Chapter 2: Qas Orientation
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Chapter Author's Notes:
This is the same day-ish. This chapter highlights the history of each location and relays three different version of Damian Darhk's role in League history. Each briefing stresses different parts of the story.
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DEMON'S HORN: ITALY, ROME - THE TEMPLE: 4 JUL 2013, 3 PM
ALDIRE (LAUREL)
Laurel stored her arms in her room. She felt more relaxed with at least two knives on her person once again. She waited in the hallway. Al Dafdae found her easily after she had stowed her own arms. They walked back to the meeting rooms together.
They didn't have to wait for long. Al Khafifa arrived with a short, thin woman with white shoulder guards on her League uniform. Both apprentices shot erect.
"Fasir!" They greeted her.
"Apprentices," Khafifa replied with a smile. "This is Qasisa Tawaraa. She will finish your orientation on the Temple for today. Tomorrow, after morning meal, report back to the main Meeting Room. Your mentors will collect you there."
"It will be done," they chorused.
Khafifa smiled, nodded, and left them.
"I am al Aldire," Laurel introduced herself.
"I am al Dafdae" Dafdae also introduced himself.
Qasisa Tawaraa gave them both warm smiles. "Greetings, Apprentices," Tawaraa said.
"Qasisa," they greeted in return, still standing erect. She gestured to the carpet.
"Please sit. You do not need to be formal with the Qas," Tawaraa replied. She motioned them to take a seat on the carpet. She sat in the lotus position herself and waited. Once both Laurel and Dafdae seated themselves, she continued. "I want you both to feel comfortable coming to the Qas for help. We assist your hunts, but your spiritual and mental health are important to us as well. We help in your hunts and in your life."
"How do you help in our life?" Laurel asked curiously.
"You are both adjusting to this new life. This is not an easy task. Your mentors can assist you in adjusting, but you can seek more guidance… if you need it… or if you desire other input," Tawaraa told them
"Okay," Laurel replied as she contemplated her advice.
"What are we learning now?" Dafdae asked.
"Now," Tawaraa said with a smile. "We are going to cover a small bit of history. The Qas maintain the history of the League. We maintain our Library. Every hunt is documented, including how the outside world responds. In this, I am qualified to assist you." She adjusted herself to make herself even more comfortable.
"We are currently located in Castel San'Angelo. It is a mausoleum for the ancient Roman Emperors. It was commissioned by Emperor Hadrian in 139 BCE. The League owns the properties for the Temple. We operate the Castel San'Angelo Museum on the upper levels as a front. We have employees… Alfaar… they give guided tours through the monument. Those levels do not connect to our League levels. The League entrances are further into the city and have tightly controlled security."
"Most of your fellow members of the Demon's Horn call this place The Temple. Mostly in deference to its proximity to Vatican City and St. Peter's Basilica. It is our regional headquarters for the Demon's Horn. You may use the League name within these walls. Outside these walls it is unsafe," Tawaraa told them.
"Yes, Qasisa," they replied.
"Now," Tawaraa said with a small smile. "For our bit of history. The Demon's Horn wasn't always headquartered at The Temple. We were forced to move our League headquarters due to one of our Fasir going rogue. After our current Ra's al Ghul was selected, he directed all the Demon's Branches to relocate. Ra's al Ghul was concerned that al Muzlin would target the locations of the Branch headquarters," she told them.
"Why was this a concern?" Laurel asked "The outside world does not know of us."
"You are correct," Tawaraa replied. "But al Muzlin was not from the outside world. He was League. He was Fasir for the Demon's Venom. He knew the location of our old headquarters."
"He betrayed his family. The League," Dafdae replied with wide eyes in shock. To her there was no greater offense. No greater sin.
"From the accounts I have read, al Muzlin was one of two candidates for the title of Ra's al Ghul. The former Ra's finally selected our current Ra's. This marked al Muzlin for death. Because of this, he fled," Tawaraa told them.
"I can see why he would run," Laurel nodded. "Fear of death is common in the outside world, but inside the League... I find it strange."
"I find it offensive," Dafdae replied vehemently. "He was a coward. A betrayer. He broke our most sacred Code."
"I agree," Tawaraa replied. "What was your prior life?" she asked Dafdae.
