#narsus arslan senki

[tired-reader-writer]

Thinking about Wolfsong. I initially had Narsus only find out about the whole Gorgan fiasco after canon events start but recently, I've been kinda reconsidering it. Here is a dump of my thought process in no particular order:

So Narsus likely got the court position pretty soon after the whole Three Kingdoms Alliance thing

Shapur is likely involved in repelling said invasion because 1) Andragoras summoned pretty much almost anyone, and 2) it's coming from the east and his lands are in the northeast, Andragoras might want to mobilize the troops to... Peshawar, perhaps? Before the invading troops can penetrate too deep into the country. Many lords were called, yes, but someone like Shapur, whose domain borders Turk, could possibly be doubly expected to respond since this concerns his region. Just food for thought.

I'm not sure about Narsus' timeline in several parts. How long before the TKA was it that Teos died and Narsus became the new lord of Daylam? Was it then that he freed his slaves? Or was it after the TKA ordeal?

He pretty much self-exiled in Pars era 317, so at MOST he would've had two years. Did he live full-time in the capital? Did he ever return to Daylam, even if just briefly? The Daylami seemed pretty familiar with him.

Now that I think about it, Narsus and his mother (I need to name the lady) were kicked out by Teos' main wife and then were accepted back when the wife passed away some time before Teos' death, so maybe he got more time in Daylam than I thought. The problem is that I forgot when he and his mother were accepted back?

Anyways, this opportunity for an encounter between the two kinda offers me the opportunity to have them meet each other early. I am still contemplating what to do with it. Especially since a couple of the enslaved folk Narsus freed could end up in Gorgan's orbit.

There's no way the Gorgan folk could know about Narsus' abolitionist ideals until Narsus pulls that stunt of freeing all his slaves (I assume it happened in Daylam rather than the capital), I mean there's a small possibility that they might know vaguely but it's more likely that they straight up won't know until Narsus does the societal equivalent of kicking down the door and blasting a horn far and wide. There's also very little possibility of Narsus knowing unless Gorgan reaches out to him first— what with their operation being so hush-hush and crucially under wraps because of the Mardi's caution— and they wouldn't reach out before knowing that Narsus is trustworthy.

But after? Could Shapur possibly reach out? Maybe he would want his children to have an ally he knows can be trusted so they won't be so alone against the world. Would it even be Shapur who reaches out? Would it be Sadiq who advises Shapur to do so? Would it make sense for them to see a potential friend and ally and not take the opportunity, especially when Shapur has already cut ties with his relatives over the Isfan debacle and the region can't exactly trust other nobles willy-nilly. I don't know.

In the scenario that he does reach out and they do end up connecting with each other, what can I do with it? Narsus probably got the court position in 315, in my timeline I put down that Shapur becomes a marzban in 316 (age 32), after some ambiguous campaign that he was called to be part of, so he would have to go to the capital again. I did not find anything significant in the novel timeline in the year 316, so I wouldn't know what the occasion is. But in the hypothetical scenario that they're acquainted with each other by this point, what interesting thing can I do with how they view the capital? Does Narsus ever get to return to Daylam during his time as a court advisor of sorts? What could he do with this?

I have something vague pinned down for after when canon starts, where the Mardi folk (esp Khazān and Arslan? not sure yet) help Daylam defend against Lusitanians and encountering Irina and her crew + Kubard and Merlaine and things rolling from there— could that aid be rooted in a friendship established before that point?

Coordinating trade and stuff between the two regions could be pretty difficult if Narsus isn't there to manage the process, though. So I'm still not sure how it all works out.

In the scenario that there is a connection between Gorgan and Daylam, could Narsus possibly go back to Daylam after his exile instead of going to live on Mt. Bashur in isolation? Because even if somebody else warns him to be careful, I don't think it's possible for Narsus to stay quiet about the corruption and injustices in the capital and eventually he'd snap and get fed up and leave when his concerns go ignored.

I'm... still not sure what would happen after he goes back to Daylam (if he does) or why I'm contemplating this whole situation in the first place BUT here I am, pondering and contemplating anyways.

[innerchorus]

SOON.

The blurb (according to Google Translate) says 'The resurrected Parsian warriors stand before Arslan and his companions!!'

[daryun]

Volume 14 sketches

The Heroic Legend of Arslan - Hiromu Arakawa extra art

"aaah it's a demon!"

[anusharao96]

They are Arslan's real mother and father for me.

I don't care what the canon says :3

[inthebamboogrove]

One day within four walls

This short story was written during the New Year holidays. It was an attempt to write something light, funny and everyday. It is incredibly stupid and I ask you not to take it seriously! I just wanted to fool around a little with my favorite characters!

