📌 Previously in Chapter 36:
Zayd and Qadir had sold eight carriages in just three days. With orders rising and risks growing, they realized the need for a trusted logistics and security unit. Qadir suggested their cousin Aftab — once a border guard captain — and Zayd summoned him. Aftab agreed to join, ready to help build something worthy of their family name.
📍 Scene: The Training Fields Outside Baghdad – Morning
Dust rose as AFTAB strode across an open field where a few men practiced with wooden swords. His voice thundered with authority not dulled by years.
AFTAB (shouting):
"Harun! Jamil! You two still breathing or just pretending to train?!"
Heads turned.
One by one, grizzled veterans turned toward their former captain. Some smiled, others approached cautiously. Aftab raised both hands.
AFTAB:
"I won't waste time. I've been offered command again. Not for a sultan, not for a prince… but for something more honest. My cousin Zayd ibn Suleiman is building a trade empire. And he needs men he can trust."
A murmur of interest spread through the group.
AFTAB:
"We won't fight wars. We'll protect something better — work, honor, and a future for our families. I need fifty of you. If you're with me… step forward."
In seconds, the entire field moved.
📍 Scene Change: Nimr Caravans Courtyard – Two Days Later
Zayd stood in his courtyard, jaw tight with awe. Before him stood fifty armored riders, their armor mismatched but their posture unified. Some wore helmets from old campaigns; others had falcons or swords painted on their shields.
ZAYD (to himself):
"This… This feels like a beginning."
He stepped forward, Nimr on his shoulder, and raised his voice.
ZAYD:
"You are not just guards. You are the first wall of my dream. There will be hardships, long roads, and dangers. But your loyalty will be repaid — in gold, in food, in trust."
The men thumped their chests in salute.
ZAYD (turning to Aftab):
"I want the first transport tomorrow. Twenty carriages from Al-Qarah. Divide your men."
Aftab nodded.
📍 Scene Change: Guard Quarters – Later That Day
Aftab called the men together and split them into three groups:
Transport Team – 20 Riders
Tasked with handling the horses, carriages, and goods.
Escort Guard – 20 Shieldmen with spears and blades
Positioned around the caravan to protect from ambushes.
Archer Unit – 10 Sharpshooters on light horses
Mobile protection, positioned on flanks and rear to rain arrows in emergencies.
AFTAB (firm):
"Don't just protect the cargo. Protect the dream. Fail on the road, and all this turns to dust."
The men nodded solemnly.
📍 Scene Change: Southern Gate of Baghdad – Dawn
As the sun rose, the first formal transport unit of Nimr Caravans departed. The carriages rolled in neat lines, banners painted with falcon wings fluttering in the wind. The sight turned heads even in busy Baghdad.
Zayd watched from the rooftop of the shop, arms crossed.
ZAYD (softly):
"Wheels have begun turning… Let's see how far they roll."
📍 Closing Note:
With his first trusted guard unit formed and dispatched, Zayd had taken a major step — from merchant to master of logistics and strategy. It wasn't just trade anymore. It was infrastructure, loyalty, and long-term vision.
The road to empire was no longer just in his mind. It was rumbling down the dirt roads of Iraq — one guarded carriage at a time.
End of Chapter 37