The understanding of “real death” being the vanishing of one’s memory holds true, dear reader. This time, it can and will be said for the first undying heroes of Banu Numayr tribe. Sadly, there weren’t that many heroes around those times. But this fact alone helped the heroes underneath see and grasp their chances of becoming what they wanted to be their destiny to become. But destiny, my dear reader… How should one put it? Let’s just say it would make an unruly servant and an even worse mistress. If you just found yourself in disagreement, I would suggest you read on even more carefully.

Humbleness and Opportunities

“Captivating… CAPTIVATING?! You fell for a captivating STORY! Nothing more and nothing less. Now you best get a good glass of wine and forget about all those.”

This came from a man in his early fifties, even though his age was not really easy to tell just from his face. True, some light-greying was starting to appear above the ears and around his temples, but his hair was otherwise neatly gathered under a turban. Perhaps too neatly, especially considering other people in his surroundings. They were all drinking and most were even merrymaking. Except the one sitting right next to the fellow who just spoke. He was looking agitated and about to burst:

“I am telling you ‘Aam, this man was different! It felt as if it was real magic when he spoke his piece while receiving his messages.”

The man responding was much younger than his companion. But was no younger than thirty by any measure. He felt that way too, sometimes felt a bit too much from his aching bones and already-withering eyesight. He was not unhealthy either though, as he could still go (almost) sword-to-sword with his companion. They were mercenaries, and sellswords needed daily practice to keep their abilities sharp. And there was no actual changing partners in their business, because theirs was a family business; as these two men were in fact related and were doing what their tribe was best known for. Nevertheless, it was obvious to anyone that it was the older one who was in charge, not the other way around. The older one then responded:

“Aren’t anyone who claims to be hearing things from a creator is expected to act like that? I heard even that guy from up-Nazareth had a sickly composition, regardless of his stories being true or false. I think you might have liked his stories a bit too much for some other reason than belief, but you are ashamed to admit it. And what did you even say his name was?

“That… I must have forgotten… but from a tribe not from around here, like us! Should be easy to find if we want to. Think about it for a second and I’m sure you’ll come to agree. Think on the weeks have spent in this town without good-paying work. Sure, it really gets bustling at times and that brings many opportunities. But I think we have been too humble about the jobs we have been taking lately.”

“At least he wasn’t from Banu Quraysh. Those guys truly mean business in this town. And if you ask me, I don’t think they are as clean as they portray themselves as. They almost never are… And as for the opportunity you think you discovered, it has to be one of the oldest gigs in dunya. The world has never had a shortage of people and animals betraying each other for their own gain. Whereas I, don’t really want to get my hands too dirty in this comely age of mine.”

“Noo, no, no no; I’m not talking about skimming a customer! I’m talking about really devoting our services for such a person, but with a twist!”

The older man twisted his head in little curiosity:

“… go on.”

“Listen, there has been quite a few of those prophet types lately; hasn’t it? And people around here don’t take too kindly to someone who outright challenges them, they tend to be quite protective about their customs. So these guys produce a lot of opposition right from the get-go. And opposition means resistance, and resistance breeds friction. Friction which will inevitably mean opposing-skulls for us to crack! Think about it, and ask yourself deeply. What I’m saying does make quite a lot of sense. I don’t even think there can be a shortage of those types given the fact that some folk seem to be expecting them.”

The older man frowned and scrubbed his short but scraggly beard. This meant that he actually was considering the offer his companion was putting in front of him. But there was something missing. A failsafe, so-to-speak, and a very good protection in case things go too bad. And this old bedouin could imagine things going their worst, which were not the things his companion could hope to imagine surviving in one piece. At least in this old one’s own opinion.

Then suddenly, older man sprang to his feet right after finishing his wine just as swiftly. While pruning his shalwar from some light dust and dirt, he noticed his companion’s looks in disbelief and excitement. But his mouth was twisting as if he wanted to ask where he was going. He then responded:

“If you cannot say “GO TO HELL, I’M GONE!” to someone and truly intend to back it up, then you cannot really negotiate with the person in front of you. You will either absorb, or be absorbed. It is not like you can read, let alone tell if a person is being genuine in front of you. So we better get our hands on something that fellow might actually desire from us before we offer him our services. Besides, it would be good practice if the old blacksmith has some job for us, because creators know we can use such an arrangement. We will be needing some fresh set of defenses for ourselves!”

It was their first visit to Mecca, but certainly not the last. As they will keep coming annually or bi-annually to pay their respects to their traditions. At least, this is what they will keep telling to their tribesmen back in Najd. In reality they really had struck gold with this business idea of theirs. Sure, their patrons tended to disappear or get persecuted to un-protectable levels. And people who claim to be very special on their own tended to barely afford their food, so they had to spend extra time to choose from ones with wealthy backgrounds. But it was going to be this duo to establish this new line of business in their tribe. A line within which many more stories must surely follow.

The year was 601 in the Gregorian Calendar, as there is no accurate way to know how the heroes above would tell their year from their lunar calendars they would be needing ever so rarely.

Concluding Magic of Thought

What is also still uncertain is how these first heroes ended up dying to become heroes themselves, they were the first real heroes of Banu Numayr; my dear reader. If you yourself are in disbelief right now about what you have just read, allow me a few more sentences to occupy your mind with: Do you believe in magic? And I do not mean this as a simple rhetorical question. Do you really really believe in magic? I am asking this because it is obvious that some people do.

But how can such a simple-sounding concept like magic be immediately feel understood yet still manages to agitate its believers and unbelievers against each other so? But most importantly, how can anyone make a non-believer believe that his magic is a real one; ever? These questions are valid in stories of Banu Numayr as well. Not only because witchery and magic were also parts of daily lives of the bedouin, but also the so-called prophet types above tended to be called “magicians” by most people. Especially by the ones who opposed them, if they were non-believers in magickry of course. If not, then they would go along by calling them “evil magicians”. Even then, the magic and thinking about magic has been a dividing topic among the bedouin.