Maliha

“Who are you to Enzo?” Maliha wasted no time in questioning the woman.

She knew that this wasn’t Enzo’s mother as both Ujarak and Enzo had made it clear that his mother had died two years ago. The circumstances surrounding her death had never been explained to Maliha but at the time she hadn’t been concerned so much about how she had been more focused on how Enzo felt and how he had coped. She regretted not getting the information from Ujarak back then.

“I am his aunt,” Jiya replied, her voice was husky as if she had been smoking natural herbs through the wooden pipe.

“By his mother or- “

“Mother,” she hastily interjected.

“And what are your intentions with Enzo? Before you answer, I will let you know that he is my son and you will not be taking him from me.”

Enzo’s shoulders relaxed beneath Maliha’s fingers, but she didn’t smile at the response, Maliha kept her eyes on Jiya and waited for the woman to respond. Jiya’s exotic eyes shifted, glazing over like that of a snake as her tongue peeked out and she licked her top lip. Her slanted eyes stared over both Enzo and Maliha before she climbed from her seat. The tension in the room thickened at her hasty movement. The nervousness was palpable, rolling off of Filsan and Kaori in waves.

Maliha tucked Enzo behind her as she straightened her back in preparation for a potential fight. A smile tilted at Jiya’s lips at Maliha’s overprotective behaviour. She was acting in all of the ways of a mother which was all the confirmation Jiya needed to know that her nephew was in good hands. Her sister would approve.

“My intentions are to get to know him and you whilst we stay here. There is no guarantee that any of us will stay here permanently and I would like to know him and maybe tell him some more about my sister.”

Maliha tilted her head in consideration. She didn’t want to deprive Enzo of familial bonds, especially not when Maliha had spent so much time seeking her own family and answers about her heritage, however something about Jiya was not sitting right with Maliha.

“Why don’t you want him? Make no mistake, I am never going to let him go even if you did want him, but I find it odd that you do not want to raise what I assuming is one of your last blood relatives.”

“There is a lot about me - about my life that would make raising him unsafe,” Jiya replied cryptically. When she spoke this time Maliha noted that her tongue wasn’t quite normal, it appeared to be forked as if she were a snake. Maliha’s eyes widened as she took in all the small clues of who Jiya was. Jiya had a smoke thickened voice, ethereal and serpentine eyes and now a forked tongue. The disbelief was profuse but Maliha could not deny what sat before her face.

“You are a Draganir.”

Jiya grimaced in annoyance but she didn’t deny Maliha’s words. “What gave it away? Was it the tongue or the eyes?”

“The eyes were quite noticeable, but it was definitely your tongue. Is it always like that?”

“No,” Jiya replied stoically. “Only when I am being challenged. I’m from a royal bloodline and we don’t take too well to challenges. Especially territorial claims. The Draganir views this as home and Enzo as ours, you are an imposter who is challenging us. It never usually ends well for most.”

“Is that a threat?” Maliha spat, her hackles rising at Jiya’s bold words.

“No, a forewarning in case I do anything stupid. My Draganir is an unruly creature especially as I have been away from home for so long.”

Maliha eyed her quizzically, rocking back and forth on her feet as she contemplated her next moves. Jiya’s unnerving eyes seemed to flicker in between hues yet she slowly made her way into a less hostile position.

“Please sit,” Jiya motioned to the chair opposite her. “I have much I wish to share with you and much I want to learn. How old are you Enzo? You can’t be no more than six.”

“I am six exactly,” he whispered still clinging to Maliha’s body.

Maliha lightly nudged him and motioned for him to move forward. Enzo was hesitant at first, but he started moving when Maliha became more persistent.

Filsan visibly relaxed as Maliha and Enzo sunk into a chair and her father Kaori made his way further into the home before taking a seat. It was only these actions that reminded Maliha that her new family had witnessed her hostile and aggressive behaviour. Heat coloured her cheeks in embarrassment and she tried to bury her head into Enzo’s neck.

“Phewww,” sighed Filsan breaking the tension. “For a moment there I thought you two were going to break out into a brawl and if Jiya turned, I’m not too sure how any of us would have survived.”

Kaori chuckled lightly at his sisters’ antics before facing Maliha. “Jiya can alter the size of her Draganir but most of the time she is rather large. This house would have collapsed beneath her shift.”

