As he ponders upon the consequences of his actions, he realized that he had once again went into his pragmaticism. The Sheikh wanted to refuse the mare, but if there is one thing that weakens the warrior-chieftain's heart it is the tears of a mare. In addition to being raised as a gentlecolt as befitting his status as a leader of his clan, but the tears also holds symbolic and also religious meaning in the context of Saddle Arabian culture.
Tears is the greatest gift that one could give in Saddle Arabia, but a mother's tears of hope and love is the greatest gift that she could give to her child. As the Sheikh watches, tears started to well up in the pegasus' eyes, and soon enough it started flowing down her cheeks. Even though she closed her eyes, but still the tears kept on flowing. Sheikh Abu Hamza is no stranger to crying, but it is the manner of the pegasus as she cried is foreign to him.
Not the whimpy cries of a equine in fear, nor the wailing cries of mourning. Her crying is laced with one message which the Sheikh understood immediately; he is her only hope. For once he felt that perhaps there is something else to life than riches and power. He could only sigh, and takes his head piece off before smiling to himself. His hoof is now placed upon her shoulders, and she looked up with her eyes attempting to hide the fears within her.
"I can not make any promises, but can I put down my terms first?"
"W...w...what are your terms?" The pegasus is unsure and her voice is trembling, and the Sheikh knew that his choice of words is perhaps not the best choice of words to say.
"If I can not bring both of you out of Saddle Arabia as you wished, at least allow me to bring you to the closest border crossing that is safe to cross. I am a Sheikh, not a prophet. I can only..."
Before the Janissary or the Sheikh could even react, the mare lunges straight into the chest of the Sheikh and hugged him so tightly that he felt that he will soon meet his makers. He could feel the warmth of her body, and soon enough he felt her heartbeat. It is a gentle beat, and against his more stronger heartbeat it is like a whisper. He looked at his Janissary companion, and the camel could only give a shrug with a small smile. It is rare that the camel smiles, and the Sheikh's ears soon picked up upon a faint sound.
"Thank you, thank you." Her soft, gentle trembling voice had truly sealed the deal. Ista has a way to make a stallion's heart soften up, and Abu Hamza is glad that it did. The world is too grim these days, and days like this are the ones that truly brightened the path to a slightly better future. A foolish dream, but it is a good dream to aspire to.
Looks like the stallion will have to make the appropriate arrangements for this particular caravan mission.
As the evening sun sets, the courtyard of the palace is filled with Janissaries crowding around the pegasus pony. It seems that the word has gotten round that the mare is leaving for good after her long extended stay at the clan stronghold. All of the clan's servants and the Janissaries (To Sheikh Abu Hamza's and Amanar's surprise) had decided that they would like to wish their farewells to the mare personally.
"You have to leave?" One of the Janissaries said, his tone tinged with sadness.
"We can follow?" Another one said.
"Can I has Lily back?" The food taster said. Everyone laughed when the food taster known as Nayaz said those words.
"Yes, Jamal I have to leave. No Ikbal, you can't follow, and Nayaz Lily and I might return one day."
As the mare and the Janissaries exchange words, the Sheikh could only watch how his men had defied their orders to stay in their barracks just to say their goodbyes. In fact he was relieved that the mare managed to talked them down to staying in the clan's stronghold despite their desires to escort her all the way to Port Al-Hoofdin.
Despite the protests of his Janissaries, the Sheikh and Amanar have decided that they will be the only ones that are escorting the mare. It is but for a single reason; a smaller group is harder to detect than a group surrounded with heavily armed Janissaries. As each one of the servants and Janissaries said their farewells to Lily Petal, the Sheikh could not help but to be astounded every time by the effect of the mare upon his subjects For some reason, they are very friendly to her and they even asked her to partake in some of their activities which even the Sheikh did not get the honour to participate.
Perhaps this is why he was a little jealous of her, for he earned their loyalty through his martial gifts while she earned their friendship through means he is not certain how. He would rather have friends than followers, but nonetheless the circumstances of his birth and upbringing plays a part in how the Janissaries treated him.
Truly it is her gift to unite people...... The Sheikh said to himself. He could not help but to bask in her radiance, and he could look at her for days if it were not for Amanar bumping him with his forelegs. Snapping back into reality, the Sheikh slowly walks towards her and taps her shoulders. Even as his hooves are upon her shoulder, he could not help but to notice her beautiful nape.
