THE CENTRAL DISTRICT
It has been thirty days since Crescent arrived to his new home. Every late at night, Crescent started to have nightmares again. He could not do anything about this unexplainable curse as what he called it. He never asked for this gift; the ability to remember every little details that happened to him in his entire life, including the bad memories, the places, the time, the faces of the people, how they looked when they die and everything. Crescent would often wake up at night with sweats drippping down his forehead and neck. Ragged breathing often leads to coughing and worst, suffocation.
"Son, what is it that made you unhappy and scared? Why are you covered with sweat every night?" madam Roza, Crescent's mother entered the young man's room. She looked for a small, clean cloth and used it to wipe the grain like sweat off his son's face. She pressed the cloth lightly as it slowly absorbed Crescent's sweat.
"Madam, don't worry about me. It happens to me every night and I'm used to it. Please go back to your room and have a rest." Crescent's pale lips smiled. Madam Roza sighed and held her son's face.
"How could you be fine? I am your mother, and please call me mother or Ma. Can you do that for me?" the lady asked with gentle voice. Crescent nodded and held the cloth softly.
"Son, always remember that, even if we don't share the same blood, even if you didn't came from my womb, from now on, you are my son. Time will help us get closer towards each other. I will be teaching you a lot of things in this household. And I want to learn a lot of things from you, too." the madam smiled.
She continued, "Be yourself, you don't have to be the person everyone expected you to become. You are free and you can have fun as long as you want. You don't need to be so decent and gentle just to please everybody. You can be clumsy and carefree."
She helped Crescent to go back to sleep and added, "You can do whatever you want as long as you don't hurt anyone."
Crescent knew that he had such kind parents, a beautiful and warm hearted mother, he could never ask for more.
"I'll stay with you until you fall asleep. I have an idea of how to make you fall asleep easily, trust me, this really works" Madam Roza spoke. She covered Crescent with the soft blanket and touched the young man's left ear.
"I'll just massage your ear softly until you fall asleep, how is it?" Madam Roza asked. Crescent didn't utter a word, it felt warm when his mother pinched his scarred ear. It was not long before he went back to sleep. Madam Roza saw the scar on Crescent's ear made by the wooden tag. Softly, she massaged it using her fingers.
"I wish that you will have a brighter future despite your dark past" The madam whispered and kissed the top of Crescent's head.
Morning came, Crescent was practicing with his sword. The sword's fine and sharp edge could be used as a mirror as the sunlight reflected on it.
"Posture" Crescent's father spoke. He just arrived from the neighboring district.
"Father" Crescent bowed his head, he attempted to run towards his father but he noticed the little lady behind the man. He looked at the little girl in which looked to be in her decade, he gave her a friendly smile instead.
"Hi, I'm Crescent" the young man smiled. He offered his hand to pat the young lady's head but his father slapped his hand away with the kampilan's handle.
"Respect, young man" Crescent's father spoke. Crescent gasped and remembered what his mother told him last night, "Women are more precious than any other jewels and gems. You can't just touch them, especially their hands as you please. If you'll do that to a lady, touching her hand means asking for marriage. If her parents find out that you touched their daughter, the two of you should get married, the sooner the better."
"Right! I forgot!" Crescent grinned and scratched his left ear using his index finger. The young man made way for the two to proceed towards the lobby.
"Pa, who is that cute little lady?" Crescent asked and elbowed his father on the side. Looking at the young lady's back, Crescent's father sighed.
"She is your little sister" The man with great body built replied. Crescent gasped, eyes bulging out as he looked at his father with amusement.
"She went on a mission at a very young age and survived just like me?" Crescent awed. His father chuckled and yanked the young man in the neck.
"She came from the First District too?" Crescent added. The young lady stopped walking when she heard the name of the place. She glared at Crescent which made the young man confused. What made her so angry upon hearing about the place?
"I am not a slave and I am not from that dirty place. I, a pure blood noble do not intend to get along with those kind of people in the future." The young lady spoke. Crescent twitched the side of his lips and cleared his throat.
'You should start acting like a noble' he remembered his mother's words. Crescent bent one of his knees down on the ground and smiled at the young lady.
"Oh really? Why do you hate them?" Crescent asked, he waited for the young lady to response.
"I don't hate them, I just don't like them." the young lady replied. Crescent nodded affirmatively, he smiled like he always do, and trying to figure out what made the little girl to unlike the place where he came from.
"Okay, I can see what you want to say. Then, may I know what is the name of my little sister?" Crescent asked while holding his chin. The young lady hesitated at first but later on she replied, "Amaya"
"What a beautiful name, just like its owner" the young man smiled and turned his head to see his father --who in the moment looked bothered.
"Amaya, this is Crescent, your kuya*. Today is the first day that Amaya has landed a step on the Zvalla Household." their father explained. Crescent nodded and stood up, along with them were a couple of first-rate guards.
