TūMB?āR awoke. He was the last to stir as the others moved about the hall, waiting for the giant to return. He propped himself on his legs, rubbing the scar on his neck. The pain in his chest had disappeared, and he was at the very least relieved of that. He walked on the now sealed floor, and made to I?ēha?, Feyūnha?, and Naktha?m, who were seemingly at a loss what to do with the bolt.

  “Has Sthūrtha?ār not come?” asked Tūmb?ār.

  “No,” said Naktha?m, irritated, “it has been some many hours since we came to, and not a single word or sight of a magnificent entrance have we been graced with! What does he get by trying to elude us? I should hope that not all giants should be like him! Sending us for a desire that he will not come to obtain.”

  The boy ignored his complaints, looking over to the maiden, who gently held the bolt. “Doesn’t the bolt hurt your hands, I?ēha??”

  She turned his way and shook her head. “Should it hurt? It has remained rather calm in my hands and merely glows unlike when you touched it.”

  “Let Tūmb?ār handle it,” said Feyūnha?. “Perhaps it will respond to his touch. He was the one who grabbed it first.”

  “I should hope it does not hurt him! Will you take it, Tūmb?ār?”

  “Of course, give it to me!”

  As soon as she dropped it in his hands, Tūmb?ār could feel his hands sting and the bolt became more so like its excited self. The sparks that arced about stood his hair up on end. He grit his teeth as he held his arms stretched to keep the bolt as far as possible from his person.

  “It worked!” said Feyūnha?, happy over the development before looking to Tūmb?ār’s face. “Are you okay? It looks like you’re in pain.”

  “Thanks for noticing!” said Tūmb?ār through his teeth.

  The bolt then shot from his hand, sending blinding ripples of lightning through the hall. The dust lifted in the air and was sent flying through the upper passage straight to the light. And when it had disappeared, the group opened their eyes. In front stood the giant in form, holding onto the bolt. It did not show on his face, but he was well-pleased. He looked down to them and said:

  At last! The day has come where my vengeance shall be had! Dearly do I wish to thank ye for acquiring my desire, for never did I think it possible that this day should come. What is it that ye desire as recompense?

  They were glad at this, but Sanyha?mān seemed to harbor doubt. They huddled together and spoke in whispers among themselves.

  “I don’t think we should let him have the aura bolt,” said Sanyha?mān to their surprise. “It’ll indeed cause much woe were he to injure Dusdraha?.”

  And I?ēha? burst into laughter when he said that. “You think he could injure him with that! The Gods may have weaknesses, but for Dusdraha? himself to fall to a weapon of his own making is just laughable!”

  “I am rather surprised at this,” said Naktha?m, “what makes you think Dusdraha? shall be injured by his own weapon? Could he not just nullify it?”

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  “That’s where the problem lies—it’s been on my mind as of late,” Sanyha?mān said, now mulling over his thoughts. “There’s a story I heard long back, of the great monkey-king, whose name I share and who forcefully attended the banquet of the Gods and instigated a war with them having been slighted. It’s said that overpowered Dusdraha?, wielding the bolt upon his staff along with all the soldiers and Celestials sent his way. I know of no other incident where a ?ārha?n could overpower a god in such a way. Were it not for the intervention of Ishvha??ār, Vshepha?, and īrshevha?, he could have surely killed him. I sometimes wonder why the latter have chosen not to usurp Dusdraha?’s role, being much wiser and perhaps more powerful in many aspects, but I guess it’s not in their making to act as such.”

  “That cannot surely be true!” said Ai?th. “While I have had many revelations traveling with all of you, the tale you speak of sounds like many other such tales of the Gods being deceived and defeated. What makes you sure that this specific tale is true?”

  He sighed and said, “Because he is still alive. Seemingly having been given immortality by them.”

  There was silence now, and they looked to him wide-eyed.

  “He too, carries a bolt of Dusdraha?, and a magnificent staff. It’d be more accurate to say that I’m in search of him, so that I can find the location to the Vaisvyamha? and, in due time, commence the divine banquet. But there are certain conditions I have to meet till such a time comes.”

  “To what end, may I ask?” said Naktha?m. “You have still withheld from us why it is you seek it?”

  “Though I am an outsider to this group, even I wish to know, for it intrigues me,” said Yūrmat?tha, “but only if you should be willing to tell us? It would not be ill to lay your troubles on us and let us know what ails you. You have ever remained cheerful among us, but there was something amiss when you last spoke of this.”

  He scratched his head and exhaled. “I seek it for the continuation of my kin.”

  “What does that mean?” said Feyūnha?, confused along with the others.

  “It’s a long story that involves my progenitor name-sake, but I promise that I’ll relate of it when the time comes,” said Sanyha?mān with solemn face. “For now, I wish you to trust me.”

  He then bowed to them.

  Tūmb?ār lifted him and said to the others, “Well, if he really wants to prevent something bad to Dusdraha?, why not let him? It can’t hurt.”

  “’Tis not the problem,” said I?ēha? vexed, “he—like me—and the princess here seems to hide troubles of his own. I and perhaps Feyūnha? wished to speak of such things when an opportune time presented itself, and no doubt Sanyha?mān is in the same position. But seeing how this bolt seems to cause him enough distress to ask us to let him take it away from the giant, it seems at least deserving of us to know the full extent of his reason for wanting to protect the King of the Gods—though I feel the concern unwarranted, the story of his being true or not.”

  Tūmb?ār looked to him and asked, “Will you not tell us?”

  He shook his head. “Perhaps when we have reached my village I shall say, but for now I wish you to trust me on this.”

  “Regardless, we cannot let you take to aura bolt from him,” said I?ēha?. “There is likely an exit to these ruins but I would much rather leave here now and not continue any further seeing as how Yūrmat?tha and Hvesykhi? will not guide us from here. I should think the giant is our only means out and risking angering him could prove even deadly to us.”

  “Aye, we must part ways when the giant has been satisfied and I too agree that you best not anger him,” said Yūrmat?tha.

  Sanyha?mān thought for a bit and said, “Perhaps there’s another way around this. Allow me to converse with him. Perhaps I can have him make a promise that should be in all our interests.”

  I?ēha? was still unsure of this. She looked to the others, who also looked rather hesitant, but Tūmb?ār out of all them, seemed to be the only one to seem to trust him. She sighed and said, “As long as you promise to not make him hand over the bolt, then we should be fine. What say all of you?”

  “I trust the monkey. He did, after all, carry me through the desert, even if it was by dragging. Remind me when I should need to do that for you,” said Naktha?m with a grin, to Sanyha?mān’s annoyance.

  “No objections from me,” said Feyūnha?.

  “If the goddess trusts you, then so shall I,” said Ai?th.

  “While I am not a part of this group, I too see no issue in it,” said Yūrmat?tha.

  Vrihkha? nodded, as did Hvesykhi?.

  And Tūmb?ār said, “We’re all in agreement! Go talk to him Sanyha?mān.”

  The monkey-man bowed to them. “My gratitude to all of you!”