I have become the Neifar. The stringent poison that dims every light to greet the abyss.
~Zwisk Viz Ahnay, the brother of Walor Viz Ahnay.
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In the season of Zelos, at the month of Crol-23, nearing fifth Payora in Gezareal Hivar.

The sangria-lilac waves of the cosmos pitched in between the setting turquoise and blazing hues. The splashing waves unveiled their spots of glowing grains as the light submitted itself to the darkness, in contrast to nature, which glistened with its crystals of sand when it was wet under the light. When the hurricanes of the clouds whirled in like a blanket, they teased each other to spill their ethereal drops of love on the land.

The caressing warmth of the trickling moisture acted as a sleeping pill that revitalised everything around. When the beautiful strings of nature were played, quenching music was heard. Just like the tips of the butterfly carry some drops of nectar, the soft zephyrs cuffed some drops before they could hit the ground. Those drops held the eccentric gravity of the wind, which caressed them enough to let them rest on Zwisk's eyes.

He woke up when his skin screamed about the acquired wetness over his summery body. He wasn't in a certain mood, even though he could recall certain things from the past. He needed someone to help him. Someone worthy of his trust and respect. When he tried to move to expand his posture vertically, his legs hit something hard.

In no time, he shifted his head to see that he had hit his minister's elbow that was resting, along with him in the armchair. He woke up suddenly and rolled his eyes in all possible angles just to fix it on his emperor. His lips threw a perfect smile that had typical joy and cheer. He comforted Zwisk to get up and position himself in the divan.

"Glad that you woke soon, your highness! Nearly three years have passed since the last moment you were awake and aware."

What? For three hours straight, I was sleeping. Seriously, he thought. When he was about to revise it, the lilac shades of the sky answered his unasked question. He clearly remembered seeing the silhouette of Hivar, the mid-air arrow, and what happened then. His words remained silent, but not his mind.

"I should report that you're back to your senses. Let me go and fetch them soon," the minister added.

"Fetch whom? And what's happening nowhere?" He made his confusion heard.

"Your highness! We came here for the war with the notion of killing the Hivarians and ruling their men under our reign. But now, they stand before us as the saviour of your life! We owe them more than what we can repay," he replied.

"What? Did they save me? What are you saying? They saved me from whom when they were the ones who were my targets?"

Before he could add more fuel to his ignited ignorance, the minister silenced him by waving his arms up and down. Without further spill of words, Zwisk stopped his speech. Then the minister took a deep breath and let out a sigh. He centred him in the van and asked him to calm down.

"It seems like you've no idea what happened today. Let me explain things in brief. May I?"

"Don't be brief. I want it in every detail. If you can, you may." Zwisk demanded it.

"Sure, your highness! I'm in your service," the minister gave in.

"I trust you, minister, and I mean it. Well, go ahead!" Zwisk made his regarding remark.

The minister reflected his pride through a smooth smile and started to narrate the events that happened years ago in every detail he could. 

The minister told Zwisk about his running towards the shielding globe with his claver-shaped sword after pushing him down. Zwisk was shattered by his calm manoeuvre. When the rest of the incident was narrated until his bloodless injury, he was baffled to the core. He thought of pausing but chose to hear it completely. When the narration went to the point where the minister tried to heal him, he couldn't contain himself on hearing that.

"So it was you who healed me?" Zwisk asked dubiously, yet in cheer.

"Well, I tried to. But the one who healed you was-"

"Wait! Let me guess. So you fetched for the Hivar's medens and saved me." Stating that he placed his first two fingers on his forehead and scratched his head to remember something,.

"If I remember well, his name should be... Ah, Amaranth Aboler. Right?' he asked in the joy of remembering it. 

He's one of the greatest divine priests and the most talented connoisseurs ever found in the Luma's dynasty. Hivar was really blessed to have him, who saved many lives whenever they were endangered by some sort of macroscopic or microscopic illness.

"Amaranth Aboler? Who is he?" The minister asked mystically. 

"So it wasn't him? If yes, then you could've not asked this of me." Zwisk tried to comprehend things.

'No Zwisk! He knows me, but not my name.' 

A deep voice was heard from the corner of the room. A man, in his mid-adulthood, emerged from the shades of black into the light to reveal himself. A pair of bright Liz-coloured eyes with a well-built physique wearing a chemise and a mantle that splashed his chamomile scent in the geosmin teasing buds stated his métier. Before he could reveal his complete identity, Zwisk knew who he was. He sped up near him and touched his feet to get his blessings. Together, they greeted each other with a warm smile.

"How fortunate I'm to see you. I hope your scars are scabs now! Or are you still hoeing over them?' 

"You always get me right. But this time, I'm not sure of it myself! I hope they are knitting back. Maybe. Maybe not." Zwisk stated it in an abstruse manner. 

