***

“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!” Kunkhen gave a gentle nod as he heard Karma Wangmo but his eyes were still fixed on the Phurba in his hands. Kunkhen was entranced by the weapon as he ran his hands gently over the hilt of the Phurba. His face was lit with excitement. Karma Wangmo’s words only had a distant echo in his mind.

Kunkhen was torn. To a large extent, he was excited, like a boy who was gifted a new toy to play with, but he was also uncertain as to what he could do with this weapon. It was not a traditional weapon, like swords or spears, that he had seen people use in real life or in stories. He had only seen these in Temples as decoration or used by religious saints as a religious instrument.

Kunkhen admired the beautiful union of gold and turquoise that coated the Phurba, before gripping it again with his right hand. The handle had three sides as well, but the grip was steady. The pommel of the Phurba also had three protruding figures but the details of the figures were lacking, like an unfinished carving. Three of Threes. Three and Nine. What could that mean? Kunkhen thought. As he did, he started swirling the blade around, like you would do with a sword, before committing a sharp strike.

The blade of the Phurba teared through the air, and it made a sharp whistling sound.

Kunkhen’s eyes widened as he heard the sharp whistle the Phurba just made. He carefully secured his grip on the Phurba and made sure to keep the tip facing away from him. He had to be more cautious when handling the blade; the Phurba was sharp, sharp enough to cut.

Struggling away from those thoughts, Kunkhen slowly put the Phurba away and faced Karma Wangmo once again. An embarrassed smile curved through his face. “ Ahh. I am sorry. I got carried away.” Kunkhen apologised. “It’s alright. I know how exciting it can be to receive a Spirit Weapon. How does it feel?” Karma Wangmo said, in the soft tone that she always used. The tone which Kunkhen had loved since the moment he heard it.

Kunkhen took a pause, and relaxed the focus in his eyes. He then said, “It feels strange. This weapon…Although I don’t know anything about it, it feels like a long-lost friend, like a brother of mine. And I feel secure, with this in my hand. ” While speaking, Kunkhen would occasionally nod at his words, as if he was agreeing with his own statements.

“Kunkhen, whenever a Spirit Weapon is forged, powerful words need to be spoken - these are our instructions and our requests- and blood needs to be given. These ingredients gather our Spirit, our Bla, and through the forging process, moulds it into the shape that defines the very nature of our Spirit.

“Everyone has their own Spirit. A Spirit is different from one’s mind or body or essence. It is also different from rlung. It’s an added concept, an extra source of Power that one can train and cultivate in. But every Spirit is not the same. They are defined, crafted, and shaped by different circumstances of the individual. They have different capabilities and powers and different forms. One such shape of the Spirit comes when your Spirit weapon is forged. We also call such weapons, Bla-Tson! Everyone, when their spirit weapon is properly crafted, receives a personal weapon. That is why the weapon feels so near and dear. After all, that weapon is their own spirit, whether they recognise it or not, it is the physical shape of their Spirit.”

As Kunkhen listened to Karma Wangmo, his eyes were pulled towards his Phurba and his focus alongside it. This weapon. A Phurba, this was the shape of his Spirit. Why? What did that mean? Kunkhen was interrupted in his thinking as Karma Wangmo continued.

“Your Spirit Weapon is a Phurba, another’s might be a sword, another a blade, some even receive a staff and so on. We call it a weapon, but only in the broadest of sense. So one can easily have a ball for their Spirit Weapon. These different manifestations of one’s Spirit define a part of them. Understanding that part would strengthen their spirit and likewise their weapon. Therefore, it is not unexpected to see the Spirit Weapon of some grow and evolve. But some also rot and die.”

Kunkhen had paid his best attention to what she said and a few things caught his attention. Kunkhen asked. “What’s your Spirit Weapon like?” But as soon as the question slipped out of Kunkhen’s mouth, like a fisherman whose catch squirmed out from his hand, he felt a sense of regret. An embarrassing heat ran through his face, which told him that it was not the best question to ask her.

