Unsung Desire (Book 1)

Chapter 6

With the right, kind but brave Dihn, a beast can be tamed and becomes loyal to him. No one and nothing can ever break that bond ever—even if time and circumstances separate the Dihn and the beast… except for the special ones however.

                                                                                           ֍֍֍

“Uh…” Mahk hesitated. She didn’t speak until we were out of the cave. “I-I think—”

“We were searching for you and some Dihns from Zarrihm Kingdom got us a few weeks ago,” Kraddash butted in. “We had no idea how they guessed it—that we’re from Yahrezur…” He sighed. “There was an encounter and my brother died. Rehdaaf and I barely escaped but we did manage. Then, we found this cave. So we let him rest here.” He gestured at the cave.

It was sad. But I didn’t understand why the Dihns from Zarrihm would want them dead.

After a few moments of silence, my parents urged me and Sekkiz to eat some fruits and fresh vegetables.

“Sertti, no meat for you. We don’t want to get any attention by cooking something out here,” Dahk explained.

“It’s okay, Dahk.” I smiled at him.

The surroundings were filled with trees and birds singing. There were no growls unlike last night. I wondered if they were also killed by Dahk before he joined us the past evening.

I looked up at the trees as I munched on some fresh leaves that tasted mint and buttery. Some rays of the sun got through the thick leaves and branches. It seemed to be a good day for us. Deep inside, I was excited about this journey to the place where we came from.

Yahrezur. There was a good ring to it, and it fluttered something in my chest. It was a good feeling, and it already felt like home.

“Mahk, were we really the daughters of Yahrezur’s King and Queen that died?” Sekkiz asked when we were done eating and preparing to leave.

We both looked at our mother. All the males’ eyes were on her, too.

Mahk kneeled, facing me and Sekkiz. Each of her hands caressed our arms before she held our hands. She took a deep breath while looking into our eyes, nodding. “Yes. As much as I really loved being your mother and your Dahk as your father, that’s the truth. I’m so proud and happy to have been called your Mahk and your father, your Dahk. And the deities up above know how much I love you both, Sertti angel, Sekkiz dearie. You’re both like our daughters, our own. And remember I told you you’re special?”

We nodded slowly. In our young minds, we didn’t really know what she was getting at.

“You’re meant to rule Yahrezur when the right time comes. You already know it’s been destroyed because you see? Some Dihns will want to see those powers destroyed but some would want to exploit them. And that’s how our—your—Yahrezur Kingdom got destroyed from the inside. The Dihns got greedy and their cruelty and hatred for those deities killed your parents. As a rule, deities cannot use their powers against the mortals. But they couldn’t follow the rules if the Dihns felt unsafe and loathed their reign. So they had to do what they had to. And they gave us you to protect. That’s why your Dahk and I are always doing our best to do so. We cannot let the other Dihns destroy you, too. For us, you must rule as you see fit, and we will see to it that you do. Do you understand what I’m saying?” She gently laid each of her palms on our chest, with teary eyes.

“Rule with our heart?” I asked.

“The heart will tell you whatsoever it is the right to do. Always. You just listen to it. All the time. Alright? And then, you will not go wrong.” She gave us a smile despite the tears that slowly ran down her pale cheeks.

Sekkiz and I reached out our small right hand to wipe her tears. Then she pulled us gently into a warm embrace. I smelled her sweet scent that I loved so much.

“We will slowly rebuild our kingdom now that you can understand your purpose in Dihnya,” Mahk whispered. “You have us. Me and your Dahk, as well as Rehdaaf and Kraddash.”

“But first, let’s put your disguise to a better one.” Dahk put each of his big hands on Sekkiz’s and my head.

***

It was our first time to have our hair tied atop our head. Sekkiz and I were grinning, feeling the excitement that we disguised as boys. But we never saw Dahk had his hair tied on top of his head. His was always tied low, and it looked good on him.

We’d been walking for hours. We just stopped for us to rest, eat and drink. We hadn’t met any Dihns from Zarrihm so far. I wondered if this kingdom’s ruler was as cruel as Yahrezur or Duskahr. I heard from Mahk’s story that the king there was also cruel.

“He sent his oldest son to Yahrezur once, to marry one of your four older sisters. She turned him down since she didn’t feel anything for him. On his way back to Duskahr and because he failed to do his duty, he was killed. We heard it was the king’s order,” Mahk told us.

Sekkiz and I grimaced upon hearing it. And we had sisters? I felt happy but sad. I wondered how it was to have older sisters. And I wondered how our real parents looked like. It was odd to think like this though, because I always believed Mahk and Dahk as our real parents. Nonetheless, I felt that nothing changed between us in spite of the truth revealed to us. Maybe because we’d always been with them and that they loved us like their own. What they felt for us was real, not something different. In my young mind, I knew and I felt it deep in my heart and it was etched in my soul. And yet, I didn’t know what to feel to learn that I am, in fact, a deity. All the while, I felt… normal. Nothing special. I was even sickly. But perhaps it was because deities in their first twelve years on Dihnya were mere mortal. Deities born in this world then became quasi-immortal when their powers were awakened on their twelfth birthday.

***

“Meet Cahravar, a heivan,” Dahk slowly pushed a branch filled with golden leaves.

Right at the small falls below us, a black gigantic beast was drinking water. It had a face of a bird but with a nuzzle that was huge and showed jagged sharp teeth; the size was about ten adult Dihns. The light displayed its black feathers like rainbows. They looked brilliant and gorgeous! Its two limbs were muscled, thick and definitely looked sturdy. The two huge wings on its back were furled and the two other smaller wings by the side of its strong long neck flapped gingerly as if hesitant to move to shake off something.

I’d never seen such a magnificent beast like this in my life. It looked beautiful and dangerous at the same time.

“Cahravar is one of the rarest beasts in Dihnya. Only a handful of them are left after Yahrezur was destroyed. They lived mainly in the north originally. And the few that survived migrated in the east and west. She can blend in her surroundings whenever necessary and whenever she’s on the ground. But she remains black, in that color, when she’s flying,” Dahk informed us.

Sekkiz and I gasped gently with awe, especially when the beast directly looked up at us.

“Eik!” the heivan shrilled. It was loud and sharp that it echoed in the mountains.

Dahk laughed a little. “She knows I’m here. I think it’s been a year since I last visited her here,” he said. “Come, I will introduce you and your scents to her. My friends and beloveds are hers as well. And mind you, she would know an enemy. Heivan are perceptive.”

Dahk carried me on his back while Mahk carried Sekkiz on hers as we descended the slope to get to where the beast was waiting for us. Rehdaaf and Kraddash swept the area with their eyes before they followed us.

“When did you have a bond with a heivan, bihs kobehk? You didn’t tell me about Cahravar.” Mahk’s voice was mildly confrontational.

“About two years or so ago. I met her when I was hunting for koshille around this area.”

Mahk stopped walking. “You came this far to hunt for koshille?” Her eyes were probing his.

Dahk also stopped walking and cleared his throat. I could feel his shoulders tense because my arms were around him. “Alright. I didn’t hunt for koshille. I was looking for heivan kind because I knew we can use it to get back to Yahrezur.”

We were surprised to hear it. That just meant Dahk already planned this day to return to our kingdom.

“You didn’t tell me you risked your life to bond with a heivan?”

“Bihs kobehk, it was necessary! Anyway, we’re here now and that’s what’s important. I was able to tame this heivan.” He smiled and continued to walk toward the beast.

My heart thumped so hard when the beast’s dark eyes connected with mine.