II

When they arrived at the feast hall Taryu was sitting center of the table with Le on his right. His oldest son and daughter sat to his left and right respectively. Then the 2nd and 3rd wives. Then their oldest to youngest, then the 4th and 5th wives, and their children after that. Taryu's oldest son was Lycurgus, so only Lysander sat with Shezira. The oldest daughter, Loka, belonged to Le and was her only child.

Laughter and joy filled the hall. Shezira, however, was silent fiddling with a needle and thread nervous and anxious. Le peered at her with delighted eyes.

Taryu's voice boomed silencing the room "I have an announcement." Taryu looked down and smiled at Le. "My lovely Le has given me a gift that will conquer the seas and make my name's sake truly legendary!" He raised his war club, Tujira, made from the spine of a Great Tiger Whale, high into the air causing all to raise their cups in semi-unison.

"Le has worked hard and made me a sail that would put my grandmother's finest work to shame. She is truly the greatest weaver these seas have ever seen!"

Shezira's eyes widened as she made eye contact with Le who looked upon her with a malevolent smile that stretched ear to ear.

Le's stunning green eyes glowed with passionate fervor as she basked in Taryu's praises. Shezira gritted her teeth in seething hot hatred, as her grip tightened around her needle. In the back of her throat, she felt the words liar clawing at her begging to be released, but Taryu was speaking, and to lash out would mean severe punishment.

Tears stung at her eyes as she fought to hold them off, but they broke through one by one. All that hard work was stolen by that liar and snake Le, and that joy upon Taryu's face. She was filled with malice and jealousy.

'That should be my praise' she thought to herself, Taryu kissed Le. Shezira wanted to scream but she buried her head in her hands to muzzle her rage. Lysander noticed his mother's odd behavior and placed a worrying hand on his mother's shoulder.

"Don't worry mother I'm sure great lady Le can teach you to weave as well," Lysander said in his sweet innocent voice.

It itched Shezira's brain. 'Not my baby, you will not take my baby as well Le' she thought to herself.

"I must go fetch the sail to show you all its magnificent," Taryu said as he got up from the table.

Shezira in her silent rage hadn't even noticed Taryu's decree till Le spoke. "I just want to say that I toiled and worked so many days and nights, that this moment..." Shezira couldn't take it anymore the words, "Liar!!" punched out of her throat defeating the last of her resolve.

Le looked at Shezira and smiled. She strolled over slowly ruffling the hair of each child on Shezira's side of the table. Shezira was panting with a furious rhythm, struggling to catch her breath. Le stood over her and placed her hands on Shezira's face. She was disgusted, this witch had placed her filthy hands upon her face.

A smile sprawled across Le's face once more.

Shezira snapped, and in a flurry, the needle she had been clutching went into Le's face as Shezira lunged at her. Everyone at the table screamed in horror as Shezira sowed Le's mouth shut. Biting the bloody thread, she went for Le's eyes, but Lysander tackled her. "Mom, stop it! Please get a hold of yourself!" The others gathered around Le who tried pulling at the threads sealing her mouth, silent screams of pain leaving her eyes through a river of tears.

Taryu came in moments later, and everyone except Lysander and Lycurgus was gathered around Le. "What's going on?" Taryu boomed.

"This Witch attacked my mother; she's sown her mouth shut!" Loka screamed.

Taryu's eyes cut immediately to Shezira who was weeping. "Taryu, my love, please forgive me."

The Leviathan sneered at his wife. He made no approaches to comfort her nor show compassion. "Bring Le to me," he orders those around her. He looked at Lycurgus and then Lysander, his heart filled with perplexity.

He looked at his wife Le, and as he looked upon her wounds, he could tell just by the way Shezira sowed her lips that her skills were astounding. He realized that Shezira attacked Le for lying. He pulled his blade from his waist and tried to cut the threads, but his knife simply glanced over them. He became perplexed and then infused his knife with his Tarmata to cut the threads. With surgical steadiness, he tried to cut one thread, but it didn't work.

He looked towards Shezira who was standing off in a corner silent. "Shezira release the bond you have on these threads." He boomed. Shezira stayed silent for a moment. "Shezira!" She jumped at his loud voice.

"I... I can't, that thread it's the same thread I used for your sail." Taryu's eyes widened as he looked down at Le's face. He knew that the threads were nigh-indestructible, they were so well made that even his strongest attack couldn't pierce the threads. Taryu knew there was nothing he could do to save Le, with her mouth sown shut eventually she would starve or get dehydrated, she may even struggle to breathe.

Tears rolled down his eyes, a rare sight for the Leviathan, as he placed his hands over his face. He knew that Shezira was just in her anger, but her actions were unjust, he could not simply let this infraction and violence take place overwise he would lose the respect of the village. At the same time, he knew his only two sons wouldn't stand idly by at any punishment given to their mother, plus Le had deceived Shezira so there was understanding there.

He sighed heavily into his hand, he knew everyone was staring waiting for his decision and he had to resolve it here. He took in a deep breath, seemingly taking all the air in the hall, and he looked up from his hand. He looked at Shezira with a calm demeanor, he couldn't help but feel that this whole incident was his fault, he released a shaky yet powerful breath,

"Shezira, you are banished."

Lycurgus jumped up "Father you can't! I won't" Taryu shot his eyes at his son and pointed a thick, strong finger at him "Silence!" Taryu boomed at Lycurgus who sheepishly looked away, he then turned to his mother who was in tears.

"Then I will leave with her." Taryu stared at Lycurgus for a moment knowing this would happen.

"If it is your will, I shall not stop you." Taryu now looked to Lysander.

Lysander his young and fiery son, in his heart he hoped he would choose him so he could mold him, but he knew that he too would choose his mother. He watched as Lysander ran over to his mother. He looked away briefly steeling his heart

"Go, take your leave, the reaches of the village are off limits though I will not cast you from the land."

Shezira stood up her heart mixed with sadness and hatred. "I did it because I loved you Taryu!! I just wanted to make you love me again, please don't throw me away. Le has already taken my gift don't let her take my husband."

Taryu let out a sorrowful sigh, Shezira's words stung his heart and the guilt weighed so heavy that he could not meet her sad gaze. Hiding his pain as best as he could he barely managed to say,

"Depart from me Shezira you are no longer my wife."

Shezira let out a sob as she tried to move towards Taryu, but Lycurgus held her back dragging her out of the hall. She screamed and wailed in sadness as it slowly became wails of bitterness and hatred. Taryu glanced at her briefly seeing her anguish hurt his heart, he could not bear to look her in the eye as he turned his back lamenting. The last thing Taryu heard her say was "I hate you."