Arak #5

In "Le retour du serpent, 1ère partie : les bêtes des ténèbres," Alsind and Satyricus summon monstrous creatures from Barmak's bestiary to assassinate the Caliph, only to clash with Arak, Valda, and Malagigi, who stand firm in their duty to defend him. As the beasts fall one by one, Alsind faces a final choice when Sharizad declares she has joined the Caliph’s harem—her question hangs in the air, leaving him broken and weaponless. With Barmak still at large, the real threat may already be closing in.

In the shadow of betrayal, Arak’s healing magic saves Alsind—only for the boy to turn on the Caliph, declaring him a false ruler. Enraged, Harun demands a deadly game of shatranj, where living men become pieces on a blood-soaked board. With Sharizad commanding his side and Arak at her helm, the battle unfolds in brutal, high-stakes moves. When victory comes, Sharizad agrees to wed the Caliph, and Alsind, broken by his lost dreams, chooses instead to join Arak on a journey to find his forgotten home.

In the third chapter of "Le retour du serpent," Arak and his companions set sail toward his forgotten homeland, only to be battered by a violent storm that sweeps Valda overboard. When the ship finds refuge on a mysterious island, Arak and Satyricus venture ashore to investigate—only to discover Valda locked in a deadly arena fight against a monstrous bull. As they rush to save her, the ground splits open, swallowing Arak’s allies whole. His dread grows when he realizes the island’s high priestess is none other than Angelica, his long-standing enemy.

In "L'égalisateur," Tinker’s bold vision for a world where every man can defend himself—through muskets that level the playing field—threatens the power of the soldiers who thrive on fear and control. When the military destroys the weapons and kills Tinker to preserve the status quo, the story lingers on the quiet tragedy of a dream silenced before it could ignite.