Earlier before the Dayang and the Saman arrived...
"Tell me what you are feeling right now." The Babaylan instructed Miguel as she wiped his arms and legs with a clean cloth.
"I'm good..." Miguel simply replied without thinking too much.
Isn't he feeling good? In fact, after waking up from that coffin, strangely he feels invigorated. Coupled with this new body that is at least twenty times younger than his previous... It is really great.
"Let your stomach lie there.: As the Babaylan said so, Miguel turned his face towards the matt. "Tell me anything that you find strange." The Babaylan added.
"I kept remembering a name. Sidapa, Argus... Magindra and I feel a strong urge to look at the moon." Miguel said what he felt but of course, he hid some of the details.
But at this moment he felt his head churning... "Ahh" And just before he could continue talking he found the pain unbearable.
"Relax... let it flow. I am realigning your energy towards you. Accept everything and don't get frightened." The Babaylan reassured him while applying a green liquid.
And at that moment Miguel remembered everything. Everything that Argus did flashback like a tsunami suddenly hitting a poor small boat. "Everything made sense now..." He said.
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"So that lady a while ago is his Childhood friend. And I am back at square one with no clue how to return? Fuck how detestable these creatures here, they have betrayed his tribe...What was this? The father of this, supposed love interest of its boy was the one who betrayed his father?"
While numerous thoughts flashed to Miguel's Mind a noise came outside the shrine that alerted him.
"Our Ladyship Dayang Haya... Our Dearest Saman..." And Miguel heard a thud. Followed by a loud statement. "The Alipin is inside."
"They must be talking about me." He realized and just in time the Babaylan had already finished.
Looking at Miguel, he now looked like a coconut dipped in a matcha cream. But after those slight and light touches by the Babaylan, he felt very light as if a lot of burdens had been lifted from his shoulders.
Then right after, Miguel sat quietly with the Babaylan. While the Babaylan held his wrist trying to check something.
And at this moment, the Dayang, the Saman together with their servants came inside the shrine.
When the Babaylan saw this she tried to get up to prostrate and deliver her reverence to the two but was halted when Dayang Haya raised her hand.
"What is the situation?"
"It is done... Nothing that I found was abnormal." The Babaylan declared and at her signal, the Saman also heaved a sigh.
"Argus... are you alright now...Can you remember me now?" Lia had been waiting anxiously for a while now, and so once the Babaylan said it was fine she immediately plunges towards Miguel.
Yet Miguel just like last time brushed her off which made Lia despondent.
"I also have something to say Dayang... I hope you won't mind this humble mine's request." Suddenly the Babaylan interjected.
While everyone awaited the Babaylan to speak, a voice abruptly rang out!
"No! Let him be my disciple instead!"
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The Dayang with her veil wrapped at her face furrowed his brows. She heard the voice just now and recognized that it probably came from Elder Shana. She wondered why she suddenly blurted a declaration of a disciple.
After panting hard in front of the Dayang, Elder Shana arrived inside.
"Your Ladyship, Dayang Haya, Argus... I want her to be my apprentice and make him a Shaman!"
When this declaration fell, Dayanag Haya squinted her eyes, she felt uncomfortable. If Argus gained an increase in rank then, it won't be long when her spoiled daughter tries to do something funny which she won't like.
But after a deliberate contemplation, she found that it would probably better to agree so that she can monitor this Alipin Argus.
She did her research, she asked Wagu Atubang about Argus and she was shocked that it was the son of their former ally, the Khalip Tribe. A former Ranoan... She wondered why she never recognized him at first glance when Argus first arrived in their Kanya as a personal servant of her daughter as she scolded herself.
But just before she could speak a series of slur insults came from the very mouth of the Babaylan towards Elder Shana which made her speechless.
"You old hag and grouse headed dimwitted woman!" Breathing deeply as she continued... "How dare you steal my disciple! He is mine! I have more qualifications than you! I am the Babaylan the highest among the Shamans!"
"You..." Also unable to utter a retort, Elder Shana's mouth is agape, she could only stare at her rival with complicated emotion.
Shifting her gaze towards the Dayang, the Babaylan tried to explain...
"It is like this Dayang... It seems like Argus saw Sidapa and someone resurrecting from being dead was unheard of but in the past, the previous Babaylan mentioned to me before she died that this kind of person is special. Just a while ago when I am performing the cleansing, I felt the strong vitality crawling to Argus... this is a good indication that he is more than qualified to be a shaman."
When the Babaylan's explanation fell flat, the Dayang as what she expected became true, it was indeed the case. She already knew that the Shamans would ask her to put Argus at the shrine instead of being an Alipin.
But before she could even reply, Lia who is now sitting beside Miguel professed her unwillingness to part with Argus.
"No! Argus is mine! He is my Sulgo! You two old hags..."
And being irked by this, that it seemed everyone felt like ignoring her, Dayang Haya yelled
"That's enough Lia! He can keep his status as your Sulgo but I'll have to also agree with this respected shamans... Don't embarrass me further!"
Lia grunted and did not say any word anymore.
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That's how Argus became the first Shaman that is also an Alipin.
And the first in Lumin Tribe's history of a boy being a shaman!