Unsung Desire (Book 1)

Chapter 4

The four offspring of Cahzlik and Ohrlu later on discovered their powers at the age of twelve. With these, they were able to live abundantly and with more comfort. Dhugakki in the east could freely use fire; Batyonnu in the west was able to command the earth; Ruzgarri in the north could control the wind and nature; and Kuzinde in the south could summon the water and ice.

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“Don’t worry, both of you. Your Dahk will keep us safe and he’ll join us right after taking care of the beasts,” Mahk told us. Her eyes darted from my face to Sekkiz’s.

The fire continued to dance gently as it devoured the small woods and twigs that were placed in front of us. We were surrounding the small fire, sitting crossed legs. Mahk’s bag was beside her, and the parlattas were inside it for future use.

“Come closer,” she told us, extending her hand to me and my sister.

We did so, and she held our hand, gazing at us back and forth. “You both are special.” She took a deep breath and sighed, maybe trying to find the right words to say after that. “I already told you about the story about Cahzlik and Ohrlu, our two deities of life and death, respectively, and their sons and daughters, right?”

We nodded. “But you haven’t told us the rest of the story, Mahk,” I complained.

She bobbed her head up and down with a gentle smile. “Well, yes. So to tell you now, they grew up with powers since they were twelve. And then, they started to wonder why they were alone even before they got their powers. They wondered who their parents were and where they came from.”

“But who fed them when they were still babies?” I asked, brows slightly knitted.

“It was their mother Cahzlik, whom they couldn’t see. Their father Ohrlu visited them once in a while during the night when they were fast asleep. You see, they didn’t want the other deities to know there were little ones.”

“But why?” Sekkiz pondered aloud. Her eyes reflected my confusion and wonderment.

 “They were not supposed to have other responsibilities aside from their respective duties as deities. Anyway, that was what happened until the four children grew up. Dhugakki was bored in the east, so he decided to go up north and met Ruzgarri. He fell in love with her instantly.”

Sekkiz and I creased our forehead. “Fell in love?” we both echoed.

Mahk said and there was a dreamy look on her face as she looked at the passage of the cave. My sister and I looked in the same direction. There was Dahk standing in his bloody outfit.

“Dahk!” Sekkiz and I exclaimed happily, jumping to our feet. We both hugged him in the waist but grimaced when we smelled the foul odor of the brown blood from the beast. So far, there was no blue blood coming out from him, so I guessed he was fine.

“It’s good to see you back, bihs kobehk,” Mahk said to Dahk with a loving smile on her lips. “Let your Dahk change his robe and we’ll continue with the story,” Mahk added, addressing me and my sister.

We let Dahk go and sat at each side of Mahk, just like earlier. Dahk disappeared somewhere in the dark to change while our attention was on Mahk’s face.

“To fall in love is like the way your Dahk and I feel for each other. But I also love you both, though it’s a different kind of love. It’s the love by a parent to a child. When you both grow up, you will know that love is a deep word. It has a lot of meanings, faces and ways. Nonetheless, it’s love. And love must prevail in all things. Do you understand what I am saying?”

“I guess,” Sekkiz and I said, shrugging and nodding. But our young minds could not fathom what it meant, except for the love between parents and children. Just like us, our family. That, I understood very well.

“Now back to Dhugakki and Ruzgarri, he pursued her. However, she didn’t return his feelings. Here comes Batyonnu from the west. The moment he set his eyes on Ruzgarri, he desired her. He liked her so much that he wanted to have her all to himself. But Ruzgarri did not like him either. She turned him down.”

“So what happened then?” Sekkiz interjected, couldn’t wait to hear what was next as Mahk drank some water from the tube container. She gave it to us, and I drank first before Sekkiz.

“She used her wind and nature powers to kick them both to the south. Now both male deities found another female deity Kizunde. But this time, it was Batyonnu who found her first. Both fell in love at first sight with each other, and they lived together. Dhugakki was envious but he just returned to the east. He was getting crazy thinking of Ruzgarri. But when he went back to the north, he learned that she already fell for someone else.”