His Highness's detachment is on the run again. Expelled from the Peshawar fortress, His Highness and his retinue once again find themselves a target for Hermes and the dark forces. This time, the young exiled parsian prince is forced to stop and live for a while… in an apartment. This short story is an answer to the question "what would have happened if this whole company had suddenly found itself in such a familiar environment for their readers and viewers - an ordinary apartment?"

This story is strange and delirious, like a dream. You don't need to think about how Arslan and the others ended up there, you don't need to think about what world this action takes place in. Here are only the familiar characters with their strengths and weaknesses and a room of three rooms. What will come of it? I'll try to tell you…

This is just a dream that no one has ever had. But maybe someone will? The work is an expanded version of my long-standing idea.

Arslan, as a prince, could have taken a separate room, but he refused and his friends did not dare to insist. After His Majesty Andragoras gave him an impossible task, he still felt something like loneliness and only close people could save him from it. The prince and his friends were treated unfairly and there was something wrong with what was happening, time after time they were thrown to the bottom of despair, then raised on the wings of hope, spinning in this crazy whirlwind. Maybe this is their fate? This squad least of all resembled the retinue of the heir to the throne. Motley, consisting of people who are not similar to each other, but who found their place with His Highness and each other. They were used to this and now, by someone's evil will, they were crowded into a strange little shelter.

It took him a lot of effort to get used to it.

Arslan shared a small room with Daryun and Elam.

-You will turn the house into chaos, and we still have to pay for it! - The guy, serious beyond his years, did not want to leave his master, as he knew him and his creation too well.

-Elam, I am an adult, I can clean up!

Narsus, have pity on Gieve and Jaswant, they still have to live with your paintings… -Daryun's voice was heard behind the wall and, as if in response, the ud howled plaintively and abruptly, followed by its owner.

-My pants! My only pants!

Gieve ran out into the corridor, his white pants decorated with a motley colorful ligature of a pattern, absorbed into the fabric by thick oil paint.

-Don't worry, Gieve, we'll wipe it off with solvent… - The strategist smiled guiltily, sincerely wanting to help, but not fully believing in this remedy.

-How can I show myself to Lady Farangis now? I have to walk all the way to Gilan like this…- The musician ran his fingers through his disheveled purple hair, shaking his head sadly. To appear in such an inappropriate form before her was beyond his strength.

-I’m so sorry, Gieve… I…

The three rooms were clearly cramped for His Highness's retinue, accustomed to the spaciousness of the Peshawar apartments or the freedom of a camp, where the ceiling was the starry sky and there were no walls at all…

These same concrete walls pressed them against each other, forcing them to collide with their characters, preferences and habits.

It was not easy for such different people to get along here…

5:40 – Narsus felt Inspiration. Who would have thought that it would overtake him right here, now? The strategist rolled over on his side, burying his face in the back of the sofa, on which he had been spending more than one night. A hard, tight, ugly thing. But it was precisely in such moments, when there was no beauty or hope around, that it appeared. Inspiration. Now it seemed to spread throughout the body, together with the blood, a spicy wine, sounding like a marvelous iridescent melody in the ears. Narsus missed it. He missed the interweaving of complex ornaments, the stone lace of the arches, the sky strewn with shimmering stardust. There were almost no stars here. The dark sky was crossed with wires. There was no beauty here. But it lived inside him.

No. This cannot be missed.

Narsus slowly rose, feeling a strange creak inside the hard surface on which he had been lying, pulled his hair into a ponytail with an hair band and carefully stepped over Jaswant, who was sleeping on the floor, his bare feet slapping on the linoleum, he crept into the darkness towards the canvas and paints.

He could not ignore this call. He would create even in the light of a small flashlight, hunched over on a stool behind the open door of the closet (so that the light would not disturb the others). For a moment, Narsus imagined Daryun's crooked grin , which would appear on his face if he caught him now. Ah, let him laugh! This man will never understand what art means!

5:50 - No, it is beyond his strength. It took a while for Gieve's unconscious consciousness to realize that the hunched creature with sparkling eyes in the dim light was their strategist. The musician decided that he did not want to spend the night in the same room where such "miracles" were happening.

Yesterday, the goddess of fortune clearly turned away from Gieve. The fact that Gieve touched the not-dried "masterpiece" and ruined his clothes even made him feel despondent. But Gieve would not be himself if he despaired for long. Wrapping a blanket around himself like a tunic, the musician knocked on the girls' room.

This bad luck may even give him a special charm in the eyes of Farangis. Women often feel sorry for men if something like this happens. Her heart will finally respond and she will feel sorry for him…

Unable to cope with the blanket, Gieve spread out on the floor in front of the door, which slammed shut after their short conversation.

