Predators and prey
Eleven days later, northeast of the peninsula. Southwest of Mesopotamia's outer border.
In the morning time, the weather was windy and cool.
A'saal and Taz were accompanied by the beast hunter Taz met in Al Basra.
He was sent to accompany them by Ahmad's order, not that he didn't trust A'saal, but the outer lands were not a place for the inexperienced. A simple mistake or a miscalculation of your supplies would usually result in death.
Their destination was a small village near the western borders of Mesopotamia.
The village was small and didn't have many residents. Although it was considered a trade hub, the dangers of living in it weren't worth the risk for many.
It had no walls, and the buildings were small and rugged.
Mesopotamian soldiers mainly handled the village's security, though it had no value to the common man. But for frequent merchants and travelers, its existence and functionality meant life or death.
Outside the borders was no man's land.
There were no rules, and every small town or village was responsible for keeping its people and lands safe.
Be it from bandits or beasts, although sometimes these two were the least of their concerns.
Outside the lands of the great powers, Mesopotamia and Kemet.
Organized criminal groups, Assassins, gangs, and infamous groups or individuals roam free.
They obey no one, follow no set of ethics, nor would they flinch when told to commit a crime.
The outside lands were indeed lawless territories; only those who were fit to survive could hope to live another day.
Upon arrival, they disembarked and let their horses rest in the village's stables. They weren't pretty like the ones in Babilim, but it was better than leaving the horses unguarded.
They walked deeper into the village and went inside a tavern. It was a small square place, rugged with cracks on its white walls.
They sat at a table in the middle of the tavern and rested their luggage next to their feet.
The tavern had a few people inside, apart from the bartenders.
Taz looked at A'saal and said, "It would be much better if you told me you wanted someone to carry your goods."
"Would you agree if I told you?" A'saal replied.
"No, but it would be preferable if you took my approval before using me as a pack mule," Taz replied.
A'saal leaned closer, smirked and said, "Apologies, Jinn slayer," then chuckled.
"Don't call me by that name; it's bland," Taz argued.
"Not many face the might of the Jinn and survive," The beast hunter said.
"True, you became known within the royal guard," A'saal said.
"Yes, it feels good being famous to people called the king's dogs," Taz mocked.
The beast hunter leaned his arms on the table and said, "Let me guess, you heard this name from the military?"
"Your people are infamous and tend to be cunts whenever they can," Taz replied.
"Are you still angry about how my men treated you?" The beast hunter asked.
"When we return, you can tell them I am going to kill them if I ever see one of them," Taz said.
"You can't expect people to treat you nicely if you keep acting like a little bitch," The beast hunter said.
"Fuck you. I even fed you to express my good intentions," Taz replied.
"After You killed twenty guards and amputated one? feeding me a human arm isn't good enough to gain my men's favor!" The beast hunter retorted.
A'saal sighed and shouted, "Enough! Both of you."
Taz and the beast hunter leaned back on their chairs as they glared at each other.
A'saal leaned forward and said authoritatively, "We will travel together for a while. If I hear you two arguing again, I'll cut off your tongues myself!"
The beast hunter cleared his throat and said, "Apologies, lioness."
Taz crossed her arms and sighed.
The Bartender came to them. He greeted them and asked them what food they would like to order.
A'saal turned to him as she tapped her finger on the table and said, "Do you have meat?"
"Yes," The Bartender replied.
"What kind?" A'saal asked.
"Chickens, goats, sheep and camels," The Bartender said.
"Do you have a live animal?" A'saal asked.
"….What?" The bartender wondered.
"What she meant is do you have large portions of raw meat," Taz said.
"No, but we can slaughter an animal, but it will cost you more," The bartender said.
"I'll pay more if you could offer me the animal alive," A'saal said.
The bartender grew worried and said, "Sure… we have a healthy young goat on our farm. Ask my wife, and she'll lead you there."
A'saal looked at Taz and said, "Do you need more money, or do you have enough?"
"I have plenty. Go enjoy your meal," Taz replied.
A'saal and the beast hunter got up and approached the bartender's wife.
The bartender looked at Taz and said, "I hope you're going to order something normal."
"I hope your cooked food tastes better than raw meat," Taz replied.
"Don't worry. We only serve fresh food here," The bartender said.
