"Luck that I came here today, that wine smelled as fragrant as women,
The taste isn't that bland too! And it packs a punch at every sip..."
Murmured Yagnos while he is waiting for a reply.
"Shrew you! I Oryo is not scared of that Sea God Maguayan, Men like you deserves a beating!
Offer me your finger if I won! How dare you disturb our competition."
Gasping in a whimsical manner, the crowd ushered some mocking whispers...
"Just when I got curious who is talking, it is actually that Oryo!"
"Oryo? Isn't he a drunkard too?"
"Are we witnessing a battle of the drunkards?"
"Phwaahahat! Wo Ai! I think so... hehe"
And from the whispers, the voices that spoke them actually came from the trio whom Miguel had previously saved. Talto, Malpi, and Aen.
As to how they learned of this Oryo, it's because he is the guard responsible for giving them the order to take that missing warty pig which opted them to meet Miguel who named himself Badong, and that mysterious Dayo—foreigner, named Banuk-Rhanuk whom Miguel had also saved from being trapped, surrounded by crocodiles.
.
.
.
...
And just then, our protagonist Argus who is busily observing everyone noticed the trio.
According to the memory of Miguel when he occupied Argus' body, this trio is just a load of trouble; so based on that, Argus had carefully hidden among the rows of people from the crowd.
But alas! The perceptive Malpi had noticed and recognized Argus in a glance.
He immediately yelped and signaled Argus to halt.
"BADONG!" Waving his arms high, Malpi shouted the fake name which Miguel had given.
Tapping his thighs, Argus reluctantly turned around, only to see the foolish grins of these bunch of Alipins whom Miguel had previously saved.
"Oh well, Miguel did not possess my body that long, and they had less interaction...
I guess it wouldn't hurt to greet them."—Argus thought to himself.
"Oh hey! You three!" Argus beamed a smile.
And I think his grin is more foolish than the smiles of this trio.
Then the four are reunited.
"Badong! How are you? You suddenly disappeared.." Aen, jovially greeted while his eyes glinted.
Which made the other two to come forward and greet Argus too.
"Looks like you got promoted into a Sulgo?" Malpi interjected and eyed the new clothes which were different from the clothes Alipins wore.
"Badong... hey uh, my sincerest thanks for saving me from those crocodiles." Talto stretched his left hand while scratching the back of his head at his right.
And Argus who did not really have met them or did anything just casually patted Talto and smiled at them.
In his mind "Miguel did all the trouble. If only you guys knew it..."
But when the other warriors saw Argus who came and stole the limelight, many had different expressions.
Surprised...
Excited...
Suspicion...
Contempt...
All feelings mixed in, but the most dominant of them all, are feeling of wonder.
And it did not take long when an aged warrior blurted out something!
"Isn't he supposed to be dead?!"
The people present stared at Argus up and down, scrutinizing every angle of his features.
"I'm not mistaken, he is that Ranoan!" The aged warrior loudly yelled.
Argus who heard the commotion could only sigh
his lips gradually curled downwards.
.
.
.
...
He was then reminded of that night,
The night where he had lost everything...
...
.
.
.
"HAGAAAAT!!! YOU SPINELESS TRAITOR!"
In the forsaken memories of Argus, he watched his Father, Datu Sadjar facing against the warriors of Datu Hagat in their Banwa—community.
Their Banwa is located at Apkon, which had a distance of 3,102 Km from Saon—the location of Lumin Tribe's Banwa.
Besides having gold mines, Apkon is surrounded by lush forest and rivers that connect to waterfalls, and their Banwa is located at the far corner of the mountainous range.
"Don't take this personally Datu Sadjar, you know you are my brother..."
Frowning his brows and leering his gaze, Datu Hagat continued,
"But I can't simply disregard the orders from the leader of the 4 major tribes who held more power than our small Banwas..." Datu Hagat reasoned in an attempt to clear his guilty conscience of the very thing he promised to never do.
