by AA Lee
Ganda fell to her knees, her forehead touching the stone floor. Kisig couldn’t see her eyes, which made it harder for him to read her expression.
“I’m sorry. Punish me instead. I insist.”
“Are you willing to give up your life?” Kisig asked.
Ganda looked up, her eyebrows drawn together like she couldn’t believe what she’d just heard. “I… I just wanted you to stay healthy.”
“By defying orders! Each of the guards will receive twenty lashes, and you must watch.” If Hagibis was behind Ganda’s disobedience, he needed to know that Kisig wouldn’t simply sit back. “You will stay with your parents for ten days. I don’t think your father will be forgiving. Disobey an order one more time, and you will never set foot in my house again.”
Chapter 19
Tala
“This is so unfair!” Malaya threw her new wand on the ground.
“Exactly! What’s the point of concentrating really hard when one of us simply uses force to fight?” Luntian also threw hers down.
The rest of the girls agreed, and the shrine erupted with complaints. Priestess Mayumi stepped closer to Tala. In her gentle voice, she asked, “So, you haven’t made progress directing your magic to your spear yet?”
Tala shook her head.
“Then I need to talk to you in private.”
“Great. Is she going to get an additional lesson? What about us?” Malaya made sure she was loud enough to be heard by everyone.
“I’m only going to talk to her.” Priestess Mayumi held Tala’s wrist softly and led her outside the shrine. “You know you can quit, right?” she asked when they were out of earshot. “I mean, it’s no secret that your life here is hard, and guess what. Other girls are also having a hard time because of you.”
Surprised, Tala was speechless for a while. “I’m sorry,” she managed to reply. She held the priestess’s gaze, as Nimfa had told her to the previous night. “But I don’t want to quit. I want to be a priestess.” She understood that Mayumi was young, but she hadn’t expected to hear such words from a priestess. She sounded worse than Malaya.
“This is no place for you.” The priestess’s gentle voice turned venomous, like she was shedding her pretty face in front of Tala and showing her true self. “You’re not dumb. It’s not like you’re going to last here anyway.”
“I’m sorry for—”
“No, you’re not. If you were really sorry, you would go back to your master. Do you think I didn’t know the high priestess spent money on you, money that we could’ve used for ourselves? You’re selfish. And even if you succeed at becoming a priestess, your life here will be hell. I’ll make sure of it. I will never accept a slave as my fellow priestess.”
Tala couldn’t stop the tears from rolling down her cheeks. She’d heard worse, had been treated worse, but Mayumi’s words hurt her the most. She had hoped her life would be better in the shrine. She had held her head high and enjoyed the small victories that propelled her to dream higher only to be slapped with the truth. A slave like her, who didn’t even know her roots, had no room to feel better about herself. She wished she hadn’t hoped at all. But giving up because Priestess Mayumi didn’t like her meant embracing marriage to Kidlat. So, she wiped her tears and wrenched her arm free.
Priestess Mayumi grabbed her hand before she could go back inside the shrine. “Which part isn’t clear to you?”
“One thing is clear to me,” Tala answered. “I will only get out of here when I fail the next trial.”
Despite feeling dejected, she met Nimfa under the balete tree again that night. The girl brought food as usual.
“I warned you about the priestesses. They can be really horrible. And… I forgot to tell you, but Priestess Mayumi is Malaya’s aunt.” Nimfa reached out for a roasted potato in her box under the balete tree.
“I couldn’t do anything. Besides, she just tried talking me out of continuing the contest.”
“What could be worse than that?” Nimfa asked as she ate.
Tala shook her head in disapproval but didn’t say anything.
“Good thing you listened to me about keeping your progress a secret. They could’ve tampered with the trial. Priestess Mayumi is spiteful, and she hides behind her pretty face and gentle voice. I saw her. I saw her punish one of the girls last year when I was practicing my camouflage, and she made all the rest believe her lies.”
