Three dry seasons has passed and on the fourth one, on the month of Opok, Mokonuel was told that Shaway was with a child.
He had told Shaway many lies. Unfortunately, him saying he was glad of the pregnancy was one of them.
He gazed upon the fragile face of the mortal woman lying unclothed in his bed. He was a fool to make the same mistake.
Long time ago, he decided to stay in this mortal realm because he had fallen in love with one of its inhabitants. He assured himself, that spending a short moment with that woman was worth than the privileges offered in the sky world.
Although he would outlive the woman, he once again assured himself that as long as they will have children, then her memories will live-on.
As the months went by, his pregnant first wife became ill to the point where she became bedridden. Remembering this, his heart cried out knowing what will happen to Shaway in the following days.
The next morning, Shaway made sure to pack enough salted meat for her husband who will go on a journey. Mokonuel told her last night that he must visit a friend who is ill. Shaway wanted to go with him, but because she is pregnant, Mokonuel told her to stay behind instead.
Mokonuel started his journey riding on a horse. Then, away from the mountain of his home, in a remote area, covered with trees and shrubs, he went down from his horse. It was more practical for him to spread his ashen wings and fly in the covers of the night sky.
An old man was seated outside his hut. After rolling three dried leaves of the pedped tree he burned one edge. His grey hair glowed after he lighted the pedped in his hand. Right after his first puff, he felt a gush of wind above him. He heard a sound liken to flapping wings. He is familiar with the sound, and he was familiar with those broad wings. He was no stranger to those beings with those wings. Since a woman with the same ashen colored wings was once his wife.
"You have not aged at all. You still are the man that I saw on the night that I lost Raziel. Are you here to execute me as you accused me being the cause of her death?" The old man said, unintimidated with the tall, powerful being that stood in front of him.
"I would have done it a long time ago if I wanted to kill you. Raziel made her choice and she made it sure I would not interfere with that."
"Why have you come here then Mokonuel?"
"Oddly, I came here to understand Raziel's choice."
The wings gradually vanished and Mokonuel walked towards the old man who stood up, his gait wobbly.
"Peret, son of Sagubo, you looked just like your father when he was old." Mokonuel commented as he saw the old man's grey hair, short stature, sun kissed skin and callous hands.
The old man stared back at Mokonuel, "You, there is something unusual about you. You have the same eyes as Raziel."
"We do have the same eyes old man since we are the same kind."
"No. I mean, you have the same eyes that my Raziel had when she was pregnant with our child. Eyes that see their impending death."
Mokonuel grinned as he thought, 'Clever old man'.
He gestured for Peret to sit. Mokonuel sat beside him and took the pedped that the old man offered to him.
"I met one of Taray's descendants." Mokonuel relayed, "He brought his dying pregnant wife to my domicile and begged for me to save her and the child. A life for a life. That is the way it is done. He understood and the man did not hesitate to sacrifice his life."
Peret puffed his Pedped once again and asked, "Did you make it so that the child would live just like Raziel sacrificed hers so that our son would live?"
Mokonuel shook his head, "The man died in place of the woman, the infant in her was not dead yet. Out of curiosity, I tried to do something that has never been done- I gave half of my soul instead."
The pedped dropped from Peret's dry, cracked lips. "The great Mokonuel, who despised living a mortal's short life did what? I am confused with how your mind works. Once upon a time, you refused to give up your long-lived life for the woman you loved and yet you are willing to do so with a stranger. Pray do tell why."
Mokonuel smiled at his own strangeness, "Curiosity."
"And what happened to the mother and child?"
"They are living with me."
"Ha!" Peret exclaimed, "Have you become bored that you have decided to play with my kind now? I am sure you made the woman forget her husband and her husband's sacrifice. No one will live along someone responsible for their beloved's death."
Mokonuel sighed, surrendering to the guilt. Peret looked at the once powerful being now with a downcast face, "You fell in love with the woman."
One corner of Mokonuel's lips curved to give a lonely smile.
Peret sighed heavily, "And now she is with a child. You and I had never been on good terms since the day Raziel decided to stop relying on you and had come to me instead. I would like to be cruel and laugh at your circumstance since you have placed yourself high in the pedestal and have mocked my kind's vulnerability. You did not expect it, did you? That one of these days, you will have this value that my mortal kind has: to give up one's own life for the sake of another."
The younger looking man did not reply. Peret took his silence as him agreeing.
As the smoke from their pedped filled the air around them, they heard a woman's labored scream in the hut and was followed by a newborn's cry.
Peret smiled, "That is the second one."
Mokonuel raised his eyebrow as a query to which Peret replied, "My son, Pereziel did not expect that he will have twins. The first one was a girl I do hope this second one is a boy."
Mokonuel smiled sensing the old man's gladness, "Congratulations."
