Town of Daham, Northeastern Saddle Arabia

Al Qaryat Al Daham was a small town situated on the northeastern reaches of the land of Saddle Arabia. A bustling town of the majestic lands of Saddle Arabia, Daham’s mud houses and sandy roads were typical of such towns. In Daham’s Souq Al Mubarakiya, you’d see busy Horses selling and buying wares and exotic goods from sunrise to sundown. The town was protected in multiple side by some mountains, thus created a protective natural barrier around the town. Due to this, the town had 3 entrances, the south entrance, the north east entrance and the western entrance.

Even in the harsh arid climate of Saddle Arabia, The Horse Nomads, or the Bedouin, roamed and lived in their desert home for many millennia. Their culture stood the test of time and had remained the same for hundreds of years. The Horses of Saddle Arabia were proud of this fact, many of course also see themselves as superior to many of the other races of Equus.

The average horse in Saddle Arabia don’t wear the most stylish of clothes, however they helped with survival in the desert heat of the Saddle Arabian desert.

Thankfully the Sultan of Saddle Arabia, Harun ibn Rashid, was a kind Stallion who only wanted the best for his subjects. He would have tried as much as possible to help his people. However many were attempting to conspire against his vision. While the Sultan was technically monarch over his kingdom, real power rested in the hooves of the corrupt nobles of his court.

Regardless, Saddle Arabia had always been a quiet and peaceful place, not much happened in these humble deserts. However this didn’t mean danger was non-existent, evil still lurked in the desert, targeting the defenceless whenever they could.

However it wouldn’t stop many stubborn Horses to go out of their safe towns and wandering in the arid lands outside the noise and annoyances of their homes.

One of these Horses decided to be very stubborn in this regard.

In the small town of Kut stood a small and cozy mud house with an enclosed yard on the side, enough to house a small family. This was the abode of the respected Khalid ibn Mansour, a highly acclaimed soldier from among the residents of Kut known to be honourable and honest. He was a quite tall stallion with brown fur and black mane, he had dark brown eyes. He lives in this house with his wife, Amira bint Mahmoud. She was an average sized mare with brown fur and mane, she had distinct light green eyes.

Amira was the true boss of the household, Khalid hadn’t a hope of out-arguing his own wife. She always had the upper hand against him. Amira was the daughter of a local blacksmith, he taught her all she needed to know to intimidate people to do things her way.

Both had a daughter named Safiya bint Khalid. She had brown fur and brown mane, just like her father. She also had the light green eyes of her mother. Safiya was the only offspring of Khalid, and he treasured her greatly. She was a young mare, around 17 years old, old enough to help her mother around the house and help with errands in the town.

She would sometimes go into the city to buy essentials, or even go to the Bedouins in the desert to buy wares they’ve gained in their travels in the foreign lands of Equestria and others.

Sometimes Safiya envied the Bedouin for their way of life, roaming free across the daunting deserts of Saddle Arabia, visiting far off lands and telling stories of their journeys.

At this moment, Safiya has grown bored of the housework she had been doing all day alongside her mother, she was very impressed how her mother gracefully managed the house without breaking a sweat. She could only dream having the same determination as her mother, She thought that her Grandpa Mansour instilled her with that way of life. He was a very tough, but fair man.

Soon her mother called for her from the outside courtyard, “Safiya! Can you please go get some vegetables that the Bedaw outside the town brought with them? It should be with Zayid in his encampment outside town near the south exit. Oh! Also please pass by Hamza in the Souq, He should have the bread I ordered from him! The order proof is in your saddle bag!”

Safiya beamed, finally being able to get out the house and into the town!

“Alright Mother! I will get the vegetables as soon as possible!” she exclaimed with glee at the prospect of finally doing something else except house work. It’s not that she doesn’t like to help her mother with work around the house. It’s just that she wants to be able to roam free and explore the world some more, even if it’s just in this small town she calls home.

She wasted no time to get her saddle bag from her small room and then proceeded to almost gallop out of the house, shocking her father, who had just came back home from the town, but unfazed her mother who is very familiar with her daughter’s antics.