-For what – oh…

The musician turned his head to the opposite door. At least Jaswant was lucky, he was sleeping.

5:51– Jaswant was not sleeping. He lay motionless, trying to be as inconspicuous as possible.

5:52– Elam, holding a large aluminum pot in his hands, steps over Gieve and heads to the kitchen. Arslan, yawning sleepily, follows him to help. He hasn’t been sleeping well lately.

Luck or no luck, art or no art, but breakfast needs to be cooked.

Elam liked the local kitchen. How many different devices made cooking something incredible. The countless number of plates and pots, cutlery, cutting boards, allowed him to create several dishes at once and so different!

Here Elam's talent was fully revealed.

Lately, little good had happened to them, and tasty food was the little that could please them. Elam seized this opportunity, thanks to such convenient devices, he created full breakfasts, lunches and dinners in a short time. His movements were fast and honed, like with a sword in training, his hands, without the help of his eyes, found what was where, and as a result, something incredible was obtained.

Elam liked it.

This was an ordinary day spent here. One day ended, another began…

2:00 – Jaswant couldn’t sleep. He knew they were just pictures, but he still felt uneasy lying on the floor, looking at this interweaving of shapes and spots. He was looking at them. They were looking at him.

Giving up on sleep, Arslan’s shinduran bodyguard crawled out from under the blanket, got up from the mattress and headed for the kitchen, stepping silently in the darkness.

Sleepless nights are conducive to reflection and recollection. Familiar images that he kept in his heart. The voice of the man he considered his father, those rare moments when they simply sat and talked. The warmth in lady Salima’s gaze. How long ago it all was…

Jaswant turned on the kettle, poured coffee into a mug and began to examine the shelves in search of the necessary particle, without which nothing would work. Where had Elam put it? Yes, here it is!

The coffee was completely wrong without curry and a few other spices. The orange curry powder made it spicy and warming. This coffee was soothing, like wrapping you in a woolen shawl. Remembering his loved ones and the homeland he had left, inhaling the tart aroma of this drink, he felt how the melancholy began to recede.

Yes, Jaswant often, especially in such moments of silence, felt nostalgia for the world in which he had lived before and in which there was no place for him. But did he regret his choice? No. Never. In fact, it was only after becoming a part of such a unique detachment of the parsian prince that the feeling akin to loneliness began to slowly disappear. It was so familiar that Jaswant did not notice it until the moment it disappeared completely.

He took a sip and his throat felt like a warm scarf was wrapped around it.

2:10 – Arslan opened his eyes and his half-awake mind slowly began to realize that he was surrounded by the quiet darkness of the night, where no deadly enemy shadows lurked in the black shadows. That the quiet, hate-filled laughter of the Silver Mask was only in his nightmare.

No, there was no point in trying to sleep any longer. Quietly, so as not to wake Daryun and Elam, he crawled out from under the blanket and walked quietly with bare feet to the kitchen. A narrow strip of light crossing the corridor indicated that someone was still awake.

That someone turned out to be Jaswant. Now, without a turban, in a T-shirt and knee-length shorts, with a mug of steaming drink in his hands, he looked like an ordinary man, and not a warrior as deadly as a panther.

Arslan smiled. The bodyguard, when on duty, was serious and focused, so it was rare to talk to him.

They talked, watching the melting snow slide down the glass. Raindrops grazed the stele and quietly knocked. The street, framed on both sides by high-rises and therefore resembling a gorge, disappeared into the fog. Snow and rain. How is this possible? It turned out that Jaswant could tell a lot about Shindura, not the way its current king, Rajendra, tried to show it. It was much more interesting to listen to such things.

Arslan felt that the image of Hermes was beginning to fade.

-What are you drinking?

-Coffee with spices, Your Highness. - Jaswant answered, taking a sip. - My master and I often drank it…

The shinduran man's voice trailed off, as if the memory had disturbed the pain that had subsided over time.

-That's interesting. - Arslan said, wanting to distract his comrade a little. - Will you make me one like that?

-Of course!

The shinduran man's turquoise eyes lit up with a lively light. Arslan was glad when his friends shared something dear to their hearts with him. And he had never tried shinduran coffee…

2:40 - Daryun woke up to find His Highness's bed empty. Of course! Arslan had been suffering from insomnia lately, and if not that, then disturbing dreams. Daryun was used to waking up in the middle of the night to find his young master either in the kitchen, or with a flashlight, reading a book. Doing anything but trying to sleep.

-Your Highness, this can't go on any longer, go to bed. - The Black Knight walked into the kitchen, his bare feet loudly stamping, and took the warm, steaming mug from Arslan's hands.

