Unearth The Shadows

44

Davir Her Arun | 69th day of Sprout season

Davir didn't sleep. He watched Olassi, who was still unconscious, throughout the night.

As soon as Gretta fell asleep, Davir took off the yellow tie-cravat Gretta had offered him and used it to bound Olassi's arms behind his back. Once done, Davir peered at Gretta, still sleeping, her shape melding with the whitish curtains surrounding her bed. Good. As though aware of the succession between night and day, Olassi woke up at the start of the solar arc. He mumbled unintelligible things in his sleep.

Davir stood from his chair, and walked up to him slowly, giving him time to fully gain consciousness. Gretta too was already stirring in her bed. Davir would soon need to be in the barracks of the city. He rocked the Binnar and his eyes popped open, then erupted in a fit of agitation. And as a fish snatched out of the water, he soon realized the constraints wouldn't allow him to stand.

"Free me!" he demanded, agitating himself uselessly against his restraints.

It was cathartic because it had once been Davir in his position and Olassi in Davir's. "I'm not burning anything down." To Davir's right, Gretta was walking up to him, tightening her night robe around her, a deep frown already creasing her face.

"Don't dare to hurt him," she chimed in. After inspecting Olassi for a moment, she finally realized he was bound. "Mother Great," she exclaimed. Running to the man's rescue. "I am sorry brother."

Davir grabbed her arm, and she understood quickly that his hand would stay there rooted until she conceded to what he wanted. "I can handle this," he said. "I won't hurt him."

"Promise," she whispered. Davir sighed and she pressed. "Promise!"

"Yes, if he cooperates."

She tried to force herself out of Davir's grab but failed. "I can't forgive you if you hurt him."

Olassi was staring at Davir will red-rimmed eyes. If his anger would light a fire, the flames would engulf the entire borough. It was even a pity Davir wouldn't torture him, because he still had not gotten over his former encounter with this man and her soothsayer.

"I'm confident he will cooperate." The turmoil inside Gretta was subsiding. Good. Davir let go of her arm. And she recoiled, stepping backward to sit on her bed, and she watched, her face grave.

Davir hooked Olassi's arm and forced him into his knees. He crouched so he could look him straight in the eyes.

Olassi turned to Gretta. "Don't stay there without doing anything." It seemed Gretta wanted to shrink and disappear where she sat. Davir grabbed Olassi by his jaw and turned his gaze back to him.

"Kurukuna," Olassi spat out, "demon from the shadows. Don't touch me." Despite his resistance, he could burst with fear if he had some more of it in store. His bladder was full from all the bora he had swallowed the night prior.