Maliha
Chapter 16: Of Light

Maliha’s lungs burnt as the rivers current sucked her to the bottom of the bed. Sand and dirt rising around her in a fog of dismal colours as her body was dragged along the floor.

Her pale green eyes fluttering beneath wispy lashes as she was viscously ragged by the raging and unforgiving current. Her arms and legs kicked out, hands waving as she tried to push to the surface, but the heavy material of her dress weighed her down. The pretty red and blue patterns constricting around her chest like chains that anchored at the bottom of the ocean.

Long green reeds wrapped around her frantic feet, halting her body until the pretty material that had clenched around her chest, now floated above her head like a film of fire.

The world above her was slithers of darkness, distorted sounds and visions, as the water shifted above her. Her eyes fluttered earnestly as small bubbles of trapped air floated around her face. Her chest throbbed with the need to expand, eyes burning until she could no longer hold her breath.

She was drifting

Aloft in the churning current

Body bobbing back and forth

Lips parted and eyes wide as the current shifted. The strong waves pulling Maliha back and forth. The current snapped around her, water churning in a viscous whirlpool of twisting waves.

She was chocking, asphyxiating as the water rushed down her lungs. Body jerking as her head became lighter and lighter until she was floating. Time moving spasmodically as consciousness slipped through the fringes of her mind. Reeds clinging to her skin, sinking into her lips and wrapping around her nose. Slithering along her body like the cold scales of a snake, they coiled around her. Moving and growing until they encumbered her upper body in a tight vice.

Her eyes fluttered back open as air rushed into her lungs. Her world spinning as the whirlpool yanked her body from the reeds that had kept her trapped. Twisting and turning until she was spat back up onto the river bank, vines slithering along her skin as water splashed at her knees and gushed from her mouth.

Her nails scored into the ground as she struggled for breath. Light dancing behind her eyelids as a sharp ringing noise filled her ears. The ground beneath her fingers shook, grass blades parting as the vines that clung to her wrists extended along the riverbank and disappeared into the vivid green.

Maliha was panting, gasping as the hot sun bashed down along her wet body. The world didn’t make sense. Her head was spinning as she tried to coincide what had happened to herself and how she had ended up here. Along the riverbank gasping for breath. It was as if the water had forced her out. Had seen her dying, had felt her essence and forced her from its tumultuous clutches.

She didn’t know. Nothing made sense but the burning of her throat and the salty tears that glided down her cheeks and blended into her slick skin.

What had happened?

Fatigue set in and all thoughts of her existence faded from her mind, drifting back into the water.

Her eyelids shuttered closed as her head collapsed down into the grass. The cool blades tickling along her face as the green vines that were found at the bed of the river, climbed around her. They slithered like grass snakes, wrapping around her arms and chest, forming an armour that protected her even from the sun’s rays.

Unconsciousness claimed her mind as the rocking waves of the river churned along her feet.

Light disappeared from her mind, the vivid colour exploding into pelting flames of darkness until the light was smothered by black.

—————

Sharp shouts had Maliha yanking awake, disoriented by the abrupt shouting. Her lashes flickered languidly as figures flitted in and out of her view.

“- Here,” called a male voice, his blurry figure running towards her even as his words thrummed around her skull.

She could not clearly hear what he was saying from the water lodged in her ears.

Maliha’s body jerked up into a raised position as Fiery hair melted into her vision. The red head bobbed in and out of her sight and the closer the figure came to her the more her body tingled.

Her fingers sizzled as energy coursed through her body, traveling through her being and forcing her to her feet.

The approaching feet halted, staring at her in confusion. Confusion that soon turned into horror as her head titled back. The vines that had once coiled around her body lashed out, rising from the grass and wrapping around the neck of the approaching female.

Noise crashed over her head, but it was drowned out by the roaring river in her ears, pure white light burning through her body. Tears glided down her damp cheeks as her being was split open and the pure energy fizzled out of her body.

“Maliha,” shouted a voice that was so familiar to her, but she couldn’t stop herself.

Her mind was roaring with chaos, with the need for retribution. To protect herself, to protect her tribe from this malignant evil that was deep rooted in her females being. The vines wrapped around the females, tightening until her pretty sand skin turned a fiery red.

“Maliha” that voice called again but her mind resisted.

The river crashed loudly in her ears, cracking against the land as it tried to break through. The water slapping until it was churning in viscous waves.

Her eyes flickered shut and then her hands waved, energy soaring through her body as her arms extended outwards.

“Rise” the disjointed voice screeched.

There was a clap of thunder and then the tumultuous water obeyed, rising from the river bed and spewing into the sky.