"I'll take the sheep meat. I want ribs, liver and heart and five loaves of bread," Taz said.
The bartender pouted, raised his eyebrows and said, "You're going to have to pay upfront if you're not jesting about what you said."
"How much?" Taz asked.
"Twenty dinars," The bartender replied.
"Cheap," Taz muttered. She then asked. "Do you have any sweets?"
"Honey and Maf-rukah," The bartender said.
"Huh, Maf-rukah? I'll have one," Taz said.
"Drinks?" The bartender asked.
"Water. I'll take coffee after eating," Taz said.
"That'll be twenty-two dinars," The Bartender said.
Taz pulled up her money pouch, gave the bartender twenty-five dinars, and told him to keep what was left.
The bartender left.
Meanwhile, with A'saal and the beast hunter.
They arrived at the farm. It had a small barn and a brown windmill.
In the middle of the barn, a lonely goat stood alone. The son of the bartender took the other animals away for a stroll.
A'saal turned to the woman that accompanied them and said, "How much for the goat?"
"It will cost you seventy dinars," The woman said.
A'saal gave her money and said, "Do you know a spot without people in it?"
"Go south of the village; only Jinns reside in that area," The woman replied.
The beast hunter went into the barn and carried the goat on his shoulder as it bleated in terror.
They walked south of the village and crossed the sandy paths.
The beast hunter stroked the goat's back and said, "Do you think this goat is enough for the two of us?"
"I don't eat as much as I used to; it should be enough," A'saal replied.
They climbed on top of a small hill with a large rock at its peak.
A'saal sat on the rock and waited for the beast hunter to slaughter the goat.
The beast hunter laid the goat on its side and looked around.
He switched to his owl eyes and said, "That woman wasn't jesting. There's a lot of Jinn surrounding the hill."
"Pay them no heed; they're harmless," A'saal said.
"After what happened, I'm surprised the tensions between the species didn't escalate," The Beast hunter said.
"Jinn may be emotional, but they believe in equality," A'saal said.
The beast hunter pulled his knife and said, "Lift your dress unless you want goat blood on it."
A'saal lifted her legs and crossed them.
The beast hunter covered the goat's eyes with its long ears, then slit its throat. Blood sprouted out of the goat's neck as it breathed heavily.
The beast hunter held its neck down, looked at A'saal and said, "I wonder, why did they call you the lioness of Mesopotamia?"
A'saal chuckled and said, "I rarely get asked that question. What's your goal?"
"Passing time until the goat bleeds out," The beast hunter replied.
"Fair enough, they gave me that title for two reasons. The first reason was that I killed a beast with my bare hands, and the second was because I am a royal family member," A'saal replied.
"So, the rumors about you were correct?" The beast hunter said.
A'saal rested her chin on her fist and said, "I was in a foul mood that day."
The beast hunter laughed while the goat started shaking violently as its blood began to run out. He pushed down its rump to prevent the lifeless goat from running away.
As the moments passed, the goat stopped moving.
The beast hunter looked at A'saal and asked, "Heart or liver?"
"Heart," A'saal replied.
He started skinning the goat from its frontal legs, then cut its stomach open. He dropped his knife next to the goat's head and broke its ribcage with his bare hands.
He cut the arteries connected to the heart and threw it to A'saal. He then cut out the liver and sat next to the goat.
While they ate.
A'saal looked at him and said, "Rahul. What did you find when you searched for Tanaz?"
Rahul looked at A'saal and said, "Her Qareen confronted us."
"What? Qareen? I thought they never go far from the flesh," A'saal said.
"It didn't. It stood near the cave she was in," Rahul said.
"What did it do?" A'saal said.
"It did what any Qareen would do. It protected its flesh. Although I wonder what Tanaz went through to force her Qareen out of the flesh?" Rahul said.
"It seems Nasya went too far with her training," A'saal said.
"The cheetah? Is that why she stayed in Babilim for years?" Rahul asked.
"Ahmad hired her to train Tanaz," A'saal said.
"That explains what I saw. We found dead wolves with their hearts and livers missing, and the battlefield she was in turned gray from the ashes," Rahul said.
"She must have overused her Reinforcement magic; she was lucky enough to find food, let alone be found by you," A'saal said.
Rahul skinned the frontal legs of the goat, tore them off with his knife and broke the bones with his hands.