At the mention of her shift, Enzo began to bounce on Maliha’s lap excitedly. “Can I see your Draganir?”

“Not now but later, right now I want to talk about your mother, my sister Ria.”

Maliha shot Jiya a warning glare as she begun stroking Enzo’s back soothingly. His back had straightened like the string of a bow and Maliha didn’t like it.

“So”, Maliha muttered dryly, trying to move the attention away from her uncomfortable son. “You are his aunt and you are also royalty if I heard you correctly?” Jiya nodded her head in agreement. “Would that make Enzo royalty as well?”

Enzo gasped at Maliha’s deductions, his body practically humming with excitement. “Do I get to have a Draganir to? Mama said that only a few have one and she didn’t, but do I? She never said.” Enzo’s words had become melancholy towards the end, his eyes tearing up at the thoughts of his mother.

Maliha wrapped her arms around his chest and rocked him slowly. “I’m sure your mother would have told you if she knew Enzo. From what you have told me, your mama was a very smart woman. Just like you.” Maliha tapped him lightly on his nose and then pressed a kiss to his forehead.

Jiya cleared her throat gaining both of their attention. “My sister Ria did not have a Draganir, and Maliha is right, she wouldn’t have known if you had one. Not until you were at least sixteen would your Draganir make an appearance. And yes Maliha, Enzo is royalty. Technically, according to my uncle, he would be the next successor.”

Maliha clenched Enzo tighter to her chest. She did not like the sound of what Jiya was saying. Enzo was technically the successor which meant that he would eventually have to return and rule over a nation that both Jiya and her sister appeared to have run from. The future did not bode well for the Draganik nation if they dared to take Enzo from her.

“Your sister Ria was next in line? I am assuming she was older than you.” Maliha muttered, looking to her father and Filsan for confirmation.

“She was older than me and yes, she was the next in line, but she also wasn’t.”

“How can it be both?” Kaori questioned.

“Ria was Alhasmiji and in our tribe and amongst our nation the Alhasmiji are revered. They often live their lives in holy temples sharing their wisdom and praying to the goddess. This lifestyle brings them the most peace. This was the live Ria happily chose but my uncle decided that as the eldest, she would be most fitting in a political marriage. Ria refused and when he remained persistent she fled.

Alhasmiji amongst the Draganik are the purest and do not fornicate as it taints their gift and can weaken their mind. If the goddess Savuriya gives her blessing then they are allowed to marry. If she does not bless the pairing, then the Alhasmaji can lose their power and their mind.”

“My mama was like Darsan,” Enzo snivelled forlornly.

Maliha’s body stiffened at Enzo’s quiet sob, his head buried into Maliha’s neck and she instantly knew that his mother’s fate had not been kind. Maliha rocked Enzo back and forth as she stared Jiya down, commanding the woman to back down. The time was not right for questioning. They were in a foreign place and Enzo had spent days travelling. He was emotionally spent and a conversation. Regarding his mother was not the right topic

“Who is Darsan?” asked Filsan.

Maliha smiled sadly at the thought of Darden and all her tribe she had left behind. “Darsan is an Alhsmiji of the Der Surjaz and someone I see as my sister.”

“You came from the Der Surjaz? Is that where you found Enzo?”

“Yes, I met him there and we instantly bonded. What are you doing away from the Draganir? Why did you leave?”

“I came to find Ria, but I was told that my sister was no more by a holy man. If you don’t mind me asking, when did she pass?”

“Mama died when I was four,” Enzo cried, his hands clenching Maliha’s thigh tightly.

The silence that followed Enzo’s admission was full of sorrow and pain. A feeling of loss that everyone in the room had become familiar with.

“And how did she die? Do you remember how?” Enzo whimpered in discomfort, his hands clenching as tears trailed down his cheeks, his body shook as he buried his damp face into Maliha neck. Jiya was too centred on finding answers that she did not notice Enzo crying or the anger that was clouding Maliha’s mind. “Did she tell you anything about me? About our home about our people? Who is your father?”

“Jiya,” Maliha snapped, her hand thudding down on the table silencing Jiya’s rambles. “Let’s talk outside, now.”

