Somewhere In Central City

A tram trolley moved swiftly across the breadth of a large bustling city, zooming past a masjid that was breathtakingly wondrous that perhaps it'd have been considered one of the wonders of the entire Kingdom.

Tâ Hâ had an urban rail transit with tramways connecting one district to another.

The trams were used as the main means of public transport for anyone in the city. It was what would be known as streetcars to some, or trolleys to others.

Even as the rail vehicle moved across the tracks, a girl sat leisurely reading a book, with glasses on.

With one leg crossed over the other, she had an air of sophistication about her which made it clear she was one of the nobility - upperclassmen of Tâ Hâ provincial city. Because of that nobody sat too close, or even dared to disturb her.

She wore a white blouse under a black sleeveless overcoat tied with an elegant blue sash at her waistline. Her blue jeans were tucked in her heeled leather boots, and she had a light velvet turban for a hijab.

Suddenly looking out through the glass window, this beige-skinned girl watched the surroundings of Tâ Hâ's central city whittle past her.

Even as her mind gradually got lost wandering at some memory of a boy with green eyes, she smiled.

It seemed the memory was quite a pleasant one, for her smile continued to extend, till the warmth reached her clear crystalline eyes which were as deep as pools, dazzling the onlookers.

"Mommy, look at that girl. She's pretty like a fairy." One small boy seated opposite her with his mother exclaimed.

"Hey, what about your mom?" The mother teased her little boy, a pouting expression on her face.

"Mom is the prettiest of all!" The boy gleefully said.

The mother smiled lovingly at her son,"Oww..."

But the son continued,"But this girl is a fairy!"

The mother was shocked at her son's consistent exclamations at the girl. Of course she understood why the child was in deep admiration of the girl across them.

Even she could see the beauty and allure the girl possessed. The girl's feminine charms were as such as could confuse any mortal. But her entire demeanour spoke of glamour and sophistication. If anything, no one would have the guts, or be foolish enough to approach her. This was because, in this city, there were people who had certain backgrounds that they just couldn't be trifled with.

It was at this point in their conversation that the girl turned to look in their direction. Having seded out of her reverie a moment before, she had heard some of the boy's comments on her beauty. She looked over at the young boy, and - smiled.

All the young guys in the tram suddenly went dazed. It was such that one could say they wished in their deepest of hearts that they were the one to whom she had smiled just now. If that wish was granted, perhaps they'd die contented deaths after that, with no regrets in life.

She opened her hands to the child in calling,"My name is Yasmin. What's yours?"Her smooth voice like honey sank in all ears like sweet melodies..

If the other boys were wishing at first that they were the ones to whom she had smiled, now - they were brimming with extreme jealous at the little boy for earning a word from her.

Why weren't they as little as that boy so they could experience such sweetness from such a girl? Why weren't they born a little later? Why wasn't that woman their own mother?

The mother of the boy smiled at her son, nudging him to go into Yasmin's arms. But the shy boy cuddled against his mother in shame as his face turned a deep shade of crimson.

"She asked what was your name. It'd be impolite if you left her unanswered.." The mother warmly encouraged her son.

"Abdul Mu'min, with the hamza." The boy answered bashfully.

"Well Abdul! It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance!" Yasmin said with a smile that enchanted the viewers.

"Haaaa..Pleasure to acquiesce you too..." The other boys sighed in their hearts.

"Look at you! Earlier, weren't you the courageous one when you boldly commented on her beauty. Now you're cuddling against me like a turtle would in its shell."The mother tapped the boy's nose.

"Mummy!" The boy cried out, hiding his reddened face like pomegranate juice in his mother's clothing.

Yasmin laughed lightly, covering her mouth with her hand, making everyone to think of her as the well-cultured lady.

It was at this time that the trolley stopped for some people to get off, and others to get in.

Yasmin looked out, and saw they were still in Central city. It'd take a while to reach the North district.

