Sidapa

Chapter 16: Cerulean of the Deeps

Somewhere in Cebu

The pale moon mirrored on the dark canvass of the sea. The waves rippled at the glowing moon, distorting the round ball of light with creases  as the serene waters cradled its reflection. Gahum was never been a fan of the moon. It only gives him heartbreak to look at its magnificence, as too many painful memories would pop-out of his head.

He stroked his paddle in a slow and steady as his bangka glided on the obsidian-colored waters. When he reached the destination he was instructed with, he stopped and stood up from his small bangka. He stripped to his bahag and caressed the cold, gentle waters of the ocean. 

He took a scoop of the seawater and pour it on his head while reciting a prayer of the old.

Hinaot sa akoang pagitglum;

Sa imong dulom nga kailadman;

Gabayan ako sa imong ginghari-an;

Ablihi ang pultahan sa imong payaw.

[ I hope as I dive;

Into your darkest  abyss;

Guide me to your kingdom;

Open the door to your home.]

 He scooped some more, but this time, he drank it. He let the salty water flow from his mouth, to his throat, then into his stomach. He picked up a small pouch and took out its content, a mutya. 

He placed the mutya under his mouth and kept it there. He took a deep breath and dove to the dark depths of the cold sea.

The sea bed marbled at the pallor glow of the moonlight. The cold, salty water, flowed through Gahum's body as if caressing the well-chiselled specimen. His batik glowed as he came deeper towards a big hole that appeared out of nowhere. 

He went into the watery rabbit hole, with no hints of uncertainty. The darkness never deterred the hero of old, which he passed through the nightmarish hole filled with unnerving visions of his days past. He gracefully swam on the gruesome and sometimes depressing memories that the darkness threw at him. 

Finally, a bright light broke the darkness and Gahum saw the majestic view of the underwater world of Kailalman of the merfolk tribe. Their beautiful underwater homes made of natural corals and gems were given to them by the First Magwayen, for them to protect the gates of Kasanaan against the threats of the Bakunawa spawns that pestered them both before. 

Not only did the merfolks was given a home, they were also given protection and power by the First Magwayen. They were given the ability to control and turn everything  to a weapon as long as it has been touched by saltwater.

Gahum's mind went through the knowledge he had about these evasive beings. After living for so long, he can only count by his fingers his encounters with the merfolk. Once, was during a great storm where he had to rescue one of their kin from being hit from jagged rocks and another was when he to kill a rabid Shokoy terrorizing a town in Antique around the 1900s. There would've been more, but there were only a few times that he got summoned to Kasanaan. 

Very few, most of the time, Lady Magwayen would show herself by visions or by a possession of a random human. To be called personally to her lair could mean something big is brewing and her mistress wants a piece of it, or it could be that she finally remembered to give him a present after being her Ulipon all these years. The latter would never going to happen!

His mind drift too long that he hadn't noticed the gate of pearls in front of him. He was greeted by heavily-armored merfolks who stood by the gates along with their sibats. They wore armor made from the Bakunawa spawn's scales and skin. Their armor was also adorned by crystal corals, a clear sign of their status in their kingdom.