-If only it could work… - Arslan answered sadly.

Daryun and Jaswant exchanged sad glances.

-You go to bed too.

Shinduran nodded silently and left the room with Arslan.

No, something had to be done about this. His Highness's anxiety may be affecting his health. He's been taking on too much lately.

Daryun took a sip and nearly choked as the searing wave rushed down his throat and into his esophagus. Tears filled his eyes and his heart pounded in his temples.

How good that His Highness didn’t have time to take a sip!

3:00 – Azrael returned from hunting. Hearing familiar sounds, Jaswant, who had not fallen asleep, again trudged into the kitchen to open the window. On the other side of the glass, a familiar, blurry silhouette loomed. A large hawk, hunched over on a narrow windowsill, beat its wings against the glass. The span of these wings covered the entire opening of a tiny, by usual standards, window. The proud hunter did not like the bad weather at all. When they finally opened it for him, he fluttered onto the table, stepping with wet, cold paws.

He's back, that's good…

Jaswant turned off the light and went into the room, not noticing the gift in the form of a mouse, which fell to the floor and was quickly forgotten.

4:00 – Azrael sat alone in the darkness on the back of a wooden chair that served as a perch. The keen hearing of a bird of prey caught that the people were not going to get up. Ruffling his feathers and shifting from paw to paw, he began to whistle quietly. The hawk had no idea about time or what it meant to people. He simply felt it, felt when it was time to go hunting, when it was time to return, and when it was time to sleep. Gliding like a weightless shadow in the sky above the line of the parsian's army, he was accustomed to the fact that people began to stir early. There was something wrong with what was happening now. He should already be sitting on His Highness's shoulder!

Soon the whistling turned to a cackle, and then a squeal. Azrael spread his wings and flapped them with such force that he almost knocked over the chair on the back of which he was sitting. How could this be?! It's time for everyone to wake up!

4:01 - A feeling that was faster than reason made Daryun jump up. His heart was beating hard and slowly, its beats echoed loudly in his tense, ready to throw, body.

The life of a warrior and the constant expectation of danger honed this feeling to the limit. His consciousness, not fully awake, did not immediately understand what this noise was. Daryun exhaled, fully realizing that there was no danger, and he froze in the middle of the corridor, jumping out, as he was, in underpants and with a sword, ready to fight any opponent.

The Black Knight exhaled, pressing his forehead to the cold metal handle, and quietly chuckled. It's good that everyone was asleep and no one saw him.

All that was left was to calm the noisy bird. His Highness finally fell asleep. Daryun, who had been with him from the very beginning of the journey, knew better than anyone how hard it was for him to do this sometimes.

However, the Warrior-of-Warriors himself almost became the source of a noise that exceeded the bird's cackling. A bare foot, stepping on something soft and small, slid forward, crashing into an angular table leg. The darkness of the night exploded in colored sparks, pain rushed through the whole body, and the loud parsian curse, sometimes heard at the other end of the cavalry , was ready to break out, mercilessly clamped by strong palms.

With the light on, a long red stripe became visible, drawn by the mouse carcass Azrael had brought.

Glad that he was no longer alone, the mighty hawk began to move his paws on his perch, whistling.

There was only one thing left.

Now, looking at the rags, colorful bottles with exotic cleaning products and mops, Daryun regretted that he had not paid due attention to such a trifle as cleaning. His concern was battles, and the servants' concern was order. But not now.

Elam kept everything here in the strictest order. Which rag to wash the floor? Which mop to take? And should I take one at all? And the bucket? The dustpan? He didn't want to anger the wise boy who served Narsus Daryun. Just as he didn't want to wake anyone up. He could handle this nonsense himself! After all, he could handle his opponents on the battlefield?!

Having chosen everything that seemed suitable to him, under the watchful eye of the hawk's eyes, Daryun began to clean up the mess.

The warrior, who has no problem dealing with a whole squad, hunched over and trying not to pay attention to the desperately pulsating pain in his bruised fingers, is dragging a rag across the linoleum, cleaning up what remains of Azrael's unfortunate prey. Who would have thought… If Narsus caught him now… Let him laugh!

When all this was over, and the rag and bucket were returned to their place, a satisfied smile appeared on Daryun's tanned face. Something useful does not always have to be great… Now he can go to bed with a clear conscience…

4:40 - Jaswant, who had not fallen asleep, saw all this, but he preferred to remain silent and try to forget what he had seen.

Silence has finally come to this apartment

6:00 – A new day begins. Elam's grumbling indicated that the bucket was the wrong one, and the rag should be thrown out altogether.

6:01 – In her room, Farangis was combing her hair. Smooth and black, it had become even more manageable and smelled pleasant after the wonderful product here.