"What are you saying? As proud Datus of each of our respective Banwas, although we surrendered in servility towards the higher and stronger warriors which are led by Apoks, we don't have to follow everything they say! As a Datu, we had the right to decide ourselves!"
Datu Sadjar clarified while lamenting his impending grim fate.
[33] "Of course, I have treated you my sworn brother! A blood ally! Together we had conquered small tribes, sharing both glory and suffering. But I can't risk my own people for you. Yes! It's from the Apok himself!" Datu Hagat declared.
"Apok Amron threatened me, I can only obediently follow." Datu Sadjar while raising his spear, emphasized his reason once more.
"Blame it on your fate!" He added.
"Hmph! It is pointless to give reasons at this point! We are warriors! Toss these pathetic talks in your fake face and let's fight! Come on!" Datu Sadjar yelled along with his brave warriors who are preparing to fight to the death.
And just before the fight starts, Datu Sadjar cast a despondent stare at Argus.
"Son, your mother has passed away. I don't want to also lose you..."
"Abba—Father, I can fight together with you! Together we can force them to leave."
Argus stubbornly rejects his Father and is intending to fight with him too.
Pausing and clearing his throat, Datu Sadjar shook his head,
"No, you are my pride, my flesh and blood crawl within you..."
"You have to live on."
"Our Banwa is gone! Khalip Tribe is no more, just look at the burned huts consumed in flames. This is my Last Stand!
While this is just your beginning. You must carry on."
"No Abba, why not just leave with me." Argus held his father's wrist begging him to come with him.
And Datu Sadjar just benignly smiled, ruffling Argus' hair.
"No, I have a duty to see this end. As a warrior and as the Datu, my life is for my people!
Remember, as long as you live my epics will never end."
Pushing Argus away Datu Sadjar bid his farewell...
"Ranoan Argus, come with me." And his trusted Sulgo came to fetch him with a donkey.
"Go now, my son! Go!"
And Argus reluctantly left his father with tears on his eyes, biting his swollen lips, his lips cascaded towards the muddy grounds, soiled from his tribesmen's blood.
He heard the pitiful yet brave war cry of his father.
And the clash between the two tribes started.
It did not take long until the sounds of fighting gradually softened as the shouts began quieting down.
Argus never looked back, as the galloping hooves from the donkey became tumultuous.
Speeding up in the process.
He saw the pile of dead bodies scattered on their road.
The lively village he once grew up with is now reduced into ashes.
Eventually, Argus and his most trusted Sulgo reached a cave.
"Ranoan Argus, here drink this jug of water to calm yourself." His Sulgo politely offered, still addressing him with the title Ranoan.
"Many thanks, Ku-al... You don't have to call me Ranoan anymore. Our tribe is gone..." Argus sadly replied with his chapped lips and broken spirit while staring gloomily at the ground.
From which his Sulgo immediately rejected "No how could I?"
But then, Argus who drank the colorless liquid began contracting and opening his eyes as he suddenly splurted blood out from his mouth.
Gargling his own blood, Argus spits at the ground with a grim glare towards his Sulgo,
"You... Even you?"
Kual deviously smiled in front of his collapsed Young Master.
He left him while locking the cave by rolling a giant round stone.
"Farewell, Argus..." Kual, Argus' Sulgo bade him his last farewell as he rode the donkey, disappearing in the dead of the night.
And that's the last thing Argus have remembered, the next time he opened his eyes...
He found himself at the Lumin Tribe's Alipin's Ground.
Unaware of what had happened.
If his father survived and alive?
Or how did he ended up becoming a slave?
But he had remembered it clearly, as vividly as the burning sun.
The bright and clear, round moon was his witness!
Datu Hagat betrayed his Father.
.
.
.
...
Returning from his senses, Argus could not help but shed some tears.
People never knew how sensitive it felt to the person who is placed in their whispers, to talk about his past as if it was their business.
Yet Argus just shrugged it off, calming the raging vengeance that he have planted in his heart.