Eastern borders of Nesrine Continent - Hamreen Mountain - Year 800
The wind screamed among the rocks of Hamreen Mountain, lulling the trees twisted on its sides, and singing an ancient anthem heard only by those whose feet had reached this mountain.
Amidst this ancient scene, Asef advanced with confident steps on the rugged ground. His torn black cloak fluttered with the gusts of wind like the wing of a creature made of night, and his face was hidden behind a veil from which only two brown eyes were visible, cold as two stones in a river.
Hovering beside him was Rasouil, an angel in the shape of a sphere with four intertwined wings and a number of rotating eyes that observed the scene from every angle.
The two seemed to belong to a different world, intruders on this land, but Asef's steps showed no hesitation.
They approached the wall of Auran city, a massive sand wall inlaid with black iron and guard towers repeated every twenty steps, indicating a city that did not trust the outside world.
The guard standing at the gate was like the mountain itself, broad-shouldered, with a thick beard, and narrow eyes resembling those of hyenas.
He raised his spear sternly and said in a booming voice:
> "Hamreen Mountain is forbidden to foreigners. If you are a merchant, where is your caravan? If you come alone, you are rejected. Go back the way you came before your blood is shed."
A second guard stepped forward, looking at Rasouil with contempt:
> "And what is this thing? Anamel are forbidden here. Their presence is a betrayal of Auran's laws. If you do not know, ignorance does not exempt you."
Rasouil's white feathers moved with a trembling motion, and he said in a voice broken with anger:
> "Anamel?! Do you compare me to those despicable creatures? You are nothing but a hired soldier who cannot distinguish between light and ash."
But Asef did not stop. He continued walking, so one of the guards extended his hand to stop him:
> "Are you deaf? Did you not hear what was said to you? The mountain is not for strangers, and those who come stubbornly do not return alive!"
The guard did not finish his sentence before his body ignited with quiet flames, which did not scream or roar, but consumed him with deadly silence, leaving him as ash that fell quietly onto the rock of the ground.
The rest of the guards scattered like scorpions, but Asef raised his hand. Suddenly, a great aura emanated from his body, colorless, soundless, but its effect was like a hurricane. Bodies flew, bones shattered, and hearts stopped.
He left none of them alive.
---
Outskirts of Auran City - A Dilapidated Hut
In a dark room reeking of mold and dampness, Nouran, a woman over seventy, placed an infant on a wooden table, wrapped in old gray cloth.
She brought a small bowl of milk and tried to feed the child with a wooden spoon, but she stopped suddenly.
She looked at him with eyes trembling with pain.
The infant was deformed to a degree difficult to look at: his skin seemed melted, one of his eyes was missing, his nose was crushed, his mouth was distorted like a crack in an old rock.
But...
Despite all that, he was breathing with astonishing strength. His chest swelled as if challenging death itself.
Nouran said in a low, broken voice:
> "Why? Why do you resist? Everyone who saw your face said: Kill him. But you... do not die."
She wiped her tears and sat near the table, whispering:
> "Oh Lord... this child's name is Ya'rub... I don't know why his name called to me, but... I feel I don't have the right to decide his end."
---
The Royal Palace - Auran
Servants moved quickly through the palace corridors, dressing King Hujair in his armor and preparing him for a meeting with his ministers.
The king was an elderly man, his beard short and neat, his eyes reading more than they saw. Beside him stood Hanzala, his only child, with his long blond hair and blue eyes.
At this young age, Hanzala had undergone intensive training and had accompanied his father in all matters of governance since the death of his older brother.
Hanzala stared at a large painting hanging on the wall, showing him with his father, mother, and brother:
> "Ya'rub... why did you leave me alone?"
No one answered, but the sadness in his eyes was not that of a child.
---
The City - The Market Square
Nouran carried the infant Ya'rub, not knowing where to take him or what to do with him. His strong breaths tore at her stillness, and his voice seemed to scream in silence: "I don't want to die!"