"I had no prior life," Dafdae replied. "I was raised in the creche."
"Ah," Tawaraa replied. "I can see how his betrayal would cut you deeper."
"Why was al Muzlin rejected?" Laurel asked. She wanted to understand his motivations. "He become a Fasir. He should have been more than qualified to lead the League."
"He was," Tawaraa replied. "But Ra's al Ghul was torn. Both men were qualified. Both were sound choices. For that reason, Ra's consulted his Wahy."
"His Wahy?" Laurel asked. "What is that? Is it like the Qas?" she asked.
Tawaraa smiled. "No. A Wahy is an oracle. They can see beyond. They have the gift of sight. This Wahy was known to have a touch of precognition. Foresight... Very few of the Wahy have that gift. The Wahy told him to wait until the next Solstice. He would consult with the Great Northern Nexus at Nanda Parbat. The Nexus provided a vision to the Wahy. Based on that vision, Ra's al Ghul chose our current Ra's as his Heir and marked al Muzlin for death."
"Since that time, the League has been plagued by the evil of al Muzlin," Tawaraa said with a grim smile.
"al Muzlin not only betrayed the League, but he turned to evil as well?" Dafdae screeched in protest. "How could he? He knows of the balance. He betrayed our purpose as well."
"He did," Tawaraa replied. "al Muzlin was initially trained as Barkih. He changed his path to Qayid. His magic was divination. Even trained, it was not as useful in the field as he desired. With his magic, he discovered he was marked for death before he returned to Nanda Parbat. As all Fasir must do each solar cycle. He fled with his loyal followers. Then he turned to evil. He leads an organization called HIVE. He stands in opposition of the League."
"It is believed he hides most of his organization in the Demon's Horn," Tawaraa told them. "He uses technology to mask his presence. To infiltrate governments. To spread his evil. Here in the Horn his magic would be ignored. It gives him additional power in the outside world."
"Then we will find him," Laurel replied grimly. "He is an evil source. Our mandate is to eliminate evil sources. We will continue the hunt."
"We will," Dafdae agreed.
"I am glad you want to pick up that hunt," Tawaraa replied. "It is not an easy hunt. It has almost been two centuries since he fled. Our current Ra's al Ghul made eliminating his evil his highest priority, but al Muzlin's evil is more than you two are ready to counter quite yet." She took a deep breath.
"Now for our most ancient history," Tawaraa told them. She settled herself once again in her lotus position. "At the beginning of time, at the dawn of mankind, there was balance. The Source created all that is and all that will be. But, as with all life, it needed guidance. The Source created The Hands. His right-hand embodied power, protection, and strength. His left-hand embodied love, compassion, and healing. Together the Hands created a Godwave."
Tawaraa paused to let them absorb the information. "The Godwave empowered some beings with divine energy. These new beings were tasked to represent a single aspect of the Source," she continued. "There are many aspects of The Source, but the gods that were created in the Godwave represented each of those aspects. Each was empowered with that single aspect of the Source."
Tawaraa smiled at them. "Our story is much closer to home. On this planet, humans began to gain sentience. The gods guided humans. To help humans develop and grow. They did this for a time, but humans out-grew the gods. They began to worship the Source directly. This angered the gods. They did not like being cast down from their lofty positions. They wanted to be gods. Not angels. Not saints," Tawaraa recounted the story.
"The gods began to throw the world out of balance," Tawaraa continued. "The Source sent his messenger to the League. His Right Hand. His Spectre. Through his Hand, The Source tasked us with the balance of this world. We are tasked with maintaining balance. That is why balance is our first code. It is our purpose." [3]
"Is that why the League does not follow any religion?" Laurel asked. "Because they may not be worshiping the Source? But an aspect of the source?" she asked.
"It is one reason," Tawaraa replied. "Remember that all the gods in the Godwave were tasked with an aspect of the Source. They all hold truth. Life and Death. Good and Evil. Up and down. Black and White. All aspects of the Source are needed for balance. The Source... The Source is the ultimate concept. The Source cannot be divided, halved, or contained. The Source is in all of us. In all the things around us."
"There is truth is all religions," Dafdae quoted quietly.
"Exactly," Tawaraa replied. "Even those who worship evil, worship an aspect of the Source. Judge no one for their beliefs. Only for their actions. For it is their actions which forge the balance in the world."
