Hamartia - the Singing Dagger | #NaNoWriMo2019

Chapter 3.2 : Revealed

Caelem soared through the canopy with Mahani tucked tight in his wings. He was getting really uncomfortable having a human so near him. It's heat. It's breath. It's whole being bothered him.

After a few minutes of the human's companionship, Caelem refused to call Mahani a she. But something about her was intriguing though. He had no idea why he felt so sure she could be trusted.

Caelem would've blown away any other mortal to an isolated place before revealing his true identity.

His distrust of humans came with millennia of witnessing humans' cruelty to each other, especially when they thought no one saw them. Caelem had brushed up on liars, thieves, murderers.

Often coming as a warning gust of breeze, Caelem tried to wind-speak people into stop doing wrong. Some had mistaken him for their conscience. Most others ignored him.

After two millennia, Caelem stopped trying. And with that, his hatred for humans above all animate beings festered. Not that he would ever tell Mahani.

Perhaps she would still serve a purpose.

His thoughts were interrupted as the female human spoke. "I think we're here."

Looking down, they could both see Mahani's house by the riverside.

Landing with a flurry of air, Mahani looked to Caelem strictly.

"While we're in my house, I want no wind-speak." She trailed off. "It feels inhuman."

Caelem smirked. He knew humans couldn't bear to live without a filter. Without hiding their deepest sins, secrets, and lies. Very well. Mahani climbed up the coconut-slab stairs and wrangled the door.

"Open up, men! I'm home!"

Juna ran over to the door, pulling out the stick that served as a bar to the way. Mahani looked on the floor and saw Burkon sitting upright on the wall. 

"No healer came, Mahani. We used the piyasas to buy bananas instead."

"You do know we have banana trees in the back, right? Anyway, where are they?"

"Ahh." Juna looked to Ikaro, who was sitting cross-legged next to Burkon. "We fed it to Burkon to help him speak. He seemed like he really wanted to say something."

Ikaro nodded. "Yeah, something about voices in his head."

Caelem came forward in his wingless form. "What voices?"

Noticing Caelem for the first time since he came inside, the two husbands came forward to be beside the young man.

"Mahani, you didn't tell us we were getting another brother!" Juna touched Caelem's face, to which he reacted noticeably uncomfortable.

"That's where you were all day! Where is he from? Look at those eyes!"

Burkon croaked in his equivalent of expressing fascination. "He's pretty."

"No, you guys. I'm not getting another husband. And why would he be your brother? This is Caelem. He's a..." Mahani looked to Caelem, unsure of what to say.

"A professional financial advisor. Mahani's professional financial advisor. I'm here to help your family repay your debts."

Mahani looked shocked. "Wha--- Really? I didn't think that was part of your...uh...contract."

"Oh. You're free to decline my services anytime."

"No. No. I'm all good. Anyway, my dears, we're to inspect the damage they did to Burkon. So that Sir Caelem here can better have an idea on how to... calculate our refunds."

Nice save.

I told you no wind-speak. We are here to see Burkon's back marks, nothing else. You help me foil these dirtbags' plan to rip off Selahins, then I'm done and back to my unsupernatural life where I control things.

There were too many fast changes going on for her liking.

Caelem retorted, There's a word for that: Natural. Ever heard of it? Plus, it's nice that you're helping out the entire city. I thought you were only concerned about your family. A defining value of royalty.

I told you, shut it. They're looking at us.

The two had been staring at each other wordlessly now for minutes, and the three men were quite confused as to what was going on.

Mahani proceeded calmly, going over to Burkon's and showing the back over to Caelem. "Do you see that?"

The ancient script of Hamartia had formed clearly on Burkon's back by now.

Pay up, it says. Now what kind of debt collectors still use this script?

Not any normal ones. Followers of the serpent goddess.

They looked at each other in realization.

Bakunawa.

|A/N: The painting above is just a little something I drew up to depict the riverside sunsets by Mahani's house. Enjoy! |