The young Mare quickly trotted out of her home district in Kut and quickly went to the grand Souq Al Mubarakiya, an iconic landmark of this humble town. It had the biggest and most busiest market in this side of Saddle Arabia.

As she passed through the many roads and shops, she finally spotted Hamza, across the large square where many shop owners opened up their business and sell their wares.

She approaches the middle aged stallion, who notices her approach and smiled.

“Ahlan wa sahlan, how can I help you young one!”

Safiya smiles back, opened up her saddle bag to reveal a small piece of parchment and replied to the man, “Hello Mr. Hamza, I’ve been sent to get some bread ordered by my mother Amira, I believe you know her? She gave me this parchment.”

“Aha yes! You must be Safiya then. Yes I have your order prepared, I just need the proof of purchase that I provided to your mother if you please.”

Safiya nodded and then handed over the parchment to Hamza, who then inspected it.

He began to scrutinise the parchment for any type of forgery he could find. However he soon was convinced of the authenticity of the parchment and proceeded to give Safiya her order. He gave her a nod and a smile.

“Here you go Safiya, that’s 5 loaves of bread. Thank you for your service and have a nice day!”

“Thank you Hamza! Have a great evening!”

Safiya then began to trot her way to the southern entrance of Al Kut. The journey there was fairly uneventful, Safiya hasn’t been distracted by anything along the way, the southern side of the city has always been very boring to her.

Soon she reached the outskirts of the town, passing through the mountain pass and into the arid lands. She soon spotted a large encampment of Bedouin either unloading or preparing for a journey to foreign lands once more. However she must not be distracted by the thrill of the Bedouin, she must find Zayed!

She approached the Bedaw encampment, and began to look for him. She, thankfully, knew what Zayed looks like. He was a young Stallion about her age, having dark brown fur and even darker brown mane. He also had distinct green coloured eyes, just like hers, which made him stand out from most people.

Zayed was from a respectable tribe who committed to the Bedouin life, they lived on the desert. Zayid was no exception, he loved exploring new places and following the family tradition.

For Safiya, he was perfect in every way for her. Though she wouldn’t publicly admit to that.

Soon she found Zayed near a crowd of his other tribestallions, who are all unloading their exotic wares. Zayid was unloading vegetables, presumably the ones Safiya was tasked to obtain.

“Hey Zayed, long time no see! How was your recent travels?”

Zayid quickly focused on the new voice, noticing it was Safiya. He then proceeded to smile and replied,

“Hello Safiya, just came back from Minotaur lands, it was certainly something.”

This piqued Safiya’s interest, it’s not everyday a Horse goes to the dangerous lands of the Minotaur. They can easily maim a horse if they really wanted to.

“Oh? What happened in the Minotaur lands, did they give the caravan any trouble?”

Zayed simply shook his head and replied,

“Definitely not! They know that Saddle Arabian caravans are neutral, what I mean is that it was my first time to this land. I’ve never been to the lands of the Minotaur before, I felt like I was a little kid again, awed at the Minotaurs and their very interesting culture. This is what I live for!”

Safiya giggled at the Stallion’s enthusiasm For traveling to the Minotaur lands.

“Well I’m happy you enjoyed yourself! It’s not everyday you can go to places like the Minotaur lands. Anyways, I believe you have a fresh shipment of vegetables correct?”

Zayed nodded and replied,

“Yup! Everything should be in this saddle bag, just return the bag whenever you can. I still need it for future travels!”

Safiya giggled some more, amused by Zayed's love for adventure, and replied,

“No problem! I will give it back after I get these to-”

The sudden clash of swords and screams of pain interrupted their conversation. Safiya spun in a panic to see where the noise was coming from.

Shifting her view to the noise, she sees a band of tribestallions attacking Zayed's tribe unprovoked. The fighting quickly was approaching her way.

She was soon nudged from her shocked state by Zayed, he quickly told her to run immediately. He then unsheathed his sword and begins to cover her escape by engaging an enemy tribestallion approaching them.

She went into a full gallop, attempted to run from the now growing battlefield. She ran left and right, keeping her distance from the stallions fighting in the once peaceful Bedouin encampment.

