The Tale of the Div-e Kharman

The Shadow in the Fields

The tale begins in a small village nestled against the slopes of the Alborz Mountains. Life in the village was a delicate balance between survival and subsistence, where the villagers' only treasures were their fertile lands and their families. The villagers sowed their fields with grain, depending on the earth to provide sustenance through harsh winters and warm summers. But one year, as the villagers gathered their crops under the harvest moon, they noticed something strange: vast tracts of their wheat fields lay trampled, crushed as if under the weight of something colossal.

The villagers gathered in whispers. Rumors spread that this was not the work of mere animals or harsh weather but a div, a creature who despised the richness of their harvest and sought to ruin it. Only one elder among them, a man named Farhad, claimed to remember the stories of such a creature, passed down through generations. He spoke of the Div-e Kharman, a demon who would appear when the harvest was bountiful, driven by envy and malice to destroy what the villagers had reaped.

"Beware," Farhad warned, "the Div-e Kharman has awoken once more."

With his words, fear settled over the village like a dark cloud. But among them was a young man named Rostam, known for his bravery and strength. He refused to let fear dictate the lives of his people. Rallying the villagers, Rostam vowed to confront the creature that threatened their livelihood.

The Journey to the Caves

Determined to face the creature, Rostam sought guidance from an old mystic who lived at the edge of the village. The mystic, a wizened woman named Parisa, was rumored to possess knowledge of creatures unseen by ordinary eyes. In her dimly lit hut, Parisa told Rostam of the caves where the Div-e Kharman dwelled, deep within the mountains.

"The div’s lair is treacherous," she warned. "It lies hidden in the Kharman Valley, and only those with a pure heart and an unwavering spirit can reach it."

Armed with her blessings and a charm meant to ward off evil, Rostam set out on his journey. His path led him through dense forests, steep cliffs, and winding trails that seemed to grow darker and more foreboding with each step. Yet, Rostam’s heart held steady; he knew that to rid his people of the Div-e Kharman, he would have to face dangers greater than he had ever known.

After days of travel, Rostam reached the mouth of a massive cave, its entrance draped in shadows and the silence of the ancient mountains. He sensed the malevolent presence that seemed to breathe from the darkness. Inside this very cave, the Div-e Kharman waited.

The Encounter

As Rostam stepped inside, he felt a chill run down his spine. The air grew thick, and shadows danced across the cave walls, their forms twisting into shapes that seemed alive. Deeper within, he heard a low growl, a rumbling sound that reverberated like thunder. Slowly, the figure of the Div-e Kharman emerged from the shadows.

The creature was enormous, towering above Rostam with a dark, rugged form covered in coarse hair and horns that curled from its head like those of a mountain goat. Eyes as red as smoldering coals bore down upon Rostam, filled with a cold, ancient anger.

“Why have you come, mortal?” the Div hissed, his voice echoing like the breaking of stone.

Summoning all his courage, Rostam spoke, “I have come to end your tyranny over our village. The people have suffered enough from your wrath.”

The Div-e Kharman laughed, a harsh and grating sound. “End my tyranny? I am as old as the mountains themselves. No mere human can defeat me.”

But Rostam stood his ground, gripping his sword tightly. The two clashed in a battle that seemed to shake the very earth. The Div’s strength was immense, but Rostam fought with the love of his people in his heart, determined to free them from this nightmare.

The Trials of Fire and Stone

The battle raged, and the echoes of their struggle filled the cave. The Div struck with a force that shattered stone, but Rostam dodged and parried, his every movement precise and calculated. As the fight continued, the Div began to lose his patience. Realizing that brute strength would not be enough, the Div employed cunning, luring Rostam into deeper chambers where ancient traps awaited.

Rostam was forced to navigate these perilous chambers, facing pits of fire and walls that threatened to close in and crush him. Yet, with his wits and the charm given by Parisa, he evaded each trap, his resolve unwavering.

Finally, after hours of fighting and enduring the Div’s cunning, Rostam stood face-to-face with his foe in the heart of the mountain. Both were exhausted, their breaths ragged, but neither was willing to yield. Summoning the last of his strength, Rostam charged at the Div, plunging his sword into the creature’s heart.

With a final, shuddering roar, the Div-e Kharman fell, his form disintegrating into dust that drifted into the cavern’s depths. The cave fell silent, and Rostam knew he had succeeded.

The Return and the Curse of the Div

Returning to the village, Rostam was hailed as a hero. The villagers rejoiced, their fear lifted, and their fields free from destruction. For days, they celebrated the brave man who had defeated the ancient evil.

But Parisa, the mystic, approached Rostam with a look of sadness. “Beware, Rostam,” she warned. “Though you have defeated the Div-e Kharman, his curse lingers. His spirit is bound to this land, and his essence will find a way to return when the moon is full and the harvest is rich once more.”

Rostam nodded solemnly, for he understood that the struggle against the Div-e Kharman might not truly be over. But he had faith that, should the creature rise again, there would always be someone willing to stand against it.

Epilogue: The Legend Lives On

As the years passed, Rostam’s story was told and retold, growing into legend. The villagers continued to honor his bravery and vigilance, and each generation learned of the Div-e Kharman and the hero who had once protected their fields and lives.

To this day, it is said that on nights when the harvest moon shines its brightest, the faint whispers of the Div-e Kharman can be heard in the mountains. And in those times, the people remember Rostam, for they know that though the Div might return, so too will heroes who rise to protect the land.