Nafis' Sin

[Reckless Banzai Screamer 15456]

Night creeps upon the little known Realm of Hallowvale on the eastern border of Khalestine. While his friends and family were tucked away in their chambers, Nafis Yar of Al-Dirahk shivers as a cool wind makes its way into the grand hall of Ard Ghorrock - the keep itself a testament to humanity’s never ceasing potential.  

 

But the young Qalashi man is not fixated on the keep’s grandeur, which serves as a stark contrast to his homeland; he is lost in a trance. His head is kept high, watching the small flames flicker from the chandelier hanging above him with his sole eye.

 

“Nafis.”

 

My great granddaddy was uh..-he was a boss they tell me. Had mina pourin’ out his pockets. Ladies’ man. Rest in peace. My granddaddy - his people called him the ‘Fisher King’ when he was goin’ senile. God fearin’ man. Rest in peace. My daddy was an Imperial soldier in foreign lands in..-’Hammertruppen regiment’. Or some **** it was called. He fought with my granddaddy. Used to sell cactus green to get by, know what I’m sayin? Rest in peace.

 

The Qalashi man blinks once and lowers his head. He gazes upon his Grandmaster. Baudric von Aesterwald offers a small nod in greeting and walks around the table Nafis sits at, holding a bowl of lukewarm porridge in his gloved hands. He takes the chair next to him and sits, letting out a hefty sigh.

 

“Grandmaster," Nafis bows his head. ”You’ve received my letter I am sure, na’am?”

 

Baudric himself is lost in contemplation and responds with a simple half nod. The Qalashi man makes note of this, but continues with a faint smile.

 

“The weddin’ date approaches. I met the woman who catered the Sultan’s weddin’. I think she’ll be acceptable. I was hopin’ to invite a few rafiqis as well. Reeve, Leric, Isra…” Nafis leans back in his chair with the front legs rising, balancing on the hind. He strokes his goatee as he muses to himself his expectations of the ceremony to come.

 

Got so much love for my people. Back when I was little Qali, my rafiqi - my brother, Enepay, he found me and took me with him on an adventure. That was my first adventure I ever had with someone else. Twenty years later they wanna’ cut his tongue out for just tryin’ to be decent.

 

Baudric shuts his eyes and raises his right hand to interrupt Nafis. “Zhe vedding vill hauf to vait for anozher day.”

 

“But Grandmaster, for what purpose? I’ve delayed it since the Duke’s War..-” Nafis’ brow furrows in disbelief. He silences himself as Baudric keeps his hand raised - the Waldenian man was not finished.

 

“It ist time, Nafis. Zhe final zolution must be administered by zhat auf Rovin blood, in name auf Voron. In name auf Spivey. In name auf zhe Valdenian men und zhe true followers auf zhe vort auf Horen und Lucien und Owyn. It makes sense now, Nafis!” As Baudric spoke, he rises from his seat with arms raised. He looks up to the ceiling of the grand hall as if given vision by GOD himself. His eyes widen and turn bloodshot and his chest heaves as he takes in heavy breaths from his excitement.

 

“I’m not sure if I follow, Grandmaster. What makes sense?” Nafis mumbles. He knew well from previous talks of what the Grandmaster meant. The Grand Commander looks up, following the gaze of Baudric to see what he saw. But Nafis saw nothing. Nothing but the chandelier and the faint flames on each candle above them.

 

I started fightin' when I got picked up by Lord Hadrian. But then my Mama came 'round and I ran into Zahrah while workin' the gate. So I was like, I was..-"Well ****." So I told myself I'd go out there, do my best to live, and then come back out after one fight. But nope. So many years fightin'. All felt pointless in the end.

 

“Zhe veak must perish from zhis vorlt for zhe strong man to vonce again take zhe reigns on schociety. It ist zhe duty auf us to eliminate zhe veak like zhe malignant tumor: to destroy zhe heredity auf zhe inferior mind und inferior body. NAFIS!”

 

Nafis’ head jerks and he looks back to Baudric. Lost in his worries he stares at Baudric for a few moments before responding quietly. “...Na’am?”