She soon left the encampment area and into open desert, she kept running and running until she felt she was safe. But she didn’t run far enough.

“You can’t run away from us little mare!”

In a shock, Safiya looked back and spotted a dark brown Horse with a shaved mane and tail. He slowly approached the now fearful mare, helpless against the armed stallion in front of her.

She then screamed for help.

“PLEASE SOMEONE HELP ME!”

Meanwhile…

Al Madinah Al Munawwarah (Yathrib), Rashidun Caliphate

Madinah, the City of the Prophet. The capital of the rising Muslim nation, begun after the death of Muhammad. Abu Bakr was the first successor to the Prophet, he reunited the Arabian Peninsula under one rule. Soon after, Umar ibn Al Khattab was chosen to lead the Muslim nation, conquering the Levant, Egypt and Iran. He was a tall man with a fair complexion. He was also balding, with a greying beard. He, like most Arabs, had dark coloured eyes. To many he was a fair man of the people, but was firm when needed. While he was not loved by all, he was respected by many.

However all good things come to an end.

Umar was having his daily walk around the growing city of Madinah, greeting passersby as he went. He was using his trusty cane, which allowed him to walk better despite his advanced age.

He was confronted by a man with very light-coloured skin when he entered the Mosque square.

“Are you Umar Ibn Al Khattab by any chance?”

Umar, intrigued, replied,

“Yes I am him, I can tell you need help with something.”

The man, happy finally finding Umar, asked his query.

“I am but a simple Persian man, a slave to a man named Mughirah. His taxes are too high! It is simply unfair for someone such as I.”

It is rare, however slaves are usually given salaries by many owners. This is so the slaves can buy their freedom later on. Some slaves are usually rented out to others, gaining money in the process. People, like Mughirah, would also tax their slaves for their work by taking a chunk of the money earned through their work.

Umar, wanting to solve this problem swiftly, replied.

“I shall talk to Mughirah about this, you don’t have to worry. I shall make sure, if it is a misjustice, to fix it swiftly. Expect something tomorrow. What is your name Persian?”

The man, now pleased, quickly replied to Umar,

“I am Piruz Nahavandi. I am happy with your response Caliph. I shall be here in the Prophet’s mosque tomorrow, same time.”

With that, Umar nodded to Piruz and proceeded to continue with his walk, remembering to pass by Mughirah’s home on his way back.

The next day…

Umar proceeded to the Prophet’s mosque, walking with his cane again, to meet with Piruz.

He has spoken with Mughirah. Apparently the tax seemed fair, his wage was large enough to cover it while allowing him to keep a decent amount for himself.

He spotted Piruz in the Mosque square, and approached the slave to tell him what he thought of it.

“Hello Piruz, I have spoken to your master, Mughirah. The tax that you claim to be too high seemed quite reasonable based on your salary, he has told me how much you made and as such it should be more than enough.”

Piruz, now shocked as he believed that the Caliph would bring him better news, replied hastily,

“B-but Mughirah’s taxes are simply too high! There must be something you can do!”

Umar, now a bit peeved at Piruz, replied back,

“I am sorry Piruz, but this is all I can and will do. Mughirah has told me everything, and your wages seemed reasonable. Now please, I must prepare for morning prayers. I hope for the best for you.”

Umar then quickly walked towards the Prophet’s mosque, leaving a now angered Piruz.

Piruz would not stand this, he knew what he needed to do. This so called “Redeemer” has let his master go! He would pay for continuing his torture! He then looked into his robe, saw the knife he carried for protection. He knew exactly what to do.

After morning prayers

Umar wrapped up leading the group prayers and ended the morning prayers. He then got up and looked behind him, seeing a mass of people praying with him finishing up as well.

Happy with his morning work, he then began to walk and take his cane, which he left leaning on a wall nearby.

Without his knowledge, someone moved through the crowd in the direction of Umar. Quickly approaching him, moving a bit quicker as he approached. Umar began to turn to leave, but was rudely stopped by a man that he immediately recognised.

It was Piruz.

Umar, confused, asked,

“Piruz?”