He handed the leg to A'saal while he took the other, then they started eating.
Rahul looked at A'saal and said, "How did you become a beast hunter?"
"You're starting to ask too many personal questions, Rahul," A'saal said.
"Apologies, Lioness. But the hunters of the royal forces hail you as a legend," Rahul said.
"There are other worthy hunters that deserve to be admired for their feats," A'saal said.
"And most of them were trained by you, the sole remaining hunter of the golden era," Rahul said.
"That era is gone; what was left was buried in the sands. Focus on the current age and hope to survive long enough to tell the tale," A'saal said.
Meanwhile, with Taz.
She was done eating the meat she ordered, then ate the loaves of bread. But a hidden admirer was watching her eat across the room.
He was a handsome young man with a white skin tone and long silky black hair. He had spotless skin and pink lips that never touched tobacco.
He watched Taz eat the large quantities of meat as if she were a hungry beast and smiled as he gazed at her big strong arms.
It was captivating and arousing. His skin and body tingled as he heard her groans as she ate.
Unable to resist her primal charm, he got up and walked to her.
He sat on the chair beside her and gently said, "Apologies for intruding on your feast, but I couldn't help it."
Taz looked at him with wide eyes, stunned as his looks were far too perfect to ignore. She wanted to reply, but she took a big bite, and it was hard to chew quicker.
She grabbed the jug of water, drank it to soften the bread in her mouth, and then swallowed it.
Taz smiled brightly and softly said, "You surprised me."
They chatted briefly and exchanged smiles and chuckles.
Then another young man walked into the tavern. He was frail and looked feminine. He wore a red dress and had colored makeup on his face.
He approached them and sat on the lap of the young man who talked to Taz, wrapping his arm around the feminine man's waist.
Taz went silent, and the smile on her face quickly faded.
The feminine man looked at Taz and said, "My, you're big and strong."
The young man looked at the feminine man and said, "I was talking to him. Not only was his appearance enchanting but also his words."
Taz looked at them in confusion and said, "Why are you referring to me as a man?"
"Aren't you a man?" The young man said.
"No! I am a woman," Taz replied.
"In our village, anyone can be whomever they want, my dear," The feminine man said softly.
Taz stood up, looked at the feminine man and growled, "And why the fuck do you talk like a woman?"
"I am a woman as well," The feminine man said.
"No, you're not. You cock-sucking fruity cunt!" Taz replied.
The feminine man started crying, stood up and said, "You have no right to judge anyone, you harlot!"
The young man stood up and argued, "Why are you insulting him for doing the same thing you do!?"
"I was born a woman! Unlike this fruity cunt standing behind you," Taz said.
"With that hair of yours, no one will believe you're a woman!" The feminine man mocked.
"I'll beat you to death if you don't get out of my sight!" Taz growled.
The feminine man gave Taz a mean stare and said, "We are not interested in women anyway."
The homosexual couple rushed out of the tavern, displeased.
Taz sat back in her seat, sighed and mumbled, "I hate this village already."
Although a bit was left of her food, the recent encounter made her lose her appetite.
She packed her belongings and then left the tavern for a stroll to cool off.
Taz walked through the village to explore it.
She walked on the sand and looked around; there wasn't much to see. The buildings and houses were poorly maintained, apparent from the cracks in the walls.
On the sandy road, shacks stood that sold garments and stones, yet something caught her eye.
A tall tent colored blue that had a width of eight meters.
The sign above said, "Witchcraft accessories."
Taz was initially skeptical, but she had nothing better to do; she decided to go in.
She approached it and strolled as she opened the veil. She found a woman inside that sat on a chair with a table in front of her.
The woman was of Alkebu-lan descent.
She had wide black eyes and a soft smile. She wore a flappy black dress and a blue head veil.
She looked at Taz and said, "What do you seek, young woman?"
Taz approached her, looked around and said, "You have a nice tent, Sorceress of Alkebu-lan."
She chuckled softly and said, "I'm impressed you know my origins."
Taz sat on the chair and said, "I knew a woman from your place."
The witch crossed her hands and asked, "May I know this woman's name?"
"Nasya, she's a huntress," Taz replied.
The witch's eyes widened as she muttered, "An acquaintance of the champion…."
Taz looked at her in confusion and said, "Do you know her?"