“Let’s start practicing. And… let’s go slow this time. I got exhausted last night.” Tala passed the wooden cup of water to her friend. They had practiced three nights in a row, and while Tala wasn’t confident the judges would like her performance, she would at least be able to show her connection to the spear.
“Are you kidding? I passed out the first time I used magic. I haven’t seen anyone as powerful as you. I bet you’ll be the strongest of us when you pass the Priestess Trials.”
As Tala practiced that evening, she didn’t have to concentrate very hard. Once she’d gotten the spear to connect to her the first time, it was easier the second time around. It was like meeting an old friend again. She tested her connection to it by making it stand on its own.
When she opened her eyes, Nimfa’s wand was hopping toward Tala.
“You just have to watch out for Diyosa. Make sure she gets eliminated before the final round. I heard she’s been training since she was four. She’s not an easy foe.”
“I saw how competitive she was during the first challenge. I’m just wondering how she knew that she wanted to be a priestess at the age of four.”
“Her grandmother was a priestess. I heard that her father said she wouldn’t do well serving a husband because she’s too hardheaded and independent. Besides, her father is the head warrior. Her being a priestess isn’t a surprise at all.”
“Wow! Head of the warriors!” Tala’s spear dropped to the ground as she lost her focus.
“Yes, and they’re really rich. No one will be surprised if she wins. Just make sure you make it to the top ten. But I’ll be really happy if you defeat Diyosa… or if I defeat her if I’m paired with her in the trials.”
“I don’t understand why she would want to be a priestess. She won’t earn money.”
“It’s not about the money. It’s about honor—hers and her family’s. All right. We should stop talking. Let’s practice. Stand over there, just in front of that small tree.” Nimfa pointed to a tree just far enough for the fireflies’ light to reach.
“Isn’t that too far?”
“You have magic. You won’t be throwing the spear blindly. Go now.”
“Yes, Master,” Tala said in a mocking tone. “What now?” she shouted after reaching the small tree. She stood about a hundred feet away from Nimfa.
“I’ll put the sweet potato on top of my head. You have to hit it with the spear.”
“Are you mad?”
“I will be if you hit me instead of the sweet potato. Hurry now before they notice we’re gone.”
“Nimfa, I can’t do it. I might kill you.”
“Tomorrow is the elimination round, Tala. If you don’t do it now, your life will be over. Besides, did you forget that I joined last year? I can stretch time a little, just for me anyway. You’ll still feel the same length of time, but it’ll be enough for me to dodge if you don’t aim right.”
Nimfa was right—Tala’s life would be over if she failed, but she couldn’t just sacrifice the girl’s life to preserve her own. The young girl trusted her and had helped her so much. She already felt guilty for allowing Nimfa to use magic outside the permitted time. Tala didn’t completely believe Nimfa had the power to slow down time, but Nimfa hadn’t shown any indication that she was lying.
“You have to trust yourself, Tala. Trust your magic like I trust you. Trust your spear,” Nimfa pushed.
Tala shook her head. “Magic or no magic, I can’t risk your life. Just put down the sweet potato, and I’ll aim for it.”
Nimfa shook her head, but Tala refused to summon her magic.
When it was clear to Nimfa that she wouldn’t back down, the small girl positioned the target between the cascading roots of the balete tree.
Relieved, Tala focused on her task. “Spear, help me today.” Tala could feel the spear pulsate in response to her power. Tala shivered at its reaction. For the first time, she felt a physical response from it that she hadn’t requested. It was as if the spear understood her.
Tala’s eyes searched for the sweet potato, but she couldn’t distinguish it from the brown roots of the tree. Her grip tightened on the spear. Closing her eyes, she thought of Nimfa placing the target between the balete roots until it became clear in her mind. Then she released the spear.
Time seemed to slow down. The spear flew slowly, looking for its target. The sweet potato broke in half, and the head of the spear pierced the balete tree.
Tala released a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding as Nimfa jumped and clapped.
