*****

Abtin's voice, ready to articulate his fear, was abruptly stifled in his throat. A fleeting burst of wind ruffled his features, and a few stray water droplets graced his face. He instinctively shielded his face with his hands, bracing for the inevitable impact against the unforgiving rocks. Yet, within moments, his fingers clutched at something protruding and solid, and he felt his own weight descend upon his outstretched hands. With no room for hesitation, he swiftly located a secure foothold, striving to dispel the embarrassing image that others might hold of him in this pivotal moment.

As Pejman had instructed, he managed to stabilize his weight, thus averting the perilous plunge into the pond. Only then did his bewildered mind allow itself to register the astonishing reality of the situation. He glanced upwards, encountering nothing but a curtain of frothy, white water that collided with his face, even brushing his exposed eyes. Yet, there was no jarring impact, only a gentle, invigorating moisture.

A dozen years of existence spent pondering the world's wonders paled in comparison to the actual experiences of the past few days. Abtin marveled at the unexpected splendor before him.

"What are you waiting for?"

Returning to his senses, Abtin observed Babak landing gracefully on his right side. With his eyebrows unconsciously arched to shield his eyes from any incoming water, Babak wore a contented smile.

"How about a competition?"

Babak's voice resonated with enthusiasm as he proposed. Abtin heard Pejman's distant voice from the other side, firmly declining, "Not for me, thank you."

Abtin's gaze remained fixed on Babak, who brimmed with eager anticipation. Despite the foreknowledge that Babak would likely emerge victorious in any competition of this nature, the excitement of the moment was infectious. Abtin nodded in silent agreement, refraining from opening his mouth beneath the water's surface. Babak exclaimed, "Let's get started!"

Without further ado, the two boys embarked on their race. Abtin's body seemed to harmonize with the coursing blood within, complemented by the caressing flow of water outside, as he methodically propelled himself forward, ascending the rocky terrain at a pace that satisfied his own standards. The blind reliance on his limbs to find secure holds for his hands and feet, without the luxury of sight, was a daunting prospect. To his amazement, his limbs never falter or lead to clumsy, fruitless motions. They steadfastly did their job. Abtin soon realized that the main challenge lay in maintaining his self-assuredness and balance. Drawing on his sculptor's sensibilities, he reassured himself that his hands instinctively knew how to interact with the stones, converting this into a wellspring of confidence.

As he raised his head, he noticed that he was drawing closer to Babak. Buoyed by this realization, he surged forward with renewed vigor. Amidst the deluge, he spied two magnificent, emerald-hued birds soaring gracefully and alighting on either side of the safe outer rim of the waterfall. Inwardly, he mused, "They must be Master Hitasb's hoopoes. But how enormous they are! They must be feasting on half of the Abgineh around here, judging by their size."

Babak's voice suddenly broke through his contemplation. "What's on your mind?"

Returning to the immediate challenge, Abtin observed Babak, who still regarded him with a cautious, yet smiling countenance. "Nothing," Abtin replied. "Did you see those birds?"

Babak responded with a chuckle, "Yeah, those birds are quite lovely, but they pale in comparison to Sana. How about you ascend, and I'll check on why Pejman hasn't made his way up yet. His delay is a tad concerning, even by his own standards!"

Abtin couldn't resist teasing Babak, saying, "Ah, I see. You realized I was about to win and decided to gracefully bow out of the competition to avoid losing face, huh?"

Babak retorted, "There will be plenty of opportunities for me to prove myself later. Besides, it's practically a given that I'm the winner already!"

Abtin chuckled at Babak's retort, and the two boys began making their way in opposite directions. Abtin pondered the character of the person he would encounter at the summit of the rocky precipice when, suddenly, the sound of flapping wings filled the air. The hoopoes, which had been sitting at the same level as them, departed from their perches on either side of the waterfall.

In an instant, everything took a dramatic turn. Abtin felt an unexpected jolt as a ring pressed firmly against his chest, causing him to lose his grip on the stones. Startled and unprepared, he was sent hurtling downward from the top of the waterfall.

