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The Clash and the Cliff
The moment Prince Mangul and Barde Ruhaisu clashed in a fierce, brutally intense battle, a surprising scene unfolded. Physically, Prince Mangul possessed greater physical strength and superior combat skills than Barde Ruhaisu. Ruhaisu could barely block Mangul’s powerful blows due to their immense weight. However, because Barde Ruhaisu possessed extraordinary agility, endurance, and fierce resilience, Prince Mangul was unable to harm him.
After fighting fiercely for a full hour without either managing to land even a scratch on the other, frustration set in. Both stepped back, standing face-to-face and panting like fighting cocks. When Prince Mangul looked closely at Barde Ruhaisu, he realized he was not his match in age—Ruhaisu appeared to be older by roughly ten years. Regret washed over him; he felt he should have easily finished off this warrior long ago since he was younger, and youth naturally grants superior stamina. Instead, he was being shown a taste of veteran toughness.
No sooner had this thought crossed Prince Mangul's mind than he raised his hand and signaled his troops to charge at Barde Ruhaisu and his men. In response, Barde Ruhaisu commanded his own troops to intercept them. Every single battalion rushed forward, meeting in the center to engage in a furious battle. The clashing of weapons and the war cries of men filled the entire forest. Blood splattered and sprayed, plunging a force of one thousand and one hundred men into total chaos. Anyone watching from a distance would have struggled to tell which side was winning, though a closer, more careful look revealed that Prince Mangul's troops were taking the heavier beating.
When this fierce melee began, Prince Mangul managed to push his way close to where Yazarina was crouching, because any of Barde Ruhaisu's elite guards who stepped in his way was instantly cut down with a single strike. Meanwhile, Barde Ruhaisu had plunged into the center of Prince Mangul's troops, cutting them down ruthlessly and showing no mercy. Because of this focus, he temporarily strayed from the exact spot where Yazarina was standing.
As the battle intensified, Yazarina grew completely disoriented and terrified, as this was the first time in her life a war had been fought right before her eyes. When she saw one of the elite guards get slashed and fall right in front of her, with his blood spraying across her face, she let out an involuntary, piercing shriek and jumped into the air. The sudden movement caused her veil to slip from her face and drop to the ground. Her beautiful, long hair spilled loose and cascaded past her shoulders.
When Prince Mangul caught sight of Yazarina's face and realized it was her, he was struck with extreme astonishment. He leaped into the air, landed behind her, pressed his sword against her neck to trap her, and let out a fierce shout. Instantly, the fighting stopped; everyone turned to look at him.
At that moment, Barde Ruhaisu caught sight of what was happening, and his heart sank with profound dread. Prince Mangul burst into a victorious laugh, placed his blood-stained hand on Yazarina's shoulder, kissed her neck, and said:
"Welcome to my sight, my beloved! Truly, I am overjoyed to meet you again at a time I never expected. I thought I would first seize my father's throne, and only then find the chance to see you again and kill your husband Lubainu—if he is still alive—so that I could possess you. But behold, I have found you here for free, without any trouble! Know this: once I finish off these traveling companions of yours, I will take you to my camp and we will be married by force."
Before Prince Mangul could even close his mouth, Yazarina spat directly in his face and retorted:
"Your lies are baseless! You can marry my corpse, but never me! How could I ever marry a tyrant who ruined another person's life purely out of selfishness? Know that I no longer fear death since you drove my husband away to a place where he could lose his life entirely. If Lubainu has indeed perished, then I see no purpose in my own life either; I would rather follow him."
While Yazarina spoke these words, Barde Ruhaisu and all his men stood frozen, having lowered their weapons. They watched the scene unfold between Prince Mangul and Yazarina with expressions of intense fear and dread.
To this moment, Prince Mangul had not removed the sharp edge of his sword from Yazarina's neck. He burst out laughing once more, used a single finger to scoop up the spit Yazarina had spat on his face, licked it off his finger, and said:
"I have never tasted anything as sweet as the saliva from your mouth, my BELOVED!"
Turning his gaze to Barde Ruhaisu, he barked a harsh command:
"Quickly, remove your masks—you and your men—and drop your weapons, or right here and now I will slice Yazarina's throat!"