"How do we help maintain the balance then?" Laurel asked. She wanted to do her part, but these concepts were far above her. She didn't see how she could fit into the League. How she could help.
"You already are," Tawaraa replied. "You chose to join the League. That is an action that supports balance. You rejected your former lives. Another action."
"But in the League... How..." Laurel started before she found that she didn't know how to word her question.
"You learn," Tawaraa replied kindly. "You will take action, but you must first learn what actions to take and what consequences will occur. When you finish your training with your mentors, you will be better prepared to take action for balance. For all that the League targets evil, great good can throw the balance of the world off as well. We work for the balance."
"We will learn to see the truth?" Laurel asked in confusion. Too much good disrupted the balance?
"You will," Tawaraa replied. "Now, I told you both that the Qas maintains our library and history, but often you will be required to speak to those outside of the League. Most of those who do belong to the League do not speak our languages. All League members are required to learn Ancient Arabic and English. Ancient Arabic holds many of our League customs. However, English is used by all of the outside world. It allows our recruits to adapt easier. You will be required to learn the local languages as well."
"So, if we are assigned to the Demon's Claw, we will have to learn Russian and Chinese?" Laurel asked for clarification.
"Yes," Tawaraa replied. "Here at the Demon's Horn, there are three essential languages; English, French, and German."
"Not Italian?" Laurel asked. They were currently located in Italy.
"No," Tawaraa replied. "Throughout Europe and North America, you can communicate with everyone using one of those three languages. I would recommend picking up the language of the people you spend the most time with... Here it is Italian, but it could be Turkish or Bialyan. Knowing the primary language helps eliminate those words or phrases that are lost in translation. This is the reason the Ravens depend on Alfaar. Locals who report to the League. I will set aside study books for you both in those three languages."
"I don't required English," Laurel replied. "It is my native language. American English."
"I was creche raised," Dafdae replied. "I can speak English, French, Afrikaans, Polynesian, and Russian."
"I will limit the study materials for al Aldire to French and German. For Dafdae I will only include German," Tawaraa confirmed. "I will be available for afternoons when you are not hunting with your mentors. During those times, we will cover the different cultures and languages in the regions of Europe and North America. Al Aldire, I am told that you will be Hasub. I will include additional books on binary, coding, and mechanics. I am sure your mentor will cover those in more detail."
"Thank you, Qasisa," Laurel replied. "If you have any on robotics, I would be interested in those as well. I have an interest, but only a small amount of experience and none of it was scholarly."
"I will include those books, Aldire," Tawaraa replied. "See me after you have completed training with your mentors. You are released for now. Take the time to explore the facility. The evening meal is in one hour," Tawaraa said as she slowly rose from her lotus position. "I will see you both tomorrow."
They both rose. "Good evening, Qasisa Tawaraa," they said in farewell with a slight bow as she left. They followed her out of the room.
~AU~AU~AU~AU~AU~AU~
DEMON'S VENOM: PERU, LIMA - THE FORT: 4 JUL 2013
SAH-HIM (OLIVER)
Oliver stored his arms in his room. He was happy to finally be armed again. He needed at least three knives to feel comfortable. He still felt his room was bare and empty. Lonely. He didn't like waiting in the empty room. Instead, he waited in the hallway. Tayir found him easily and they walked back to the meeting rooms together.
They didn't have to wait for long. Al Hamsa arrived with a tall, heavily built woman with white shoulder guards on her League uniform. Both apprentices shot erect.
"Fasir!" They greeted him.
"Apprentices," Hamsa replied. "This is Qasisa Narm. She will finish your orientation on the Fort for today. After morning meal, report back to the main Meeting Room. Your mentors will collect you there."
"It will be done," they chorused.
Hamsa nodded and left them.
Qasisa Narm gave them both warm smiles. "Greetings, Apprentices," Narm said.
"Qasisa," they greeted in return, still standing erect.
"Please relax and sit," Narm replied as she motioned them to take a seat on the carpet. She sat in the lotus position herself and waited. Once both Oliver and Tayir seated themselves, she continued. "The Qas are there to assist you. We are your resource. We want you to feel comfortable coming to the Qas for help. We are here to assist your hunts. Your spiritual and mental health is another important aspect of your wellbeing. We help in your life."
