"I am the beginning of things greater, more beautiful, and more worthy of praise, noble and guarded that humanity may attain. Because of me, crowned heads have fallen; because of me, thrones have been destroyed, replaced, and golden crowns shattered. Because of my cause, people are united, each forgetting personal gain and seeing nothing but the greater good of all. My name is Freedom."
— Emilio Jacinto's definition of Freedom
Days after the clash between Yna and Hiraya. We will move forward at Plaza Nuevo, loud and brimming with energy. Joy and excitement were evident on every face. Every alley of the capital was strung with colorful pennants. Laughter echoed as children chased one another, while Tundun flaglets clutched in their hands.
The increase in merchants from the neighboring kingdoms of Pailah and Binuangan was also noticeable. Various goods like fruit, kitchenware, porcelains, old items, and all sorts of wares were neatly lined along the streets. Despite the passing of Datu Rakta the previous week, Tundun was already prepared for the proclamation of its new Datu.
Many had gathered outside the Datu's palace, all wearing expressions of unmistakable anticipation. Some families had even hired bands to play the moment the next Datu would be declared. It's very clear, the people had renewed hope and eagerness for the announcement of their new datu.
Despite the festive atmosphere outside, inside the palace itself told a different story. The grand hall was heavy with silence and seriousness. Almost all the maginoo families of Tundun had gathered inside the palace, from the capital of Nilad to the farthest towns, such as Kalapangan, ruled by the Ruarte family.
At the front stood Governor-General Yizmael, accompanied by his three guards. Alongside him were three representatives from the kingdoms of Pailah, Binuangan, and Puliran.
"Good morning, Lord Aslon," a young man greeted the elder. From his appearance alone, it was clear that he was about the same age as Sula, both in their early twenties.
"Lord Marikudo! So you've arrived," Aslon replied warmly. "What a pity that Datu Menchanai couldn't make it."
The young man smiled and said, "Yes, he's rather occupied at the moment with other matters—such as the ongoing rebellion of Dagohoy."
"Hah, that rebel again," Aslon said irritably. "If Tundun has Penumbra, then Binuangan has Dagohoy as well," he added.
Moments later, an umalohokan stepped forward to speak. "Lords! Let us temporarily turn our attention to the entrance of the High Priest from Iberia—Father Amado Verdolagas!"
The palace hall erupted in applause as a fat, elderly man with thick lips entered. His second chin swallowed his neck, and his head was almost perfectly round like an egg. He wore a blue robe, a red cassock, and a white hat. Notably, three gold rings adorned his left hand.
He took his place at the front, standing beside the Primo Babaylan of Tundun—an elderly, small-framed woman. She was the same woman who had led Rakta's final rites. Amado raised his heavy hands to command the attention of the hall. Once he was certain all eyes were on him, he opened his mouth and spoke.
"Maginoo of Tundun! In the name of His Majesty, Emperor Nero La Iberia, I stand before you as the representative of the blessed hand of Lord Barria!"
Moments later, the new Datu of Tundun ascended the pedestal. He was a man with brown skin, long black hair, powerful arms, and a sharp jaw. Resting upon his head was the Gintong Putong of Tundun. He wore a red tunic lined with gold along its edges. He was none other than Aslon's eldest son—Sula.
Sunlight streamed through the high windows of the hall, striking the newly crowned Datu. As if the gods themselves chose him as the savior of Tundun. One by one, the nobles of Tundun bowed low to pay their respects, while representatives from other kingdoms and the Iberian onlookers applauded. A smile spread across Masala's face at his brother's ascension. Aslon, meanwhile, remained silent, his head bowed.
After several minutes, the nobles stood straight. This was followed by the giving of blessings from the babaylan and the high priest. Sula knelt before them as they bestowed their benedictions upon him.
The Primo Babaylan was the first to speak;
"Sula, child of Tundun, born of honor's flame,
Before the gods, this vow now bears your name.
By Kaptan's strength and Kan-Laon's guiding light,
May wisdom's blade be steady in your might.
Guard well the land where first your spirit stirred,
Let courage shine, let peace be your true word.
Uphold the realm, its dignity defend,
With heart kept pure, let history bend."
The Primo Babaylan stepped back to give way to the high priest. Verdolagas placed his hand upon Sula's head.
"Though our cultures, religions, and beliefs may differ, I rejoice in blessing you, Sula of Tundun. In the name of the goddess Barria and the merciful god Yemon, may you carry out your duties well—as Datu of Tundun, and above all, as a servant of Iberia."
That last part, made Sula cringe a little, though he hid it well. 'A servant' he repeated to himself. Once again, thunderous applause filled the entire hall.
Sula ascended the steps leading to the palace veranda, where the people of Tundun waiting outside could see him clearly. Three umalohokan shouted in unison:
"LONG LIVE DATU SULA, THE NEW DATU OF TUNDUN!"
