Qareen
Four days later, in the morning.
The creature squatted next to Taz's head. It looked at her face as she slept soundly. It extended its hand to her face, smiled, and stroked Taz's head.
It giggled and started poking her cheek like a lonely child, but Taz didn't awaken.
The creature stopped and then sat next to Taz. It began to be anxious from Taz's state. It wanted Taz to awaken from her slumber, but she wasn't responding to its actions.
It played with Taz's hair to pass the time. The creature did everything it needed to do to care for Taz. It fought off the scorpions, snakes and the little wolf cub, and it moved Taz in her sleep to keep her skin from rotting.
The creature became alert as it heard horses in the distance. It stood up and vanished from Taz's side.
It went to the road and stood. In the distance, it saw five horses ridden by soldiers wearing dark armor with a lion's head painted on the chest plate.
The creature decided not to reveal itself and stayed hidden. It was a way to test if these soldiers were actual members of the royal army.
It stood on the side of the road and waited for them to pass, but when those soldiers approached, they stopped.
One of them disembarked from his horse and took off his helmet.
He was a light-brown man with short black hair. He had the signature blue owl eyes and a sharp stare. He was relatively tall and lean.
He approached the creature and said, "Taking the form of a human is a crime, Jinn."
The creature looked at him and said, "Is it a crime to form into my image?"
He looked up and down at the creature and said, "Are you a Qareen?"
The Qareen nodded and said, "I am."
"Where's your human companion?" The man asked.
"What's your intention with her, hunter?" Qareen asked back.
"We were ordered to rescue her," The man replied.
"She's heavily injured. Transporting her on horseback will kill her," Qareen said.
"What happened to her?" The man asked.
"She fought the hordes of Jinn on her own," Qareen replied.
"That's a selfless act, not what I expected from her," The man said.
"My companion didn't fight the Jinn for their sake," Qareen arrogantly said.
"Then why did she do it?" The man asked.
"A half wanted to seek vengeance, and the other wanted to protect a loved one," Qareen replied.
"What about you? What was your part in that decision?" The man asked.
"I have no control over her. I only protected her when she was defenseless," Qareen replied.
Qareen held its neck and groaned in pain. It looked toward the cave's direction and walked to it.
"Is something attacking your companion?" The man said.
"It's that fucking cub!" Qareen growled.
The Qareen vanished into black mist and teleported itself next to Taz.
Taz was still lying on the ground, and the wolf cub stood on top of her and kept biting her neck.
Qareen gripped the cub's back and picked it off Taz, and it walked out of the cave and rubbed its stinging neck.
Qareen stood outside the cave and threw the cub far away like it was a piece of potato. After throwing the cub, it shouted for the cub never to return.
The man in dark armor approached it. He chuckled and joked about the situation.
Qareen ignored his taunts and flatly told the man, "My companion lies inside the cave."
They went inside, and the man inspected Taz, and he focused his hearing on her pulse to check if she was alive.
He sniffed and caught the scents of blood, sweat and ash. Those scents proved what Qareen claimed was genuine.
He left the cave, stood at the entrance, and whistled as loud as he could.
A Jinn landed in front of him.
It wore dirt-stained white rags and had long, thin arms. Its skin was gray, and its eyes were dark blue. It had no legs as it floated.
The man commanded it to carry Taz and fly her to Al Basra's hospital, and he warned about her injuries and that she should be moved carefully.
The flying Jinn went inside and was confronted by Qareen.
Qareen was highly protective of Taz, and it threatened the Jinn with harm should it ever come close to the flesh.
The Jinn reassured Qareen that he meant no ill will to the flesh and would only take her to the city.
Qareen demanded to ride on the Jinn's back, and it was the only way it would trust the Jinn's claim.
The Jinn agreed, and Qareen hopped on his back, and it carried Taz and went outside.
The man and the soldiers stood outside, and the soldiers were shocked to see a human floating in the air. They asked the man how this was possible.
The man looked at them and said, "In your eyes, she is floating. To mine, I can see why she is floating."
