The next day, in the early morning with Taz and Zero.
The lightning duo stood in an empty area away from the outpost. The two left their weapons on a rock and faced each other.
Taz looked at Zero and asked, "Why do they call you the spark?"
Zero chuckled, then said, "Believe it or not. Caleb gave me that title to make my lightning magic look weak."
"I never took Caleb for a demeanor," Taz said.
"Because he isn't one, I make getting on his nerves a hobby. How about you? Why do they call you the wolf?"
"I killed a Qutrub, and a fruity village chief gave me the title Luna-wolf," Taz said.
"And over time, people became lazy and shortened your title to wolf," Zero said.
Taz giggled, then said, "That's true."
"So, shall we start?" Zero asked.
Taz nodded and said, "Release lightning for me."
Zero extended his arm and let out lightning.
Taz aimed and placed an attraction point nearby. She moved the attraction point around, and Zero's lightning followed it.
Zero became confused and asked, "How are you manipulating my lightning?"
"I attract it to a point of my choosing," Taz said. She rested her arm and said, "You can stop now."
Zero stopped and said, "I've never seen a master class user do something like this."
"What can I say, Zero? I'm a special woman," Taz said. She took off her shirt and said, "At my word, I want you to shoot me."
"Is taking off your shirt necessary?" Zero asked.
"Last foe I struck with natural lightning got a deep burn. I need to see my skin to ensure that doesn't happen," Taz said.
She coated herself with lightning and said, "Shoot me."
Zero hesitated and asked, "Are you sure?"
"Yes, I'm sure!" Taz said.
He shot her once and saw that nothing had changed. Taz looked at him angrily and said, "Don't be a bitch, Zero. Shoot me with stronger lightning."
Zero sighed in concern, then shot her with stronger lightning, and she began to glow from it.
"Again," Taz said.
Zero kept zapping her with intense lightning, and Taz became shadowless from the intensity and brightness of the lightning that covered her.
Zero stopped, then looked at Taz as she struggled to maintain an overcharge lightning. She groaned loudly, and her breaths quickened. Lightning burns began spreading on her arms, abdomen and face in the shape of vines.
Taz tapped out and grounded the current. The floor beneath her grew a pattern of black vines, the same on her body. She bent down, panted and was drenched in sweat.
"No wonder Rizza couldn't guard against natural lightning," She muttered.
Zero approached and asked, "Want me to heal you?"
Taz looked at him and said no.
"How was it?" Zero asked.
Taz stood straight and said, "It felt like I was in an oven. The high currents produce so much heat." She then healed herself, and the burn marks slowly vanished.
"Let's try it again," she said.
A while later, in the afternoon with Athir.
Athir covered herself with rags that matched the color of the environment. She spent most of the morning only watching the garrison and studying the movements and patrols.
From what she concluded, the patrols were frequent but were not in a state of preparing to defend from an army.
Athir watched the garrison through a monoscope as she lay on her stomach and muttered, "It reminds me of the times when those beasts threatened Babilim. The patrol pattern looks the same here. Many soldiers patrol together because they have a higher chance to survive when a beast comes."
She put down her monoscope and said, "Let's try something."
She activated her magic, cupped her hands and mimicked a beastly growl. Not to expose her location, she muted the sound she fired till it reached the decoy point. When the sound waves landed, she used her magic to intensify and make it louder.
The results were as she expected.
The soldiers inside the garrison poured out, and lines of archers and shields were quickly formed. The overseers of watchtowers warned of an incoming beast attack and retreated to the fort.
Athir crossed her arms, rested her chin on her forearms and kept watching. She hummed and muttered, "As I thought, they're not expecting an army early in the war, and it seems this beast has been bothering them for a while." She looked at the road leading to the garrison and muttered, "I wonder what's that beast they're afraid of?"
She looked at the soldiers and focused her hearing on someone who appeared to be higher ranked than the rest.
The officer rubbed his ears as they began to ring. A soldier came to him and said, "The defenses are set; whenever this beast comes, we'll be prepared for it!"
"I hope this day marks the end of that manticore," The officer said.
Athir hummed, then muttered, "Manticore? I thought they went extinct."
A While later, with Caleb near a bonfire in the evening.
The bear sat alone while he sharpened his blades. It was peaceful, and he wanted to use that opportunity to relax.
No more yapping from Zero. No more haughty insults from Athir. Just pure silence.
While busy with sharpening. A giant beast snuck behind him, one with a large stature and a thick, long scorpion tail.
Caleb sighed, then said, "You're not as subtle as you think, kitten."
The manticore appeared from the shadows and said in a deep voice, "I caught your scent the moment you flew in."
Caleb turned to him, smiled and said, "And I heard you fucking the moment I flew in."
The manticore sniffed, then said, "You're not a hunter. Yet you sit there with no intention to attack." "What brought you to these lands?" The manticore asked.
"I'm not here to hunt beasts if that's what you're wondering about," Caleb said.
"I see... the inevitable war has begun. The one which will make the Jinn king appear," The manticore said.
Caleb furrowed his eyebrows and said, "The royal bloodline died in the great war."
"Except for one. He hid and placed his seed in a human female; now the son roams the earth," The manticore said.
"How do you know?" Caleb asked.
"I was with him," The manticore said.
It turned around and said, "For your honesty, human, I will gift you another prophecy." It walked away and said, "The global war will reach its climax with three factions standing. Be wise and side with none."
Caleb looked at the manticore as it left, then muttered, "As if I could do that."
A while later, with Zaria in the late evening.
She snuck into the capital by its sewer system. It was the only way for her since the city was on high alert due to the beast's threat.
After she emerged from the sewer system, she hid away and dried herself with flames.