"You bring you sister towards the library, your mother is waiting for her inside." Their father instructed. Crescent smiled at Amaya and he started thinking of a certain subject that he wanted to discuss with his new little sister.
"Amaya, do you like sampaguitas? I can fetch them for you from our garden. They smelled really nice!" Crescent started talking while leading the way towards said library.
"Are you fond of raising pets? I have a cute and meaty wild boar, his name is Meatball" Crescent chuckled in excitement. Amaya glared at him for being an annoying chatterbox. Crescent zipped his mouth upon receiving such a deathly glare from an innocent looking brat.
"She just acts like Arie" Crescent mumbled as Amaya left him outside the room. Crescent pouted, he followed the young lady behind and pushed the door clumsily. There were young nobles studying inside the library, few young men were surprised with the loud sound of the door. Crescent made an awkward smile and bowed his head for an apology.
"Where's Ma?" Crescent asked one of the nobles with the same clothing as him.
"She is inside her private room, young master." the noble replied. Crescent brought Amaya inside and in front of their mother.
"Ma, father just arrived and he brought with him my little sister. She is here to see you." Crescent prepared a tea in the tea corner and brought it to his mother. Madam Roza smiled and instructed Crescent to sit on the chair.
"My daughter Amaya, you are home" Madam Roza greeted and planted a soft kiss on her daughter's forehead.
"Ma, may I know the whole story of why Amaya grew up living separately with us?" Crescent asked.
"You don't need to know" Amaya growled like a mad dog as she clenched her fists on top of the table. Madam Roza cupped Amaya's hands with her gentle ones, she nodded to Crescent for the guy to leave the room. Pouting, Crescent stomped his feet and exited the room. Why does Amaya hates telling him?
"Son" Crescent's father called him from the yard.
"Father" Crescent smiled. He unsheathed his sword and fought with his father, the library yard serving as their mini arena. The ladies walking at the hallways stopped and watched the two man fighting in the middle of the yard. They came to admire the new young master's sword fighting skills. Ever since Crescent arrived in the Zvalla Household, he became pretty famous with the young females.
"The new young master is so handsome and cheerful. I wish to have an exchanging of words with him in the future." The young lady wearing an elegant robe spoke to her personal aide with a shy smile.
"He will, young lady. Your beauty is so captivating, he would never miss to lay his eyes on to" the female assistant replied.
"But, I don't know his name." the young lady bit his bottom lip. Crescent's official name has not been finalized, so the household leaders, his parents, decided to delay the introductory ceremony for the arrival of the young noble.
Exhausted yet still grinning, Crescent sheathed his sword and bowed in front of his father.
"You really are a great Kampilan weilder, Pa" Crescent inhaled deeply. As the two of them walked towards the lobby, Crescent's father spoke.
"Amaya lived in the Bathala's Temple ever since the day that she was born. She was chosen to be one of Bathala's temple children."
"What does that mean?" Crescent frowned.
"They are not allowed to go outside the temple and they are obliged to pray most of the time for the Central District's protection from Bathala." His father explained. Crescent twitched his mouth, he now get it why Amaya didn't want to talk about her backstory.
Crescent concluded, 'She is not happy to accept her destiny.'
"What you think is right, your sister was forced to go to the temple. She had no choice nor us. She was chosen and she had to go there." his father added.
"But she's back now, why is that?" Crescent asked.
"Because she broke the rules, that was the only way to get out from the temple. Her unreasonable behavior brought disgrace to the Zvalla Household, hence she will labeled as one of the household's failure." Crescent's father explained. The young man gasped as he remembered how odd Amaya's behavior towards him.
He thought, 'It couldn't be that she is being punished by my mother right now?!'
The young man quickly went back to the library to see his little sister. His father sighed as he expected Crescent would react that way.
"Why the rush, young master?" one of the household young lady asked when Crescent almost bump into her.
"Excuse me, I'm in a hurry! I'll talk with you later!" The young man yelled while waving his hand, without looking back, he dashed towards the place where his sister was.
"Did you hear that? The young master just said that he will talk with me later. I must be dreaming" The young lady with an elegant dress before smiled dreamily.
"Congratulations, my lady" her personal aide responded.
The young man opened the door and saw his little sister kneeling upon the tiny thorns of roses scattered on the wooden floor. The young man gasped as he immediately pulled the little lady to stand up, but the girl was too weak to stand and her knees were bleeding badly.
"What are you doing, my dear son?" Madam Roza's gentle voice scared Amaya that she fainted in Crescent's arms.
"Mother, please don't hurt her any longer. She is too young." Crescent hugged his little sister and gasped when he saw the hundred bruises in the young lady's arms created by a whip.
"Ma, how could you hurt your own daughter?" Crescent asked as he carried the young lady in his arms and left the room. Along the hallway, Crescent's father saw his son carrying his little sister.
"What have you done?" Crescent's father asked the young man which made Crescent frowned in dismay.