Just as Barde Ruhaisu and his men moved to obey, Yazarina shouted at them warningly:
"Do not dare do this! He will not kill me because his greatest desire in life is to possess me. Love has merely blinded you into dropping your weapons only to be slaughtered in vain. Even if he kills me, I suffer no loss and feel no regret; my greatest sorrow would be letting him possess me. Keep fighting until your strength fails so that you remain loyal to the king's orders! You can take off your masks anyway, because even if you don't, he already knows you are King Sailur's soldiers."
Hearing Yazarina's speech, Barde Ruhaisu and his remaining seventy men removed their masks, raised their swords high into the air, and prepared to resume the fight. When Prince Mangul saw Barde Ruhaisu's face, he shook his head and remarked:
"Ah, of course! No one else in your city, apart from King Sailur's champion and Prince Lubainu, could have engaged me in such a prolonged duel without me managing to kill them except for you. Well then, one of us will not leave this place alive; only a corpse will be carried out!"
With that, Prince Mangul hurled Yazarina toward his chief commander, who caught her. Mangul instructed him:
"Take her quickly to our camp, keep her under guard, and return here with ten thousand troops!"
Seeing this, Barde Ruhaisu bolted like lightning toward where Yazarina was. He plowed through the middle of Prince Mangul's troops, striking fiercely with sword and blow to reach Prince Mangul's commander as he violently dragged Yazarina toward a horse. Seeing this, Prince Mangul rushed forward at breakneck speed to cut off Barde Ruhaisu and stop him.
When they were barely ten paces apart, Ruhaisu launched himself into the air, vaulted completely over Prince Mangul, and slammed down onto the back of the commander's horse. Without a choice, the commander released Yazarina, tumbling off to the side. Before Prince Mangul could turn around and race back to intercept them, Barde Ruhaisu leaped up, mounted the horse standing before him, reached down his hand for Yazarina to grab, hoisted her effortlessly onto the back of the saddle, and spurred the horse into a wild gallop deep into the forest.
Realizing what had happened, Prince Mangul rushed to his own mount, mounted it fiercely, and spurred it into a furious chase after Ruhaisu. Instantly, the battlefield dispersed as every battalion abandoned the gruesome war, their attention wholly diverted to chasing after their respective leaders.
As Barde Ruhaisu fled deeper into the forest on horseback with Yazarina holding tightly to him, they suddenly heard the thunder of horse hooves behind them. Terrified, Yazarina looked back and saw that it was Prince Mangul. The distance between them was no more than twenty-five paces. His horse was flying across the ground at a terrifying speed, Mangul gripping the reins tightly in his healthy hand, relentlessly driving the beast forward with his legs while his massive sword hung strapped to his back.
In utter panic, Yazarina turned and cried out:
"O Ruhaisu, know that this tyrannical enemy of ours is about to catch us!"
Hearing this, Barde Ruhaisu urged his horse to even greater speeds. The horses maintained a breathtaking, breakneck race. As the speed intensified, Yazarina felt herself slipping, so she instinctively wrapped both arms tightly around Barde Ruhaisu's waist and pressed her face against his back.
This terrifying race continued for a full hour. Suddenly, both horses stumbled upon an unexpected, rugged rise in the terrain, tripping and crashing heavily to the ground along with their riders. Barde Ruhaisu sprang instantly to his feet, grabbed Yazarina's hand, pulled her up, and they resumed their desperate sprint into the forest.
Prince Mangul recovered just as frantically, leaping to his feet and chasing after them with strides so fast their legs seemed ready to take flight. Barely twenty paces behind them, Yazarina tripped and fell. Seeing her fall and noticing that Barde Ruhaisu was unarmed, Prince Mangul lunged forward, whipped out his broadsword, and charged at them with the intent of cutting down Ruhaisu before he could lift her.
