Chapter 18

Lycurgus and Taryu walked in silence toward the area where they would depart. Neither really knew what to say nor felt like there was anything to say. The crowd's roar was muffled by the earthen walls surrounding them. The tunnel lit by a glowing green light that radiated from Fotos stones that lined the wall gave a somber aura to the tunnel. Lycurgus glanced at his father's face.

The green light made his father's angelic, angular face almost eerie, with a sadness that washed over it. 'Maybe it was a reflection of the state of his soul?' Lycurgus thought. His usual chestnut brown skin bathed with the green radiance, His long dreaded brownish black hair, dyed green made Lycurgus think of a sad sea giant.

His face nearly flawless was marked by one blemish a scar that laid over his left eyebrow, slanted to a degree that made him wonder if it was gained in the heat of battle. His body was covered in similar scars, obtained through hunts and battles, particularly his right arm. He once had told him, that he received a myriad of scars from a shark, though he couldn't remember if it was a Mavrin Shark or a Hilltai Shark. As a child he was fascinated with his father's scars and hoped to have some of his own one day, now he realized that scars weren't really something one should seek.

They neared the point of departure when a young woman stepped out from the entryway. Her long black hair and slender frame accompanied the white dress that hung gingerly to her body. When she turned in their direction Lycurgus instantly recognized his older sister Loka. Her angular face, with high cheekbones and vicious blue eyes, was almost like her calling card of recognition. When her eyes fell upon her little brother she sneered. Hatred flashed in her eyes as she spat out, "Why is he here?"

The venom filled her throat to the point that it made Lycurgus go on alert. The intent for murder was clearly there, and he wasn't quite sure if the skill to carry out such intent was beyond her reach. Taryu stepped forward and greeted Loka with a kiss on her forehead.

"Don't be like that to your brother Loka, he did nothing wrong." Loka pushed away from Taryu her venom now fixed on him. "Nothing wrong! He's supposed to be banished for following behind that witch!"

A twinge of annoyance started to creep in Lycurgus' heart, but he steeled himself to its advance. Loka, looked at Lycurgus one more time, tears now streaming down her cheeks, before she exited from whence, she came. Taryu sighed once she left, running his hand through his hair to get it out of his face.

Lycurgus had only ever seen his father do that a few times in his whole life, but he had learned that it was a sign of his father's visible stress, and he had never felt it so potentially before. Taryu took another deep breath before exhaling and saying,

"Le died, just a few days before the festival started."

Lycurgus looked at his father stunned, 'No wonder she looked at me like that.' He thought to himself. The levity of everything was now coming to bear upon him, not only had his mother defiled and maliciously attacked Le, but now she was also the cause of her death. And yet something prevented him from casting all the blame on his mother. Maybe it was the unbreakable gratitude to his mother for always being there for him or the underlining understanding of why she had done it, but whatever it was it held him by her side.

"My stance won't change father; I'm still fighting for mom to come back to the village."

Taryu looked up and his son, those maroon brown eyes in bewilderment, "Son even if you win, I could never permit it to occur."

Suddenly a wave of anger grasped Lycurgus as he barked "And why not? Are you not the chief?"

His father rose to his full height, a giant of a man nearly a full two heads taller than Lycurgus, who stood almost 2 meters tall. The green glow now gave him a monstrous aura, almost of a rage that intimidated Lycurgus, but he did not back down.

"You will not speak to me with that tone Lycurgus, and even a leader is beholden to law." Lycurgus stared his father in the eye.

"I just saw Loka yell at you, all I did was ask a question." He retorted.

Taryu stood there unwavering but the edge in his voice slightly diminished "Loka, just lost her mother because of Shezira her anger is understandable. And I do not expect the same from my daughter as I would my son."

Anger coiled in Lycurgus' throat 'Just?' he thought "Le had what was coming to her she should not have cheated mother, that was her punishment." A hand flew across Lycurgus' face and a wave of pain accompanied it. The force of the blow brought him to his knees, and he had the taste of iron in his mouth.

'Had he slapped me or punched me?' Lycurgus thought.

It had been a while since his father had struck him or even disciplined him, but the force of his blows had the weight of a mountain behind them. Lycurgus struggled to get up, head dizzy from the blow as he used the wall for support.

"Le may have cheated your mother but death was not a fitting punishment! Do not let your love for your mother blind you to the unjustness of her actions." His voice was low, barely above a whisper but it trembled with rage. Lycurgus looked at his father, bitterness deep in his green eyes.

"So, then what was a fitting punishment? The continuation of mistreatment of mom!" Lycurgus stood up at his full height, anger overtaking him fully. Numbing the pain of the slap to nothing more than a slight stinging sensation.

"She loved no loves you still and I never say you treat her with kindness. She never spoke ill of you and often times defended your actions and words! And this is how you repay her! Banishing her when you should have used your knowledge of her to see-through Le's deceit. Le's death is just as much on your hands as it is on mom's. What Is your punishment!"

"Enough!" Taryu boomed. "You know nothing of our history, you think of yourself wise, but you have no years to accompany that foresight. The story of me and your mother is one writhe with struggle and trying, just because you haven't seen it doesn't mean I didn't love Shezira! But just because I love you and your mother doesn't mean I can be unjust with my treatment of the other wives. Even now I have to qual the anger of the village at the death of their favorite daughter. Even now I protect your mother still. They wish her death, for that is the law."

This revelation silenced Lycurgus' anger for a moment, "The whole village wants her dead?' This thought only paused Lycurgus for a moment before he asked, "And where do you stand with this?"

Taryu looked at his son hard, face taut with pain and focus. "I can only do some much son; I cannot allow her to return to the village. You and your brother are fine to return to the village."

The anger refilled Lycurgus' lunges, but this time it was more under control. "She would die on her own, the Malunod is unforgiving even to a strong village."

Taryu's eyes softened a bit before saying "A life for a life, that is the law of our village."

Lycurgus glowered at his father; the cheers of the crowd were muted by the blood rushing past his ears. He could feel his heart raging through his chest, blood burning with seething rage. Bile filled his mouth. He knew what he had to do, he would have to dethrone his father and force the village to take back his mother. And he would kill any who stood in his path.

"Then I will change that law." He finally said, voice low and taut with embitterment.

Taryu slacked a bit, though his composition was still menacing. He stared at his son, the look in his eyes, they stung at his soul. Though green they had a fire behind them that raged like an inferno. The hatred, the sheer malice that filled them, the drive to protect the woman that meant everything to him. He respected every last piece of it and resented it all the same. He wished he could change everything, but he foresaw how this would play out. With either his death or his son's.

"I can't let you do that Lycurgus; you would tear this village apart."

The two stared at each other for was seemed like an eternity, in that long silent green tunnel. The first thing to break the silence was a sharp inhale from Lycurgus followed by the words.

"Then you're my enemy."