The Jinn flew away instantly, with no dust or sound. It vanished along with Taz.
The soldiers panicked and thought they had imagined what had happened.
"Where did she go!?" The soldier asked.
"She is already in Al Basra." The man replied.
Meanwhile, in the sky, under the clouds.
The Jinn flew rapidly while Qareen latched onto his shoulders.
They reached Al Basra, landed in front of the hospital, and the Jinn placed Taz on the floor.
Qareen hopped off and said, "Why won't you take her inside?"
"The hospital is shielded against the Jinn, especially my kind," The Jinn said.
Qareen arrogantly attempted to walk into the entrance, only to be repelled and flung far away. It returned to the Jinn with a displeased look.
The Jinn looked around as the guards gathered around the dormant Taz.
"Quick, get inside her body before they move her inside!" The Jinn alerted.
Qareen vanished and went into Taz, complying with the Jinn.
The guards inspected Taz and saw her bruised and bloodied face. They thought she was a criminal and wanted to take her to jail.
She had no medallions or tattoos that would help the guards identify her. For all they could know, she might be a Jinn in the form of a human or a beast hiding its proper shape.
So, the guards did what they did best, and that was to act on pure ignorance.
A guard slapped Taz to awaken her, but she didn't respond. Another guard kicked her like a dead animal, no response as well.
Qareen patience started to grow thin. It decided to take the initiative, took over Taz's body and used it as its own.
After all, Qareen and Taz are the rightful owners of the flesh, so you can't exorcise a Qareen out of it.
Such a thing comes with a cost.
A human knows the boundaries of the flesh, and a Qareen doesn't. If the flesh dies or gets damaged, Qareen will suffer the same fate.
Qareen opened its eyes, and the guards jumped back and panicked.
It stood up like a toddler and wobbled. It moved its limps slowly as they cracked, but it couldn't focus. The flesh needed more time to awaken fully.
"Who are you!?" one of the guards shouted.
Qareen looked at it and approached him. It growled and said in a squeaky voice that the guard kicked her.
The guards laughed at Qareen's mumbling. It sounded like it was the speech of a toddler.
Qareen tried to punch the guard, but it stumbled and fell on its face.
The guards laughed uncontrollably, and one of them said.
"This is too funny!"
One of the guards approached Qareen and took off the sword on her back. He unsheathed it and noticed it was full of blood and ash.
"That's a nice silver blade you have there," He said.
Qareen looked back and squeaked to him to give the sword back.
The guard laughed, then mocked it by mimicking its speech and told it no.
The guards walked away as they laughed and took away the treasured sword of the dormant Taz.
Qareen wanted to take it back, but it could barely move the flesh, let alone fight with it.
It stood up nevertheless and tried to go after the guards. It only took it five meters for it to wobble and fall again.
In desperation and frustration, Qareen started to cry like a child.
A woman wearing a veil came to it and comforted it. She asked what had happened and why such a young woman was lying down on the street crying.
Qareen gasped as tears covered its face and told the woman that the guards hurt it.
The woman helped Qareen up and held its arm. She started walking with it and comforted it along the way.
They reached a house in a tight alleyway. The path was filthy and infested with mice, the houses were tiny, and the walls were worn out.
The woman took Qareen inside her home. The interior was no better than the exterior.
There were four women inside who sat in the living room.
Each was stunning, enough to make the purest of men and women fall to their knees and beg for their touch.
The first was a woman named Sara. She had long brown hair and a beautiful smile. Although many would agree her greatest asset was her body and beautiful smooth beige skin.
The second was a woman named Mira. She had reddish-brown skin and short braided black hair. She had enchanting wide brown eyes and a slim figure.
The third was a tanned woman named Rana. She had long, silky black hair. She was cleaning her feet. She had wrinkled, arched and meaty soles and significant reddish-pink toes.
The fourth was a frail woman named Yara. She had white hair and pale skin. Her eyes were rich-blue, and her lips were light-pink.
The woman who helped Qareen was referred to as Madam Layan.
