The morning rays penetrated the windows of the hall providing a sliver of illumination for the few that awaits the arrival of the raja. Hours have passed since the last crow and yet the three boys adamantly bided their time, these few hours is nothing against the weeks they have waited.
I observed the three boys as they passed the time in their own way. The boy that came with me from Balangay Pundok sat on the floor against the wall staring mindfully outside the window as he played his agimat in his hand. His so called teacher was obviously nowhere to be seen.
The agimat pulsated in a mysterious way as if consuming the shadows around it. I could not help my attention from being pulled by the ominous dull glow it emitted. It made me wonder what kind of beast has this child tamed. Thankfully, the child pursed the artefact in his hands freeing my curious eyes from its captivating allure; he must have noticed me staring from the corner of his eyes.
Another boy paced back and forth in front of the raja's throne, his face was masked in annoyance and he was not afraid of showing it. He was the first of them to come here missing the raja's departure by a day. The waiting was clearly a torture for the kid and it has given me an odd sense of satisfaction ever since the day I met him.
The last of the boys just sat in front of the throne staring blankly at the door behind it. He had always been that way ever since he arrived from Balangay Tanaman, always standing still staring at the clouds whenever he was not busy helping around. Still as a rock you could almost mistake him as part of the ornaments if only not for the movement of his chest from his breathing now and then, curiously his companion was not with him, must be exhausted from the feast last night.
A few more hours went by and the feeling of impatience began to gnaw at me yet it easily subsided the moment I heard the comforting sound of the soft thud of footsteps against the wooden floor. A hint of an arm parted the beaded curtains and out from the door emerged the wizened raja carried by his powerful strides towards the throne.
"Now that the dakilang raja has arrived, let us begin the counsel." I shifted my gaze from the raja towards the boys; this is a meeting he has waited for fifteen long years yet not a hint of longing could be found in his eyes.
I examined the three boys and gave them a few moments to see who would have the guts to go first but before the boy from Balangay Puthaw could take a step forward I forcefully intervened.
"I present Bayakan from Balangay Pundok." The raja gave me quick glance for he knows it is not in my power to control the flow of the counsel, fortunately, the others don't.
"Greetings, dakilang raja, I have come from Pundok under the order of my father for the purpose of being trained as a mambabarang." It was faint yet I was still able to see the raja's eyes cringe at the mention of the word.
The way Bayakan stood and gripped his spear reflected that of a true warrior, he really took off from his father-his real father. His voice was brimming with confidence and pride that it was as if he went here on his own volition rather than orders.
"Pundok? I sent my warriors there in response to the attacks of an aswang. That beast fell a lot of men yet it was vanquished by a boy like you. " The raja said with an inquisitive smile.
The boy from Tanaman remained seated with a passive expression on his face as if he was just listening to some bedtime story while the other one, as expected, stared in disbelief with his mouth wide open.
"You fought an aswang? That's impossible, they don't even exist!" He claimed.
"They do and he KILLED one." I felt the need to confirm it for I saw everything that happened.
