“When in that time of the Era of Foundation, the lower Daivhaḥhō were just surfacing from union of the higher Celestials and the Mānuzhhaḥn, there did live in the Higher Realms thirteen wives of the great Zūryashhaḥ—whose name only I and few others can utter—called, Kishṭyavā. Jealous were two of the wives, Shushvya and Vimenthaḥ, that not only had their sisters already bore children, the Yavhaḥṃār of whom were already cast out and by that time descended, but that also were to descend their other kin, and upon their foremother Ārhmanhaḥ, beget children. Thus, they did beseech their husband to grant the boon he had promised to bestow upon them years past; and as was asked, so he did.
“The Gazhigam did arise from Shushvya, and the Pakṣhevahm did arise from Vimenthaḥ. Many of us there were, but we were wholly weak in respect to our flying brethren who were but few. For this reason and many others, our mother looking upon us gave little favor. Dearly we did as she bade never able to fulfill her expectations, and our loath toward her and our kin grew as the years passed, until a time came that we disobeyed her, and in response, she thereafter cast upon us a great curse: to be at odds with our kin ever as we persisted, and should the time come, to be wholly annihilated in a great sacrificial fire! Perhaps from there does our malice and wrath arise, but I cannot say with due certainty.
“Abandoned as we were, we descended from those realms to our foremother Ārhmanhaḥ, and sought to live beside our kin, the Yavhaḥṃār. At that time, they slowly encroached upon her, dominating much of the land that used to be held by the Mānuzhhaḥn. But then did we see, by their curse, the terror that was inflicted. Oh! How they devoured thy kin and how the pangs of hunger assailed them. From these events arose great pity. For distant as we may be, we were all still kindred.
“And so, we split from each other upon this: the Yavhaḥṃār of whom those they pitied fought beside, and the Mānuzhhaḥn of whom those they loved fought beside, and day and night without rest did we fell one another. Having become the instigators for that most sorrowful of wars, and not long after that should happen—on behest of their mother—did they, the winged-carriers, the Pakṣhevahm, descend in order to fell us, of whom chief among them was the carrier of Lūshhaḥ, Adraghaḥ!
“Much time passed, perhaps even an age, as long did the fighting persist. But it came to pass that the Yavhaḥṃār either died or fled to the lower worlds and it was then, in exceeding wrath, was war waged against the Gazhigam by the foremost among thy forefathers, for our complicity in fighting beside the enemies of the world. They judged not only the ones who fought directly, but even those who were their allies, even be it in name alone. So long after did war persist, and Daivhaḥhō, by the many, seeing from this the injustice wrought, angered the lord of the Mānuzhhaḥn by switching fealty to their closer kindred. As time passed, the sages who wandered about Ārhmanhaḥ were to convene in the lord’s kingdom and he commissioned them for a great sacrifice of which they assented!
“Within days, our kin were swept into the fire of that grand ı̄zhṛā, burning to ash within! It seemed to us that this ordeal would persist until we were all annihilated. But at last, it was that our king, Athizhska, halted the sacrifice, beseeching the silent gods for mercy. When the last moment had come and he could bear it no longer, the Lord of Thunder, Dusdrahaḥ at last took pity upon us, and bade the foremost of the Mānuzhhaḥn to stop this foolish endeavor.
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“That foolish king, already arrogant as he was, took arms and declared war upon Dusdrahaḥ. Yet grateful we were at that point, for his concentration had broken, thereby ending the sacrifice and saving our kin. Long after, did the King and his armies fight with the Dehaḥṃār greatly waxing their powers. Yet it proved futile. It came to pass that the wicked king was defeated, and was set to walk across the Earth to the end of his days as punishment. But unwilling were the Gods to grant pardon to us or the ones who fought beside, of whom many were still engaged in compliance to the Yavhaḥṃār.
“Banished were many from the face of our foremother, to set foot neither in this world nor above! They took to the stars, to go where they would and be seen never again. My forefathers, along with their allies, of whom there were many, left with only the direct line of my progenitors to persist here, but never did we forgive the Mānuzhhaḥn, the other Daivhaḥhō, and the Dehaḥṃār of their actions!
“Though we have no excuse for helping the Yavhaḥṃār, of which we have asked no pardon of, never could we abide the destruction of the whole of our kin, regardless of civilian or combatant, and it is because of this that I fear we shall never truly forgive. Much conflict occurred thereafter, many with those winged-brothers of ours of who had turned their backs on their forsaken kin. And the foremost among them, Adraghaḥ, never sought to give us rest until long after!
“We were wrathful toward our mother, her curse, our brothers, of thee, and much more, but as things would have it, we came to at least forgive our mother, for who could in truth ever hold malice of so long toward their parents. Since our descent, she has not responded, and ever do we hope that a time should come when she should accept us and we should be able to return to our home in the Heavens.”
He turned his gaze to Aiṛth, and said, “A priestess thou art, correct? Thou must indeed have found it odd to not see the familiar structures of the religious order of which thou most surely expected.”
She nodded and hung her head low, saying, “I presume the reason there is no Fiyukthi, let alone temples or Servants of the Gods, is because of your animosity toward them.”
“Half-right thou wouldst be in that matter,” he said to Aiṛth’s surprise. “While a priesthood we have not, and no temples we erected, we do indeed possess a Fiyukthi, but I am not surprised that it has evaded thy sight. This entire subterranean valley in which we reside is in itself one, pouring toward the very core of Ārhmanhaḥ. And she to us is the only goddess worth worship, for who but she had helped us, and cared and nurtured us when we were cast by the rest of the Ṃārhaḥn. There does not stand a greater Fiyukthi in the whole of the three worlds that can match this valley we have hewn!”
Aiṛth then prostrated and prayed to the Earth, pleading under her breath for forgiveness, having failed to notice until this point.
The King turned to the rest of them, and said, “Now having said this, I tell thee: only shall we help if we can acquire our mother’s forgiveness, and return to the Heavens! While much love we have for this home, we can no longer remain. Ārhmanhaḥ can no more bear us as this realm slowly caves from the motions of the earth. In no less than twelve years shall our home collapse and consume us all, as has been ordained to us from ages past. Perhaps it is not coincidence that this should coincide with the invasion of the Yavhaḥṃār.
“Regardless, no Ṃārhaḥn upon the foremother will give refuge or assistance to us, not even the Autirsāh who are the most noble of them. And so I ask, that thou relatest to Dusdrahaḥ of this, and have him speak with our mother, Shushvya. If this condition cannot be met, then no aid shall be given. Thou shalt be bereft of an alliance in staying our forsaken kindred by both choice and death. Yet given this frame of time, I find it unlikely that ye should refuse, as if Fate had governed this meeting. Of what shall ye say: Child of the Cursed Lord: Agents of the Gods?”