Madam Layan was in her forties, yet she aged like wine. She had short black hair and honey-brown eyes. Her voice was as gentle and comforting as the breezing wind.
Although many wondered why this run-down house contained those maidens, they could've effortlessly seduced and married a noble or a prince and lived lavish lives, but the answer to that question was simple.
It's because they were whores.
Qareen hid behind Madam Layan as the flesh was filthy.
"Clean the girl and give her new clothes," Layan said.
The pale girl stood and greeted Qareen. She held its hand as she took it to the bathroom.
Before they went inside, the pale girl took off her clothes and stripped Qareen.
She was shocked when she took off Taz's shirt.
"What is this body of yours?" She wondered.
Qareen looked away, not wanting to answer.
Yara grabbed Qareen's shoulder and said, "Come, let me bathe you."
They entered the bathroom, and Qareen sat on a tiny stall chair.
Yara grabbed a bucket full of water and a towel. She then brought another small bowl containing smelly gray goop.
She scrubbed Qareen's body clean while admiring the muscles of the flesh.
Although Yara preferred men, she couldn't help but stroke Qareen's back, Feeling every curve, vein, scar, and bump.
Qareen, ignorant of the ways of humans, thought nothing of it, but the flesh responded to it differently.
The flesh became warm and sensitive, yet Qareen resisted the urges.
After a soothing bath, Qareen was handed new clothes.
It wore a pink dress. The dress was strapless and tight, then wrapped a sizeable green scarf around its body.
Qareen went to the rest of the women and stood before them. They praised and complimented it for its fashionable and feminine appearance.
To which the Qareen blushed and shied.
Yet the women weren't done with their new friend.
They took it to a small room and started styling its hair. There weren't many options for styling short hair, but they combed its hair back.
Qareen grew to like the attention and kindness it was getting from the women. It was a rare occurrence, even when Taz controlled the flesh.
It was a nice and warm sensation to be cared for by others, but as Qareen dived into that sensation, its stomach growled in hunger.
The women chuckled after hearing that, it felt embarrassing for Qareen, but they had kind hearts and offered to feed it.
Qareen asked them in its squeaky voice to eat meat as that is what Taz would usually eat.
The women were initially hesitant; buying meat would cost them a lot. They opened up about it to the Qareen and hoped it would lower its expectation.
Qareen stood up, excited and cheerful, then squeaked that it had money.
The women were conflicted about its claims but told the Qareen they would appreciate it if it could spare some dinars.
Qareen wobbled back to the bathroom, where it left its old clothes, steadying itself on the walls.
It remembered that Taz had filled her pouch with one hundred dinars; the rest was in her bag. It reached its old clothes and found the pocket of money Taz carried.
It went back to the women and handed over the pouch to them. They were surprised and almost went into tears. The women weren't doing well financially for quite a while. Although their profession never lacked demand, their collective debts weighed heavily on their pockets.
Qareen smiled at their expressions of joy and told them in its unpolished speech to eat together. To which the women happily agreed.
They went out together, all wearing colored veils on their heads to hide their identities. They weren't criminals, but they wanted to stay hidden, so their customers won't recognize them.
It was noon, and the weather outside was warm and soothing.
They headed to the north side. Where a sizeable restaurant contained the best food to be served and had talented musicians to entertain its clients. The place also had a view of the great river and large balconies.
They reached it after a long walk beside the river.
They went inside. The interior was colorful and had flowers on every corner and wall. In the middle was a stage where a man and his son were toning their instruments.
Mira gasped and whispered, "That's Aos and Bader."
"Do you think they're going to play soon?" Nora Whispered back.
"I don't know…." Mira whispered.
"Go ask them!" Nora whispered.
Although hesitant, Mira gathered her courage and walked to the famous musicians.
She approached them, shaking and anxious.
She asked them if they were going to play.
"Yes, we will start playing shortly," Bader replied.
Mira hurried back to the women and excitedly told them what Bader had said. They bought sweets, snacks and tea, then sat at the front table.
They all gazed at the stage as the musicians started warming up.
Bader played notes along the fretboard to loosen his fingers, and Aos, the son of Bader, hummed harmoniously. The musicians were now ready to play.