Outside, upon hearing this, the people of Tundun erupted in cheers—human, kalanget, ikugan, and agta alike. All rejoiced in the proclamation of their new Datu.
"LONG LIVE DATU SULA!" everyone shouted.
At the same time, the bands stationed throughout the plaza and every alley of the capital began to play. The cries of the Tunduvans sounded like a great thunderclap, so loud it seemed to reach every corner of Tundun.
Yet despite the applause and celebration, far away on the opposite end of the Banahaw forest, in the small village of Kubao—a place that felt like an entirely different world from Nilad—the night told another story.
Unlike the capital, Kubao was dark, lacking electricity and towering structures. Its streets were unpaved, often muddy during the rainy season and dusty in the summer, as they were now. In the middle of the dark night, a man could be seen running breathlessly through Kubao's narrow alleys. He carefully checked his surroundings, watching for soldiers from Tundun or Iberia.
When he reached a modest house, he knocked three times and spoke a single word: "Lariz."
The door opened, and he quickly slipped inside, heading straight toward another man.
"Supremo…" the man was nearly out of breath.
"Easy, Kuroy," said the man he called Supremo.
"Supremo… Dayang was right," Kuroy said. The Supremo handed him a glass of water. "Earlier this afternoon, the new Datu was proclaimed." He glanced at a woman seated in the corner, listening closely. "Just as she said, the one declared Datu was Sula… Aslon's eldest son."
The Supremo closed his eyes and took in some air, as he nodded slowly. "Is that so…" He took a deep breath once again and stood, turning to face the more than twenty people gathered inside the house. The lamplight illuminated his brown skin and the details of his powerful build. Tattoos marked his arms and neck.
"Brothers," his voice was calm, yet heavy with authority. "As our guest has said, Aslon's son has been chosen by the council as the new Datu of Tundun."
"Damn them!" one of them shouted.
"Shameless!" added a broad-shouldered man with curly hair.
The Supremo turned to their guest. "As agreed," he said, "I, Kario Sakay, Supremo of Penumbra, pledge my support to you…"
He bowed his head. From behind him, a young woman stepped forward, her head held high. Behind her, three more figures emerged.
"Thank you, Supremo," the woman said. She faced the members of Penumbra gathered inside the house. "Brothers, and people of Tundun. I am Mayari of Tundun. With your help, we will reclaim Tundun and drive out the foreigners who have brought suffering to our people!" One by one, the rebels rose to their feet, shouting in salute to the princess.
But how did it come to this?
Let us turn back time, several days before Sula's coronation, and before Mayari found Penumbra. Let us move the hands of the clock back to the day Hiraya temporarily departed.
__________________________________________________
We'd probably been walking for hours already from where the tent had been. My feet hurt like hell, and I was covered in blisters. Damn it—if I'd known I'd be doing this much hiking, I would've worn Crocs, even just in my room, the night the book sucked me in.
We stopped several times because of Mayari. Girl, got tired way too fast. Probably around ten times—almost every thirty minutes, I think. Wan tried more than once to carry her, but every time he attempted to lift her, Mayari would suddenly summon a knife and point it at him. And yeah, that only made her even more exhausted.
"Just a little farther, we're almost at the edge of the forest," Wan said.
And thank you, Lord.
A few more steps in, Wan suddenly stretched out his right hand, signaling us to stop.
"What now?" I asked. Oh come on—what is it this time? Another boss fight? Please. Can't half a day pass without my life being put in danger? I mean—our lives?
"What is it, Wan?" Mayari asked. She was about to start chanting for a knife again, but Wan stopped her. He said it would only drain her energy further, something about her Nu being overly consumed.
I swallowed hard and scanned our surroundings. Damn it. What now? After a moment, a man emerged from the tall grass. He looked to be in his forties. brown-skinned, and how do I put this, he was giving off serious daddy energy. You know? His face had lines, but they suited him. His body was bandaged, and there were wounds on his face that looked freshly healed.
He was wearing clothes like the ones I'd read about in books, what Filipinos wore before the Spaniards. A black vest with red lining along the edges. A black tokong and straw sandals, just like ours.
And girl. The man had abs. I glanced at Mayari and froze at her expression. Her eyes were wide, her mouth hanging open. Her eyes reddened.
"A–Agni?!" she cried out, then ran straight toward the man.
"Princess Mayari!" the man shouted back, meeting her in a tight embrace.
Wan leaned his head toward me and asked, "You know him?"
I said, "Dude, I've only been on this planet for around five days. How would I know who that is?"
But whoever he was, he clearly meant a lot to Mayari. This was the first time I'd seen her cry like that, sobbing like a child reunited with a parent after a long day. And honestly… it got to me too. Tears slipped from my eyes. The things I'd give just to see my parents again. To go home. There had to be a way.
After the hug, the man's eyes snapped toward me. He walked over and tried to slap me. I raised my arm to block it, but the blow never landed. I opened my eyes. Wan was standing in front of me, gripping the man's wrist mid-swing.