“I can’t give you the answer to that. In time…” Karma Wangmo took a deep breath. Kunkhen felt the remorseful tone of her breath, or maybe he was reading too much. “In time.. Maybe.” Kunkhen opened his mouth into a small gap before he quickly closed it. He wanted to say something but no words felt right. So Kunkhen gave a silent nod. A small pause lingered on, carrying that tension, before Kunkhen said. “Karma Wangmo, How do we leave this Place? What do I have to do?”

Kunkhen had an intense gaze matching the firm stance he had when he asked Karma Wangmo. In his right hand, the black blades of the Phurba blended in the dark surroundings as the golden and the turquoise attachments glittered. Karma Wangmo explained. “I am mostly out of energy, so this is something you will have to do. Simply said, you will have to tear the space around us and break this world.”

Kunkhen’s mouth dropped open as he heard that and his eyes squinted in doubt. How would he be able to do that? But Kunkhen quickly composed himself, reining in his faltering mind, and asked “What do I have to do?” Karma Wangmo replied. “Follow my instructions. First, start turning. Turn as much rlung as you can into your core.”

As soon as Kunkhen heard what Karma Wangmo said, he crouched down and took a seat on the ground. He folded his legs and gently closed his eyes. He rested his hands on his lap with his phurba. His core, the Khorlo in his abdomen, picked in speed like the wheels of an accelerating vehicle. And with steady and rhythmic breaths, Kunkhen was absorbing the rlung in his surroundings. He was turning. Kunkhen could see in his mind’s eye, long strands of energy spiralling into his Khorlo. This was his third time turning but Kunkhen knew he had improved a lot since his first one.

“Good, keep turning. Visualise your core like a rotating wheel, sucking in all the rlung that it can. ” Kunkhen didn’t respond but he heard what Karma Wangmo said. And so he kept turning. And sure enough, Kunkhen saw some changes soon enough. His Khorlo, after absorbing a lot of rlung, had brightened. Kunkhen could feel the overwhelming force that it held. Like a rotating turbine, it had an immense power that was waiting to be used.

But Kunkhen also knew that he had reached his limit. No matter how much he turned, his Khorlo was not rotating any faster. It wasn’t able to absorb any more rlung. Kunkhen tried turning harder- frowns developed on his face as his breathing strained. But instead of his Khorlo rotating faster, it started wobbling. Kunkhen realised that if he tried pushing any harder, his Khorlo would give out. It might break or burst, like a wheel that rotated faster than its capacity. Kunkhen didn’t want to take that chance, so he said “I am done. I think this is my limit. Now what should I do?”

Karma Wangmo quickly replied. “Good. Hold onto that rlung energy. Keep your Khorlo’s rotation steady. For a turner in general, there are three phases. The first is thephase of Turning. As you have done now and before, in this stage, your Khorlo collects and turns as much ambient rlung as it can. Ambient rlung is the wild rlung that is available in the surroundings. The second phase is known as the Churning and Refining phase. In this stage, the ambient rlung that you have collected in your Khorlo will be churned and refined into internal rlung (Nang-Rlung). Internal rlung is the rlung that you will be able to use and manipulate.That is what you have now, in your Khorlo. Do you feel it? ”

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Kunkhen listened to her carefully. He still had his eyes closed as he was controlling his Khorlo and the rlung energy it had. But he could see what Karma Wangmo mentioned. A torrent of white coloured energy bubbled in his Khorlo. That must be his internal rlung. Thinking that, Kunkhen gave a nod to Karma Wangmo.

“Good, now we move on to the third phase, the Phase of Actualising. Listen carefully, as the third phase is perhaps the most important phase. It certainly is the most creative stage. In this phase, you learn to use your internal rlung to manipulate your own body and your surroundings. By using your rlung, you learn to actualise the ‘reality’ that you want.”

A quiet shiver ran down Kunkhen’s spine as he heard that. ‘The phase of Actualising…’ Kunkhen’s heart thumped faster. What sort of ‘realities’ could he create? What would be the limitations? As Kunkhen was trapped in a maze of such thrilling questions, Karma Wangmo started speaking again. Kunkhen immediately straightened his spine and focused.