They played a song from their country called Taba'an liqa. Bader played the oud, and Aos backed it by playing the tambourine.
Then Aos took the lead and sang.
"Pleasant meeting and love filled the air. And in the paths of virtue, we have gone.
We included a history, and from its inspiration, we set off.
Our hearts and souls were embraced with beautiful intimacy and joy.
On loyalty and honesty, we agreed.
And for pacts and promises, we cared.
And in the seas of love, we dove until we were sated.
Our hearts and souls embraced.
Beautiful intimacy and joy."
The small crowd clapped their hands and cheered after the musicians finished their performance. The women that were present cheered the loudest because Aos and Bader were good-looking men.
With their looks, they charmed the women. With their music, they influenced people.
The group then went to the balconies and sat at a table near the guard rails. The long table was placed horizontally so the customers could get a good view of the river as they ate.
They dined and chatted, and the women were happy they could enjoy their day without worrying about funds.
Although Qareen was saddened that its human companion wasn't present to enjoy this beautiful day, they always were together through everything.
Even though Taz's life was sad and lonely, it had good memories. The Qareen was always with her, walking beside her.
When Taz got sad, Qareen wept for her.
When she was happy, Qareen was delighted for her.
When she got upset, Qareen wanted to harm those who wronged her.
Qareen realized that it missed its human companion dearly. What were two halves merged into one now became a half that longed to be whole again.
Yet it doesn't know how to bring her back.
Qareen stared blankly at the empty plates and pouted.
Yara, who sat beside it, held its hand and whispered, "Are you all right?"
Qareen shook its head slowly.
"Do you want to go back home?" Yara whispered.
Qareen nodded.
They stood up, and Yara excused herself and Qareen. She then told the group that they would be going back home.
They got out while the women decided to stay and enjoy their evening.
They walked back as the moonlight lit the paths and river stream. Night dwellers and trumpets crowded the streets, and black-market dealers blended in the crowd.
The Stares of hunger and lust pointed toward the two girls as they felt uneasy. Those who dared didn't bother to hide it, and their eyes were locked on their bodies.
Yara kept her eyes on the ground and told Qareen to walk faster, hoping to get home safely. Unaware of their situation, they were already being followed.
They reached their home and hurriedly went inside as Yara felt the danger nearby.
She sat down on the couch, panted, and held Qareen's hand tightly as she was afraid. Qareen sat down beside her, not knowing what was happening with Yara.
Yara wrapped her arm around Qareen's back and said, "It's okay. We're safe."
But the world isn't always so forgiving. As soon as she said that, someone banged on the door
Yara gasped and covered her mouth, not wanting to make a noise.
Qareen looked at the door and asked in its squeaky voice, "hoooo issss itt?"
Yara covered Qareen's mouth and whispered in fear, "Be silent!"
"I heard someone inside!" a man outside shouted.
"Break the door!" another man shouted.
Yara started crying, shook in fear and shouted, "Go away!"
The door's lock broke, and the door was kicked open.
Yara stood up quickly and pulled Qareen with her, and they stepped back.
Three men went inside. They all reeked of alcohol and tobacco and wore dark clothes.
Yara stepped back into the hallway, screamed, and pulled Qareen with her as she did.
The men chased them, and one of them said, "Don't be scared. We're not going to harm you," while he grinned wickedly.
Yara and Qareen went into the bedroom, and they got trapped.
Two of them went after them while the third stood at the house's door and watched.
Yara and the Qareen stood against the wall with nowhere to escape, and the two men approached menacingly.
"The pale one looks nice," one of the men said.
"The other is too muscular for my taste, but I am too aroused to give a damn," the other man said.
They approached them laughing, one took hold of Yara, and the other took Qareen.
The man gripped Qareen's hair and dragged it to the dressing room, and Qareen screamed in terror.
They entered the dressing room, pushed Qareen onto the floor, and removed his clothes.
Qareen crawled back as it whimpered.
The man approached it and said, "We are going to have fun, you beefy girl!"
