Chapter 2 : Between two walls

YEAR 1500

Wiping her tears away like any other mothers who worry for their children's safety, lady Arexa clung unto her eldest son's arm --convincing him to abort his mission. Arexis, a young man came from a noble, made up his mind to protect not only his family but his country. He brought along a whole battalion of Kampilan* wielders to behead every Abu** in cursed places such as secluded mountains and  forbidden rivers.

[*A traditional single edged and a double pointed sword. It has a bifurcated hilt which believed to portray an image of a mythical creature that looks like an alligator or a serpent's mouth. Also known as a head-hunting sword.]

[**The term used for man-eating homo sapiens or cannibals]

Arexis looked at the face of his mother, admiring her unbounded beauty and kissed the back of her hand. He then placed his forehead on the back of her mother's slender hand as a sign of respect. Lady Arexa caressed her son's black, shiny hair. Taking every seconds to visualize the young man's raven beauty before his departure, the lady shed a tear.

"Please, come back safe, my son." The lady said and touched the side of his son's face. The young man nodded and let the servants put the hooded cloak made of expensive white silk on him. Another servant moved forward and handed the young master's lap harp inside a white case.

"Kuya!*, bring me some of my favorite flower when you get back home, please" A little girl in her decade demanded with a gleeful smile.

[*Honorific term used for big brother/older brother.]

Arexis smiled ever so slightly as he nodded. He never showed any emotions in front of other people he was not personally acquainted with. Always wearing an apathetic expression, people believed that this young noble is very strict and unforgiving. As a man blessed with great stature, it was enough to make him look too intimidating.

"Young Master, the wielders are ready to follow your commands anytime." another young noble reported. He was Arexis' childhood friend and a very close one.

"Very well." Arexis with his low resonating voice replied. He looked back at his mother and bowed politely, patting his little sister's head before turning his back against his beloved family, the young man headed towards the large door.

"Please take good care of my sister" Arexis said to his mother before exiting the said home. After taking a few steps away from the door, lady Arexa rushed towards her son and handed him something. It was a black bracelet with a silver harp pendant.

"I know you that don't like to wear necklaces. So, I removed this pendant and attached it to this bracelet. Promise me that you will return with this thing, my son." lady Arexa said and hugged her son affectionately. Before Arexis could response, his mother whispered something which made the young man's body shiver. The words sounded like spells resonating on Arexis' ears.

'When you know that you're already on the verge of your death, remember what I taught you. I chose you to inherit this ability and you would never defy me because I am your mother, and it is your destiny.'

Arexis swallowed the lump inside his throat, processing every word his mother had told him. Awakening his ability would bring chaos and fear towards humanity. By obeying his mother's command means defying Bathala*. [*God]

Lady Arexa was known to be the only successor of the Ancestral summoners and the last carrier of their bloodline. Her ability was sealed by her ancestors which practiced repeatedly over the past years. The ancestors do it in order to prevent the bad luck that Arexa's ability brings. Arexa was the first vessel who fully awoken her ability among all the members sharing with the same bloodline as her. At the age of six, she had gone berserk by awakening her ability. Countless chants were sang and endless rituals were performed by her ancestors in order to seal her ability eternally. The seal was successfully made but the only way to transfer that ability was through finding another vessel. Once the vessel would be fully aware of the existence of that ability, all that person has to do is to summon Arexa's sealed daemon. Arexis was the only person who knows about his mother's real history, he was told by his own mother when he was ten. He was taught secretly on how to summon his mother's subconscious but he promised himself that he would never do such thing. Arexa possessed the ability to summon the mythical creatures by playing any stringed musical instruments.

"I will return safe and whole without the help of the forbidden ability, mother. I will fight with my own skills and I will never call help from your daemon. Forgive me, mother. 'That' living curse inside you would never be called out by me." Arexis said with full of respect. He knew his mother would do everything to convince him and accept his ability. But he swore for a long time ago that he would never call out for her daemon.

"I am just reminding you, my son. Time will come that you will be needing this ability in order to protect yourself and the people you wanted to be safe. One day, you will unlock it for the sake of others. I will be waiting for your call." the lady said with pure intention. 

"I'll be going now, mother" Arexis bid goodbye and clasped the bracelet on his palm. The lady said no more as she watched her son leaving.

"Young master, the lady looked really sad when she watched you walk away. I never had a mother to send me off when I left home since she is no longer here in this world." The other young master named Anthony said. His mother died of an epidemic disease which killed almost 1/3 of the population in their place many years ago.

Both young men stopped talking when they arrived in front of the tall and indestructible, dirty white wall.

"Do we really need to have a companion with us?" Anthony asked while scratching the side of his neck.

"We must. They served as our spare lives. If we die before them because they failed to protect us with their lives, they will be beheaded right afterwards." Arexis said and gripped the sheath of his kampilan tightly.

"Let us get inside" Arexis said and made the first step towards the gate.

THE FIRST DISTRICT

Bare feet covered with mud, ragged brown robe that served as his clothing, a black, dry, long hair waving to any directions, this young man stood in front of the white wall. Aside from his very fine complexion, everything on his body totally looked dirty. At the back of his left earlobe was a tag attached in thread with a label "2984-1199"

"Hey 2984, will you really fight those scary man-eating monsters out there?" a little boy asked the young guy while rubbing his thumbs against another in a circular motion.

"Yes! Yes! Kuya will become the hero of this district! I will wipe all those man-eating monsters at once and you children will no longer have to be scared" The young guy laughed to his heart content while pointing his thumbs on his chest. He was wearing a wide grin on his face with a pair of black and dark brown eyes. He was born with different eye color but the people around him wouldn't notice the difference unless they got to look at it closer --which 2984-1199 avoided to happen. The people passing by would just glance at the young man and worries were visible to their faces. They would look at the young man as if it was his last day to live. 2984-1199 was the only representative from his district to become one of the young nobles' guardians.