"How?" Tayir asked.
"It is our purpose," Narm said with a warm smile. "You are both adjusting to life in the League. This is not an easy. You both have unique gifts. These gifts are not comfortable. Your mentors can assist you, but you can seek more guidance if you desire."
"Okay," Tayir replied. He weighed the need to seek the counsel of the Qas. For his guilt in the death of his family. His role in it.
"Now we will review history," Narm said with a smile. "The Qas maintain the history of the League. We maintain our Archive. We will help you understand your new home." She adjusted herself slightly. "We are currently located in Fortaleza Del Real Felipe. It is an old Fort the Spanish used during colonial times. The League owns the properties the Fort sits on. We operate the Fort Museum on the upper levels. Most of those levels do not connect to our League levels. The few that do are kept secret and are heavily guarded. The main League entrances are further into the city. All entrances have tightly controlled security."
"Most of your fellow members of the Demon's Venom call this place The Fort. It is our regional headquarters for the Demon's Venom. You may use the League name within these walls. It is unsafe anywhere else," Narm told them.
"Yes, Qasisa," they replied.
"Now," Narm said with a small smile. "For our bit of history. The Demon's Venom wasn't always headquartered at The Fort. Do either of you Apprentices know how Ra's al Ghul is chosen?" she asked them.
"No, Qasisa," Oliver replied. "I assume that the son or daughter of Ra's is chosen."
Narm chuckled. "Then you would be wrong, Apprentice…" she said as she looked at him.
"Al Sah-him," he introduced himself.
"Tayir Alfiniq," Tayir also introduced himself.
Narm nodded. "Ra's al Ghul must select his Heir. Until he does, his children hold the place of Heir for the chosen Heir. This is only a temporary place. They know this," Narm told them.
"Wouldn't this confuse the children of Ra's?" Oliver asked. "They might think they were due the position."
"It could," Narm agreed. "Except the League Code is very strict about Ascension to Heir. You both know the League has a singular purpose. Our purpose was given to us by The Source. The children of Ra's are raised in the League. They know this purpose. It is their wish to help their father to fulfill his duty. To select a formal Heir."
"Okay," Oliver replied. "I am more used to selfish children than helpful ones."
"Your prior life?" Narm asked.
"Yes," Oliver replied. "Many entitled children fail to comprehend the demands of their parents' leadership positions. They would demand things for no reason. That they were entitled to them. Simply because they thought it was their due."
"Interesting. That will help you to understand the place their evil comes from," Narm replied with a nod. "But in this case, the Ra's al Ghul before our own had two viable candidates for Heir. Both were Fasir. One was the Fasir of the Demon's Venom and one was the Fasir of the Demon's Claw. Ra's felt both men could make good Ra's. It was for this reason, he sought out his Wahy."
"His Wahy?" Oliver asked. "My mentor used that word today."
"Yes," Narm replied. "Your skill… your gift is called Ruya, or the sight. Once trained, you will become a Wuhy. An oracle."
"Wow," Tayir said in amazement. "I thought magic was pretty freaky."
"An oracle?" Oliver asked stunned. His voice filled with doubt. "I thought all I did was see ghosts?" he was starting to freak out.
"Sensing spirits is a part of your skill," Narm reassured him. "You are more effective as a hunter, but there is more to your gift. It is a part of you."
"Okay," Oliver said, trying to calm himself down. "I can do this."
Narm waited a few moments and then continued her story. "Ra's consulted his Wahy. His Wahy told him to wait until the Solstice. He sought the guidance of the Great Northern Nexus at Nanda Parbat. The resulting vision caused Ra's to choose al Husan as his Heir. Al Muzlin fled the League with his followers. When al Husan gave up his name, he ordered the Demon's Venom to move to a new headquarters," Narm reflected on the history of the Demon's Venom.
"Since that time, the Demon's Venom has moved twice more due to the evil mechanicians of Dahrk," Narm said with spite.
"This Darhk is al Muzlin?" Oliver asked about the name change. The meanings were the same. It made sense if they were the same person.
