White blinding light covered my sight. I guess it's true...
That when you die, all your memories during your days of living would flash and play like a panorama of clips in your head.
"Is this really my end?"
"How could it end just like that?"
"Why I'm called a traitor? All my life I've dedicated my all, for the glory of my land."
Shrieking sounds with dazzling lights. the whole place was engulfed by terrifying waves of sound and light.
"What is happening?"
As if the shrieking sounds and dazzling lights heard him, it all faintly stopped.
"I can't end like this!"
...
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.
...
Then fate played a joke on him.
Granting him a wish.
IT WAS THE START OF EVERYTHING!
...
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"Wake Up! Wake Up! You have a lot of things to do."
'Huh?! Is that a dream? Wait, I don't understand. Why am I being woken up? That's probably a dream, right?'
A boy around the age of 15 was silently grinning but then the grin was replaced by an un-explainable look on his face.
"What is this? Where am I? Wait! Now I remember! That is not a dream! It happened! Wait! I feel light.... who... who are you?"
The boy with stuttering words shook his head.
A robust man holding a sword and wearing unfamiliar clothes was standing near in front of him and with a confused look, he then said.
[2] "What? You have to wake up to do chores you dumb Alipin!
[3] You lowly Alipin must know that without the benevolence of our Datu, you have long since perished!"
"WHAAAT?!!!"
"MOVE! JUST MOVE!" the man kicked the boy's butt while attempting to make the boy move. "Carry these baskets and deliver them there! This is your task for today, You can't eat if you can't finish this before lunch"
The boy immediately complied even being in a daze but his eyes gawked with what he just saw. Looking at the pile of chunk metals lying on the floor, the boy's jaw dropped as well.
'What? This is laughable, only four boxes? I could even carry fifty of these if there is!'
But upon standing and moving around, he felt light. He began studying his body.
And after further deliberate efforts in doing so, he found that he is in the body of a developing teen.
HIS ARMS WERE SHORTER FROM THE WAY THEY USED TO BE!
HIS TONE STEEL-LIKE MUSCLES WERE GONE!
HIS BATTLE-HARDENED SCARS WERE GONE!
Then he looked at the most important part!
"My son is alive!" Miguel cheered as he was relieved to see his proud protruding wiener, shyly standing from his dirty pants.
"Well the length became small, but I can work that out..." Miguel softly mumbles while he began preparing to carry the boxes.
'Hmm but I still can't understand. I clearly died. I clearly know I died! That is not a dream!'
'But, whatever. As long as I can keep going I would be able to know why I was punished to die.'
Armed with newfound determination, Miguel started his first errand as a slave.
...
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.
After quite some time, Miguel had already finished moving three boxes of metal scraps towards another tent. It was just some crappy rugged hides tied to a long wood.
Looking at his surroundings, Miguel couldn't help but click his tongue. This environment was akin to those quarters for kidnapped children, trained in the rain-forest as a militia by their enemies.
General Miguel who died with a tragic public execution was now in a different place. His senses were telling him that it's familiar while scratching his head.
Then a flash of realization bore fruit after his repeated scratching.
'This place is... This is probably... I'm in Danao!'
'But something felt strange...'
Meanwhile, a silhouette that seemed to be of that of a boy also in the same age as him with frail and bruised body approached him.
Miguel glanced at him perplexed by these boy's sudden greeting.
"Argus! What scrupulous things did they ask you to do eh?" The boy happily greeted Miguel while patting his shoulders hard.
"Uhmm err.." looking tensed, the batting made him slightly trembling.
When Miguel heard those words, he remembered how those people in Danao usually spoke in archaic words based on their local native tongues.
He sighed as he felt grateful that he had tried to learn their language after becoming a General. But there is still some looming worry, that clouded his thoughts.
"I must act naturally, he can't know that I'm Miguel. Right! There is no way they can know unless I told them." Miguel mumbles inwardly.
The boy was still glancing at him " Eyy! What are you mumbling about? Are you okay?"
"Err hmm What is your name again?"
"Huh!? Idiot! I don't have a name don't you know I'm a son of an Alipin? And we are not allowed to have names. You're the one whose so adamant to name me."
"Err uhmm what? Is that true?" Miguel exclaimed deeply.
And his inner monologues started again... 'Am I truly that unlucky? tsk! I was truly hated Anyways, I'm still lucky that I am still alive.'
"I need to play along..." Miguel was still mumbling unto himself and finally replied:
"I forgot what I named you, my head hurts, uhmm can you please remind me, buddy?"
