OLYMPIANS' LOST PROGENIES

CHAPTER SIX - Lapu-Lapu's Medallion

 

We stayed outside the Governor's Office while Maria Makiling was bringing Luisa, Jose and Anthony to their respective huts. Luisa, ever since I saw her the first time, always had her ebony hair tightly bunned. Tonight, Maria Makiling took the hairnet that accumulate the strands of her hair into round bun. She looked exactly the same as those kids with knee-length black hair from the crystal formation-like house. Jose was taken to Entry 2 and Anthony in a house at Entry 1, quite far from the Governor's Office. I only realized tonight that Entry 8 had the least huts in it.

 

I looked at the other Unclaims. All of them looked like they had lost in a competition. I assumed I looked the same. Logan suddenly came to our front with her ever clown-like smile.

 

"It doesn't matter we're not claimed. We can't stop from living just because our damn parents didn't claim us as their own child." He said, trying to mean all he said as a joke rather than a bitter statement.

 

I looked up at the dark sky. There were many stars above our head that could amaze us for their stunning colorful brightness. I couldn't blame the others for not appreciating the beauty that nature was showing us, for I myself was struggling from the same feeling.

 

"Can people see this village?" I suddenly asked, to no particular person.

 

"No mortal can see this." Nicole said from my back, her forearm were above her knees and the palm of her hands were cupping her face. "Maria Makiling always visits Mt. Makiling in Los Banos to get the mist that protected her and her home to that mountain a long time ago. That mist never left her home there, they reproduce. When Maria Makiling was asked by Bathala to govern this village, she brought mist to hide this place from the eye of the mortals."

 

I nodded to her.

 

"Do you think they'll make us go?" Barry spoken.

 

No one answered. That awkward silence returned and we again stared in the air. I was worrying now. What if they made us go? What if we didn't have the right to stay here because our godly parent didn't want us here?

 

"Unclaims, stand up." Maria Makiling returned. "Don't fret. There's always a reason for every happenings. As for now, stay in the village. Soon enough, we will be able to know who your parents are. Just enjoy the place." She gave that reassuring, relaxing- kind of smile. "Go back to your hut now."

 

We were about to stand when Maria Makiling called my name, and also En. "Don't forget your punishment tomorrow. You won't be attending the morning routine, go straight at the Village Archive and Old Unyo will be there to assist you."

 

We were again, drowning ourselves in profound silent as we walked to our hut. The quarter looked lifeless. The disappearance of three seemed the death of all. We never even managed to speak 'goodnight' or 'see you tomorrow'. It was a very lonely night.

 

I was standing in the middle of the darkness, once more. The golden yellow light was flickering ahead, and the silhouette of a man started to materialize. I just stared at him and never did I do anything to reach him. I know who he was. I know he was my godly father. A father so far, I couldn't even reach his light. I was startled when I felt people behind my back. They were the other Unclaims, formed into circle with our back facing the others' back. The silhouette of their godly parents were at the far distance, ahead of them. We are only seven. I tried recalling how many were we who were not claimed. I couldn't remember. I looked at the other Unclaims standing behind me, trying to recognize who were they. I was shocked, everybody had no face. It was creepy, I felt all the strands of my hair raising. My head was enlarging with painful throbs. I tried to look again at them. There were only two girls, but who were they? Suddenly, I heard sound of flapping wings, gigantic flapping wings above our head. Then I felt cold underneath my feet. Water! There were water around, rising in a very high speed. I saw a beast ahead of me, from where the silhouette of my godly father had been standing. He was gone, replaced by the glowing beast. I didn't know what kind of beast it was, but when it was opening its mouth, silver arrows were flying out like missiles, targeting the giant--I guess a bird--that were adrifting above our head. I saw the other Unclaims vanishing from their place one by one. The water just reached my chest. I started to scream for help, but there was no voice coming out of my mouth. The creature with flapping wings landed his giant legs in the water. Only two of us, the Unclaims, were left. I looked above, trying to determine what bird was this giant. Then I felt something pricked on my back,it was rotating so fast, it passed through my left chest. It was where my heart was supposed to be. I felt my head rotating like the arrow that was piercing through my flesh. I fell under the water. I could see my blood spreading in the water. They were golden. My blood started to form something, it was a face, it was saying something.