He grabbed its leg, turned Qareen on its stomach and kneeled.
Qareen quickly turned around, sat up and slapped him.
He held his cheek and said, "A violent one, aren't you?"
He slapped Qareen in return, then punched it as he laughed.
Qareen laid on its back after taking those hits and bled from its nose and mouth.
He sat on its stomach and looked down at it as he chuckled.
"Not going to fight back anymore?" He mocked
He then started tearing off Qareen's dress from top to bottom.
Qareen fought back and shook, trying to slip out of his hold.
He pinned Qareen, punched it repeatedly in the face, and yelled at it to stop moving.
As Qareen took the hits, it shrieked, then it went silent.
The man sighed and said, "Now I can have fun without interruptions."
Qareen got ejected out of the flesh, and it stood next to it and stared at the flesh in bafflement.
Then it realized that the other half had taken control of the body if it got ejected.
Taz has finally awoken from her slumber. She opened her mad eyes and activated her reinforcement magic. She gripped his arm and punched him.
He fell on his back and groaned.
"You little bitch!" He growled.
Taz stood up, ran toward him and kicked his testicles with all her might. The man screamed in pain and rolled on the floor as he held his testicles.
She then kicked his head and stumped it repeatedly. She didn't stop until his skull was flattened and his eyeballs popped out of their sockets.
"What was that sound!?" the third man said.
Taz hid behind the door and waited.
The third man entered the room and stood still as he watched the headless corpse.
She sneaked behind him and broke his neck, turning his head in the opposite direction.
She tiptoed into the hallway and heard clapping and screams. She snuck, stepped closer into the bedroom, and glanced.
Yara was on her stomach, whimpering, and the man was ramming her behind as he groaned from the pleasure.
Taz snuck behind him, pulled him away and tripped him onto the floor. She then kicked his face and shot his penis with a lightning bolt, making it fly off its place.
The man screamed as his newly made hole sprouted blood. He tried to stop the bleeding by covering it with his hands, only for the blood to slip between his fingers.
She watched him as he suffered and chuckled wickedly. She then stomped on his head until his skull popped.
Taz turned to Yara and growled, "Where the fuck are we!?"
Yara turned to Taz as she sat up and said, "You can talk!?"
Taz stepped closer and said, "Answer me!"
Yara jumped back and said, "We're in Al Basra."
"Where are my clothes and weapons!?" Taz asked.
Yara cowered and said, "They are next to the bathroom's door, but Madam told us the guards stole your sword."
Taz stormed out of the room, and Yara followed her and said, "Where are you going!?"
"I am going to kill those guards," Taz growled.
Taz wore her old clothes and took her dagger with her.
She stormed out of the house, determined to find her treasured sword and hunt down who took it from her.
She went to the street, looked around with a sharp stare, and found a guard standing next to a store, talking to a shady individual.
She hurried towards and grabbed his collar and said, "Did you see a guard with a green sword!?"
"Who the fuck do you think you are?" The guard replied.
Taz punched his stomach and face and shouted, "Speak, or I will end you!"
"Fuck you," The guard replied.
Taz activated her reinforcement magic and knocked him down. She grabbed his wrist and said, "Last chance, or you'll lose an arm."
The guard whimpered, told her to stop, and confessed about a guard he saw in the station carrying a curved sword with a green sheathe.
Taz broke his wrist, dislocated his shoulder, and went to the guard's station to find the thief.
She ran through the streets, shoving away everyone who blocked her path. She crossed the bridge and found a crowd blocking her way in the distance.
She aimed at the sky and shot a thunderous bolt of lightning, and the crowd quickly dispersed as the sound was mightier than natural thunder.
She reached the guard's station.
It had a large courtyard and was surrounded by tall stone walls. It had a large building inside, and next to it was another smaller building used to store weapons.
She walked to the gate with a wrathful stare and confronted the two guards that watched over the entrance.
"I heard there was a cunt with a green sword in this station," Taz growled.
"I only see the cunt who stands before me," The guard replied.
"Wrong answer," Taz muttered.