"Ah, that cryptic tone. Haahaa. You're the same little boy who left Hivar like a misty, strong storm. No change at all!" Amaranth exclaimed in cheer and embraced him from the sides. Zwisk responded with a grin.

"So if it wasn't you? Then who mended me? I really want to know." He put forth his unsolved doubt. 

"Very curious, you. But will you believe me if I say?"

"Why not? The whole Hivar knows very well that you can never lie."

Amaranth Aboler was the one who had surrendered his services under righteousness to Lord Hegal. He can communicate with their lord if the lord himself wishes to address his clan. If he attempted to lie, he would be tormented enough to give up his life because no one can trait the disciple the Lord had chosen for himself. He doesn't have that power from birth. It was a passed-on, prestigious position until some life was born with that core of theurgy. When such a person is born with this gifted possession, and once they acknowledge that supreme power, he or she shall become the priest or priestess. 

"Ahaaa. So you remember things, don't you? Here you go. Let me tell you the things you've forgotten in this remedial trial." He gave a pat on Zwisk's forearm and looked into his thirsty eyes. 

"You were lying on the warground, almost lifeless. Thank God that your minister saved your vitals until our empress approached you with her daughter. So together they saved you, and you must admit that because that's the truth."

His words had an effect that an ocean would face when countless storms come uninvited. Pain, resentment, anguish, and desolation trailed him. Years ago, he wanted to know the Saviour, go to them, and thank them with full commitment. And now, he could sense things falling apart. He felt like he was unleashing his sanity. He felt like something had ripped his courage and convictions apart. After all these years, he is facing the pain yet again. But for some reason, this pain felt right.

He had no words. Even if he tried, the words weren't ready to rely on his tongue. He felt like he had been tricked into facing the ones who were his only traitors but now his treasure. He couldn't conclude or confess anything. Once again, he felt deeply dejected. His every emotion was visible in his watery eyes, which had leapt to kick his face with reality. He knew not what to do. He gave a puzzled stare to both of them.

"Humble greetings, Amaranth! Shall we come in? Did he wake up? Is everything fine? With whom are you talking?" A concerned, caring voice was heard from the pathway that leads people to this room. The growing intensity of the voice indicated that the person was approaching them. The tone made Zwisk realise that it was from his brother Walor.

He wasn't ready yet but before he could act there he stood. Seeing Zwisk awake Walor ran to him and hugged him tightly after a very long time. His greedy arms ran over his back caressing him with all his might. Zwisk broke so small in front of his massive love. He just rejoiced that moment without any words.

"You moron! Where the hell did you go? You have always said that you'll never leave me alone, and I trusted you like a fool, you bastard! I have been searching for you until the news about your crowning success over Jamedigs reached me. You shouldn't have gone. You halfhearted idiot!" He spoke with a shiver, yet it had the full enthusiasm and cheer of having met him again.

"You searched for me!? Did you?" Zwisk asked in doubt.

"How dare you doubt me? You're my little prince. You're always that. How will I not search for you? You have missed many things, Zwiss... And I missed you. Our father missed you, and we both missed you." He spoke while his eyes pumped out the water he had built in it. 

"Father missed me? Walor, are you sure?" His eyes almost popped out on hearing that sentence.

"Times change, Zwisk. Fortuity never leaves anyone unnoticed. He repented for all his wrongs, and he died without fulfilling his last wish. He loved you, and he hated himself. He died, Zwisk, and you know that. You know something; he wanted you to perform his last rites, and don't forget to know what it was. His last wish was to see you and apologize for all the wrongs he did to you." 

Walor revealed all the things that completely shattered Zwisk to the core. He never expected this. For all these years, he thought that he wasn't welcomed here. He ran away from places to mask himself from the eyes of Hivarians. If he had known that this was his fortune in the past, he wouldn't have been this late at all. He wanted his place on their land and nothing more. He wanted this warmth always, and for that, he planned the war. He never thought otherwise, and that became his classic mistake.

"I'm sorry, Walor. I have been punishing myself and everyone else. I know not how to set things right." He was at a loss for words. Everyone stood wordless.

Indeed, words weren't needed.

"Aren't they already fine?"

A substantial tone thwacked the silence that seeped in. Everyone turned to look in that direction to see Rominia walking towards them with a beautiful smile, carrying their joyous daughter along with her. When Walor was about to exclaim, she crossed her pointer finger on her lips as a symbol to keep everyone quiet. If not, she would wake up to break the ones who disturbed her sleep. That smile had such a shine that it was reflecting on her sapphire blue eyes.

Zwisk fiddled in Walor's arms and hid in his chest. He suddenly started behaving so clumsily. 

"What on earth are you doing, Zwiss? Come on, be a man." Walor hissed on his earlobes carefully.

"I can't face them, brother! I'm not ready. I have put them through so much pain, and I feel guilty. I feel like I'm a coward... I need some time. Help me." Zwisk pleaded with him. 

