Allon Sihiri Part 4 Abdulaziz Madakin Gini

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ALLON SIHIRI Book Four (4) 

The moment Prince Lubainu finished weighed these thoughts in his heart, he raised his head, looked at the spirit-princess, Badi'atul Sarira, and said, "O, bearer of astonishing beauty and form, know that you have brought a momentous matter before me, one upon which I cannot make a hasty decision. Therefore, I desire that you grant me until tomorrow morning to ponder it. Then, I shall make the choice that I deem best for my path."
Upon hearing this, the Jinn-princess Badi'atul Sarira drew a long, despondent breath. Looking at Prince Lubainu with deep frustration, she said, "Alas for you, O prince! Know that you will suffer a massive, bitter regret if you refuse to seize this opportunity I have offered you right now, for your ultimate desire will never be fulfilled. I assure you that Queen Akisatul Sauwara and King Darmanu will only deceive you; they will escape with the Magic Tablet. As for this mysterious warrior, if you make the mistake of accepting his religion, you will never be cured of your affliction, and you will have to resign yourself to a tragic fate."
As Badi'atul Sarira spoke these words, Prince Lubainu's mind plunged into greater turmoil than ever before. He stood frozen in deep hesitation, utterly at a loss for what to do. Finally, he looked back at Badi'atul Sarira and said, "Have patience with me. I do not act in haste; this must wait until tomorrow morning. I give you my solemn promise that I will return to you at the absolute break of dawn, before the rest of our traveling companions emerge, to inform you of my final decision."
The moment Prince Lubainu finished speaking, he turned to leave the enchanted garden. However, Badi'atul Sarira called out his name, causing him to spin around quickly. Their eyes locked, and he saw that tears were still streaming down her cheeks.
Badi'atul Sarira opened her mouth and said, "So be it. Since you cannot decide right now, I want you to promise me one thing: that you will not speak a word of my story to your companions, even if you ultimately decide not to unshackle me from this confinement in which you found me."
Hearing her request, Prince Lubainu fell silent once more. After a brief moment of thought, he replied, "Very well. There is no problem; I give you my word that I will keep your secret guarded."
With that, he turned and exited the garden, making his way into a different chamber. Upon entering, he discovered it was a solitary parlor, a single open hall with no separate bedroom. It contained nothing except a luxurious red carpet and two massive, heavily cushioned long sofas. Positioned squarely between the sofas was a white silver table. Seeing this layout, Prince Lubainu thought to himself, "Without a doubt, this must be the private lounge where Sorcerer Darbusa takes his rest."
Prince Lubainu immediately walked over to one of the sofas and lay down. The moment his body touched the cushions, a heavy sleep overcame him, born of profound exhaustion and the deep body aches sustained during their ferocious battles. This was the state of affairs for Prince Lubainu and his allies after succeeding in seizing the Magic Tablet from the stronghold of Sorcerer Darbusa.
Yet, what they did not know was that taking the Magic Tablet from Sorcerer Darbusa was the exact equivalent of stirring a hornet's nest! Wherever they moved, Sorcerer Darbusa saw their every action within his Magic Mirror, from inside a hidden cavern situated in a completely different sector of the enchanted forest.
From the outside, it was entirely impossible to deduce that any soul inhabited this cavern, for it was a smooth, hollowed-out stone formation shaped perfectly like an egg. However, Darbusa had commanded his Jinn to hollow out its core, constructing magnificent chambers inside that were adorned with luxurious ornaments, resembling an earthly paradise. Within this subterranean domain resided over a thousand maidservants, comprised of both humans and Jinn. They lived inside it as though they were not trapped within a stone cavern at all, owing to the immense strength of Darbusa's sorcery.
After Sorcerer Darbusa watched the mysterious warrior successfully obliterate the dark spirits he had sent to retrieve the Magic Tablet, he threw his head back and burst into a wicked, cackling laugh that seemed as though it would never end.
