In the morning time.
The squad rode like the wind to reach their destination in time, but due to bad luck, the road ahead was blocked by an ongoing battle.
Caleb looked back at his team and shouted, "Our path is blocked by a Persian legion fighting our people. We need to clear the battlefield fast, and we cannot afford to stop!"
Zaria looked at him and shouted, "I can do it!"
Taz wore her mask and shouted, "I can clear a path and eliminate the legion, but I need something to fly me above them!"
Caleb nodded and shouted, "You two take the lead! I'll get you both above the battlefield!" He whistled loudly, and two blue Jinns appeared flying beside him.
Caleb looked at them and said, "Take the wolf and wildfire above the Persian army."
The Jinns nodded, disappeared and took both Taz and Zaria instantly.
Caleb pulled out a small horn, activated his magic and blew it. It sounded like the horn of the end times, deep and terrifying.
Meanwhile, on the battlefield.
Major Hilal was the commander of the Mesopotamian legion. He stood amid the battle while protected by a few soldiers. He heard the horn's sound and grinned excitedly.
"They're finally here," He muttered.
He shouted an urgent command to all soldiers to retreat. He called it again and mentioned proudly that the arrows were here.
The Mesopotamian legion retreated happily and instantly after hearing the news. It was always known among soldiers if an arrow was on your side, you were guaranteed to win the battle.
Yet, the Persian legion didn't know that, and they were even more baffled as to why the Mesopotamians were fleeing. At first, it seemed like they were victorious, but the Persian commander knew better. He decided to reform the lines and ready a second assault.
Suddenly, two people appeared in the sky—Taz to the left and Zaria to the right.
Qareen manifested on Zaria's shoulder and said, "Once you see the steel joining, attack." Then it vanished.
Zaria looked around in confusion and muttered, "What's she going to do?"
On the Mesopotamian side, Hilal recognized the arrow on the left side and knew it was his former teammate, Tanaz. He cupped his hands and shouted to her, "Show them what you can do, wolf! Rain down the wrath of the gods!!"
Taz aimed her palm, activated her lightning and placed a point of attraction on them. She used her magic to clamp the entire legion like steel spheres locking with one another.
"The steel has joined," Zaria muttered.
Zaria lifted her hand high, then conjured a giant falcon of flames. She pointed her hand down, and the flaming falcon dived into the legion while Taz charged her free arm with intense, blinding lightning.
In unison, the falcon struck its target, and Taz rained upon them rapid lightning strikes with power matching the natural ones.
The flames of Zaria flooded the battlefield and spread amongst the legion like wildfire. When the cries of burning soldiers were heard, Zaria intensified her flames, which went from its natural color to pale yellow.
Her flames turned flesh into ash and armor into melting steel.
And just like that, two master class arrows concluded a long battle in less than a minute and disappeared into thin air without anyone realizing what had happened.
The Mesopotamian soldiers dropped to their knees, speechless and stunned.
Hilal removed his helmet, smiled excitedly and shouted, "Praise be to the arrows! Praise be to the wolf!" In his defense, he didn't know who was with Taz.
The soldiers stood with joy and shouted repeatedly, "Long live the wolf!"
Meanwhile, with the squad.
Taz and Zaria returned to their horses.
Caleb looked at them and shouted, "Did you clear the path?"
Taz removed her mask and nodded.
Zaria looked at him and shouted, "Warn the soldiers about our approach; most are shocked."
Caleb cupped his hands, activated his magic and shouted repeatedly, "Clear a path! Arrows are approaching!"
Once they arrived at the battlefield, they saw the soldiers formed around a wide path and cheered for them as they flew past.
Zero glanced at them, looked at his squad and said, "I heard them rooting for the wolf?"
Zaria looked at him in disbelief and said, "I did everything! How are they cheering for her?"
"Lighting is more impressive than flames," Taz commented.
Zaria looked around for validation but noticed everyone silently agreeing with Taz. She sighed in frustration and frowned.
A while later, near a great mountain chain in the evening.
The squad reached its destination in record time at the cost of having the team and the horses almost fainting from exhaustion.
Caleb looked at Athir and said, "Give them the signal."
Athir nodded, activated her magic and whistled in intervals. She squinted her eyes at the mountain peak, focused her hearing on it and waited. Soon, she saw a light flashing at the same intervals as her whistling.
