Avisala, E correi

The Sapiryan Bond

Ezekiel found himself in the edge of a cliff overlooking the part of Sapiro so unfamiliar to him. Their Kingdom is indeed vast and this is one side he had never set foot on. He had already been traveling for days to the direction his apwe has told him where the Adarna was last seen. But that was days ago, and she's a bird. Who knows, she could be over Lireo by now. He scanned the land under, there are noises and few roofs, it wouldn't hurt to try to ask.

Inside the Pub

The moment Ezekiel walked in to those doors, he realized that there's a different world outside the palace walls and he had been to the palace outskirts before. But this was different, not everyone is kind, not everyone gives a damn who he is, and nobody ever cared to curtsy before him. This is a strange place indeed he concluded. He settled himself in to one of those chairs (or stool is the right term) and immediately a lady with a seductive gaze offered him a menu.

"Mukhang ikaw ay naliligaw manlalakbay. Hindi ko namumukaan ang iyong wangis." She said in a seductive voice.

"Isang baso lamang ng pinakamatanda nyong vino." He said straightforwardly.

This made the lady laugh. "Sinasabi ko na nga ba. Hindi ka nabibilang dito. At tila ay ikaw ay galing sa marangyang pamilya. Akong bahala sayo." She said and immediately vanished in the crowd.

The place was so dim and overcrowded. Too many people speaking at the same time and speaking louder when they can't hear each other. He wondered if he went to the right place to gather information. Like a ghost, the lady suddenly appeared in front of him holding a large jug with a foamy liquid inside.

"Cerveza, Yan lamang ang meron kami dito. Subukan mo." She said as she handed him the large glass and vanished again from his very eyes. How does she do it? She can be a sang gre on how quickly she vanished she might have evictused if that's possible.

He took a large gulp of the funny liquid and even before he could have the stomach to gulp it all in, he spit it. That was by far the worst alcohol he ever tasted. There was nothing sweet in there, no aroma, nothing that he could possibly come to love. Some large men from the other side of the table saw him and they immediately rose and went to his direction. One of the guys put his arms around him like an old pal and by then he knows, it's not going to be a peaceful night.

"Mukhang hindi na ibigan ng ating munting bisita ang ating inumin kaibigan." The bulkier man said mockingly.

" Tila ay sanay sa mamahaling inumin ang ating bagong kaibigan at hindi sanay sa cerveza." The smaller of the three men chimed in.

"Kung ganon ay may dala siguro syang limpak na limpak na ginto sa kanyang bulsa, tama ba bata?" said the other man as he slapped him mildly in the face and tilting it so he could see him face to face.

This must be a daily event here he assumed. This is obviously bullying but no one seemed to care and they just go on with their business not even one bothered to look and see if anything was amiss in his predicament.

" Tanakeshna." He cursed below his breath.

" Ano yun bata? May binubulong ka?" the largest man asked as he grabbed his hair.

"Tanakeshna!" he said louder for him to hear.

" Anong sinabi mo? Nag eenchanta ba sya?" the largest man inquired to the smallest of the group.

"Tila ay encantado ang ating nakuha. Isang mayamang encantado." Said the other man smilingly as he started to examine his things for richest probably.

That's weird, he thought. He never knew anyone who never knew enchanta. Which side exactly of Sapiro is this.

"Kaibigan, bakit hindi nalang natin hayaang mag isa ang ating bagong kaibigan." A stranger suddenly chimed in as he stopped the other man's hand from grabbing his bag.

The largest man smirked at the new addition to the group. That's a smirk of familiarity, he analyzed.

"Pwede ba Yue, maghanap ka ng ibang pagnanakawan mo, amin sya." Said the smallest man as he wrapped his arm around his neck.

"Tanakeshna." He cursed again under his breath.

"Anong sabi mo kaibigan?" the largest man asked again as he pulled his hair up. He felt the surge of his anger in his vein and right before he knows it he had turned in to a monster. He rose from his chair, banged his head to the largest man's head, grabbed his sheathed sword and smacked it to the other man's head. He saw the smallest man engulfed into a brawl with the stranger and right before he knows it he was smacked square on at the face. Who did it, he can't tell. He fell to the floor and suddenly the world is spinning right before his eyes, the stranger grabbed his hand and pulled him up as he engaged in another fight with the largest man. He was again smacked in the head by a blunger maybe and although a little disoriented, he fought back and punched the enemy's face right across the face. This knocked him out immediately. Suddenly, the noise died down and that can only mean the other two must have been subdued by the stranger. He saw him standing above the two bodies lying down like corpses on the floor.
A few moments later, a group of thugs pulled the stranger, and then him and threw them out of the pub.

" Ahhhhh, akala ko pa naman ay may makukuha akong impormasyon." The stranger bellowed as he picked himself up and smoothen his garments. His garments, he thought were made from patched up leather and cheap fragments. He doesn't look particularly strong to even defeat those men and yet he did.

"Hindi mo ko kailangan tulungan. Kayang kaya ko silang patumbahin." He said defensively.

"Talaga? Eh dalawang beses ka nga nilang napatumba eh." He contradicted. He lowered his hood as he run his fingers across his hair and for the first time, he can finally look at his face in the light. The moment he beholds his face, he realized one thing. The resemblance between this man and his sister is uncanny. They could be siblings instead of him and her.

"Lira?" he can't stop but asked even though knows it can't be.