His behavior deeply astonished his Grand Vizier, a man named Yauhan. Looking at his master with deep concern, Yauhan said, "Alas, my leader, why do you laugh so heartily when our enemies are gaining the upper hand over us? Have you forgotten that they have driven us from our actual palace and stripped us of our Magic Tablet?"
Hearing this question, Sorcerer Darbusa smiled with supreme condescension and arrogance. "Every victory that the strange warrior and his companions have achieved is utterly worthless," he replied, "for this cruel game has only just begun. Know that I have laid forty deadly traps along their paths, traps they can never hope to bypass or survive before they ever reach the River of Bahar Imfal; they shall perish to the last man.
What truly gladdens my heart right now is that Prince Lubainu knows he and Akisatul Sauwara are completely incapable of deciphering the magical incantations inscribed upon the Magic Tablet—only Badi'atul Sarira possesses that power. But the true question regarding Prince Lubainu now is: will he actually aid Badi'atul Sarira enough to free her? And if he aids her, will she truly help him in return, or will she betray his trust?"
Upon hearing these questions, Vizier Yauhan’s anxiety spiked significantly. Looking at Sorcerer Darbusa with profound worry, he asked, "My leader, what then shall we do? Surely, if Prince Lubainu and Badi'atul Sarira join forces and aid one another without deceit or betrayal, our doom is sealed."
Hearing this, Sorcerer Darbusa roared with laughter once more. Tapping Vizier Yauhan on the shoulder, he chuckled, "It is an absolute impossibility for Badi'atul Sarira and Prince Lubainu to unite without one deceiving the other. Have you forgotten that every sorcerer is born a deceiver and a liar? Keep your eyes open and watch the spectacle unfold; you shall see exactly how it plays out between them. Even that mysterious warrior will deeply regret forming an alliance with Queen Akisatul Sauwara and her companions, for they will ultimately betray him; they will never accept his strange religion."
Meanwhile, in the Kingdom of Zamrul, ever since the day Prince Lubainu left the realm to seek a cure for the severe affliction inflicted upon him by Prince Mangul, his newly wedded bride, Yazarina, spent her days and nights trapped in endless weeping and profound sorrow. It escalated to the point where she fell gravely ill due to incessant worrying and starvation.
This state of affairs deeply troubled the mind of King Sailur and her father, the wealthy merchant Abul Yazarina. They were completely at a loss as to how to remedy the situation, for they had implemented every conceivable measure to halt her crying, grief, and constant worrying, but everything had failed.
When things reached a breaking point and Yazarina's illness became so critical that she was completely bedridden, King Sailur's royal physician delivered a stark warning: they must immediately remedy the source of Yazarina's distress, otherwise, she would lose her life entirely. Hearing this, a panicked King Sailur immediately summoned the merchant Abul Yazarina to a private audience inside his royal chambers.
King Sailur looked at Abul Yazarina with deep distress and said, "O, my trusted friend, I know that in this entire world, there is nothing you love more than your daughter, Yazarina, the bride of my son, Prince Lubainu. I have kept a close watch on her declining health, but today, things have grown more critical than ever. My physician has explicitly confirmed to me that if she is not reunited with her husband immediately, this illness will claim her life."
At these words, tears welled up instantly in the eyes of the merchant Abul Yazarina.
King Sailur continued, "I have summoned you now so we can decide upon a course of action that I believe will end this crisis. You must know that I myself have been in deep psychological torment from the very moment my son Prince Lubainu stepped foot outside this city, because I have no guarantee that he will succeed in finding what he seeks without losing his life. Furthermore, if he returns only to find that Yazarina has died, he might take his own life or lose his sanity entirely, rendering him incapable of inheriting my throne. Now, what do you propose we do to save the lives of our children?"
As King Sailur finished speaking, the merchant Abul Yazarina let out a heavy, ragged sigh. He sat in profound silence, contemplating for several seconds before raising his head to look at King Sailur.