“As you noticed in your first understanding, our bodies have a network of channels, Tsa, that is connected to your Khorlo as an epicentre. The rlung energy flows through these channels, and much like blood, circulates and powers your body. With studying and practising, you can control the flow of rlung in your body. That is what the Third phase is. Here, follow my instructions. After all, the best way to learn something is to try it.” Kunkhen adjusted his bottom and gave a nod.

“Alright. First, focus on the rlung like you did earlier. Observe it carefully, Look at how it moves, wiggles and waves around in your Khorlo. When you have done that, slowly imagine that rlung energy circulating towards your fist.Picture a pipe that connects your Khorlo to your hands. Have you done it?…Ok. Now, in your mind, slowly open that pipe. And like water, the rlung will flow from your Khorlo to your hands.Visualise that. Concentrate as deeply as you can. There is great power in the depth of the picture!”

Kunkhen followed Karma Wangmo’s instructions as best as he could. He could see and feel the pool of roaring white rlung energy in his Khorlo. Kunkhen imagined that rlung slowly leaving his core and flowing towards his hands, his hands that sat on his lap in a meditative gesture. A white serpentine connection from his abdomen to his hands, that’s how Kunkhen was imagining it.

Kunkhen knew that his imagination had results. The powerful flow of rlung that he could feel in his abdomen, pulsing and roaring, had wriggled up to his hands. Now, his hands, his two hands, were filled with rlung energy. He could feel that. Kunkhen could even see a faint covering of white light on his hands. As soon as he had succeeded, Karma Wangmo said “ Very Good. You should be able to feel it, the power that you have in your hands.” “Yes.” Kunkhen said with a nod in sync.

Karma Wangmo continued. “Good. Now ready your spirit weapon. Hold it in your hands, both of your hands…That’s it.” Kunkhen opened his eyes and stood up from the ground. He clutched his Phurba in his hands. The three-sided handle was long enough, just enough, for both of his hands to fit. He was holding it like a sword.

“Now, Transfer the rlung in your hands into your Phurba!” Kunkhen’s head did a slight tilt backwards. He understood what he had to do but didn’t know how he could do it. Karma Wangmo must have noticed Kunkhen’s hesitation, so she clarified. “Kunkhen. You must remember that the rlung energy is the vital energy, the movement energy. The rlung covers everything universally and it can enter and travel through anything. Think of your weapon, think of the Phurba in your hand as your extension. There is no space between you and your Phurba. The gap that exists is also a channel of your rlung. Think of your inner rlung like the warmth of a body, ceaselessly and easily spreading and moving.”

Kunkhen stood silent for a moment. His eyebrows had creased, and his eyes had a distant gaze. This was the sign of Kunkhen in deep thought. A few moments passed by before Kunkhen redirected his gaze towards the Phurba. He widened his stance and started to concentrate. He was trying to transfer the rlung energy that he had in his hands to the Phurba. There is no gap between me and Phurba, we are one and the same. Kunkhen kept telling himself that as he concentrated.

Slowly but surely, tiny filaments of rlung began to wriggle out of Kunkhen’s hand and slowly entered the Phurba. Kunkhen imagined the Phurba having channels of rlung for itself and transferred the rlung through them. To Kunkhen’s astonishment, his Phurba was like an endless pit. It absorbed all of the rlung energy that he had and it seemed like it could absorb even more.

As soon as Kunkhen was done, the Phurba started to vibrate and it heated up. For a moment, Kunkhen felt as if he was holding a live animal, with a beating heart. The faint vibrations stopped as the three-sided handle of the Phurba started to glow. The glow of gold and turquoise, a halo that Kunkhen had grown familiar with. That glow moved downwards from the handle and lit the claw-like structures that gripped the three-sided blades of the Phurba.

The three claws had colour black, golden, and turquoise. The black claw developed a golden outline but it was incredibly faint, overshadowed by the black background of the claw and the blade. The other two claws had a dim glow of their own colours, enough to give them a divine presence.