"What the—"

Abtin's descent came to a sudden halt as something coiled around his ankles, gripping him so tightly that he dangled headfirst, his hands thrust forward to shield his face from a painful impact with the rocks. Blood surged to his head, and he felt a choking sense of suffocation. When he tried to open his mouth to breathe, water rushed in, making it even more challenging to draw a breath.

In that fleeting moment when his downward trajectory had stopped abruptly, Abtin experienced a surreal detachment of his soul from his body. For a brief, disorienting moment, he felt his consciousness continue to fall independently, leaving his physical form behind, only to return and rejoin it a short while later.

The thunderous cascade of water, coupled with the initial shock, muffled Abtin's ability to discern Babak's urgent cry, although it was apparent that Babak was his savior and possibly moments away from crushing his leg:

"I'm gonna climb like crazy! Just keep your hands in front of you!"

Astonishingly, Abtin could only describe their subsequent movement as akin to "flying." They ascended at a blistering pace, rendering their earlier race a mere jest. In the blink of an eye, Abtin found himself perched at the cliff's edge. He coughed several times, the reason escaping him, then rose in a daze. Gingerly, he tried to put his weight on his right leg, for his left ankle throbbed with searing pain. The image of death was simply replaced by the image of the logical continuation of the same childish competition.

The onlookers who had reached the summit before him looked at him with wide-eyed astonishment. Abtin's mental processes quickly reverted to their previous mode of thought. Instead of questioning why Babak had distanced himself and was observing from the crowd, Abtin appreciated that Babak had rapidly broken the "savior-saved" dynamic, seamlessly merging with the assembly of mere witnesses.

Master Hitasb, positioned at the forefront of the onlookers, stepped forward and met Abtin's gaze who did not think these would be the circumstances of their first meeting. With a cautious expression, he inquired, "Are you alright? Were you struck by anything? Are you fully conscious?"

Abtin nodded to confirm his well-being and struggled to respond beyond mere head movements, saying, "I'm fine. I apologize for causing you concern."

Master Hitasb, still scrutinizing Abtin from head to toe, spoke in a voice that seemed softer to Abtin's newly awakened ears. "It's alright. But you need to come with me."

Abtin protested, "It's not that serious."

Master Hitasb remained resolute, saying, "We hope so, but you must accompany me. Ashkan!"

Ashkan hurried over and, avoiding eye contact with Abtin, addressed Master Hitasb, saying, "Yes, sir?"

"I've written today's training plan on the board for everyone. You will be my representative," Master Hitasb instructed.

Ashkan acknowledged the command with a curt, "Yes, sir."

With a gentle push on Abtin's back, Master Hitasb urged him forward. "Let's go."

Abtin, his ears burning with embarrassment and secretly wishing he had not survived the fall, refrained from speaking and complied with the directive. The pain in his leg continued to intensify, even without putting weight on it. He silently appreciated Babak for not stepping forward with inquiries like "Where are you taking him?" or "Can I come too?" It allowed him to maintain his composure, and he resolved to express his gratitude later. The same went for Afshin, who assured those below, "Everything's fine. Come up carefully!" Afterwards, he beckoned to the people already atop the rock, steering them away from Abtin.

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

Amongst them all, only Sana offered supportive gestures a few times. When she met Abtin's gaze, she clearly received his unspoken message and refrained from trying to accompany him.

The rocky platform, which had initially left him with an unfavorable impression during their first encounter, concealed a small opening in the cave wall, from which a watercourse emanated. Abtin continued to grumble about his ill luck, bewildered by the situation, as he entered the cavern through that aperture alongside Master Hitasb.

*

“Eat. It relieves your pain.”

Abtin found himself in a delicate predicament, torn between a desire to convey politeness and a fervent wish for the earth to swallow him whole. With some reluctance, he accepted the cup offered by Master Hitasb and uttered a courteous, "Thank you." As he sipped from the cup not disinclined for it to be poisonous, the intense bitterness seized his taste buds, prompting an inner monologue: "Well, it certainly tastes like poison."

"First impressions and initial experiences greatly affect the rest of the individual's path. I have thousands of examples in my mind for this. You don't know them, but it's true."

