Badriya as-Sahra is sick of piling up camel dung and picking people's pockets for a living. Her world discriminates against women and orphans, and it is only her damned luck that she happens to be both. She yearns for more but can't do anything else...
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Ayaz always knew he had a monster inside him.
He couldn't remember when it emerged. Perhaps it had always been there residing in his deepest subconscious, waiting to be released when the right time came along. Or perhaps it was when he witnessed the gruesome death of the only person who truly cared for him that, in a way, it gave way to what was about to come.
However it came to be, it now reigned over him in totality. The monster controlled everything that was essentially himself, and there he was, watching helplessly in the cage that was his mind as it spawned itself into the world in a burst of flame and feathers.
The anqa.
It towered over the Sultan and his djinn, shaking the earth with its scream. It was so large its head broke through the chamber's dense roof. Ayaz wished the anqa would scare his father out of his wits and kill him with its fire. If he couldn't kill him with his blade, then any way else would do him and the world good.
But the Sultan only laughed. Even from above and afar, Ayaz could see how delighted he looked at the Jewel and the anqa, which only fueled his rage further if that was even possible. How dare he do this to him? How could he have the heart-the lack thereof-to turn his own son into a monster?
"Look at you," the Sultan said, bringing Ayaz back to reality. "I've always wanted to see a creature of old up close, and now here you are."
Ayaz's anger reignited. He tried directing it to get past the monster's consciousness, but it was futile. The anqa didn't retaliate against the Sultan as he hoped. It only stood with its wings folded and neck bent down, patiently waiting.
"Will it heed me?" Shahrayar asked, still gazing at the anqa with admiration.
"Yes, sayyidi," the djinn replied, her voice monotonous. "The firebird is at your beck and call. Your wish is not affected by the Jewel's rules, as you planned."
"Good."
What was his father going to do with him? Ayaz already had an inkling, but he couldn't bear think about it. There was no stopping the chaos and rampage Shahrayar was about to bring, and he couldn't do anything about it.
Shahrayar looked at the Jewel glowing in his hand. "I will finally put an end to Khadys' plans." He perked up, his gaze glazed over as though in a fever dream. "And you will help me stop them, my son. You may hate me for it-you already do-but I have to make sacrifices for the sake of Zecaj."
If Ayaz still had his body, he would've lunged and screamed at him in rage. Shahrayar had this conspiracy that Khadys was plotting war embedded in his mind, but there was no conspiracy to begin with. Khadys was a prosperous country and it had no reason to wage war against anyone. Of course, their country's relationship with Khadys was rocky at best-Ayaz sometimes heard talks about negotiations on open trade from Khalil-but it was better than a bomb waiting to explode.
