***

“I understand.” Kunkhen said, his determination resonating in his voice. “Good. A strong Will is a good thing to have; perhaps the most important thing. Well then, let us not waste our time any more.” As Karma Wangmo said so, she started to fly towards the black wall that surrounded them. Kunkhen followed the Turquoise stone. Upon reaching the black rotating wall, Karma Wangmo started to speak

“You see, this hidden world - a dark prison as you called it - is something that old Turner created to entrap you. The barrier of this world has strong restrictions. The captive has no way of communicating with the outside world. And the world beyond has no way of entering this world. He thought to kill you. I am sure you guessed that. As for why and how, those are answers you will have to seek on your own.”

Kunkhen tightened his fists and clenched his teeth, the memory of almost being crushed to death by that mysterious old voice and the black tendrils still burned strongly in his memory. If not for Karma Wangmo protecting him and saving him, he might not be alive anymore. Kunkhen’s frustration was interrupted as Karma Wangmo continued.

“But consider this, All is not bad with being captured here. Nothing is ever completely bad, you must remember that, especially as a Turner. And this time, our luck comes in the form of this wall. We need to reap our benefits before we leave this place. ” Kunkhen was lost as he couldn't fully understand what Karma Wangmo was getting at. So he said “ I am sorry I don’t follow.” To which Karma Wangmo replied in a question. “ Do you remember the black liquid that was spread all over the place? ”

“ Yes I do.” Kunkhen remembered that strange liquid; It was darker than anything he knew of. He also remembered the familiar and beautiful odour it had, the smell of burnt Juniper. He also remembered some of the unpleasant things that followed afterwards, namely being sucked into the tornado that Karma Wangmo created. Thinking these thoughts, Kunkhen said, “ If I am not wrong, you created this black wall by using the black liquid and the black earth. But I don’t understand why you did so.”

“ Yes, I created this black wall, and I did so to reap the full benefits of the two treasures that we speak of now. The black liquid and the black earth are not ordinary materials. I am sure you sensed it. They are treasures in their own rights. From what I can guess, the black liquid and the black earth is from the Sacred Soul Tree, also known as Bla-shing. More specifically, the liquid must be the burnt sap of the Soul Tree and the black earth its ash.”

“ A Soul Tree…I am afraid but I do not follow. ” Kunkhen relayed his confusion to Karma Wangmo. This was an exciting piece of information, so he wanted to understand it with some measure of clarity. “ It is alright. I understand that all of this is a lot to take in at once. Many things will come in their own time.” Karma Wangmo reassured Kunkhen. “Just know this for now. The Soul tree is considered one of the four Sacred Trees of High-Earth and it is generally believed to be a Giant Juniper Tree.”

“The sap from this tree is known to be very rich in spiritual energy, having incredible healing properties, and its wood is said to be one of the hardest materials. Thus, this Tree is prized, revered and searched by all Turners but nobody knows exactly where this Sacred Tree grows. Of the Four Sacred Trees, the location of only one is known, the rest are yet to be found. However, for some strange reason, there are places, some known and some yet to be discovered, spread across High-Earth where parts of these Sacred Trees can be found, almost like gifts. These places are known as ‘Mines of the Sacred Trees’. From these mines, we find, sometimes a branch, sometimes a leaf, sometimes a bough, sometimes a fruit, but never the whole Sacred Tree. It is strange, isn’t it? It is as if these Trees want us to believe in their existence, by leaving us these gentle reminders, but never fully want us to see them in their entire glory. It is indeed strange. Well, I don’t know how that Old man got his hands on this amount of the Soul Tree and why he hid them here. It should have cost him a fortune or he must have murdered and ransacked an entire kingdom. But that doesn’t matter now. As I said, this is our luck, our luck to seize.”

Kunkhen listened in bewilderment, something he found himself doing quite often at every explanation that Karma Wangmo gave. As he thought over what she said, a distinct picture popped up in his mind. It was the picture of his dark core, scarred with a painful crack, being slowly healed by the black liquid. Maybe it was the Soul Tree healing him, but where did that wound come from? He thought of asking Karma Wangmo about this series of questions but he decided not to. He knew they had to leave this dark world first, and he decided not to interrupt Karma Wangmo as she continued to speak.