"Yue, at hindi ba pambabae ang pangalang yan. Nahihibang ka ba?" said yue annoyingly.

" Poltre, ngunit naalala ko lang ang aking Edea sayong wangis." He apologized though he doesn't really care if he's annoyed.
"Heto." He handed a little bag which he later slowly realized was his. He came to forget to grab his bag when they were thrown out. He grabbed it and suddenly he got curious.

" Bakit nila tayo pinatapon? Hindi naman tayo ang nagsimula ng gulo." He curiously asked.

" Sa palasyo ka ba nakatira? Ganyan talaga dito. Kapag nakipag away ka kahit sino pa nagsimula tinatapon ka palabas." Explained Yue.

"Ngunit hindi iyon makatarungan para sa mga kagaya kong nananahimik." He retaliated.

"Alam mo, kung may reklamo ka sa mga Duee ka magreklamo huwag sa akin at madami pa kong gagawin."

The man began to leave when he realized something.

"Sandali." He stopped him as he checked his bag.

"Kompleto yan huwag kang mag-alala. Oo nagnanakaw ako paminsan-minsan. Pero para sa mga magulang ko yun at ngayon higit pa sa mga ginto mo ang kailangan ng aking ina." Yue explained as Ezekiel examined his bag. Everything was really on there.

"Poltre." He apologized.
"Walang anuman. Sige ma walang gala na." said Yue has he took some steps away.
" Nakakaintindi ka ng enchanta!" Ezekiel exclaimed as the fact dawned on him.
Yue turned around. "Hindi ko rin alam kung bakit pero Oo. Naiintindihan kita."

"Ang mas hindi ko maintindihan ay kung bakit hindi sila nakakaintindi ng enchanta."
"Ang mga tao sa lugar na ito ay nagmula sa iba't ibang tribo sa bundok na bumaba dito sa kapatagan. Matagal na nanirahan sa bundok ang kanilang mga ninuno kaya yung iba hindi na naipasa yung enchanta sa mga ibang henerasyon hanggang namatay nalang ito." Yue further explained.
"Kung ganoon ay bakit ikaw ay nakakaintindi ng enchanta."
"Sabi ko na nga sayo diba? Hindi ko alam. Basta nung narinig lang kita naiintindihan ko lang ang mga tinuran mo." Yue answered annoyingly.
"Nakakamangha ka estranhero. Pasaan ba ang iyong paglalakbay?" inquired Ezekiel.
"Naghahanap ako ng lunas para sa aking ina." Yue answered melancholy.
"Nadapuan rin ba sya ng epidemya?"
"Anong epidemya?" Yue asked curiously.
"Yung sakit na lumalaganap ngayon sa buong encantadia na hindi magamot ng brilyante ni sang gre danaya."
"Wala kaming alam sa epidemya na kinakaharap nyong mga encantado. Ang sakit ng aking ina ay dulot na din ng kanyang katandaan. Pero gagawin ko ang lahat para mahaba pa ito.
"Mapalad ka estranghero at nandyan pa ang iyong ina." Answered Ezekiel sadly as the image of Amihan flashed before his eyes. "Ngunit anong lunas ang iyong hinahanap na kailangan mo pang maglakbay?"

"Ilanga araw na ang nakakaraan nung ako ay nasa bingit ng kamatayan. Isang ibon ang nagligtas sa akin gamit ang kanyang luha. Kung kaya nya akong iligtas, kaya din nyang pagalingin ang aking ina."

"Ang Adarna! Hinahanap mo ang Adarna?" Ezekiel clarified.

"Iyon ba ang tawag sa kanya. Napakagandang pangalan para sa isang napakagandang ibon."
"May nalalaman ka ba kung saan sya hahanapin." Asked Ezekiel.
" Ang huling ala-ala ko sa kanya ay lumipad sya papuntang hilagang bundok. Pero higit pa duon, tila nararamdaman ko sya. Tila alam ko kung nasaan sya. Mahirap ipaliwanag ngunit iyon ang aking nararamdaman." Explained Yue.

Suddenly, an idea crept inside Ezekiel. In his heart he knows it's wrong but it's his only chance.

"Kung sa gayon ay tutulungan kitang mahanap ang Adarna."
This amazed Yue and he bagan to chuckle.
"Poltre, ngunit hindi ko kailangan ng tulong mo, dalawang basagulero nga lang tumba ka na eh."
Ezekiel reminded himself to calm down and control his Ire.
" Marami akong alam sa Adarna, magagamit mo ang aking kaalaman. Bukod pa dun ay hindi mo alam kung gaano katagal aabutin ang iyong paglalakbay. May dala akong ginto na kaya tustusan ang iyong buong tribo ng mahabang panahon." Offered Ezekiel.
"Ngunit bakit mo ito gagawin? Para saan?" asked Yue seriously.
"Sapagkat utang ko sa iyo ang aking buhay, bukod pa dun ay alam ko ang sakit ng mawalan ng isang minamahal na ina. Kaya pakiusap, tanggapin mo na ang aking tulong."
There are a million reason for Yue not to accept Ezekiel's offer yet somehow like how the wind whispers to him, it seems to be telling him to let him in and slowly it raised his hands and before he knows it Ezekiel already grabbed his hand like sealing a deal while he stood there dumbfounded on how he's heart is acting and not his body.

"Ezekiel ang aking pangalan. Kinagagalak kitang makilala estranghero."