 

The words Baudric speak become inaudible to Nafis and a rising pitch increases in the Qalashi’s ear. A test of faith, most definitely.

 

“...-Und zhou vill burn it to zhe ground.”

 

“I cannot, Grandmaster. I am tired of fighting!” Nafis voice rises as he speaks over the Waldenian man. Baudric had been mostly oblivious to Nafis’ subtle protests up until now.

The former goes quiet and retakes his seat. He stares down at his bowl of porridge, the heat of which had long since faded, before mumbling “...Get out.”

 

I was locked away with my brother in them prison cells Khalestine saves for the foreigners. Like I was a foreigner. In my own land. Whipped me like a dog in front of the foreigners. And they still expected me to go and fight folks I ain’t never met for a people I ain’t even know. When they put me in prison it was like they took my life away.

 

“Grandmaster..-pardon me. But I cannot in good spirit fight a pointless fight. I wish to start a family now and live happily among our remaining comrades in arms. We don’t have to fight anymore for other folks. We can be-”

 

“Get out auf zhis keep, zhou disobedient schvine!” Baudric’s voice raises and he slams his gauntleted hand upon the table before him. “Zhou take an oath auf obedience to zhis order und mein rule, und zhou refuse to carry out zhe most schpecifik order to date! Zhou dumbkopf! Too busy putting zhe ***** auf Wakhrah through zhe turns. She ist all zhou care for!” Baudric shakes his head in disbelief and looks away from Nafis in disgust.  “I bet she’s had more rides zhan zhe rented camels. Und to steal zhe heart und fighting spirit auf zhis boy, zhe gute Ordensman!”

 

When we were kids I wanted to get a camel from Crazy Hassan and go on another adventure with Zahrah. See if I could impress her. Now Crazy Hassan is gone and so is Uncle Siris. Ain’t got no one to smoke with now.

 

Nafis looks to Baudric in horror and chews on the inside of his cheeks. He reaches his hand and grabs the handle of his sheathed hunting knife kept along his belt. "Please take back what you said..."Nafis says softly. His eye shifts to the stone floor, away from Baudric. 

 

“Vhat a ******* voman she haus made out auf zhe Grand Commander! Break zhat oath in vhich you took, for life! I vill not run after zhou. GO! Zhou may die vif zhe enjoyment auf zhe nezher in zhor future.”

 

“I refuse the meet the same fate as my grandfather did at the hands of your father ‘Mad Arn’, Baudric!” Nafis shifts quickly in his seat and plunges his knife into the throat of Baudric. The cartilage of his throat gave way to steel, crimson like thick red syrup dripping down in thin rivulets onto the Grandmaster's tabard. Baudric simply sucked in a choked, gargled breath, eyes glazed over. Nafis watches his lifeblood seep for a moment, tugging out the blade and letting his face fall to the table, spilling the cold porridge. A bitter wind sweeps through the grand hall once more, putting the small flames suspended by the chandelier out.

 

Ya’Allah, I ain’t worried about Heaven. Bless everyone I got left and you can keep it. I ain’t worried about the Nether. I’m gonna’ give my future kids and their mama the best life. 

 

The diamond blackens, appearing as though it were a lump of coal.

Edited October 5, 2015 by §hady Tale§

[Zhulik 3559]

"Baudric put me in a cave like a filthy animal, I'm glad we used our choppers..." Decimus mutters, referring to the knives.

Edited October 5, 2015 by Zhulik

[Arctic_Guard 1068]

"Zhese ahr dark days indeed, yet gott vills it," Rilkor murmurs as he gets a chill down his spine right before he pounces upon a bear while out in the moonlit wilds on his hiatus. "I fear zah time auf pumpkins ist soon closing in."

[Cave_Creature 467]

Aisha's fists fly at a hay training target, the skin of her knuckles long since having cracked and bled. She has a deep ache in her gut. Whether it was justified or not and regardless of what she had told her dear, broken friend, murder had been done. Maybe the bitter, chilled wind biting her cheeks and the metallic blood on her lips was just the taste of sins catching up with her.

