The Trials of Abhaari, Chapter 5

from the sacred text "Abhaari on His Arduous Path"

1. And so Abhaari was on the road again. He walked for many days, and many nights. He lived under the open sky, and amongst the animals of the lush forest. 2. The road was but a strip of land, barren of grass and bushes. Many before had walked this path, and many after shall walk it as well. 3. The clouds did not cover the sun, and the winds did not pierce the cloth of his garment. For that, he was most grateful. 4. His bag was rich with bread, cheese, and fruit, and in a flask he carried refreshing water, and in another he carried spirited wine. 5. Whenever the sun would rise, he would eat the fruit, and he would drink the water. And whenever the sun would set, he would eat the bread with the cheesem, and he would drink the wine. 6. This were the gifts offered by the king of the fields and pastures, and he cherished them every day through prayer, and through remembrance. 7. And so the days melted into the nights, and the forest warped around the road. Abhaari would walk tirelessly ahead, for he had to reach the king of valleys and cliffs.

8. Many moons followed Abhaari on his journey through the forest. The road was winding and full of stones, some larger than others, and some sharper than others. 9. The skies were dark from rain, and his skin was cut by the winds. His bag was lighter than feathers, and his flasks drier than sand. 10. His mouth was begging for rainfall to quench the thirst. His stomach was begging for leaves and berries to sate the hunger. 11. His knees hurt, and his elbows hurt as well. He felt pain throughout the body, starting from his feet, reaching his palms, and surpassing his head. 12. He remembered the words of his friend, the king of fields and pastures. He had learned of gluttony and greed, and he had to be cleansed. 13. With teary eyes, he thanked the path for tiring him, the clouds for hiding the light, and the winds for hurting his flesh. 14. And so Abhaari went to sleep that night, troubled by the path he chose to walk upon.

15. Abhaari was surrounded by mists in a dark cave. His eyes could hardly find the walls of the tunnel, or the ceiling of the tunnel. 16. A strange presence stood in front of him, hidden by the mists and the darkness around him. He knew of this presence, and he was furious. 17. "Why doth thou reveal thyself, demon?", he hissed at the presence. "I have grown wiser, and I shall not fall for thy schemes". 18. The presence grinned, its large eyes glimmering from the depths. His mouth was very large, and he had hundreds of teeth. 19. "I am no demon, boy, and I doth not lower myself to dabble in tricks", it chuckled. "It is the young who asks for the world, and the elder who is afraid of its price." 20. "It is the nature of our world to ask, and to receive. And for each wish we want granted, we pay the cost incurred." Its teeth moved in entrancing waves as it spoke. 21. "I have been foolish in the past, and I have paid thy price for it! Why doth thou return?", Abhaari asked whilst slowly walking back.

22. The presence shifted in the dark, never leaving Abhaari out of its gaze, and always grinning with its many teeth. 23. "It is the blessed who ask for respite, and have the stones move away. It is the blessed who ask for guidance, and have the clouds clear. It is the blessed who ask for help, and have the winds lift their weight." 24. "I have appeared before a child, and the child paid the price of knowledge. I shall come before an elder, and have the elder pay the price of courage." 25. "Yet now I appear before a man, and the man must pay the price for strength." The presence let its wide grin grow a little smaller, and its gaze a little softer. 26. He stared the presence in its eyes with sweat dripping from his body. "I know not to accept blindly, and I know the price of asking for too much. Name thy conditions." 27. "For ten days, I will fill thy bag with food, and thy flasks with drinks. And each night, I will break one of thy fingers, and thou shall bear the pain of each finger until you reach the kingdom." 28. And so Abhaari agreed, and shook the hand of the presence. Its smile widened once again, letting out a laugh most horridly cold before he woke up.

29. Abhaari continued his walk, slowly overcoming the stones on his path, the clouds on the sky, and the wind gushing in front of him. 30. He found the presence keeping its promise, and every time the sun would rise, and every time the sun would set, he would eat and drink as he pleased. 31. And every night before falling asleep, he could feel the presence biting into his flesh, and breaking another one of his fingers. 32. The pain would only grow from one day to the next, yet he endured it all without complaint, always walking ahead on his path. 33. The night would fall six times before he would leave the forest, and another four more days to reach the gates of the king's castle. 34. He endured three days and three nights of pain, walking as a stranger in a stranger's world, and refusing the help of those around him. 35. And on the final night he slept on the streets of the city, and wept in silence before the gates. But as the sun rose the next day, his fingers were all healed, and towering above him was the king himself.