Alfreed, quietly humming something, applied a transparent balm to her lips in which tiny pink sparkles glittered. The girl was simply enchanted by such pleasant little things that this world was rich in. Perhaps she would take it with her.

It was not so bad here.

The night passed quietly and gave them a real rest, which they all needed for so long.

Soon they would set off again.

[importantdestinydefendor]

Some interesting differences I found

While writing Firelight AU I always have the manga open in a seperate tap since there are some canon scenes I have to describe. I do own the manga myself - but in German. So it is always interesting to see the translation choises in the different languages that have been made.

For example:

In chapter 29, Narsus says "I find that whenever our paths cross, I wind up staying far from human decency. It's rather troubling to me." to Hilmes. In german he says: "Finding you in such a remote area that is what worries me!" (original: "Dich in so einer abgelegenen Gegend anzutreffen, das ist es, was mich bekümmert!")

Like - these two translation of the same scene/dialouge in different languages conveys two complitely different feeling and messages! In English, he is more talking about himself and the unpleasantness he feels while in Hilmes presence. As in German, he talks about Hilmes - very disrespectfuly even - and sarcastically being worried about him (as in response to the same sarcastic tone Hilmes talks to him (Narsus actually starts first with the mocking in german as he says "Honored" Lord Silver Mask ("Verehrter" Lord Silbermaske). Narsus is such a little shit, I can't-)).

Does anybody know what he says in japanese originally? I want to see the original context and what Hilmes actually says to him.

Feel free to add more if you read in any other language other than English.

[xbuster]

"I've heard that you advised my father to end the slave trade, "and so he removed you from the post of royal historian. "I've given the same advice, and been reprimanded for it."

[choujinx]

ARSLAN SENKI (2013-?) by arakawa hiromu

[strangeshipper]

"I have a mage!"

Arslan Senki : : Narsus, Daryun, Zandeh, Gurgin

(All is clear now about Narsus & Daryun quarrel :D And oh you know it's just a joke, I'm big fan of Narsus & Daryun, really.)

Interesting, Tanaka says Narsus dislikes magic a lot, but nevertheless he know how to resist it. How do you think, could Narsus learn magic? Or one needs some king of innate superpower to become a sorcerer?

[nanamiwifeyy]

Headcannons: Our boy's are jealous...how do they show it?

Anime: Heroic legend of Arslan

Including: Daryun, Narsus, Gieve, Jashwant,older Arslan, older Elam

Warning: grammer, ooc?

(●♡●)

Daryun: The dead stare, this man killed the person like 5 times in his head.He is most of the time okay with it. You are nice,pretty, attractive, kind, social, kind ....OF COURSE you will get attention.But when he sees a guy getting to friendly with you, his patience has reach the limit. He saw the stranger putting a hand on your shoulder and brushing your hair down.A vein popped on Daryun's neck and fist as he witnessed this scandal happing before him. He would rather see Narsus's painting than his lady being touched by someone else. Wishing you would spend the time with him instead, he will forcefully nvite himsef in the conversation in question..Keeping an arm around you and staring in the eyes of the person while drinking his beer. And when he is asked if he was jealous, he will deny it.

Arslan: He guy is a bit dense. He was talking with others during the banquete. You were enjoying the time when a Parsian official sat next to you, starting a conversation. You enjoyed the conversation until the guy begin to ask personal questions. This didn't went unnoticed by Gieve, who was having a fair time with women around him. He excused himself and went to the prince. Whispering to the prince that there is a damsel in distress in the room. The prince scanned the room but didn't saw anything. Gieve pushed him in your direction and Arslan saw you wanted to leave but the guy held you softly down. Arslan hurried his way to you and sat next to you. Immediatly the attention went to him as he is the prince. Arslan, by observing Narsus and Gieve, learned to have his way with words and made a conversation with the official while holding your hand, giving the reassearance that you needed. Arslan learned to make sure to keep an eye out for you.

Gieve did receive a blow to the head by Daryun for pushing the prince.

Narsus:This man can read the mind and body. His conversation with Daryun had to be distrupted as someone had the audicity to make moves on you. He saw you drinking your wine while a knight was talking to you.You of course, was trying to be nice and struck up a conversation. This man was holding your hand, brushing your hair away.He excused himself from the conversation, upon asked the answer was: saving my damsel in distress

He was walking normal untill he saw the hand sneaking to yor waist, he took a sprint save to say. He knows better than to not make a huge commontion in a baquet so he made his was to you and simply said that he needed you for something slapping the hand of your waist.He asked you to fully wash yourself that night.