Master Hitasb settled into a chair behind a table, beginning to organize his scattered papers. Amidst the following silence, he occasionally muttered to himself, voicing concerns about the whereabouts of certain reports, “where are those damned Pashiam reports?”, or expressing a wish for more time to tidy up, “if only I had one day off!”. During this interval, Abtin took the opportunity to scrutinize the confines of the small room. The space possessed a rectangular layout, divided into two halves by a movable wooden wall, with Abtin currently occupying the smaller portion. Trying to remain inconspicuous, he attempted to catch a glimpse of the other side of the room through the hinges of that partition. From his vantage point, he could only see the depth of the larger section, which led to shelves laden with books and enigmatic, unfamiliar tools. His own side appeared rather unremarkable, featuring a timeworn and unadorned table, clearly aged, and Master Hitasb seated behind it. Beyond that, the room held little of note.

Lacking anything else to capture his interest, Abtin shifted his gaze to the sole animate presence in the room, seeking to glean more about the man before him. Master Hitasb was a man of medium height, probably in his mid-sixties. His narrow, elongated eyebrows framed slightly almond-shaped eyes. What would have been a long, wispy beard on his chin was instead adorned with an oblique line that extended from the corner of his lips down the center of his chin, resembling a deep cleft as though they had arranged a dimple on his face in an unconventional manner. His movements displayed an uncommon swiftness, as if he perpetually operated in haste. The words he mumbled to himself, unintelligible to Abtin, far outnumbered those that Abtin could discern.

Finally, as if suddenly noticing Abtin's presence, Master Hitasb sighed and turned his gaze towards him, his expression one of surprise.

“Oh...”

In an attempt to alleviate any potential discomfort, Master Hitasb adopted a friendlier tone, albeit still maintaining the rapid pace characteristic of his movements. He reassured Abtin, saying, "I want you to know that there was nothing embarrassing about what happened, okay?"

Abtin, uncomfortable with such discussions in moments like these, often found that they had the opposite effect than intended, causing prolonged feelings of awkwardness. Nevertheless, Master Hitasb continued, "Down here, the exercises we assign to individuals, regardless of their department, are incredibly rigorous. But I can confidently say that the results of our work are remarkably successful. In fact..."

Master Hitasb hesitated, seemingly grappling with a dilemma. He leaned back in his chair and resumed, "...I distinctly recall a time when Bahram was on the brink of taking his own life."

Upon hearing his father's name mentioned once more, Abtin's immediate focus shifted to that single point of significance. He shifted in his seat and inquired, "You knew my father?"

Master Hitasb responded with an ordinary expression, "Certainly. Anyone with even a slight familiarity with Sepidaran knows Bahram."

Abtin, eager to learn more, pressed further, "How... How about my mother? Do you know her as well?"

"Shirin Banu, yes," replied Master Hitasb. "Your mother once saved my life."

Abtin, his eyes wide with surprise, interjected, "Oh?"

"Yes, before Mahram's arrival, your parents were the best healers I had ever encountered, despite not specializing in medicine. I've traveled to many places in my life, and when I say that, it carries considerable weight."

Abtin, absorbed in his own thoughts and constructing a mental world of his own, allowed Master Hitasb's voice to permeate his consciousness. The older man's words weaved a vivid narrative as he explained, "Due to a rather foolish incident, I sustained a severe injury that could have cost me my life. However, your mother arrived in the nick of time and miraculously nursed me back to health with her unusual herbal concoctions."

Abtin's inward reverie was momentarily disrupted by Master Hitasb's observant gaze. As the silence settled, he finally voiced his curiosity, "Sorry... do you think..."

Master Hitasb encouraged him, "Oh, go on, young man, speak your mind!"

Abtin hesitated briefly before asking, "Can you tell me more about my parents? Since I arrived here, despite some explanations from certain people, I've had a hard time grasping much about this place or my parents. It almost feels like I stumbled upon their connection to Sepidaran purely by chance."

Master Hitasb nodded thoughtfully, indicating his understanding. "You're absolutely right. It's a lot to take in, especially in such a short span of time. It can be overwhelming. And yet, it seems you haven't received answers to many vital questions that could provide some clarity for your mind."

Abtin expressed his gratitude with a grateful nod.

"There are two separate discussions to consider. First, we need to plan your training. Simultaneously, you must engage in rigorous study to understand your surroundings."

