WINNER OF READERS CHOICE AWARDS 2020 (Historical Fiction)
Stone hearts.
Silver to gold.
And the fierce need to prove oneself.
Highest ranks: #1 in Arabia || #3 in History || #51 in Assassin || #90 in Spiritual
A/N: sorry for the wait everyone! I have been incredibly busy and I was confused as to where I was going with this to some degree. I think I have my bearings now! This chapter is not very eventful, but certainly the one following is going to be ACTION PACKED! This is more of a lead-up. JazakAllah khair and thank you for all your support lately. We are almost at 8K reads and I couldn't be more grateful! Enjoy stormers!
~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Do not dare attempt to change my world. You are not welcome here. My soul resists yours. All I have ever known is to fight, and fight I shall against this shattering truth you bring. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~
A M A A N L A T I F, رَبِيعٱلْأَوَّل I N U M I D I A N K I N G D O M
The Numidian sun greeted Amaan once again. Whilst it was ruthless and overbearing upon the foreigner, Amaan found it more comforting than ever as he once again moved as a loner, tracking Ishtar with little luck.
After he had sent her galloping off, he had successfully held the guards off and before reinforcements could arrive, fled himself upon an unfortunate horse he imagined only his Lord could have sent cantering his way.
The caravan was nowhere to be found. The miserly Zakariyya, his lovely wife and daughters - he had lost them all to the unforgiving desert and knew not what had become of them.
The haunting reality that he had once again failed those who he had been charged to protect had settled in his heart. The familiar weight of failure threatened to consume him.
The weight only increased as he spent days casting through the desert sands for the petite young woman who could neither defend herself nor navigate herself to safety. Every passing day he replayed her excitement for an adventure in his mind, and his stupidity laughed at him for melting at her want. No doubt she cursed him now, wherever she was, if she was.
Desperation left Amaan one option. He had to return to Kirthan. His standing would allow him to dispatch his men to scour the kingdom for the missing Taghridis. They lived and breathed the land, if they could not find them- no one could. Every time he admitted this reality however, he could not bear to imagine the misery of his people when he would have to inform them that their sons were not returning home.
Udad, Medur, Wararni.
Idegir, whom he had left to die.
Their faces haunted his dreams, their eyes heavy with grief.
Amaan's soul screamed for mercy. The world has become his prison. His home his dread. One by one it seemed, every soul he had ever cared for he would fail.
The stranger rode on, his lonely steed dragging its four feet through the desert sands.
T H E T R I O, رَبِيعٱلْأَوَّل R O C K Y T R A I L
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