The Saga of Zammar the Great #12: The Choosing (Indus pt.1)

Aitzaz skimmed his face along Lyla’s neck, taking in the subtle scent of jasmine and citron. His arms reached under her kameez and ran gently up her back. She moaned quietly at his touch. Then something tickled Aitzaz’s ankle. He ignored it, and in a moment he was on her, his lips devouring hers. She responded in kind, grabbing his head and forcing him closer. A knot was rising in his chest, but something tickled his neck beneath her hands, lingering annoyingly and distracting him from the task at hand.

Spirits dammit, leave me alone.

He gently pushed her down, allowing her a moment to find a comfortable place on the wooden bench, all the while not letting go of her lips. She pulled him on top of herself, and Aitzaz’s hands fumbled beneath himself to remove her clothing. Her hands were at his chest, unbuttoning his top. He was hard, and he knew that she knew it.

It’s happening!

Suddenly, he felt a tingle under the bridge of his nose and an accompanying urge to sneeze. He ignored it and pressed harder against Lyla’s lips, his tongue intertwining with hers. Then, lacking air, he choked. Forced to pull away, he unleashed a deafening sneeze that covered nearby grass in mucus. This was followed by violent hacks and barks as his body responded to the sudden asphyxiation.

Aitzaz felt his face going hot from embarrassment, even as he tried to quell the incessant coughing. But Lyla laughed her chime-like laugh, softly pushed him off herself and swung her legs off the bench. The golden monkey, presently the object of all of Aitzaz’s rage, leaped up her shoulder to nest in her wavy honey coloured hair as if to say “mine.”

Still giggling, she reached up a hand, allowing the monkey to clamber down to her lap where she started tickling its belly. “I think Taz got a bit jealous there, ‘Zaz.” She said with a grin. The monkey looked at Aitzaz with an oblivious expression of innocence. He glared angrily in response, switching quickly to an awkward smile when Lyla turned to him.

“He’s a good boy.” Aitzaz said and reached over to stroke the back of Taz’s neck, pressing his fingers into it just a little bit harder than was necessary.

“Zaz and Taz...” Lyla began to sing.

Aitzaz groaned “Oh, please no.”

“Nothing rhymes with Zaz or Taz” she continued.

“It’s not Zaz, for the spirits’ sake!”

“Maybe I’m just not good at making rhymes!”

 “Aey-teh-zaaz, it’s Aey-teh-zaaz!”

“But that’s okay, because they rhyme with each other!”

“'Zaz and Taz don’t even rhyme if you say it right.”

“So they’re going to be the best friends in the world!”

“Lyla…”

“But who cares, Zaz and Taz forever!!” She crescendoed and punched her arms to the sky.

“Eek!” Taz shrieked, and imitated her gesture.

Then Lyla burst into laughter and hugged her spirit’s animal tightly. Aitzaz watched for a moment, a smile playing on his face as he reminded himself of how lucky he was to be with the most beautiful girl in the city. Me, of all people. Not Rahul, or Mahit, me!

He pulled her close with an arm, and she stopped laughing to rest her head on his shoulder. After a moment, with a growing pit in his stomach, Aitzaz gently whispered “I love you.” And she responded by meeting his eyes with clear hazel ones. Before she could reply, Aitzaz’s lips found her, and they kissed. Not urgently as before, but passionately.

The Saga of Zammar the Great story recap

Map of the world - Saga of Zammar the Great

For the first eighteen years of her life, Ren never left the city of Torst.

Torst wasn't any ordinary city. Built in a valley deep in The Dragon Peaks mountain range, the city was the only neutral state in the world. With gates open to people of any colour, the city differentiated itself from the four other great nations: The Whitelands, The Blacklands, The Dragon Empire and Indus.

For a thousand years of war, Torst had maintained a semblance of balance in the world, preventing the nations from annihilating each other completely, while also providing a home to refugees who fled their ravaged lands. It became a powerful state in its own regard, and slowly fell to its own corruption.

Ren loved her city, and the ideals that it stood for. But having grown up in a noble family as the daughter of Torst's military commander, she was educated highly and longed to see the world with her own eyes. Instead, she had to content with spending days exploring the city's secrets, or lounging in its beautiful gardens.

Then Zammar came. And the mysterious man brought news of the Und'kal.

An alien species from the planet Ghek'yal, the Und'kal consisted of two sub-races. The Und were humanoid in appearance, except for the rough fur that covered their bodies, and their oval heads with elongated ears. They were also intelligent. The Kal were blood thirsty and driven by savage instinct. They walked on four bladed legs, with plated armour across their bodies and deadly claws always ready to rip their prey to shreds.

An immense horde of the aliens now descended upon Torst. The city, too proud to ask for help, stood alone. Commander Ansari, Ren's father, ignored Zammar's advice, and faced the Und'kal in open battle.

Women were not allowed to fight, and instead took refugee in the vast network of cave systems underneath the city. Ren took exception to the rule, and sneaked into the barracks dressed as a boy. She stood in the reserves, and watched as Torst's army was decimated by the aliens. She saw her friend Cody killed by the hand of a Kal. Enraged, she charged at the alien, only to be knocked unconscious.

When Ren woke, she found herself safe by Zammar's side. They were on a ledge overlooking Torst as it burned in the morning sun. The city state, which had stood for a thousand years of war had been destroyed.

Following Zammar, Ren set out on a journey to warn the world of the new Und'kal threat.

They soon came upon a village and Ren met a boy named Tristan. Tristan wasn't from the village, but his parents had left him there soon after birth. Having never felt a part of the community, he found solace in nature and animals. He saw the sadness and guilt that Ren had buried herself in after Torst's fall, and helped her overcome it.