In the second generation after the First World War, in the northern Arabian region, a magnificent city was established, known as Zawatul-Ifdar.
The city of Zawatul-Ifdar flourished in trade, agriculture, livestock rearing, and economic power.
The ruler of the city was a formidable sorcerer and a renowned wealthy king, known as Lazwar ibn Kaulat.
Across the entire Arabian continent, there was no king as famous as him, and for this reason he became a legendary figure among the kings of the land.
Yet despite all the magical power, immense wealth, and royal authority King Lazwar possessed, everything seemed meaningless. Every night, after locking himself inside his chamber, he would cry bitterly in sorrow and frustration until his servants forced him to drink alcohol before he could finally sleep.
There was only one single reason behind King Lazwar’s tears.
Through deep magical divination, he discovered that he would never be able to have a child with any woman unless he broke a spell cast upon him by his sworn enemy, King Darwazu.
If he dared to sleep with any woman—even one of his own servants—every secret of his magic and all his possessions would instantly vanish, and he would return to a life of poverty.
For five long years, King Lazwar lived in this misery day and night.
Suddenly, one day, he screamed—and then burst into uncontrollable laughter.
The echo of his laughter spread throughout the royal palace.
Everyone was shocked, because for five years no one had ever heard him laugh.
What the people did not know was that King Lazwar laughed because he had finally discovered a way to destroy the spell cast upon him by King Darwazu.
To break the spell, he needed five impossible things.
The first was the tears of a mighty monster living in the forest of Darul-Shatir.
The monster, Murgazu, was a brutal creature that terrorized traders and neighboring cities.
The second was the magical talisman of the witch Lazira, who had spent two thousand years preparing spells to resurrect her grandfather—the King of Witches—so he could reveal secrets that would grant her dominion over the world.
The third was water from the Sea of Bahar-Dawa’u, located in the north-western ocean of the world. The sea contained monstrous fish and serpents numbering over five thousand, each with strength fifty times greater than that of a human.
The fourth was the cloak of the supreme sorcerer of the world, Murkatul-Azab.
The cloak was kept in his palace beneath the Sea of Bahar-Maliya—a place confirmed by seers and sorcerers to be the most dangerous location on earth.
The final requirement was a brave young woman known as Sharifa bintu Usman.
Sharifa was currently enslaved under the Istanbul Empire. Her parents had died while still in bondage.
Only Sharifa could help King Lazwar obtain the items needed to break the spell.
King Lazwar was filled with joy—yet one troubling revelation remained.
His magic foretold that he could never succeed with Sharifa unless he himself became a slave, serving under the empire for many years.
Even then, there was no guarantee Sharifa would agree, as she had already lost all joy in life.
But as the wise say, needs outweigh long desires, and fate belongs to destiny alone.
Thus, King Lazwar chose the day he would set out to hunt for Sharifa.
---
At dawn, King Lazwar began preparations for a journey to Istanbul.
By sunrise, everything was ready—servants, soldiers, attendants, and supplies.
The palace courtyard overflowed with people. Everyone waited anxiously to see who would rule in the king’s absence.
Drums and trumpets sounded.
King Lazwar appeared in majestic royal attire and ascended the throne.
“O people of my blessed kingdom,” he announced,
“Today I depart on a great journey to seek a cure for the spell cast upon me by my enemy, King Darwazu.
According to our tradition, I alone choose my regent.
After careful consideration, only Yasiran, the city governor, is worthy of ruling.”
The crowd erupted in celebration, believing their suffering under Lazwar’s tyranny had ended.
Alas—had they known who Yasiran truly was, they would have preferred Lazwar a hundred times over.
After Yasiran was crowned, King Lazwar summoned his demonic servant three times.
From the clouds descended a colossal demon, terrifying in form—wings spread wide, eyes blazing like fire, its roar shaking the earth.
People fled in terror; some collapsed in fear.
The demon bowed respectfully.
“O ruler of the world,” it said in a thunderous voice,
“I have answered your call.”
With pride, King Lazwar replied,
“You, Za’aratun-Layal, shall carry me and my entourage on a perilous journey. This will be your final service before I release you from bondage.”
