15 years later, a young man could be seen walking the street of the Golden Sands settlement. He had long hair and was tall in stature. “Oh, young master, back from hunting?” asked one of the stall owners. The young man nodded, “Yeah, I am,” he stopped his stride in front of said stall owner. “Do you want some fruit, young master?” the stall owner offered. The young man formed a smile on his face, “Really? Thanks” he picked up an apple before eating it happily.

The stall owner grinned, “So, you got a big one?” The young man nodded, “Yeh, I get a bog wan,” he spoke with his mouth full while pointing to a carcass of a big hippo lookalike on his back. The stall owner whistled, “A feast again today then,” he packed up a bag full of fruit, “Here, a gift for the family.” The young man took the bag of fruit with gratitude, “Thanks, old man,” he said with half full mouth. The stall owner watched the young man walk away from his store before shaking his head.

The young man arrived at his residence as he found two guards saluting him. The young man put down the animal carcass, “Bring this to the kitchen,” ordered the young man. The guards picked up the big animal carcass together, “As you command, young master!” The two guards carefully moved while carrying the carcass. The young man entered the residence when he saw the two guards leave.

Meanwhile, the two guards struggled to carry such a big animal carcass to the kitchen. “As expected from the young master. He carried such a heavy beast like it was nothing”, said one of the guards with admiration on his face. The other guard sighed, “I wish he was the successor instead of the other one.” His friend quickly shushed him out, “Quiet. If others heard what you’ve just said, you would be hanged for treason.” The other guard was flustered; sweat trickled from his forehead, “Sorry.”

===

“Brother!” the young man barged into my office. I looked at my now big little brother and sighed, “Can you knock, Nur?” Sur, my little brother, had a massive grin, “Guess what I’ve got, brother?” I let out a small chuckle, “Let me guess, another one of Jackall’s experiments?” My little brother pout, “It’s no fun when you guess it every time.” A small smile appeared on my face, “When you told me that every day, how can I not know?” Nur’s expression turned bright in a snap, “What you did not know was that I hunted the beast down myself,” he said, puffing out his chest. “Really? You’ve grown up, Nur”, I genuinely praised him. Nur’s scratched the back of his head, smiling happily. I reckon if he had a tail, it would wag frantically right about now.

We chatted for a while, mainly talking about his hunt with the hunters. He also gave me a bag full of fruits and said that a stall vendor had given him. I observed my little brother closely; the little grey baby boy had turned into the love of the tribe. He is popular inside the Golden Sands because of his strength, kindness, and wisdom. The Apocalypse that I remembered was a power-hungry mutant that supported the idea that the strong should rule and the weak should be culled. I was afraid that Nur would turn into the Apocalypse in the comic.

However, Shaheen ensured that Nur and I did not go through that route. He instilled in us the value of justice and benevolence. Of course, Sarah helped too. She’s a kind-hearted and firm woman. Even when Nur acted spoiled, Sarah was never afraid to reprimand him. Sarah did not care about me and Nur’s status as house Al Zaeem’s successor, loving us and being strict with us like a parent does. Every night Nur, Shaheen, and I had dinner together, and once a week, we would go on an expedition, just us three together. Sarah eventually joined us on dinner and the expedition, thanks to the pestering that Nur and I did to Shaheen.

Looking at the bright young man before me, it was hard to believe that Nur had the potential to become Marvel’s greatest villain. “So, when will you accept the position of the family head? Everybody in the tribe was waiting for you”, Nur suddenly asked, catching me off-guard. I smile wryly at Nur’s question, “I’d rather have you as the next family head, Nur. As you already know, most people here did not like me.” Nur pouted, clicking his tongue in annoyance; he opened his mouth, “They’re a just bunch of imbeciles, don’t listen to them, brother.” I shook my head, “How can someone be the head of the tribe if the tribe did not want him to lead?” I pointed my finger at Nur’s chest, “You, though, are a different story,” I said with a smile.

