8 - Ayyarnath

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In the capital city of the Ayyarnath Kingdom, magic meant danger

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In the capital city of the Ayyarnath Kingdom, magic meant danger. Sil Naadi, also known as the red river that runs throughout the kingdom bores a history of a disastrous night happened centuries ago.

A large wall had been erected by the side of the river, story of the faithful night engraved on the wall to remind the danger of magic to the people of Ayyarnath.

Mathangi dismounted from her mount to read the story and each time she did, a smiled played on her lips. "If only the people knew the true story," she muttered and galloped away to the Bazaar.

The Bazaar known as the heart of goods and produce it also houses the forbidden. There were no rules in the Bazaar, the shanty town were often ignored despite their contribution to the kingdom. The ignorance of the higher authority and the status of those living there could be said a reason for the unapplied rules.

Here in the Bazaar, one can do anything and there would be no one to question, not even for the magic that lives in each one of them. Here magic could be sold. For a price, of course.

For the same reason, Mathangi had a visitor in cloak waiting for her in front of her house. In utmost discreet manner, the figure requested if Mathangi could offer her help in recovering her sick husband.

Possessing the power of purple, Mathangi was often approached for healing and ailments of ones health. Be it the worst, she could bring one back from the brink of the death without a payment to the God of Death.

Mathangi tried hard to get a glimpse of the cloaked figure but she couldn't. However, with the sophistication and the politeness of the city told her enough about the lady. The accent of the capital city rolled on the lady's tongue. Mathangi figure out she hails from a region she avoids providing her service. There lives those who had shunned them all.

"I'll give you ten thousand gold coins. Five thousand now and another half once the job done. Please, save my husband," the city lady pleaded.

More than the lady's plea, Mathangi was interested in the price offered. With ten thousand gold coins, to earn so much Mathangi would have to treat about fifty customers but here all she had to do was save a man's live. She imagined to own a huge house atop the hill away from the chaotic Ayyarnath but she wouldn't just go away rather stay to fix things before she leaves, that was certain.

"Fine, I'll take the task. Where to?" Mathangi extended her hand as the lady dropped a sack of coins in her awaiting hand.

She weighed the sack, it was heavy compared to any of the other fees she had received. Mathangi's heart fluttered.

"Very well. I expect to see you after the tenth bell tonight," the lady said.

"Where?"

"It's there in the sack. Be on time and out of sight from the guards," said the cloaked lady as she pushed pass Mathangi and merged into the crowd.

In the sack, she found a chit and as she read it's content Mathangi grew numb.
'The Palace, North wing'

The city tower toiled it's tenth bell of the night.

"There you go, it's time I close my shop for the night. Young lady, don't you want to head home?" An old man who runs a small food stall asked as she waited for the time.

"I have got someone to meet. I'll see you then." Mathangi pushed herself from the wall and headed to the palace.

After a long excruciating hour of climbing the tall wall, she was finally in the palace navigating herself to the north wing. However, much to her surprise there were two more people ahead of her, both further behind each other.

With curiosity, she followed them to the north wing in absence of any guards or servants. She was asked to followed the path the torches were leading and not to anywhere else. Diligently she did as asked and ended up in a chamber.

Across the large chamber stood a massive bedframe and on the bed laid a frail man.

"The King?" Words found their way out without her knowledge.

"Yes, I have called you here to heal the king." The lady whose voice she recognized to have hired her, spoke.

The other two men appeared as flabbergasted she was however, Mathangi regained herself quickly. "Why? The King despise people like us, he wouldn't appreciate your effort to heal him through our help," she asserted. "Is this a trap?" She asked after a thought.

"I have no such intention. Peace," said the lady whom she assumes to be the queen of Ayyarnath. "I know, the king and his past lineage have done the unimaginable..."

"And it could never forgotten, the Sil Naadi is an evidence and a constant reminder to the sins his ancestors have made," one of the men barked.

Centuries ago when the royals learnt about Pambans, people who possess magic, they felt threatened. When people seek the magic beholder's help instead of them, the royals grew insecure. And so they did what they thought was right.

They invited the Pambans, hosted a grand feast and beheaded thousands of them. Merciless was at its peak, the king's ancestors saw no mercy to the pleas of children, women and old folks. All they did was annihilated those present in for the feast. 

Mathangi possess a strange power, as one who could see the past; the scream of agony, the smell of blood, the gruesome sight killed her every time she passes through the Sil Naadi. 

All she wanted was to change the history, from the Pambans, the sinners to Pambans, the victims of power. To practice their rights freely in Ayyarnath and be safe.

"I am deeply, sincerely sorry for what our ancestors have done." The king's hoarse voice echoed in the chamber.

"A sorry will not help, Your Highness. We might need something else," Mathangi demanded.

The King knew his live was in the hands of the three descendants of Pambans and so he agreed to fulfill every demand of hers. Mathangi requested the wall of shame by the Sil Naadi to be corrected with the real history and to allow the Pambans back into the city. And they should be treated equally.

Five months after the night, Mathangi was living her dream. A house atop the hill overlooking the prosperous and harmonies Ayyarnath with a breathtaking view of the now clean, clear Sil Naadi flowing from the north to the south of the kingdom. No one knew how the red river turned clear but it was a sure sign, her ancestors have forgiven the kingdom of Ayyarnath.

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