"Yes," Narm said. "al Muzlin had a small gift of magic. Divination. Once Ra's al Ghul made his choice, al Muzlin was marked for death. The League cannot have a split alliance. He chose to flee and turn to evil. He now leads HIVE. He opposes the League."
"But his gift of magic was small?" Tayir asked in confusion.
"It was, but he since turned to dark magic… and death magic. He mastered those skills," Narm told him. "The Wahy saw his future path. That was the vision the Wahy was granted. The Wahy told Ra's that al Muzlin would turn the League to evil. He has done so with HIVE." She let them both sit in silence as they thought about what she had told them.
"There is a reason why this area of the world contains the Demon's Venom," Narm told them. "Magic exists in all parts of the world, but this part of the world seems to have the worst evil sources in it using magic. Our Fasir has some theories about why this is, but at this point, it is because the people are so spread out and the jungles block the modern methods of travel. The people turn to magic. It is not an uncommon skill among our local population. Of course, some of those men turn to evil."
"Is there some truth that modern people do not believe in magic because it doesn't exist there?" Oliver asked. He had never heard of magic outside of tales and rumors.
"No," Narm smiled gently at him. "Modern people have always been blind to magic. Often refusing to see the truth right before their eyes. They will double down on their science. Use it to explain magic. Primitive people will simply accept a cleansing ritual for their health. They believe because it is natural. Both belief and intent affect the strength of the magic used."
"Most modern societies refuse to believe in magic. Even as magic is used in the very architecture of their cities," Narm told them. "Al Sah-him, you were American in your old life. You heard of the Society of Free Masons, have you not?" she asked.
"I have," Oliver replied. "Many of the Founding Fathers of the United States were members of the Free Masons."
"The Society of Free Masons would use cleansing rituals as they built," Narm told him. "This was simple magic. Old magic. The kind of magic that does not take talent to use. Because of those rituals, those buildings stood longer than other buildings. This created a demand for the Free Masons."
"As I recall from my history classes," Oliver told her. "The Free Masons had secret rituals for higher order Masons in their Society."
"Likely, the origin of the rituals and spells used," Narm replied with a grin. She turned to Tayir. "Tayir Alfiniq, you were Egyptian in your old life. What do you know of the great pyramids of the Giza plateau?" she asked him.
"I only know what the scientists told us in school," Tayir replied. "That they are tombs for the great kings of Egypt from long ago, but many have contested that finding. There is much controversy about the great pyramids right now."
"Do you have local legends and myths?" Narm asked. "Stories not told in the schools, but around fires at night by the elders?" She gave him a wry look.
"Yes," Tayir replied hesitantly. "They say that the jinn built the pyramids for Hermes, Agathodaemon, and Enoch," he said.
"Tayir Alfiniq," Narm said gently. "There is truth in myth and legend. The jinn are real. They do not bother the people today as they did in days of old, but they exist."
"Then the story of Aladdin's lamp is true?" Oliver asked astounded.
"No," Narm chided him. "That is a Disney fabrication of an old myth. The jinni is true. The jinni likely played a trick this Aladdin using a dirty old lamp… the boy was a thief after all, but it was not a love story."
"Oh," Oliver sighed in regret. He liked that story.
"The tales my people had of the jinn were never good tales," Tayir told Oliver. "The jinn were responsible for diseases and accidents of all kinds. They delighted in punishing humans for any kind of harm they perceived done to them. On purpose or not. They are best known for being treacherous and diabolical."
"That said," Narm replied. "There is a reason that the jinn leave modern populations alone in the world today. The way your people migrate changed. Instead of moving across their territories, you are stationary. Your roads do not transverse their domains. In essence, you leave them alone."
"Oh," Tayir said. First in shock the jinn were real, then amazed at the reason they left people alone.
"I understand," Oliver said. "The United States was a colony of England. England didn't care people already lived here. The British came over, planted their flag, and said it was theirs. Then the British got upset when the Natives fought them over it. The jinn are like the Native Americans. They are upset your people showed up in their homes and claimed them."
"Because your people could not see the jinn, they assumed they were not there," Narm added. "In modern times, the issue is resolved. Your people still do not see them, but they leave the jinn alone."
"It is an old prejudice," Tayir replied, thinking. "I will work on it. My new life will have many such challenges."