Somebody got on the tram, and stood for a while, looking for a place to sit. Suddenly seeing the solitary girl sitting alone, her beauty accentuated to several degrees by that mere fact, he strolled over to stand next to her.

He slammed the book he was earlier looking into close as he stared down at the girl, smiling smugly.

The other boys felt rage eat into their hearts as their thought,"Just what qualifications does this guy have that he thinks he can stand and smile smugly to our fairy beauty like that! If he knows what's better for him, he'd back down now!"

"Hey," a guy murmured to another,"Who could this new guy be? He's so simple and yet exquisitely dressed. How come I've not heard of him before?"

Looking up at him, he was a fairly handsome youth with slick brown hair, a few strand released in front.

Dressed in a denim navyblue shorts, with a bodyhugging orange striped black shirt which showed the outline of his athletic physique, he had quite the youthful charm.

He also wore some spectacles, a pair of simple neat sneakers, and seemed to possess a sophisticated air like the girl before them, even without trying.

"It doesn't matter what his background is,"the guy who was being talked to, gritted his teeth,"but if he doesn't step down now, I'm gonna have someone bleed!"

•••

West District

A large stretch of land spread as far as one's eye could see, from the very borders of Tâ Hâ's Central city to the red sands cold desert on the west.

Beyond this cold desert was the sea. It was particularly amazing how a desert had easily transited into the blue sea.

Within this land stretch known as the West district was a grand fortress with a large tract of mountain ranges which made a semicircle, demarcating this district from the Central city on the east, the North district on the northeast. It stopped short at the south with a forest spread called the West forest.

To the further south of West forest was Tâ Hâ's graveyard. To its southeast was a tributary of River Kawthar, and the South district delta region.

You see, this amazing mountain range provided a secure demarcation which made the native tribes of the West retain their separation from the rest of Tâ Hâ. Thus, without extensive mixing with the others, they maintained this haughtiness and feeling of superiority.

They also had the power to express their fanciful ideas, as they possessed about a good seventy percent of the City council who saw to the administration of the island city as a whole.

Within the fortress of the West were five regions, consisting of four resident quarters, and - a large uninhabitable sweep of land which included the cold desert called, the Tâ Hâ Ancestry Land Expanse, or TALE for short.

The four quarters were the; Lilac Crescent precinct, Peace Lake vicinity, Watchtower domain, and Blessed Valley zone.

Now, our story brings us to one old man seated at the edge of a luxuriantly flourishing garden possessing the most exotic desert blooms. These blooms possessed a fragrance that could make you forget all worries, sooth aching muscles, and calm misfired nerve cells.

The decorated pavilion in which this man sat, and the garden itself, was a part of the Lilac Crescent precinct.

He was a man with an honourable position in the particular tribe, that occupied this specific quarter.

He was the Second patriarch of the Al Hilâli tribe.

Second elder Abul Hakam sat, sprawled out on a high quality chaise lounge like a stretched-out cat, eyes closed in seemingly peaceful calm, whilst soaking in the soothing effect nature had to offer.

When one looked at his face, one would say this old man had the bearing of a sagacious hermit due to his pleasantly aged face. With all his long beard and hair turned white in the right places so he still had vibrant black hairs, he radiated handsomeness and a strong vitality.

At the moment, no one could tell the thoughts running through his mind. Or that, instead of being at an important Council meeting he was supposed to be in at that particular time, he had ditched the meeting in order to lazy about in his garden.

To Abul Hakam, he didn't see why he should waste a good time of his life going to meetings. Tâ Hâ wasn't his sole possession after all, so why burden oneself in Council meetings.

Once those bunch of old fogeys were there, representing and discussing matters pertaining to the growth and general upliftment of the city, - there was no need for him to go. He'd only be an unnecessary extra count.

As the official in charge of the forest reserves, especially those in the West, not much was said or required of him during those meetings.

