Turbar Gaskiya 1 Abdulaziz Madakin Gini

Description

Part 1: The Epic of "Turabar Gaskiya"

Written by MADAKIN GINI
As the military battalion approached the edge of the city of Baitul Haural, the gathered crowds accompanying them did not turn back. They trailed behind, waving to bid them farewell; some wept, while others chanted Allahu Akbar (takbira) to boost the morale of the massing troops.
Meanwhile, Prince Zaiyan could not stop glancing back at those bright, captivating eyes. Nothing else concerned him except the thought filling his heart—he felt as though he had seen those beautiful eyes in his own before.
When he realized the distance between the main army and the women who had accompanied them—including Dr. Zuwad—had grown significantly (about three battalions, numbering over ten thousand strong), Prince Zaiyan forced himself to stop looking back. He turned his gaze forward, chanting takbira just like the rest of the country’s vast warrior host.
King Abu Zaiyan had not even noticed the state the Prince was in; he kept his eyes straight ahead, invoking the name of God. Soon, they reached the city gates. The King raised his hand to wave goodbye to his people. At this gesture, the citizens of Baitul Haural burst into thunderous takbiras, wishing them victory. Once they finally marched out, the gates were closed behind them, and the people returned to their homes.
At that moment, bandits hiding deep within the forests along the route to Baitul Haural panicked. They rushed back to their hideouts upon seeing the massive army approach. They suspected the King was enraged by their criminal acts and had launched this grand expedition specifically to crush and obliterate them. Realizing their hideout was no longer safe and that they would be discovered if the army marched their way, they panicked, mounted their horses, and fled deeper into the jungle in sheer terror. Small wildlife and birds were equally startled, fleeing their habitats in absolute frenzy.
The sound of pounding horse hooves and the soldiers' takbiras struck fear into the heart of any wicked person hiding out to harm others.
After four and a half hours of continuous march, King Abu Zaiyan ordered a halt for prayers before continuing the journey.
As the column of infantry, horses, and camels stopped, everyone dismounted to perform ritual ablutions (wudu). Within a short time, the call to prayer was made. Since Ibin Haishan, the nation's regular Imam, was left behind at home, King Abu Zaiyan himself led the prayer. Afterward, they remounted and resumed their march.
For two days, nothing halted their journey except prayer and meal breaks. Everyone relied entirely on the personal provisions they had brought along.
By the fifth day of marching deep through the wilderness, the King ordered another stop. It had been barely four hours since they woke up from morning prayers and set off.
The spot the King chose was a valley featuring a flowing brook, cool breeze, and beautiful scenery, despite being extremely dangerous. It was a prime habitat where hyenas and lions loved to rest and relax. However, the sheer roar and thunder of the Baitul Haural multitudes terrified the beasts, causing them to flee in search of hideouts. They believed the Day of Judgment, as foretold by their ancestors, had finally arrived—the day they would vanish and leave no survivors behind.
When the battalions halted, they began pitching tents. According to custom, whenever they marched for five straight days, the King required a rest, especially in a serene and pleasant location. They dismounted.
Tents for Prince Zaiyan and the King were pitched closest to each other, while Field Marshal Safwan’s tent was set up nearby, effectively sandwiching the King’s tent in the middle.
Noticing this arrangement, King Abu Zaiyan looked at his central tent, his son’s tent, and the Field Marshal’s tent on either side. He turned to Field Marshal Safwan and asked:

"Field Marshal Safwan, what is the reason for placing my tent in the center, when you know well that I gave no such order?"

Hearing this, Field Marshal Safwan bowed his head and replied:

"My leader, if I have done wrong, I ask for your forgiveness. I did this solely to protect your safety, as Prince Zaiyan suggested and I agreed. Protecting your life is my absolute duty; I have no higher task."

King Abu Zaiyan smiled gently and said:

"Do not forget that when you were sworn in as Field Marshal, you did not take an oath to protect my life; you swore to protect my people to the best of your ability, not me. You know very well that I fear no one except the Almighty God who created me. Therefore, I want this tent moved up to the top of that mountain peak so that I may be by myself, while still keeping watch over my people."

Upon hearing this, Field Marshal Safwan was horrified, because the location the King pointed to was a notorious sanctuary for dangerous wild beasts. He quickly dropped to his knees and pleaded:

"My leader, please realize that place is infested with deadly beasts! I beg you, choose another spot."

