When the king reached this point in his speech, tears streamed down his face. Then he continued:
“I want you to know that in this world there is nothing I love more than my daughter, Sahira. But even as I stand here, I know that I will lose her. My investigations have confirmed that my life is short. It is unlikely that I will live even five more years from today. Therefore, from this moment, I entrust Princess Sahira to both of you. I know that each of you loves her deeply. But you must understand — one of you must step aside for the other.
Whoever marries Sahira will never become king. However, he will love her more than anything in his life, and she will die before him. The one who loses Sahira will inherit my throne. He will live a long life, rule this kingdom, father only one child, and then die, leaving that child behind. No magic, no effort, and no power can change this destiny. So remove from your hearts any desire for the throne or for marriage based on ambition — for time alone will decide everything.”
With those words, he dismissed them and told them to return home. But before they left, he said there was a special gift for them.
King Hubru turned to his daughter and said, “Go and bring their gift.”
Sahira rose gracefully and walked into another chamber with royal elegance like a peacock. Moments later, she returned carrying two leather bags. She approached them and handed one bag to each of them.
When they opened the bags, they found them filled with gold. Immediately they fell to the ground in gratitude. King Hubru did not even look at them; he simply took Princess Sahira’s hand and disappeared with her into the chamber she had come from.
Maharaz was overwhelmed and confused by the sight of so much wealth. But as for me, the gold meant nothing to me.
Nothing significant happened after that until seventeen days later. One morning, King Hubru set out for a village called Zumur to visit his old friend who had been sick for three months. His friend’s name was Abul Husuna. They had grown up together.
Abul Husuna had settled in Zumur after becoming very successful in trade. The people loved him deeply because of his generosity and kindness to the poor. Eventually, they pressured him to become the village leader, and King Hubru himself crowned him in a grand ceremony.
But just one month after the celebration, Abul Husuna was struck by a severe illness. When news reached King Hubru, he was deeply disturbed. Many doctors were summoned. For ten days they examined him, but none could diagnose the disease.
Desperate, King Hubru went to consult his trusted sorcerer. After investigation, the sorcerer smiled and said:
“This illness is caused by dark magic. It was done by the former village chief out of jealousy for losing his position. The spell was buried at Abul Husuna’s doorway. He will never recover unless it is dug up. But if it is removed, the one who cast it will die immediately. Only a powerful king like you can remove it. However, you must wait until the spell has been buried for ninety days. If it is removed before ninety days, both the victim and the caster will die.”
The sorcerer instructed him to throw his royal crown at the doorway; wherever it stuck would be the location of the buried charm.
On the ninetieth day, they traveled with forty thousand soldiers toward Zumur. On the way, they entered a barren desert. Suddenly, intense heat blasted around them. Horses panicked. A terrifying windstorm rose, lifting men and horses into the air. In moments, the entire army vanished into the sky — leaving only three of them: King Hubru, Maharaz, and myself.
Then a monstrous shadow covered them.
They looked up and saw a horrifying creature descending from the sky — a gigantic demoness with eight heads, each as large as a boulder, all connected to one long neck. Her arms stretched endlessly. With one hand she could reach across the world.
She opened one of her mouths and vomited out the forty thousand soldiers and their horses — melted and steaming as if boiled alive.
She laughed thunderously and declared herself the Mother of Demons, sent by King Dumbazu of Kailas to kill King Hubru. She boasted she had lived nine thousand years and desired to devour seventy million humans so her offspring could consume the entire world.
At that moment, all fear left my heart.
I told the king and Maharaz to hide in the chariot. Then I drew my sword and faced her.
She struck me violently, hurling me against a tree and knocking me unconscious. Believing me dead, she reached for the king. But I regained consciousness and climbed onto her tail, racing up her body. Just as she was about to devour them, I leapt and cut off the arm holding them. Her blood gushed like a broken river.
Blinded with pain, she roared. I continued slashing until she collapsed in pieces.
The king stared at me in disbelief and asked if I was truly human.
I kissed my sword and said, “As long as this sword is with me, I fear no battle. It belonged to my great-grandfather.”
They burned the soldiers’ bodies and continued to Zumur. The buried charm was found and destroyed. Instantly, Abul Husuna recovered. The jealous former chief died at that same moment.
Later, they discovered Abul Husuna had a hidden daughter named Husna — as beautiful as Princess Sahira. A prophecy said she would marry one of the two young warriors accompanying the king.
After two days, they returned home — only to find the palace drenched in blood and corpses everywhere.
King Hubru found a letter on his bed.
It was from King Dumbazu.
He mocked Hubru, boasting that for ten years he had tried to kill him. Gilzam had failed. The Mother of Demons had failed. So he had come personally. Finding Hubru absent, he abducted Princess Sahira instead.
The letter declared:
“If you are truly a father, come to my palace and reclaim your daughter. If you do not come within thirty days, I will cut off her head and send it to you. Or, if you wish her to live, cut off your own head and send it to me.”
When King Hubru finished reading, he collapsed unconscious.
When he awoke, he ordered them to cut off his head and deliver it in exchange for his daughter.
They refused and instead offered to fight Dumbazu themselves.
But the king, trembling with anger and fear, warned them:
“In this world today, there is no warrior stronger than King Dumbazu. No sorcerer more powerful. Even spirits fear him. If you knew the terror that awaits in his palace, you would not speak of challenging him.”
