[Alipins' Grounds]
Meanwhile, the girl whom Argus and Miguel thought as, a boy had been busy all this time, ever since she was left behind.
She gained respect from her fellow Alipins in a short amount of time.
All because of food that Miguel had taught her how to cook.
Today like any other day, she has to prepare a meal before noon.
What she did not know was...
Today would become a special day.
.
.
.
...
"Toto, I have been curious... you are ever so pretty yet your name was Toto. Why are you named Toto?"
Below the boiling earthen pot, a young little kid suddenly interjected as Toto busily flipped the fried rice she is cooking...
And hearing the little kid's question and his curious gaze, Toto's mouth simply curled upwards.
"Someone dear to me had named me that."
Seeing Toto act this way, this little kid frowned, he wondered what kind of brain one must have in order to feel happy being named from a masculine name when in fact she is a female.
Scratching his head, he observed Toto's graceful countenance while her hands busily moved.
Toto gradually became familiar with cooking and had grown to like preparing meals.
After quite some time, the newly cooked fried rice glistened and tiny chicken meat and some vegetables had decorated the pot.
The air was filled by its drooling fragrance as she carefully lifted the hot pot with banana leaves at its sides. She then picked a handful of the food's portion as she divided and distributed it towards the numerous plates that are arranged neatly at the top of the bamboo table.
The little kid, helped him finish this task.
And when they were done, Toto gestured the little kid to call out the guards.
Now, even the guards had formed an amicable treatment towards Toto.
The little kid hurriedly went towards the guard's post as he alerted them that the food is already cooked.
"Dear guards, the food is ready." The little kid courtly said.
And the guards when they heard him, all took a nod and obediently lined up to get their own fill.
Who would have thought that those guards who have been so stern at them became this obedient?
With one call from Toto, they all became meek...
Well, of course! If not Toto might threaten them to never cook again.
.
.
.
...
The name's Ratei, I've been a pretty decent warrior ever since young.
But due to my low-level skill, I can only become a warden of the Alipin's grounds.
But who cares if I can't go and assist the Datu himself if I get to eat this food in front of me.
In front of me, there's a wooden bowl prepared for me to eat.
Unlike those complicated foreign merchants that I often see visiting us from that place called Yongle, we eat food with our bare hands.
One scoop and we can eat it with our fingers formed like a mountain with a small hole at its peak, then we use our thumb to push the food inside our mouth, how skillfully we ate!
I don't think those Yongle people could do the same.
Anyway, it's been a few days since this Alipin named Toto had been feeding us with his cooking and I can say that he did a pretty good job in doing so.
But I still have issues with that guy. Sometimes he looked feminine like a girl but if I look at him at a glance he does seem like a fine young man. What do you call that?
"Uhmm that pretty boy! hehe" Laughing while eating should be done in moderation hehe
I should finish this quick and see if I can get another serving.
Little did he knew, all the guards had been thinking this way...
.
.
.
...
At the same time, Toto is now busily preparing the food for the Alipins and another little kid the same age as the one from before came in to notify him that the Alipins are now ready.
"The Alipins are ready!" the little kid courtly declared.
Hence Toto became busy again, smiling from ear to ear as a figure of a boy flashed past in her mind.
And that boy was none other than Argus.
"Just so you see, I'll be more useful to your plan more than you think hehe" Whispering to herself Toto wiggled her hips.
From which the little kids who are assisting her stared at each other.
"If she can act this adorable all the time, people won't mistake her as a boy..."
And when that side comment landed, all the little kids seemed to have formed a mutual agreement as they repeatedly nodded their heads.
.
.
.
...
Meanwhile, at a different sea...
Probably farthest from where Argus and Toto are in, a group of people is quietly discussing.
"So how is that Lumin's tribe?"
A burly man dressed with dark hides that when you looked at him, he looked like a monkey broke the silence.
"Nothing in particular, same as the other tribes but one particular Alipin caught my attention..."
Another burly man replied.
"Hmm, an Alipin which caught Banu-Rhanuk had fancied with? who is he? or perhaps she? Is she beautiful? hehe," the burly man teased.
"That's not the case!"
And its none other than Banuk-Rhanuk whom Miguel inside the body of Argus had previously saved. Smacking the head of his fellow comrade, Banuk-Rhanuk yelped as he added
"He is an able fighter! I want him on our side, he is a genius!"
"Oh! A warrior? But an Alipin? If you praised him this much, he must be that great?"
"Of course, my eyes had not been blind! it is pretty rare to find a courageous and brave warrior nowadays. Once we capture their Banwa I will take him with us!" Banuk-Rhanuk declared.
"What is his name Brother?"
Banuk-Rhanuk scratched his head a few times, trying to recall the name Miguel gave him.
And when he suddenly remembered, Banuk-Rhanuk hardly patted his own thighs and yelped loudly! "Badong! Yes! it is Badong! ...That's his name!"
But little did they knew at this time that there's no such thing as Badong...
Only the valiant name, Argus is.
And that's how a dark plan is starting to brew beneath the unsuspecting Lumin's Tribe.
.
.
.
***
[Lumin Tribe's Kanya: Saman's Courtyard]
"The sky is unusually dark tonight, but luckily the stars had illuminated the skies."
Murmured by Aryan.
Beneath the Orchids where numerous plants had gathered beneath, its ever-climbing roots firmly planted at Acacia's trunk, two figures of the young lady are conversing and eating a small portion of bread.
"Yes, I find it unusual as well, even the sudden ceremony today. I think it is pretty sudden. The last time I checked, it would be two days more before the moon changes its phase. How come it suddenly shifted?" Amaya replied while tearing a piece of bread and offering it to Aryan.
"Yes, I also notice that. Also, I have to ask you something..." Aryan who received the bread suddenly sat gracefully with her back straightened and her hands cupped together.
"What is it?" Amaya curiously asked.
Then Aryan's cheeks suddenly turned red and she shyly asked "Do you like Argus?"
"Whaaaat?!" Surprised by this sudden question, her azure eyes contracted and enlarged with her cheeks that had also started to reddened... "That flirtatious guy?" She added.
"Yes! Argus..." Aryan, Toto's sister pressed further.
Amaya bowed her head, staring loosely at the ground her chest began to thump as she recalled her first meeting with Argus.
"Don't you think Argus is hmm different lately?" Amaya suddenly replied.
"Why are you bowing your head? And what do you mean by different?" Aryan asked.
"My first impression of him was gallant, cultured, and gentlemanly... But I don't know what happened? This morning... he was like a totally different person. His eyes, his movements, it is like he became a totally different person and often casts a piercing gaze towards my chest..." Murmuring something in her head as she raised her head to meet Aryan.
But then... What greeted her is the face of Argus.
"BOO!" Argus abruptly yelled.
"WAAAH! Argus!" Amaya is instantly startled.
"Hey! What are you girls talking about?" Argus who suddenly appeared wrapped in a vine as he slid down from the tall Acacia tree interjected and interrupted Amaya's thoughts.
He smiled cheekily.
"See... this is uh! What I am talking about, he changed!" Amaya yelled inwardly to herself.
And the clueless Argus just smiled brightly without care.
Little did he knew, Amaya is now beginning to suspect his being.