“ I have absorbed as much of these treasures as I could and I made sure you did the same. The benefits of these sacred materials will surely manifest in time. And as I mentioned earlier, the materials of the Soul Tree are precious beyond belief and sturdier than most metals. That is why they are also sought to make precious Weapons and Artefacts. That is what I seek to help you do. That is why I created this Black Wall. And from this rotating black wall, I will help you make a weapon of yours! A Spirit Weapon of yours. ”

Kunkhen was too stunned to speak after what he had just heard. He looked once again at the massive wall of black that surrounded him; It extended to the heavens and it still rotated around him. All of this was going to be made into a weapon, how, how could it be possible. Kunkhen thought in utter disbelief. As he started to speak, he stumbled over his words as he did with his thoughts. “ A Weapon…Wait…This black wall…how…?” Karma Wangmo chuckled lightly, seeing Kunkhen so disarrayed, and then said.

“ I understand your surprise. I was once surprised like that too. But this method I am going to use is known throughout High-Earth. It is deceptively simple, but one needs a powerful Turner with a very high realisation in the laws of Spirit and Combination to be able to act as a medium. So it needs three things mainly- The recipient of the weapon, the materials to craft from, and the Turner through which the weapon is crafted. But ultimately, the results depend most on the recipient of the weapon rather than the Turner who initiates the forging. Here, Show me your hand. You will understand more of it as we go along.” Kunkhen was still brimming with doubts and questions but he did as he was told. He reached out his right hand and opened it towards the flying turquoise stone, who was about a feet away from him.

“Good. I will make a small cut on your hand to drain some of your blood and spirit energy from your body. And then when I tell you, repeat the words I say after me.” Kunkhen nodded as he intended to do what Karma Wangmo instructed. He had no clue or inputs to give. So he followed Karma Wangmo the best he could. As soon as Kunkhen nodded, Karma Wangmo, as the turquoise, released a sharp beam of light, cutting across Kunkhen’s palm. It happened so quickly that Kunkhen didn’t feel anything. But the cut was deep enough as blood started to trickle soon after.

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Kunkhen gazed intently as he followed the line of blood flowing out from his palm. As the blood was about to fall out from his palm to the ground, it was pulled away towards Karma Wangmo. This stream of drop was being collected as a floating blob. In the meanwhile, Karma Wangmo had started her end of the process. The turquoise stone began to glow much brighter, and the brightness covered the entire black wall like a blanket.

Slowly, the entire black wall started to rumble loudly and bright cracks of Golden and Turquoise hues started to appear. As the cracks grew larger and larger, the Black wall started to crumble. The crumbling pieces from the wall disintegrated to sand and disappeared through the air. The process repeated itself, as parts of the Wall kept crumbling down, cutting down the black Wall into smaller and smaller size. Kunkhen stared in amazement.

It felt like he was seeing this entire Wall carved down to its essence. It was like watching a stone sculptor at work. It was mesmerising. In a short time, Kunkhen witnessed this gigantic wall reduced to the size of a semi-liquid semi-solid ball. This ball was of three colours- black, golden and turquoise green- and it floated right in front of Karma Wangmo. Kunkhen’s attention was interrupted as Karma Wangmo spoke. “Now, repeat these words after me. I call upon the great Spirit that flows through me…”

Kunkhen steadied his mind as he repeated those words, as clearly as he could. He felt a tension build up in his body as he finished that sentence. “I call upon the great Spirit that flows through me…”

Karma Wangmo continued “the spirit that is me and the spirit that is mine,” and so Kunkhen followed. “The spirit that is me and the spirit that is mine,”

“to bless this weapon and give it your divine shape.”

“ Let this weapon be a vessel for your power and grace,”

“So that it may strike true and shield with confidence.”

“Let this weapon have your divine mark,”

“So that it may spread its name in all directions.”

“Let this weapon have your divine wishes,”

“So that it may guide me in my darkest times.”

“I call upon the Great Spirit that flows through me,”

“The spirit that is me and the spirit that is mine,”

“To heed my call and answer its prayers.”

As Kunkhen finished repeating these words, he felt a sense of weakness and dizziness wash over him. Kunkhen quickly got a hold of his knees to retain his sense of balance and prevent himself from dropping over. Kunkhen could tell that these words, these invocations, were not ordinary. With each sentence that he repeated, Kunkhen felt his heart tighten up and a pressure slowly built up inside his body, like an arrow being tightened on a bow. And he felt like he had released that arrow, with the last sentence he chanted.

