Chapter 8: Chapter 8- Is That The Sun?

AMILYN

 

Somewhere in my mind, for the first time today (despite all the weirdness I have been through), I silently ask myself if I AM dreaming. Maybe I am, after all.

Am I? Do I have it in my capabilities to dream stuff like this up? Am I creative enough to conjure it in my messy little head? Because you know, I know myself, and I most certainly DO NOT know myself to be the most creative of the bunch.

Still, the question does merit being asked. Because…well, because this place is too out of this world to be real.

I feel someone touch the top of my head, and suddenly the chill I didn’t know I was feeling dissipates. Now I find myself dry despite just having finished a really impressive diving stint. I turn to see Gabrielle smiling reassuringly at me.

“How are you feeling? Okay?” she asks.

“Uhh…” I manage to reply.

Not very coherent, I know. But bear with me. If seeing my nana topless, losing her a few minutes later, having two strangers fetch me to confirm her ramblings, said strangers having me ride an ultra-sonic Angelie, then diving eighty feet to meet a thirty-foot-long red snake does not boggle my mind, then this place certainly takes the cake.

I take one sweeping look around, not sure where to start. The space is a domed area, equipped with crystallized rock formations in the ceiling, hanging precariously overhead. But that’s not the weirdest part. The sound of flowing water can be heard all around, accompanied by crickets chirping, the wind softly blowing, and something that sounds like a gentle humming from the distance, which somehow calms me down. Still not the weirdest part. The space spans farther than the eyes can see, like an entire city under that river, which, to be fair, is entirely plausible. The air smells…sweet? It’s like it’s blooming season for some sort of good-scented flower and we’re right on time for the wind’s special perfume delivery. Still, I guess underground caves have a warrant to smell nice. Not too out-of-the-ordinary.

Oh, there. That, I decide, must be worth asking first.

I turn to face both Gabrielle and Arnel, both looking at me as if expecting me to turn tail and run off back to the surface.

“Uhm…is that,” I say, pointing at the big floating ball of fire in the middle of the cavern, “the sun?”

The two of them blink a few times, looking alternately at me and the object I’m pointing at.

What? I mean, it’s a valid question. How many people have a big, round, fiery…thing floating in their backyard cave? Even batman doesn’t have one. The ball of fire is yellow in color, giving off a warm, bright glow. Stalactites  of all sizes and impressive formations all reflect light in its wake like bizarre disco balls. It floats in the middle of the very, and I mean VERY, spacious cavern, seemingly serving as the center point for…well, everything.

Finally, the two look at each other and nod knowingly.

“Hmm, you certainly are a blue-head. Your inner workings are a wonder,” Alren quotes, nodding.

“Well, that depends on what your question means. To the dwellers of Pinag-adlawan, yes, that is the sun. Araw, suga, as they call it here. But in your subjective view, which I’m assuming you are asking from, no, that is not THE sun. Not the one you see outside anyway. That is A sun, given to Pinag-adlawan by Apolaki when he lost a bet to the third Datu. Apparently, he took some sunlight from his eyes and imbued it to his breath, et voici, here it is,” explains Gabrielle.

I nod, as if I understand.

“Apolaki is the god of the sun. Also our patron here in Pinag-adlawan, since he’s the patron of warriors. He, together with the first datu, founded this place,” she further says.

Well honestly, it’s gonna take more than that to explain this place.

They must have read the big question mark on my face, because they both put a hand over each of my shoulders.

“Don’t worry. You’ll get used to it after some time. Think of it like this, this is like Hogwarts, only without the wands. Imagine the wonderful things you’ll find here. The personal sun is just the beginning. There are loads more to see here,” Alren assures me.

I’m not sure I’m up for seeing more. Seeing the…well, A sun up close like this already feels out of this world. It’s like sitting in a large 3D space museum, only this is a more realistic experience. I can actually feel the warmth of the sun touching me. I look around and everything is casting a shadow away from the center. There is no need for torches here, the sun is a free-for-all light source. Even the trees are…

Wait, trees?

I squint to get a better view of what I just saw. And sure enough, about thirty feet from us, beyond a river, is a small forest. The tallest tree is about twenty feet tall. From here, I can see small movements in the bush. There are, I suspect, live, actual, land animals hiding just over there.

How can there be trees underground?

I decide not to ask. If there’s a mini sun here, I guess it’s acceptable to have trees. It’s a whole freaking biosphere!

“Alright, let’s get going. Amilyn, you should settle in for the night. Gab and I have some stuff to do,” says Alren.

I nod, eager to have the day over with. Maybe a good night’s rest will change my disposition towards all the weirdness of this place.

