Aqisa
Once upon a time, long ago, goodness filled every place.
The blind could walk past walls, the elder could cross valleys.
A feather could outweigh the scales, and a single field could feed the whole tribe and its neighbors.
And so it was, until it no longer was.
Aqisa and the Righteous Woman
In a distant tribe, reachable only by those with cunning, the road was so long that supplies would run out before the journey ended. The strangest thing was that the path to this tribe was never the same twice—what brought you there today would not take you back tomorrow.
This was because of one sorceress named Aqisa. She ruled both the land and its people, and her magic spared no one except the strongest.
But in that same tribe lived a kind and generous woman. She gave with her hands and with her words. She owned a garden, from which came all the tribe’s blessings. She gave to the poor and cared for orphans, and so the people called her the Righteous Woman.
The Righteous Woman was Aqisa’s greatest enemy. The sorceress tried every spell and trick to destroy her and her garden, but God protected both her and her land.
Time passed, but Aqisa’s jealousy and hatred burned hotter than fire, devouring everything green and dry. What fueled her envy even more was that the Righteous Woman gave birth to twins of such beauty that people lost their senses when they saw them. Aqisa could not bear this, for she was barren. Yet God safeguarded the Righteous Woman and her children.
The Kidnapping of the Children
One dark night, Aqisa gathered her demons and commanded:
“Tonight, the garden must turn to ashes, so that neither beasts nor people find anything to eat. I want to see the Righteous Woman humiliated, with no home and no food for her children.”
The demons tried, but soon returned defeated. She asked them angrily:
“Did you destroy the garden? Has its ash reached the neighbors?”
Their leader replied:
“My Lady Aqisa, God protects the Righteous Woman. Her garden is guarded—we could not enter it, neither with gifts nor with gold.”
Furious, Aqisa thought of another plan. She laughed and said:
“Tomorrow, the Righteous Woman will breakfast on tears and dine on regret.”
At dawn, when the rooster crowed, the Righteous Woman rose to feed her children. But when she reached their bed, she found it cold and empty. The twins were gone. She knew at once who had done it—this was Aqisa’s doing.
The tribe gathered, enraged. Aqisa’s cruelty had gone too far—she now stole children. They cried out:
“Attack Aqisa’s house and rid the tribe of her evil!”
They broke her door down, but found nothing but fog and whistling wind. Aqisa had fled with the children, and no one knew where.
Helpless, the Righteous Woman lifted her hands to the sky and prayed a prayer that cannot be refused—because the prayer of the oppressed has no veil before God.
Aqisa in the Tribe of the Fishermen
Aqisa, after kidnapping the children, traveled three days until she reached the tribe of the Fishermen, who lived by a river and survived only on fish. The river always blessed them with its bounty.
She pitched her tent there. But after three days, the people noticed something strange—the fish spoiled within hours, smelling foul if not eaten the same day.
The elders gathered and asked:
“When did this begin?”
The head fisherman said:
“For three days now, since a woman set up her tent at the edge of our tribe. She is no guest, nor does anyone visit her. To see her face brings no joy, and to hear her words brings no comfort.”
The chief declared:
“She is a cursed guest. Tonight she will not sleep in my tribe. Give her supplies for the road and send her away, for she is no friend and no companion.”
So they expelled Aqisa and cleansed the tribe of her curse.
Aqisa in the Tribe of the Woodcutters
The next day, Aqisa reached a tribe in the forest—the Woodcutters. They lived well, gathering wood and grass for their animals. But after three days of her presence, they noticed that the grass dried before they could bring it home, and milk and meat became scarce.
The chief asked:
“When did this begin?”
The elder woodcutter answered:
“For three days now. And for three days, this woman has camped in our midst. Her face darkens the day, and her voice burns like fire.”
The chief stood and said:
“This is the face of misfortune. She will not sleep another night here.”
The men tore down her tent, gave her provisions, and left her in the forest as prey to fate.
Aqisa in the Tribe of Judge Boumiftah
After more wandering, she came to the tribe of Judge Boumiftah—a just man who wronged no one. To him, the rich and poor were equal, the old and young alike. He had magicians in his service, but they used their craft only for good.
When Aqisa arrived, she pitched her tent as usual. But within three days, disputes spread in the tribe. The rich consumed the poor’s share, the strong mocked the weak. For the first time, Judge Boumiftah saw a line of quarrelers at his door.
The chief merchant and the chief greengrocer came to him with complaints. He listened carefully. One spoke, the other responded, but Judge Boumiftah, wise as he was, began to see the hidden hand behind the chaos…