Taz activated her reinforcement magic and struck the guard's side with a powerful kick, knocking him to his knees as he groaned in pain.
The second guard rushed towards Taz and quickly aimed at him as she coated her hand with lightning.
Taz glared at him and said, "Open the gate, and you'll be spared."
The guard returned to the gate and said, "The guards will hunt you down."
"The guards are scum. What happens now is the consequences of their actions," Taz replied.
The guard opened the gate, and he turned around to face Taz.
She punched his jaw, knocking him out.
She then went to the groaning guard, who stood on his knees and kicked the back of his head, also knocking him out.
She stormed inside, walked into the courtyard, and looked around, there were many guards, but none carried a green sword.
She went deeper into the courtyard and shot a lightning bolt at the sky to get their attention.
"Gather around, you cunts!" Taz shouted.
The guards gathered around her with their weapons drawn.
"One of you stole my sword, and I am here to take it back," Taz said.
"What if you don't get your sword back?" A Guard mocked.
Taz turned to the guard that spoke and said, "Then this courtyard will be your grave."
The guards laughed and mocked her, holding their stomachs as they did.
Taz walked back to the gate, closed it and sealed it.
She turned around and muttered, "Have it your way then."
Lightning covered her entire body, and the guards went silent as they realized their grave error.
She Shot the sand with lightning, and the sand turned into spikes of hardened glass.
She broke one out and held it as if it was a spear. The guards began to panic and scrambled.
She activated her reinforcement magic and threw the glass at one of the guards. It pierced his torso like a knife through bread, making him fall to the ground.
She picked up the glass spikes and threw them, killing the guards as if she were hunting cattle trapped in a field.
After using all the spikes, she went after the guards.
She walked toward them and shouted, "Where is my sword!?"
The guards pleaded with Taz not to kill them and promised to bring the guard who took her sword.
She angrily responded to them and commanded them to bring the thief and the sword to her unless they wanted the massacre to resume.
They went inside, dragged a guard to her, and her treasured sword was strapped to his back.
Taz commanded them to put him on the ground and for them to back far away from him. The guards obeyed her as they witnessed how much destruction a magic wielder could conjure.
She stepped closer to the thief and stepped on his head.
Taz looked down at him and said, "You should've thought twice before taking my sword."
The guard barely uttered a word, and Taz stomped on his head.
"I didn't allow you to speak, you fucking scum!" She asserted.
Taz took her sword off his back and unsheathed the blade.
"Do you know what the punishment for thieves is?" Taz threatened.
The guard begged for mercy. He told her he couldn't return to his family missing a hand.
Taz threatened him again and told him it was either his hand or his head.
The guard extended his arm out to the side and whimpered.
Taz went behind him, strapped the sheathe to her back and held her sword. She lifted it high, struck down on the guard's shoulder, and cut off his arm.
The guard fell to his side and screamed in pain as his wound gushed blood.
Taz healed his wound, ensuring he couldn't reattach his arm again.
She sheathed her sword, took his separated arm, and walked out.
She was holding the arm by its palm, wrapping her hand around it as if she were holding her lover's hand.
She opened the gate. Only to be met by a large force sent by the military waiting for her outside.
Among them were magic users. They were aiming at her with fire coming out of their palms.
A man walked to her out of the crowd, the same man who found the Qareen.
"Hello, Tanaz," He said.
Taz glared at him and said, "I didn't think the guards would send a beast hunter after me."
"I didn't think you would recover this fast. When I found you in the morning, you looked dead," He replied.
"What do you want?" Taz asked.
"The king demands your presence. We already sent your team to Babilim," He said.
"I need to do one last thing before I go," Taz said.
"What would that be?" He asked.
Taz threw the arm to the beast hunter, and he caught it.
"Eat it," Taz said.
The hunter stared at her and asked, "Do you take me for a wild animal?"
"Yes, and I offer you fresh food," Taz replied.
The beast hunter kept the arm with him and signaled his men to capture Taz.
They departed to Babilim, where Taz and her team would attend a trial to decide their fate.
The End