MORNING arrived. The light that gleamed through the windows set itself on Iḷēhaḥ’s face, and after rolling onto her side for a while, she awoke. She looked at the gown she wore and the bed she slept in. And then her eyes trailed to her surroundings, and she wondered whose room this was.

It was certainly not like any of the others, for its ceiling stood high, and the space was wide with wardrobes, shelves, and tall windows lining the walls. Draped curtains, the delicate lightness of which allowed it to dance with the calm wind that entered by way of the windows, swayed side to side. And when she emerged from the bed, she glanced high above her and saw the sigil of a house, two horns wrapped around two curved swords, the three-pronged symbol set in the middle and a halo radiating behind.

This indeed could not have been a servant’s room, but it also could not have been Athruyam’s room either. Just when realization had struck, the princess entered.

“Good morning!”

“Feyūnhaḥ!”

“Indeed, I am! Don’t tell me you’d already forgotten me?” said Feyūnhaḥ in a somber tone.

Iḷēhaḥ gave a weak smile and apologized. She then noticed long orange hairs on Feyūnhaḥ’s shoulders and dusted them off. “These look familiar.”

“They should be, for they must have fallen off the wolf,” she said, looking at the hairs with a sad expression. “The wolf is quite odd, as I’m sure you know. He’s been with us for many years, ten to eleven, I believe at this point; he doesn’t eat near us, lazes about a lot, and sometimes even seems to try to speak or sing. And ofttimes, he’ll come to snuggle against me as if wishing to be consoled or tended. Quite the selfish wolf, but I can’t help but think he reminds me of someone.”

“Who?” asked Iḷēhaḥ.

“Someone I had best not speak about, so as to not anger and sadden myself further!” she said, tossing aside the hairs. Iḷēhaḥ shut her mouth and decided to prod no further into the matter. “In any case, there’s much for us to do today. Athruyam has already told me you and the boy have some mission related to demons.” And then Iḷēhaḥ became uneasy as Feyūnhaḥ smiled. “Ah! I never thought such a day would come where I could be part of something like this. I should like to hope I can travel with you if and when the time comes! It has become quite boring here as of late, and I’d rather my attention be directed to something of greater import.”

And Iḷēhaḥ gave a sheepish smile in response though her unease still lingered. But as the princess had said, there was much to do, and Iḷēhaḥ well suspected that Tūmbṃār had awoken with his training to begin posthaste. She searched about the room for her clothes, but found there was no sign of them.

“If it’s your clothes you’re looking for, then they are by the baths. I had them cleaned yesterday on account of the muck on them. I assumed you wouldn’t be too happy wearing them still stained with vomit. Let’s head to the baths before seeing my brother; he is tending to the child you spoke of, Tūmbṃār if I recall correctly. Such a charming name!”

To the baths they went and hastily freshened and dressed themselves before heading to see Tūmbṃār. When they reached his room, they saw the boy sitting at the edge of the bed. Athruyam was kneeling before him, inspecting his hands. He pressed his fingers against various points along the boy’s arms. With every press, the boy’s hand glimmered with a pale light in different shades of color, sometimes with accompanying sparks, small gusts, or even drizzle.

“Ah! The ladies have arrived!”

“Iḷēhaḥ!” called Tūmbṃār as he leaped off his bed, ran to the maiden, and embraced her. “These people are unlike anything I’ve seen! So many ears and curly horns, and Athruyam can use the powers as well! Now I wonder if people have been lying to me about them! Anyway, he told me about this place and that you carried me on your back the whole way here. Sorry for sleeping the entire time; I just felt so tired. You didn’t need to go so far as throwing your comb away either, but I’m grateful nonetheless!”

Iḷēhaḥ wrapped her arms around him likewise and put her cheek to his head. “Gratitude to you, child.”

“As to you!” he said, smiling. He then approached Feyūnhaḥ and asked, “Are you the princess? You’re tall, but you don’t look a lot like the others.”

She bent down toward the boy, placing herself at eye level. “Indeed I am, but you’ll surely outgrow me in a few years. We aren’t generally predisposed to being tall, at least not the women; I would be an exception. And yes, I do look different, though my qualities aren’t all that unusual for my people; they just happened to be more common in the olden days.

“Though I have to say, never did I expect you to be able to harness the elements. I can assure you haven’t been lied to. There are few even among us who can manifest them!”

The boy smiled, and said, “It’s because of my teacher! He said that I didn’t have much of an aptitude in the beginning for this, but because of my discipline I was able to learn it. He makes it seem as if other people can learn it too, and maybe they can, but he hasn’t tried to teach them. I only thought, other than myself, that you had to be born with it like the Servants. I guess I should be thankful I got cursed!”

Feyūnhaḥ then laughed and said, “And he wouldn’t be wrong on that matter, but I would think only he and few others could bestow the powers on others. You yourself must have at least some level of talent to at least be comfortable with it. At least my brother seems to suggest that to be the case.”

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And Athruyam nodded with a smile.

Tūmbṃār then looked to Iḷēhaḥ, and said, “So, Athruyam says that there’s a demon here, and I’m supposed to get some weapon from it for my teacher! Does that mean I was right? Are the Demons actually coming? While I do want to fight, I’d rather not kill it. I also want to see the city!”

Iḷēhaḥ smacked him on the head. “Show respect, Tūmbṃār! He’s the lord of this realm!”

“Ey! The first time, you didn’t hit me.”

“But I shall remain silent on the last point so as to not humor you. Think this demon to be an exception and do not dwell on ideas that have no sense.” And with a serious tone, she said, “We shall kill it.”