She passed through the alleys, avoiding the gaze of passersby, until she reached the heart of the market.
The market was bustling with life:
Spice sellers called out their wares with greedy voices,
A fat woman screamed at a boy who had stolen a handful of dates from her,
Men haggled over the prices of horses,
And a flute player sat in a corner, closing his eyes and singing in a language no one knew.
Nouran stopped for a moment, looking around with frightened eyes, not knowing whom to ask or where to find a way out of this burden in her arms.
Suddenly, a strange commotion began at the eastern end of the market.
People gathered little by little, and voices of questioning and astonishment rose:
"Who is this?"
"A stranger in black clothes...!"
"Is he a merchant? Or a sorcerer?"
Nouran pushed her body between the bodies, walking on tiptoes, pushing shoulders, and apologizing in a whisper as she made her way through the crowd.
The center of the gathering was a man who did not resemble merchants.
He had no goods, no caravan, no smile.
His face was covered, and his eyes scanned the crowds as if searching for something only he could see.The people around him were talking to him, some asking if he had medicine, others offering him money to buy something he didn't know, and a child trying to touch his cloak.
As for him, he walked steadily, not responding, not stopping.
And beside him, that strange creature, spherical, with wings and eyes, hovered in the air, watching them all coldly.
One of the men approached and said:
"Sir, if you are a merchant, we will buy everything you have... just tell us what you are selling!"
Another man chuckled, pointing at Rasouil:
"And this bird! How much do you sell it for? It looks rare!"
A feather rose from Rasouil's body, and his face approached the man, saying in a fiery tone:
"Bird?! Damn you ignorant fools..."
But the man backed away, laughing, thinking the sound came from his stomach or that he imagined it.
Nouran had now reached the edge of the circle, breathing with difficulty, and the infant was about to fall from her hands, so she held him tightly to her chest.
She hesitated for seconds... then bit her lip and rushed through the circle, receiving a push from this one, and an insult from that one, until she fell to her knees in front of the stranger, and raised the child to him, crying and screaming:
"My lord and master... please... please! This child... he is innocent! I don't know who you are, but you are not ordinary... please!"
The market suddenly froze.
As if the crowd had frozen.
Even the noise of the birds on the rooftops quieted.
Asif looked at the mother, at the infant, with a cold look that showed no interest.
His eyes passed over them as if they were passing over a stone on the road.
He turned to leave without saying a word.
But...
A faint sound came to him in the air.
Inhale...
Then
Exhale...
Not like any breath,
As if the child was trying to scream without a sound,
Trying to say: "I am here... don't leave me..."
Asif stopped.
Something in his chest trembled.
He didn't know what it was.
As if the sound didn't come from the infant but from within him.
He returned slowly, looked at the child again, a longer look this time.
Then he whispered, as if not addressing anyone in particular:
"This breath... is unlike any other."
He extended his hand calmly, and looked at Nouran:
"Mother, give him to me."
Asif took him to look at him closely and at his deformed body, then looked at Nouran:
> "Show me to a secluded place."
She led him to her hut. Everyone followed her, but when Asif entered with Rasouil and the child, he closed the door.
Inside, a faint light began to spread from under his feet. A magic circle formed on the ground.
Three objects floated before him:
A giant golden eye, as if from a mythical beast.
A silver bracelet with a plant design twisting like snakes.
A white sword that glowed as if it were swallowing light.
Then a golden flash erupted from the hut, covering the sky, and forcing everyone around him to close their eyes.
When the light faded, Asif came out carrying Ya'rub.
The infant was as if he had been reborn: his skin was pure, his eyes crimson, and his hair was silver, hanging down despite his age not exceeding hours.
He gave him to Nouran gently. Then he prepared to leave.
Rasouil said:
> "Asif... you are wise, but... aren't you afraid that you have overstepped your bounds? A choice like this is not a casual decision."
Asif smiled, whispered:
> "We lose nothing."
Then the two disappeared amidst the echo of the wind.