King Abu Zaiyan barked sternly at Safwan:

"Carry out my order! I know what I am choosing, and I do so precisely to guard my people. I am certain that if we relax our guard, those beasts might slip down, track some of my people, and harm them. But as long as I am stationed right there, any beast that emerges will cross paths with me until everyone finishes resting within the five-hour limit I set. So, I do not want another word from you—have my tent moved up there immediately!"

Prince Zaiyan, sitting nearby, said nothing because he knew that when it came to his people, the King loved them even more than his own life. Though he disliked the danger of the location, he could already hear the distant roars of lions and other unfamiliar beasts.
Immediately, Field Marshal Safwan ordered soldiers to go and set up the King's camp on the mountain peak as requested, but commanded them not to stay—they were to leave the King alone.
Meanwhile, Dr. Zuwad, along with Shadilat and Princess Lushmaira, rejoiced that five days of travel had passed without them being discovered. Feeling safe, they relaxed, though their faces remained veiled.
Shadilat turned to Princess Lushmaira and said:

"My sister, I am truly glad to have joined this journey. My gratitude to Dr. Zuwad knows no bounds; if we return safely, I will reward him specially. However, what makes my heart race is this: what if the Prince or the King discovers us? Don't you think they will send us back home?"

Lushmaira smiled and replied:

"Certainly, if the King discovers us, he might let us off lightly, though he would place us under tight security. But if the Prince finds us, I doubt he would spare us without the King's knowledge—he would have us sent straight back home."

Hearing this, Shadilat’s heart skipped a beat:

"My sister, if that is the case, I must change my clothes! When the Prince came over earlier after the King summoned him, I felt he almost recognized me. Even as we left the palace, he kept looking back at me. Because of that, I changed my standing spot, but I still saw him glancing toward my row. He clearly hasn't let go of his suspicions, so I must change into another outfit belonging to one of the women traveling with us."

Princess Lushmaira looked closely at Shadilat and said:

"Anyone who knows you—even with your eyes covered—would recognize you by your distinct eye color if you wear that veiled shawl. I fully support you changing your clothes right now, because the Prince might come looking around here again. But don't approach any of the other women; let's go find Dr. Zuwad instead."

Shadilat agreed. Lushmaira slipped away and brought Dr. Zuwad to their tent.
Once isolated inside, Princess Lushmaira relayed everything Shadilat had shared. Dr. Zuwad listened in silence for a long time before raising his head to say:

"You have put me in a very difficult spot. If I'm not careful, you will incur the King's wrath. You must understand that Prince Zaiyan is exceptionally sharp. Since he already suspects you, no matter what you do, he will try to find you. The only way he won't discover you is if you stay inside this tent until we resume the journey. The moment you step outside, no matter what you change, he will recognize you, because I'm certain he will come here. If you stay inside your tent, he will never step inside; but if you go out, he will spot you and have you sent home. My only condition is that even if he catches you, please never let him know that I am the one who helped you come here."

Shadilat agreed to his terms. They stood up, Dr. Zuwad returned to his duties, and Lushmaira stepped outside the tent.
Once outside, Lushmaira’s eyes caught a glistening brook nearby—its water was crystal clear and sparkled brilliantly in the light. Overcome with a sudden desire, she decided she needed a refreshing bath.
Without consulting anyone, she headed toward the stream, located behind their camp. Reaching the bank, she removed her veil and long outer robe, leaving herself in a light undergarment and a bodice that covered her chest. Without hesitation, she leaped straight into the water with a splash.
Meanwhile, after his father left for the mountain peak, Prince Zaiyan’s mind drifted back to the mystery woman. He stood up and headed straight to the camp of the women who accompanied them to cook and manage health matters.
Dr. Zuwad spotted him approaching from afar and walked over with a slight smile:

"Good day, Your Highness."

Prince Zaiyan smiled back:

"Good day, Master Doctor. How are your people? I hope everything is well."

Dr. Zuwad replied:

"Your Highness, everyone is well. There are no issues."

Prince Zaiyan shook his head:

"I hope so, but I am conducting a search among the people you brought. Not because I suspect you brought unauthorized people, but because I suspect someone disguised themselves and snuck among your group without your knowledge."

Dr. Zuwad’s body trembled slightly, and his voice quavered:

"Could that be, Your Highness? Though since your eyes spotted it, I won't argue. But it's hard to believe, as I inspected everyone we traveled with."

Prince Zaiyan said:

"Don't worry, I know you might not spot it easily because she is in disguise and keeps her face covered."