"It will," Narm replied. "There are many cultures that do not use modern technology. Especially in this region of the world. I will be available for afternoons when you are not hunting with your mentors. During those times, I will teach you about the different cultures and languages in this region. I will ensure you have a strong basis in both Spanish and Portuguese. I would also recommend French. I will make sure you both can read the mystical symbols needed in magic. Tayir Alfiniq, for your spell books. Al Sah-him, because some traps are magical in nature."
"There are magical traps?" Oliver asked.
Narm smiled. "Yes," she replied. "This continent is riddled with ruins that have all kinds of traps; mundane and magical. I will have those books for you to study tomorrow at Sacred Place. See me after you have finished with your mentors. You are released for now. Take the time to explore the facility. The evening meal will be soon," Narm said as she slowly rose from her lotus position. "I will see you both tomorrow."
They both rose. "Good evening, Qasisa Narm," they said in farewell with a slight bow as she left. They followed her out of the room.
~AU~AU~AU~AU~AU~AU~
DEMON'S SPINE: NEW ZEALAND, CHRIST CHURCH - THE CHURCH: 5 JUL 2013, 8 AM
YAD ALQADAR (THOMAS)
Thomas stored his arms in his room. He was upset he couldn't figure out how to carry his sword with him. He settled for carrying half a dozen different knives. Two of which were rather large. A dirk and a kukri. He wanted the length if he had to fight against a sword.
What does it say about me that I expect to fight a sword? Thomas thought. Then he shrugged and headed back to the Meeting Room to wait for the Qas. Al Samita joined him before long. It figures I would be partnered with the silent one, he thought. That just makes me want to yap.
Al Asim returned to the Meeting Room with a medium built black man. He had a soft smile. His should guards were white on his League Uniform. Both apprentices stood out of respect for their mentor.
"Mentor al Asim," they greeted their mentor.
"Apprentices," Asim returned their greeting. He gestured to the man next to him. "This is Qas Dawaar. He will finish your orientation on the Church. I will meet you both in the large Training Room after midday meal."
"It will be done," they chorused.
Al Asim nodded and left them with the Qas.
Qas Dawaar gave them both warm smiles. "Greetings, Apprentices," he said.
"Qas Dawaar," they greeted in return, still standing erect.
"Please. Let us move to one of the more private rooms," Dawaar said as he gestured to one of the surrounding meeting rooms. They followed him. "Relax. Sit." Dawaar motioned for them to sit on the carpet.
Thomas and al Samita settled themselves on the carpet before the Qas.
"The Qas are there to assist you. To help you with your life. We are your resource. We want you to feel comfortable coming to the Qas for help," Dawaar told them earnestly. "We can assist your hunts, your spiritual, and your mental health. That is our purpose."
"Our life?" Thomas asked. "Like counselors and stuff?" he clarified.
"Yes," Dawaar replied with a smile. "Most apprentices experienced trauma before coming to the League. This is a large life change as well. Adjustment is not an easy. Your mentors can assist. You only need to ask. You have the Qas for additional help if you need it."
Al Samita nodded in response.
Thomas smiled and nodded his acceptance of the help. He didn't think he would need it, but it was useful to know it was there for him.
"Now," Dawaar said with a smile. "The Qas maintain the history of the League. We maintain our Library of Data. Our Archive. We can help you understand your new home." He smiled as he leaned forward slightly. "We are currently located in Te Papa Kura. Otherwise known as Redcliff School. It is an elementary school operated above our location. The League owns the properties the Church sits on. We operate the school on the upper levels. Most of those levels do not connect to our League levels. The places that do are secret and heavily guarded. The usual League entrances are further into the city. All entrances have tightly controlled security. As you will discover, this area is rocky, hilly, and riddled with volcanic caves. Most of which the League secured for our use."
"Most of your fellow members of the Demon's Spine call this place The Church. The name is inherited from the location Christchurch. It is our regional headquarters for the Demon's Spine. You may use the League name within these walls. Anywhere else outside these walls do not use it," Dawaar told them.
"Yes, Qas," they replied.
"Now," Dawaar said with a big smile. "For our bit of history. The Demon's Spine wasn't always headquartered at The Church. When our current Ra's al Ghul ascended, we were ordered to move our headquarters," he told them.