The witch held Taz's hands tightly and said, "Everyone in Alkebu-lan knows the champion. Her feats and adventures are still talked about to this day."
"She never told me about that," Taz replied.
"To honor our champion, I'll do my best to support you," The witch said.
"What can you offer me?" Taz asked.
"I can make spells to do everything you want. Be it wealth, power, fame, or love," The witch offered.
"Love?" Taz wondered.
"Name me any man or woman you want, and I will make them fall for you in the blink of an eye," The witch said.
"I am unsure if it's the right thing to do…..." Taz said.
"While you waste time thinking, the one you adore might be going for someone other than you," The witch incited.
Taz froze, stuttered, and said, "I'll.... I'll do it."
The witch pulled out a doll and said, "Since you're an acquaintance of the champion. This spell is complimentary."
Taz nodded.
"What does your loved one look like?" The witch asked.
Taz described her loved one to the witch, who started sewing the doll to match the target's appearance.
After that, the witch asked Taz for something that belonged to the target.
Taz pulled out the necklace, handed it to the witch, and said, "I have his necklace."
The witch inspected it and said, "The necklace is silver; the spirits won't accept it."
Taz grew worried and said, "What else can I give you to complete the spell?"
"Anything, like hair strands or clothes," The witch asked.
Taz pulled out her bag and started frantically searching, then she remembered.
Talal used to ask her for the books she carried with her. She opened the last book he had read, hoping to find a trace of him.
She searched page after page until she finally found a small strand of hair. She pulled it out, looked at it like sacred treasure, and handed it over to the witch.
The witch took the hair and said, "Are you sure this is his hair?"
"Yes, he is the only one I lent my books to," Taz replied.
The witch sewed the hair strand onto the doll and said, "It's done. When you return to your beloved, he won't be able to resist you."
Taz was cheerful to hear what the witch said and thanked her; she almost hugged her joyfully.
She walked out of the tent with a bright smile and strolled unknowingly into the village as she daydreamed about her return to Babilim.
Meanwhile, with A'saal and Rahul.
They finished their fresh meal and left nothing but skin and bones.
Rahul sorted the remains in an orderly fashion in case the Jinn near them felt hungry.
They descended the hill and returned to the village. Yet on their way, a soldier from the town rushed towards them.
He waved to them and told them the chief demanded their audience. A'saal was reluctant as the leader was known to be an unpleasant man to be around.
Being the diligent woman she was, A'saal agreed to meet the leader.
They strolled on the sandy path and headed to his house.
The leader's house was the only one well-maintained. The walls were clean and polished. It had the green flag of the town planted on the roof.
By the villagers' definition, it was a house fit for a chief.
They stepped towards the door's guard, but the guards quickly rejected Rahul's entrance, as the leader demanded only A'saal.
"Do you know who the fuck I am?" Rahul argued.
A'saal turned to Rahul, grabbed his shoulder and said, "Do not forget your duty, Rahul. Don't worry about me; go look for Tanaz."
Rahul sighed, but A'saal was correct. Her safety was her duty; what mattered most was Taz's safety.
He apologized to A'saal, then bid her farewell and left.
A'saal went inside.
She walked through a narrow corridor. The walls were painted reddish-purple, and the floor was wooden. It was dimly lit, and the house smelled of scented wood.
A'saal went to the left and entered a squared waiting room with benches lined with the walls.
She stood there, looked around, and sniffed to smell the people's scent inside.
Her nose picked up the scent of eight people inside the leader's hall. One was the smell of the chief, but the other seven were foreign to her; their fragrances were mixed between men and women.
A'saal furrowed her eyebrows, pouted and muttered, "Why do I smell semen?"
She strolled to the hall and suspected she might walk into an orgy, yet she had to heed the governors' calls.
She went into the hall, and there he was, the leader.
He sat on his chair with two feminine boys on his lap, and five other boys and girls lay beside his feet as they held each other lecherously.
A'saal approached him slowly and glared at him without saying a word.
The leader noticed her as he was kissing the boy's neck and chest. He gently whispered to the boys to get off his lap as a guest had arrived.
He was a man in his late thirties with a bald head and a short thick beard. He wore light clothes that barely covered anything of his hairy body.
He stood and said, "A'saal! It's so good to see you again."
