Birthright: A Phoenix is Born

Amazin'

Hello peps, feel free to critique. Like and appraisal comments appreciated.

Catch you in my stories,
GaisceKid.

Kumar

Rolling Muna's flabby mass next to Fiq strained my wrists. A punishment set by Koju for putting Damian's life at risk. I tugged hard at the rope binding them, trying to get a couple more centimetres out. Their breaths quickened when doing so. I stepped back and watched them fuss.

"Why does my head hurt?" Fiq lulled.

"Same here." Whispered Muna.

Fiq noticed the changes first. Eyes alert, he scoured the room to find himself bound to the floor in his underwear. His face twitched, an amusing scene. However, nothing compared to the dread when he recognized the vest on Muna.

"Don't tell me you tried to use that." He yelled.

"The damn device is broken." Murmured Fiq, stretching his hand in a failing effort to massage a deep purple swell on his forehead.

Fiq breathed easy.

"Thank goodness you picked our demonstration vests. If that had been recruiters we'd be done for."

I clenched hard, jaw locked in a rigid brace. Nails tore at the fibres of this tight spandex material. Making long drawn out zips before bursting at my shoulder pads and thighs. Exposing those areas to the humid moisture in the air.

How close was I to becoming a recruit?

How many were groomed to take my place?

A sour palate sparked on my lips, infiltrating and arresting the tongue which curled in protest. I ejected the source onto the floor. Barely centimetres in front of the miserable heap of Muna and Fiq.

"I just tipped the Gardai, there is enough evidence here to sentence these men for the foreseeable future. We should go." Announced Koju, dusting his hands after he scoffed the ham and pineapple pizza stashed in the back.

"It won't do anything." Fiq snidely remarked. A gleeful smile marked his face.

"The words of the prophecies will be fulfilled. And a caliphate will be established by any means." Added Muna.

"What are they on about?" Asked Damian.

"They speak of the prophetic words in the Qua-ran." I answered. "And a caliphate is an Islamic state zat is supposed to encompass every Muslim on earth. To them, it evokes the idea of a glorious and unified Islamic civilization."

Fiq clicked his tongue. "Tell me brother, how can you live with yourself? If you were truly a follower, you'd not only understand our actions. But aid in the battle against these infidels." Fiq declared.

None of his words fazed me, none except brother. I pulled on that rope as hard as humanely possible. And watched as they seethed, mouths fumbling to conjure words. I didn't give the chance.

"You are the first to give sermons. How one should dress, how one should act, how one should live. Yet behind closed doors, you are the first to break your mandates. Look at yourselves, alcohol reeks from your mouthes, pork too. You probably went so far as to even commiting Zina. And worse of all neither of you are brazen to die for what you expect others to. You're hypocrites. I reject your version of Islam. And I swear by the greatness of Allah to preach its true form. *Walahi."

An invisible weight lifted off my chest. The atmosphere dulled to the same depths Muna and Fiq hung their heads. Distant sirens gained in volume as Koju began to usher us out the door. However, the thin plasterboard walls carried Fiq's tune with a distorted finish.

"Be careful what you wish for young brother. You may not like what you find. Almutarajim sends his regards."

I didn't remember much of the journey home. But the little I did, was made in silence. Koju ordered us to our rooms immediately. Citing "Very important reasons." I laid in bed replaying Fiq's parting words

Be careful what you wish for young brother. You may not like what you find.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Author's Notes

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

*Walahi = I swear to God. A solemn oath to God. In Arabic. Sometimes used by Muslim and Non-Muslim yutes to prove they did or didn't do something. I won't lie if you need to scream Walahi to me I'm believing the opposite bro.