Chapter 13: The Revealing Mysteries of the Cave
In the previous chapter,
you read that Ali and Junaid had reached the mountains of Junagadh, where two bandits tried to capture them.
After the fight, Ali's goodness changed the bandits, and in return, they gave Ali a map that could help them navigate the mysterious cave.
Now, moving forward...
---
The Terrifying Entrance of the Cave
The first rays of the sun were falling on the mountains, but the entrance of the cave appeared to be shrouded in darkness.
Around it stood dry trees, their twisted branches swaying in the wind like some ominous sign.
Strange symbols were carved into the cave's entrance—some words, some shapes that looked like humans,
but their faces were distorted. In the air, there was an indistinct whisper, as if someone was warning them.
Ali and Junaid stood before the cave, gazing at it.
Junaid (shivering):
"Ali... this cave is giving me a bad feeling. It feels like something is trying to stop us from entering."
Ali (in a serious tone):
"I feel something strange too, but we have no other choice. We have the map, and we must follow it."
Junaid nodded, but the fear was evident in his eyes.
Junaid spoke in a worried tone—
"We need to cross this cave before evening, because after today, we only have four days left.
After four days, Ameer Tahir will embark on his journey with the special sword Al-Amaanah."
Ali:
"You're right. Now, we must enter the cave without wasting any time. Give me the map that the bandits gave us."
Junaid handed over the map to Ali.
---
The First Step into the Cave and Junaid's Fainting
As soon as Ali and Junaid approached the cave, a strange chill swept over them. The sunlight barely reached inside.
Junaid hesitated and peered inside, and the next moment...
"Ali...!"
Junaid's breath became rapid, and he tried to say something, but no sound came out.
His lips trembled, his face turned pale, and before Ali could react, Junaid stumbled and collapsed at his feet.
Ali (in shock):
"Junaid! What happened? Get up, Junaid!"
Ali quickly knelt beside him and shook him. But Junaid's eyes were closed, as if he had seen something that his mind could not bear.
Seeing Junaid unconscious, Ali's eyes filled with tears, and his tears kept falling onto Junaid's face.
As Ali's tears fell on Junaid's face, Junaid's eyes opened, and he regained consciousness.
Ali (with relief):
"Junaid! You're awake! Do you know how worried I was for you?"
Junaid:
"You're my true friend, Ali! Of course, you would be troubled seeing me in trouble."
Ali (sighing deeply):
" Are you okay?" Ali then asked Junaid, "But how did you faint all of a sudden?"
Junaid (in a trembling voice):
"Ali... I saw... I saw our picture on the walls of the cave... and that mysterious old man was with us!"
Ali (in astonishment):
"What?"
Then Ali says,
"But how could this be? Our picture with the mysterious old man?"
Junaid:
"Let's go inside the cave and see the picture. Once you see it, you will believe it too."
After that, Ali and Junaid go back inside the cave from the entrance.
The sunlight had now faded, and the cave had become very dark.
Seeing the darkness, Ali says to Junaid:
"We need light to cross this cave and to see the picture. Only then will you understand."
Junaid (enthusiastically):
"There is a dry tree ahead of the entrance, with branches like torches.
We can break those branches, set them on fire, and use them as light to cross the cave."
Ali says:
"But how will we light those dry branches?"
Junaid:
"Don't worry about that. I have stones that can start a fire."
Ali (happily):
"Great! Let's quickly gather the wood, start a fire, and cross this cave. Then, we will see the picture that made you faint!"
After that, Ali and Junaid leave the cave and come to the dry tree.
They break a branch, and Junaid lights it with the fire-starting stones. The branch catches fire.
But the good part is that Ali finds a torch near the cave, and he says to Junaid:
"Junaid! Look, there is a torch near the cave! It won't go out today because there won't be any wind inside the cave!"
Junaid:
"You're right! I've also heard that there's no wind inside the cave, but it's such a scary place, anything could happen here."
Ali (in a serious tone):
"What happens inside the cave will happen. We'll deal with it later.
For now, we need to light this torch."
After that, he takes the torch and lights it with the fire from the wood.
Then, with the torch in hand, Ali and Junaid enter the cave again.
As soon as they enter the cave and look at the walls, Ali's eyes widen in astonishment, as if he has received a deep shock.
On the walls of the cave were the images of Ali, Junaid, and the mysterious old man!
