chapter 4: A new journey

Suru is a beautiful valley in kargil district of ladakh in india

Story continues..

As he set out on the journey to become the greatest spao this world had ever witnessed, he knew that the path ahead would be challenging. He had to endure many hardships, but he was determined to overcome them all. Guided by Ali, Fayaz's next destination was the beautiful yet rough terrain of Suru.

With the first beam of light, Fayaz began his journey with the permission of his beloved teacher. 'Fayaz, you are now much stronger than before, but your journey of learning is not over yet. There are many things you are still unaware of, and you have much to learn. So work hard and become a great person who can make the world a better place with peace, Ali said, handing Fayaz a new sword."

With blessings of his master He continued his journey, his footsteps resolute as he traversed the rugged terrain of Suru. With each step, Fayaz felt a sense of purpose driving him forward, his determination unwavering despite the challenges that lay ahead. Through sweltering heat and biting cold, he pressed on, guided by the wisdom imparted by Ali and fueled by his own inner strength. As the days turned into weeks, Fayaz encountered obstacles of every kind, from treacherous cliffs to fierce beasts lurking in the shadows. But with each obstacle he overcame, he grew stronger and more resilient, his resolve hardened by the trials he faced. And though the journey was long and arduous, Fayaz never faltered, his spirit undaunted as he forged ahead on his quest to become the greatest spao the world had ever known.

With every passing day, he drew closer to his goal, fueled by the belief that within him lay the power to change the world for the better And as he continued his journey, Fayaz knew that no matter what challenges lay ahead, he would face them head-on, armed with the knowledge that he carried within him the strength to overcome any obstacle and emerge victorious.

After traveling for two weeks, Fayaz was close to his destination. He had been told that at a place called Panikhar in the Suru Valley, he would meet Zalk. When he reached near Panikhar, he saw a dim light far away. It was already night, but he thought he would meet Zalk or another spao there, so he went toward the dim light in hopes of finding someone.

However, he was shocked. when he reached there and saw a man sucking the blood of another man. Fayaz boiled with anger, but the man noticed him, and when he turned around, he was not human. It was a majuk.

This was the second time Fayaz encountered a majuk in this form. Normally, majuk look like humans, but when they feast on humans, they show their real face. There is not much difference; when majuk consume human blood, their teeth grow like those of a lion, and they develop a single horn on their forehead."

Fayaz was outraged by watching all this. He rushed toward the monster with unbelievable speed, and without any hesitation, he drew out his sword and smashed the majuk, separating its head from its body. But the monster was not dead yet, it laughed and said, 'What a foolish creature. With those words, its head turned to dust.

Fayaz felt relieved, but to his surprise, the monster's head regenerated from the rest of its body. Fayaz was shocked. He thought, 'Why didn't it die when I slashed its head off? Its head was just on the ground. How could this be possible?

As the moon shone its light on the land of Panikhar, he stood confused but firm, his blade shining dimly. His heart raced with anticipation, knowing tonight he might face the ultimate challenge.

The Majuk was furious, its eyes filled with hatred and anger. Fayaz could sense the darkness in its aura. The Majuk rushed towards Fayaz with unbelievable speed, but Fayaz didn't flinch even for a second. As the Majuk attacked him, he dodged by an inch.

If Fayaz had been even a second late, he would have been dead meat. Fayaz was ready for a counterattack just after dodging the first attack from the demon.

Fayaz turned back and cut its hand, but it grew again, and the Majuk said, "I can regenerate, but you can't." With this, the process continued. Fayaz would cut its body parts, and it would regenerate again. In this battle, Fayaz also got some injuries, but as he is human, he can't regenerate his body.

Fayaz was now totally tired, and he was losing his confidence. He thought, "Why in the hell is this creature not dead yet?" He was now totally out of stamina.

The Majuk rushed towards him again, and this time Fayaz was not able to dodge the attack. He fell onto the ground, thinking it's all over for him, as his whole life flashed in front of his eyes. The Majuk laughed and said, "You filthy human, how can you expect to win, you fool?"

The Majuk was ready for the next attack, but suddenly it was cut in half. Its body was separated into two equal halves, but this time it didn't regenerate.

It became dust. When Fayaz opened his eyes, he saw a boy standing in front of him with white hair and light brown eyes filled with coldness. The boy extended his hand towards Fayaz and asked, "Are you okay?

Fayaz was now totally confused. He stood upright and asked, "Who are you, and how did you do that? I attacked him so many times, but it didn't affect him, yet you killed it with just one blow. How is that possible?"

The boy replied, "First of all, take a breath. I will tell you everything. But first, I should treat your wounds."

Then the boy took some bandages and medicine from the bag he was carrying and gave Fayaz first aid treatment.

"Now explain to me, what is happening? Why couldn't I defeat this huge creature? Am I not strong enough for this task? Am I too weak to beat this monster? Fayaz asked in total confusion; his mind wasn't working at the moment.

"No, that's not it," the stranger replied. "First off, my name is Sanma, and I'm a student of Mr. Zalk.

He sent me here to bring you to our place," said Sanma with a little bit of coldness .

"So you're Mr. Zalk's student. I get it now, that's why you're so strong, Fayaz replied with a sigh of relief.

"But how did you manage to defeat that creature?" Fayaz asked with curiosity, "Well, that Majuk can't be killed by randomly cutting its body. It can only be defeated by cutting it into two equal parts vertically, and it's not easy," Sanma explained.

"Ah, now I understand why it didn't die when I slashed its neck, Fayaz said with a grin. "Mr. Zalk is waiting for us, so we should depart now," saying this, Sanma took his bag and sword from the ground. Fayaz was utterly thrilled to meet Zalk. "By the way, are you also a Spao?" Fayaz inquired with curiosity.

"Not yet, but soon I will be one. You see, I have been training with Mr. Zalk for 2 years, so next year I am going to undertake the exam," Sanma replied with true determination.

"That's fantastic, so we both are going to be Spao next year," Fayaz said with a chuckle.

"If you complete your training by then, Sanma responded with a grin. "Enough discussion for now, we should get going.

If we are tardy, Mr. Zalk would be displeased, Sanma said with a cold expression on his face.

"Ok, let's depart!" Fayaz exclaimed with excitement. They strolled for 30 minutes; now they could spot a faint light in the midst of the forest.

"Now, that's our destination," Sanma remarked to Fayaz. "Not too distant; appears like this journey is nearing its end, Fayaz replied with a sense of relief.

After another 15 minutes, they arrived. It was a medium-sized house..

"This is our fortress. Welcome to the great Mr. Zalk's hideout!" Sanma declared with some peculiar gestures. "Ok!" Fayaz responded with unease.