Sidratul Muntaha

Chapter 46🧎🏽

Assalamualaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuhu.

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Sidra lightly ran her finger over the needle as she worried her bottom lip. Her eyes were on her weapon but her mind was far away. Her weapon was beautiful. When not in use, it stayed like a staff with a metallic middle base which had two compartments on either side of the central compartment and the compartment above the central compartment withdrew within the main body. The compartments on the sides connected to the wooden parts which were Jace covered and had vine carvings all over it. It measured about one hand and was easy to hold.

There were three buttons over the central compartment. When the left most button was pressed, the metal melter enclosed in the central most compartment, utilised the holder's body heat and came into effect. It melted the Jace of all the parts of the weapon and sent the Jace to the left most compartment. The other compartments except the left most one, slid inside the central compartment. The left compartment slid outside and the hollow structure of the sword was created, from the malleable Jace pieces. The Jace accumulated inside the left compartment flowed through the hollow base and solidified once the metal melter withdrew it's effect, hardening soon after. A double edged sword was created. The amount of metal melter used was almost non existent and it returned to the central compartment soon after it's work was done, due to another mechanism of the apparatus, thus preserving it.

When the central most button was pressed, the left and the right compartment slid inside the central compartment. The metal melter melted the Jace and sent it to the top most compartment, which enclosed the apparatus of the double headed spear. From the compartment, the Jace coated wooden piece slid out and from the wooden piece, the Jace pieces created a hollow apparatus of the double headed spear after sliding out one after the other, from both the ends of the wooden piece. The melted Jace then filled the hollow and soon hardened, after the metal melter withdrew it's effect.

When the right side button was pressed, the top compartment slid within the central one and the right and the left compartment slid out. From the compartments the wooden, Jace coated pieces slid out. The side of the wooden pieces slid open and the ductile Jace scraps slid out one after the other creating a hollow bow. The melted Jace then filled the ductile bow and hardened after the metal melter withdrew it's effect. The topmost tip of the bow had a metal string that had to be manually tied to the bottom tip by the user of the weapon.

The precious stone which was fixed by the four claws was actually another button, which when rotated, brought the whole apparatus back to it's original form of a staff. The weapon needed to be practiced upon for more fluidity in fights. The buttons couldn't be lightly pressed at the wrong time and would need getting used to.

Sidra looked at the central precious stone, which glinted and shone as it's facets reflected the fire. It was a rare black jade and she had carried it with her always, after Muntaha had handed it to her. Her mind reflected back to that night and her heart drummed in her chest.

It was very late in the night and Sidratul Muntaha was too tired after the festivities of earlier that night, when the door of her hut opened and someone sneaked in. Sidra had almost fallen asleep by then. The visitor walked slowly towards her and then settled on the ground beside her small bed. Sidra sleepily raised her head and watched the person as they watched the door they had just entered through.

"Muntaha?" Sidra called out sleepily and placed a hand on his shoulders as he went on staring into the night. On hearing her voice, he turned towards her and smiled slightly.

"Jibreel..." He corrected her. She smiled sleepily.

"Whatever you say, Ya Hubb al Hayati!" She drowsily muttered. He stiffened and swallowed as she lowered her head on her pillow and began to drift off once more, leaving him to stare at her.