Wisdom and War

Chapter One

WISDOM AND WAR
Book One of the Padayon Series

"Born in 1384, Anita has lived to witness a history of war, death, pain. Chosen by the gods, she fights to protect the people of the country alongside three other descendants–Joaquin, Maiko, and Elias. In her six hundred years as an immortal, they have fought to maintain peace and order across the three islands.

Until one day the past comes back, blinding them with nothing but darkness.

Now faced with a reality far greater than anything they've ever seen, she finds herself burdened by the weight of immortality. War. Death. Pain. A never ending cycle of darkness."

Disclaimer: All characters except for those already present in Greek mythology and Philippine history are created and owned by me. Inspiration has been pulled from Filipino figures but keep in mind this is a work of fiction. This story contains mention of rape and graphic depictions of violence. Chapters with these topics will contain a warning at the beginning.

Enjoy!

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Warning: violence and mention of rape

I remember being alone.

I was sitting on a cliff back then when it happened, my left leg dangling over the edge while my right was folded underneath me. My eyes were trained on the sunset that was slowly making its descent and being covered by the mountains. Behind me, I heard the wind rustling and ignored it since it must've been the November air. When a twig snapped on my right, I stood up and was immediately on high alert. The village has always been a safe place for me but my father has always given constant reminders that beyond our borders, things aren't the same. Being able to defend yourself, even for just a few seconds, was enough to protect your own life. The only thing I had on me was a small stone dagger gifted to me on my twenty-first birthday.

Slowly, I walked towards the trees where the sound had come from. There was nothing at first, just the tall narra trunks that made up the forest and the warm orange light coming from the sun. A flash of light suddenly went off and blinded me for a few seconds, forcing me to cover my eyes with my hands. When I finally regained my vision, I saw a woman standing before me dressed in white robes and holding a gold spear that was bursting with light. She was a stark contrast against the trees, the edge of her robes rustling the earth beneath her but no dirt stuck to the cloth. The air around me changed, akin to a pull that forced me to place my attention on the woman before me.

I was at a loss for words as she walked towards me, stopping when she was only ten feet away.

"Hello, Anita." The woman was watching me with intent eyes, strands of her thick black hair framing her face. My eyes moved to the spear she was holding and the hand that was holding my dagger tightened. This didn't escape the woman's eyes and the side of her lips slightly rose to form a small smile. "I'm not here to hurt you."

"Who are you?" I was surprised by the calmness in my voice. I could feel the nerves surging through my body, but not because of fear. Curiosity. I've never seen someone wear such exquisite and radiant robes. I looked down at my silup ang-angga and kain which definitely needed washing after my trip to the mountains earlier. Wild grass thorns adhered to the edges of my clothes from the walk I made through the grasslands earlier while I could feel small particles of dust in between my feet.

"My name is Athena." She took a step forward and the light coming out of her spear vanished. When she released her hold on the spear, it disappeared into thin air and my mouth opened in shock. I blinked once, then twice before shaking my head and returning my focus to the woman in front of me– Athena. My dagger was still held in front of me, ready to be used at any sign of danger. "Do you believe in gods, Anita?"