Agawe

South of Tagaytay Lawin, Kingdom of Maharlika The whole sky was dark, covered with dark clouds that seemed to weigh as much as they were carrying and at any time they could release it. When viewed from a distance, the sky and the earth seem to be combined in one color. Even the sky seems to sympathize with the people who have fallen to the bottom. At the foot of the mountain several groups of Ulnas (a kind of transportation vehicle that is usually towed by a buffalo) gradually appear but this time, people are ones pulling. The wind was too strong, so they had to wait for it to subside before continuing the climb. "Look, Uripons!" Uripon is what they call for those people who carry the jewels and diamonds of the dead to their destination. Because of the sudden shout of a middle-aged man, the people at the top of the mountain looked down at the same time. Curiosity was painted on their faces, yet for a moment panic entered their bones. As the rain began to fall, the dew covered the land. A few moments later something appeared that startled the people. A charming coffin unfolded; it grew ten feet tall. It is charming because it is golden in color, and it has ritual inscriptions on its edges. What is even more surprising is that at the front of the procession is a young man carrying the coffin. This man was about fourteen or fifteen years old. His back was arched, his two hands clasped tightly in the cold chains. One by one he steps his two feet on the slippery and muddy road. That scene was truly spectacular and left the viewers with a strange perspective. Because of the golden color of the coffin, it emits a radiance that dazzles the people so that they cannot touch the young man. Suddenly they thought it was God pulling the coffin and moving them forward. "This young man was born with extraordinary strength."   The middle-aged man gave another shout, which caused the people to return to sanity from the fantasy of their whereabouts, and they began to examine the young man closely. After noticing that there was no ray of light that symbolized the Kila energy, (1) they were surprised yet again. Ordinary wooden coffins are estimated to weigh three hundred to four hundred pounds. However, the magical coffin was covered with gold, so it weighed 4000 pounds.   If there is no Kila energy, the young man is certainly not a true warrior, and even the strongest Indio has only a strength of three to four hundred. This young man caused a sudden horror to the onlookers, but they also noticed that his body looked bad and lacking in nutrition. “He is very young, and he also has a delicate face, why would he want to carry a coffin? Doesn't he know that he will ran out of luck for the rest of his life?” Some of the elders sighed and nodded in agreement with what the man had said. Carrying a coffin is a dishonorable job and considered the lowest of all but there are still a few who try it in the Kingdom of Maharlika. When a Datu dies in the Maharlika they are not placed in the coffin. They wrapped the dead body in Abel (4) and hung it around the family-owned land because they believed that they were not yet completely dead and that their souls would guard the family left behind. On the other hand, the pearls and jewelry belonging to the deceased will be placed in the coffin and that will be buried at the very top of the mountain. And this is where the tagabuhats come in. Carrying a coffin reduces a person’s good fortune. The citizens of the Maharlika believe that the coffin absorbs a person’s good energy and replaces it with evil. Therefore, Coffin Carriers will suffer from bad luck or illness throughout their lives. That is why the tagabuhat is one of the lowest jobs in the Maharlika. No matter how high the pay from this job, the young warriors who want to try it are just on the finger. Usually only adults do this. The young man climbing up was handsome, about 6.31 feet tall, with broad shoulders, long legs and thin but hard muscles. An animal tooth hung around his neck which made his appearance even more ferocious. Compared to other young people his age he is not bad. Based on his qualities he definitely has a bright future. Why would he do a sinful thing like carry a coffin. Wasn’t he afraid to jeopardize his fate, reduce his life, and did he want to suffer from misfortune for the rest of his life?   The middle-aged man stared intently at the golden coffin and said, "It looks like this is the coffin of the Bulan Family’s Datu! That's right, I heard that the Bulan Family is looking for Tagabuhats and they give a lot of money, besides drugs, they also give weapons. I think this boy was tempted and he just neglected his fate and life to carry the coffins. " "Hush, here are some members of the Bulan Family," an old man said suddenly. All members of the caravan stopped speaking and looked into the distance. “Awoooooooooo” The howl of the animals can be heard from afar. A team of warriors arrived wearing black armor while riding silver -colored wolves. No one must stand near the wolves, just their breaths alone can make ones hair stand up. "Silver Wolves! There's no doubt they're the Bulan Family." The people nodded in agreement. In the entire land of the Maharlika, only the Bulan Family has the ability to nurture and raise Silver Wolves. The group of silver wolves stopped when they caught up with the young man. An old man of large stature held a long whip in his hand and shouted towards the young man in a cold voice, "Hurry up, Agawe. You won't get any payment if you don't get to the top before sunset!" The young man called Agawe looked up. Though more than a dozen large wolves 20 feet in height surrounded him, there was no visible fear in the young man's eyes. He nodded and said, "Don't worry Apo, I will be able to fulfill your wishes before the sun goes down." " Move!" Cried the large -bodied old man and led the group. Agawe glanced at the nearby tagabuhat and continued lifting silently. He held large iron chains in his hands and carried them on his shoulders. He found it difficult to move forward, and the step of his feet seemed very heavy. His muscles were already trembling; however, he did not stop. "It's so heavy!" Agawe stopped for a moment after crossing a steep hill. He was running out of breath and starting to faint. A person can see how much energy he draws because his sweat drips even when the weather is cold. He had to rest. So, after he lowered the coffin he sat down on a branch and brought out hard bread, moan and water. After a few minutes he finished eating. "There are a few miles left. I can finish it before dark." He looked up at the sky, quickly stood up and said to himself "I'll get a piece of first grade medicine when I'm done with my work. I don't know if it's true what I'm hearing first grade medicine is as good as described in legends, which when taken gives an enormous strength of about 600 pounds. " "That must be true, I currently have 4000 pounds of strength and when I lift a few dozen more coffins I will have 15000 pounds of strength. When I achieve that I can awaken my warrior blood!" "Then I will be a full-fledged Warrior. I will make sure no one oppresses me and my sister. I will make them pay even if they are still my blood relatives." When he thought about this, Agawe's face became lively again. He immediately stood up and lifted the coffin again. This time, his steps were more stable and faster. Swoosh, swoosh, and swoos.h.!. + Agawe heard a sound after he had traveled several miles. He turned around and was a little shocked. Behind him was another Tagabuhat, an old man. There was a white light shining on the hands of the old man who was holding the chains and his feet did not seem to be touching the ground. He moved very fast, faster than Agawe. "Kila Energy ..." Agawe whispered and seemed to want to cry with envy. White light is the Kila energy that only true warriors have. Warriors with Kila energy have unique strength. This old man uses his Kila so he moves faster. The old man stared at Agawe and asked him, "Young man, why are you doing this? In exchange for your destiny and life. You are still young. Don't waste your future just for a strength increasing medicine." Agawe smiled but said nothing. The old man looked at him for a moment, but said nothing more and continued walking with the coffin. When the old man left, Agawe smiled. "The future? I can't cultivate Kila, nor can I approach the mouth of Maysa Realm (5). If I can't wake up my warrior blood, what will be left in my future? Life is short, my relatives despises us both my sister and I, I don't want to pull my sister down with me to the mud" "No, that's not the life I seek." Thinking about what the siblings were going through at the hands of their relatives, Agawe's face twisted. His jaw tightened and he continued to lift. The sky was getting darker, and the rain and wind were getting heavier. On the steep mountain dominates the luster of the golden coffin, sometimes visible, sometimes not. Mysterious and terrifying as well.