"Sadly, I can't say the same for you, Hamza," A'saal said.
Hamza laughed, approached A'saal and said, "I love your fiery attitude. It's good to see it didn't fade away with time."
A'saal crossed her arms and said, "I can see your perversion never faded as well. Tell me, Hamza. Why did you summon me?"
"I missed you," Hamza said.
A'saal looked behind him, then looked at him again and said, "And because of that, you decided to enslave those poor boys and girls,"
"In my defense, they asked for it," Hamza replied.
"Everyone knows the matchmaker does your bidding," A'saal replied.
"Yet, her sorcery didn't work on you. I wonder why, my love?" Hamza said.
"Lions are hunters, never the hunted," A'saal said.
Hamza approached A'saal, smiled and whispered seductively, "Then it seems I am the only man who seeks to hunt one."
A'saal gripped his neck tightly and said, "Then you will only have its claws on your neck."
Hamza laughed manically as he held A'saal's wrist. He started to drool and said, "Your touch gives me more pleasure than anyone else."
A'saal pushed him away and said, "If you have no important matters to discuss, I shall take my leave."
Hamza coughed and said in a dry voice, "Wait! I wanted to request support from the royal army."
A'saal glared at him and said, "We are not going to give you our best soldiers to be your guards!"
Hamza rubbed his neck and said, "You misunderstood, dear. I want to request beast hunters to solve our problem."
"And what problem would that be?" A'saal said.
"You went to the hill, correct? You have seen the large gathering of Jinns in that area," Hamza said.
"And what of it? Jinns dwell in caves and mountains," A'saal said.
"That's not the problem. The problem is those Jinns came seeking revenge for their fallen," Hamza said.
"The war between the aegis and the southern Jinns has ended; they both declared peace," A'saal said.
"I am not referring to the war! Something else is hunting Jinns near the hills, which is not human or natural," Hamza said.
A'saal approached Hamza and said, "Did you see it or hear its noise?"
"Everyone I sent to scout was killed, and even their armor was torn," Hamza said.
A'saal's eyes widened, and she muttered, "Shit…." She then looked at Hamza and said, "Tell everyone to stay in their homes; I'll take care of it."
A'saal rushed out of the house and stood outside. She noticed the sun had started setting.
She whistled as loud as she could and hoped for her battle companion to hear it and heed her call.
A fireball emerged from the clouds and roared like thunder as it approached the ground. It landed before A'saal and spread like a tidal wave on the floor.
The flames went back together and formed into an Ifrit.
The Ifrit was colored dark red, with large horns on its forehead. It had a goat's legs and a man's upper body and was tall.
The Ifrit approached A'saal and said, "I thought you had retired, my friend."
"In these cursed lands, trouble actively seeks a person, but we don't have much time to chat," A'saal said.
"I'm at your command, A'saal," The Ifrit said.
"A pair of beasts dwell in the caves, and by their actions, it seems they are nursing their young. I need you to find them and tell me where and what they are," A'saal said.
"It will be done," The Ifrit said.
The Ifrit flew and turned into flames, then took off to the hills.
A'saal rushed to the tavern. If what she thought was accurate, she'll need Rahul's help.
When she reached the tavern, she found Taz and Rahul standing outside.
A'saal came up to them and said, "Rahul! We have a job to do."
Rahul turned to her and said, "What happened?"
"Beasts are nursing nearby," A'saal said.
"Shit…" Rahul said.
"Why do we have to help this foul village? We should leave them to their demise," Taz said.
A'saal grabbed Taz's collar and said, "If this village falls, the trade of Mesopotamia will be affected dramatically."
The fireball flew back and landed behind A'saal and made a loud thud.
A'saal turned to it, Rahul switched to his owl eyes, and Taz was left in wonder as she didn't have the means to see the Jinn.
The Ifrit stepped forward and said, "They saw me, Master. And one of them is chasing me!"
A'saal approached it and said, "Who!?"
"The beasts! A triplet of Qutrubs nursing five cubs," The Ifrit said.
They heard a roar that shook their bodies from the south.
A'saal returned to the tavern and said, "Protect Tanaz, and give me time to get my gear!"
Taz looked at Rahul and said, "Whom is she talking to?"
The Ifrit showed itself to Taz and manifested as a man.