Tūmbṃār was none too pleased over this and became sullen. He did not much like the idea of others being felled, regardless of who or what they were. He had often argued with the sage about this, and while he had never been able to convince his teacher to his stance, the sage nonetheless tolerated his position.

He looked to the lord who smiled to him, and said, “Worry not Iḷēhaḥ, the boy can address me as he likes! As for the demon, Tūmbṃār, well I should think you will have to fell it; I have little reason to believe it is tempered. More than likely will it try to devour you. There have already been many of us who have come back injured and in some cases, barely alive after fighting it. I do think it means to kill.”

Tūmbṃār sighed, and relented. But he still held hope that he would not have to kill it.

“And as for going to the city, that you shall also do! Quite soon, in fact; you and Iḷēhaḥ will both need to procure armaments. The ones in your sack will do naught against the enemy. They would merely shatter on impact. I suggest selling them in the market if you have no further use for them. Tūmbṃār, you should wield a short sword. Iḷēhaḥ, I suspect you will continue traveling with the boy. Given your nature, you should wield a staff. Sister, make sure you take them to the best arms smith, have the weapons customized to their abilities, and put a Dvı̄sahlvah in Iḷēhaḥ’s staff.”

“What of the boy?” asked Feyūnhaḥ.

“The boy has given me one already, and it seems it is already attuned to him.”

Both Feyūnhaḥ and Iḷēhaḥ were stunned and looked to the boy. It was not an item that one should carry on their person – let alone possess – so casually. But Tūmbṃār, not knowing much in the way of things concerning rare items, cocked his head in confusion.

Iḷēhaḥ asked, “Tūmbṃār, where did you get such an item?”

“Oh, I forgot to tell you about the smith? I met him before I met you and the wolf, and when I left, he gave me a glowing blue stone, but it stopped glowing when he dropped it into the sack. The way it’s shaped, I expected that it was supposed to fit into something, though I didn’t think much of it at the time. Is the Dvı̄sahlvah important?”

The maiden sighed and looked to him with a calm face. “’Tis a mechanism that has been lost to many for ages, at least to the Mānuzhhaḥn. The ones that remain from those times are scattered throughout the world, hiding as it were. It was wrought during the Era of Tribulation when the powers receded halfway and elemental potency diminished greatly, though ’tis much worse today. Its use was to heighten the powers manifested in a person, though seldom could one attune with it, me and you apparently being among just a few. But should its innate power be released at full potential, it could obliterate an area spanning many miles. Such is the power these items carry.”

The maiden then realized that the Dvı̄sahlvah could be used to their advantage were Tūmbṃār to understand how best to utilize it. And were that to be the case, perhaps even defeating the demon would not seem such a far-fetched idea.

“I can’t say I understand all of it, but that old smith gave me something powerful, didn’t he?”

“Indeed he did.” She turned to Athruyam and continued, “But to think there were ones who could still craft such a mechanism residing in Ārhmanhaḥ.”

“Aye, and they have resided here for a while. While both I and Feyūnhaḥ can attune with it, we cannot do so in a manner that makes full use of its power. Perhaps these specific ones were not meant for us. These objects, while inanimate, almost act as if they have minds of their own.”

Athruyam then asked Tūmbṃār, “What was this smith like? Did he perchance have any striking qualities? And what of the mist? How long did it linger?”

Tūmbṃār then related everything he remembered of his time with the smith. When he finished, Iḷēhaḥ asked, “Ghosts? Just what kind of place had you gone to?” Tūmbṃār shrugged but she was still suspicious.

Athruyam paced about the room, thinking. “That was no ordinary place you entered, of that I am sure. But I know not what to make of the man. His height at the very least makes me recall what the Ṃārhaḥn were like in ages past. Within the Era of Formation, the Ṃārhaḥn were said to have stood nearly thirty feet if not more. And if you say the man’s height was over ten feet, he would surely have lived during either the Era of Unification or Tribulation. Maybe even both.”

“So, I assume he’s not a giant?” said Tūmbṃār, disappointed.

Athruyam gave a light laugh and patted Tūmbṃār on his head. “Nay, child! Though giants did exist at one point, they at that time were much taller, possibly five or maybe ten times greater than the man you have described, and with forms and likenesses much different than you would think.

“Nonetheless, from what I can gather, you either traveled back in time—in which I see little merit—the smith resides either between the realms or in another realm, though seldom does that occur and seldom can they be accessed—or he possesses a very long lifespan. That is not wholly unusual for a person in this age, but still rare. But in any case, it would seem that fate destined you to see him. Obtaining a Dvı̄sahlvah does not come by chance, and I suspect that perhaps the sage your teacher knew of this.”

Tūmbṃār thought for a while and asked, “Is there more to this journey? I know my teacher saw something more to the curse, and thought that maybe there was some importance to having come here. Does he know now? Do I have to do something more?”

Athruyam looked to him with a solemn face and said, “I suspect so. I know not all the details, or of what he has in store for you. It looks to be that there is more purpose to your journey and a greater reason behind that curse. But you shall understand it all soon enough. I will give more details after the Dvhaḥṣhtro has been acquired. And perhaps when she is ready, the maiden will speak of her mission as well.” Tūmbṃār looked to Iḷēhaḥ who remained silent and seemed unwilling to talk. Feyūnhaḥ became a little bit suspicious but decided to not pry. Athruyam then continued, “Very good! Now that we all understand, Feyūnhaḥ, escort the maiden and the boy! I shall see you all when you have obtained your armaments.”

The princess bowed before the lord with the tips of her horns pointed directly at him, and said, “As you wish, my lord.”