Chapter 17

Maybe I should have kept my mouth shut, I shouldn't have told them what I knew. I should have…the truth is that I should have protected my family, I should have done better to prevent all that had happened, but could I? As the god of time, certain things were beyond my control. I didn't have the knowledge of what was happening while it happened, it was only after when the devastation had occurred could I know.

And as time itself, the one rule I had given myself, to appear unbiased, unmovable was to never change what had happened. I was to allow time move, events happen and just stay a spectator. My hands and body were tied to the rule, but some would wonder why I didn't expose him immediately after. What makes now and then different. Nothing, there's no difference from then and now. The only thing is the knowledge of what was going to happen immediately after telling the truth.

I was to disappear into nothing immediately after revealing what I never should have. But I had borrowed of myself. Just enough, to watch Laiithu go before my eyes.

I looked at everyone, shock and disbelief keen on their faces. Only like I had done before, I shared what time had given me…

FLASHBACK MOMENT; I'D LIKE FOR YOU TO TURN YOUR HEAD TO THE LEFT, 45 DEGREES UPWARD AND BE LOST IN THOUGHT.

I wouldn't know what Laiithu had been thinking while on his stroll. Time had just shown him with another female human doing what he shouldn't have done. Not just because he was a god but because she begged him not to. As a god, it was possible to impregnate a human and would know the baby immediately starts forming. I could see it, just as he could before he plunged his arm into her chest and ripped out her heart.

He was happy, no doubt about that. The swinging motions, humming under his breath and overflow of water in the hair just served as confirmations for me. He had wandered into Anthuina's lover's land and saw both of them. Suddenly his happiness evaporated as clouds of anger and thunder swarmed around him. We had known about his unhealthy obsession with her.

Ever since she came to being, he had always been by her side, doing things she never asked for and even if we were happy that she had found her happiness, his joy always seemed fake. But I was sure that nobody would have seen what he did coming. Such a shame. He stuck close to a tree, watched them whisper words into each other's ears and laugh about their good fortune. At this time, his people still hated him, which was why she hadn't yet gotten married to him.

He went to their chief's hut, spoke a few hushed words, took a knife to his throat before they both came out, and the leader ordered everyone to be kind to the man. And when they got married, had a baby, he was there to plant fear in the chief's eyes so much that he ordered the killing of the father and son.

END FLASHBACK.

I didn't know what they had thought, it was horrible seeing it once, relieving it was worse. Pin drop silence, no one moved or spoke, we all watched Anthuina whose gaze was locked on Laiithu. His face was ashen with fear, he couldn't believe she had seen his involvement with her sadness, I was sure. I didn't say anything because I was waiting for her to react, move, cry, lunge at him, just do something. But it was like she was frozen.

'I named him after you. I named the most beautiful child, the most loving baby, my one and only son after you. And you did what? You orchestrated the death of my family! Were you happy when I came to you crying, sobbing and ranting? Did you enjoy seeing me running around in circles? Wondering where it all went wrong? Did you?' if she had shouted, maybe it would have been easy to measure her pain and anger, but her voice was so quiet, I almost didn't hear it. And before she left, she turned to look at me, all of us, 'if you don't kill him now, I will.'

A few minutes passed, I could feel myself losing my grip on reality, but I stood still waiting for their words of judgement, what they would say concerning him. I was again stealing time, just a small amount, a second five hundred years ago, a minute yesterday and many more from different periods. They deliberated, long and hard and with how long it was taking, I was losing hope.

I had thought it would have been easy, to pronounce a sentence, for all he had done, was still doing but as the seconds passed, they even spoke among each other.

'Kasali', Nuala had called my name, 'Why are you telling us all of this now? Is there something you're still hiding?' she was a smart girl, I'll give her that, but I wasn't going to budge. I'll keep my lips shut about what is going to happen to me.

Upon seeing that they would get nothing from me, she smirked, stood up and cleared her throat. 'I still don't have the full picture, but from what I have seen today, it is obvious that this one on trial is evil. Laiithu used his powers to destroy even though I can't fathom why people still love him. Today we have seen what he did, and to be honest if we think of why we're here, why everything is happening, is he not the reason? I don't know why he has revealed them all. What his reason might be, but I am grateful.' She paused to give me a nod.

'The council has decided, and with a heavy heart, we sentence Laiithu to death. We hope that things would be better for us after this is all over. That would be all.' A shout of praise from everyone involved and nobody could stop the smile on my face which widened as I rammed my sword into his body. He spluttered, and I couldn't have been happier even as I realized that I was disappearing. It was all worth it.