36 Arash - Your Dear Nephew!

"You are star--" Amna voice cracked as she broke down in tears. She fiercely shook her husband; his arms felt weak and flabby under her grip. Her heart stilled as she felt the weakness in her husband. She knew how proud he was of his strength. He had earned it through hard work; through persistence. He was so strong -- strong of heart and of mind. She didn't know what to do or what to say, she held onto her husband. She suddenly felt a hand on her shoulder, she turned back, it was Arash.

"He... he..." Amna broke down in tears. Tamresh and Khalid silently sat by their father's side while Baled and Moaz constantly urged their father to talk. They were old enough to understand something was wrong but too naive to know what to do. They bawled in their father's embrace.

"I can help him," Arash said weakly, his words unsure. But as he noticed the Mehru standing at the corner of the room, staring at him with fear-stricken eyes. "Mother!" He roared. Suddenly, silence filled the room. Arash looked around the room at his new family, his eyes finally resting on the helpless woman. "I can help him but, I need you to leave the room."

"You can!" Amna latched onto Arash like her life depended on it, a fire of hope burning bright in her eyes. But as reason caught up with her, the light in her eyes dimmed as anger flared in her eyes.

Arash was in no mood to explain, he urged Najwah and he planted hope in the hearts of everyone around him and soon he was left alone with his uncle.

Adam sat with his shoulders drooped, his eye's glued to his fingers that just wouldn't move.

"I stole your strength," Arash whispered.

Suddenly a tremor ran through the body of the broken man. He looked up with a sharp glare, nose furrowed back. For a moment he didn't look like a broken man, but soon the mask of ferocity broke as tears slipped down his cheeks, and his lips quivered. "Why?"

"...I can help you get it back." Arash paused, studying his uncle. "You will get back your strength--" Adam looked up to him, uncertain, yet something burned deep

within his eyes.

"But there will be a price to pay," Arash said, his voice heavy with emotion. Mehru's frightened figure flickered past his eyes. 'I will never be able to hold her!' Arash thought, he knew the consequences of the power he had gained. Part of him wanted to destroy the runes right there and then. The price of power was too much for him, but weakness also had a price. He had paid it once. 'Never again!' Arash promised himself.

"Anything..." Adam said weakly. Even sitting still had become a chore for him.

"You won't be able to hold your son... never able to touch anything you love!" Arash warned, his eyes searching for cracks in his uncle's determination.

'Not able to hold Amna?' Adam whispered almost to himself. His gaze drifted beyond the dreary walls of what he called home, drifted past the fabric of time into the past where he first met his love and what he had to go through. He tried to lift his hand and in the sheer impossibility of it, he found his answer. "What do I have to do?"

"Are you sure?" Arash asked once again, but seeing the unwavering look in his uncle's eyes, no answer was required. Arash focused on his soul and drained what little soul energy he had left and used it to form strength rune. All the five runs in his body hummed in joy as they found a new source of nourishment.

Arash willed the newly form rune and it floated over to Adam and merged into his right hand; the threadlike rune bore into the very fibers of Adam's right hand.

"What did you do?" Adam felt his right hand pulsing to a strange rhythm. He would not have noticed it normally, but this weakness in him had made it sensitive and he could

barely make out the effects of the rune in his right arm.

"Gave you what you asked for?" Arash said casually as he studied the strength rune on his uncle's arm. He couldn't help but compare it to the rune's in his own body; the difference was like night and day. As his runes had more mass and shone with a bright yellow hue while the one in his uncle's arm felt as if the slightest breeze would make it disappear. "Now is there someone you really hate?"

"You seem to be top of that list." Adam felt a surge of strength in his right arm; he flexed and it moved. His eyes widened in surprise. "What are you?"

Arash stared blankly at Adam, searching for words; part of him wanted to tinker Adam's memories and be done with it. But, it would break him. Arash drew a deep breath and flashed a toothy grin as he said. "Your dear nephew!"