Dr. Zuwad fell silent. Zaiyan walked ahead, inspecting the working women while Zuwad trailed behind. At every tent they passed, Prince Zaiyan would ask for the occupants to announce themselves. After passing about ten tents, they reached the eleventh. Prince Zaiyan stopped outside, though there was no sound inside, and asked Zuwad:

"Who is inside this tent?"

Dr. Zuwad stayed completely silent, knowing fully well that Shadilat and Lushmaira were inside. When Zuwad remained quiet, the Prince repeated his question.
The doctor stammered:

"No doubt it is Haisara, the Field Marshal's wife."

Prince Zaiyan looked at him in confusion:

"What do you mean? Is there a tent here whose occupants you don't even know?"

The doctor smiled weakly:

"Your Highness, there are many people, but yes, this is Haisara's tent. We left her cooking further back."

Zaiyan stepped closer to the tent:

"Since no one is answering, let me take a peek. I suspect something about this tent; the silence is too suspicious. Ever since we started traveling, I've observed that even empty tents have signs of their owners, but this one is deafeningly quiet. Let me check."

Straightaway, Prince Zaiyan pushed his head inside the tent to look. Dr. Zuwad stood frozen, recalling Shadilat and Lushmaira's secret. To his utter surprise, the Prince pulled his head back out and said:

"How strange—a tent is pitched with no one inside, and no sign anyone was ever here?"

Dr. Zuwad felt an immense wave of relief, realizing they hadn't been caught inside. He praised God and said:

"No worries, I will investigate who is assigned here before we leave."

Before the Prince could reply, they heard the fierce roar of a wild beast from behind them. Turning around, Prince Zaiyan saw a lion leap through the air toward the brook area. Without waiting, he drew his weapon and rushed directly to the scene.
Furious, he arrived at the site, leaped into the clearing, and froze in absolute shock. There was no living soul in sight—only the lifeless carcasses of a giant monitor lizard and a large lion, both pierced through the throat.
Astonishment filled him. He looked around wildly but saw no one. Approaching the dead lion, he noticed a spear—specifically, a spear forged in their own homeland. Who on earth could have done this?
Blood was still dripping from the lion and the lizard, signs that they had been sent to the afterlife only moments ago.
Suspicion gripped him. He paced around the stream for nearly half an hour, finding no one. Slowly, Dr. Zuwad arrived to help search. Just as Prince Zaiyan turned to leave, he spotted some garments hanging from a tree branch.
Stunned, he walked over and picked them up—they were women’s garments, long robes identical to those worn by the women traveling with them. His heart raced. He showed the clothes to Zuwad and asked:

"Can you identify whose clothes these are?"

Zuwad shook his head uncertainly:

"Your Highness, they are indeed clothes belonging to the women we brought, but I cannot pinpoint who owns them."

Zuwad knew immediately that these were Lushmaira's clothes. He too fell into deep shock, staring at the Prince and saying:

"What we should do now is identify whose clothes these are so she can come claim them. If you see them on her, you'll find the person you suspect of trailing behind us."

Prince Zaiyan shook his head:

"No, that won't work. If I leave these clothes here, she will surely come to take them and change. But if I take them with me, even if she is the one who followed us, she will be forced to turn back because she cannot continue following us naked. And even if she tries to follow us anyway, we will instantly recognize her. Let's return to the main camp."

