"Argus! you surprised me!" Amaya screamed, and Zaro too was startled.
His footing from descending got sprawled and a crackling sound is heard.
"Argus!" Aryan, faced from the opposing end heard the sudden crackling noise and could not help but yelp, Argus' name.
"Ahh my ankle..." Argus issued a small sound of cry as he stood up to instantly alleviate his pain.
Tilting his head to the left, Argus squinted his eyes while staring at Amaya with a deadpanned face.
"You..."
Amaya, surprised at the sudden turn of events, opened and closed her mouth first before immediately covering it with her hands as she turned to meekly gaze at Argus' eyes.
Limping from pain, Argus held his ankle up and tried to sit down below the Acacia's roots.
"What are you doing?" Aryan came to assist the limping Argus.
And as if to prove his earlier thoughts...
Amaya seems to see Argus in a new light.
"Looks like what I thought earlier is on point! He seems more stupid right now. I wonder why he is acting this way?" Amaya thought while removing her hands from her mouth.
"Are you alright?" At the same time, Amaya and Aryan both uttered in unison.
"I'am fine... this thing is nothing." biting his lips, he tried to act as if it was nothing but actually it hurts him too badly.
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...
Now, Amaya and Aryan busily nursed Argus' and Argus being with the two's careful assistance made his lips curl upwards.
"That small injury is a meager price to pay if I get to be surrounded by these two pretty ladies hehe" He inwardly thought as some mischievous thoughts ran through his mind.
In his room, in the dead of the night, while the sky is dark but the stars illuminated their windows, Argus' felt like the Datu.
Aryan busily massaged his legs and Amayaw wrapped his ankles with a water-soaked cloth.
But soon his feelings of delight will gradually be replaced with a sudden throbbing pain in his ankles.
Aryan carefully picked his foot and placed it at her lap, then she rotated his foot in a counter-clockwise rotation.
And by some knowledge she learned from her father, Aryan suddenly snapped Argus' ankle she stretched it with force.
Which made Argus abruptly yelp "Arghh!" Unconsciously, he patted the shoulder of Amaya who is currently assisting him.
"Careful..." Argus added.
"It is done!" Aryan interjected. "Your ankle is fine now, just give it a rest and don't take a bath early this morning so the cold won't enter your nerves."
"It is done? That's nice." Argus said still limping from the sudden rush of forceful stretch by Aryan.
"Next time, you should be careful..." Amaya said while caressing Argus' ankles.
And with that, the two ladies stood up, along with the wooden bowl and the piece of cloth.
Then, just before Aryan could also get up, Argus held her wrist...
"Thanks." Smiling while playfully touching Aryan's wrist, Argus thanked Aryan in his own way.
"Don't worry of your brother... I'll get him soon." Argus added.
Which made Aryan knit her brows into an ugly frown "Brot—"
And just before Aryan could utter a single word, Argus interjected, "Shhh... I know, I promise!"
He patted the wrist of Aryan once more and gestured the two to leave.
Aryan seems to be unable to retort and just obediently leaves.
"Sigh... I wonder how Toto is doing now." Argus uttered after the wooden door was closed.
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...
But on the other side of the door, Aryan suddenly stomped her foot, she complained to Amaya in a hushed tone "That idiot! I now agree with you, Amaya! that flirtatious guy had indeed changed!"
"Why does he call my Big Sister, brother? Stupid fool!" Aryan harumphed and scowled in her mind.
Amaya who heard Aryan, just supported Aryan as they walked together in the hall that leads to their own rooms.
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...
Meanwhile, Argus, whom Aryan named a stupid fool steadily tried to get up as he walked towards the tall windows.
"The day had ended, simply just like that... I wonder what tomorrow would bring. Would I suddenly wake up again on that space?" Shrugging on both shoulders Argus recalled the dark space, void of any light... He shuddered just recalling the tormenting endless void.
And he stared at the sky full of stars.
Argus closed his eyes as muttered a prayer towards the Gods...
"Lisuga, who shines as the stars in the heavens, bless me with your grace that I may sleep peacefully tonight." Raising both of his hands towards the sky he prayed solemnly.
And with that, Argus decided to lie down and take some rest.
Argus' first day of his return ended through that prayer.
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...
The Next Day, Argus is greeted with a loud reverberating trumpet's noise...
With heavy eyelids, Argus forced himself to wake up, and as he stretched his arms and legs he stood up from his sleeping mat.
He peered outside the windows and he noticed that several guards are busily marching somewhere, even the two guards including that annoying scrawny guard according to the memory of Miguel joined the march.
"What is going on?" He muttered while leaning on the windows.
Then he immediately closed the windows and dashed outside his room.
He is then greeted by his two fellow Sulgos, Amaya and Aryan including the others who are directly under the Saman's.
"Argus... you finally woke up! Our Saman..." Aryan winningly says...
"Our Saman what?" Argus questioned.
"Our Saman did something again!"
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...
Yesternight before the whole ordeal of Argus being sprawled to the ground, the Saman went to visit Dayang Haya in her own Kanya.
[Dayang's Kanya: Guest Hall]
"Why are you here Talia?" Dayang Haya with her usual stern and poised posture, Asked Saman Talia, who is now acting meek and not haughty, observing her own posture...
She squatted down at the woven mat, facing her Mother.
"Mother... I have come to make a request!" She bowed head gradually raised as she stared whatever reaction her Mother might make.
With a sigh, Dayang Haya breathed deeply, preparing to listen to whatever funny idea could their precious daughter gives.
She inwardly thought... "This is the fault of that stupid braggart, If he did not spoil our daughter too much, she won't grow up like this..."
"Speak... What is it?" Dayang Haya who is now prepared asked Saman Talia.
And like a little child who saw a new toy, Saman Talia is suddenly invigorated by such words.
She smiled in delight as she replied...
"I don't want to marry anyone else!"
"Whaaat?! What are you saying Talia! You are to marry next year! You are almost on your coming age to marry." Dayang Haya is instantly enraged by Saman Talia's declaration.
But this haughty Saman had an idea upon her sleeve.
"Isn't that so, Mother? I have to Marry right?"
Dayang Haya who heard her daughter being sensible to admit that she has to marry gradually calmed down and decided to listen to what her daughter is about to say.
"So, I was thinking... Why not organize a special event here on our Banwa?" Smiling from ear to ear, Saman Talia suggested.
"What kind of event?" Dayang Haya, totally clueless, got more curious as to what exactly her daughter wants to say.
"The strongest warrior can marry the Saman! Something like that!" The Saman declared.
And when Dayang Haya just heard her she felt her nape getting boiled from anger or she doesn't even know what to say anymore.
But she calmed herself, she thought deeply...
"If I remember correctly, there certainly is a tradition like that. When Tribes haven't elected their own leaders yet... I remember my grandmother being wedded on the strongest warrior who defeated her in an honest battle among their clan."
Dayang Haya thought to herself.
"Alright..." Dayang Haya stared at her Datu's adviser, Wagu Atubang.
And Wagu Atubang just casually nodded with a reply...
"This is doable, Your Ladyship, Dayang Haya... In the past, this had been observed before. We can help implement it now."
"Alright, Wagu Atubang, I will put my trust in you." Dayang Haya respectfully replied.
"As for you, Talia... I have no idea of whatever you are mischievously planing right now, but your father, the Datu will soon arrive here. Just so you wait." Dayang Haya scolded Saman Talia.
And Saman Talia actually just smiled back.
She actually likes her Father more than her Mother as she was spoiled rotten by Datu Hagat himself.
Then with that, an event shall follow upon Argus' wake.