"No way, Ira!" Ashwant yelled.

His swollen eyes were brimming with unshed tears. The last I checked a few hours ago, he hadn't looked lankier as much as of now, and with a posture that sagged. The pain that I had once experienced, the overwhelming feeling of hopelessness, the relentless trauma- today I was seeing it on his face. It was crystal clear why though. The time for dire distress was here. With Doctor resting in death's cold embrace, everything has turned topsy-turvy. In addition, Almourah's wordless warning to annex Paramarashtra did bring back the torturous fear. Nevertheless, just for once, I wanted Ashwant to believe that Doctor had done something unthinkable to make him the succeeding master of the Diamond. And that, there was still hope.

The moment we'd reached the beautiful and hidden village of the Clan of Matsyasvi, Pruthvi, Leena and I were surprised to find the entire clan frightened and distraught more than necessary. The news of beastly clan's return seemed to have initiated an unusual commotion amongst them. Shortly before we had arrived, Sharad's knights were already spread across the clan trying to subside the growing chaos. Somehow this seemed to be a complex sight to behold. And all I understood that they wanted to return to Uttarameer and live with some Lady.

"Our Lady will protect us!" One of them had said.

"Our Lady wants us united!" said the other.

Ashwant, after finishing his day-long tiring duties at the graveyard, had dealt with the commotion tactfully and only after a few statements of reassurance, his clan had calmed down and returned to their respective huts calling it a day. The more immediate bad news, that came to him like a jolt, was when Ira informed him about our arrival with a beast.

Pruthvi had been thoughtful enough to hide the beast we had caught a few hours ago. He had taken it down to the underlying basement without anyone noticing. Thanks to Ira for showing an alternate direction, away from the eyes of the Clan of Matsyasvi, that lead them to that room. He and Leena had been guarding the beast since then. While I was here, standing in the middle of the hut, and waiting for Ashwant to calm down. He was an emotional wreck at the moment and there was absolutely no way to fully avoid him from overreacting that had everything to do with us confining an unwanted guest in his hut.

"How can you let them have a beast stay in my hut?" he asked, gravely. "Don't you know what they have against us?"

"These three have nowhere else to go," she explained, "They are practically homeless. I thought you'd understand."

"Oh, I understand it quite right," he revolted, "I understand that you've paved an easy way for Almourah to attack my clan."

"No, that can't be true!"

"You," he said, looking pointedly at me, "Ask your friends to take that beast somewhere else. Out of my hut. Out!"

"That basement of yours is perfect," I said calmly, ignoring his persistent attempt to get rid of us. "How come you never told us about it?"

"Had I ever mentioned, you would have already started a wrecking club down there. And look at what you are doing with it right now. Ira, please open the Gates. Let them go."

Ira shrugged at me, helpless. I gave her a single nonchalant nod as a cue to ask her to take it easy. Ashwant walked past Ira when she strolled inside the kitchen, leaving us alone. He went straight to the cabinet and pulled a large glass gasket and two containers.

"Mead?" He offered.

"No, thank you."

Without further imploring, he fixed one for himself. His face scrunched gulping down the reddish-brown liquor. My gaze dropped down to the floor inhaling the aroma that instantly filled in the living room, drifting the smell of the fish. The sweet and spicy intoxicating beverage reminded me of the unforgettable aftermath effect on the person I longed to see.

Ashwant sniffed. Tears dropped his cheek which he quickly wiped it away. Gulped the whole glass of mead at once. Fixed another one, and consumed it as well in a hurry. Drinking, what a great and stupid coping mechanism that actually never worked.

My throat constricted watching him stare into the abyss as if there wasn't going to be another day with the sun. The silence was profound and disturbing.

"Ashwant, listen," I said.

"Don't!" He hedged. His voice was rude and commanding, which I ignored.

"I really want you to talk to me this evening-about anything you want to - guys, guns, girls anything- I don't care. I promise I won't be the person to console or sympathize because I know it sucks. I hated it myself."

"Well, for now, you need to take that damn beast out of my hut. It's not safe for my clan. You've seen how enraged they were a few minutes ago. And it will start double the ruckus if anyone finds out about a beast staying in the vicinity."

I stuffed my hands in the pockets, feeling the warmth of my stone. "What do you mean it's not safe for your clan, considering nobody is safe with them being around?"

He furrowed his brow, looking sideways at me. "Don't you know?"

I made a face. People need to really stop asking me this question. "When have I ever known anything?"