However, with incredible agility and fierce valor, Barde Ruhaisu scooped Yazarina up effortlessly like a light straw, hoisted her onto his back, and she locked her arms around him as he resumed his blistering run. They continued racing like a burdened man fleeing a bandit. Prince Mangul exerted every ounce of his strength to catch them, but to no avail. This completely baffled him; he was filled with utter astonishment as to how he failed to overtake Ruhaisu, despite the heavy burden of Yazarina strapped to the man's back.
During this sprint, Barde Ruhaisu reached a massive, wide, and towering mountain blocking their path. There was no way around it; he either had to scale it or stop and face Prince Mangul in a fight to the death.
"How can I face Prince Mangul when I have no weapon in my hand? Surely, I have no choice other than climbing this mountain."
He answered himself inwardly, and without hesitation, he began scaling the mountain with Yazarina on his back, running upward. Upon reaching the base, Prince Mangul didn't hesitate for a second; he roared with terrifying fury and charged up the mountain after them, thrilled because he believed he was finally about to kill Barde Ruhaisu and claim Yazarina.
They ran across the mountain—initially with strength and vigor, but eventually growing exhausted, stumbling, falling, and struggling back up while panting heavily. After an hour and a half of relentless running and climbing, they finally reached the very summit.
When Yazarina and Barde Ruhaisu looked down from the peak—so high and deep that the ground below was entirely obscured—their hearts sank with dread as they stood panting, utterly exhausted and gasping for breath as if their souls were about to leave their bodies.
At that exact moment, a panting, swaying Prince Mangul arrived close behind them, holding his sword. Seeing that they had reached a dead end at the summit, he smiled and let out a triumphant, echoing laugh, even though his throat was bone-dry with agonizing thirst and no water was in sight. Yazarina and Ruhaisu felt an identical, scorching thirst that threatened to choke them as their mouths turned completely parched.
Adopting a posture of ultimate victory, Prince Mangul rested his massive sword on his shoulder, glared at them with fierce triumph, and said:
"Now then, how will you escape me since you’ve reached the end of the road? Truly, I am going to kill you now, O Barde Ruhaisu. You have impressed me, showing a level of heroism I never suspected you possessed, and I am obliged to record your name in the annals of my life's history. Yet what a pity—your heroism has gone to waste since you failed King Sailur's mission to protect Yazarina, and now you will die in vain."
Before Prince Mangul could finish speaking, Barde Ruhaisu cut him off:
"Pity you, O tyrannical prince whose life has utterly shattered! Remember that you have lost your beloved Yazarina, and you have lost your closest friend and brother, Prince Lubainu! You harmed him out of pure selfishness just to tear him away from the one he loved and cherished, turning each other into bitter enemies! Now you have broken away from your father, lost your status as prince because your father has become your enemy, and you are gathering an army of rebels to go kill him. Look at you—you are truly a pitiful creature who gained nothing and lost everything. You have no one, nothing left except delusional dreams that I guarantee will never, ever come true! With these words, I bid you farewell, because even if you manage to claim Yazarina, you will only possess her corpse. And as for me, you may drag my lifeless body, but you will never kill me with your own hands!"
Having said this, Barde Ruhaisu turned instantly, grabbed Yazarina, and leaped off the edge of the deep mountain precipice. Both let out a scream, knowing death had come for them.
Part 2: The Magic Slate and the Journey
As they screamed, knowing their death had arrived, grief overwhelmed Prince Mangul. He collapsed to his knees, opened his mouth wide, and let out a loud, agonizing cry, bursting into bitter tears because he knew he would never see Yazarina alive again.
Before Yazarina and Barde Ruhaisu reached even the halfway mark of the descent, they had both fainted from the ferocious buffeting of the wind and severe dizziness. By the time they hit the bottom, they were practically lifeless corpses—thud! They plunged directly into a river.
They sank beneath the water instantly, but the strong river currents pushed them back up. By sheer, miraculous luck and destiny, the currents carried them to the riverbank and cast them ashore. They lay unconscious on the riverbank for nearly half an hour before a cool breeze began to blow across the area, serving as the catalyst that revived them from their prolonged faint.
