After settling Argus's role in their tribe, just when the Dayang was about to turn her face to leave...
Her veil suddenly fell to the ground!
And Miguel witnessing this scene opened his eyes wide. "Adelina!" Yes, it was a very familiar face! It looked like the face of her beloved wife in his previous world.
The face of a graceful woman coupled with her majestic aura made Miguel tremble and overwhelmed with complicated emotions.
Unblemished face glistening even through the dark, thin brows and naturally curved eyelashes... She definitely looked like her wife!
Consumed with his roaring longing at his wife, Miguel reacted in instinct. He stretched out his arms and grabbed the Dayang's wrist and pulled her towards his embrace and immediately The Dayang fell towards Miguel's lap.
In an instant! Everyone had their mouths wide opened...
The Dayang is now curled in Miguel's embrace as he repeatedly called out the name of his wife.
"Adelina... I miss you. I... I... Believe me I am innocent."
Delirious as he firmly clutched the Dayang tight, Miguel refused to let go even when she repeatedly tapped Miguel's arms.
"This stinky Alipin! What are you doing! Guards!" The Dayang yelled as if she's aggrieved. She felt a weird and annoyed towards this Alipin, "why would he suddenly grab me, I have never felt humiliated like this before."
Just then a group of warriors came and when they saw their Dayang being desecrated, pleading with a sour nose, they all surrounded Miguel pointing their spears at him.
Realizing what he has done, Miguel slowly released the Dayang and apologized for his misbehavior. "I... I'm sorry. I thought. Well, you looked familiar."
Flustered and bewildered, The Dayang tidied herself as she fixed her skirt. She picked up her fallen veil.
Looking on the other way, the Saman whose been repeatedly ignored felt sour. She had a bitter premonition with that behavior from Miguel.
"You realize what you have done?! You suddenly touched Our Ladyship, Dayang Haya! What gives you the qualification to do so!"
In a fit of righteous indignation, one of the warriors who came to butt in when called by the Dayang blurted out.
And Miguel who had complicated emotions in his heart did not respond, he calmly breathed a sigh in order to forget his looming longing for his wife.
Of course, at this moment, nobody would think that the current Argus is not the Argus they know.
Miguel temporarily stayed the night in the shrine, he is now accepted as an apprentice by the Babaylan herself! Naturally, his status had been elevated from a simple Alipin to a complicated status. A Shaman Apprentice while still under the role of being a servant of the Saman.
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The Next Day, talks about Argus resurrecting spread throughout the whole Tribe. People had been dying to know what happened. How come someone could resurrect after dying? And the identity of Argus was revealed to the public!
It turns out, Argus is a former Ranoan from a fallen Tribe. Upon deliberate gossips, people came to know that Argus is the son of the Khalip Tribe's Datu: Datu Sadjar.
News of this came to the ears of the surrounding smaller tribes that are allied to the Lumin's tribe which then scattered this information to other tribes.
And it did not take long before the whole of Danao got a whiff of this unbelievable story. Many tribesmen in Lumin had a foreboding wariness towards this famed name, Argus.
What if he took revenge? Their whole tribe might get in danger, but some reasonable tribesmen all reasoned out that it was impossible to do, first of all, according to rumors, Argus acted differently from the former Argus they all knew.
Before Argus was taken by the Saman to become her Sulgo, Argus had lived a subservient attitude towards their Tribe, it was impossible for him to take revenge, he had no forces since his whole tribe had been eliminated, no survivor had remained! And above all...
A piece of scandalous news came out! Looks like Argus liked their Dayang when they observed his actions towards their Dayang. A warrior from the elite circle of guards that is in charge of the Dayang even professed that it was true!
And the person who is most affected by these rumors is none other than the Saman! What the Saman did on the other day also became the talk of the tribe.
Warriors lamented the loss of their Goddess. Looks like, the sole reason the trial was held is just that the Saman liked her Alipin and she wants Argus to be her husband!
Now, Saman Talia lost all the respect of the tribesmen. They ridiculed her and blamed her for the loss of lives from the Magindra incident.
She was taken to a house arrest by the Dayang herself! Ordered every guard to stop Argus and Lia from meeting which made the Saman dispirited. At her residence, you could often hear screams and shout with occasional stomping.
The whole tribe is in a mess. They almost forgot to arrange the preparations for the last part of the burial rite! it took a whole day to finish all the related tasks.
Until dawn came and it was time to send their departed love ones away...
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Lumin's Tribe has gathered at their Island's shore as they prepare to send off the coffin boats and bid their last farewell to their deceased loved ones.
[40] "My son you did well! It's unfortunate that you died but rest well in Sulad. We will be fine, rest assured your brothers will be fine." While weeping in miserable shrills, a family member whose son had died offered her farewell.
[41] She placed the Sampaguita flower in her son's opened coffin. Its scent wafted a sweet fragrance across the air. Some of the Tribesmen especially the children have scattered its petals to the sandy beach.
The waves of the sea calmly ushered their sorrows as the silent night gradually became darker. Now the moon and the stars shone their magnificence. Looking at the sky, everyone tried to let go of any attachment they had for the dead.
They believe that they now have separate journeys to attend, it won't sit right to implicate them further by their useless cries. That this should be the last time they mourn for them.
At the silent cue of Wagu Atubang, the warriors one by one pushed the Coffin Boats. And every boat that contained the deceased's treasure including the coffin quietly sailed through the vast sea.
Miguel stood there among the Shamans dressed in a simple black woven silk with white trim lines. Thinking about Argus, Sidapa, and his home.
He thought: "Maybe... If I did not wake up and resurrected... Would I be in my wife's embrace now? Would there be a day I can return home?"
It was a complicated sentiment. While Argus wanted revenge, he simply wanted to return home and see his family.
Casting a glance at the distance, he too tried to temporarily bury these emotions as he remembered his deal with Agus. "Help me take my revenge and I'll help you go home."