After reading a few incantations, the exit door opened in front of them, and they left. They had been inside for almost 30 days now and there was already plenty of people outside the gate.
Many had already come, done what they needed to do, and left. Especially since not everyone would spend as much time as them. Some were just there to buy weapons, or an ayrid, or some other things. So many didn't pay attention to them as they came out and quickly disappeared into the crowd and made their way back home.
They soon arrived home only to find that their arrival was being expected. The house was well decorated with new paint and flowers. A pleasant scent could be smelled from a distance.
Arriving, they were met by Nusi, Spoon, and the other maids of the house. The group made their way into the main hall of the house which was already prepared for lunch.
The first news that reached Armad's ears was about Nusi. Almost twenty days ago, Nusi completed seclusion in the cave. She managed to improve the 'Blood of Mikironomada' in her body to sixty percent. Such a benefit would increase her access to almost everything in the country and granted her certain rights that she didn't have before. It was a unique system created by the country to rate their Benders and Armad was just finding out about it.
After the news of her success spread, the people of the city had wanted to join her for a party, but she refused.
Days after, she was announced as the next parliamentarian to be sworn in in Khan. After that, many people tried to organize a big party for her, including the leader of the Companions in the parliament, but she refused.
She apologized for disappointing them, adding that at the end of the year, which was only seven months away, there would be a special swearing-in ceremony for her, so they didn't have to bother themselves now.
Of course, they weren't happy about it since it was the tradition, but they couldn't change her mind. No one knew the real reason for her decision except Spoon and the rest of her family.
She believed Armad would be getting something worthy of celebration in the dungeon, so she wanted to postpone her party until when he came out so they could party together. She wanted to tell some of her friends in the city about it, such as the leader of the Companions in the parliament, that she had just postponed the party because she was waiting for Armad, and that she would invite them when everything was ready, but she didn't want to expose Armad to anyone, so she stopped. They would celebrate alone. Anyone who wanted to congratulate her should do so at the swearing-in ceremony.
She sighed.
The identity card Armad used to enter the dungeon was hers, so she was notified through ayrid the moment they opened the exit door, and she started the preparations for the welcoming party.
That night they ate and drank their fill, especially Armad and Spoon who danced to the crowd. They competed between the dancing style of the third world and that of Mikironomada, and Armad was eventually defeated, with only one person, Nusi, choosing Armad's dance over Cokali.
Saddened by the loss of that competition, Armad proposed a drinking contest. He defeated Spoon there by taking so much that he couldn't get up, and the maids pressed his stomach, laughing at him.
They laughed, ate, and drank for two days. On the third day, everyone said they wanted a music competition between Nusi and Armad.
Armad didn't like it especially since he had never sung a good song in his life. Even when he memorized his mother's songs, something always seemed to go wrong with the rhythm and the flow, and the tone. But there was no way out of it now since everyone was united and wanted them to do it. So he asked Nusi, who had been laughing at him ever since, to start.
Nusi got up and started singing. She was casual about it so Armad wouldn't be intimidated. But she still managed to get the audience's attention with her sweet voice and inner talent for music.
After she returned to her seat, Spoon pulled Armad, who was thinking about escaping, to the stage. With a laugh, Spoon said, "Let me get a harp and play music for you."
Armad's face sunk. He was happy to have had one victory, one defeat, but now he was sure of another defeat. He looked from one person to another for help, and they just laughed at him. Even the maids joined in the fun.
Spoon couldn't sit still. He was next to Armad showing him solidarity and sympathy, but you could see in his eyes that he was just laughing inside.
Armad's eyes met Nusi's smile, at which point a plan came to him.
He opened his mouth and started singing:
Djinn Djinn
Djinn Djinn
Djinn Djinn
Djinn Djinn
Djinn Djinn
Djinn Djinn
The song made many of them laughed like never before in their lives. The words, the rhythm, and the awkwardness, and everything about it was just laughter-inducing. The wind blew and the laughter was heard in distant places.
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Likewise, the third day ended with them rejoicing. On the fourth day, Nusi got up and told everyone that she accepted Armad as her third younger brother after Ilias and Spoon. Despite many being drunk, they heard her loud and clear. Armad was to be respected like her and her brothers.
So they fell asleep, unaware that this day would be memorable in their lives.
Several days after the party, Nusi, Ilias and Spoon took Armad to the outskirts of the city, where they traveled a long way until they saw a huge river up ahead. From a distance, it looked like the great north wall because of its size.
They stopped there and Nusi pointed at the river in the distance. "That's the river I was telling you about. If you can live there for two months, and come out alive and well, then I will allow you to enter the jinzidal competition."
For the past two weeks, the four had been arguing over whether to allow Armad to compete in the jinzidal competition or not. Eventually, they concluded that if Armad could survive the dordor on this river for two months then he could enter the competition. His decision to join the competition came from a desire to join a raid on the underground city of Shadeniza where the vow travelers were. Everyone believed that the vow travelers were related to Triple Factor so Armad wanted to interrogate one of them. But the only way he could get to the underground cities was to register in the jinzidal competition.