"Prior to his ascension, the former Ra's al Ghul was entertaining two viable candidates for Heir. Both were Fasir. Al Muzlin was the Fasir of the Demon's Venom. Al Husan was the Fasir of the Demon's Claw. Ra's felt that both men could make good Ra's. They were close. He notified them both of the possibility. They both vied for the role. Both were suitable. It was for this reason, he sought out his Wahy."
"What is a Wahy?" Thomas asked. "Why would this person be able to advise Ra's al Ghul?"
"A Wahy is an oracle," Dawaar replied. "They have the gift of sight. They use this gift to consult with the Great Nexus. On the Solstice, the Wahy are granted visions."
Thomas felt his eyes widen. Visions? An Oracle? Holy shit!
"Ra's consulted his Wahy. His Wahy told him to wait until the Solstice. To seek the guidance of Nanda Parbat. The vision directed Ra's to choose al Husan as his Heir. Al Muzlin fled the League with his followers. When al Husan ascended to the title of Ra's al Ghul, he ordered all branches of the League to move to a new headquarters," Dawaar reflected.
"Since that time, the Demon's Spine has not been required to move again. Darhk has limited his evil to the other branches," Dawaar said with a grin.
"al Muzlin is Darhk?" Thomas asked about the name change.
"Yes," Narm said. "al Muzlin had some small gift of magic. Divination. This enabled al Muzlin to sense the choice of Ra's al Ghul. He knew he was marked for death with that choice. He chose to flee. He opposes the League. He now leads HIVE."
"Magic is real?" Thomas asked stunned.
Al Samita nodded in agreement with his question.
"It is," Dawaar replied. "The Spine does not often use magic, but it is commonly seen on hunts. Hunts in Africa most frequently."
"Wow," Thomas remarked. "You said there are different kinds? What are they?" he asked.
"There are many different kinds," Dawaar replied. "If you are chosen to follow the Command Path, you learn about them and their limitations. For our story, know that al Muzlin used his divination to discover Ra's choice of Heir. He then fled." He waited as this part of the story sank into his audience. "al Muzlin has since turned to dark magic and death magic. He mastered them. This dark path was the vision granted to the Wahy that Solstice. It took very little for al Muzlin to betray the League. To betray our League Code. To seek to betray balance."
Dawaar smiled gently at the two apprentices. "You may be intimidated by the sheer size of the Spine. That is alright. The geographic area of the Spine is large, but the population is much smaller," he said. "If you are chosen for the Raven's Path, you will use your skills to blend in with the many cultures that span our branch. Our Ravens gather intelligence from the Alfaar for our hunters. In turn, our hunters often need to go out in larger groups. Often seeking multiple hunts at the same time. This makes our branch the ideal place for those chosen for the Command Path. They can gain experience leading small groups of hunters here."
"We don't know what paths we will be chosen for yet," Thomas said sadly.
"Do not worry," Dawaar replied gently. "If you have the aptitude, then you will be chosen. If you do not, then you would not be a good fit for that path."
"Thanks. I just want to help my partners," Thomas replied.
"Your partners are League?" Dawaar asked curious. People did not often come to the League with family or partners.
"Yes," Thomas replied as he softened thinking about Laurel and Oliver. "Al Aldire was chosen to study technology. Al Sah-him was chosen to study his ghost sensing gift."
"A Hasub and a Wahy," Dawaar said gently. "You are surrounded by instrumental people."
"A Wahy? Sah-him is a Wahy?" Thomas exclaimed in shock. "How do I help a freaking oracle?" he asked in a pleading tone.
"Your trainers saw something in you," Dawaar told him. "Wahy do not hunt with groups. They never lead. It is their gift and their curse. Hasub specialize. If you are to follow your partners to a new assignment, you may not partner with them often. Or it is likely that you will be chosen for the Command Path, if you have the aptitude for it."
"Command Path… I would boss them around?" Thomas smiled. "They were usually bossing me around. Especially Aldire."
"There is more to the Command Path than bossing people around," Dawaar said in a chiding tone. "It is about knowing what resources are available and utilizing them effectively. Knowing the strengths and weaknesses in all specialties and deploying them to the greatest effect. This would allow your Hasub partner to focus on their specialty and your Wahy partner to hand the responsibility of decisions to you."