The demon roared with joy, causing the earth to tremble, until Lazwar commanded silence.
Without delay, the king and his entourage mounted the demon and ascended into the sky.
For seven hours they traveled through the clouds at terrifying speed.
Eventually, they descended into a dark, ominous forest.
Suddenly, deadly arrows rained down, killing over a hundred soldiers before anyone could react.
King Lazwar attempted magic—but it dissolved into smoke.
Then, from the forest emerged a twelve-year-old girl, seated atop a massive leopard. She wore leather garments, carried a sword on her back, and held a bow in her hand.
An intense stare passed between her and King Lazwar.
Furious, Lazwar shouted,
“You wretched child! What madness drove you to attack me? Answer, or I will end your life!”
The girl laughed coldly.
Then she spoke calmly,
“King Lazwar ibn Kaulat of Zawatul-Ifdar, I have known of you for over five years. You came seeking a cure for Darwazu’s spell.”
Shocked, Lazwar asked who she was.
“My father, the hunter Murrasu, told me about you before he died. You are the only one who can help me reunite with my enslaved mother in Istanbul—after I help you reach Sharifa.”
Tears streamed down her face as she revealed her name:
Shuraiba bintu Murrasu.
She told of her father’s service to the King of Istanbul, her mother’s forced enslavement, her father’s death from grief, and her vow to rescue her mother and avenge her suffering.
Even the demon wept.
Moved deeply, King Lazwar promised,
“I swear I will help you reunite with your mother and take revenge on King Ladiyas.”
Together, they continued their journey.
Soon, they were confronted by a thousand elite demon warriors, sent by King Zammar, who demanded Shuraiba’s life for a ritual cure.
King Lazwar refused.
A brutal battle erupted—steel clashed, lightning flashed, screams echoed.
Shuraiba fought with unmatched fury, slaying demons wherever she advanced.
King Zammar watched helplessly through his magic mirror as his army was annihilated.
Though victorious, King Lazwar lost 220 soldiers.
They resumed their journey.
During the flight, Shuraiba asked Za’aratun-Layal how old he was.
“I am the youngest of my kind,” the demon laughed.
“I am only three hundred thousand years old.”
Amazed, Shuraiba asked why demons served humans.
Za’aratun-Layal replied,
“You are still young. Let me tell you the story of Queen Abidat of China, and perhaps you will understand.”
SARAUTAR MUTUWA
DESCRIPTION
The city of Zawatul-Ifdar flourished in trade, agriculture, livestock rearing, and economic power.
The ruler of the city was a formidable sorcerer and a renowned wealthy king, known as Lazwar ibn Kaulat.
Across the entire Arabian continent, there was no king as famous as him, and for this reason he became a legendary figure among the kings of the land.
There was only one single reason behind King Lazwar’s tears.
Through deep magical divination, he discovered that he would never be able to have a child with any woman unless he broke a spell cast upon him by his sworn enemy, King Darwazu.
If he dared to sleep with any woman—even one of his own servants—every secret of his magic and all his possessions would instantly vanish, and he would return to a life of poverty.
For five long years, King Lazwar lived in this misery day and night.
Suddenly, one day, he screamed—and then burst into uncontrollable laughter.
The echo of his laughter spread throughout the royal palace.
Everyone was shocked, because for five years no one had ever heard him laugh.
What the people did not know was that King Lazwar laughed because he had finally discovered a way to destroy the spell cast upon him by King Darwazu.
To break the spell, he needed five impossible things.
The first was the tears of a mighty monster living in the forest of Darul-Shatir.
The monster, Murgazu, was a brutal creature that terrorized traders and neighboring cities.
The second was the magical talisman of the witch Lazira, who had spent two thousand years preparing spells to resurrect her grandfather—the King of Witches—so he could reveal secrets that would grant her dominion over the world.
The third was water from the Sea of Bahar-Dawa’u, located in the north-western ocean of the world. The sea contained monstrous fish and serpents numbering over five thousand, each with strength fifty times greater than that of a human.
The cloak was kept in his palace beneath the Sea of Bahar-Maliya—a place confirmed by seers and sorcerers to be the most dangerous location on earth.
The final requirement was a brave young woman known as Sharifa bintu Usman.
