Burnt Heart: Ch 3. Breach of Trust
Kahli’s head was throbbing. Every muscle of his felt like agonizing hell. His blood was dry on the edges of his mouth. How did he-
“Zizi.” With one name spoken unconsciously aloud, he remembered everything. One of his offspring from the islands arrived. His mind was racing, worries of his family in danger. That thought switched to his relationship to Zizi. By God. The lie he had been forced to keep for so long was finally revealed. And she blasted him. She blasted him! She nearly killed him! He never laid a finger on her with violence all his life as she nearly obliterated him without wanting an explanation. The next thought rested on the life debt. Would his mind shut down from the psychological burden of not being able to follow Zannah’s command? Did it even matter now the truth was out? Maybe not. Finally, his mind rested on his son. It was Manaco’s birthday, and he needed to see his boy.
Getting up from the medical table in a calm state, Kahli silently made his way to begin the journey to his son’s house.
"Will you stop nagging?"
"I'm not nagging, I'm telling you, the picture is crooked!"
"Your head is crooked!"
"Manaco, Ahusaka, stop arguing, everyone will be here in two hours for the party, and your squabbling won't make things go any faster." Urboro told her arguing brothers. "Now, one of you come over here and help me with this banner."
"I'll help you since you got the short genes of the family." Miku teased her sister.
"Like Mom."
"Shuddup and help me with this stupid banner."
Kahli had reached the house long ago. He didn’t try to hide his disheveled look, or the fact his suit was almost reduced to rags. His head rested on the door for ten minutes, the weight of his personal sins blunted into his mind like a dagger. Listening to her happiness, he felt terribly guilty. This was supposed to be his son’s special day, and, in some ways, he’d ruin it today. Finally, with only half a breath to gang courage, he walked through the door.
"What the ever-living fuck?" Urboro had no filter, just like her aunt, Zolori. "Dad! What happened?!"
"Did you pick another fight with Uncle Covarog?" Miku asked dryly, knowing all about their little spat. "I told you that's a bad idea, you'll upset Mom."
"Or did you try to hunt an over-sized boar again and it buck you off?" Ahusaka winced. "I remember that it cut you open with that tusk."
"Dad, seriously? What were you thinking? I'd like for you to be alive on my birthday." Manaco shook his head. "Sit down, I'll get you a drink."
Kahli’s eyes darted between his children. Every time he thought he had something to say, it didn’t form aloud. Sitting down, he waited for his son to get him that drink.
"So, what was it? Fight? Boar? ... gravity increasing upon you?"
"No one likes a smartass, Manaco."
"Tolerate me for a day, okay? It's my Name-Day."
Kahli stared out the window for a moment, taking sips from the beer his son provided. “Your mother, justifiably so, tried to kill me.”
The siblings exchanged glances and started to snicker.
"Good one, Dad."
"We all know Mom doesn't like to fight."
"If she wanted to kill you, you'd be dead, you know how she is when she's mad."
"Besides, Mom doesn't have a reason to kill you, you probably just got ruffed up in a spar, right?"
Kahli gave them a gaze that looked through them. “I... hell take me. I cannot even reveal the contents of the life debt to you all, even now. No matter how much I wish I could break through the shackles of my biology. Children. I love you. Everything I’ve done has been done to keep you all and your mother safe and happy. But I’ve hurt her. I tried so hard not to, but I did. And she nearly killed me for it. You’re going to hear things about me from her. Information that is true, and truths I cannot share myself.”
Now, all the siblings had their full attention on their sire. Worriedly, the brothers and sisters looked at each other before Manaco stepped forward.
"Dad? What is it?" He felt anxious. "Is... is something wrong with you? With Mom? What's going on? You're scaring us."
"Scaring is an understatement."
"Hush, Urboro."
“I want to tell you, but I...” Kahli grasped the sides of his head, fury building up inside. “Being a Hasai is a curse. Too loyal, too many burdens. That woman. I let her use me because my body wouldn’t let me refuse. I can’t believe your mother tried to kill me. Her anger is just, but to strike me? How could she? I loved her through the burden of my secret. I did everything to guide her safety through life. It tears me up that I can’t just TELL YOU!” Kahli was now clawing his skin, nails digging into flesh.
"Okay, this is more serious than a birthday party." Manaco motioned for his siblings to follow him. "We'll go talk to Mom. You stay here, get some rest, and there's food and water in case you need it. There's no way Mom would hit you without a damn good reason. We'll be back." With that, Manaco and his siblings hurried out the door.
Kahli waited in the house, silence his only companion now. How long did he wait? He had no idea. He scarcely remembered the dinner he devoured, or the drink he consumed. Time just didn’t phase him. He even thought of castrating himself, just as Zizi desired.
