26 Chapter 23: Markings on the Tree

Calista offered no resistance to Sidapa, tugging her arms hard as they entered the hallways of Sulad. He felt her cold, shaking fear arms limp in fear and bewilderment at what happened. His temper was uncontainable; he let go of Calista's arms and punched one of the hallway's pillars. The poor katabang fell on the floor as her body trembled in fear.

His frustration was palpable. Sulad violently shook as he punched once more. Sidapa took a deep breath and sighed. He composed himself holding back his anger. He tried to fix his collar controlling his shaking hands to avoid further damage to his realm.

" Well, what do you have to say for yourself?" Sidapa asked her kindly as his glowing brown eyes pried on the terrified Calista.

Sidapa watched Calista intently. He was waiting for her answer or, more importantly, reacted to this given situation. He observed how her body shuddered in fear to the sound of his voice. He immensely enjoyed that.

She wasn't looking at him. Instead, she had her dead stare at the mossy floor. It took a good minute for her to stop shaking. By then, Sidapa's patience had already run out.

" Answer me!" his command echoed along the gloomy hallway.

" I'm not…" she mumbled.

" I cannot hear you!" He complained, " Make your voi--"

" I said I don't, KNOW!" her voice echoed the halls.

The response surprised him. Sidapa is never easily startled. He hardly gets flabbergasted, but this one was an exemption. The way Calista reacted solicited anger inside of him. He looked at her straight in the eyes, and for a moment, she resisted Sidapa's frightening gaze.

That was another flabbergasting moment for Sidapa. His anger subsided to amusement and broke his cold stare with a burst of honest laughter. It was loud enough that Sulad shook again as if to laugh in harmony with him.

It took Sidapa a moment to compose himself, wiping tears from his eyes and suppressing his belly-splitting laugh. He reached out his hand to Calista, who has no inkling about what's happening.

" Go on,…" he offered his hand again.

His katabang hesitated for a moment but took him on his offer. Calista took his hand, and Sidapa helped her stood back up. She dropped down her gaze to the floor and backed away a step from him.

Sidapa could feel her fear resurface once again. But Calista managed it silently and calmly now. He followed her breath as it gradually slowed down until she is back to breathing normally. She bowed to him and asked for forgiveness about what she did.

"Master, I… never meant to-" her mind stumbled for words as to what she has to say.

"You don't have to explain," he smiled at Calista.

"But…" she tried to interject.

Sidapa placed his forefinger on his lips, indicating Calista to keep silent. His katabang obeyed and stood quietly. He then gestured to Calista to follow him, and they walked silently to the hallway in cold silence.

He got immersed in his astonishment, choosing to keep silent while he gathers up his thoughts. Sidapa wants to prevent this incident from happening again. Not just because of Calista, but also since claimed souls might get devoured by that hulking monstrosity. When that happens, it could spell bad for Sulad.

Sidapa has now gathered his thoughts. He knows stopping Buaya is a priority. He had a crude idea on what to do about that, and he will speak with his trusted alagads later once he got it all finalized.

Another thing he needs to address is Calista. His new katabang, who he can't take his eyes away from even for a moment. She has been the center of most unexplainable incidents in the underworld lately. Danag attacks, Buaya encroaches, and a slew of other things in the near future if he's right.

He knows something is at play here. Could it be another god? But that's impossible; he never told anyone about her yet. How could they know about it? He has to keep it a secret. No one must know about it—no one but him and only him. Calista and her secret solely belong to him.

He stayed in his thoughts for far too long that he didn't realize he has reached the throne room. He climbed to the steps of his throne and sat with his cheek resting in his fist. He went through all the possible scenarios again so he can get a well-woven plan.

He noticed Calista standing silently at the foot of his throne. Looking at the floor, her hands clasped together as her thumbs go on top of one another in a loop. He could feel her uneasiness. Sidapa thinks she might be thinking of being punished again. That might've been the case earlier. But he changed his mind.

Sidapa felt disappointed. He liked the way her eyes looked at that moment when she tried to stand up for herself. Those feisty and brave looking eyes reminded him of someone. He shook his head, trying to repress his past. It doesn't belong at that moment nor any other moment at all.

Tagahatid came rushing into the room minutes later. His algad's broke Sidapa's train of thought, which he was thankful. Tagahatid bowed and greeted him. Then curiously asked about what happened.

" Master, what has happened?" Tagahatid glances at Sidapa for a moment as if to accuse her of whatever incident might've happened.

"Well," he sighed. " Buaya came along and gave us a friendly visit! And by friendly, I meant that it almost devoured Calista whole," he explains.

Sidapa can see from Tagahatid's look of surprise. Tagahatid remained speechless for most of the time.

Moments later, Sidapa finally decides that it is time for the other alagads to know about her. So he called them all out.

