Hamartia - the Singing Dagger | #NaNoWriMo2019

Chapter 7.1: It's Me, Y'all!

Mahani struggled to keep me from swinging around in her hand. When she realized that I had spoken, she let go of me in surprise.

"Hold up. Who's Halie?"

I swung my hilt around wildly. "I'm so sorry, dudes. Can't contain myself, you know. Like, I haven't been in out of that scabbard for nine harvests! Can you imagine that?

As a plus, I've been deactivated for two millennia now! Who cares about the collateral damage I make just dancing," the dagger swung blade-first at the cyclops, who scowled, "or singing, " I harmonized.

"In exchange for a magnificent being like me, arbitrary bloodshed can't be any trouble, " I laid back, hovering in the void. Oh, yeah.

The silly Wind Creature looked at me as if he'd just realize something. "Are you saying that Mahani is Halie as in Halea? Like she's the karkar-"

I cut my blade through the air to interrupt. "Well, duh. You should've figured that out the moment the giant said that only she would make the deal legit.

Like, dude, " I paused to deliver my special dagger effect, "if this was a banana leaf compendium, readers would've figure that out ten scrolls ago."

The Wind Spirit rolled his eyes dramatically.

"Yeah, just keep rolling your eyes, dude. Maybe you'll a brain there somewhere."

I chuckled to myself. One thing I loved about Wind Spirits was that they weren't quick to anger. Caelem's stoic expression morphed into a purple scowl. But apparently this one was.

Imbal stepped forward to intervene. "Cease this simple bantering. We must go to the palace now and intervene to stymie the incipient Fall of Selah."

"Lady, " I cut in (nice pun, huh?), "the Fall of Selah will come to fruition whether or not we fail to intercede." Bleh, I hated talking in old shaman speak. So last millennia.

"I believe that we must first address the questions that a certain young woman, rather goddess, might have." If I had eyes, I would stare this woman down.

"Your very act of intervening with her destiny is a high form of heresy." Mahani sent me a discreet grin.

Let's show these high-born priestesses what it's about.

Crossing her arms and straightening up was the most Mahani could do to impose her divinity.

"Well, my dear dagger. I must put forth this most pressing inquiry of mine." Tilting her head sideways and widening her eyes, she pushed on.

"Why in the world did I have to live for two. Friggin'. Years. Scrambling in debt to support three lousy strangers?!" Mahani's nostrils widened in fury.

"Whoa, calm down there missy. You ain't exactly the whole warrior goddess herself. Just her rational, removable soul." Even when considering Halie's complete temper, I couldn't imagine how the soul where all her reason resides would be so aggressive.

I looked at Mahani's scarlet face again. Scratch that. I could imagine that.

"Your grandfather's anito sent the message through the shaman. He was one of the few mortals who had remembered Halea as the great protector of the moon. He and few other Maluni from all over Hamartia had formed a fellowship, vowing under blood oath to find a body for Halie's wandering karkarma. From their blood oath, I had awakened and guided them on what to do.

For you see, karkarmas can only enter a body that is willing. So for thousands of years Halie's soul just wandered from creature to creature, finding no human who was generous enough to let her in. 

So one day, I sent Halie's karkarma to accompany the old Malun home in form of a praying mantis. And when the baby Mahani was crawling around in her palace bedroom, she saw the praying mantis and the blue soul within it, bubbling with joy to see something other than dead brown walls. Opening her arms wide, you, Mahani accepted the karkarma, you have been one ever since."

Mahani felt her body tingle, her soul affirming that happy truth.

Still, she knotted her brows in confusion. "But why did Grandpa want marry me off?"

I laughed. "Well, after he saw you discard your royal robes, your grandfather decided to top off your shunning with a triple marriage. We needed you out of that forbidding palace before you died of sun-deprived frailty." I felt my whole blade glow with warmth remembering the moment Mahani had went outside the palace. It was an act of rebellion only my Halie could do.

Looking around once more, I noticed that one in the party had just gone missing. Mahani, check. Silent cyclops, check. Annoying priestess, check.

I made a noise which echoed the one of a human clearing its throat.

"Umm, guys? Do ya'll where Caelem's gone off?"