"We need to move now, Lily. The night is a better travelling option for the young one." Sheikh Abu Hamza said to the mare. Fully clad in the desert robes of Saddle Arabia, the mare nodded and started walking while towing her child upon the harness strapped to her flanks. The Sheikh had insisted that they are clad in the garbs to hide their identities. As Sheikh Abu Hamza, Lily Petal and Amanar walks out towards the exit of the stronghold, the Janissaries looked at the group with teary eyes. Suddenly the mare turned around and face the Janissaries, catching them off guard.
"Thank you everyone. I will always remember you in my heart." As the mare turns around and trots towards the Sheikh and the Head Janissary, The Janissaries bowed in respect for the Equestrian mare. This is an act unheard of among the Janissaries of Saddle Arabia to bow down to a mare, let alone a mare from a land that is not their own.
As the days turned to weeks, the travelers are doing their best to move as fast as they could without being spotted by other caravans and other unwanted attention. So far they are all doing a very good job at it as nothing happened to them and this allowed them to reach to the best possible location to send the mare and her foal back to Saddle Arabia; Port Al-Hoofdin. By the Sheikh's reckoning they have been in the deserts for a good three weeks now and they should reach Port Al-Hoofdin within the next three days.
"I believe that we should rest here for the night." Sheikh Abu Hamza told everyone. Immediately the Janissary was on watch as the Sheikh prepares the fire that will keep them warm for the night. As the Janissary watches the horizon warily and the mare concentrating her attention to her foal, the Sheikh's mind is not concentrating on the task at hand.
Abu Hamza could not help but to pay attention to Lily Petal, for there is something about her that he can never shake off. Throughout his time with her, the Sheikh learned about the mare's peculiarities. Raindrops on roses, whiskers on kittens, warm woollen mittens and crisp apple strudels are a few of her favorite things. Dog bites and bee stings are her least favorite things. How her life was in San Pegasus and how she earned her Cutie Mark when she first moved into the city. Somehow, whenever she glanced at him, he tends to be ecstatic.
Deep within himself, he knew that her time with him inn the stronghold for three years had planted something that was not there before. New and a bit alarming, there is something in himself that he is simply did not see. He will have to wait and see to know what is that something that was not there before. Perhaps he will ask the mare about this feeling which is warm and nice, he said to himself. It was then that he noticed that the mare is looking at him intently. He suddenly felt warmer and warmer and his heart is racing like a sandstorm, the sweat now flowing from his body like a rainy season in Saddle Arabia.
He never felt this way before and he blushed as he was not expecting the attention of the mare. It was then that he noticed that the mare's expression is that of great concern on the verge of panic.
"Ur.....Abu Hamza........your robes are on fire." Surprisingly calm, the mare's voice is contrasted by her expressions as she pointed at his sleeves. As soon as he turned his attention to where she is pointing, he immediately realized that the fire is slowly spreading to the rest of his robes. With a yell, the Sheikh jumps around frantically and tries to put out the flame by rolling in the sand. As the Janissary realized that his Sheikh is on fire, Amanar runs towards the stallion and started pouring sand upon the stallion to put out the flames.
Perhaps he is not familiar with the feeling, or perhaps it is because he is on fire, but It had never occurred to the Sheikh that perhaps the feeling that he is experiencing is a feeling that most ponies experienced when they want to be with their special somepony.
Tomorrow is the day.
Sheikh Abu Hamza said to himself as the group was about to enter Anbah for the night. Anbah is a small village, but a village that was their final stop before Port Al-Hoofdin. The Sheikh could breathe a sigh of relief as this small quaint town is relatively secured due to its proximity to the port. However the Sheikh's relief was cut short as he entered the village. As Sheikh Abu Hamza, Lily Petal and Amanar entered into Anbah, they immediately noticed that there is something wrong with the village. The sight of the empty and silent streets caused the battle-hardened warrior to know that such silence could only mean one thing.
It seems that this is the end of the road......
A serpentine, sultry voice with unbridled malice echoed throughout the darkness. The Sheikh and the Janissary immediately brandished their scimitar and looked around anxiously, ready to use their weapons if they need to. Soon both their eyes are turned towards the main street into the town. Coming closer and closer is a figure beyond their comprehension.
A robed figure wearing an alabaster white death mask marked with two red Eyes of Istas, crowned by a striped headcloth of black and red with a red cobra at the temple is now staring at them with its emotionless mask. The height of the figure is utterly imposing and immediately the stallion and the Janissary knew that this being is malice incarnate.Its oppressive aura fills the hearts of Sheikh Abu Hamza, Lily Petal, and Amanar, causing their complexion to become pale.