Taz startled and gasped. She looked at him and said, "Who the fuck are you?"
"I fought with A'saal ever since she became a huntress," The Ifrit said.
"I massacred your kind on my own. What makes you any different from them?" Taz argued.
"It's an Ifrit, the highest and the most potent type of Jinn," Rahul said.
Taz walked past the Ifrit and said, "Even the strongest flame can be quenched by mere water."
The roar of the beast got louder and nearer.
Rahul stepped into the sand path and said, "The beast is near."
Rahul pulled out his sword and lowered himself, and prepared to charge.
"Tanaz, have you seen a Qutrub before?" Rahul whispered.
"They're like were...." Taz said.
Before Taz finished her sentence, the mighty beast showed itself from the far side of the road.
It approached them menacingly.
Its eyes were bright red that shined in the dark. Its black fur merged with the darkness surrounding it. Its vast body gave off a clear signal of danger.
It walked closer, and the light of one of the house torches shined on it. It showed the horror that Taz and Rahul had to face.
It appeared like a wolf, and it walked on two legs. Its large fangs were bloodied and pointy. Its long arms were thick and veiny, and its claws were short and sharp.
Rahul had to squint his eyes to understand better what the beast was carrying in its left hand; it was round and shiny.
"What the fuck is it holding?" Rahul said.
The beast stopped and started taking a throwing form and threw the object it held at Taz.
It threw the object with incredible force, and Taz was too slow and ill-equipped to realize what had happened.
Rahul grabbed Taz's collar and pulled her away just in time to avoid the projectile.
Taz felt the gust of wind on her face, not realizing she was at death's door if Rahul didn't pull her away.
"What the fuck was that?" Taz panicked.
"You were this close to getting your skull smashed in. Stay near the Ifrit; I will face the beast," Rahul said.
The beast chuckled and drooled as it watched what had happened from afar. It walked on all four and sped up with each step.
Rahul began walking toward the beast and activated his Reinforcement magic. He knew the beast's strength was no laughing matter.
He picked up the sand beneath him and electrocuted it with a powerful bolt, resulting in shards of thick glass.
He waited until the beast came closer and readied himself for the perfect moment as the beast approached. The sounds of thuds, growling and breathing became audible.
The beast reached the perfect distance of twenty meters. Rahul threw the shards at its face and hoped to blind it.
The shards punctured its right eye, and the beast stopped in its tracks as it began to bleed. It screamed in pain in a deep and horrific voice.
Rahul rushed toward it.
It was the perfect chance to kill it before it returned to its senses. He swung his sword to its neck, but the beast was more competent than to let that happen.
It stepped back, evaded the slash, lunged at Rahul and punched his gut.
The force of its blow sent Rahul flying, then rolled to the ground as he fell.
Taz looked at Rahul.
He gasped loudly and coughed blood.
She knew Rahul needed time to recover, but the beast won't waste time.
She poked the Ifrit to notify it of her plan, then approached the beast. She stood between it and Rahul.
The beast glared at her, growled, drooled and said, "Move... Boy…."
Taz activated her reinforcement magic, pulled out her curved sword, coated her left arm with lightning, and lowered her body.
She glared at the beast and said, "You fucking abomination."
"There's no need to spill your virgin blood. My quarrel is with his kind," The beast said.
"Don't expect mercy out of me. I killed for less," Taz replied.
"So be it," The beast said.
The beast jumped at Taz, then, from the ground beneath, a pillar of flames arose. The beast then lay on its stomach, rolled on the floor and screamed in agony.
Taz quickly gripped Its head, then shocked it with thunderous lightning.
She electrocuted the beast three times consecutively. With each shot, a mighty grumble followed that shook the core of everything in a kilometer radius.
The beast's brain was melted, the top of its skull torn off from the intensity. Its eyes popped out of their sockets as smoke rose from the eyeholes.
Its fur was either burned or stood from the static electricity.
The Ifrit rose from the ground, gripped the beast's upper back, lifted it, and said, "Quickly! Cut off its head."
Taz grabbed her sword with both arms, lifted it high, struck down on the beast's neck, and cut off its head.
The beast's head rolled on the ground, and the Ifrit dropped its decapitated corpse.
Taz looked at the beast's head, started chuckling and said, "I did it! I killed a beast."
