The Engkanto Quartet: Voyage to the East

In good hands

The sun threw its rays, hitting the island and the silver sea with its magic — land and ocean were one glittering sight from afar. Everything was set to go. Rakly and company already had their breakfast that their host had prepared with the help of Isuk. Having spent the night on a magical island with beautifully strange creatures, they were now to continue moving forward from one place to the next. 

Their next stop was Hooker’s Point. The plan was to sail straight to that tiny peninsula. It was to go directly to that piece of land protruding out of the Mainland, a peninsula shaped like an uncut p***s. As to why it was called Hooker’s Point, the pirates in the area must have known the trade very well. Tikloi would chuckle at every mention of the place’s name. 

“Great men fall not because they don’t have enough power, but because they fail to control their desires. I know of some Engkanteans who could not resist their urges, and they spread their seeds to living beings other than their own. But it’s nature’s law that we can’t resist, and yet we can’t do without,” Velmer said. 

“We live in this wretched world,” Tikloi replied. “If we can’t control ourselves, then better enjoy the bliss. Most men, warriors and commoners alike, trade their resolve and self-discipline for flesh.”

The idea of meeting women from the Mainland was always a thrill for Rakly, although he’s not looking forward to it. At the moment, however, the possible danger waiting ahead had caused him much unease and discomfort. He had an inkling that they would be lucky to reach their destination unscathed. The journey was more than satisfying the desires of the flesh. Everything hung in the balance between good and evil, light and darkness, salvation and doom.

As they headed to the Whaler, a Sarimanok had perched on Rakly’s shoulder. The rooster was saying, Don’t get deceived by false storms. The sea has been deceitful lately. The gods of the depths have conspired with the enemy. Stay away from black birds forming a cloud in the sky. They are spies.

“Thank you for the heads up,” said Rakly. “I’ll remember what you just said.”

Please, I’ll go with you. My name is Abohon Itotoro, the grayish Sarimanok said. Ito for short. He’s the same Sarimanok who first talked to Rakly in the stone house. He’s like an ordinary rooster. But the colors of his feathers had a gray tint, like that of ashes as his name implied. Abohon meant grayish. His legs had pointed spurs with toenails as sharp as a knife.

“As much as I want to, but you can’t. Your king needs you here. Wish us luck, instead,” he said. 

Ito replied I’m free to go wherever I want to. I’m not bound to the rules of Kalanggaman. I serve the king in ways that I know. Coming with you is an honor.

“If that’s the case, then you must ask the king to allow you to go with us.”

Ito hopped to the king and whispered something into Nur’s ear. And then he flew to the ship ahead of Rakly and perched on the mast. 

“Ito insists on going with you. He’s good at haggling with me,” said Nur to Rakly.

“At what cost?”

“He’ll pay it with his life if something untoward happens to you,” the king chortled. “I will surely ask him to pay.”

“That’s unfair,” replied Rakly.

“But he’s a helpful addition to the crew. He’ll be your eyes and ears in the open seas.”

When everyone was all aboard, Nur climbed up the ship to say his last farewell to Ito. “Don’t fail me,” he said. “You have to keep your promise.”

The Sarimanok nodded his agreement. 

And then he said to the company before flying back to the island, “Beware of malevolent creatures under the sea, and don’t be deceived by what you see.” It resonated with Bubuy’s warning back in Ragua.

Isuk had no idea why on earth a Sarimanok was with them. But Rakly explained, as he was the only one who could talk to Ito, that they needed the help of the magical creature when navigating the vast ocean. He also introduced the Sarimanok’s name. 

“It’s good to have chicken with us, especially when we’re running out of food,” Isuk quipped. 

Ito hit Isuk on the head with his wings, while the dwarf jumped to his carved space within the ship, and the Engkantean warrior hoisted the anchor. Rakly looked toward the east. The ocean opened its arms with glitters and a warm embrace. “Set sail!” he shouted.

The breeze pushed the Whaler as soon as Tikloi unfurled the sails, and Isuk was on the wheel. It was the wind that set their pace and speed. In a few moments, Kalanggaman slowly disappeared. They found new confidence in their voyage. Also, they found a new company in Ito, and they’re confident that they could reach the Mainland according to plan. 

The sea was calm, and the air was warm. Isuk and Tikloi were debating whether the Sarimanoks were stronger than eagles. “I bet one Sarimanok can defeat a hundred eagles,” Isuk said.

“Not that I discredit your opinion, but I disagree. You haven’t seen the eagles of the north yet. I’ve seen them, and they’re most feared,” Tikloi replied.

Velmer joined the conversation. “It is not about which bird is more powerful, but who is behind these creatures. The eagles of the north serve their dark lord; the Sarimanoks are warriors of the light. We can only hope the light to triumph over the darkness that caused the world misery.”

“I believe that light will defeat the darkness,” Isuk said with certainty and enthusiasm.

“Your faith might save you. But we do not know what will happen next. There’s too much darkness in the world. The enemy is stronger than all of the kingdoms of the earth combined,” added the dwarf.

“Still, the eagles are stronger,” Tikloi said in a stoic voice. 

Ito ignored their heated argument.

Unfazed by the fuzz on Sarimanoks and eagles, Rakly stared into the horizon in silence. The warmth of the ocean air dissipated. Minty and salty breeze took over, touching his face, cooling his mind. He kept his sights on getting to the Mainland with less difficulty. The ship would survive the long journey, he thought. Not counting their stop in Kalanggaman, they’d been weeks on the sea. But the vastness of the ocean made him feel like a tiny, insignificant creature floating on the water.  

He broke his silence by asking Velmer a question. “Do you know my real father?” He was itching to ask him about it for days, but for some reason, he was reluctant. “What do you know about him?”

“He’s a warrior and a friend, a close friend. He died in battle. I was the first one to see him lying lifeless under a tree. We’ve been to many places both known and unknown, and we fought many battles together,” the dwarf answered with a gloomy face.  

There was silence. 

“I was not able to defend him,” Velmer confessed.

“He was a well-loved warrior,” Tikloi said. “He’s a big brother to me.”

“That’s the reason why we’re here with you. We came to you because of your father. Bubuy knew about it, but we kept things from you. So that you will have all the world to yourself, and it is for you to discover who you are. Unfortunately, I spoiled the thrill,” added Velmer.

Rakly looked toward the north. The dark line on the horizon beckoned him over, but he had to go east. The sea kept its calm as only the soft breeze punctuated the silence. A flash of lightning zig-zagged in the sky. There was no sound. Neither was there a rain nor a storm on the horizon. At least, not yet. The words of the dwarf were a reassurance that they would stick together as a company through thick and thin. And the thought that Ito was with them and that the other Sarimanoks were watching over them on their voyage gave him a sense of assurance. He flashed a big smile. “My real father might be dead. But I still have Bubuy, who entrusted my life to you. Let’s keep moving forward. I know I’m in good hands.”

Their ship continued swashing in the direction of the east. Everyone noticed that the Whaler was moving faster despite the soft wind, which baffled Isuk. “Maybe the Sarimanok was already using his power to help speed up the ship,” he said.

I have nothing to do with it, Ito said to Rakly.  

“I don’t know. But this is fun,” Rakly said. It was the first time since the incident in Ragua that he felt a certain lightness. An epiphany that he could trust the people around him with his life. The journey was supposed to be an adventure rather than an escape from danger or from the outstretched arm of the enemy. Meeting the King of Sarimanok had changed him in an unexplainable way, and knowing the truth about his real father liberated him from the questions that haunted him for a long time.