She looked at Caleb and said, "They're here."
The rest of the squad jumped off their horses and gathered around Caleb. Zaria crossed her arms and asked, "What's our next move, bear?"
Caleb turned to them and said, "We'll await our transportation atop this mountain."
"What's the end goal of our mission?" Taz asked.
Caleb crossed his arms and said, "The destruction of the Persian capital." He looked at their faces and asked, "Can you do that, arrows of mine?"
Zero looked away; Zaria was in awe; Athir frowned, but one stood out. Taz was pondering, but not out of desperation. She was sure that could be done.
Caleb stared at Taz, then asked, "Looks like you have an idea, wolf."
Taz sighed, then said, "I have one, but everything must be perfect for that to happen."
"Well, tell us. Don't keep it hidden," Athir said.
"Back in the golden ages, before the books of lightning magic were destroyed. There was an arrow that harnessed the power of natural lighting and redirected it to a target of his choice," Taz said.
"I've memorized everything about the history of lightning magic and never heard of what you're saying," Zero said.
Taz looked at Zero and said, "I've memorized everything as well, but I had a direct source of knowledge who lived in those times."
"Abu Barq? Daghir told me about it," Caleb said.
Taz looked at him, nodded and said, "Yes."
"Have you tried his claim?" Zero asked.
"I couldn't since I didn't have a training partner who was a lightning user," Taz said.
Zero puffed his chest and said, "I'm always ready to help a fine lady."
Taz smiled at him, pinched his cheek and said, "I'm lucky to have you." Zero smiled and blushed, not knowing what trial he had stumbled into.
Athir crossed her arms and said, "Harnessing the power of the natural element is dangerous. Have you thought about the costs of harnessing lightning?"
Taz looked at her and said, "I should be fine as long as I match the output."
Athir gave her a judgmental stare.
"The downside is either death or being paralyzed," Taz groaned.
"We have more options than lighting. Athir and I can use sound to break apart the capital," Caleb said.
"On the downside, we might rupture our throats and die or not produce enough output to destroy the capital," Athir said.
"I have a better idea. How about we rest and then brainstorm our massacre?" Zaria asked sarcastically.
Caleb looked at the mountain peak and wondered, "Where are our transporters?"
Two blue Jinns appeared before Caleb, and one said, "Our brothers on the peak are arguing. We could take you up there and get it over with."
Caleb glanced at his squad and said, "Sure."
One after another, they vanished, and the Jinns took them to the peak.
Taz shook her head in confusion and muttered, "I'm never getting used to this."
The mountaintop had a large, black tent surrounded by rugged rocks. In the middle of the area was a bonfire with tree logs as seats and boxes as food storage.
Zero shivered and said, "Fuck, it's cold!"
The squad gathered around the bonfire and rested—Taz, Zero and Caleb on the right side and Athir and Zaria on the left side.
"At this point, I'm not sure whether I should eat or sleep," Zaria said.
"I wish I could do both," Zero said.
Athir looked at the tent and wondered, "Does that tent have beds?"
Caleb rubbed his face and said, "Even if it had any, I wouldn't sleep in it."
"I'd bet it's colder than outside," Taz said.
Zaria looked around and asked, "Who will guard while the others sleep?"
"No one, I have an annoying friend who doesn't sleep," Taz said.
Qareen manifested beside Taz and said, "I could never warn you and let you all die."
Taz looked at it and said, "You could, then you'd die with us."
Caleb lay on his side and said, "That's good enough for me."
The next day, in the late morning at the capital of Persia.
A Persian military garrison was set up to defend the significant capital. It had all the defenses any soldier could think of.
High walls and trenches filled with spikes and venomous snakes. Frequent and heavy patrols around the clock. Watchtowers set around the valley with scopes and skilled archers.
It was highly defended, and for an army to get in, they had to endure heavy losses among their ranks.
But that was an issue for an army, not for arrows.
On the ground, two Persian soldiers chatted to pass the long hours of their watch.
"I heard the first army was defeated," The first soldier said.
"By whom?" The second soldier asked.
"Rumors say two arrows concluded the battle after the Mesopotamian army fled," The first soldier said.
"I keep telling you, arrows are a myth! Who in their right mind would believe a human could conjure flames out of nothing!?" The second soldier said.