Those bunch always focused on finding ways to make Tâ Hâ come to the spotlight among the other provincial cities. Naturally, their talk always focused on news from the Capital, ongoings in other Provinces, undergoing developmental projects in Tâ Hâ, the four districts in general, advancement in the various schools, and the events pertaining to the three High schools in particular.

Yâ Salaam! They'd even rather talk about hypotheses of conspirators than talk about the forests of Tâ Hâ. Apparently, afforestation-deforestation wasn't much of a priority in their discussions. Thus, he was always hardly referred to, and had always stay in the backstage, whilst others were in the spotlight.

Even that damnable Hajj Ya'qûb of an affiliate clan was somehow always in the spotlight. People always sought his advice and his say in stuffs.

Well, the gist of the matter was, they always only cared about how Tâ Hâ could always come to the attention of the King, and O how they failed terribly!

As a backwater city on a faraway island from the Capital, Tâ Hâ had always been the last to be mentioned after the mainland provinces, if they'd be mentioned at all.

The Second patriarch had come to have a feeling that he was a small part of it all, and so, - decided to take liberties avoiding meetings to have his pastimes.

Occasionally, when he had his chance to show to the world how important he was in manipulating and deciding people's lives for them and also, circumstances in the city, he didn't hesitate to do so. Naturally, the larger majority of his victims was always those who were nonnatives in the city.

By doing this, at least those times, he got to feel a sense of his importance in the world too. One could say the Second patriarch was narcissistic, but he really didn't care..

Even as he sighed, irritated at his pitiable lot among the other officials who got the spotlight, he turned over on his side again. One could see he really couldn't find rest even with the effects from the exotic plants.

He could just imagine the self-centered Head of the Al Maghribi clan, gaining all the attention at that very moment he was lying there. His advice being sought always like he were any older than them.

Ya Salaam! His white hairs couldn't even match to his. He could as well be considered a member of the junior generation!

What right of seniority had he over them, to claim such attention for possessing wisdom and forbearingness?!

The Second patriarch was in this state of tossing and turning when a pair of youth entered into the pavilion.

"Salaamu alaykum Second patriarch.." They made a slight bend in greeting.

"En.."He responded, dismissing their gesture with a hand raised lethargically.

After that he didn't even move a muscle to acknowledge their presence. Apparently, he felt too lazy to even bat an eyelid.

He turned once again on his side, not caring how the junior generation perceived him.

"Are you going to speak, or stand there watching me like a sorry pair of munchkins.." The elder's irritated voice reached them when they had kept silent for far too long a time for him.

The guys exchanged weary looks before nodding to themselves.

Naturally, this pair were the Al Hilâli members who had earlier witnessed the Arkaan and Eastern Waterfall case, - brothers Zuhayr and Husâm!

"Second patriarch, we two junior members are here to report a scene that's quite one to raise your interest."Zuhayr started.

The second patriarch kept quiet. As to whether it was from his waiting for them to continue, or he just didn't care, it was left for them to decide.

"Second patriarch remembers the mission assigned to these two younger ones, - watch over whatever happens in West forest; any intrusion, disturbance, or strange happenings, and report back to Second patriarch.."

Of course he knew what duty he had assigned them. Did they think him demented or what?!

Suddenly seeing his irritated expression increased over his earlier statement, Zuhayr decided to stop beating about the bush before the man loses it without having heard them out.

"Today, we spotted a group in the West forest. Not members of the natives, and moreover, without any permission whatsoever to enter.."

West forest was a reserve, and without permission one could generally not enter it to do any business. Yet still, there were some exceptions to entering it as long as they didn't cause a disturbance.

But for someone as petty as the second patriarch who could make any small case big enough, it was just for him to get interested in something, and it would definitely become world cup.

A group?..Not natives? Hearing this, the Second patriarch's ears perked up a little.

"This group wore the characteristic apparel of the Eastern Waterfall halaqah."