Kunkhen’s legs felt like noodles, his core was aching and a spell of lethargy rushed over him. Kunkhen was exhausted, he knew that. He had expended all his rlung energy into the Phurba. Kunkhen understood that he had to be careful in using rlung. The techniques had their price, it was not a free lunch. But Kunkhen had to see this through, he had to get out of this black prison and see his parents again. He had questions to ask, mysteries to resolve and most of all, he just wanted to hug them. He missed them.

I am not giving up here! Kunkhen told himself as he gave all his remaining strength to his legs and solidified his stance. Kunkhen looked towards Karma Wangmo, gesturing for further instruction. She complied, “Phurba is a weapon that is also a Divine Nail. In ancient times, Divine Nails, blessed by forces of nature and the Great Law, and wielded by Turners, were driven deep into the ground. This is called the Nailing of the Phurba. It is said to break the earth and pin the earth-serpents down!

“So Kunkhen, hold your Phurba and nail it down. Force it as hard as you can. Let this Phurba pierce through this prison world. You can do it. Nail the Phurba in the ground!” Kunkhen’s heart started to beat faster and faster as he listened to Karma Wangmo’s uplifting command. A warm rush of excitement had spread around his body. With a solid expression and adrenaline coursing through him, Kunkhen directed a nod towards Karma Wangmo.

Kunkhen dropped on his knees, to bring him closer to the ground. He changed his grip on the Phurba and turned the sharp point towards the ground. Kunkhen took a deep breath. In this breath, various images fluttered in his mind, how he was brought to this world, how he was almost killed, the white world, meeting with Karma Wangmo, and being granted this Phurba. Every moment of his time in this world was deeply carved into his memory. Thinking such thoughts, Kunkhen gave a deep roar and drove his Phurba through the ground.

The faint glowing claws on the Phurba left a trail of light as the weapon came down on the ground. The Phurba stabbed through the ground, piercing the earth like it was rice. Kunkhen slowly stood up. He looked down. The dark ground near the Phurba had broken a little but nothing significant had happened like he thought it would.

Of course, Kunkhen didn’t know what should have happened but facing a moment of silence, where nothing happened, was disheartening. Did he fail? Was the energy not enough? Kunkhen reluctantly faced Karma Wangmo. His face was painted with guilt and shame. Kunkhen thought he had failed her, until Karma Wangmo said. “Brace yourself. You succeeded!” “What?!…” Kunkhen replied in a flash of surprise as he looked at the Phurba that was nailed in the ground. Cracks started to appear around it and like webs of a spider, it spread in all directions.

Kunkhen, in a hurry, picked his Phurba up from the ground and covered himself. He looked all over his surroundings. The cracks from the epicentre, the place where the Phurba had been nailed, kept going far off into the horizon. The cracks had the same glow of gold and turquoise. Gold and turquoise together, It was a beautiful union of colours. Kunkhen thought again.

The cracks broke through the grounds as it started breaking apart in a cloud of dust and rocks. Moreover, to Kunkhen’s surprise, the rippling cracks started to climb upwards and cover the dark sky. The glowing cracks ran and criss-crossed through the dark sky as it quickly spread all over. In a matter of seconds, the entire dark world was covered with cracks and was breaking. It was a beautiful scene, like a kaleidoscope of cracks, lights, and splintering reality.

And as Kunkhen looked on, the entire dark world disintegrated, it broke down into small pieces of glowing dust, like falling snow. A warm world coloured by a reddish hue of light infiltrated Kunkhen’s sight. Kunkhen recognised this familiar light. Kunkhen blinked a few times as his eyes adjusted to the brightness, especially after coming from the dark World.

Kunkhen realised he was still in the same place he had slept. The Sun was reaching its setting point so time hadn’t flown by as quickly as he thought. Kunkhen looked at the blue sky that covered him with fond eyes and soaked himself in the warm golden rays of the Sun. Kunkhen was relieved. He had been in the dark prison for quite some time. So he missed this.

Kunkhen tried to make a step but his legs gave way and Kunkhen fell to the ground.

He had exhausted himself. He was tired, mentally and physically. But Kunkhen had never been happier.