"Like using the intelligence from ghosts to plan a more effective assault?" Thomas asked in contemplation even as his mind started to spin scenarios.
"Precisely," Dawaar replied with a happy smile. His question proved he had an aptitude for Qayid. "As you are aware, the Spine is very large geographically. It has a diverse number of cultures. Most of them do not use modern technology. Intelligence gathering is more effectively done by talking to people. Word of mouth. Speech. The Ravens use many Alfaar to collect this intelligence. To this end, you will need to expand your known languages. I will be available the afternoons you are not hunting with your mentors. During those times, I will teach you about the different cultures and languages in this region. You will need to choose which languages you want to add to your tongue."
"Languages?" Thomas asked as he perked up. He liked learning languages. "What are our options? How many can we take?" he asked.
Dawaar smiled. "I would recommend all of them if you are on the Raven's Path, but there are too many to learn in the short time you are here. You should already know English and Ancient Arabic. Those are the League required languages. You learned them in recruit training. Other languages used in the Spine are Swahili, Afrikaans, French, Hindi, Japanese, Tagalog, Malay, and Polynesian, especially Māori and Samoan."
"That's… yeah… That's a lot," Thomas replied daunted.
"How will these languages help us?" Samita asked shyly. This was the first time she spoke.
"In understanding the people of the Spine," Dawaar replied. "If you can understand their language, you can correctly determine what is being said. The Raven's Path is to hear and report your findings. Most evil sources do not always speak our tongue."
"I can see how you could fake not understanding someone. They would speak more openly around you," Thomas replied with thought. "My dad…" He paused. It was the first time he thought about the father he had before his mother died. "My father talked to my mother in Spanish when they wanted to surprise me with something."
"Your former life?" Dawaar asked.
"More like former, former life," Thomas replied. "My mom died when I was eight. Dad left then. He was never the same… even when he eventually came back."
"I can see the benefits to this knowledge," Samita replied. "I will study Japanese and Hindi. I am already fluent in English and French."
"I will have those books for you to study tomorrow at Sacred Place," Dawaar remarked. He turned to h.
"Japanese and Māori," Thomas said. "Japanese could have helped us on our last hunt in Hong Kong. Māori is one of the more spread-out languages of the Spine. I will try to add Afrikaans if I can."
"That is ambitious. I will have books for all three languages at the Sacred Place," Dawaar said with a soft nod. See me after you have finished with your mentors this evening. You are released for now. Take the time to explore the facility. Midday meal is in a few hours. I will see you both tomorrow."
They both rose. "Good evening, Qas Dawaar," they said in farewell with a slight bow as she left. They followed her out of the room.
~AU~AU~AU~AU~AU~AU~
Chapter Endnotes:
[2] Qas Orientation: I included the story of Darkh and Ra's as three different versions for two reasons. One, it is an important lesson on balance and the League culture. Two, to illustrate how each Brach of the League took the betrayal and aftermath of that betrayal. This ensured that new apprentices knew the cultural history of the League and how the League perceived Darkh's betrayal. In the Horn, they are focused on finding HIVE in their region of the world. In the Venom, they are betrayed and angered at HIVE's constant attacks on their HQ and using dark and black magic from their region. In the Spine, they are not as influenced by HIVE. They are more neutral and report the story with less prejudices. Not mentioned is the Claw. They are a stronghold against HIVE because of the location of Nanda Parbat and Ra's was a former Fasir for the Claw. Their emphasis is on the complete eradication of HIVE.
[3] League Creation Story: I included as much DCU comic canon as I knew about the Source, the Hands, and the Godwave. I deviated from Arrow!canon on the start of the League. In Arrow, Mar Nuvo starts the League. I don't plan on letting this AU go to Crisis of Infinite Earths (COIE). My limited understanding of the Monitor is that COIE is his fault. Thus, the Spectre likely gave him the punishment to keep the Anti-Monitor contained. His flawed morals is why the Green Lantern's want to cage him. In my head canon, the Anti-monitor is not a threat. The League was founded to maintain balance after the humans started to focus on a single aspect of the Source (Godwave) and assumed it was the Source. Because of HIVE, the League leans more to light, than dark to assist in balancing HIVE's dark.
~AU~AU~AU~AU~AU~AU~