When my skin is not my own and the heart is tainted, there is still one thing that will always belong to me. My soul! No more shall it weep in the darkest of nights but it shall become a beacon of light for all those who cannot see. I am a warrior...
"I will succeed Husayrah! For you! I will bring peace to this land! And I will remove every digsuting pest that walks this earth. I'll rip their hearts out and suffocate their love for life! And someday... I'll join you and Amal..." Lalzari concluded as she tightened her shawl around The Jawhar to secure it from anything and everything.
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Illustration of Husayrah Bint Zunaid
The journey had started and Balencia felt like she had been walking for ages. She worked her way along the narrow trail, leaves sliding across her forearms like wet tongues. Vines slithered down the cliff face like snakes, seeking the pool of tepid water below. She had made it to the river and noticed how there seemed to be less water flowing than normal. She lifted up her dress and walked through it crossing it to come out to the other side.
Balencia sauntered through the river with the moon above being her only company. Below her, swollen spring waters churned against the pillings, fighting to escape into the flatland. The boards beneath Balencia's feet groaned and she shifted uneasily. One misstep, and the darkness would swallow a soul whole.
"Be careful now, ye" a recognisable voice chimed and as Balencia looked up she saw Malaa standing as if she had been starring at the struggling vixen for ages.
"Funny how you warn me after I cross it" Balencia grinned as they both lightly chuckled. It had been quite a long while since the two had been alone and perhaps they both had missed each others company.
"Before anything, I need to say I'm sorry for what happened! Ye maybe the tiredness of the battle had gotten to me but I shouldn't have excused you. I should know better, you are a good person and would only hurt if there was no other way" Malaa hymed as she looked down with guilt and sorry written all over her apologetic face.
"Malaa... I'm sorry too. Let's leave it behind us now. You haven't known me for long so how are you supposed to know my heart is pure?" and with that the two smiled at each other with no resentment lingering.
"Hmph silly girl you really are oblivious" Malaa clanged and Lalzari looked up at her with a puzzled expression.
"I know you are pure for the one who sent me to you didn't send me without reason. Anyways, where are you going ye?" Malaa asked.
"I'm on my way to Alzalam!" Balencia explained as she shook her feet drying them from the river she just crossed.
"Alzalam lives in darkness ye. Be careful ye. They're... Interesting" Malaa warned with her sweet voice ringing with rhythm. Balencia nodded slightly feeling nervous from the continuous warnings she was getting for Alzalam.
"They sound like they're going to be tough?" Balencia asked hoping the answer would calm her nerves yet they did the opposite.
"Tough is an understatement. They're going to torture you until they trust you ye"
"I shouldn't have asked..." Balencia sighed. She finally reached the land and as she looked up ahead she could see sand floating in the air like drops of glitter. "The dunes are nearby!" She boasted as the persevering vixen regained her energy.
"You coming Malaa?" She asked grabbing Malaa's dress dragging her to come along. It seemed like it wouldn't be so bad if she had company.
"No... Me and Alzalam have... History. You go and I'll keep an eye out for you" Balencia nooded slightly disappointed but continuing to not let her fears hold her down.
Balencia had entered the desert and a change in her energy immediately slapped her like an angry parent. Suddenly, she felt heavy like an anchor thrown into shore. A desperate lizard slowly lost its patience after who knows how long of eagerly awaiting for a prey. The laws of nature do not dwell in these parched lands. There as no sigh of water nor rain, not even a droplet to soothe the bone-dry sands. The barren land was being tormented by relentless, searing sun. The sand, so smooth yet steaming hot like a fresh loaf of bread.
The sun beamed so harshly it made it hard to see clearly. White lights appeared everywhere. Balencia looked distorting her once clear eye-sight. She couldn't imagine herself walking here for long as the lack of hydration was already seeping into her making her unconsciously look around for water. This is going to drive me insane, Balencia thought to herself.
"ALZALAM! ALZALAM! COME OUT! I SEEK YOU ALZALAM!" Balencia roared in hopes that less time would be wasted.
The sky stayed blue and winds were calm. A random glance at the horizon revealed a wall of brown air stretching high. And with very little warning the haboob approached, the dust devil swirled across the flatland like a rattlesnake on the hunt.
"ARRRRRRRRRHHH" the warrior roared as she wanted to keep her eyelids shut to keep the violent wind of sand from distorting her vision even more. Balencia's eye stung and mositure from her tears mixed with dirt left grimy streaks on her face. The wind-driven dust sandblasted her revealed skin where the wind had blown away her covering. (Stsk stsk) Balencia licked the inside of her mouth as the dryness started to feel like sandpapir.
On the ground big dark shadows started appearing but when Balencia looked up there was nothing hovering the skies. And from the darkness they took shape, Alzalam!