"O, my friend," Abul Yazarina spoke, "know that there is only one path available to us to resolve this crisis. We must let go of keeping my daughter here in the capital. We must form an escort of our most trusted warriors and send her out to find Prince Lubainu. I assure you that the moment we deliver this glad tidings to Yazarina, her physical health will instantly return, and she will stand on her feet."
Upon hearing this proposal, King Sailur nodded with an expression of joy, a smile gracing his face. However, his expression quickly darkened into profound concern as he looked back at Abul Yazarina.
"I agree with your proposal," King Sailur said heavily, "but you must recognize that it carries extreme danger. The first peril is that we can only guarantee Yazarina's absolute safety while she remains within the walls of our capital. The moment she steps outside, even if we send her with the entire standing army of this kingdom, they cannot protect her from the attacks of the man who covets her—Prince Mangul. The moment he discovers she has left the city, he will inevitably dispatch forces to abduct her and bring her to his domain.
The second peril is that the journey toward Prince Lubainu’s destination is exceptionally hazardous. Countless numbers of formidable men, spirits, and sorcerers have staked their very souls on capturing this Magic Tablet, and they will ruthlessly eliminate anyone who interferes. Based on these facts, you can see that my daughter could lose her life before she ever reunites with her beloved Lubainu."
When the merchant Abul Yazarina reached this point in his reasoning, King Sailur let out a long breath and countered, "Everything you say is true, but there are counter-measures we can employ. First, we can smuggle your daughter out of this city in absolute secrecy, ensuring no one knows of her departure, let alone allowing word to reach the ears of Prince Mangul. Furthermore, even if he did find out and succeeded in abducting her, he would have to take her to his kingdom; and you well know that as long as King Alkas lives, he will never allow his son to marry her by force; he would take her back and return her to us.
Regarding the perils of the journey itself, let me ask you this: which is easier for us to bear—her remaining before our eyes in a desperate state of illness that could claim her life at any moment, or her journeying in vibrant health, driven by the hope of uniting with her lover? Which path is easier for us?"
Hearing this logic, the merchant Abul Yazarina bowed his head, falling into silent reflection. He then raised his eyes to King Sailur and said, "Indeed, your counsel is superior. Therefore, I desire that you select a Grand Warrior from among your champions, one whom you trust implicitly, and place him in command of your most loyal vanguard to escort my daughter on this quest. But my sole condition is this: both she and the warriors must disguise themselves entirely as common merchants, slipping out of the city under cover of secrecy so that no one may recognize them."
Hearing this, immense joy enveloped King Sailur. "I accept this strategy you have brought," he declared. "I command you to go immediately to your daughter's quarters within this palace and deliver this beautiful glad tidings to her, explaining everything we have plotted. Tell her that this very day, I shall finalize all preparations for their departure, and they shall ride out of this city under the cover of midnight."
Overwhelmed with happiness, the merchant Abul Yazarina prostrated himself before King Sailur, pouring out his gratitude. Seeing this, King Sailur quickly leaned down, took him by the shoulders, lifted him to his feet, and dismissed him to go to Yazarina’s private chambers.
The moment the merchant Abul Yazarina left King Sailur's chambers to head toward his daughter's quarters, King Sailur dispatched a messenger to summon the deputy commander of the kingdom's armed forces, a man known as BARDE RUHAISU.
Barde Ruhaisu was a handsome young man of about twenty-eight years of age, yet he was a legendary titan of a warrior, renowned for dismantling armies on the field of battle. On seven separate occasions, Barde Ruhaisu had led the vanguard of Zamrul into war, securing absolute victory without sustaining any severe casualties among his soldiers. God had blessed Ruhaisu with a peerless genius for warfare and its strategies, coupled with profound intellect and exceptional foresight.