"What have I done? Father, should you ask what mother had done? This young lady in my arms is too young to be beaten up to death. To have such an unfair fate, she deserves freedom too" Crescent spoke.
"I don't know why she had to do the things that she didn't want to just because it is decided by other people or even Bathala, but I can't afford to see my sister being hurt by mother. Does Amaya even deserve to be whipped?" Crescent asked. His father sighed and put his hands on either Crescent's shoulders.
"You still don't understand, she tested Bathala's wrath by breaking the rules. She escaped from the temple and went back here on her own. The only way to atone her sins is for her to be punished." Crescent's father spoke.
"I'm taking her to the doctor" Crescent said and walked passed by his father. Crescent's chest hurt as he saw the wounds and blood on his little sister.
"How cruel" the young man hissed.
"For a mere former servant to act all high and mighty in front of his noble parents." A familiar, low resonating voice spoke. Crescent turned his head only to see Arexis in white robe under his traditional cloak. His black hair has grown a bit longer.
"Hand me the young lady. I will take her back to where she has to be." Arexis commanded. Crescent frowned and chuckled.
"Then, are you going to marry her after that?" The young master asked. Arexis frowned and looked at Crescent with confusion. Why would Crescent want Arexis to marry the young lady?
"Aren't we forbidden to touch young women when we are not in an intimate relationship with them. This will lead to unexpected marriage, right?" Crescent smirked.
"Young master Arexis, welcome to our household." Madam Roza who was rushing to follow Crescent arrived and bowed her head towards the young noble in cloak. Arexis did the same thing and bowed his head.
"So it is true that your mother agreed to send you here to teach my son?" Madam Roza gasped. Arexis nodded politely and glared at Crescent who was carefully carrying his little sister.
"I am honored to do my assignment. I, Arix Crixtus from Crixtus Household will be your son's guru from today onwards. I will conduct the new young master and share the limits of my knowledge to him." Arexis spoke in a formal way as he bowed his head in front of Crescent's mother.
"Cool name you got there, but I prefer calling you Arie" Crescent smirked and started walking away. The decent young master planned to stop him from leaving but Madam Roza spoke, "Please let him bring her to the doctor, young master."
The lady looked concerned as she saw the wounds on her daughter's skin. Arexis bowed his head and followed Crescent behind. Madam Roza stopped the guards behind her from following her children.
They arrived at the physician's place and Crescent laid Amaya on the bed. Arexis was standing steadily outside as he waited for Crescent to come out.
"You dare to do such crime. Why meddle with their business?" Arexis asked while keeping a straight face.
"Their business?" Crescent asked in disbelief.
"Am I am outsider? Look, I know nothing about the temple and the rules. But come to think of it, even a smart person like you could tell." Crescent spoke with a lonely voice. The other young master frowned.
"She escaped from the temple and went back 'HERE'. She doesn't need freedom but a family. If she wanted freedom, she should have left and went to other places but here. Knowing that she will be punished if she arrives here, why bother to return when she could go somewhere far, somewhere she could be free?" Crescent asked. Arexis remained silent.
"There are still a lot of things that you don't know about this district. And you are obliged to learn everything about it in order for you to be able to stay here" Arexis replied.
"I just wish that I won't turn out to be cruel and inconsiderate like everyone here after receiving all the lessons from you, Arie. I don't want to be a cold person." Crescent said while smiling awkwardly.
Arexis turned his head away and asked, "How could you tell that your sister needs family more than freedom?"
"Because I know how it felt, longing for a family isn't easy." Crescent smiled.
"Well then, what will you teach me?" Crescent asked while chuckling. Arexis ignored the question and left Crescent behind.
"Hey! I'm asking you a serious question, why do love ignoring me so much?" Crescent pouted and yanked Arie by the neck. The clumsy young man could see Arexis getting annoyed for touching him randomly.
"Hands off" The young master warned. Crescent sneered and ignored Arexis.
"Come on, we're friends now. It's not like we have to get married if we touch each other, right?" Crescent grinned and leaned closer to Arexis. Arexis unsheathed his sword slightly with his thumb to warn Crescent from touching him.
"Okay! Okay! I won't touch you anymore! Are we good, teacher?" Crescent retreated and chuckled while moving his brows up and down. Arexis ignored him and continued walking. He wished that the annoying man would learn very quickly so he could go back home soon.
"How long will you be here to teach me, Arie?" Crescent intended to yank Arexis again but his arm froze in the air when he remembered about the rule: No Physical Contact.
"As long as you learn everything about basic education, the faster the better." Arexis replied.
"Oh?"
"Should I learn slowly to keep you in my company?" Crescent smirked as he teased the other young master. Arexis just spoke his usual word, "How immature"
✒ ✒ ✒ ✒ ✒ ✒ ✒ ✒
©The Bathala's Forbidden Vessel
Creator: Arl Hesse