“I knew you could do it! You just needed a little push.”
Tala ran back to the balete tree, her heart still thumping from her accomplishment. “I still think you’re crazy for even offering to be a target.”
“Hah! You’re crazy for not doing all you can. Anyway, let’s practice for the fight.”
“How? Like punching each other?”
“You have to use your spear. As I predicted, Diyosa used a staff like the high priestess’s.” Nimfa looked around and picked up a branch as long as Diyosa’s staff. “Okay, pretend that I’m Diyosa. I’m a lot shorter than she is, but we can’t do anything about that. Just give me a minute. I have to make this staff mine first.” Nimfa closed her eyes in concentration. When she opened her eyes, she struck Tala in the face.
“What was that for? I wasn’t ready!”
“Challenges are full of surprises. You must always be ready.”
Chapter 20
Kisig
The torchlight battled the darkness. The crudely dug walls seemed to press in closer. He reminded himself to breathe deep and slow and to focus his thoughts only on his destination, but the smoke rising from his torch made the air thick. He pushed through, knowing that he must. The narrow space won’t kill me, he repeated in his mind like a mantra. When the passage finally grew wider, he felt sweat trickle down his back.
The faint chirp of birds in between the sound of a hammer hitting stone made his heart beat slower. He knew he must be near. A few steps later, the hammering sound stopped. He was glad that it had. When he arrived at an intersection, a hand grabbed his throat.
“It’s me,” he choked out.
“I’m sorry, Datu! I didn’t know.” The hand left his neck instantly. The man bowed and clasped his hands.
“I’m glad you’re still as swift as a twenty-year-old boy, Gawa. I just hoped you were quick enough to stop your work. I found you quickly because of it. Maybe we’ll set up some traps to alert you if someone comes down here.”
“I am sorry, Datu. I was so absorbed with sharpening the arrowheads.” The man with white hair and a long beard lowered his head further. Gawa was a slave who had a talent for sharpening stones and making them into weapons. After he’d been beaten to the brink of death and abandoned, he’d been lucky Kisig had seen him and saved him.
After he’d recovered, Gawa had volunteered to make weapons for the village, but Kisig didn’t want the other two villages to get the impression that Nayon was preparing for an attack, so Gawa had painstakingly dug a tunnel from Kisig’s room to the side of the mountain where no one would hear him working. His master had no idea that he was still alive and, to Kisig’s knowledge, hadn’t bothered looking for him.
“It’s fine. It has been a while since I’ve been here. Let’s see…” Kisig stepped closer to the man’s hidden workplace.
Gawa walked beside him, a proud smile painted on his face. “We have limited steel, so I spent a lot of time perfecting them and making sure that the bolo knives were sharp and not too heavy.” He picked a bolo knife as long as his arm and handed it to Kisig.
Kisig accepted the weapon and tested the blade. “Perfect. This is neither too heavy nor so thin that it would easily break. Your work is exceptional. The point is also sharper than our regular bolos. This looks like a whole new weapon!” Kisig lightly ran his thumb over the blade and stopped as blood dripped to the ground.
“Datu!” Gawa looked around, probably for something to stop the bleeding.
“Don’t worry about it. It’s nothing.” Kisig put his thumb in his mouth and sucked the blood. He’d grown used to people fussing over his small injuries since he was young—it was something he’d enjoyed then but not as he grew older and was trying to look strong. Gently, he laid the weapon on the ground and picked up a spear with a stone head.
“I also used all the iron we have for arrowheads and spearheads, so now I’m just working with stones for both of them.” Gawa turned to his right and crawled through a small hole. He barely fit into it, and the dirt stuck to his sweaty body. When he completely disappeared, he said, “I stored the iron arrows and spears here. I didn’t want people to see all the weapons in one place if this underground room were discovered, so I dug another room for them.”