[Sujamma Addict 514]

I'm leaving brother.

The Sultan clenches his teeth as he watches three familiar figures leave him.

"It was up to the Creator to decide." He repeats to himself.

Edited October 5, 2015 by AlteredGENx

[Malocchio 983]

Sahárfajhari spent endless nights pondering on whether she would be able to visit her dearest friend, her rafiqi, Nafis. The youthful Emiress looked to the distressed Qali' as her brother, for her bloodborn brothers were oh-so-cruel. She cared for this Qalasheen and always would, no matter his sin. She knew that Allah would forgive him, as long as his regret was truthful in the end.

 

But this time, if she knew what he was thinking, would she still believe Allah would be merciful? 

 

Within the palace, she'd linger within the room of her husband, pacing back and forth upon the small balcony. "Don't worry, Nafis. I'm here. You're a child of Allah..." she murmured under her breath, her hands clasped tightly against her chest. "You'll be safe one day. All will be well."

 

 

Sahárfajhari, happy within her youth, was considered a most pious persona, devouted to the God she truly loved with all her heart. Nafis, to her, was seen as a lost soul, standing outside alone, the rains of sin pouring down upon his frame. She cared for him as much as she would care for her own children in the future. Continuously, the Qalasheen of troubles would remain on her mind, being at the top of her priority, before herself, when she prayed. 

 

"My heart is so broken, Nafis... I've never felt such a pain in my lifetime..."

 

The Emiress had finally finished pacing, slender digits curled around the birchwood balcony she stood upon. Emerald eyes would glisten with gentle tears, ones that would mourn the thought of her friend being in the same pain she was. But perhaps he was? Nafis was constantly troubled, always fearing something, always fighting someone. She watched her most trusted ally go through the roughest of storms. She felt for this Qalasheen more than others. Sahárfajhari was unfamiliar to sinning herself but she was familiar with others sinning. Nafis was more than a friend to the Emiress. He was a brother. 

 

But if she had known Nafis had killed out of cold-blood, without Allah's will... Her heart would hurt more than it ever would.

 

A heart of glass would shatter into a million pieces.

 

 

Edited October 5, 2015 by Malocchio

[MetaSolaray 242]

Resting in a chair before a roaring fire Neci would glance wishfully towards the ceiling as she eats the remaining wedding cake from the Sultan's wedding. "You know, I haven't heard from Nafis since the wedding. Did he get cold feet perhaps? Actually did he even get my name..."

[Ender_Panda13 78]

With a sadden, yet contented heart, A certain cleric dons his old clerical tabard, placing the now frayed tabard away. He didn't have many items to take with him, most of his belongings fit into his new messenger bag. He fondly remembers the time his brothers(and sister) fought and defeated the giant spider outside of the caliphate, how he saved his own life by using his bag as a shield, he had spent many days replacing it and its ruined medical supplies.

Closing the bag he places it over his shoulder, the weight of it setting him more at ease. He walked quietly through the halls, knowing the men and women that he once called friends were probably hard at work training or praying. He was never good with goodbyes, so he wouldn't try, he would leave it to the man who told him of his sins to tell the others in due time. It was easier this way, to leave before he lost everything he held dear.

Pulling his hood over his head he glances back at the towering keep, he had helped to collect and lay many of the bricks that made it whole, he would miss the time he spent with them, of course he would, but it wasn't meant to be, he couldn't stay with them, whose hearts are as cold as the winds that bit his cheeks, whose hands are as red as the flags they flew, no, he was a man of the warmth, while his hands were stained, he had washed them clean when he had started his training, he could not afford to go back to his old ways, or else the faults of the past may occur yet again.

He had watched as his family and friends were murdered and killed in front of his eyes in Athera.

He would not make the same mistake in Vailor.

"May the gods have mercy on your soul, Nafis"

Edited October 6, 2015 by Ender_Panda13

[Elad™ 560]

Moved to the Archive. It shall be sorted into the appropriate category shortly.