---
Their Image on the Cave Walls
And as the light from the torch fell on the walls…
Ali (in disbelief):
"Junaid… it's really us!"
As soon as Ali saw the images on the walls, his eyes were wide with shock.
There were pictures of Ali and Junaid, but the strangest part was that the mysterious old man was also with them—the same man they had met before!
The pictures were so clear that it seemed like they had been drawn recently.
.The walls had a faint glow, as if they were telling an untold story.
Junaid (shivering with fear):
"How is this possible? We never took this picture!"
Junaid (in a worried tone):
"Ali! This is the picture that made me faint.
I can't understand how our picture and the picture of that mysterious old man are on the walls of this cave?"
Ali (thinking):
"Junaid! Do you remember when we went to the mysterious old man's house?
He took us to his room where there was a picture of us both and that same old man!"
Junaid:
"Yes, I saw that picture too!"
Junaid slowly nodded his head.
Ali:
"This must be a big mystery that has been hidden from us until now."
Junaid:
"Ali! What should we do now?"
Ali:
"We will get the answers to these questions from the mysterious old man,
but first, we must cross this cave and get the map from Ameer Tahir's hideout. Otherwise, he will begin his journey to find the special sword!"
After that, Ali and Junaid move forward, but the deeper they went into the cave, the more secrets were about to unfold.
Inside the Cave
The cave was very dark, but the rocks glistened in the light of the torch.
As they moved forward, more strange images appeared on the walls of the cave.
Then, a massive painting appeared before them.
---
The Mysterious Painting of the Royal Sword
It was a magnificent painting. It depicted a powerful Sultan holding a royal sword.
Golden light radiated from the sword, as if it was a special sword!
It was an extraordinary sword—one that didn't seem to be made of ordinary metal.
Junaid (astonished):
"Ali! Look! This sword... this could be Al-Amaanah!"
Ali (in a serious tone):
"This sword really looks very special... but who could this Sultan be?"
Junaid (thinking):
"Could this be an ancestor of Amir Tahir?"
Ali silently kept staring at the painting.
Ali (in a low voice):
"If this sword is indeed Al-Amaanah, it proves that Amir Tahir's quest is headed in the right direction. We must stop him!"
Junaid nodded, but there were lines of worry on his face.
---
Two Paths in the Cave and the Need for a Map
A little further ahead, they both stopped in front of a wall, where two paths branched off in different directions.
Junaid (in doubt):
"What should we do now? What if we choose the wrong path?"
Without saying anything, Ali pulled out a map and started studying it carefully.
After walking a little further into the cave, Ali and Junaid stood before two separate paths. One path disappeared into the darkness on the left, while the right path showed a faint light.
Junaid anxiously looked at Ali.
Ali opened the map, but there were no clear instructions.
Then he brought the map closer to the torch, and suddenly, some words began to glow—
"Where there is light, there lies the true path."
Ali turned the torch to both directions. The flame on the left flickered, as if something was hidden there. The flame on the right remained steady.
Ali (taking a deep breath):
"We must go to the right!"
Junaid (hesitant):
"Should we trust this?"
Ali (firmly):
"This map is our only hope. We must follow it."
Both took a deep breath and turned to the right.
---
The Great Mystery at the End of the Cave
They had walked a few steps when suddenly their eyes fell upon another strange object.
They both stopped right there, gazing at it in wonder.
Junaid (shivering):
"Ali… what is this?"
Ali (in a serious tone):
"This… maybe..."
But before they could figure anything out, a deep, mysterious voice echoed in the air:
Then, a deep and mysterious voice resonated—
"Those who come in search of this sword, be prepared for their destiny. Every step will be a test!"
The voice was so heavy that it echoed throughout the cave. Junaid anxiously looked at Ali—
"Ali, what was that?"
Ali clenched his fists—
"The test is not of our strength, but of our intentions... move forward!"
Ali and Junaid exchanged looks.
Junaid (panicking):
"Ali, where did that voice come from?"
Ali (in awe):
"I don't know… but we must be even more cautious now."
What will happen next...?
Sneak peek of the next chapter
What secret is hidden inside the cave?
Are Ali and Junaid on the right path?
Who was that voice?
What new danger awaits them outside the cave?
To find out, read –
Chapter 14...
To Be Continued...