The ringing of healing magic was heard, and its source was Rahul.
Taz looked at Rahul and cheerfully said, "It's dead!"
Rahul stood up, groaned and said, "You killed a young one. Its parents are still alive."
The smile on Taz's face quickly faded as the reality of the situation hit her. If a young one was this powerful, how strong is a full-grown Qutrub?
The Ifrit approached Taz and said, "The beast hunter is correct. The other two I saw were two times bigger than this one."
A'saal walked out of the tavern. She wore her battle gear.
She wore leather armor with a short-shafted axe on her hip and a sword on her back.
She glanced at the mess before her and said, "Who killed the young Qutrub?"
The Ifrit approached A'saal and said, "The girl killed it to protect the hunter."
A'saal glared at Rahul, approached him and said, "You should be ashamed to call yourself a hunter if a girl saved your life."
Rahul looked at the floor and said, "Apologies, lioness. I never knew Qutrubs are witty amid battle."
Taz sheathed her sword, approached A'saal and said, "Don't be hard on him. He saved my life."
A'saal glared at Taz and said, "If I wanted the opinion of an arrogant little girl, I would've asked for it."
She then looked back at Rahul and said, "The Beasts of Mesopotamia may be weak, but the ones that dwell in these lands are not to be underestimated!"
Rahul nodded and said, "Understood, Lioness."
A'saal then left and ordered everyone to follow her to eliminate the remaining beasts. The Ifrit returned to its original form and flew above them to guide them to their lair.
They arrived at their lair and stood in front of the entrance. It was a large hole at the bottom of a rocky valley.
A'saal turned to Taz and said, "Stay here and guard the entrance."
"What? No! I want to go with you," Taz said.
"Can you see in the darkness of caves?" A'saal asked.
"No," Taz replied.
"Then shut the fuck up and guard the entrance," A'saal scolded.
Taz sighed and sat aside as the hunters went inside. She sat there all alone in the night's darkness.
She looked around, both on alert and anxious.
"I wish I could have a personal Ifrit. My battles would've been a lot easier," She muttered.
She looked at the sky and gazed at the stars momentarily until she noticed something was off. What she thought at first to be a bright star was an orb of light from the top of the valley.
She stood up, squinted her eyes and muttered, "That light…. Where does it come from?"
She took a step forward, but she felt the heaviness of her leg as if something was trying to stop her from chasing after the light.
She then wanted to take another step, but her other leg won't move. It was frozen in its place. She tried pulling and lifting her leg, but she couldn't move.
"This happens far too often to be considered normal," She muttered.
After a short struggle, Taz gave up pursuing the light and sat back next to the entrance.
The Ifrit rose from the ground in front of Taz and spooked her.
Taz gasped and said, "Can you try to appear normally!?"
The Ifrit looked at her and said, "The hunters killed the beasts. A'saal wants you to come inside."
"I can't see in the dark," Taz replied.
"I will light the path for you," The Ifrit said.
Taz stood up and followed the Ifrit inside as it lit the way with its flames.
They soon reached the lair. It was a large room shaped like a dome.
The Ifrit flew to the high ceiling and hovered at its center. It Ignited its bright flames and lit the room.
Taz saw the aftermath of the battle, blood on the walls and the floor, and body parts of the beasts scattered everywhere.
A'saal, who had blood over her face and armor, looked at Taz with her owl eyes and said, "Come here, Tanaz. Let us test you."
Taz looked at her and noticed A'saal standing beside a hole in the cave's wall.
She approached her and asked, "What's your test, A'saal?"
"I want to see if Nawar's cowardness affected you…." A'saal spoke softly.
Taz approached her as A'saal leaned in the hold and pulled out a human-looking cub.
It appeared like a human infant with blood-red eyes and lightly grown dark fur.
Taz Jumped back and panicked.
"What the fuck is that!?" Taz shouted.
A'saal approached her, held the infant by its neck and said, "This is what a Qutrub cub looks like."
Taz kept stepping back and said, "It looks like a human infant!"
A'saal kept approaching her and said, "Oh? Didn't you know? Qutrubs were originally humans who turned into beasts after using foul sorcery."
Taz kept stepping back until her back was against the wall.
She looked at A'saal in fear and said, "Whatever it is, keep it away from me!"
A'saal stopped, smirked and said, "I want you to kill it."