"Strange. Very strange," he said, taking another deep swig. "I thought my father was just making things up, considering I've never seen them my entire life. I thought it was just a bedtime story to make me sleep or keep me at this side of the limit line. But I guess not." He took another sip. "His name was lost, remained unspoken for the past thirty years. Thanks to King Harsh and his sacrifices, my clan absolutely forgot to fear him. Even with Shashi around, things haven't been as bad as they are going to be now. I... I'm worried."

"Why?" I asked, watching him, walk over with the glass and the half-emptied bottle of mead. He then sat down on the chair, dispirited. "Talk to me," I urged.

"I'm worried that tomorrow morning I might wake up and see dead bodies of my friends lingering outside my threshold. As if Tyrell hasn't been giving us enough headaches- now it is the superlative, undefeated master of evilness, someone who has forever harbored that meaningless grudge against us. With my father not around...how am I supposed to save my clan?"

"You are not alone."

"Hayden, you don't understand."

"Then explain it to me."

"He wants my clan dead...wiped out."

"Almourah?"

"Yes. Now that my father's gone, the magic that trapped them in their province is broken."

I mentally tipped a glass of Uilani at Pruthvi for his wild speculation that seemed to be true. "Are you sure this magic is broken because of Doctor's death?"

"I'm certain my father performed an approved dark magic. Such kind of magic comes with a flaw, a loophole, just like how Shaytan Rup is for Yajna."

"Was."

"I stand corrected," he said, pressing his tearful eyes shut. "The point is, these types of dark magic are always linked with the one who implants it. Certainly, it is now broken with the nonexistence of my father. They are crossing the border and there is no stoppage. Their number must be tripled in these thirty years. He is going to get what he wants. And there's absolutely nothing I can do."

He took the Diamond out of his pocket and stared at it for a while. It shimmered as his vulnerability around him and I disliked the idea of letting him remain silent, drowned in his own pessimistic thoughts. Speaking his heart out was important for the healing to begin. "I thought all he needs is the woman's blood for his progressive dark magic," I said, "Isn't he just a beast with two hearts?"

He balled his fist, holding his stone as tight as he can. "Sure, power makes you beastly especially when there is no fear of death." His relaxed pose stiffened with anxiety. I hardly had known, in my attempt to pacify Ashwant, I'd find him as the best source of information this evening. He added, "Almourah was a human. A normal human being, a fatherless child. Grown-up learning, developing and inventing dark magic until he became the subject of the legend himself. The centuries of hard work and diligence is meant only to fulfill his aim to demolish Lady Matsyasvi. And her clan."

I stood unmoved, expressionless, acting out a pretense of not being surprised. The information Nazira had conveyed seemed extremely scant. Almourah being a human before the dark magic had taken away his human life form? A fatherless child? Those words were hard to comprehend and understand.

Ashwant continued, "Lady Matsyasvi is born of magic. So is Sir Pizaca. The woman who gave birth to Almourah was the one who created Matsyasvi and Pizaca, pouring life in them. In other terms, they are siblings. They are the originators of these three non-human clans of Paramarashtra. Together known as the TriArambh."

My brain stuttered for the moment. I gave up trying to remain nonchalant and silently sank into the chair beside him before this mythical accounts of the genesis of these clans knocked me down. "Lady Matsyasvi and Sir Pizaca, are they as powerful as Almourah, given that Almourah hasn't yet been able to kill his sister yet?"

"Yes, extremely powerful in their own individual way. They are immune to death. They are not even part humans like their clans are. They are soulless. They are divine. We pray Vrindahina to seek Lady Matsyasvi's blessing, to participate in the ceremony. They are our biological drive to help to build our clan, to keep going, to...procreate."

It was getting difficult to not to express my feelings bubbling like acid in my gut. "Sorry?"

"We are not humans," he said. "We are Matsyasvi. Things are different with us. Being human-ly, talking, walking, having emotions and the capability to control them is just a camouflage, a method of disguise. It lets us mingle with the humans without them freaking out on us. We consider it as an inherited asset, which is not accepted by certain sections of our community. And that had become our main reason to get separated from others who preferred to stay back in Uttarameer."

I gently nodded, trying to maintain a sense of understanding and maturity. However, Ashwant's statement suddenly reminded me of the beast I had tried to kill, which turned out to be immortal. "It's kinda weird to ask, but...you die, right? Like us?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Like you?"

"I mean like a normal human."

He nodded. "We don't have two hearts, Hayden. We have one heart and a soul. Our blood is still red. There is a difference between magic and dark magic. And that's why we believe we deserve human rights. What's the difference anyway- one is dark other is white..."

"And another has a fish tail instead of legs."

"Correct." His stiff expression broke into a smile. He must have picked up the sense of jibe in my tone. Now that was some progress.