Elam: This guy doesn't hesistate. He make sure everybody knows that, skilled in archery at that. When a guy makes you uncomfortable, he will make a make-shift bow and launch a rock to the guy's temple: knocking him out. But it's a different story during a banquete. He is usually very quite and help around during the banquete so he doesn't see you in the room usually. But once he saw that there was a knight, super drunk leaning on you, holding you ect. He went back in the kitchen and made a plate full of meat. He seasoned the meat with every spice and pepper in the kitchen. He asked a servant to serve it to him as he cleaned himself and sat next to you with a new bottle of wine. The knight didn't like this and pulled you closer to him. Then, the servant came and served the plate to him. The knight lost himself and digged in the plate. Only to cough and become one with a tomato. Elam quickly poured him a cup of wine, the knight grapped the whole bottle and drank it without a thought. Only to have his mouth burn more than it already is. Elam made sure to spike the bottle of wine- replace the wine with boiled water with spice flaoting in it.

That pour soul learned the hard way to never disrespect another guy's woman.

Gieve:This man is a certified womanizer and love to give woman attention but when other do it to you, than it's a problem. He just felt that the guy you were talking to had interest in you and he did not like that.He also saw the clear uncofortable signs that you. Believe me, he has experience. Not only will he plot ways to murder the guy but make sure to embarrasse the guy while he is at it. So he made his way to you and poured himself a cup of wine, inculding himself in the conversation you two were holding. He constantly wanted to talk to you, interruppting the knight's sentence to ask you something. Gieve will make sure to be pysical: holding hands, kissing you on your face and neck, rubbing your lower back. Al signs to show the guy you were his woman.

Let's say the guy quickly left.

Jashwant:He is an observer, nothing goes unnoticed by him. He is used to keep feelings aside, focussing on the work that is given to him. He was leaning against the wall, protecting prince Arslan while he was watching the banquet in full swing. He also saw you talking to a nice couple, the seems nice to him. But the jealousy started to rise when they introduced their son to you. A young, handsome guy from Sindhura. He kissed your hand and politely introduced himself to you. He wanted to walk over to you but prince Arslan would be unguarded as Daryun, Narsus and even Gieve were somewhere else. He had faith in the bond you two share so he knew that you wouldn't leave him. As the banquete went on, he didn't see you. His mind raced through the thoughts of this fancy guy kidnapping you. Gieve returned and he quickly traded position with him in search for you. He ran and ran and that's when he saw you and that guy. You tried to get away from the guy but he held a firm grip on you. Jashwant went for the jawkick and the guy landed on the ground. He asked you to leave and gp back to the banquete, the seriousness in his eyes said enoughh and you did as yo were told. When Jashwant returned, he had small bloodstains on his clothes that wold go unnoticed to the naked eye

The after he asked you to place red powder in the center of your hairline, showing the world that you are taken.

[tired-reader-writer]

“Daryun.”

“What?”

“Remember when I said there was a gap in the flow of the word mardan?”

“You mean, that one time you squatted in front of a scroll pulling at your hair many years ago?”

“Rude! Anyways— I think I may have found the piece to bridge that gap.”

“Oh?”

“Writings and tales in Old Parsian always seemed to misuse the word— everything seemed too saturated with knights and warriors, even in places they did not belong. It's clear that it must've meant something else. Something must've shifted. But I did not know what. The old meaning of the word. The reason it shifted. I could not understand. But meeting this clan, the Mardi— and hearing their stories, I finally have the answer.”

“What is the answer you have found?”

“Simply put, it's a misunderstanding. The Mardi people were indispensable to the Hero King's army, the key to Zahhak's defeat. I mean, you've seen it yourself— how that Khazan fellow tore through the battlefield. Imagine what an entire army of those can do. With magics that the current Mardi have lost, no less! What I mean to say is, such strength would naturally gain notoriety.”

“You think mardan as warrior derived from that?”

“Precisely. But because Kaykhusraw did his utmost to erase all traces of them from the annals of history, the origin of the change was lost. All that remained was the effect, not the cause.”

“What did it mean, then? The word mardan?”

“The Mardi's central myth is of a divine weapon learning to be human. They regard themselves as following in the footsteps of Araya, that divine weapon, in collecting people that the world had deemed ‘inhuman’. Let me tell you, Daryun. It's not that the Mardi people named themselves warriors. Far be from it, in truth— it's something else entirely. It means human. Mortal. It's a declaration, a reaffirmation of their humanity. It's them reclaiming that which the world had denied them. Don't you dare look away, we're human too.”