Kisig discarded the spear and crept to the hole. He’d thought the hole was thin because Gawa had barely fit. Since Kisig was bigger than Gawa, his skin pressed against the soil. He could feel the earth closing in on him. Panic gripped him as he debated whether to go back or continue.
“Give me your hand, Datu.”
But the other room was still too far to see. Just when Kisig had decided to go back, Gawa’s hand appeared in front of him. He took it, and relief washed over him as Gawa pulled him in. Surprisingly, the air was fresh when he finally reached the storeroom for the arrows and spears. Rocks lined one side of the room, and between two big rocks, a gaping hole let in fresh air and sounds from the forest animals.
“This is surprisingly cozy.” Kisig inhaled and looked at the hole that provided light.
“Yes, that’s why I sleep here.”
When Kisig looked around, he saw a mat unrolled in the corner. On the opposite side was a cooking pot and firewood. “I’m sorry for making you live here like a prisoner.”
“No, Datu.” Gawa shook his head. “I owe you my life.”
“If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have these incredible weapons. We will use these weapons soon.” Kisig lifted a spear and marveled at its sharp point.
“You mean our village will go to war?”
“I don’t want to do it, but I don’t have a choice. I will send more iron here, as we need more weapons.”
“I don’t like war either. It would be better if these weapons were used to save lives, or perhaps for hunting, but you are the datu. I will make as many weapons as I can to help.”
Chapter 21
Tala
Tala fidgeted while waiting for her turn. She was ready to prove her connection to the spear, but she hadn’t expected a wide audience. The priestesses hadn’t mentioned the elimination round would be open for the villagers to watch.
Outside the meeting hall, the priestesses had made a huge square by putting up poles and tying ropes around them. They’d brought wooden chairs and made a roof for the judges on one side of the square using leaves. The contenders had to face them to perform.
The contenders had drawn lots to determine the order of performances. Tala didn’t know how to read, but when she’d opened a leaf containing her number, Malaya had peeked and said she was number fifteen.
Tala’s hands sweat, and her heart drummed fast when the performances started. She couldn’t stop imagining herself at the center, all eyes fixed on her. But after five performances, she found her mind wandering from the competition. The girls’ performances were predictable. They showed what they’d practiced over the last six days. Even the priestesses couldn’t seem to hide their boredom by the time the tenth girl showed her trick. Some priestesses asked the contenders to stop their performances when they’d seen enoug
h to determine the score.
Tala’s focus returned when the high priestess called Diyosa’s name. The villagers surrounding the square clapped louder than they had for the previous contestants. It only proved that the girl was popular, and even though cheers had no points in the competition, it sure helped in keeping the judges focused.
Diyosa pointed her right foot forward in an elegant move and held the hem of her dress to the left. Then she raised her right hand, holding the staff, and leaned back in a graceful dance. When she turned around, her white dress turned red. On her next turn, it turned orange, then to yellow, then green. She spun faster with only her big toe touching the ground. Her skirt became wider, and the colors stayed, turning her skirt into a rainbow.
Diyosa stopped turning and fell forward onto her hands. Tala thought she’d collapsed due to exhaustion, but when Diyosa used her staff to get up, Tala understood that it was to show her staff’s strength. The staff became bigger and longer until it looked more like a spear. Diyosa threw it toward the priestesses, and some villagers cried in shock. Tala held her breath, afraid someone would get hurt, but the staff spun around before it could hit anyone and returned to Diyosa’s open hands.
The crowd erupted with cheers. Even Tala couldn’t deny the flawlessness of Diyosa’s performance.
When she heard her name, she slowly walked to the center. Silence returned. The crowd started to thin, and the smiles on the priestesses’ faces slowly faded. Tala held her spear in front of her then opened her hand. She commanded the spear to fly forward closer to the priestesses. Priestess Mayumi gasped. Tala could see the disbelief in some of the judges’ faces. They had no idea that she’d been successful at controlling her spear. She made the spear jump higher than the meeting hall and dance on its own. After a few movements, the priestesses’ surprise faded.