The sun rises bright and clear as dawn passes by. The cold breeze of air, the aroma of flowers that bloomed near the water path, crickets chirps replaced by the humming of birds, and the tang of freshly spilled blood flowing through the river. Bagani woke up at the side of the river near a pile of dirt, he coughed out the water that entered his lungs.
"Arghh!" Bagani yelped as he felt the over-agonizing pain from both of his wounds. He grabbed the nearest patch of grass and forcefully pulled his body throughout of the riverbank, a small tree was present near him, Bagani grabbed one of the branches to pull up and get back on his feet. The branch snapped, Bagani then slipped and fell on the ground once again, on the impact, the wound on the side of his stomach robustly slammed unto the dirt as well. He then shrieks and cried, the injury even sorer than before. Bagani didn't stay down for long as he tried to get back up once again, this time he grabbed unto trunk itself with both hands and slowly but surely stepped foot into the grass.
"I need to find some guava leaves soon." He thought to himself. Bagani grabbed the broken branch and utilized it to support himself, he walked for 2 hours while on the verge of collapse due to the torment of his lacerations, but at last, he found the needed guava tree with the needed leaves, he grabbed what he came for along with some extra fruits. The young being hurried back to the river, through sheer strength he managed to make a fire, he made use of the metal cup which was still surprisingly strapped on his torn off pants to grab water and boil it along with the collected leaves. He grabbed the boiled leaves and prepared to patch it on his open wounds.
"First one. Let's go Bagani you got this." He whispered to himself in the third person and proceeded to hastily place the leaf unto his chest wound. Bagani's eyes popped off as the burning sensation of the freshly boiled leaves touched his wound, he sucked up the pain and proceeded to get ready to mend the next cut, this time he bit on one of the leaves to stress on one he patches the wound. "Last one. Come on." He then applied the leaf once again to one of his wounds, this time the one at the edge of his belly. The leaf that Bagani chewed on didn't help him as the quickly spat it out and vomited due to the excruciating burn, he then instantly collapsed on the ground afterward. He woke up after a couple of hours at sunset, Bagani instantly stood up to see how intense the pain was still. To his surprise, it felt like it got cured, the wound was still there along with the sting but it felt much less painful. He ate the guava fruits afterward's.
"Maybe I should get more for tomorrow." He thought to himself. Bagani then quickly ran back to the location of the said tree. As Bagani got there he noticed that behind the guava tree stood a massive Narra tree, the tree itself looked like it was made to shade a group of people.
"This looks like a good place to stay the night." He whispered to himself once again. Bagani didn't have anything on him except the metallic cup, he decided to stack up on essentials first using the forest before once again traveling, hoping to find a village. He went closer to the Narra tree, he threw his stick under the trunk of the tree near the roots, and as he took his final step out of the bushes...
"What..." Bagani asked himself in shock.
A creature with almost the same features as he stood in a stance, holding on what looks like fiber attached to a wooden bowl loaded with a piece of stone which was meant for a projectile. He froze in fear, but he felt astonished as well for he knew he wasn't the only two-legged creature that existed, it reminded him of his longing to see civilization, to see his parents once again. But something was off, the other creature did not have the same patches of color around the skin, he was a clean slate with no blue markings around his body. Bagani looked at the creature's eyes, he saw fear, he saw anxiety and confusion, he saw his sibling.
"What are you..." The creature muttered and Bagani thought the same question as well.
Bagani came to his senses and quickly ran away, he didn't just go to any direction though, he went north atop of the mountain. There he saw the village of the other creature.
"I did it... I did it Pa you see that!" Bagani jumped with joy. He quickly grabbed his map out of his pockets, it was wet but still readable. "Village Mapagisa huh. Up north is Village Magbato, and further from that is the mark. The sacred temple."
Bagani raced up north through the night, without a torch or any other source of light he managed to get over the forest. He found a tree and rested there as soon as he got tired.
"Bagani why did you let go? Bagani run! Anak you failed us..." The voices of his parents and his sister perceived in his dreams, but shortly after unknown voices started to appear. "It's him, it's his fault. Inay! Papa! Help!"
Bagani quickly woke up at dawn, he was in a panic huffing for as much air as possible. The screams of the other dreaded voices he heard left him confused. He then took off and continued to travel. After a walk throughout the forest, he then reached the end. As the blinding lights of the sun covered Bagani's face he walked forward excitedly.
"Village Magbato. Hopefully, they aren't like the last person that I saw who was unaware of what I was." Bagani thought.