"Oi... the hell's wrong with you, old man?" Wan said. "I don't know you, but I do know you don't get to slap people you barely know."
A vein throbbed on the man's forehead. "Scoundrel!" he shouted at Wan.
"AGNI!" Mayari yelled. Seriously, why did you wait that long? "She's not Salimbay," she added quickly.
Agni turned to Mayari. "My lady?" Mayari walked toward me and apologized for Agni's behavior. I just nodded.
Agni then knelt in front of me. "Forgive me, young lady," he said.
Seriously, slap first, ask questions later? Mayari explained who I was and where I came from. As she spoke, I saw something change in Agni's face, like something had finally clicked.
"This guy's Wan," Mayari said.
Agni bowed and thanked Wan for everything he had done for Mayari. After that, Mayari asked Agni how he managed to find us.
He explained that he had been waiting in the area for quite some time, betting on how well he knew Mayari. After the Datu's death, he had recuperated inside a cave near the place where Mayari's father had died. When he was about to return to the capital, he heard news of Mayari's escape through Banahaw. He figured she would most likely leave the capital through the forest—so he had been waiting on this side of the woods for two days.
Wind blew, carrying the familiar scent. One I used to smell everytime we go to Pampanga. That mix of cow poop, grass, and so on. Despite of the description, it's actually quite nostalgic and calming. While I'm busy being carried by the scent, Agni broke down and begged for Mayari's forgiveness, saying he had failed to protect her father.
Mayari told him to explain everything properly once we were out of the forest. Agni nodded, and so we continued walking. After another hour, we finally made it out of the forest.
We ran into a ton of people. My god, it felt like I was on the set of Amaya or one of those movies and series set during the Spanish era. Their clothes were colorful; most wore outfits that seemed to be made from abaca or piña. Others rode in carriages, while some pulled their own carts. Along the roadside, vendors had set up stalls selling food and a wide range of goods. The road itself wasn't paved, so dust clung to my skin like baby powder.
"All of them are heading to Nilad to witness and celebrate the selection of the next Datu," Agni whispered to me. Seriously—just a while ago you wanted to slap me, and now you're whispering like we're besties?
"Princess, are you sure you don't need to disguise yourselves?" he asked Mayari.
"Don't worry," Mayari replied. "The soldiers are currently focused on securing the capital. And as I said, they believe I'm dead—so the patrols aren't that strict."
I honestly thought once we left the forest, we'd finally stop walking, but no, night fell before we did. We stopped by the roadside and set up a tent for the night. Wan built a bonfire while Agni went hunting for food. He caught a small goat, and that's what we ate.
While we were eating, Agni recounted what had happened to Mayari's father.
Mayari couldn't stop herself from crying as he spoke. She clenched her teeth, her face burning... not just with anger, but maybe grief too. Who wouldn't cry or be furious? Her father had died, most likely through assassination. That was what Agni believed as well, which was why he hadn't returned to Nilad right away.
Then he looked at me.
"W–why?" I asked.
He looked away. Weird.
Then Wan spoke up. "Hmm… this goat's pretty good. Oh—by the way, Given and I also ran into a talking berberoka earlier this morning."
Right. I almost forgot—I was too caught up in Agni's story.
Mayari's brows knitted together. "Earlier?"
"Yes—when we retrieved the map," Wan replied, still devouring the goat.
"What do you mean?" Agni asked. "You saw a talking berberoka?"
"Two," Wan said, holding up two fingers. "Two talking berberoka."
"Where?" Mayari asked.
"At the ruins in the forest we went to earlier," Wan explained. "But we probably won't be able to go back there."
"What do you mean?" Mayari asked.
"Their place is hidden from everyone. Only my teacher can reveal the passage to their domain, unless you happen to know another baylan as skilled as her."
Agni clearly couldn't keep up. "Teacher?" he asked.
"Yes," Mayari explained. "Like Giben, Wan's teacher is from another world. But unlike Giben, she can use Nu."
Mayari paused, staring into the glowing fire with reddened eyes.
"She can maintain a four-line summoning spell for twenty-four hours."
"A full day!?" Agni exclaimed.
Wan just smiled like a proud kid. Mayari nodded. Agni stood up immediately. "Then where is she!? She would be a huge help to you, Princess!"
Mayari massaged her temples, her brows furrowing. "She left," she said, "just this afternoon." Her grip tightened around a stone she had picked up earlier.
"Damn it…" she whispered, staring up at the sky. "Those bastards. Every single one of them. I'll make sure they all die—and pay for the shits they did against me, and especially against my father."
I had never felt anger like that coming from Mayari. Agni, meanwhile, seemed completely at a loss for words.
We all went to sleep, leaving Wan and Agni to keep watch. Another day passed—another very long day. Hopefully, tomorrow will be normal.
Hopefully, there'd be no life-threatening events.
But knowing this place…