Day and night I focused on that one exercise. I could see myself improving, and the sage was glad at my progress. But I felt it was too slow. I had to learn quickly and master those exercises so that I would be in shape for the tournament.
Meanwhile, Salam had me practice chariot-riding and archery in the early mornings. I had picked up these skills with ease, compared to my elemental training. The commander was delighted with my progress. Although I did feel ill-suited to the former, given that I barely stood higher than the rim of the chariot itself. I had much more growing to do in the years to come.
There came a time when meditating on the waters that I noticed something peculiar.
Every so often, I would feel a resonation of the image of the flame and the letters that appeared on its ends in my mind. Not in the sense that it would appear to me, but that it felt near, as if someone else was using it.
I wanted to know why I felt as such. So, I opened my eyes just that once. Yet whatever I sought to expect seemingly vanished, and I only saw the stern face of the sage.
“Why did you open your eyes?” she asked.
She seemed harsher than usual. Her eyes blazing with an intense gaze. I was intimidated.
“I-I thought I felt something.”
“Felt what?” she asked.
I wasn’t sure what to say here. I didn’t want to provoke her ire, but to remain silent would welcome unwanted trouble. I thought hard about what I should say. For I knew that in the future, I would have to deal with such things, when it would come to pass that I took my father’s place.
“There’s an image that would often on occasion present itself to me,” I said. “This image appeared to me in my mother’s womb. It appeared again when I was chasing the prince in the woods. And then for a final time when I had to face the dragon.”
“Yes, you have told me about those events,” she said with suspicion, “but why distract yourself with such things?”
“The image didn’t appear before me now,” I said, “but I felt as if it were near, close, as if calling to me. To guide me again.”
She remained silent, wondering how to approach this. “Seeing as how this will not leave your mind until we address it, describe to me what you saw.”
“I saw the immortal flame in the center of my view, itself centered with the symbol of the primordial syllable. From the ends of the flames, extended letters in the script of Ahastrutahr. From above and below, the terminating characters replicated.
“Yet the way it was displayed was wholly different from what I know. The likeness of the script was similar, but there were symbols above and below some letters that looked in ways alike to the base vowels and consonants. Some cases very similar, but in other cases vastly different. I also couldn’t tell in what direction it was supposed to be have been read.”
“Recall to me the letters if you can,” she said.
I thought long and hard, and answered, “Ahastrutahr is to be read from right to left, so starting from the upper right and moving down, it read: añv, grthv, yr, vy, ahk, zvrgr.”
Her eyes widened, and then she laughed. “Hah! Is that all it was?”
“I don’t understand.”
“Think carefully about the letters you deciphered.”
I pondered on her words. I had made sense of some consonants. So what of the vowels? I tried combining them. And then it struck me! These were the names of the elements.
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“They’re: agñav, grthvı̄, yūra, vyāytı̄, ahkṣhe, and zvarngra! Fire, earth, water, air, space, and aether.”
The sage gave a smile. “I cannot tell you why you see an image representing the elements in the way you do. I think the answer shall come as we proceed in our training. Focus again on the water.”
I did as she bade. Now, while I was curious about what all the symbols meant, my mind had to stay focused. I directed my attention to the water below my feet. I let the image of the symbols wander in my mind, giving them no attention, but repeated their name, again and again.
The ripples came. First gently. Then with greater force. And finally, the ripples extended across the entire pool. I had finished the first exercise.
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The days passed as I quickly understood the principle behind the other elements. How it was to move and hone each of them. Issuing them became trivial, but to combine and use them in tandem proved arduous. Much like you, there were times I thought I would never be able to master them. That it laid beyond my ability.
Time passed, and the date of the tournament drew close. I was exhausted in mind and body, pushing myself to my very limits, only to feel like a failure at the end of each day’s session.
On a particular night, I camped with Yurvaonri in the wilderness. The servants, ministers, the commander, and most of all, my mother, worried for me. It was no wonder, for that was the first time I had left the vicinity of the city. My master carried me to a place far past the domain of our kingdom. To the eastern reaches of the continent.
The area was high, elevated at least one yojana from sea level. Light snow blanketed the area. The trees towered high, and the ground was cold.
I was blanketed under the warmth of my coat, while the sage wore only her saffron robes. We stationed ourselves at the base of some mountains. Apparently it was a location where pilgrims would often travel, but given the proximity toward the border, it was now scarce visited.
I looked to the distance to see the world seemingly unravel. My vision had heightened such that, when my attention was directed with complete focus, I could see events unfolding afar from my position.
Though I wished not to see the onslaught of the Demons, my curiosity had gotten the better of me. I looked into the distance. Waves of soldiers, like grains of rice, poured onto each other, and sought to consume whoever came their way. The forces of the Freelands, led by the Solar King, Asmach, took on the formation of the eagle and routed the forces of the terrible demons.
The forms of the forsaken kindred were horrific. The vast majority displayed many eyes, multiple arms, teeth that protruded like claws, and curled like tusks. Many were cloaked in armors of darkness whose gnarled elements seemed like warped representations of the armor of our people.
I tried to see if I could spot my father. My vision zoomed to his location. I saw him single-handedly slaying the horde that sought to overpower. His shouts and cries intimidated them. And though the luster of the light was almost disappeared, whenever his strikes and swings came to maim his adversaries, the light would return in full force!
Lo! the enemies of the Immortal King flew in abject fright, beholding the terror of the man who would send them to suffer in the Lower Realms. I was in awe of what I witnessed. Would I be able to meet, let alone surpass my father when I was to ascend?
I ended my sight only to return in sadness. I looked to myself with worry as I produced the elements. Once again, even in the small confines of my palm, I was unable to use them to their full potential. I sighed.
Yurvaonri sat next to me, cooking food over the fire as she recited prayers.
When she finished, she said, “Take your time to understand the elements. Not even the greatest of us could learn the foundation, perception, and utilization of the forces of the world without great practice and austerities.”
“I feel like I have the foundations,” I said, “but what do you mean by the other two? There’s not enough time to surpass my father. I saw his current battle and I feel woefully unprepared! I can’t believe in myself to prevent my death.”
“Think not as such!” Yurvaonri cried. Her voice sent the few animals that were about, scurrying away to who knows where. “If your resolve dies in you, then no amount of effort I expend to your growth will be of use. I understand the burdens you hold, especially the deal with death that was made in your name.”
She looked to me with a gentle gaze. I relaxed on sight of that.
“See, Yurva, there are many things that exist outside of our control. I may have the power to break this world to pieces should I wish, but is it not the case that there is yet a higher force that rests above me that would punish me were I to do so? We work in the constraints placed on us in order that we might understand the reasoning to why we descended. For after all, that is the purpose of every Marhan.”
“Why did we descend?” I asked. “If we were in some place more serene, harmonious, without anxiety, then why come here to suffer?”
“Because we desired to have that experience in order that we become lords of our own making.”
“So we came out of jealousy of Ishvhamar?” I said, confused.
She shook her head. “We came out of spite of our own forgetfulness.”