Even though the realm's supreme commander possessed greater physical strength, raw combat experience, and seniority in military tactics than Barde Ruhaisu, King Sailur trusted Ruhaisu one hundred percent because he had thoroughly tested his loyalty. The supreme commander, on the other hand, was a man consumed by worldly greed and a lust for power; thus, King Sailur constantly feared that the commander might one day betray him to fulfill his own ambitions. For this reason, King Sailur orchestrated all his highly sensitive and classified operations exclusively with Barde Ruhaisu, leaving the supreme commander with matters that required no secrecy—such as national development and defending the borders from standard raiders or external enemies.
As King Sailur sat in the parlor of his private quarters, resting his chin in his hand as he deeply analyzed the monumental task ahead, Barde Ruhaisu entered. While still a short distance away, Barde Ruhaisu removed his footwear out of profound respect. Approaching King Sailur, he prostrated himself fully to deliver his royal greetings.
King Sailur quickly rose from his throne, took Ruhaisu by the shoulders to lift him up, gripped his hand warmly, and drew him down onto the seat beside him. King Sailur adjusted his posture, looked into Barde Ruhaisu's eyes with absolute calm, and said, "O, Warrior of Warriors and the Great Pillar of the Kingdom of Zamrul, know that I have not summoned you here except to bestow upon you a monumental and exceptionally perilous task, one which I require you to execute in absolute secrecy. Before I inform you of the nature of this mission, I desire to ask you two questions."

Part B

"Before I inform you of the nature of this mission, I desire to ask you two questions. The first question is: can you sacrifice your very life to save the life of the one I love more than anything else in this world?"
Upon hearing this question, tears instantly filled the eyes of Barde Ruhaisu. He looked at King Sailur and said, "How could I ever fail to ransom my life for the man who raised me and cherished me as his own flesh and blood? Especially when I was nothing but a foundling slave who knew neither his parents nor his lineage?"
Hearing these words, King Sailur felt tears slide down his own face, but he quickly bowed his head and said, "O, Barde Ruhaisu, can you separate from your newly wedded bride, who is currently eight months pregnant and preparing to give birth to your son or daughter, to fulfill my command? When seeing your child right now is your greatest ambition in life?"
At this question, tears flowed freely down Ruhaisu's cheeks. "My leader," he spoke with fierce devotion, "know that both I and everything I possess could never fully ransom the profound kindness you have shown me in this life. Even if I gave everything, it would not equal ten percent of what I owe you."
Hearing this, King Sailur threw his arms around Barde Ruhaisu, and both of them broke down weeping in a tight embrace.
Between King Sailur and Barde Ruhaisu existed an intense bond of love and affection. Before God blessed King Sailur's wife with the birth of Prince Lubainu, they had spent sixteen years in marriage without a single missed cycle or sign of pregnancy. During that time, King Sailur and his wife had spared no effort in seeking a child, until they finally resigned themselves to their destiny.
Years later, King Sailur had marched out to a monumental war against a kingdom known as DARNIS. Since the days of their grandfathers and ancestors, a brutal, blood-drenched blood feud had existed between the two nations. God granted victory to Zamrul; they completely wiped out the standing army of Darnis, breached the city gates, and proceeded to systematically slaughter every male inhabitant of the city—both old and young, sparing only children under the age of ten—until they had eradicated every strong man capable of mounting a resistance.
King Sailur and his forces had not executed this ruthless campaign out of unprovoked cruelty; rather, there was a time when the men of Darnis had launched a massive surprise invasion against Zamrul, slaughtering over three million citizens. It was only by the absolute skin of their teeth that they were driven out of the capital of Zamrul, but not before they had wrought catastrophic destruction, captured countless citizens as slaves, plundered immense wealth, and burned nearly half the city to the ground. In retaliation, King Sailur's forces dismantled them without mercy or leniency, taking their women as slaves; only children and the elderly survived to tell the tale.
When King Sailur stormed the royal palace of Darnis, he succeeded in slaying their king. After capturing the fallen king's wives and young children as slaves, he pushed deeper into the private royal chambers. Upon entering the innermost sanctuary, he discovered a young boy of about ten years of age lying flat on the floor. A massive, heavy stone had been deliberately placed upon the boy's stomach, and he was gasping heavily as if his soul were about to depart.