"NO!" Taz argued.
"And here I thought you wanted to dominate your enemies, Jinn slayer," A'saal mocked.
"I kill those who bring me harm! Not those who did nothing to me," Taz said.
A'saal chuckled and said, "Then let me make it easier for you…."
She threw the beast cub at Taz.
Taz tensed up and lifted her arms to guard. The cub latched onto her arm and growled.
It bit her forearm and tore off her skin and sleeve. She screamed in pain, grabbed its head and electrocuted it.
The cub fell to the floor like a bag of rice, and its dying body twitched.
Taz looked at A'saal, angry and upset. Only to find her holding two cubs with her hands.
Taz looked at her with fear and said, "Don't...."
Before she finished her sentence, A'saal threw the second and third cub at her.
Taz quickly coated her arms with lightning, caught the cubs, pinned them down on the floor, and electrocuted them.
Before Taz got to her guard, A'saal threw the remaining cubs at Taz.
They clung to her shoulders and bit off chunks of her trap and shoulder muscles.
Taz screeched in agony, coated her upper body with lightning, and killed the cubs.
She gasped and cried as her shoulders poured blood.
Rahul came running to her and healed her injuries before she bled out.
Her wounds were healed, but her mind was not. She looked at the corpses of the cubs, sobbed and whimpered.
They look like us, was what she thought. Yet killing them felt heavy and horrible. There was no joy or glory, only discomfort.
A'saal approached her, glared down at her and said, "This is a glimpse of the madness you'll encounter in the peninsula. If you cannot handle it, you should let go of your dreams and play soldier with your pitiful team," and walked out.
"Are you okay?" Rahul calmly asked.
Taz glared at the corpses, conflicted yet determined. Fearful yet wrathful.
She collected herself and muttered, "Fuck that old bitch."
She pulled out her dagger and pulled one of the corpses to her.
Rahul looked at her in confusion and said, "What are you going to do?"
Taz cut the stomach of the infant's corpse open and said, "As Nasya always told me, in this world, there's only predators and prey. Predators never feel for their prey because they only see them as food."
"Are you going to eat the corpses!?" Rahul said.
Taz yanked out the infant's tiny heart and said, "I'll do whatever it takes to reach the pinnacle of our specie!"
She started eating the tiny heart as blood spouted out. It wetted her hands, mouth and the floor.
She ate the organs of the corpses one after another and left nothing for the maggots.
After a while.
Her face, neck and hands were entirely covered with blood as she finished eating the last corpse.
She left the cave and headed to the entrance where A'saal and Rahul were waiting for her, as the Ifrit followed her.
She reached the entrance, and the sun of dawn rose.
A'saal looked at her and said, "I take it you want to continue this journey."
Taz stared at her with wide-crazed eyes and said, "Whatever comes my way, I will kill it and feast on its flesh like prey."
A'saal smirked like a proud mother and said, "Good. Human ethics will weigh you down."
They headed back to the village in silence. None talked; none made a noise, as if their minds were blank.
They reached the village and saw the villagers standing around the beast's corpse.
They approached them, and Rahul told them to stay far from the corpse.
The circle of villagers loosened.
In the middle of the gathering stood Hamza next to the head of the beast.
Hamza looked at the group and asked, "Is it over?"
"The beasts are dead, along with their cubs," Rahul replied.
A villager man stepped out of the circle, pointed to Taz and said, "She's the one who slew the beast!"
Hamza looked at Taz and said, "So you're the one who came with A'saal."
He tried approaching her, only for Taz to quickly draw her sword and point its bloody tip at his neck as she glared sharply at him.
Hamza stopped, raised his arms to express no means of harm and said, "You have fierce eyes as if you were a rabid wolf."
"He means no harm, Tanaz," A'saal said.
Taz sheathed her sword, and her glare was still locked on Hamza's eyes.
Hamza rubbed his neck as he felt Taz's intent to decapitate him.
He exhaled heavily and said, "You're more fearsome than the beasts you slew, Tanaz. For that, I shall bestow upon you the title of Luna-wolf. I'll take it upon myself to spread your deed across Mesopotamia and Kemet, so everyone who steps into these lands will know to fear your might."
The villagers roared and cheered, "Luna-wolf! Luna-wolf! Luna-wolf!"
The End