ahmad said.
"How are you planning to do that?" Nimrod asked.
"I can spread a rumor in Persia that demoralizes the public and invites them into the kingdom," Ahmad said.
A minister stood and said, "That would re-create the incident that Thabit made. Al Basra would once again be flooded with refugees and scoundrels."
"Only this time, minister, this situation is controlled and temporary," Ahmad said.
A month later, with Taz at her old home.
Taz read a book on her couch while she crossed her legs atop a table. She placed coffee and sweets on the table to keep herself fed.
Suddenly, a letter slipped under her doorstep, and her eye caught it. She placed down the book, went to the door and picked it up.
And it read.
"The arrows' headquarters have been shut down.
The locations of all arrows have been leaked and are now being hunted by Persian assassins. Your orders are to stay where you are and await further orders from your leader.
Disobedience will be met with instant discharge from the order."
The bottom of the letter had Daghir's signature.
Taz smiled at the letter and said, "Athir was wrong about you, Daghir. You're not reckless. You're the same vile man I know."
Meanwhile, with the other arrows.
Athir read the letter at her home, then said, "Only a man like you would kill his own to prove a point."
Caleb was far away from Babilim in a desolate town within the kingdom. He read the letter in a shack, then said, "Rooting out the weak ones, typical."
The mysterious arrow, Zaria. She read the letter at a run-down house, then said, "A good exercise before the battle. I hope they come in numbers."
The End