As he retrieved an ink-pot and began writing on a piece of paper, Master Hitasb proceeded with his narrative. "Regarding your parents, I can recount some personal stories from my encounters with them. They were wonderful individuals, and these stories may help you recall fond memories of them. However, what's likely more pressing is their current status..."

Abtin was on the edge of his seat, clutching his corners so tightly that his fingernails turned white, teetering on the precipice of anxiety.

"... But, unfortunately, I know no more than anyone else on this matter. It's been said that one day, they departed for a mission and never returned. This occurred several years ago, back when my responsibilities were not as burdensome. There have been rumors of a bitter and unpleasant parting, but I wasn't present that day, and honestly, I didn't investigate further."

Despondent, Abtin slumped back in his chair.

"Perhaps only Zal Mardas might possess additional insights, but for some reason, even with my role as the head of the Information Department, they haven't disclosed anything to me. Of course, I never inquired about it either."

Master Hitasb, who had finished writing, concluded his account with pursed lips, revealing his dissatisfaction with the situation. As he handed the paper to Abtin, he mentioned, "I've outlined an intensive training program for you on this sheet. Given that your foot injury didn't appear overly serious, I didn't factor it in. Over the next two weeks, you must strive to match or surpass the physical fitness standards of your peers, as these basic preparations are required for all who embark on these courses."

Master Hitasb rose and approached the wooden door of the room, continuing, "For these two weeks, I strongly recommend that you focus solely on studying and training. That means, it's best not to socialize with the companion you brought with you during this period. You should remain entirely dedicated to your two-week training regimen. Actually... it's advisable to avoid socializing with him even afterwards."

Abtin's attention was immediately drawn, and he turned his face towards Master Hitasb, inquiring, "What do you mean?"

Master Hitasb enunciated his words more clearly this time, saying, "I can't elaborate much on this matter either. Let's suppose it was Zal Mardas' suggestion, but he didn't want to relay it to you personally. However, from my personal perspective, it is in your best interest to keep your distance from that boy."

Abtin furrowed his brow, and the memories of Saman and Barbod's earlier warnings about Babak's power, his past, and the potential threat he posed resurfaced in his mind. He realized that he could not address all these dilemmas and mental pressures simultaneously and would need to set priorities. While contemplating to himself, Master Hitasb opened the door and began conversing with someone outside, "Thank you for coming. This young man truly requires assistance from someone like you."

Stepping aside, Master Hitasb allowed the newcomer to enter. Abtin lifted his head and was met by the familiar sight of Shirin, still wearing her face mask. This marked the second time their gazes had met, but this time, he could maintain eye contact for a more extended period. Within the darkness of her eyes and eyebrows, he sensed an unwavering determination that prevented him from discerning her underlying thoughts.

"Shirin, one of my most dedicated students," Master Hitasb introduced her. "Furthermore, she has undergone the rigorous training I mentioned earlier in order to reach her current level. Thus, she can serve as an excellent guide for you during the upcoming two weeks."

Abtin nodded hesitantly and offered a cautious smile. However, there was no discernible change in the girl's expression. Master Hitasb, with a meaningful gesture, pushed the door further ajar and instructed, "Very well... you may go now. Shirin, accompany Abtin to his new quarters and provide him with the necessary guidance."

Master Hitasb was quick to address the question that had formed in Abtin's eyes. "I'm aware that you share a room with... what was his name? Babak! However, for educational purposes, I have the authority to separate you for the time being."

He then turned his attention back to Shirin, instructing her, "Examine the program I've outlined for him and adjust the hours he goes to the library to align with your schedule, so you can accompany him. I expect to see you back here in two weeks, well-prepared and resilient, Bahram's son!"

Abtin awkwardly moved past Shirin, offering a brief, "Thank you." He intended to say more but found himself cut off by Shirin, who briskly followed him. Meanwhile, Master Hitasb, perpetually brisk in his actions, closed the door to his office and emphasized, "Remember: having fun and wasting time is strictly prohibited! For now, it's all about physical training and the library!"

With a resounding thud, Abtin was left behind the closed door. He turned to Shirin, mustering another forced smile, and with the parchment clutched in his hand, he limped away.

*****