Nusi, Ilias, and Spoon turned to leave but the sudden popping sound coming from the ground stopped them. The sound was all too familiar and they all knew what it meant.
Soon a seedling came out of the ground in front of Armad and produced a paper flower. Armad reached out and the seedling bent toward him, signifying the message was sent to him.
He picked the paper flower and opened it. As he read it, he started sweating profusely. All his hair stood on end and his eyes turned red.
He looked at Nusi. "The time has come for me to return home. I must find Triple Factor in the next seven months."
"What?" Nusi said in a terror-stricken voice. "What are you talking about? What's in the message? Who sent it to you? Tell me everything."
Both Ilias and Spoon were upset because they knew whatever was in the message couldn't be good. It was impossible for Armad, or anyone, to find Triple Factor in seven months. He was a man the whole world couldn't find for centuries.
Armad could barely contain himself as he looked at them. "The fortune-teller Babara has given me an ultimatum of seven months to find Triple Factor," he spoke urgently. "He has made a cure for my mother, but he will throw it away if I don't find Triple Factor in the next seven months."
"But..." The three of them looked at each other and kept their mouths shut. They knew the task ahead of Armad had risen from the seemingly impossible to the impossible. But seeing Armad's state of confusion and panic, Nusi immediately realized that they should calm him down and give him hope instead of discouraging him further.
"If that's how he wants to play it," she said. "Then the three of us will help you to the best of our ability in these seven months. You are right the only lead we have in finding Triple Factor right now is the vow travelers. And yes I'm preparing a raid on the city in a few months. I will get a ticket from the parliament. But one of you," she eyed them, "will have to participate in the competition."
"Armad, I won't allow you to enter the competition without confirming your full strength. So instead of two months, you have one week. We will wait for you here. Take the boat. There's an island a few miles north of here, " she stopped to catch her breath and showed him the way with her hand, "I want you to take a sample of the soil on the island and bring it back here in a week."
She retrieved an ayrid out of her bag and turned it into a small boat. Armad silently boarded the boat and drew his sword, heading for the island.
After he left, Nusi turned to Ilias and Spoon. The two had been unable to speak ever since they heard about the seven months ultimatum.
"Whether he finds Triple Factor or not depends on his fate. We just have to help our friend and encourage him. Let none of you tell him that he can't do it." She paused and looked at them to make sure they understood. "Set up a tent, we will wait for him for a week."
***
Armad sailed slowly three days after he disappeared in the mist surrounding the river. The mist had gotten thicker and he couldn't even see his palm. It had been two days since he saw the sun; it was always night and misty there.
Armad's biggest surprise came from the fact that not a single dordor had attacked him up to now. The river was arguably one of the most dangerous places in the world since it was directly connected to the great northern wall and the undead creatures could flow freely from the wall to it. Not only was he not attacked, but he also didn't see any undead ever since he came. On the third day, he heard movement beneath his boat and when he looked expecting something ominous, he saw fish running in the water in the opposite direction. Then he saw others like it. All running away from the island.
Armad didn't stop. He plunged further into the darkness. On the fourth day, he saw the island in the distance. All he'd to do was to take some soil and bring it back. He became more determined.
***
Meanwhile, there were four people currently on the island. The island itself was in ruins and there was no sign of anyone living there. The houses had turned to rubbles. The architecture suggested a massive city with great civilization, but it was all gone now. The people who had been living there had been dead for who knew how long. The wind blowing from the island was hot and it carried a sense of fear and panic in it. Darkness and loneliness filled the entire place.
These four men, three men, and a woman, stood in the middle of the ruins. Being the only living beings on the island didn't seem to bother them. Except for the woman, all their hair was white showing signs of aging. But they looked strong with heavily built bodies.
The biggest among them wore a turban that covered his face like a mask. He exuded a very strong pol at one thousand two hundred and thirteen years (1213 years). The next in line had a pol of nine hundred and forty-one years. Then the woman who had seven hundred and thirteen years. And the last man had five hundred and four years.
In a frightening voice, the man with the second-highest pol spoke, "my lord, we have been looking for the Book-sword for over seven hundred years, and today it's just a mile away from your grasp. Surely our waiting has come to an end. Say the word and I'll bring you the book in a blink. "
The Lord said nothing, watching and listening to the breeze and the swirling mist like a lion watching its prey. After sixty seconds, the woman took off her veil and stood in front of the lord in obedience. "My lord," she said. "I think we should let the boy arrived. He is the only one to whom the book agrees to reveal itself to after all these years. When he arrives and we make sure it's with him, we will enslave him and use his soul to control the book. "
Surprisingly, this woman looked exactly like Nusi, from the color of her skin and hair to her height. If you didn't go to the other side of the river and saw Nusi there, then you might have a hard time believing she wasn't the real Nusi.