Eastern Waterfall? Now that was something curious. Eastern Waterfall wouldn't deliberately dare to get on the West's bad side. He knew very well their Ustadh, and they two had been on some business before, once in the past.

"Go on"

Zuhayr smiled satisfactorily at the new reaction he was getting from the elder."But what was amazing was, - the person who seemed to have led them into the West forest."

"Seemed, or had led? Boy, be clear on your speech."the second patriarch furrowed his brows.

Zuhayr felt like cold water had splashed his back,"--Led, Second patriarch sir."

"..We noticed he wore a seemingly same apparel as those from the South district's halaqah from before, 'Inabah."

"A seemingly same apparel or the same apparel?" At this point, the Second patriarch was barely controlling himself from getting up to spank this boy who thought he had overgrown his own age. Only because he wanted to hear to the end, he didn't lash the boy's senses out.

"The same apparel, Second patriarch." Zuhayr quickly said, sweat forming on his brow.

"Speak clearly from now on boy, or you might not have another chance to keep your behind from facing retribution." Of course he knew all too well what Zuhayr was trying to do.

Zuhayr had thought he could play the Second patriarch like a fiddle, only that he forgot the man was much aged and experienced than them both and could easily make out what he was trying to do. Even if they added the two of them their ages together, they still wouldn't reach one-half of his age.

At this, he signalled Husâm to continue.

Husâm came a little forward, and politely began recounting everything from when they had seen Arkaan in the forest, being chased by the Eastern Waterfall, to the time he set off the smoke bomb, and then when he entered the graveyard, to causing a flare that shone as bright for people as far as the South district to see it.

He narrated how they'd followed him and Yasmin, and when the pair had met the two Al Maghribi, - Zak and Maryam.

He added what they had heard them talk about on the first halaqah meeting of 'Inabah they had to hurry to attend that day.

Husâm narrated everything from beginning to end in all truth, going straight to the point and not using any words with covert meanings. Through that, the Second patriarch finally had a clear picture of what had gone on.

By this time, he had already gotten up, sitting on his sofa bed with his eyes shining. He had his hands clasped in prayer form underneath his chin. It was all too good news for him. He just couldn't believe it.

He could already feel the adrenaline rushing through his veins, as his previous sense of lethargy was dispelled.

He didn't try to suppress his exuberance from radiating in front of the kids.

Yh, everyone knew him already. So why try being the hypocrite?

"Good news, good news!!" He commended. He had already forgotten what Zuhayr had done as he gently patted the boys on their heads, giving them doted expressions.

"Now, all we need is a way to drag the Al Maghribi kids into the equation so they're an indispensable part of what happened." Generally speaking, Second patriarch would have felt joy in making things difficult for even one person, no matter who it was.

But there were more than one. With the Al Maghribi kids in the equation, things had suddenly taken a more exciting turn for him. And also, - that girl. Her father was also going to fall into his machinations.

Haha! Things were taking an interesting turn! Ah.. It seems he was finally being compensated for by the heavens.

Not that he was going to let Arkaan off. Of course that foreign boy was going to pay more for what had happened than the Al Maghribi kids, and that girl. Only that he was going to pull their fathers' legs with it.

Then again, - 'Inabah... He felt a headache coming. How does he break this news to the other patriarchs?

Well he'd mention it in the tribes' own private meeting. But now, oh how he wished he was at the Council meeting now so he'd face off those two men, Hajj Ya'qûb especially!

Even as a thousand schemes began forming in his mind on how to turn the situation into a favourable case for him to play at for a while, he suddenly realized something.

Drats! Because of the flare earlier that afternoon, someone might mention him in the meeting.

If that happens, they'll notice his absence!

That damnable boy! He'd surely let him suffer a hundred times over!

Within a flash he had left the pavilion, aiming for the stables where his favourite and swiftest horse was, leaving the two boys staring after him in confusion.

•••