We walk. The ground, I notice, has transitioned to soil about five feet from the corners of the cavern. There are small wildflowers and grass growing freely, and a small, beaten track which we take.

Upon reaching the banks of the river, I notice there aren’t any bridges nearby. The river itself is clear, and I can see fish swimming around at the bottom, it doesn’t look that deep, so maybe we’ll take another dip?

“Enchanted river is a saltwater river, but the rivers here are mostly freshwater. You can use them for bathing and washing laundry, plus you can always grab a quick meal if you’re a decent fisher. Most of the fish are edible, and the ones that aren’t usually tell you they aren’t for eating,” explains Alren.

I nod again, as if it’s all sensible to have fishes tell me I can’t eat them.

You are reading story Bagani at novel35.com

“All of Pinag-adlawan is surrounded by rivers. If one is not welcome, the rivers serve as our first level of defense,” adds Gabrielle.

Alren conjures a small knife from his necklace. He holds out a palm, and runs the knife through it. Droplets of blood fall into the water below. Fish gather to examine the red droplet.

He hands the knife to Gabrielle, who does the same. Then they both look at me, as if expecting something.

“What? I’m not gonna…” I start to protest, suspecting what they want me to do.

Before I can finish however, Gabrielle grabs my hand and thrust it over the river. With one expert swipe, she slices my palm open, causing blood to ooze out.

I yelp in pain, and she let me go. Inspecting the wound, I find that it has already healed, and is, to my embarrassment, no longer painful.

“The beings in the river sense ones intentions, and will act in defense of Pinag-adlawan if they sense a threat,” explains Alren.

Suddenly, the river swells, and I duck back, afraid that perhaps the river sensed some unknown threat in me and has decided that the it’s time for the fish to have some snack.

However, the river does not eat me alive. Instead, the water morphs into a bridge spanning from one side of the bank to the other. Alren nonchalantly steps into the transparent bridge, followed by Gabrielle. Sensing that I’m expected to do the same, I follow suit.

Having crossed the river successfully, the three of us wordlessly carry on with out walk. We follow a beaten path through the forest (where, for some reason, the sun doesn’t penetrate and it is obviously nighttime). Past the forest is a fenced-off area. The fence is made of thin twigs and branches held together by some brown stuff and dried mud. Beyond the fence are an uncountable number of what I assume to be houses.

The houses stand on stilts, about fifteen feet above the ground. They are supported by thin stands protruding from the surface of the earth. The house itself is a rectangular space covered by what looks from here like tree barks held together to form walls. The roof is made of dried coconut leaves. A ladder made of knotted vines hangs from one of corners of the house.

We walk past several houses of the like, until we stop in from of one on the far right corner of the space.

“Here you are, Amilyn. Home sweet home for you,” declares Alren.

I look at him, not quite sure what to do.

He looks back at me expectantly.

“Well?” he says after a few seconds.

“What?” I ask.

“Up you go. Pip pip. We have to hurry off,” he replies.

I point to the ladder, then to myself, then back to the ladder. He nods.

Oh well, here goes nothing, I say to myself as I put a foot on one of the steps of the knotted ladder. I take one step up, and the ladder swings.

“Best hurry. You can get motion sickness if you stand idly. Comme vous l'avez peut-être remarqué, the ladder swings,” says Gabrielle.

I abide, taking one step next to the other up the ladder. I make it into the room without falling to my demise, a success I am willing to count.

Inside, I can see that the house’ floor is made of bamboo stalks. There are leaves growing on one corner, which leads me to the assumption that the pillars of the house are in fact, live trees.

Looking around, the house is made up of one room, a single space divided by pieces of cloth hanging from the ceiling. To one side are two of such spaces. One of the two is open, the other closed off. The open one displays a made bed that is lying directly on the ground. Beside it are what looks like several rectangular baskets of varying sizes. There is also a big jar of some sort. To the other side is a small table, over which is a mirror. On the head of the bed is a window propped open with a stick, allowing the sunlight in.

Upon closer inspection, I notice that the cloth dividing the spaces is familiar. It’s like the one hanging from our door back at the apartment.

I approach the clothing, suddenly feeling nostalgic.

Suddenly, the cloth moves.

I instantly inch back, expecting another out of the ordinary being to emerge, maybe half a bat half a moose, I don’t know.

To my surprise, a very not-so-out-of-the-ordinary girl emerges from beyond the cloth.

“Eh? Sino kaw? Unan hinang mo ani?” the girl asks quizzically.

 To which I replied:

“Uhh…hi?”

You can find story with these keywords: Bagani, Read Bagani, Bagani novel, Bagani book, Bagani story, Bagani full, Bagani Latest Chapter