The boy looked at him with curiosity in his eyes he asked, "Buddy?"
"Yes. Are you not my friend?" Miguel made a slight grin, he looked stupid as he looked at the boy in front of him.
"Newly acquired captive Alipins really are different from us. You have these weird words which I just heard only now."
The boy shook his head while saying so, he seemed disappointed and confused. Then, as if to give up on contemplating on whatever ideas he may have, he just nodded.
"You named me Toto..."
Miguel couldn't help but burst out laughing hearing the name.
"Pwhuat haha! Seriously? Toto?"
"Yes. What's wrong?" The boy who was actually named by him asked. He looked to be slightly insulted.
"Nothing... It was a nice name." Miguel snorted, he tried recalling why the previous owner of his body named him Toto but all he got was a head scratch.
"Ehhh? What is wrong with you today Argus? ... You seem to be off?"
"You called me Argus, was that the name you gave me?" Miguel asked, finally having a clue for this body's background.
"No! you are a former royal from another Tribe!" Toto exclaimed. "Seriously, What is wrong with you?"
"Don't mind me just help me get this box over there, okay?"
Toto just nodded. "Okay!" And proceeds to help Miguel around.
Two young slaves were seen carrying boxes twice their size.
...
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[Lumin Tribe's Hall]
[4] "Our dearest, Saman! Where are you going? The sun was about to die." A post guard was dutifully carrying his orders, respectfully asked a young lady in front of him.
"I want to visit the Alipin's Grounds"
"But our dearest Saman, we can't allow you to go there." The post guard politely declined while scratching his head.
"No! I must go there!"
The post guard felt really unlucky this time. Why did their Tribe's dearest Saman would suddenly want to go into the slave grounds? He had heard some rumors of this willful dearest Saman of theirs, but only now did he witnessed how adamant this dearest Saman is.
Thus, after some contemplation and remembering what his chief guard had told him he then nodded his head in agreement with one condition...
"Alright! Our dearest Saman, I will allow you to go but I must accompany you there."
The young lady produced a beautiful smile hearing his words. "Alright then, let's go."
From Lumin's Tribe Hall a young lady was headed towards Miguel and Toto's Location.
Her imposing figure proudly showcased her young charm towards the guards patrolling the entire Lumin's Tribe Hall and into the courtyard.
Everyone would simply admire their dearest Saman each time she flips her hair as she walked.
Then, it didn't take long before The Saman and guard reached the gates.
"Open the Gates! Our Dearest Saman is coming!"
....
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[Alipin's Grounds]
"Sigh ... we finally finished transporting this large box."
"Toto I'm still not used to the ways here and can we go to a pond after we take some rest?"
"No! That can't do? We don't have freedom here but if you want to drink there's a barrel of water there were the donkey drinks, that must be considered clean."
"Ehh? such misery?"
"Yes, it is." Toto just patted his ignorant friend.
Both of them headed towards the barrels of water. Toto busily drank some water while Miguel is busy staring at his reflection in the water.
Miguel was satisfied but a bit disgusted, he lamented the poor conditions that these slaves would day by day face.
"So such slavery was still active here in Danao?" Miguel softly mumbled, then immediately became spirited. He gulped some water after carefully placing them in his hands.
Suddenly while drinking the water he went cold and he suddenly stumbled to the floor which immediately alarmed Toto.
Miguel held his head and he felt like there was a trembling rock inside of his skull.
"Eyy! Argus! What's wrong?.... Argus!? Help! Somebody help us! Argus is..."
Toto began to frantically call anyone in a fit of panic. Argus became dear to him, if anything happens to him he wouldn't know what to do.
But on a side note, he doesn't know that someone else was already inhabiting his friend's body. The body from which he was frantically panicked too, now belongs to Miguel.
Then a robust man, wearing red flinging pants while holding a sword approached them.
"What happened here?"
Worry was written all over Toto's face as a word is said, "I don't know he suddenly collapsed here, after drinking the water from that barrel."
Upon closer inspection, the guard seemed to recognize the kid in front of him.
"Crap! This kid, is he that royal kid from another tribe which was captured as an Alipin not too long ago?" Thus, he asked. Also in a panic state.
Toto faintly nodded, wondering why the guard would act that way. They never received such treatment when they got sick.
"He was that, Argus."
The guard heaved a sigh "You lowly Alipins were such a problem!" He snorted, then calmly nods his head, "Okay bring him to his quarters, I'll call someone to take care of him..."
Toto hurriedly helped the robust man to bring Argus inside of their quarters.