@innerchorus Here's my idea to bridge the linguistic gap of the word “mardan”, delivered in prose form bc I'm insane like that (I should've just typed out my idea normal-like, but nooooo I had to try and filter it through Narsus, and as a result this thing took longer than it should have bc I was obsessively editing it, ANYWAYS). So in ArSen, the word “mardan” means “warrior”. Daryun's epithet “mardan-fu-mardan” means “warrior among warriors”. The word can even mean “knight”, according to the manga:

But irl, the word was likely descended from:

“The term Mardi comes from the Old Iranian word for "man" (Old Persian: 𐎶𐎼𐎫𐎡𐎹 martiya; from Proto-Indo-European *mr̥tós, "mortal").”

(fun fact, Old Iranian/Persian was apparently called “Ariya” and I thought about incorporating that into this little snippet, alas I didn't due to a number of reasons)

And this was, ultimately, my way of reconciling the two!

As I stated in this post, I pretty much stumbled into this by accident because younger me had conlanged the word and meant for it to mean “human/weak” and oh la la???? The etymology actually coincided????

Anyways. Yeah. Have this.

[innerchorus]

Arslan Senki Chapter 130 (Part 1)

You know, I'm starting to get so nervous for these that the last ten minutes before the chapter comes out are a really unpleasant experience!

Arakawa reminding us of Innocentis's presence in this scene by having Hilmes's disarmed sword land between his legs... There's a reason for this (I already know it, but for readers who don't it's a good choice not to let us forget he's there).

Then we move to a flashback montage of sword training scenes for Arslan, some old and familiar (with Vahriz and Daryun) and some new (with Gieve in Gilan, and I'd have to check but I wonder whether that was mentioned as one of the ways Arslan passed his downtime there?).

Funnily enough, I did look back through Arslan's training scenes before to see if there was any sign of the move he pulled on Hilmes AND HERE IT IS; Narsus's approach to swordplay put into practise by Gieve. Basics, practice, application; all the components that Arslan drew on to help him defeat Hilmes. Yes, there was an element of luck in that Hilmes's mental state was so shaken, but not only did Arslan take advantage of that, behind it lay months of diligence in training.

Arslan's dialogue really shows that now Hilmes has been defeated, he has no clear way to deny Arslan's victory and therefore his right to the throne, and at this point I really just wanted to see his face but instead we backtrack a little more to Narsus and Gieve on their way through the waterways...

I think I uttered my first "holy fuck" of the chapter here?

GIEVE WAS LITERALLY READY TO HEADSHOT HILMES FROM A DISTANCE IF ARSLAN LOST, BECAUSE HE REFUSES TO ALLOW HIM TO BE KILLED.

(Never have I been more glad that Hilmes lost. For the record, Narsus did NOT try to stop Gieve, lmao. I imagine, though, that they will keep this agreement between themselves.)

(Also, things coming full circle etc etc with Gieve in a high place on Ecbatana's walls drawing a bow to protect Arslan versus his mercy killing of Shapur)

Anyway, Gieve lowers his bow when Hilmes stands there defeated and ZANDEH CRIES OUT HILMES'S NAME after seeing Hilmes stood there weaponless with Arslan's sword levelled at him (help me I love Team Hilmes so much it's really hard to be coherent right now but I love this moment and what happens next)

It really feels like Daryun just becomes an obstacle to Zandeh; nothing more than something standing in his way on his path to Hilmes's side. Duel be damned, he just wants to get to his Prince at all costs. Yes, I know he swings his weapon at him but Daryun is literally standing between him and Hilmes and in that moment I think it's clear that Hilmes matters more to him than revenge.

And he gets to Hilmes's side after having his mace swept away by Daryun and sustaining a wound to his wrist and honestly I'm sure Daryun could have killed him there and then but he lets him go to Hilmes... another thing to be thankful for

I'M FUCKING CRYING ZANDEH YOU GOOD BOY, look how he puts himself between Arslan and Hilmes without a thought, without a weapon in his hand, ready to protect him at all costs. He would die for Hilmes if need be (really hope I'm not tempting fate by saying that)

Sam asking for mercy because of course he would! If I remember rightly, in the novels he orders their men to put down their swords to prevent further pointless bloodshed. What's Hilmes thinking right now? In all likelihood he's as numb as his sword arm, but I hope he understands that both Zandeh and Sam value his life this much.

I can't zoom in on this any more but...

Zandeh's protective posture 👌

Sam kneeling to beseech Arslan that Hilmes be spared 👌

Both of them positioning themselves in front of Hilmes, between him and Arslan 👌

THANK YOU ARSLAN but surely none of those who know him were actually thinking he'd kill Hilmes.

Arslan: "He can live. But I'm not gonna forget about his crimes." That's fair.

MY BOY ZANDEH KNEELING TOO. He's giving thanks! I really think he must have been worried that Hilmes might not be spared; he looks so taken aback by this suggestion. Or perhaps it's also the fact that they're apparently not going to be restrained and imprisoned? Though I'm sure that room will be under guard.