Seeing the child in this horrific state, King Sailur rushed forward, swiftly rolled the heavy stone off the boy's stomach, and lifted him into a sitting position. When he looked at the boy's face and saw how his lips were cracked from extreme thirst and how utterly broken his body was, profound compassion gripped the king's heart. He quickly fetched water and gave it to the child to drink.
Only when the boy regained full consciousness did King Sailur look at him gently and ask, "O, young boy, who inflicted this horrific torture upon you, seeking to destroy your life?"
Struggling for breath, the boy opened his mouth and whispered, "It was the king who tortured me, because I fell ill and failed to execute the daily duties I was commanded to perform."
Astonished, King Sailur looked at the boy again. "What act of servitude were you performing for him?"
The boy replied, "I am the one who washes his food platters and cups."
King Sailur shook his head. "Are you a native born of this city?"
The boy shook his head. "No, I am a slave. I do not know my lineage, and I do not know my parents. I simply woke up to find myself trapped within this palace since before I had any understanding, working in servitude."
Hearing this, King Sailur felt a surge of intense sorrow for the boy, greater than he had ever felt for anyone. Placing a hand on his shoulder, he asked, "What is your name?"
The boy replied, "My name is Ruhaisu."
With a joyful smile, King Sailur looked at him and said, "Know that from this day forth, Ruhaisu, you have become my son. I give you my solemn royal promise that I will cherish you just like a son born of my own loins, and I will cultivate whatever gifts you possess to elevate your station in life."
Hearing this, the boy Ruhaisu's face expanded with a massive smile, overcome with pure joy. He looked at Sailur and asked, "Who are you? And what is the reason you came to this city to launch a war against us? Did you kill the king, or did you capture him alive?"
King Sailur smiled and answered, "My name is King Sailur, ruler of the Kingdom of Zamrul. Know, Ruhaisu, that between my nation and the realm of your tyrannical king exists an ancient blood feud spanning generations. Approximately three years ago, your king and his warriors invaded my capital and inflicted catastrophic devastation upon my people; we have simply returned to execute a matching vengeance. Your king has long since departed to the realm of the dead (Barzahu). From this day forth, I emancipate you entirely from the status of a slave; you are now a prince, not a common citizen of the streets."
As soon as he finished speaking, King Sailur took the young Ruhaisu by the hand and led him out of the royal chambers. Upon exiting the doorway, the young Ruhaisu stumbled over the corpse of his former, tyrannical master. The boy immediately spat upon the corpse and declared, "Curse you, tyrant! May a punishment a thousand times greater than what you inflicted upon me be cemented upon you within your grave." Hearing this, King Sailur understood with absolute certainty that the boy Ruhaisu had suffered pure, unadulterated torment at the hands of that king.
From that day forward, the Kingdom of Darnis was brought under the direct sovereignty of Zamrul, transformed into a major province and a massive hub of commerce.
When King Sailur brought the young Ruhaisu home to his capital, he gathered his entire council of ministers and courtiers to present the boy before them. He announced to the assembly: "From this day forth, this boy shall be known as Prince Ruhaisu. He was a slave, but I have emancipated him and elevated him to the status of my own blood son."
Upon hearing this declaration, profound astonishment gripped everyone in attendance, and the court erupted into furious gossip and murmurs. Some argued, "How can the king take a slave of completely unknown lineage and claim to make him his son, even declaring him a prince in line for the throne? This is a badge of shame and a source of mockery for him and the entire royal dynasty!" Others declared, "This travesty will never stand! This is like firing a gun underwater; bringing an outsider who is not of this land and claiming he will rule over us in the future is impossible!"
When King Sailur overheard the vile gossip and rebellion being muttered by his councilors and courtiers, his fury boiled over. His heart burned with such intense rage that he didn't even realize he had lunged to his feet from his throne. He let out a thunderous, earth-shattering roar that struck terror into the very cores of everyone present, because—