"You need my help? Even now! Ah, my Apihy, please grow up." Walor chided him in a kidding tone. 

"No! Please don't call me that. I have become the Neifar. The stringent poison dims every light to greet the abyss. I have weakened the family, breaking it once again."

"You belong here, Zwisk. Shall you not forget that? You heard me?"

When Zwisk was about to answer, one more footstep was heard. Who's coming here now? he thought to himself. Before anyone could analyse, a soldier came with a golden robe of cloth that had been rolled over the stick. The sandalwood scent made them know from where it had arrived.

Walor loosened his grip on Zwisk and gathered his steps towards the soldier. He took out the perfectly placed cloth and let his rough grip position those velvets on his palms. A bright smile toddled his lips in a complimenting manner. That smile was enough to let anyone know that it was this news!

"It's happening finally! I need all of your attention now. Sharpen your ears. Get ready, people! It's from the Saurabh Stupa. Our tiny birdie's Naamekaran Utsav is scheduled exactly in a few dezaeh. Happiest and most memorable day ever."

Walor announced it effectively and shifted his glare to Rominia, who was already in a consecrated state. She ran her fingers over her birdie's face and caressed her. 

This could already be guessed from the glittery colour and the drenching scent of the robe, but his announcement added a new sense of impulsive joy to everyone's ars. It was festive inside and out.

"Wow! That's great news. So who's going to precede the function this time?" Amaranth asked in a typical tone that had a flavour of humour, bullying, and control in a balanced mode.

Walor shifted his gaze to Rominia, who winked at him in response. Zwisk felt timid for some unknown reason, and before he could sense it, unfortunately, every pair of eyes were looking in his direction. He gave his blank stare at Walor, who winked at him.

"This time, Zwisk will do it all." Walor made the announcement and moved near him.

He was a bit shaking, and he knew why. He slowly lifted his eyes to him and gave him a questioning stare.

"Don't worry, Zwisk, no one can stop you from doing this. It was our decision anyway, and I hope you can do this for us, my little son." Rominia cleared his fogging mind and turned the mustered coldness into the elixir of courage that he needed.  

He, at last, faced her motherly grace and let himself slip into it without any further despairing delay. His tears knew no bounds. He had many words that raced to come out of his glued lips. Before he could part them, his head nodded very fast. 

Rominia threw a smile and came near him. She shifted their birdie to her right and held his forearms with her left. That gentle touch elevated his face. She took one drop of his tear and closed her palms tightly. She opened it again to reveal it to him. Those flowing tiny drops had been trapped and solidified into a hard and tough diamond.

"You're a good Zwisk, and you were tricked into your trifling fate. Shed off the remorse and get up for whatever awaits you. You are always loved by us, and never forget that."

She uttered every word carefully, as she could sense how fragile he was! At some point, she wanted to hand over their princess to him, but she could understand his imbalance and had dispersed the thought lately. She saw him as her son. Whatever he had done to her had never changed her view.

"I accept your words. Thank you so much for everything," he said.

"Thanks to you too, Zwisk. You have made the family outshine the unsolved hardships. Indeed, we're grateful to you." Rominia communicated her thoughts.

"So it's decided. Ok, then let's go and have some dinner. I can't wait anymore for this amazing family dinner that I have longed for so far." Walor concluded their session.

Without further delay, everyone went to the dining room, sat on a rhomboid table, and had their imperialistic dinner with truffles, berries, buttery appetisers, veggies, fruits, nuts, and whatnot.

When they were done, they all went to their rooms to converse about some light matters and then slipped into sleep. For today, Walor had been excused by Rominia for not being with her and their birdie. Indeed, she was the one who had requested that he spend his time with Zwisk.

"So... what do we do next?" Zwisk asked his brother.

"Nothing much, Zwiss. I was just curious to know this. Where did you go right after you left Hivar?" he asked him. 

"Ahh... again, that! But I am here now. Aren't you happy?"

"Hey hey... It's not that. After all, it all happened many yorveh ago. Maybe you don't remember." Walor teased him.

"Exactly! I have been searching for the answer inside me, and I'm getting blank when I shoot that question inside my skull's pocket."

"No need, Zwiss. Don't bother yourself. You ought to rest, or else your sister-in-law will charge me."

"Can't deny that. But she is very caring. I'm so happy for you, Walor.' he added.

"Don't worry, soon you'll be tied to someone who deserves you! Till then, have some time for yourself and be joyous in being self-contained."

They both jiggled on Walor's remark and kept shifting the topics from one point to another. Somewhere deep, Walor's question poked him tight. And he was trying to retrieve his memory, but it chose to stay perfectly hidden. He couldn't get things on the line. At last, he gave up triggering his memories.

The soothing drops of rain sang their lullabies in their ears. Their eyes were pulled by the lids as a request to enjoy nature's symphony in perfect brotherhood peace.