As Kunkhen recovered himself, he heard the voice of Karma Wangmo. “You did good. Your Blood and your Words will carry your Spirit’s power and your own Essence and help this weapon craft itself. The weapon will be unique to yours and will represent a part of you. Such is the nature of a Spirit Weapon. Remember the words you spoke! That is your contract with this weapon.”

As Karma Wangmo explained, She brought the blob of Kunkhen’s blood that was floating in the air and slowly mixed it into the three-coloured ball. As it did, the ball glowed a bit more strongly and started to rotate. The rotating ball looked very beautiful as it was a mix of charming colours.

Karma Wangmo then released a burst of fire which became a ring around the rotating ball. She then released a burst of water which became a ring around the ball. She then chanted some words that Kunkhen didn’t fully understand. But it must have worked, as characters of light materialised in the air. These light characters spiralled towards the three-colored ball and formed another ring. At this point, it was less like a forging of weapons and more like a creation of mystical art. With three rings of fire, water, and light and three colours, Kunkhen could stare at this structure for hours and still be amazed.

But Karma Wangmo was not one to wait. She then released a last beam of light that pierced straight to the ball. And as soon as the light entered the system, the rotation picked up in its speed at an exponential rate. Kunkhen could see shapes being formed out of the different materials due to how strong the rotation was. He knew that the process was nearing its end. At that moment, Karma Wangmo shouted, and Kunkhen could tell that her voice was imbued with all kinds of mysterious energies. “ Manifest! ” She declared.

As soon as Karma Wangmo said so, the rotating mix of materials exploded into a loud bang and released a blinding light. Kunkhen, on instinct, closed his eyes and brought his hand to cover his head. Not a moment later, He felt a powerful gust rush through him that almost knocked him over. Kunkhen had to firm himself so that he could withstand the force of the wind. The rush of wind lasted for a few seconds before it died down. Kunkhen could tell that the strong light had also dimmed down. So he gently unfolded his hands away from his head and opened his eyes to a blurry vision. The vision gradually sharpened as his eyes adjusted to the ambient light.

Kunkhen saw Karma Wangmo, still floating calmly, unaffected by the sudden burst. Kunkhen once again couldn’t help but admire that serenity about her. Even if she was a stone now, she had a divine grace. ‘I wonder what she looks like.’ Kunkhen softly wondered in his mind. Right beside Karma Wangmo, Kunkhen saw a dagger-like object floating in a comfortable halo of golden light and turquoise green.

This object was about as long as an adult’s forearm- longer than a normal dagger but shorter than most normal swords. It had a three-sided blade, black in colour, that spanned about two thirds of its length. The three sides then connected with a handle, which gripped each side of the blade with a unique claw like structure. The claws were black, turquoise green, and golden in colour, each gripping one side. The handle looked similar to a sword handle. It was a mix of all three colours that it was made of, but it had stronger shades of golden and green than black. It was a strange object, it looked like a mix between a dagger and a stake, but one could imagine using it like a sword as well, even a dart if one gets creative. Kunkhen had seen this object, this weapon, before.

“It is indeed this one…” Karma Wangmo softly said. Kunkhen heard that and was thus drawn to what she began to say. “Kunkhen, Take this weapon into your hands. This is your weapon, made from your blood and your spirit. Here.” As Karma Wangmo said so, the weapon slowly flew towards Kunkhen. Upon seeing this, Kunkhen extended both his hands and bowed, as a gesture of gratitude and respect. “ This Spirit Weapon is called a Phurba. Now it is yours to wield.” Thus, Karma Wangmo said as the Phurba landed on Kunkhen’s hand.

And as soon as Kunkhen touched the Phurba, he felt a rush of electricity coursing through his body. It felt right. For some strange reason, Kunkhen felt at peace to have this weapon, this Phurba in his hand. This was his Spirit Weapon, and he had already established a bond.

“ Thank you very much, Karma Wangmo. I like it very much. ” Kunkhen said in an honest tone as he tightened his grip around the Phurba. Kunkhen couldn’t wait to see what he could do with this Phurba. “Good. Now, we will leave this place. We have reaped our benefits. I am sure that Old Scrooge will cry tears of blood when he learns what happened.”