He was astounded to see the village wasn't only filled with humans, the village was also inhabited by humanoid creatures with half-bird bodies. The creatures had such breathtaking beauty and a colorful structure due to the multiple tints of feathers they have on their bodies. As he started walking forward in the interior of the village he sensed the stares of multiple individuals, they looked at him with pitiful eyes. Bagani accepted the case for after all he was dirty, his clothes were ripped off, and he most definitely has nothing. A group of strange men started to walk towards him, they came at a formation where Bagani would be cornered.
"Hey 'Asulhero', are you lost?" One of the men asked.
"No, I'm not lost. What's an 'Asulhero' though?" Bagani asked.
The men then burst in laughter, spit spilling out of their mouths, they were disrespectful to what Bagani was. "Damn fool doesn't even know what he is."
"Hey is that-" The rude men suddenly noticed something which left them in awe.
"Kid you look broke. Why don't you sell me your right eye and I'll give you a hundred gold huh? It seems like a fair deal." One of them offered.
"I'll give you a hundred fifty." Another one bargained as well.
"Two hundred!"
"Two fifty!"
The men just kept on shouting their proposals, after extensive pressure from the goons Bagani finally snapped. "Enough I won't sell my eye to none of you!"
"Is that so..." The first one that offered suddenly grabbed Bagani. "Restrain him!"
Bagani with all his strength tried to escape. He vigorously kicked his way out of the man's grasp, Another one tried to grab his head so he instinctively bit the man's hand. After releasing himself from being cornered he ran swiftly to any direction he could take. Bagani then accidentally tripped outside a restaurant, his fall broke a chair and a table outside of the establishment.
"Get your ass back here!" The thug shouted.
Bagani grabbed the leg of the chair and the pedestal of the table, he then posed to an offensive stance. The enraged hoodlum kept on charging head-on towards Bagani with no plan. Bagani relaxed for a second, he waited, and waited, and finally...
"Gaah!" He screamed as he slammed the two wooden items he has on the ruffian's head which knocked him out. Bagani went back to running in a random direction afterward. He ran into a corner near a store, a hand suddenly pulled Bagani, he had no time to react for his neck was instantly thwacked and Bagani blacked out.
"Where am I?" Bagani asked himself as he woke up from his slumber, he was lying on a soft bed with warm pillows, a sense of comfort he has never felt.
"You're awake. How are you?" A man suddenly called, he wore formal attire. Bagani then instantly jumped out of bed and panicked.
"Don't worry I'm not here to take your eye." The man reassured. "My name is Noah Malaya. I save endangered species like you."
"En? What?" Bagani asked in confusion.
"Your kind is close to getting wiped out. I am here to stop that." Noah elucidated. "Come here." He ordered as he stepped into the balcony,
Bagani followed the newly met person, he looked down the balcony afterward. His eyes shined as he saw the amazing view from above. A huge fireplace was placed in the middle of the town, the half-human beauties danced around the fire, they made use of their feathers to better the scenery the made.
"They're called 'Kinnara's'." The man suddenly added. "They had no place to stay so I rehabilitated their kind here years ago. People quickly accepted them for their charm and usefulness. Today they celebrate the day of their welcome."
"Why do you do it?" Bagani interrogated the man.
"Why not? To see multiple creatures living in peace, creating a wholesome community is more than enough for me." Noah calmly replied.
"So am I accepted as well?" Bagani asked.
"You're supposed to be, but you have the Eye of Bathala, one of the most expensive collectibles." Noah replied.
"What am I anyway?" Bagani further queried.
"An Asulhero. It's better that you figure out the rest of what you are." He returned. " Where are you heading anyways? I know you're not lost."
"The sacred temple sir." Bagani answered. He grabbed the map out of his pockets and gave it to the man.
"Are you sure? This place is an abandoned structure kid." He questioned. "Alright then if you insist. We'll travel after six days at dawn. Change your clothes as well, just grab some from the cabinet. Restore your energy."
Bagani got prepared, he had great meals, new clothes, and a comfortable place to rest on. The wounds on his chest and belly also rapidly healed.
"Wake up mate, we're traveling by horse." Noah woke up Bagani.
The two traveled quickly to their destination without any hassle. "Woah." Bagani froze as he saw the big gate of the temple.
"Guess this is where we part ways kid." Noah waved him goodbye. "Visit once in a while if you want. I'll be there."
As the horse of Noah galloped away along with him, Bagani looked at the gate with anticipation for what is to come. "Is anyone here?" Bagani shouted and knocked on the gate.
A rustling of bushes from his left was suddenly heard by Bagani.
"You..."