For her infiltration to succeed, she left all her weapons at the outpost except for a tiny dagger that she could easily justify if the guards cornered her. She left her uniform in the camp and wore a plain dress that peasant girls wore.
Unlike Taz, Zaria's body was toned but not beefy. That alone made her look like a farmer instead of a warrior.
Her objectives were to scout the citizens' morale and find their weaknesses. She didn't know why Caleb wanted to know that, but it seemed like deception was going into their plan.
To do that, Zaria needed to slip into places of crowds, like taverns, bars and markets. Yet, she felt frustrated as it meant she needed to look desirable and soft.
Otherwise, no one would let their guard down around her.
Zaria whispered to the Jinn that accompanied her to bring her proper clothing, perfume and beauty products.
The Jinn brought her all she asked for in the blink of an eye and placed it before her. Weirdly enough, it chose well.
Zaria wore the colorful local attire, used the products and finished by spraying perfume on her hair, neck and arms.
She went to where the loudest chatter was and cared for how she walked, as even the most minor details could expose her cover.
Soon, she reached a well-lit, bustling square full of open stores, taverns, merchants and stands.
She looked around the place and considered the expressions the people showed. Some were happy, some were tired, but none showed what she sought.
That would be a weakness.
"Seems most of them aren't aware of the war," She thought.
She went to a small shack that served food and asked, "I would like a small serving, please."
The worker smiled at her and began to prepare her order. While he cooked, the worker looked at her and asked, "You're not a local, are you?"
Zaria smiled at him and said, "I'm not. I came here with my master."
"A dark slave? Those are rare. What brought you to it?" The worker asked.
"Debts of my late brother. In a year, I'll become a free woman again," Zaria said.
The worker smiled warmly at her and said, "Then take this food as a gift from me. My mother would frown upon me if she knew I took money from women in distress."
Zaria frowned and said, "Thank you, but I heard about the ongoing war. Wouldn't the money help the people flee to safety?"
"The gods side with Persia. We will win against Mesopotamia," The worker said, then handed her the food.
Zaria bowed, smiled and said, "Thank you, and good luck in the war." Then she left.
She went to a nearby bench, sat and began to eat.
"People with strong faith are hard to beat," She thought.
She stared and thought, "I need to find out what's strengthening their faith."
After she ate, she went into a busy tavern and snooped around. Suddenly, she heard a commotion from outside. It was the people saying the general was coming. Upon hearing that, Zaria subtly and swiftly sat at the bar table.
To hide herself even further, she ordered a beer and snacks.
While she waited, the tavern door opened, and the general entered with guards.
The bartender, along with customers, greeted and praised their leader. Zaria took a look at him and saw the man in question.
The Persian general was a man of great stature and a strong presence. He had a long, braided beard and a joyful complexion. His armor had the sigil of a Persian god that Zaria knew. It was the god of fire.
The general sat in the middle while his guards surrounded him. Extra guards went and sat around the tavern as a precaution, and one sat beside Zaria.
Zaria looked forward yet didn't keep her head down to avoid suspicion.
As if the surprises didn't stop, another man entered the tavern—one who didn't wear a Persian uniform and looked very much like a Mesopotamian. Zaria looked at him and saw that he was similar to the advisor Ahmad. She could've sworn it was him if there weren't subtle differences.
The man had long gray hair that reached his shoulders and was tied by the sides. He had a thick beard and a sharp stare. He had a medium-length sword strapped to his hip.
Zaria looked forward and subtly called for the bartender to remind him of her order.
The soldier smiled at her and said, "You're too pretty to be this hungry."
Zaria smiled and said, "I'm only a human, after all."
"Where are you from? If I was correct, you're far from home," The soldier said.
"Alkebu-lan, I was born in the eastern parts," Zaria said.
The soldier chuckled, looked at the mysterious man and said, "Did you hear that? This woman is from Alkebu-lan."
The mysterious man sat beside her, looked at her with a charming smile and said, "Oh, I remember those lands. Plagued with flying beasts, yet the people are lively."
Zaria looked at the mysterious man in fear, then looked at the soldier with fearful eyes.
The soldier laughed, then said, "Don't worry about this Mesopotamian. He's harmless, isn't that right, Kaiden?"
Kaiden giggled, leaned on the table and said, "I swear upon the moon goddess."
Zaria looked at him and asked fearfully, "Why are you here? Wherever Mesopotamians go, they bring ruin to the land."
"You hurt my feelings, pretty girl. Not all people are the same," Kaiden said.
"I don't feel safe around you," Zaria told Kaiden.
Kaiden leaned closer and asked, "How can I earn your trust?"
Zaria faked displeasure.
Kaiden handed her a dagger, smiled, and said, "I used to play a game back in the day. It's called exposing weakness. Surely, a man or a woman cannot fear that which is weak."
Zaria looked at the blade and asked, "What do you want me to do with it?"
"Stab me," Kaiden said.
"What? No!" Zaria said.
Kaiden held the knife in her hand and said, "I've heard a fortune about me. It told me about my death." He gripped Zaria's hand firmly and shoved the dagger in his gut. He grunted and said, "The soothsayer told me I will be killed by a person who shares my blood."
Zaria pulled her hand and said, "You're mad!"
Kaiden pulled out the dagger, placed it in its sheath and said, "From one perspective, I'm suicidal; from another, I'm rooting out who's going to end me."
The soldier leaned closer and said, "Don't let him fool you. He's a shameless masochist."
Kaiden laughed, then said, "You're ruining my fun!"
Zaria stood and said, "I've lost my appetite." She tried to leave, but Kaiden grabbed her. He looked at her and said, "Don't be a stranger, pretty girl." Then let her go.
The End