Maliha slowly pried Enzo from her lap and placed him on her chair, she whispered soft assurances to him, wiping his tears away before leading the way outside. She ignored her father’s warning look and Filsan’s knowing stare. Maliha looked back to make sure Jiya was following her and headed towards secluded grass area. Maliha smiled shyly at passersby as she waited for Jiya to catch up and as soon as the woman stood before her Maliha let go of her tight reign.

“You wanted to speak to me privately?” Jiya muttered dryly, eyeing Maliha up and down.

“Yes,” Maliha gritted. “I understand that Enzo’s existence is a big thing for you, I also acknowledge how desperate you are for information regarding your sister, but that little boy is my world and whether you meant to or not, you just emotionally put him through something he did not need to go through.” Maliha understood Jiya’s reasoning because she had spent years trying to scrounge up any piece of information about her heritage. She understood the all-consuming desperation that clung to your very thought. She got it, but it did not give Jiya the right to bombard Enzo with question after question, paying little, to no attention on how each mention of his mother affected Enzo. It was careless and Maliha refused to allow her any longer.

“He doesn’t know you and instead of taking the time to get to know him as you said was your intention, you decide the smart thing to do is bombard him with insensitive questions about his mother.”

Jiya’s eyes narrowed, the colour shifting to a flickering flame as her fist clenched beside her thighs. Her forked tongue flickered out along her lip as her body vibrated in anger. “He is my blood. I do not care if you call yourself his mother or not, as his relative and a royal I have every right to demand answers. You would do well to remember your place human.”

The sinister sound that slithered from Jiya’s mouth was not the same smokey voice that had been bombarding them with questions. It was evident that Jiya was no longer in control and that Maliha was in the presence of Jiya’s Draganir. Her body was growing in size and her hands shifting. Scales appeared all along her face and arms as she towered over Maliha in a partial form. The size of Jiya was daunting. Maliha knew the creature would be formidable and would likely cause extreme harm if not kill Maliha but she had to draw a line somewhere.

“I will never deny you your place in his life, but Enzo does not need to be emotionally wounded because you are careless with your words. I am his mother in all ways but the physical and if that means I have to die for him, then I will do it willingly! No one will hurt him as long as I live!”

Jiya seemed to vibrate with anger and frustration, her face shifting as a roar of anger splintered from her mouth. The force of her roar had Maliha rocking back on her feet and people running to witness the scene. Jiya’s body bowed to the floor, smoke filling the air and clouding her human figure. Through the smoke, large yellow eyes peered back at Maliha before a large scaly headed appeared through the thick smog.

Maliha’s mouth became dry and her heart pace quickened at the intimidating sight of Jiya’s Draganir. Large jagged wings lay spread on the floor of her red scaly body and her nostrils flared puffs of fire and smoke into the air. Spikes protruded from her back and the edged of her tail as Jiya took a threatening step forward.

A mop of red unruly hair flashed in Maliha’s peripheral view accompanied by the challenging scream of her child. Maliha’s heart dropped to her feet as Enzo sprinted in front of her, his hand spread wide as if he would protect Maliha from the massive creature.

“Not my mama,” Enzo glared menacingly back at Jiya.

“Enzo move” Maliha cried, her screams lost over the roaring of Jiya’s Draganir.

Smoke billowed from Jiya’s snout, the heat singing against Maliha’s skin as she tugged at Enzo. He refused to budge, his eyes narrowing even as the scent of his fear wafted in the air.

The scaly Draganir stepped forward menacing, a cold gleam in its amber eyes.

“That’s enough Jiya.” At the command, the Draganir’s form rippled reluctantly. An enraged cry screeching from its lips as the creature struggled to remain its form under the authoritative tone of the cloaked figure.

There was a loud cracking noise as if bones were breaking and then the Draganir visibly began to shrink. Red scales receding into human flesh until nothing but the naked human form of Jiya lay panting on the ground.

“Here,” snapped the croaky voice as the woman removed her cloak and threw it to Jiya.

Maliha’s head snapped back in shock, both her and Enzo gasping in shock and confusion.

“Makula?” Maliha questioned, her eyes flickering over the elderly woman in confusion.

Her silver hair shimmered as she haughtily flicked it over her shoulder and winked at Maliha.

“Close, but not quite, my dear,” she chuckled before gripping Jiya and carting her off to a house nearby.