It was a long talk with her eldest children. Needless to say, all of them were shocked. The secret was... hurtful. There was no foundation left for trust. Their father had lied not only to their mother, but to all of them. Their mother blasting their father halfway across their home was another issue. While none of them liked violence, all of them agreed they had never seen her so angry or so upset before. She looked... devoid of hope. While Manaco took their mother up to the bedroom to rest, the group of brothers and sisters tried to save face. "I... what are we going to do?" Miku felt awful.
"Mom's... hell, I've never seen Mom like this. Never seen Dad like this." Urboro ran a hand down her face.
"This won't be fixed. Can't be fixed." Ahusaka had his arms crossed and was in deep thought. "Mom will never trust Dad again."
Outside Zizi’s house as the group were talking, Grievous had made herself back from the bench she waited patiently on. Kahli never came by here, so she had no idea where to look for him now. She was set on retrieving Sylvain and flying out to look for him. Spotting more half siblings, she froze.
The rest of Zizi's and Kahli's brood were coming home from school. Keira had finished work for the day and went to fetch them. Every single day, all the Slatki kids traveled from home, to school, and then back home together at the end of the class. All of them were laughing, talking, or teasing one another. They were all happy... and had no knowledge of the strife behind their house's door.
Grievous observed from afar, her Wyvern being small enough to sneak around lightly without detection. Going to the fountain, she spotted her fathers blood was still intact and not cleaned away. Her companion took a sniff of the blood and picked up a scent at her command. Climbing on the saddle, she patted his side. “Fly. Go to him.”
As soon as the rest of his brothers and sisters entered through the door, Manaco felt his stomach sink. How was he going to explain this to them? Zizi had cried herself to sleep and his siblings had no clue. He had to keep their family together... somehow.
~
At Manaco’s house, Kahli still waited. He knew in his heart of hearts that no one would come back, least not so soon. Standing to get another drink, the door was suddenly kicked open. Before him, the same girl appeared. The same girl that helped bring his world done. Only now, she had paint down just half her face. The clearer side of her face was the same pigment of colour as him. He loathed it. “Get out of my sons house.”
“This time, you will not cast me aside so easily.”
Kahli lunged forward with an empty beer bottle. Grievous ducked, kicking high with her left foot. It sent the bottle flying into the air, raining glass down. Immediately, Kahli and her engaged in hand to hand combat. Both were ruthless, using the claws of their nails to cut deep, punching the days fresh wounds on one another. Every hit they inflicted on the other stung heavily. Finally, Grievous had the upper hand, kicking Kahli out the front door and out onto the road. “You should rejoice father. I am a warrior of the Waku. This is what you wanted, no?”
She tried to throw a punch as he was still recovering. The man caught it, and her hand sizzled with his flame generating from his body. To two Waku, however, this merely was a visual indicator the fight would grow more serious instead of being burnt. “You are not my child. I never asked to be your father.”
Pulling her arm forward, Kahli slugged her in the face with his free arm. He kept her in place, punching her twice more.
Growing weary, Grievous kicked Kahli in the chest, and explosion of lightning sending him flying back into the gravel of the road. Fire could be absorbed, but electricity was another matter. “You let the Emperor create an army from your DNA.”
“My life debt gives me no choice. I did everything I could for my family regardless of the predicament I was in. You coming here jeopardizes their lives. Foolish girl.”
Kahli rose, and blasting the ground with fire to rock himself forward, he dived kicked right into Grievous’ chest before she could react.
The girl slammed into a piece of fencing, reopening her head wound once more. To be honest with herself, she was scared. Kahli was using fire to effectively harm her, something unknown to most Waku. She feared she wouldn’t live long to use such brilliant tactics herself. “You didn’t even think of me? You didn’t think of the others?”
“It was forbidden girl. I had my own family to attend to. You think anyone could possibly be father to hundreds? Surrender, go home, and never come back. I’m sure you have your own family who is concerned for you. A mother. Half-siblings who care for you on whatever island you reside.”
As Kahli walked towards her, his hands knuckles cracked. “Or maybe I should turn you into a bomb and be done with it.”
“What?” No Waku she knew had that power, but she believed it from the conviction in his voice. Despite her fears, she took another battle stance. “If it means making an impression on you, then I’ll gladly die.”
“You’ll what?” Kahli paused just advance, taken aback. Grievous used this moment to try and another attack of lightning, but Kahli caught her hand. At first it shot in the air past his face, but at a twist, the energy quickly fizzled out. “To throw your life away so carelessly, where is the point of that?!”
What ended the fight wasn’t another punch, or blast of lightning, but a slap to the face from the man. Grievous’ voice was high from that, and she fell to the ground. Her father looked down at her, crossing his arms and shaking his head. “My life in shambles. No thanks to you... but no thanks to my fault as well. To tell you the truth, I simply don’t have the heart to kill you. Stay. Go. I’m going back inside for another drink. Think about your own mortality.”
