2

Although he could have just vanished and reappeared at the enemy empire in the blink of an eye, Iskandar opted for the longer option and chose to fly there instead. The king in his crystal ball prison kept pounding and shouting. His words from commands had changed to bargaining and now to desperate pleas. 

Being able to fly faster than the tornado could move was something Iskandar had done on purpose. He wanted to watch as the people realized their deaths were at hand. He flew just high enough for them to be able to see him. 

It didn't take long for them to notice him. The man floating in the air was hard to miss. However, what was harder to miss was the darkening sky and thunderclouds approaching even though the season for rain was not yet at hand. Lightning began tearing across the sky and it was when the first strike came down on a house did panic set in. 

It was quickly followed by successive strikes lighting fires across the empire. Screams rose from women and children while men ran about fetching water to put out the fires and prevent further spread to nearby properties. Their actions came to a halt when the blazing tornado came into view. Its brilliant light could not be hidden and despite its white flames, chills were sent up the spines of the people. 

Stretching both arms sideways, Iskandar sent out a wave of power out to the edges of the kingdom, erecting a magical barrier all around to prevent even a single soul from fleeing before the disaster came. When the barrier stood firm, he set his sights on the enormous palace that stood proudly at the centre of the kingdom. 

Flying slowly, he arrived at the palace to find guards waiting with weapons drawn and trained on him. 

A man spoke from a high balcony where he looked down with two women behind him. One older and the other a younger version of herself. The man himself bore an uncanny resemblance to the trapped king whom he held hostage. 

"Who are you and what business do you have with our empire?" 

Ignoring the armed men all around, Iskandar looked to the man who spoke. 

"My business with your empire is it's demise!" 

This caused a stir in the men as they all marched a step closer. Clearly, they had been properly trained. But to him, none of that mattered. Nothing mattered to him anymore. 

"And what has been done to incur this demise that you bring?" The man asked. 

Holding out his hand in front of him, the face of the king could be seen and his scream rang clear. The flames began eating at him once again as his head was released from its crystal prison. A scream tore from the balcony. The older woman began wailing on seeing the face that no doubt belonged to her husband. 

"Rescue the king and kill the intruder!" The man yelled before retreating into the palace. The men immediately sprung into action. Arrows flew at Iskandar from the row of archers that surrounded him. 

Stamping his feet, a barrier protected Iskandar from the projectiles. The men charged when their arrows failed. Covering his arms in flames, he charged at them. Bashed shields, burnt flesh and severed limbs flew about, painting his immaculate skin in crimson. Soon, he looked like a thing of nightmares. Gone were the men who had surrounded him. But he could hear more coming. His eyes glowed with hatred as he stared at the entrance of the palace. A simple wave of his hand could flatten the huge structure, but no. 

Iskandar needed to vent his anger before it caused him to implode. 

Strolling with a single purpose in mind, he went into the palace. Moments later, screams erupted. Cries of pain and the smell of blood permeated the air. Fires began spreading from within. Parts of the large walls began crumbling and the earth shook with the onslaught that was being carried out on the palace and it's inhabitants.

Meanwhile, outside people had given up on the idea of putting out the fires as more strikes of lightning found their marks on the houses of unsuspecting occupants. All they could do was pray and wail as the flaming tornado drew nearer. When it was just outside the erected barrier, it stopped it's advance as if waiting for it's creator to finish his business within. 

Iskandar came out after a while dragging the man who had spoken before by his neck. As expected, he was the prince of the empire. The screaming queen had already been disposed of, and in his other hand, he held the princess by her neck as well. Like her mother, she was a weeping mess, but she neither wailed nor screamed. Her eyes however were filled with hatred, but deep within was acceptance for that which she could not control. 

It was at this moment the king was released from his crystal prison. His flesh was scarred from the flames that had tormented him during his imprisonment. Still, he found the voice to cry out.

"Stop this madness. You have shown your power and we have seen your wrath. Take my life but spare my blood and the rest of my kingdom. We shall never cross you again."

In response, Iskandar lifted the prince and engulfed his head in a floating orb of water before dropping him. 

"NOOOO!!".

The king ran to his son who had begun clawing at his face in an attempt to get rid of the water cutting off his air supply. His fingers drew blood from his face making the water suffocating him turn a light shade of red. The helpless king could only watch in agony as his son drowned in front of him. 

A loud wail tore from the king's throat as his son finally lay motionless in his arms and the water around his head dispersed. 

"Now you see king, you have no real power. This is what it feels like to have one you love get taken from you." 

Gone was the strong facade the king possessed. Now he was a grieving parent who had just lost a precious child in his arms. 

Taking a look at the princess, Iskandar waved his hand over her face and she became a white wisp of smoke before floating into the crystal that had once been her father's prison. 

Looking at the king, Iskandar began to rise in the air before addressing him. 

"I shall spare your daughter. Not for mercy or kindheartedness, but so someone can be alive to tell the tale of what happens when you cross Iskandar the white djinn. Farewell king, and may you be more fortunate in your next life." 

With that, he took to the skies and dropped a part of the barrier to allow the waiting tornado to enter into the kingdom and begin its final destruction. 

Observing from a high enough altitude, he watched as the flaming tornado began destroying the empire that had dared to take something precious from him. Soon enough, he dropped the remaining sides of the barrier after the tornado had gone around a few times throughout the empire. Ash rained down from the skies coating everything that was left in a layer of grey. 

With a snap of his fingers, the disaster slowed down until it disappeared altogether. Waving his hand, the temperature dropped and in a gradual process that was visible to the naked eye, the kingdom froze over. Iskandar dropped to the ground to observe his work. 

Finally, his revenge was complete. Looking at the frozen remnants of the once-large empire, he only felt emptiness now that he was done venting his anger. Plucking the crystal from where it rested on his neck, he held it out as a wisp of smoke escaped from it before materialising the princess. She fell to her knees as more sobs shook her body. 

"Tell me your name!." He said to her. 

"Nezha". She replied while lifting her tear stained face to look at his. The defiance in her eyes was still as strong and sturdy as an oak tree. Even with the sorrow and anger in his heart, this caused him to smile inwardly. 

"Your king brought this tragedy upon you and all you love because of his greed. Hate me if you must but I have taken vengeance as is my right." 

"Then why not kill me? Do you wish to take me as your property now that I am left alone? Or do you wish to abandon me to a slow death in the desert?" 

"You will be the one to remember your people, as I am the one to remember my friend who was taken from me. How you act from now on is not of concern to me. However, I am not of a wicked mind, I will at least give you the power to survive this harsh world." 

His eyes lit up in white flames and he pointed a finger at her. A scream tore from her lips and she clutched her chest. Cold air escaped her lips and her body took on a blue shade lighter than that of Iskandar. Her lips and nails became black while her eyes took on a grey colour of their own. 

"Be reborn from the cold of the desert night and embrace it's power as your own. This is my show of goodwill to you." 

With that, he vanished and black spots danced in her vision before she drifted off….