Looking up the wall and grinning like an idiot, 2984-1199 was more excited to see what's outside than to know what his master would look like. The people in every district never had the chance to go beyond the walls, having the opportunity to see what's beyond that boundary was a miracle for 2984-1199.

"You! Number 2984-1199, follow me!" A man with a dark green cape ordered the young man to get inside the gates. Many people who had been very fond of the young man saw him off with tears streaming down their faces. The young man followed the guy who ordered him and he noticed the sword he was carrying.

"Is that a kampilan* sword?" the young guy asked while looking at the weapon enviously. He wanted to hold it and feel its realness but he wasn't allowed to do so. It would bring him to some serious trouble, and worst --he would be accused as a murderer for attempting to steal someone else's sword.

"Will I have my own kampilan too? We were chosen to be guardians who would protect our masters with our lives, right? Of course, scholar students like me were trained and skilled enough to fight. It's not like we were chosen just to be fed by those Abus without fighting for our lives, right? Or am I wrong?" 2984-1199 started blabbering and boasting about the things he was capable of doing without noticing the two young noble men behind him.

"This one sure is a big talker, I don't want an annoying brat along with me. I'll go see the other representatives from another district." Anthony said while chuckling. He knew that if that noisy guy would be Arexis' guardian, his friend might end up killing the guy with his own sword for being too noisy. Arexis started walking passed by 2984-1199 without saying a word. It was clear that he didn't want a noisy companion like that proud guy along with him. 2984-1199 saw the mole on Arexis' right side of the neck so he immediately recognized the young noble man.

"Arexis? You were that nine year old kid who visited the district six years ago, right?" the ragged looking guy asked. He sounded livelier than before after the unexpected reunion. Arexis frowned as he remembered he never introduced his name nor anyone did to that annoying guy.

"You don't remember me?" 2984-1199 asked. He dramatically pressed his right palm towards his chest and looked at Arexis.

"You even told me that I was your very first friend" the guy said, grinning.

"I do not know what you are talking about." Arexis replied with an apathetic face. The young master sighed and nodded to the guard, signalling that he would take 2984-1199 as his companion. He didn't want to waste time to find another person who would sacrifice 'its' for him. Anthony found his guardian too and the four of them proceeded to the black wall.

"2984-1199 and 2985-2000" The guard called the two low profiled boys by their 'names'.

"This is young master Anthony and young master Arexis. From today onwards, you two both swear to protect your masters with all your life. You will wield your swords to protect your Master's life and dedicate yourselves to them. Failure to fulfill their duties will lose their heads as a punishment." The guard said with loud voice. While the four young men were walking towards the gate, 2984-1199 rested his chin on his thumb while thinking deeply. He knew that many of his questions would be answered by his young master.

As the sun set, darkness enveloped the whole forest. The sounds of the crickets echoed everywhere.

"Can I ask you a question, young master?" 2984-1199 spoke as the four of them were setting their own beds made of anahaw* leaves.  

[*A tropical palm with round fan-shaped leaves.]

"Speak" Arexis responded.

"Before you met us, which wall did you came from? Behind that white wall or behind the black one?" the young guy asked. He masked his suspicious act with a gleeful face.

"We came from behind the white wall! Because we're nobles!" Anthony interrupted in their conversation. 2984-1199 found a clue from Anthony's reply and thought of a guess.

"Say, we lived our whole lives fearing for those Abus behind that black wall. Nobles were dressed properly and you came from behind that white wall. If I were to say, shouldn't there only be one wall separating humankind?" 2984-1199 asked. He looked directly into Arexis' eyes, wondering if his questions would lead him freedom or death.

"Since the Abu tribe was our only enemy, why are the nobles separated from the dirty people? You say that the nobles are protecting us but wouldn't it be fair to be the first target if ever some of the Abus go beyond that black wall? Are people between these two walls considered as the bait? People living in the district should be eaten first?" 2984-1199 asked. He drawed his sword a little using his thumb and looked directly into Arexis' dark eyes.

"Do we deserve to be eaten first just because we were born poor?" 2984-1199 asked and sheathed back his sword. Arexis remained silent, revealing the truth would only bring pain to the guardians. Because 2984-1199 was right:  The walls were created to protect the nobles. The people living in the district were all baits for the Abu tribe. If time comes that the black wall would be destroyed by the Abus, the people living in the district would be the first group of people to be hunted.

"Young master" 2984-1199 spoke, the dancing fire from their bonfire reflecting on his nonidentical irises.

"I will help you exterminate all those Abus. If we succeed, will nobles and ear-tagged humans be friends? Will you break down that white wall between us?" 2984-1199 spoke to his heart content.

"Do your best to make it possible, then." Arexis replied and decided to turned his back against his guardian. He was tired and restless regarding the upcoming days that they have to behead all Abus along their way.

"I remember, you used to be a smiling boy during our first and last meet? I wonder what happened to you to have such a poker face. Did someone break your heart?" 2984-1199 returned to his annoying phase and started teasing his young master. He confirmed that the young master really had forgotten about him. It made him a litte sad in some other way. 2984-1199 laid down with his arms serving as his pillows, he began to wonder and asked himself a little louder: "Can't people just treat each other equally?"

Arexis on the other side heard the slave's complain. He swore he would help him and make the slave's wish comes true, because that was what he desired too: equality.

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©The Bathala's Forbidden Vessel

Creator: Arl Hesse