Lalzari's worn out legs were getting fatigued from keeping up with the young vixen as she sprinted through the dirt and leaves, dodging every confined space made up of branches. The trees swayed inwards creating a tunnel that formed great darkness. The icy wind hit the back of Lalzari's throat, suffocating her but the determined femme fatal continued and didn't stop for a second.
Lalzari recognised the rituals that were used on the pendant. Neither female nor male, dressed in black from head to toe, with long dark straight hair will sit and wait for people to come and ask for wishes, usually it's the sick, and they grant them. They call themselves Boblas. Lalzari's mama use to tell her the way they cure people is granted through darkness and smoke. Lalzari witnessed it with her own eyes once when she was a child.
"Shhh be quiet Bebe" her mother whispered and they walk through an old village eyeing the Boblas. They were sitting in a triangle, chanting strange things, surrounded by their own filth and feces, some of them were bawling their eyes out. Suddenly, they started acting even more strange... Almost possessed. The young girl grabbed her mother's arm and embraced it like a frightened koala, hiding her face in her mother's shawl. The mother kneeled down to her terrified child whispering "this is what they want, Bebe. They want to summon whatever they did".
That's what the pendant is. It's one of their workings and the exact reason Lalzari must get rid of it. Mama told her to throw anything that looked like it might be from the Boblas into a flowing stream and she would be free.
"Wouldn't surprise me if the king had deals with the Boblas" the anxious Lalzari murmured. What the Boblas had promised the king might remain a mystery but surely it must have been something in regards to power.
Lalzari stopped and her eyes fell upon it, a flowing stream. She landed herself behind a chunk of mud in front of the river before she caught her breath and threw the pendant straight into the water. It got taken by the force of waves and sailed away and after a few seconds is no where to be seen. "Ahhh, just like that... I'm free" the exhausted vixen sighed. She could feel the tightened grip around her throat release as soon as the pendant hit the water. My lord made sure I knew about the Boblas before I was given this pendant so I could see it as a sign and get rid of it! I just know there's a lord who sees me in my most intimate and vulnerable moments when no one else does. He is oh so near. And in this moment as the pendant has been taken by the stream I feel him nearer to me than ever before. Was I supposed to run into this forest at this moment hunched over this stream? Lalzari's thoughts were cut short as she heard a deep female voice roar.
"MALAAAA" followed by sounds of horses galloping, and out of the darkness emerged a group of women covered in abayas and niqabs on their horses. It appeared they were practicing fighting, some of them had bows and arrows and some spears. One of them was holding a huge flail that seemed so heavy yet she carried it so effortlessly.
Lalzari locked eyes with the woman holding the flail, her piercing pale yellow eyes starring right into Lalzari's soul making her shiver. In the midst of the women fighting, the flail woman got off her horse and walked over to Lalzari with one of the most powerful trudges she had ever seen. "Mesmerising..." the enthralled Lalzari muttered.
"Ye shouldn't be here, the king won't be happy if he sees you here" the woman firmly stated. The king? Does she know who I am? A confused Lalzari thought to herself, yet remained silent. She's almost hypnotising to look at, she was wearing a flowing black and red dress, not a single piece of skin could be seen other than her eyes.
"I've been waiting for you... Lalzari" the flail woman continued. Lalzari took a step back to create a distance between her and the strange atmosphere but still not saying a single word. The women had stopped fighting and were slowly and silently walking towards Lalzari and the flail woman. These women... They really don't speak much.
A woman with a spear stepped behind the flail woman handing Lalzari a huge black bag. Out of instinct, she grabbed it and as soon as she did she fell to the ground. The bag had been filled with heavy stones. "She's weak" the spear woman said, making the vulnerable Lalzari very emotional. She tried to control her emotions but that didn't last very long.
"Weak?! Do you know all the things I've endured the last few weeks?! DON'T YOU DARE CALL ME WEAK!!!" the fiery vixen bellowed as she took the black bag and with all her might swung it over her back, carrying it whilst standing tall and strong. A proud expression appeared planted on Lalzari's face, as she thought back to all the times someone thought she was weak yet she proved them wrong. This moment almost felt like she was proving to herself just how strong she truly was.
"Hmph... You're stronger than you look" the spear women said leaving Lalzari in great confusion. One second they're putting her down, the next praising her.
"What do you want from me?" Lalzari asked with an annoyed undertone. "We don't have enough time, but we've kept an eye out for you... Especially Malaa, you're destined for power" the spear woman said whilst pointing at the flail woman who happened to be Malaa. Power? I was right then! All of this isn't random! The king is my gateway to power! The empowered vixen chanted to herself.
"You need to be strong Lalzari... The king is strong, you need to be stronger. Come, fight with us" Malaa commanded as she took out her hand grabbing Lalzari's and drawing her into the middle giving her a long spear. The other women set into their fight positions.
"Woah woah woah!!! I can't fight!!!" Lalzari said panicking. The last time Lalzari ever fought was with Jamshar who use to train her but that was mostly with her hands not so much weapons.
"You can fight... Now fight!!" Malaa charged as one of the other women came dashing towards Lalzari with a knife, but Lalzari managed to dash to the side taking the spear and using it as a shield to stop the knife from touching her.
Another woman came charging towards Lalzari with a knife and the quick footed femme fatal used the same tactic and dashed to the side. 'WOOOSH WOOOSH' More and more women started coming towards Lalzari with knives and the disoriented vixen started to panic "switch it up Lalzari ye opponent will know all your moves" Malaa roared firmly.
"Huh?" Lalzari said turning towards Malaa and being sliced with the knife in the forearm. "ARGH" the wounded vixen screamed applying pressure to the area to stop the blood but the woman didn't stop fighting so Lalzari kept dashing until her eyes fell upon a woman with a bow and arrow aiming at her. Lalzari flung the spear towards her hitting the bow and arrow making it fall to the ground. Lalzari dashed towards the spear, picked it up again, and threw it at the woman with the knife. The spear acted like a boomerang throwing the knife towards the brave warrior. Lalzari grabs it, stamped her foot in the ground, turns 180° and sliced the woman behind her on her shoulder "MMMARGH".
"How did you know I was behind you?" the woman said with a painful expression on her face from the wound. "I could feel it..." Lalzari replied.
"You have a gift Lalzari... Keep training, get stronger, and when it's time to fight the king come find us" the spear woman announced as they got up on their horses and rode away.
"HEY!!! WAIT!!!" Lalzari shouted caught in confusion to whom these women were, what they want, how she'll find them, and what they see in her.
"Don't worry... Ye find you soon" Malaa chimed with a clear smile visible even behind her veil. Lalzari stood in the midst of the barren forest that seemed so empty now when the women had disappeared. "Guess it's time for the journey back to the oh so amazing kingdom" Lazari muttered to herself still in shock over what had just happened.
"OMID! Where have you been?! The king has been looking all over for you!! Go to his room now!" Mareeb said running towards her with great tense in his body language almost making Lalzari shiver. The two rush to the king's room immediately
"Mareeb, stop walking like that it's making me anxious" the worried warrior snapped as the tense atmosphere had created a light of fear within her.
The door to the king's layer opened and immediately was followed by Mareeb's gasps. The sight was even more sickening that they could've ever imagined. The king was sitting in a bathtub in the middle of the room with dead bodies of young girls all around him. The urge to throw up was all Lalzari was thinking about.
"Lalzari my love don't be shocked... Come" the king put out his hand and deep red blood dripped from them as he licked his lips. "HAHAHA, I'm not crazy... The blood is just rather tasty" he said with a sinistrous smile.