Drops licked on her skin, drizzling along her forehead and cascading down her skin.

“Maliha.” The voice whispered, chanting over and over.

The soft voice echoed her name, it’s haunted melody a lullaby that resonated deeply within her subconscious. The chant grew louder, ripping an earth shattering scream from Maliha and tearing her from her trance.

The wind roared around her as the water crashed back into the river bed, toppling over the earth with an almighty clap.

The vines receded from their choke on the woman, slithering back into the depths of the cold water they had slithered from.

She wobbled in her spot, her gaze wavering until she collapsed. Reality taking its hold over her mind.

“I have you,” purred a reassuring voice in her ear.

The river water cascaded around them in slow drops, slicking their skin. Her face dripping with both tears and the rivers foam, watery eyes peering up at him.

Ujarak lifted a dazed Maliha into his arms and made his way back to his house, his head was raised high even as tribesmen and women scattered away from his form.

Awe and horror lining faces as they gripped their children tighter and murmured behind hands, but their voices were loud enough for his ears.

He kept walking, back strong. Barely taking a moment to acknowledge Tanzim’s weeping and gasping form. She tried to reach for his ankles, but he shook her off, striding into his home where he lay Maliha to rest in the second hall. Her back was cushioned by the low laying sofas that were situated around the smaller and more private room.

“Move over, Ujarak. These old hands still know how to heal,” croaked Makula. Her usually dark brown eyes were flaming pools of fire as she rubbed along Maliha’s cheeks.

“Strong,” she murmured before she ordered Ujarak to bring her blankets and to brew some tea.

When he entered back into the second and more private hall, it was to the gentle whispers of his most trusted and wisest members of his tribe.

Maliha’s clothes were changed and a fire roared in the small hearth in the room. Makula’s eyes were a swirling amber colour as she chanted lightly, her hands lying flat along Maliha’s chest.

There was a hush in the room as Makula channelled her energy and essence into Maliha, kindling Maliha’s being higher and higher, until the gentle throb beneath her hands became a steady thump.

The cracking fire roared with each whispered chant and then Maliha was gasping, her body rocking up and her eyes flying open. Her usually green orbs flashed red, flames pluming in her irises before her body collapsed back down into the sofa.

“Is she okay?” Ujarak worried, reaching for Maliha’s forehead and replaceing it hot.

“She will be fine,” murmured Makula, her leathery face crinkling with her all-knowing smile.

Just as she said, Maliha’s eyes began flickering green eyes peering up at them until recognition began to float into her mind.

“Ujarak?” She croaked, questioning him.

Climbing to a seated position with his and Makula’s help she asked, “What happened?”

Her mind was a whirl of memories.

She remembered arguing with Ujarak and then making up. Her thoughts were of him as she picked at the reeds by the river and then she remembered Tanzim. Her red hair had cascaded around her shoulders in a wave of molten fury as she spat words at Maliha.

She had been angry and then there was her cold and sinister smile before she had sent Maliha toppling over the river bank and into the viscous water.

“I was pushed,” she gasped as soon as the memory of the cold water washed over her.

“Are you sure you didn’t fall?”

The quivering voice carried from a woman she had never seen a day in her life. Her dark auburn hair was braided down her back and her deep cocoa skin was marred with fine wrinkles and light scarring.

“Do not question her memory, child,” dismissed Makula, waving the woman back a few steps.

She bowed her head in respect but Maliha could see that everyone waited for her to speak further. As if this were her trial for doing some unspeakable act. At that thought, memories of coiling green reeds and rising water flashed through her mind.

Her fingers dug into her lap as unbridled anger flowed through her, turning her body impossibly cold.

“Easy.” The ghost whisper at her neck and the warm chest at her back had her pulling back into her body. Best flooding through her veins.

She was conscious of all the eyes that stared at her. Their harsh silence only expounded by the fire that was no longer lit.

“That’s it,” hummed Ujarak, rubbing her arms and forcing her to focus only on his touch and not all the eyes gawping at her.

“I was pushed.” She reiterated to his ears alone but Makula was privy to her words.

“I agree, Maliha was pushed.” She declared, climbing to her feet and announcing to the ten or so people in the room.

“How can we know?” Shouted one voice and the room echoed his question.

At their disgruntled words Maliha became aware of how many strangers were in the room and how many of them were rooting against her. The only familiar faces within the crowd were Abazz and Kamir.

“I agree. This is a serious accusation,” chorused the same female who had first challenged Maliha’s words.

“Yes, this is a serious accusation, Yaniza and yet it has been made. It is not our place to question whether she tells the truth but, to question who would do such an act.”

