Fast answer is no. You don't make a pet of a sentient being which has all the knowledge of the universe. If you're lucky, one of them will make you their pet.
Get both Tales of Abu Nuwas ebooks for only 99 cents each.
Sale lasts through the end of July.
Okay, I'm an idiot. Nobody wants these books for 99 cents each. However, I've promised they'll be at that low price for the rest of this month. I'm not one to break promises. So, get 'em if you haven't read them before. They're both very entertaining.
On to other business. So, what is a Simurgh? If you don't know, then here's a bit of info on the mysterious bird of legend.
What
the Heck is a Simurgh?
An
early reader of “Faizah’s
Destiny” asked
the question. When I wrote the book, I was definitely under the
impression that everybody in the world knows what a simurgh is, but I
guess I was wrong.
If
you’ve read the 1001 Arabian Nights or even saw the movie with John
Leguizamo as the genie (brilliant!), you’ll be familiar with the
intelligent Big Bird. From the Encyclopedia Mythica,
http://pantheon.org), my favorite source for all things mythic:
In Persian legend Simurgh is a gigantic, winged monster
in the shape of a bird; a kind of peacock with the head of a dog and
the claws of a lion. Its natural habitat is a place with plenty of
water. According to legend, the creature is so old that it has seen
the world destroyed three times over. In all that time, Simurgh has
learned so much that it is thought to possess the knowledge of all
ages.
I
pretty much stick to the traditional description here except for that
dog head and lion claws thing. Considering that the Simurgh know
everything (really, not like that annoying guy at work who just
thinks he knows everything), then it seemed logical to me and my
heroine Faizah to ask them where to find Wafai the missing magician.
The
boys in the little band of rescuers scoff at her, but it all works
out anyway. The search for the bird does get them into the mountains
where they need to be to save the world from Armageddon. You’ll
have to admit that is just a teensy bit more important then finding
an old magician. It’s all good, though. The magician finds the
kids and the birds.
Illustration:
This is a real page on the Simurgh from a real Arabic text dating
back to circa 900 AD. I don’t see any dog’s head or lion claws.
Do you?
Excerpt:
Faizah felt the sunlight on her cheek.
Morning. She kept her eyes closed, savoring the warmth until
something blocked out the sun. At first she thought it a cloud, and
she opened her eyes a slit to check for rain.
A huge bird stood motionless over her,
regarding her with a steady, unblinking gaze.
Her eyes flew all the way open. The
Simurgh was as tall as Master Wafai, the biggest bird by far that she
had ever seen. It looked like a giant peacock, save that its beak did
not come to a point. The eyes were different, too. Instead of beady
black eyes like a peacock, the Simurgh’s matched the iridescent
spots on its tail. It also sported a spray of upright feathers on its
head, giving it a jaunty appearance.
Was this the only one, she wondered, or were there more? Turning
her head slightly, she saw out of the corner of her eye there were,
indeed, more. Four more, in fact. One stood by each sleeping form.
“Hello,” she managed to say and
wondered what to do next. Sit up, or remain as she was? Would
movement frighten them? This last question was quickly answered by
Harib leaping out of his blankets with a startled yelp. Faizah
laughed as she sat up―the Simurgh standing over Harib hadn’t even
flinched.
The Simurgh beside her spoke. “Good
morning, Faizah. Welcome to our home.”
“Thank you,” she responded then
struggled to her feet and bowed to the bird. Curtseying wasn’t
something she did very often, and she thought it a poor time to start
now. “We’ve come a long way to find you. It turns out we didn’t
need to after all, but here we are.”
“Yes.” There was humor in the
bird’s voice. “You sought our counsel on the whereabouts of
Master Wafai.” The bird revealed it had both arms and wings as it
gestured with one feathery limb toward the magician.
As well as possessing both arms and
wings, Faizah noted the bird’s beak did not prevent it from
speaking clearly. Looking closely, she saw the Simurgh’s beak was
quite flexible, more like pointed lips than the beak of the birds she
was familiar with. This accounted for the bird’s precise speech.
By this time, all of the travelers were
up and variously gawking or grinning at the birds that stood before
them. Master Wafai drew himself to his full, magisterial height and
settled his robes about him before addressing the Simurgh in his most
formal tones. Faizah couldn’t help but smile. The fact he was
practically vibrating with excitement spoiled the effect a little.
“I have spent my entire life waiting
to meet a magical creature such as yourselves.” He waved his arms
in circles. “This is most exciting! Most exciting indeed!”
“Had you stopped waiting, Magician,”
the Simurgh facing him replied, “and started searching instead, you
might have met us sooner. Creatures of magic do not often seek out
mortals, but they can be found if you seek them. As close to you as
the valley on the other side of these mountains lives a young woman
who keeps company with a djinn and a flying horse. You could have met
her after only a short journey, had you cared to make it.”
“Setara! Yes, I’ve heard of her.”
Wafai’s shoulders slumped. He nodded eyes downcast. “You are
right. I sat and waited for the magic to come to me. I should have
gone to it.”
The giant bird nodded. “Oh, one other
thing. The plural is Simurghs, Master Wafai.”
Wafai’s cheeks reddened above his
white beard, and he bowed his head. “I’ll correct that error in
my texts.”
“Never mind,” the Simurgh replied,
“that doesn’t matter anymore. You are here now, and we will tell
you your fate if you wish it.”
“How does this work? Do you see the
future?”
“We see all the possible futures. You
move from one future to another, depending on what you do in the
now.”
“Do you mean that what you tell us
may not happen?”
“We
will tell you the future that lies ahead of you on the path you now
travel. If you choose a different path, you will have a different
future.” The Simurgh standing before Wafai nodded, indicating the
other birds. “We will also tell you of a few things to avoid.”
* * *
FAIZAH'S DESTINY
The gods are at war and only a
farmer’s daughter can save the world from Armageddon.
The village magician has gone missing.
His four pupils think he has left a clue to his whereabouts in the
Magicalis Bestialis--the book of magical creatures. They must seek
the help of the elusive Simurgh, the mythical birds who know all the
secrets of the universe.
However, this is not an easy camping
trip into the mountains. Spirits, gods, and demons confront the four
friends, who are not aware they’re being set up by otherworldly
forces for a much larger task.
A farmer’s daughter, Faizah is chosen
to lead the humans in the battle. She must persuade a slave, an
orphan, and a rich merchant’s son to join in the battle on the side
of good. Although divided by Dev, the evil god of war, the teens must
band together to find the Simurgh, rescue their teacher, and stave
off Armageddon.