Piruz did not reply, except with a blade to Umar’s stomach. He stabbed Umar six times in the stomach, then finally a fatal blow to the naval.

Umar simply stood there in shock and held on to Piruz as he stabbed him, letting go of his cane. He didn’t understand. Why?

This seized the attention of others in the mosque, Many attempted to subdue the murderer.

Piruz threw Umar to the ground and turned to flee. His flight was blocked by many men, which he then tried to go through by stabbing them left and right. It was futile, this he now knew. Piruz then stabbed his blade into his neck and slit his own throat, committing suicide.

As Piruz failed to escape, Umar’s consciousness was fading away. His soul began to leave his now dying body. In his fading vision he could see many people attempting to help him, however he knew it was futile. Blood was gushing out of his body after all, it was hopeless.

He then closed his eyes, accepting the fact that he shall pass into the hereafter. His life in this world is over.”

...

“No O Umar Al Farouq. you’re life has only begun.”

What? Who is talking to him? What did he mean by my life has only “begun”?

However, it didn’t matter anymore as he finally lost consciousness.

Unknown lands

Umar soon began to regain consciousness, what happened? Wait, wasn’t he killed… Didn’t he die?

He had too many questions going through his head, however he needed to assess his situation as soon as possible.

He opened his eyes, to see only the desert in front of him. It was unfamiliar to him, he doesn’t recognise this area at all. Something is most definitely not right.

He attempted to get up, only to immediately fall down to the ground.

“What the…?”

He then attempted to stand up again, but to no avail. He just couldn’t stand up.

He sighed and placed his hands on his face. Only to notice that his hands are now hooves.

“What in God’s name!?”

He frantically looked at his body noticing he isn’t even human anymore, he is now a horse with dark brown fur.

“Is this what that voice meant by my life is just beginning, I am now to be a horse in an unknown land? Have I truly wronged Piruz?

Piruz. The Persian murdered him... Why? Has he truly made a mistake, did he overlook something? Now he would never know. He must get used to his situation in the meantime. He needs to find the nearest town as soon as possible, if there are any.

Umar began to attempt to stand on all fours, failing on the first few tries. He eventually stood up successfully.

“Now to walk around.”

Upon his first step, Umar immediately fell to the ground.

“This may take a while.”

A little while later…

Umar finally was able to walk and run, or gallop, around.

“Finally, now I need to go find the neares-”

He was then cut off by a loud cry for help.

“PLEASE SOMEONE HELP ME!”

So there is another person in this world, and whoever they were, they were in trouble.

Umar quickly began to gallop to where he heard the call for help. He quickly saw across the desert landscape two horses, one threatening the other with a sword. Did these horses talk? He shouldn’t be surprised however, he was a talking horse now as well.

Umar ran towards the other horses, and was about a few feet away from them.

He used his momentum to body slam the attacking horse, interrupting their attack.

Umar could see that the Horse dropped what looked like a scimitar. He instinctively grabbed it, he didn’t have time how he could grab something so easily with only his hooves. He then aimed the weapon at the assailant and swiftly stabbed them, killing them.

Seeing the horse going limp, he got up and threw the sword to the sand. He then turned and looked at the other horse. He immediately knew it was a mare by her looks. How did he knew? He tended to his father’s, Al Khattab, animals when he was younger. He was also the leader of men, horsemen and nomads, such a person would know a mare from a stallion with ease. He also noticed the female attire the mare was wearing as well. She had a very shocked expression, more due to the sudden arrival of this new horse than him having killed her assailant without hesitation.

Before he can speak however, she spoke first.

“Th-Thank you kind sir, who are you if I may ask.”

Umar replied with a calm voice,

“I am Umar ibn Al Khattab.”

Author's Note

Hello everyone!
I hope you enjoyed the first chapter of my new story! I aim to work on this story in the long term, I really want to see this story to the end. I hope all of you remain in this journey with me!

I would like to personally that Mitch H with helping me edit this chapter! He's been a great help for me, and gave me good advice. Here is a link to his page:
https://www.fimfiction.net/user/243568/Mitch+H

And of course all constructive criticism is open!