When the king reached this point in his speech, tears streamed down his face. Then he continued:
“I want you to know that in this world there is nothing I love more than my daughter, Sahira. But even as I stand here, I know that I will lose her. My investigations have confirmed that my life is short. It is unlikely that I will live even five more years from today. Therefore, from this moment, I entrust Princess Sahira to both of you. I know that each of you loves her deeply. But you must understand — one of you must step aside for the other.
Whoever marries Sahira will never become king. However, he will love her more than anything in his life, and she will die before him. The one who loses Sahira will inherit my throne. He will live a long life, rule this kingdom, father only one child, and then die, leaving that child behind. No magic, no effort, and no power can change this destiny. So remove from your hearts any desire for the throne or for marriage based on ambition — for time alone will decide everything.”
With those words, he dismissed them and told them to return home. But before they left, he said there was a special gift for them.
King Hubru turned to his daughter and said, “Go and bring their gift.”
Sahira rose gracefully and walked into another chamber with royal elegance like a peacock. Moments later, she returned carrying two leather bags. She approached them and handed one bag to each of them.
When they opened the bags, they found them filled with gold. Immediately they fell to the ground in gratitude. King Hubru did not even look at them; he simply took Princess Sahira’s hand and disappeared with her into the chamber she had come from.
Maharaz was overwhelmed and confused by the sight of so much wealth. But as for me, the gold meant nothing to me.
Nothing significant happened after that until seventeen days later. One morning, King Hubru set out for a village called Zumur to visit his old friend who had been sick for three months. His friend’s name was Abul Husuna. They had grown up together.
Abul Husuna had settled in Zumur after becoming very successful in trade. The people loved him deeply because of his generosity and kindness to the poor. Eventually, they pressured him to become the village leader, and King Hubru himself crowned him in a grand ceremony.
But just one month after the celebration, Abul Husuna was struck by a severe illness. When news reached King Hubru, he was deeply disturbed. Many doctors were summoned. For ten days they examined him, but none could diagnose the disease.
Desperate, King Hubru went to consult his trusted sorcerer. After investigation, the sorcerer smiled and said:
“This illness is caused by dark magic. It was done by the former village chief out of jealousy for losing his position. The spell was buried at Abul Husuna’s doorway. He will never recover unless it is dug up. But if it is removed, the one who cast it will die immediately. Only a powerful king like you can remove it. However, you must wait until the spell has been buried for ninety days. If it is removed before ninety days, both the victim and the caster will die.”
The sorcerer instructed him to throw his royal crown at the doorway; wherever it stuck would be the location of the buried charm.
On the ninetieth day, they traveled with forty thousand soldiers toward Zumur. On the way, they entered a barren desert. Suddenly, intense heat blasted around them. Horses panicked. A terrifying windstorm rose, lifting men and horses into the air. In moments, the entire army vanished into the sky — leaving only three of them: King Hubru, Maharaz, and myself.
Then a monstrous shadow covered them.
They looked up and saw a horrifying creature descending from the sky — a gigantic demoness with eight heads, each as large as a boulder, all connected to one long neck. Her arms stretched endlessly. With one hand she could reach across the world.
She opened one of her mouths and vomited out the forty thousand soldiers and their horses — melted and steaming as if boiled alive.
She laughed thunderously and declared herself the Mother of Demons, sent by King Dumbazu of Kailas to kill King Hubru. She boasted she had lived nine thousand years and desired to devour seventy million humans so her offspring could consume the entire world.
At that moment, all fear left my heart.
I told the king and Maharaz to hide in the chariot. Then I drew my sword and faced her.
She struck me violently, hurling me against a tree and knocking me unconscious. Believing me dead, she reached for the king. But I regained consciousness and climbed onto her tail, racing up her body. Just as she was about to devour them, I leapt and cut off the arm holding them. Her blood gushed like a broken river.
Blinded with pain, she roared. I continued slashing until she collapsed in pieces.
The king stared at me in disbelief and asked if I was truly human.
I kissed my sword and said, “As long as this sword is with me, I fear no battle. It belonged to my great-grandfather.”
They burned the soldiers’ bodies and continued to Zumur. The buried charm was found and destroyed. Instantly, Abul Husuna recovered. The jealous former chief died at that same moment.
Later, they discovered Abul Husuna had a hidden daughter named Husna — as beautiful as Princess Sahira. A prophecy said she would marry one of the two young warriors accompanying the king.
After two days, they returned home — only to find the palace drenched in blood and corpses everywhere.
King Hubru found a letter on his bed.
It was from King Dumbazu.
He mocked Hubru, boasting that for ten years he had tried to kill him. Gilzam had failed. The Mother of Demons had failed. So he had come personally. Finding Hubru absent, he abducted Princess Sahira instead.
The letter declared:
“If you are truly a father, come to my palace and reclaim your daughter. If you do not come within thirty days, I will cut off her head and send it to you. Or, if you wish her to live, cut off your own head and send it to me.”
When King Hubru finished reading, he collapsed unconscious.
When he awoke, he ordered them to cut off his head and deliver it in exchange for his daughter.
They refused and instead offered to fight Dumbazu themselves.
But the king, trembling with anger and fear, warned them:
“In this world today, there is no warrior stronger than King Dumbazu. No sorcerer more powerful. Even spirits fear him. If you knew the terror that awaits in his palace, you would not speak of challenging him.”