Growled Makula, her eyes narrowing at Yaniza and forcing the woman to back down. There was no intimidating Makula.

“Thank you Makula.” Smiled Ujarak as patting her on her slightly hunched shoulder, encouraging the elderly women to relax in her defence of Maliha.

“What Makula has spoken is true. Instead of seeking to discredit her words, we should listen to Maliha’s story.”

Ujarak prompted Maliha to talk with a light nod and gentle nudge of her shoulder but before she could speak, Yaniza interrupted again.

“She could be addled brained. The fall may have hurt her head. Plus, how can we believe her words when she tried to destroy us.”

Yaniza’s words caused a roaring chaos in the room, Makula, Abazz and a few others shouted at her while others defended Yaniza and her accusations.

“I did not try to destroy you,” growled Maliha, her voice carrying like the sound of clashing thunder.

“Then what-”

“Shut up,” she spat, unsteadily climbing form the sofa and rising to her feet.

“I did not try to destroy you all. I do not know how I was able to do what I did, but the only person I tried to destroy was the one who tried to kill me!”

How she had made it from the water was beyond her, as was the way she had manipulated the earth, water and weather. There was a part of her that hadn’t even been aware of what she was doing, the only thing she did know was that she had been livid and afraid. The earths energy had strummed through her feet and into her bones, clouding her mind until all she had wanted to do was to protect herself and to subject the woman to the same fate she had almost suffered.

Of that she as sure.

“No,” Yaniza shouted, “You speak lies!” She snarled. Lips curled over her teeth and eyes panicked, crazed even.

And in that moment, it all made sense to Maliha why Yaniza was disputing her claims so much. When her face was distorted this way, the resemblance between her and Tanzim was noticeable. Though her skin was at least four shades darker, the similarities in their appearance was uncanny.

“I am sorry, Yaniza but it is true. Your daughter Tanzim, tried to kill me.”

The room turned sombre at Maliha’s refusal to rescind her words. As understanding as she was to Yaniza’s struggle, she could not allow her to make a liar of her, or pardon Tanzim from her act just because she was her daughter.

“No!”

“We cannot deny what is clearly in front of us. Tanzim has always had a mean spirit!”

Makula seemed to be Maliha’s personal advocate, she spoke when no one else did. Her voice carried with wisdom and knowledge that others could not discredit. She had the ear of their goddess and her wisdom came from Savuriya and Solayka themselves.

“And let us not forget that no child of Savuriya, can come into their true essence until our life is threatened.” Added Abazz, gaining reluctant grunts of agreement and approval.

“She could have fell.” Interjected Yaniza. Clasping desperately at straws as she tried to save her daughter.

“If Maliha had fallen, her energy would not have been directed at Tanzim. How many times have our young warriors come into their powers in the Tarahi dessert, knowing that we have left them there? And how many times have we been attacked by them because of it?”

“Never!” The council echoed.

Everyone raised into the Der Surjaz tribe knew that adolescent children that wanted to become a warrior, were taken on a trek through the Vanal mountains until they reached the Tarahi dessert. The dessert was infamous for its temperamental and sporadic weather and its treacherous wild life. It was often during this stay in the Tarahi dessert, that the abandoned warrior hopefuls came into their true essence and learnt how to fend for themselves.

Not once had these abandoned warriors in-training struck out at their superiors with their raw energy.

The energy was never triggered to harm another being unless it was in defence of themselves, their people or land.

“Maliha’s energy wouldn’t have unconsciously attacked Tanzim, if Tanzim hadn’t hurt her,” murmured Abazz.

His words confirmed what had become abundantly clear to all those in the room. All but Yaniza.

“I do not believe it.” She muttered, the conviction seeping out of her voice and being replaced by defeat.

“It makes sense... Especially as Tanzim was put aside for her misuse of power over both Maliha and Xiuri.”

The body who followed that soft melodic voice emerged from the shadowed corner as if she were part of it. Her hair twisted into fine locks that framed her face in a multitude of pale whites and shimmery silvers. She was the image of Nahi and could easily pass as her sister if age did not dictate that the woman was much older.

“I am sorry, daughter,” she muttered pulling a crumbling Yaniza to her side.

“The council will vote. Who believes this accusation to be true?” Called Ujarak.

Hands rose in the air as eleven out of the twelve council members present, agreed with Maliha’s version of events.

“We have decided: Tanzim will be trialled today. Her punishment will be met out swiftly,”

He declared as he stroked Maliha’s shoulders in an attempt to ease the tension from her body.

“Let us hope she comes to us with a humble heart and mind.”