"It seems like you all aren't prepared to tread the path of being a Shaman yet."
Elder Shana solemnly said after heaving a sigh. It can be said that she was utterly dismayed at the performance of everyone. Her expression on her face did not look good. Coupled with the disturbing figure she saw from Miguel.
After saying those words she immediately chanted a series of babble. Her lips constantly moved but weirdly enough, whatever she was saying sounded inaudible and nobody can hear her words.
After a while, the weird phenomenon they were experiencing suddenly vanished like a lie. They regained their mortal bodies as their spirits returned.
Gasping with rejuvenating vitality... everyone heaved a sigh of relief. They came close to the Elder and surrounded her while staring at her with real reverence and not just an empty or fake smile.
This time they were all awed with the power of the Elder.
Some of the excited ones called out the Elder saying "I can't believe what you did Elder! If I never witness it myself, I would have never believed anyone if they tell me this incident."
But to the Elder, this Apprentice Shaman's words came to her ear as if their air. She ignored her and only stared at Miguel with great curiosity.
Miguel shivered when he saw the scrutinizing eyes of the Elder.
Earlier, since it happened so fast, he could not help but wonder how come he saw Argus's spirit beside him after entering the peak. The little guy only said hello before he got sucked again by a black surge of a vortex, swallowing the spirit in his entirety towards his chest. He panicked that somebody might have seen it...
But luckily, the Shaman quickly stopped the activated spell around the place before anyone could have noticed it.
Well, that's what he thought. Little did he know and not on the Elder's expectations that besides them, Marikit also saw something.
But unlike them, she did not saw Argus. Only that blurry figure of an Old man which is Miguel himself.
Now, he had no idea what happened or what that thing is supposed to be about. Still bewildered by the earlier event, Miguel averted his eyes from the Shaman.
The Elder felt that something was amiss and decided to call the night and end their meeting. She was supposed to introduce the rules and taboos of being a Shaman but because she was overwhelmed and could not help but to get curious about what she saw, she decides to dismiss the group.
"That would be all for tonight, we are leaving this place. Those of you who wish to stay at the shrine may come to join me. And Argus, I still have something to say to you... so you should temporarily stay at the shrine and forget going back to the Saman's Kanya."
Miguel got irked by the tone Elder Shana used as he began to suspect that the previous benign Elder Shana is nothing but a facade. "She is previously respectful towards me, knowing that I am her Ranoan. Now, this?" But Miguel simply nodded despite his ill thoughts against the Shaman.
And with that, the group slowly went down from the peak. As quickly as they came as quickly they leave.
Marikit stole some glances at Miguel on their way down which Miguel did not fail to notice. But he shrugged and ignored her. But upon deliberate contemplation, he began suspecting that perhaps this lady saw what happened to him at the peak.
"What is her name again? Hmm... Marikit right? I shall remember you and deal with you later." He inwardly muttered as he followed the Elder.
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"Return to your homes. We shall meet again tomorrow here, do not be late!" Elder Shana bade them her farewell and stepped inside the shrine.
Miguel stared at the departing back of Marikit, who by the time they descended from the mountain forest became increasingly suspicious. But just like what he always does, he put everything at the back of his head as he followed the Elder inside the shrine.
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Inside the shrine, the unusually large hut contained a fortified wooden wall. Unlike the Saman's Kanya who had thinner walls, the shrine had doubled the layers of it with woven strips of bamboo neatly placed at its walls and ceilings. at each of the pillars hanged a torch that illuminated his view.
"Elder, what was it that you were about to say. Can you tell me now? I'm tired, I want to sleep early."
Miguel uttered as the Elder busily composed herself as she sat down at the red mat placed just a few paces after the shrine's entrance.
"Tell me honestly, is there something you've been seeing ever since you are young? I did not have any close encounters with the royals of our tribe. Since at that time I'm only just a simple noblewoman and nothing more." Hearing Miguel asking first, the Elder did not run in circles as she directly asked what has been bugging her all this time.
She gestured Miguel to sit with her as she said so.
Miguel seeing the gesture, quietly sat down. He had a serious expression. He thought that perhaps he won't be having a way out this time.
So Miguel simply answered "Yes" Looking closely at any of the Shaman's changes in expression. But to Miguel's surprise, instead of terror or shock, she saw the Elder smile.
Her smile was the brightest smile she ever saw from the Elder Shana ever since she met her. It was a smile full of acceptance like she suddenly understood something.
"I see... Then, if that was the case. Perhaps what I saw is your twin." Patting her own thighs, the Elder Shana straightened her back as she stared at Miguel.
"Twin?" Miguel is the one who is shocked instead of the Elder. "Did she misunderstood something? or Did I misunderstood something?" as he asked himself in doubt.
"Yes. Or should I call it, an Umalagad?" Smirking from ear to ear the Shaman gazed at Miguel as if teasing him.
Having no idea what this old hag is blabbering about, he asked the Elder about it with uncertainty.
[44] "Umalagad? What is this Umalagad you are talking about?"
"Hah! so, that was the case!" Clasping her hand as if she came to a conclusion. "Looking at your dumbfounded face seems like nobody might have mentioned this to you and that you are clueless."
"Quickly tell it to me you old hag! I'm sick of this suspense." Miguel became impatient, he felt like this Shaman is tricking him.
"Rest assured my Ranoan. I don't have any intention of harming you. This Umalagad I am talking about is a spirit of our ancestors who decided to return to the land of the living in order to guide us. They can be a formless spirit or any animal. Commonly, they are born together with their twin mortal as a serpent. It was said that those who had been blessed to be born as their twin shall do wonders and fulfill a lot of divine tasks."
When Miguel have heard the Elder, he suddenly smirked as he thought of an idea. Using the Elder's logic, he can claim to be an Umalagad and Argus as his mortal twin so she can safely be less suspicious of his words from now on. Establishing a new identity under this pretense.
"Maybe, I can even trick her into doing something for me."
Pretending to be clueless, Miguel faked a statement. "My father never mentioned a thing like this to me. How are you certain?"
Well, what's said is actually right. According to Argus's memories, nothing like this was mentioned.
"Hehe. Just a while ago, I saw your Umalagad. He is a tall burly man reminiscent of an Old man. probably in his thirties? I am not sure, but his clothing seemed foreign to me. And I heard that these beings dressed differently than us mortals. Beside him was you, you even spoke to him am I right?" The Elder asked Miguel with a meaningful smile.
Miguel could not help but smirk as he decides to ride on with this Shaman's hasty judgment. Inwardly he thought: "There is more to that..."
"Yes... you are probably right. But I began seeing him after I resurrected." Miguel after a slight chuckle replied.
"Then, this might truly be the case. Fear, not my Raonoan, I shall teach you how you can speak with your Umalagad... Just like what I thought, you are bound to do something...."
Having a warm atmosphere, a teen and an old wrinkly lady conversed through the night. Miguel learned a valuable lesson in that evening.
And that's how Miguel tricked an Old Woman into believing that he is someone special.