Peret nodded as an acknowledgement. Silence lingered for a moment until Peret said, "The midwife came rushing out of the hut after seeing the first newborn. She said it was strange since the baby had violet eyes. She said, 'should not it be Sagubo's sky-blue eyes?'"
Mokonuel chuckled, "Should she not get used to it? Does your son not have our eyes?"
Peret shook his head, "Like me, he did not inherit Sagubo's gift nor did he inherit Raziel's. His eyes are always the light brown eyes like my mother's. Perhaps…perhaps.."
Hearing the uncertainty on the old man's voice Mokonuel urged, "Perhaps what?"
"Perhaps Raziel's daughters are those that will only have her irises. It is a great way for me and my household to be reminded of Raziel, don't you think so?"
Mokonuel did not reply. He was left speechless as the old man was truly clever to say those words in this time where he was confused as what to do with Shaway.
He traveled from afar, away from his Shaway, just to hear this old man's advice; to affirm that the sacrifice he will make will be worthwhile.
Satisfied with the outcome of his travel, Mokonuel stood up and without any parting words, he spread his wings and flew up into the night sky.
The old man, Peret, still seated there whispered with a lonely smile, "So long Mokonuel. Send my greetings to Raziel when you meet her there."
On the night of the day Mokonuel left his home, Shaway was surprised to see her husband back so soon. She was in awe as she saw Mokonuel in his true form for the first time. He was taller, leaner, with broader shoulder and his back was adorned with a pair of magnificent ashen wings.
"Mokonuel?" Shaway called, with anxiety in her voice.
"Do not fear me," Mokonuel said calmly while he knelt, "With me in this way, would you still stay with me?"
Shaway sighed. She walked closer and knelt beside him, "This must not be the first time I have seen your true form. Even if it is, you are still my husband. That will not change."
Mokonuel sank his face to the ground as he felt the weight of his lies. Shaway became worried seeing this strong and powerful man this way. She reached out her hand and caressed her Mokonuel's face.
He gently grabbed her wrist and swiftly carried her. "I have to confess something to you wife. I know that you might hate me after hearing it. But I want you to know and believe first and foremost, that I love you and will always do everything what your heart desires."
Shaway, feeling the same sincerity from Mokonuel's voice and face, pulled Mokonuel's face close to hers. She planted her soft lips on her husband's. Under the moonless night, Mokonuel relished on the sweetness of the moment.
In the village of Taray, the last rainstorm of the year passed by. Thunder roared and lightning danced above the hut of Ongbus. The strong winds were howling. Kandas and Pakjawan were comfortably lying under the covers of two woolen blankets. Ongbus and his wife Kampolet were trying to lull the boys to sleep.
Even though the thunder roared, and the strong wind howled, they were able to hear a hound's howl outside the hut.
"What a bad omen." Kampolet commented.
Ongbus went to see where the howl was coming from. As he neared to the door of the hut, it got louder. The hound was just outside his hut. When he opened the door, he cannot believe what he was seeing.
A toddler with wine-colored eyes stood still in the middle of the storm looking directly at him. Behind him was the hound, with the eyes in the shade of mauve. The dog was not aggressive, and the child was clinging into its brown-stripped black fur.
Ongbus kept still not knowing what to do. His wife, who walked behind him, on the other hand, was calm. Kampolet was surprised at first but after looking at the hound's eyes she finally understood.
"Ongbus, that…" Kampolet began to explain with hesitation, "…I know this must surprise you… but that child is Shaway's child."
"Shaway's?" It has been at least five years when his brother, Sunuadien took the pregnant Shaway to Daposhaga. This must not be their child.
Kampolet nodded, "The hound told me."
From an outsider's perspective what Kampolet was claiming sounds preposterous, however, this woman whom he married belonged to the clan with the closest ties with the unseen.
The couple went down from their hut and came near. The hound pushed the toddler gently and Ongbus caught him in his arms.
"Calpo. According to him, the child's name is Calpo. He is the son of Shaway and the man who saved her life, Mokonuel." Kampolet interpreted.
Seeing that the child was safe, the hound started to walk away.
"Wait!" Ongbus exclaimed.
The hound halted and looked back. "I do not know what happened to Shaway nor to my brother, Sunuadien. When they left, I have not heard of them ever since."
Ongbus went near to the hound and held its head in his palms, "I have an inkling that you might know."
The hound looked at the man's eyes. He looked deeply into the man's emerald eyes and wondered whether his father had the same shade of green. The memories of his mother, the stories of his father's sacrifice and the reason of his being came flashing in his mind. The hound removed his head from Ongbus' palms and walked away.
The couple stood silently in the middle of the rainy night while they watched the hound disappear into the shadows while Calpo laid his head on Kampolet's chest. It must be the closest thing he would ever feel from a mother's warmth.