With that, the Prince walked away. Dr. Zuwad followed him, overcome with immense anxiety and amazement that Lushmaira had managed to fight off such terrifying wild beasts.
Meanwhile, when King Abu Zaiyan headed up to the mountain peak, he saw the guards Field Marshal Safwan had left to secure the heights. As the King approached the summit, he noticed a group of about ten massive lions standing in a circle, glaring at them. Seeing the long spears in the guards' hands had kept the lions at bay, but as the King arrived, the beasts bared their fangs and let out fierce, echoing growls.
Seeing this, the King stopped short of entering his tent and stood watching them. For all his legendary bravery, the King felt a chill at the sight of these lions. The smallest among them was the size of a large donkey, and there were two of them; the rest were full-grown monsters, each easily the size of a massive bull.
What unnerved him most was the sight of their wide-open jaws flashing razor-sharp teeth as drool dripped from their mouths. As they closed in on him, he checked himself—he had absentmindedly failed to bring even a small dagger.
The lions began circling him. Though this unnerved even the brave King, his warrior pride prevented him from running back down to summon his guards, especially since the distance down was significant. Taking a deep breath, he set his travel food bowl aside on a rock.
He flexed his body, cracking his joints. Before he could blink, the lions lunged at him all at once.
With blinding speed, he countered, and a brutal, terrifying melee erupted. The roars of the fight were muffled; down below, Field Marshal Safwan and the troops assumed the King had safely gone to sleep in the quiet night.
What they didn't know was that the King was up there locked in a life-or-death struggle with starving, thirsty lions furious that humans had occupied their territory.
At first, the King fought by striking with his bare fists, but hitting them only resulted in his hands getting clawed and slashed. When they slammed into him, it felt like being hit by a boulder. Within moments, they disoriented him.
He bitterly regretted leaving his sword behind; had he brought it, he would have made quick work of them. The largest lioness was exceptionally cunning and experienced in combat. While the smaller lions lunged at him directly, she hung back, leaped, and slammed into him like a battering ram. They repeated this strategy until the King began to lose consciousness.
With great effort, he managed to grab a lioness that tried to clamp down on his arm and eat him. He leaped up and smashed his fist into her face. She shrieked and lunged again, but summoning his last ounce of strength, he punched her hard, making her falter. Refusing to give up, she charged again. Realizing her fierce tenacity, he tricked her: as she closed in, he grabbed her, hoisted her into the air, and hurled her far away. She tumbled down the mountainside, crashing straight into the flowing river below where Princess Lushmaira was bathing.
At that exact moment, Princess Lushmaira and Shadilat were hiding near the base of the cliff wall when suddenly, the massive lion tumbled through the air and crashed heavily onto the ground right in front of them!

Summary

In Turabar Gaskiya (Part 1) by Madakin Gini, Prince Zaiyan and King Abu Zaiyan lead a massive military expedition out of the city of Baitul Haural to stamp out bandit threats in the wilderness. Amidst the solemn and spirited departure, Prince Zaiyan is distracted by a mysterious woman with captivating eyes whom he suspects has snuck into the medical convoy managed by Dr. Zuwad.
After five days of marching through treacherous terrain, the army makes camp near a scenic yet dangerous valley infested with wild beasts. King Abu Zaiyan insists on setting up his tent at the top of a lion-infested mountain peak to safeguard his people, rejecting Field Marshal Safwan's protests. Meanwhile, hidden travelers Princess Lushmaira and her companion Shadilat try to evade detection. While Lushmaira sneaks off to bathe in a secluded brook, Prince Zaiyan searches the camp, discovers suspicious empty tents, and later finds a dead lion, monitor lizard, and abandoned women's garments by the river—confirming his suspicions that someone skilled and disguised is trailing them.
Simultaneously, King Abu Zaiyan is ambushed at the summit by a pack of massive, starving lions. Despite being unarmed, the King fights fiercely in a brutal hand-to-hand battle. In a desperate maneuver, he hurls the alpha lioness off the cliffside, sending her crashing down near the exact spot where Princess Lushmaira is bathing.

Description

• Setting: The medieval-fantasy landscape of Baitul Haural, transitioning from bustling city gates to deep, menacing wilderness, dense forests, and rocky mountain peaks.
• Tone: Suspenseful, heroic, adventurous, and action-packed, blending royal duty with romantic intrigue and fierce monster-slaying combat.

• Themes: Duty versus personal desire, royal sacrifice, vigilance, hidden identities, and raw martial bravery.

  Analytics

• Character Breakdown:
  • King Abu Zaiyan: A fiercely brave, selfless ruler who puts his people above his own life and refuses bodyguards when facing lethal threats.
  • Prince Zaiyan: Sharp-witted, observant, and deeply intuitive; determined to track down the mysterious woman who has infiltrated the expedition.
  • Dr. Zuwad: The nervous physician caught in the middle, trying to protect the disguised royals while avoiding the King and Prince's wrath.
  • Princess Lushmaira & Shadilat: Royal women traveling in disguise; adventurous, resourceful, yet prone to panic when cornered by the Prince's investigations.
  • Field Marshal Safwan: A loyal commander concerned with royal security, though often overruled by the King's fearless stubbornness.
• Plot Progression:
  • Phase 1: The grand departure and Prince Zaiyan's lingering distraction over the mysterious eyes.
  • Phase 2: The five-day wilderness trek and the selection of a dangerous campsite.
  • Phase 3: Prince Zaiyan's covert investigation of the camp and discovery of the slain beasts and women's clothing.
  • Phase 4: King Abu Zaiyan's brutal, unarmed clash with a pack of giant lions, culminating in the cliffside toss that bridges the King's battle with Lushmaira's hiding spot.