“But who? There were only four of them on Dihnya,” I queried, eyebrows furrowed.

Mahk smiled stroking my hair. “Remember Dihnya is a resting place for the deities?”

“You mean she fell for her father Ohrlu?” I made a face with eyes going round. I covered my mouth when I heard Dahk roared with laughter, joining us at the small fire.

“No, silly!” Sekkiz pointed out. “There must be other deities!”

“Right, Sekkiz dearie,” Mahk confirmed, nodding. “Ruzgarri fell in love with the Sky Deity Mahviyuz. Dhugakki was so heartbroken that he burst into flames, killing Mahviyuz. He vowed that he would have her in the next life if there is another. By killing another deity, he was also consumed by his own power and went caput. Ruzgarri was so devastated that she lost both deities, especially Mahviyuz whom she loved so much. But she lived, giving birth to two offspring, a boy and a girl. At twelve, they were powerful enough that they were able to produce Dihns by shedding their skins. That was their power. However, those Dihns had no powers. They were ordinary mortals. Only the Dihns that were produced naturally by the deities themselves had powers, although quasi-immortal since they were born in Dihnya. If they fall for someone without powers, their offspring will also be powerless. Until the time came that the deities on Dihnya became rare.”

“Aren’t deities supposed to be immortal, Mahk?” I pointed out.

“Well, they are if they live out of Dihnya. The ones born here, they live longer than ordinary Dihns though. But you see, Dihnya is for the things that are only temporary. It just exists as a temporary escape for the deities. But they have to go back to their immortal world every time. That’s why most Dihns believe that what Ohrlu and Cahzlik did was a big mistake. Dihnya is now filled with inhabitants, and deities could only have a small place where they could rest peacefully. But I believe otherwise.”

“I do, too,” Dahk seconded, touching the fresh but old gray robe he was now wearing.

We looked at him and then back at Mahk, who was smiling at him.

“Right. Many just won’t believe that Ohrlu and Cahzlik did fell in love even for a short while and that what they did was not a mistake. I believe it was fate.”

“Fate,” I whispered. My eyes strayed to my twin sister’s way. She looked at me with a small smile on her face.

“Fate and love,” she said.

“Now let me tell you about Yahrezur,” Dahk chimed in. His eyes went back and forth to me and my sister.

My eyes went brighter when I heard it. Something deep within me was so excited to learn about the place where we came from. And yet, Dahk was quiet. We could only hear the crackling sound of the fire that was between us. He angled his ear toward the passage of the cave.

“Did you close the entrance?” Mahk whispered her question to Dahk.

“And I did erase the Yahrezur symbol you drew.” He nodded slowly but stood up with agility and fluidity that I seldom witnessed. He put a finger on his lips and signaled us to go into the dark corner of the cave, mouthing “Go, hide!”

Mahk helped me and Sekkiz to get on our feet and dashed toward the dark corner of the cave to our right—almost noiselessly. Meanwhile, Dahk went to the left side to peer at the passage who or what was coming in. We could hear the steps of a couple of Dihns in their heavy boots.

“Just who in Ohrlu’s name came here without our permission?” A voice boomed all over the place. It was deep and scary.

I almost shivered because of it. Instead, I huddled closer to Mahk and so did Sekkiz. My other hand held her robe tightly.

“Show yourself!” The same voice said it, threateningly.

But Dahk didn’t make a move. I held my breath. What if they were real nasty and bad Dihns? Judging by the sound of it, he was. And perhaps the other Dihn too who was with him, who stayed silent. Mahk always told me and Sekkiz that not all Dihns were nice and kind. Some were downright bad!

“Wait, I think I know who’s here.” Another voice in a deeper but quieter voice stated.

Sekkiz and I held at each other with dread. Did that Dihn know it was us? But how?