When they opened their eyes and looked at each other, realizing they were alive and had not died, overwhelming amazement washed over them, and they burst into joyous laughter. Overcome with relief, Yazarina threw her arms around Barde Ruhaisu in an embrace before she even realized what she was doing. The moment she did, she remembered she was Prince Lubainu's wife. She quickly pulled herself away, cast her eyes downward, and with a trembling, embarrassed voice whispered:
"Forgive me."
At that exact moment, a wave of shyness washed over Barde Ruhaisu as well, leaving him entirely at a loss for words. He simply turned his back to her, walked toward the river, and drifted into deep thought about the strange twists of fate that had brought them together, marveling at how things had turned out. This was what transpired between Barde Ruhaisu and Yazarina when they left the City of Zamrul in search of Prince Lubainu.
Meanwhile, the Strange Hero and his companions spent a peaceful night inside the palace of the Magician Darbusa, waking up the next morning in perfect health without encountering any trouble. Early in the morning, the strange hero and his servant Dazyan went into the forest, hunted a large bird, brought it back, plucked it, and roasted it. Everyone partook in this bird meat for breakfast.
After breakfast, the strange hero gave a subtle sign to Dazyan, who then turned to Queen Akisatul Sauwara, Prince Lubainu, and King Darmanu, and announced:
"O traveling companions, my master says I must inform you that we will all continue our journey together to the River Bahar Imfal, exactly as originally promised. He does this to demonstrate the power and might of the Lord of Islam, not because he approves of your sorcery. He will give you the opportunity to save your lives using the power of your deities, your magic, and your physical strength until you realize your inability to protect yourselves; only then will he aid you with the help of his Lord. Furthermore, he reiterates that once we reach the cave of Bahar Imfal and find what we came for with his help, you must accept his religion—whether you like it or not. If you refuse, you will become his enemies, and nothing will separate you from war! From now on, he will continue to keep the MAGIC SLATE in his possession until that time, so you still have an opportunity right now to consult with one another regarding what you believe is best for you."
When Dazyan finished speaking, Prince Lubainu and his companions exchanged glances, at a loss for words. Prince Lubainu pulled them aside and said calmly:
"What I want from you is this: none of you should violate the strange hero's condition. Right now, we are entirely in his hands and must do as he says. If we rebel against him, none of us will survive to fulfill our life's ambitions. Does anyone have any complaints about this suggestion of mine?"
Upon hearing this, Queen Akisatul Sauwara and King Darmanu spoke up simultaneously:
"We have no complaints; we will gladly follow his condition."
Overjoyed, Prince Lubainu led them back to the strange hero and informed him that they had all agreed to his conditions without any reservations. Upon hearing this, the strange hero stood up, gestured silently to Dazyan, and instructed him to tell Prince Lubainu and the others:
"My master says everyone should gather their belongings; we are resuming our journey immediately."
At this, everyone rushed back into the palace of the Magician Darbusa, grabbed their supply bags, hoisted them onto their horses, and mounted them. Once everyone was fully prepared, the strange hero mounted his horse and took the lead, with Dazyan riding right beside him. Queen Akisatul Sauwara followed closely behind them, followed by Prince Lubainu, with King Darmanu bringing up the rear.
As they set off, the strange hero wrapped the MAGIC SLATE securely in a large cloak, placed it across his horse's neck, and tied it down firmly.
As the journey began, Queen Akisatul Sauwara glanced back at Prince Lubainu and noticed he had his head bowed, lost in deep thought. Seeing him in such a state, she slowed her horse until she drew level with him, and they rode side by side. Looking at him with deep compassion, she asked:
"O Prince, what is troubling you? Since yesterday, I noticed you haven't been speaking much, you aren't eating as usual, and you constantly sit in silence, deep in thought. What is the reason for this?"
When Prince Lubainu heard this question from Queen Akisatul Sauwara, he let out a heavy sigh, exhaled, and replied:
"O noble Queen, know that since yesterday, my heart has been pounding unusually hard for no apparent reason. Furthermore, last night I had a terrifying dream. In the dream, I saw the massive, dark head of a serpent chasing my shadow through the forest at full speed. My shadow stumbled and fell repeatedly, until finally, it collapsed to the ground, completely unable to run further. The serpent drew right up beside it, rearing its head to strike. Just as it was about to bite, I woke up in the middle of the night, my body trembling with terror and completely soaked in sweat, as if what I saw in the dream had actually happened in reality."