What if Team Zahhak were to kidnap Hilmes from that room? Team Hilmes can't get out, but snakes can get in... But with a change that was made later in this chapter, I'm now considering that maybe it's not Hilmes who is in line to be a vessel for Zahhak? Or at least, there's another option.

Okay this marks the halfway point of the chapter so I'm just gonna post this part and then write up some thoughts on the rest.

[daryun]

[meridiageek]

@colleyuriko after I saw your message, I got the idea to quickly make this picture

[samballesbian]

i need to see narsus' art i need it so bad i need to see how awful his art is with my own eyes

[importantdestinydefendor]

Azar was appointed the highest military rank in Maar (I know you gave it a name but you were considering changing some names so does that include the title?) at a very young age, 22 if I recall, though you said you might change that. Nonetheless, she was very young when she got the rank. You said it was a matter of survival for her. I assume it has something to do with her half-Maaren half-Parsian lineage, as she'd be half foreign in Maar. Did something happen to facilitate her scrambling to rise through the ranks? Was she discriminated against? Were her relatives (evil aunt?) involved in that? Oh and how old is she actually, by Pars era 320? 22?

(It's a lot of questions, I know, and I know you usually don't like spoiling stuff but it's been weighing on my mind since I saw you mention “it was a matter of survival for her” and I just have to give it a try.)

Finally getting around to this.

I'm so happy that I'm not the only one who has Azar brain rot and that you all love her as much as I do!

So, small correction. Azar is 100% Parsian.

She does have family in Maar but only through second degree. The sister of her father married a Maaren farmer and built a family there (a pretty big one... I should maybe make a separate post for that). And it is at their, like, inn/tavern/farm in the village Rus where she grew up after being brought to Maar by said sister and, to some extent, Vahriz when she was one year old.

Now to the question that sparked your ask, probably.

Her "evil" aunt was part of the reason. Vahriz knew her when they all were young (or rather when he was young and they (also meaning Daryuns dad and Azar's mom) even younger) Their families were friends since their fathers were old friends.

So, a little spoiler for the AU, Azar's "evil" aunt (she does have a name, will do a post/poll about that later maybe with a few options)�� was the one who killed Azar's mom. That's why Azar lives in Maar right now as her dads sister and Vahriz thought that she was safer there than in Pars. But that was proven false when the "evil" aunt ambushed Rus and gave Azar her first scar on her back (she tried to protect a few children in a church during the raid) when Azar was very young. After that the aunt attacked one more time and scared Azar's uncle (the farmer).

So  Vahriz brought her to the capital of Maar, Visgard, to receive proper training and that's when Azar became a squire. Vahriz felt guilty that he failed to protect her so he was very strict with Azar's training. He was so strict in fact that he exhausted her and brought her to her absolute limits. Others thought that Vahriz was maybe even too extreme. It was a very rough and hard time for Azar but for Vahriz, it seemed necessary. So she can protect herself with utmost certainty because he knows he won't always be there and he does still have a nephew he also has to look after. He basically drilled her and that's why she rose through the ranks so fast.

In the end it was Vahriz paranoia and guilt that drove her up the ranks so fast. A lot of people lost their lives the day Azar's mom died and Vahriz swore to protect and take care of Azar. But he failed in his eyes - twice. So he taught her everything he knew, drilled it into her, so she had a chance of survival when she came face to face with her aunt.

And due that and her vast skill set she proved herself to be a capable knight and leader. So she got appointed Almennt (I won't change the name for this one as in georgian it would be called generali and that does not sound serious at all (I do not say that as to mock the language, mind you. It just doesn't fit Azar at all)). I will probably change her age at the time to 23. Seems more fitting

And since we are at the topic of age and you asked how old Azar is in Pars era 320 (for those who don't know - that is our current time in ArSen) - she is the same age as Narsus, 26. She would probably be a few months older than him. So it has been three-ish years since her appointment.

(I hope I have answered everything you wanted to know!)

If anybody has other questions that you want to be answered regarding Azar/Firelight AU or any other OC I had mentioned or shown - my inbox is always open! I will write if it is something I won't answer if I regard my answer too spoiler heavy.

Edit: forgot the discrimination part. I have not really thought about that yet but considering where Maar's citizens originally came from it would be highly hypocritical. But there were (and still are (this time out of jealousy)) probably some squires and knights who were discriminating against or at least hated her due to King Farzin showing interest in her and sometimes training her personally alongside Vahriz. She probably got more discrimination against her with being a woman in one of the highest ranks in Maar since all of her predecessors were men.