While townsfolk shuddered at the battle and the magic being launched about, Grievous picked herself up to follow Kahli like a puppy who didn’t know anything else better.
Kahli sat on a chair, grabbing another bottle of beer. Seeing Grievous join him in silence, he went to pantry to grant her a drink of water. Separate, they had their beverages in silence.
It took a long while to explain what happened to his younger siblings. All of them were notably upset. Some had no words, others had many. Anger, hurt, and sadness... all of it was overwhelming. Ahusaka and Keira volunteered to look after the siblings while Manaco went to talk to their father. The slight amount of destruction was... notable. Something happened. Entering his own house, he saw... a stranger sitting there. The stranger Keira told him about. The one who was responsible for lifting the lid on his father's box of secrets.
"Dad... we need to talk."
“Haha, do we?” Kahli laughed bitterly. “No doubt you have learned the truth that I have been forced to keep inside for so, so long.”
"Yes." Manaco glanced at Keira. "She's my baby sister. I know that much."
“Her? From a certain point of view. Yes.”
"I want to know how all this came to be, and why... no..." Manaco took a breath, trying to reign in his anger. "I want to know how you could do something to my mother like that."
“Manaco. You remember that time you walked in on that flower garden I was going to make for your mother and all the siblings you had at the time? I know how much it excited you, and I knew you wanted to tell the others. But then I made you keep a promise. You later described it to me as a mental tick. You were still terribly excited, but you kept your word to not tell a soul until it was revealed. Tell me son, do you remember?”
"Of course I remember, but this is way different than a flower bed, Dad." Manaco did not look too impressed. "Secret or not, this... spirits, why Dad? Why?!" Manaco punched a hole in the wall to keep from lashing out at his own father. "Why must you always go crawling back to Zannah?! If you're so loyal to her, why did you stay with Mom?!"
Kahli gave his son a look after he punched a hole in the wall. It was the look to calm down, or he’d have something to be mad about. “There is nothing of loyalty about it. A life debt to a Hasai is similar to a promise, only so much more. Can you imagine being a prisoner to your own mind son? To scream out the pain you feel at a secret you keep, but are unable to share? How dare you express a will for violence when you don’t try to even understand the prison I’ve been in against my own mind and spirit. You think I wanted this? For you to break so easily is pitiful. No. It’s insulting. Despite being humiliated all my life, I’ve done nothing but care for and love you all. Especially your mother.”
"Don't you turn this around on me. I have a right to be angry too, and so does she!" Manaco pointed at Grievous. "I don't have to imagine being a prisoner, cause I never would have allowed myself to be one in the first place! Don't you understand?!" He growled. "Mom doesn't trust you anymore. She told me, personally, and I quote 'if he walks through that door, I'll give him another reason to hurt'. That's not how my mother acts! My mom doesn't want to hurt someone. This family is trying to fall apart, but I did my best to explain back there to all my brothers and sisters what happened. They're all furious with you and they're all hurting."
“I fell into The Emperor’s hand a long time ago. How was I to imagine that she’d do THIS to me? To have me be a vessel to raise my tribe from the depths of genocide.” Kahli stood tall, getting eye to eye with his son. “Zannah made it clear she would take you all away if I refused, if by some miracle I broke free from the mental chains of my debt to her. And I believed her. I have done nothing but love, care, and look after you all. Be furious, but know I did everything for you all while under her pressure.”
Grievous was going to add something, when Kahli started to spew more hurt anger. “She can try. But that is my house as well. That is my memories I made with her. I never hurt any of you, least made a move to kill.”
"You think I don't know that?! We know that you love us, took care of us, still look after us!" Manaco shouted. "I'm trying my best to see your point and my mother's point, but I don't want to pick a side! I want this to go back to normal, and I know it's not, and what's killing me, is having my younger sisters who don't fully understand, asking me why Mom is mad at Dad. I explained it the best I could, but all they know, is Mom and Dad are fighting and they don't like it. So you," Manaco opened the closet door and pulled out a pillow and a blanket. "Are going to stay here until Mom calms down, and you," He pointed at Grievous. "Are going to my Mom's house. She doesn't want you staying here, cause you two aren't going to start up a ruckus again, she's not going to deal with it. My house, my rules. Go."
“Manaco... no. If we don’t talk now, she’ll talk to her sisters. Then Zarazu will tell Covarog, who will tell Ralnor and this whole situation will grow so much uglier.”
Grievous shook her head. “Why should I go there?”
"Mom said she doesn't want to talk to you right now and she's got a whole barricade of plants, vines, and thorns around the house." Manaco shoved the pillow and blanket into his father's arms. "And Mom's not so foolish to tell them until she calms down. She knows how 'precious' the alliance is with the Empire, and that my aunties would want to throttle you. So no, she's not telling them." He then pointed to the door. "Mom said with her, you'll respect her wishes, and you'll respect my wishes as your older brother. Now."