The first soldier looked at him and said, "Then how would you explain the battle!? The deserters swore they saw two people in the sky raining fire and lightning upon the legion!"
The second soldier turned to him and said, "And you believe them? What's next, People shooting fire out of their assholes!?"
"How about when our previous king disappeared in thin air? Only for his corpse to appear hung on the gate of Baghdad." The first soldier said.
"It's a lie the royal court claims to hide a mutiny. It's obvious they killed him and handed his corpse discreetly to the Mesopotamians to avoid an inevitable war," The second soldier said.
The first soldier returned to his guarding posture and said, "Now that I think about it. The Mesopotamians and the Hebrews are specialists when it comes to sorcery."
"None of that matter. It's not like any army can trample our defenses," The second soldier said.
In the sky, the squad flew by on a flying carpet. Taz was lying on her side at the carpet's edge as she watched the garrison.
Athir called her and asked, "See anything interesting down there?"
Taz turned to her, sat up and said, "Just a couple of soldiers arguing."
Zero handed Taz a honey jar and asked, "Want some?"
Taz took it and grabbed a loaf of bread. She dipped the bread in the honey and ate it.
Zaria looked at the capital and said, "Did they say how they want us to destroy the capital? It's huge."
Caleb looked at Zaria and said, "Quoting the words of our leader, 'I want it gone.'"
"I knew Daghir was a prick, but now that he's the leader, he became a bigger prick," Taz said.
"He keeps giving us impossible tasks and expects us to do them perfectly," Athir said.
"It's no different than Qutaibah," Taz said.
Caleb giggled, then looked at Zero and said, "Remember when we were sent to kill a tribe leader?"
"You mean the tribe that lived in the driest and hottest land? Of course, I remember both of us almost dying from the sun alone," Zero said.
After a while, the squad reached their landing. It was a lush area far enough to survey the capital and avoid meeting Persian patrols.
With the help of the unseen allies, the squad set up a camp and got supplies delivered to them, along with a map and other gear that'd help them in their mission.
They had set up a small outpost for their operation and gathered around a table in the tent to discuss their approach.
Caleb stared at the map and sighed.
Taz looked at him and asked, "Something worrying you, Caleb?"
Zero looked at her and commented, "That's his planning posture."
Caleb leaned on the table and said, "Remember, what we're about to do here is a monumental task. We cannot proceed on false expectations." He looked at Taz and said, "That brings me to you, Tanaz. You said destroying the city was possible with lightning. Can you do it?"
Taz crossed her arms and said, "It's not the first time I brought down lightning. I suppose you all read about my last journey. Even though I did that in dry weather, the lightning I brought down killed everyone nearby."
"But not the entire village," Caleb said.
"Yes, that's why I said the environment has to be perfect for large-scale damage," Taz said.
Caleb looked at Zero and said, "I'm assigning you to be the wolf's aide." He looked at Taz and said, "Use his skills to refine your lightning manipulation." He nodded at the exit and said, "You're free to go."
Taz and Zero left.
Caleb looked at Zaria and said, "Zaria, I want you to slip into the capital and figure out the mood of the people in there."
Zaria furrowed her eyebrows and said, "Are you sure? I could kill prominent figures if you wanted to."
"If it were about assassinations, I would've sent you and Zero from the start," Caleb said.
Zaria nodded and said, "I understand."
"While you're in there, I'm assigning a Jinn to be with you at all times. If you learn anything, relay the information to it," Caleb said.
"How long will I be in the capital?" Zaria asked.
"Until further orders from me," Caleb said, then gestured for her to leave.
Zaria left the tent, and Athir stood before Caleb and asked, "What do you need me to do?"
"How precise are you with sound?" Caleb asked.
"Better than you and Daghir," Athir said.
Caleb gave her a judgmental stare.
Athir sighed, then said, "I'm good as long as it doesn't involve listening."
Caleb stood straight and said, "You saw how large the garrison was and how many soldiers were there. I need you to tire them out and draw their focus elsewhere."
"Voices alone won't be enough; I need a creature to convince them," Athir said.
"On the trip here, I heard noises of beasts. It's up to you how you want to proceed," Caleb said.
Athir nodded and said, "I understand. What are you going to do?"
"I'll be here to guard the outpost and monitor the squad's progress," Caleb informed.
The End