I always loved the sound of silence and obedience along with expressions of fear. However it seems that you are not fearful of me. That is a first. The figure chuckled, chilling the spine of the Sheikh and the Janissary. The mare took the presence of the eldritch being the worst. Lily Petal immediately falls upon her legs and her eyes are filled with a mix of fear and realization of what is before her. The foal immediately started crying out loud, and the chuckle of the figure soon turned to laughter.
"You are the one from that night........" Lily Petal exclaimed, and soon enough her eyes are frozen with fear.
I am glad that you remembered me, Ansarite.
"So you are the monster that killed the Crown Prince." Sheikh Abu Hamza said vennomously.
Guilty as charged.
"What do you want from us?" Sheikh Abu Hamza asked. The figure laughed a spine-chilling cackle before answering the stallion.
Oh....it is not a matter of what I want from all of you, it is more a matter of what I need to do. You see, I plan things, and I tend to do my best to not let anything get in the way. So happens that the mare and.....oh, your child is also with you. That makes things much easier.
"I would like to correct you on that, as we are now here." The Sheikh said proudly, believing that he could stop this being from inflicting harm upon the mare and her foal. The Janissary aims his jezzail at the figure, ready to fire if the figure did something foolish.
Oh you are right........well, I can't let that happen. Surely these townsfolk agrees with me.
After mocking the Sheikh, a mandala glows above the figure before it dissipates. Before the thought of questioning what is the glowing symbol above the figure could even register in the Sheikh's mind, it was answered in a rather dramatic fashion.
Suddenly, a cacophony of moans heralded the appearance of the villagers from the houses, and as the glass-eyed mob walked forth awkwardly the Janissary fired his jezzail at the first one. It buckled, but only for a moment. To the Janissary's surprise, the villager that was shot marches forward. A word flashes on Amanar's mind.
Ghūl..........
The Janissary immediately took out his scimitar and prepares himself for combat, while the Sheikh grabs the mare and starts to move backwards. Both the Sheikh and the Janisary knew that this is something unexpected and they need to get out from the village. The mare was stunned while her child kept on crying. The possessed villagers are now marching ever closer to them, their unnerving cacophonous moans serving as an indicator of how many of them are out there.
"Amanar, any ideas?"
"If we can stop the Gallu, I think its power over the ghūls will fade and we will be fine." The Janissary calmly suggests he reloads his jezzail with one arm.
"A Gallu huh? Sound like those tales my mother told me about why I should not go at night is true....." The Sheikh bitterly laughs.
Feed. Clean the flesh from their bones.
With the command of the mysterious figure, the moan of the horde became more violent and the horde's awkward gait soon gave way to a furious trotting speed. Seeing that things are now worse than before, the trio started to make a run for it. As soon as they moved with haste, so did the beings that were once the villagers. The cruel figure calmly walks behind the horde, its laughter as cold as the Arabian night. The first one to reach the trio got its head lobbed away by a decapitating blow from Amanar, and the head was immediately used as a projectile by the Sheikh when it kicked the head towards another ghūl, embedding the decapitated head into the head of another ghūl.
However, their valiant attempts to stave away the ghūls that are closing in to them is slowly coming to naught as the ghūls outnumbered them twenty to one. As they slowly tire, the horde only seem to chase them with even more tenacity. As the two males are preoccupied with the other ghūls, they failed to notice one of them trying to grab onto the mare's child. However, if the ghūls have any learning capacity, they would learn that a mother's love is to her child is an unrivaled force in the world. The ghūl received a sudden kick from the mare, causing the neck of the ghūl to snap violently. The ghūl fell backwards with such force that it started a chain reaction of the ghūls to fall down causing their advance to stall.d
The Sheikh could only whistle, impressed by the physical might of the mare. But his attention to the mare is short-lived, as he soon felt an intimidating presence which warrants his attention. Abu Hamza turned around and saw the imposing monster has finally catched up with them. His instincts kicking in, , the Sheikh threw his scimitar at the Gallu. The figured laughed before erecting a magical barrier to deflect the scimitar back at the Sheikh. With only moments to react, Abu Hamza used his teeth to bite on the blade moments before its slices through his head. As the figure laugh and its magical barriers dissipates, the moments of the Sheikh's actions have bought the Janissary enough time to fire the jezzail at the brief exposure of weakness.
The bullet hit the figure in the face, shattering its mask and causing it to scream in anguish. Immediately, the possessed villagers slumped down upon the ground, and without any moment to think about anything Sheikhc Abu Hamza, Lily Petal and Amanar fled as fast and hard as they could into the darkness of the desert. The screams of the monstrous figure could be heard, and with the accompanying moans of the ghūl they knew that this is just the beginning of the night for them.