“Older brother? You are the eldest child of Kahli?” Grievous looked ten times more rigid and defensive around him then she did with Keira.
"Yes, I am." Manaco told Keira sternly, "I am the eldest of all fifteen of my brothers and sisters. Sixteen now."
“Try 669 others.”
“What?!” Kahli yelled out. Even he was blindsided by the number.
"... eldest of them as well." Manaco took a slow breath.
Kahli had no idea how to process that. With a definite number, he only came to one conclusion as he breathlessly whispered it in defeat to himself. “And yet not even close to finishing the life debt.”
"By the spirits, no wonder Mom lost her shit." Manaco muttered under his breath. "Look, I'm only going to say this one more time. Go to my mother. While you're here, she'll help you. Make sure you take your lurking pet outside as well." Then he said firmly, "And you are staying here with me so my mother will not strangle you."
Both Grievous and Kahli looked to Manaco, contemplating it over. Finally, they both agreed with a ‘fine’, one more begrudgingly, the other with very little care.
The girl jabbed her finger at Manaco’s chest. “I want to challenge you to combat to test your reign of eldest sibling. Tomorrow of course.”
Manaco was already on edge. He had a darkness in his eyes. Backing Grievous up against the wall, he was radiating a foul aura. His mother was heartbroken. His father had kept a horrid secret that could potentially break the family apart. And now, his supposed little sister wanted to fight him.
"You're an idiot if you think you will win against me." Manaco whispered menacingly. "Get. Out."
“I... understood.” Grievous inched her way to the door, doing very well to hide her fear of him. In fact, it was that fear that made her comply with going to Zizi’s.
Kahli rose up to get another bottle of beer. He must have gone through half his son’s supply in the fridge. “I think she gets this fighting spirit from her other half. I don’t know any Hasai that picks so many fights. War is one thing, but brawls? Nonsense.”
"What is nonsense is the whole idea of a life debt to a so-called 'Empress' who sees you as nothing but a pawn. My family as nothing but pieces on her board." Manaco was angry with his father, but he had to try to think of a solution. While he did not want his father dead, Manaco was afraid that if his mother lashed out again at his sire, he would be six feet under the ground. "None of my siblings nor I are ever going to return to the Empire. You, on the other hand, decide what you want more and help me figure out a way to get you out of this mess."
“What I want more? I wanted, still want, to be with your mother. She is who I am loyal to. What I am to Zannah is a biological and spiritual bond of Exodrum and being a Hasai. I physically cannot deny her wish so long as I’m indebted to her.”
"Do you want to stay indebted to her or do you want to figure a way out of this mess?" Manaco asked his father, "Cause from what I understood, your life debt isn't over and may not be over before you're on your death bed. Sit here and think on it." He then said, "Get some sleep. I'll deal with you in the morning."
“Deal with me?” Kahli grabbed his son suddenly by the collar, throwing him onto the couch. Besides combat drills, this was the most physical he’d ever been with him. “You speak of me as some animal? A burden? You will do well to mind your tongue boy. And think on it? How? You want us to beg Zannah? To throw our hands and knees down to her? Or should we perhaps seek the council of a God? You listen to me Manaco. I’m going in to town to fix your fence. I am going to go to sleep. In the morning, I will go to work. What you will do is sit on this couch and think. You think about how my honour has been nothing but abused, and how lucky you are patience is my greatest virtue. Am. I. Clear?”
"Don't. Fucking. Touch. Me." Manaco growled at his father. "You won't win me over with a pity party. Mom told you long ago that Zannah was bad news. You still defended her, and Mom chose to have faith in you and now look where it has gotten her. You may blame it on the life debt, but I'm not a fool. You have more loyalty to the Empire than here." He shoved his father out of the way. "Patience? Your greatest virtue? Ha! Your greatest talent is keeping a secret." He then walked up the stairs. "I got another shift in a few hours, and I'm going to rest. I don't care what you do."
Kahli said nothing to his son. If he didn’t care what he did, then those were his words. With that, Kahli made left his sons house. Up until the moon rose over Hyrule, he went to town and back, fixing all the damage and cleaning up the mess in his house. Finally, he went inside to shower. This day... this day was the beginning of the end for him. And Kahli knew things would never be the same. ________________________________________________________________
Previous Ch. https://mrneighbourlove.tumblr.com/post/611234309094948864/burnt-heart-ch-2-trust-thunderstruck
Next Ch. https://mrneighbourlove.tumblr.com/post/612488276332478464/burnt-heart-ch-4-boiling-point
Crossover with @ridersoftheapocalypse. Shared world with @s-kinnaly