When Prince Lubainu finished speaking, Queen Akisatul Sauwara let out a sigh of relief and said:
"If you consult the strange hero about this dream, he might be able to tell you its interpretation."
Surprised, Prince Lubainu asked:
"How do you know he can interpret dreams when he doesn't even speak?"
Queen Akisatul Sauwara smiled and replied:
"I heard his servant, Dazyan, telling someone about a dream he had, and the strange hero interpreted it for him using sign language. That fascinated me, so I asked Dazyan earlier: 'O Dazyan, I heard you telling your master that you dreamed of a hen that laid two eggs of completely different colors—the first egg was pure white, and the second was bright red. Then she brooded on the white one and hatched a vulture, and brooded on the red one and hatched a guinea fowl. What was the interpretation he gave you for that dream?'
"When Dazyan heard my question, he said: 'The interpretation my master gave me was that Allah is signaling me to be mindful and cautious of the ways of the world. This earth represents the world. The first egg being white symbolizes a good character; if a person holds onto it, their heart remains pure, free of evil, and full of good intentions. The second egg, which hatched as red, symbolizes wicked behavior. But you didn't hear the end of my dream, because I finished telling him in sign language. The rest of the story is that after the hen hatched the two creatures, the vulture flew past. When it crossed paths with the guinea fowl, the guinea fowl lunged at its head and severed it cleanly off!'"
Summary
This chapter covers two primary narrative threads:
- The Cliffside Escape and Survival: Prince Mangul corners Yazarina and Barde Ruhaisu after a brutal battlefield skirmish. Refusing to surrender to Mangul's tyrannical advances, Yazarina and Ruhaisu choose a daring leap off a massive mountain cliff rather than submit. Miraculously surviving the plunge into a raging river below, they wash ashore. After regaining consciousness, an emotional moment of shared relief briefly causes Yazarina to embrace Ruhaisu before she respectfully pulls away, mindful of her marriage to Prince Lubainu.
The Journey to River Bahar Imfal: Meanwhile, Prince Lubainu, Queen Akisatul Sauwara, and King Darmanu travel peacefully with the mysterious hero and his deaf servant, Dazyan. Accepting the hero's strict conditions—which require them to rely on their own spiritual defenses until they fail, ultimately leading them to accept Islam—they press onward. Plagued by a terrifying premonition and a bad dream about a serpent, Prince Lubainu discusses his anxieties with Queen Akisatul Sauwara, who shares an insightful allegorical dream previously interpreted by the strange hero.
Description
The text is rich in classic epic-fantasy tropes, featuring large-scale military clashes, fierce hand-to-hand combat, themes of honor, forced romance versus true love, high-stakes chases across rugged terrains, and mystical elements. The prose transitions smoothly from high-octane physical action—such as sword fights, horse chases, and near-death cliff leaps—to quieter, psychological moments involving introspection, dreams, allegories, and spiritual submission.
Analytics
- Character Arc Progressions:
- Barde Ruhaisu cements his status as an elite, hyper-resilient warrior and protector, displaying unmatched physical endurance and unwavering loyalty to his mission.
- Yazarina evolves from a terrified captive into a resolute, defiant heroine willing to face death rather than compromise her principles or dishonor her husband.
- Prince Mangul is portrayed as increasingly unhinged by obsession, allowing his tyrannical desires to isolate him from allies and drive him to desperate measures.
- Prince Lubainu exhibits growing internal vulnerability and anxiety, contrasting his external quest with internal premonitions of doom.
- Thematic Elements:
- Loyalty vs. Tyranny: Contrasting the honorable sacrifices of Ruhaisu and Yazarina against the selfish, forceful coercion of Mangul.
- Divine Intervention and Faith: The transition of Lubainu's party from reliance on sorcery and traditional deities toward eventual submission to the strange hero's monotheistic condition.
- Symbolism and Foresight: The incorporation of prophetic dreams and allegories (such as Dazyan's hen-and-egg dream) to foreshadow moral lessons and future conflicts.