“Enough of this depressing stuff,” I stood up, “Since you said that you hunted the beast alone, let me see your progress.” Nur’s expression lightened, “I’m going to beat you today, brother!” he exclaimed with excitement in his voice. Together, we both walked until we reached our residence’s training hall. “Right, let’s get started, shall we?” I got into a fighting stance. One thing that I am proud of back in my previous life was my martial arts. With my martial arts alone, I dismantled every attacks my siblings threw at me. Of course, I cannot win against fully automated guns or other modern weaponry. However, in this era, people only used simple weapons like swords or spears. Because of that, I could fully utilize my martial arts to the fullest.

“See, brother? You are stronger than me,” Nur said. “I’m just more trained than you, that’s all,” I quipped as I parried one of Nur’s powerful punches. Having his attacks parried by me, veins started to boggle on Nur’s forehead, “Stop parrying my attack, brother,” Nur pouted. “What should I do, then?” I smirked. “If you kept doing that, don’t blame me for this, brother,” Nur said. Then, Nur’s body started to swell up, getting slightly bigger every second. “Take this, brother!” Nur clasped his hands together, forming a hammer fist. “Very typical of you, Nur,” I grinned. I held up my hands and chanted, “Light, blind my enemies!” Nur stopped his attack mid-air, “Guh,” he grunted while blocking his eyes. “And that is my win,” I used my strength to trip my giant little brother and stood on top of his chest.

“Clap, clap, clap. What an amazing display of skills.”

“Your Majesty,” I said before stepping away from Nur’s giant chest. “Father!” Nur shrank, and he immediately ran into Shaheen’s embrace. “What brought you here, your majesty?” I asked while bowing. “I have a mission for you two,” Shaheen said, petting my brother’s head in the process. “What is it, father?” Nur asked, looking up. “It’s the Crimson Sands. It appeared that the Crimson Sands and the Jackals are now working together,” Shaheen said with squinted eyes and a serious face. “Crimson Sands with the Jackals, really? As I recall, Baal and Jackal Head never get along with each other,” I pondered. “No, but they have a common enemy they need to defeat,” Shaheen said. “And that is us,” I sighed. “Correct,” Shaheen nodded, “This mission will be crucial for our survival.”

Nur’s expression contorted, “What’s the mission, father? Say the word; brother, and I will do it without fail,” he said. Shaheen contemplated for a second, “Earlier today, the men found the Jackals’ hideout. We got word from them that the Jackals and the Crimson Sands will attack us later in the night.” I furrowed my eyebrows, “Where is it, your majesty?” I asked. “The large pyramid. The Jackals are hiding inside there.” He continued, “Now, since the two of you are the best warriors of the Golden Sands, I want you two to destroy the Jackals behind their back while they attack us.” I rubbed my chin, “If that’s the case, then it’s best that we depart now.” Shaheen nodded, “Yes. Prepare all that you need. I will be waiting at the back gate.”

Nur and I straightened our bodies, “Yes, Your Majesty,” we saluted simultaneously. Then, we proceeded to go our separate ways, preparing ourselves for the mission Shaheen gave us. A few minutes later, I arrived together with Nur at the back gate. “You are here,” Shaheen said. “Yes, Your Majesty,” I nodded. “Look at the two of you together, all grown up strong and big,” a familiar female emerged behind Shaheen. “Sarah!” both Nur and I exclaimed. “Hey!” Sarah waved her hand. “Have you prepared all you need?” Shaheen asked. “Yes, Your Majesty,” I replied. “Good. Both of you, come here,” Shaheen said. Shaheen proceeded to hug Nur and me, “May the light of Horus be with you.” Sarah’s lips curled up into a smile. She approached Nur and me and placed her hands on our heads, “May the light of Horus be with you.”

“Thank you,” Nur muttered. “Right, we better depart now. We need to arrive there by sundown,” I said. “Hum,” Nur nodded. “Be safe, you two,” Sarah said. “Like she said. Come back alive, my sons,” Shaheen wished. “Thanks, dad,” I mumbled. Departing from our home, I somehow had a bad feeling in my heart. Looking back on the settlements, somehow, I felt tight in my chest. “What’s wrong, brother?” Nur asked. “No, nothing,” I shook my head. “Don’t worry, brother. We will finish this quickly and return back home,” Nur assured. “You are right. We need to finish this fast,” determination flashed inside my eyes.