HISTORIA

ACT 2. PAGE 42: LIGA

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⚠️ WARNING ⚠️

THE FOLLOWING INCLUDES:

- EXTREME DESCRIPTIONS OF VOMITING
- EXTREME DESCRIPTIONS OF DEATH AND DECAPITATION

PLEASE PROCEED WITH CAUTION

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"Do you see those stars, Mar?" Katipunan asked as he pointed to the night sky, decorated with dots of bright, glowing light.

Martial nodded, burying himself deeper into his father's arms, "Uuu... Oo... Bituin..." Martial babbled in baby speak, causing Katipunan to chuckle as he rocked the small toddler back and forth in his arms.

"Those are the ancestors of the Maharlikan Tribe and the Ophirian Clan. When a Maharlikan breathes their final breath, Apolaki descends from the above and lifts them into the sky, giving them a place beside his rulership as a star beside Apolaki's sun."

The toddler tilted his head, confused, "Sun..."

Katipunan nodded, "Yes, Mar. The sun is our life source and our salvation. The reason you feel so tired right now is because the sun is resting on the other side of the planet, while Mayari rules this side of our world."

Martial yawned and rubbed his eyes. He didn't really understand all that talk about gods and deities. He didn't understand why the Sun had played such a huge part of their lives. Sometimes, he looked at the non-Maharlikan children playing around the village of Mactan, always as active as ever even without the sun. He wondered why the Sun was so important to the tribe, but not to them.

He wondered...

.

"Papa," A much older, more articulate Martial called for his busy father, who worked away at his desk, "Tell me about the Sun. Tell me about the Sun Dial."

Katipunan suddenly stopped what he was doing as he looked warily at Martial, his eyebrows knitted and his eyes narrowing more in concern rather than annoyance or uncomfortableness.

"Why do you suddenly want to know, Mar? You used to be so disinterested in folklore..." Katipunan sighed as he stared at the floor, unable to bring himself to look his son in the eye.

He hated how much Martial reminded him of Llanera.

"Because kuya Del is always so sick now, and I don't think he even likes me anymore... Ever since the Sun Dial exploded, he's been acting strange. Even Auntie Dalisay suspects that something is terribly wrong."

Dalisay. No wonder she had to be ridden of.

Martial observed Katipunan's expressions, although the thick red veil sewn to his salakot made it hard to even look at his father's face. But something told Martial- Or perhaps it was just years of experience- That his father was frowning behind the veil.

But other than that, nothing. There are not even hints of surprise or concern in his shielded face.

"... I don't know how much longer I can keep withholding information from you and your brothers and cousin, especially now that kuya Magdiwang was so ready to sacrifice himself and his loved ones for a cause that I'm not even sure is right." Katipunan suddenly says as he stood up.

Martial was rather shocked at this, shocked at how Katipunan seemed to glide across the floor as he stared out of the window. Just a moment ago, he was sitting at his desk and lost in his duties. And then all of the sudden, he was staring solemnly out of the window, at the view of the courtyard of the Maharlikan palace, where Del and Perla took a walk with Phil.