Asad: Welcome, boy.
Aws, with a shy smile: Hello… it's an honor to meet you.
Hilal, placing his hand on Aws's shoulder: Asad is a skilled fighter, and a traveler of the Divine Path as well. He is truly one of the finest warriors I've known.
Asad's face turned serious, his eyes sharp and piercing as he looked at Aws:
– Why do you want to learn to fight? Why do you wish to carry a weapon? It is dangerous—capable of harming as much as it protects. Tell me, what is the first thing you must learn?
Aws froze for a moment, then recalled the words spoken to him when he received his sword:
"The heart and desire. Only a heart that weighs justice with the scales of light may bear its edge. Blood should be shed only with justice, and justice is preserved only through fairness."
He lifted his head and said with conviction:
– The heart and desire.
A brief silence followed. Hilal smiled, and even Asad's face softened slightly. He placed his heavy hand on Aws's shoulder and said:
– Tomorrow, about an hour after sunrise, I want you at the training center at the foot of the mountain.
Hilal objected softly:
– But, Asad… tomorrow is his wedding!
Asad replied sharply, leaving no room for argument:
– I said tomorrow.
He turned and left with steady steps, followed by Hilal and Aws back toward home.
Hilal sighed:
– I did all I could, my son, but you've seen his nature.
Aws replied calmly:
– Don't worry, master. This teaches me that knowledge must continue, no matter the circumstances.
Hilal chuckled lightly:
– Well said. That's why I took you as my pupil. But take my advice… don't be surprised by his teaching methods.
Then, with a playful smile:
– Now, let's talk about your day tomorrow, groom.
Do you know most people, when they marry, turn into hungry beasts that pounce on their prey until satisfied?
Aws raised his eyebrows in surprise: Is that your view on marriage, master?
Hilal waved his hand: Sadly, many have become humans with animal minds. But you are not one of them—you live in my house, so you won't do anything, beast!
Aws blushed slightly, and Hilal laughed heartily before softening his tone:
– Listen, Aws, since you are no ordinary man and walk the Divine Path, I must teach you all the details. Life on this path leaves no gaps.
He paused, then continued in a calm, fatherly voice:
– After the wedding, when the guests leave, sit with your partner, and pray together for blessings. Then, talk about the rules you want to establish as a man, and listen to her likes and dislikes. Agree on everything that will make your home stable, so it won't collapse with the slightest breeze.
Then he laughed suddenly:
– And afterwards, you may unleash your wild side and pounce on her—ha ha!
Aws, in a tone of respectful reproach:
– Master…
– Alright, alright, just joking. You can go ahead to the house; your day tomorrow will be long.
Aws returned home, exhausted, and lay down to rest.
It had been a long day, full of events and emotions, yet a small smile lingered on his face.
He chuckled softly, recalling the simplicity of this peaceful world—so unlike the one he had left. Here, he had married in a single day and night, in a place untouched by deceit or oppression.
He marveled at how the Divine Path cared for every detail of life, from the simplest to the most complex, as if it were a system that flows through the soul as blood flows through the body.
…
Aws… Aws!
He opened his eyes to Hilal's voice gently waking him.
Breakfast was prepared, and they ate together before heading toward the training center at the foot of the mountain.
But the training did not begin with swords or physical exercises; it began with study. Aws sat in a sunlit hall, listening as Asad drew lines and symbols on a stone board.
– The mind is the engine of the body, he said firmly. Strong muscles are useless if the commands that guide them are flawed.
Aws smiled to himself, recalling his old world:
"It's exactly like building a powerful robot, but with simple programming."
Asad glanced at him knowingly and continued:
– We are not building soldiers; we are building consciousness. We create an intelligence that understands meaning before it raises its weapon.
My principle, Aws, is to craft superior minds first, then bodies to match them.
The students were silent, absorbed. Asad walked among them:
– In the ethics of war, victory is not measured by the number of dead, but by the lives preserved. Killing enemies is not a virtue. The essence of life is preservation, not destruction. We are created to live, not to die.
If your enemy surrenders, do not kill him. Do not strike non-combatants, women, children, or the elderly.
Aws muttered to himself in admiration: "What a noble philosophy…"
Asad continued:
– The Divine Path grants warriors greater abilities: agility, flexibility, explosive power, but only to those who understand them.
Know this: the Divine Path is not a single line, but multiple paths leading to the same destination. Mastering more paths grants greater skills and knowledge.
Training ended around one o'clock. Aws left exhausted, yet exhilarated.
He returned home to rest, and neither Roz nor Shams were there— .
He lay on his bed, closing his eyes, letting the fatigue wash over him, until Hilal appeared, holding finely made clothes and a strong-scented perfume.
He smiled gently:
– Rise, my son. Tonight is your night.
They ate together, Aws dressed in the elegant new clothes, then set out for the Divine House atop the mountain.
And along the way, Hilal placed something in Aws's hand…