" Mga alagad!" his voice echoed the throne room, " Hu--"

His other alagads came before he can finish his sentence, popping out from the shadows. They greeted him with a bow and walked closer to him at his throne's steps. He noticed how they reacted, seeing Calista for the first time. It was a mixture of confusion and anxiety; they must've thought that one of them will be replaced.

"Ahem." he cleared his throat to break the tension-filled silence, " Kasway, Obra, Paraluman, and Tagahatid, meet Cal-- no, I meant Hiraya!" He said.

There were whispers among the three other alagads. Tagahatid, on the other hand, simply looked at him and slightly bowed his head. He knows he could trust Tagahatid with his secret, but not the other three.

Names are powerful in general. They give a person, place, or thing sentience towards the world. That is why in the days of old, people had two names. Only a select few knew about their real name, and the other was their common name or what is preferably called, angga that most people call them by.

The reason for these multiple names is to avoid themselves from being harmed by unseen forces and other malevolent individuals that might try and harm them. This is also true in the underworld. That's why to protect her, Sidapa decided to give Hiraya another name.

" Hiraya, greet them," he commanded his newly named katabang.

Calista looked dumbfounded. He understands that it is confusing, especially for one who is not yet acquainted with that much of the underworld's rules. He hopes she would roll along with it.

" But that's not my--" Calista tried to protest, but she met Sidapa's menacing glare before finishing her sentence.

"Y-yes…" the poor katabang stuttered before composing herself, " Good day! I am Hiraya, nice to meet you all!" She tried to greet them with a smile.

Sidapa was impressed by how quickly she recovered from that. He slightly cracked his mouth with a smirk.

" Master, are you replacing one of us?" the timid Paraluman asked as her eyes went straight to Calista.

Sidapa ignored the piercing stare his new katabang got from his alagads. He could feel how anxious they were as he remained silent just to add more suspense. He loves torturing them with uncertainty every chance he could.

" Of course not, my dear alagad, " he replied. " She is my katabang. Come here, Hiraya!" he gestured his hand, commanding her to stay by his side of the throne.

The hesitant Hiraya( Calista) slowly climbed up the stairs towards him. While she was climbing, Sidapa saw the flabbergasted and faces of the other alagads. He even saw the jealous stares from Paraluman and Obra towards Calista. He didn't want to enjoy the moment too much, so he immediately changed the topic,

" Alagads! You know it's that time of year again where my faithful followers will call-out to me and ask for their fate." he began, " I need you to prepare, all of you."

His alagads bowed to him in response to his command.

" Kasway, I have a new set of kumintang waiting for you just for this day!" he said.

"I am truly grateful for such tools, Master Sidapa." he replied.

"Obra, I need you to come up with beautiful lightings when I summon Sulad to Dacungcahoy," Sidapa instructed his alagad.

" I will make sure that everyone will envy you, Master," Obra promised.

" Paraluman, prepare my ceremonial wear and um…" he paused, " Give Hiraya a proper make-over for the occasion and proper clothes as well," he added.

" Y-your will be done, Master," she timidly replied.

" Lastly, Tagahatid, make sure to teach her about the ceremony and what she will do once we're there." he requested.

" I will make sure of that, Master," he replied.

Sidapa, content with what he instructed them with, dismissed them, leaving him and Calista alone in the throne room. He looked at her with a smirk on his face.

" Why do you have to give me another name, Master?" Calista asked.

" Questions. So many questions are coming from you! " Sidapa exclaimed, " Well, it's to protect you."

"Prote--"

"Enough, chitchat! This festival is later this evening. No more questions until then." he interrupted his curious alagad.

There was silence. Sidapa stood up from his throne and started descending from the steps. He looked back at Calista, who was still processing the entire situation.

" We haven't had all day!" he said, " Tagahatid is waiting for you in your room, and he has a lot to teach you. By the evening, I expect you to learn them all." he then left Calista, who followed him hurriedly down the stairs before going to her room.

Sidapa went back to the dock and inspected the damages both him and Buaya had caused. Surprisingly, nothing was serious, aside from broken floorboards, roots, splinters, and overturned soil.

He immediately fixed it with his magic and created a barrier gate to both the east and west ends of the docks. After that, he decided to climb the massive roots of the outer Sulad. He climbed it until he reached the trunk.

From there, he closed his eyes and traced his fingers by the lined markings etched on the tree's trunk. With every line his fingers passed through, images of the people who owned the markings started to pop on his head. He saw their relatively short life, which sometimes could end rather a grim fate.

He opened his eyes and sat beneath the tree, contemplating the fickle destiny man has to meet every time their soul reincarnates—a short, sweet, and mostly, bitter life that they unavoidably have to go through.

"Life…" he whispered to the tree as he rested his back on it, " Simply short and most of the time uncomfortable, and yet here you are, willing to live it over and over again."

He closed his eyes and enjoyed the serenity that Sulad offered him as he waited for the evening's affair.