Sharifa was currently enslaved under the Istanbul Empire. Her parents had died while still in bondage.
Only Sharifa could help King Lazwar obtain the items needed to break the spell.
King Lazwar was filled with joy—yet one troubling revelation remained.
His magic foretold that he could never succeed with Sharifa unless he himself became a slave, serving under the empire for many years.
Even then, there was no guarantee Sharifa would agree, as she had already lost all joy in life.
But as the wise say, needs outweigh long desires, and fate belongs to destiny alone.
Thus, King Lazwar chose the day he would set out to hunt for Sharifa.
---
By sunrise, everything was ready—servants, soldiers, attendants, and supplies.
The palace courtyard overflowed with people. Everyone waited anxiously to see who would rule in the king’s absence.
Drums and trumpets sounded.
King Lazwar appeared in majestic royal attire and ascended the throne.
“O people of my blessed kingdom,” he announced,
“Today I depart on a great journey to seek a cure for the spell cast upon me by my enemy, King Darwazu.
According to our tradition, I alone choose my regent.
After careful consideration, only Yasiran, the city governor, is worthy of ruling.”
The crowd erupted in celebration, believing their suffering under Lazwar’s tyranny had ended.
Alas—had they known who Yasiran truly was, they would have preferred Lazwar a hundred times over.
After Yasiran was crowned, King Lazwar summoned his demonic servant three times.
From the clouds descended a colossal demon, terrifying in form—wings spread wide, eyes blazing like fire, its roar shaking the earth.
People fled in terror; some collapsed in fear.
The demon bowed respectfully.
“O ruler of the world,” it said in a thunderous voice,
“I have answered your call.”
With pride, King Lazwar replied,
“You, Za’aratun-Layal, shall carry me and my entourage on a perilous journey. This will be your final service before I release you from bondage.”
The demon roared with joy, causing the earth to tremble, until Lazwar commanded silence.
Without delay, the king and his entourage mounted the demon and ascended into the sky.
For seven hours they traveled through the clouds at terrifying speed.
Eventually, they descended into a dark, ominous forest.
Suddenly, deadly arrows rained down, killing over a hundred soldiers before anyone could react.
King Lazwar attempted magic—but it dissolved into smoke.
Then, from the forest emerged a twelve-year-old girl, seated atop a massive leopard. She wore leather garments, carried a sword on her back, and held a bow in her hand.
An intense stare passed between her and King Lazwar.
Furious, Lazwar shouted,
“You wretched child! What madness drove you to attack me? Answer, or I will end your life!”
The girl laughed coldly.
Then she spoke calmly,
“King Lazwar ibn Kaulat of Zawatul-Ifdar, I have known of you for over five years. You came seeking a cure for Darwazu’s spell.”
Shocked, Lazwar asked who she was.
“My father, the hunter Murrasu, told me about you before he died. You are the only one who can help me reunite with my enslaved mother in Istanbul—after I help you reach Sharifa.”
Tears streamed down her face as she revealed her name:
Shuraiba bintu Murrasu.
She told of her father’s service to the King of Istanbul, her mother’s forced enslavement, her father’s death from grief, and her vow to rescue her mother and avenge her suffering.
Even the demon wept.
Moved deeply, King Lazwar promised,
“I swear I will help you reunite with your mother and take revenge on King Ladiyas.”
Together, they continued their journey.
Soon, they were confronted by a thousand elite demon warriors, sent by King Zammar, who demanded Shuraiba’s life for a ritual cure.
King Lazwar refused.
A brutal battle erupted—steel clashed, lightning flashed, screams echoed.
Shuraiba fought with unmatched fury, slaying demons wherever she advanced.
King Zammar watched helplessly through his magic mirror as his army was annihilated.
Though victorious, King Lazwar lost 220 soldiers.
They resumed their journey.
During the flight, Shuraiba asked Za’aratun-Layal how old he was.
“I am the youngest of my kind,” the demon laughed.
“I am only three hundred thousand years old.”
Amazed, Shuraiba asked why demons served humans.
Za’aratun-Layal replied,
“You are still young. Let me tell you the story of Queen Abidat of China, and perhaps you will understand.”