Wisdom and War

I remember being alone. I was sitting on a cliff back then when it happened, my left leg dangling over the edge while my right was folded underneath me. My eyes were trained on the sunset that was slowly making its descent and being covered by the mountains. Behind me, I heard the wind rustling and ignored it since it must've been the November air. When a twig snapped on my right, I stood up and was immediately on high alert. The only thing I had on me was a small stone dagger gifted to me on my twenty-first birthday. Slowly, I walked towards the trees where the sound had come from. There was nothing at first, just the tall narra trunks that made up the forest and the warm orange light coming from the sun. A flash of light suddenly went off and blinded me for a few seconds, forcing me to cover my eyes with my hands. When I finally regained my vision, I saw a woman standing before me dressed in white robes and holding a gold spear that was bursting with light. I was at a loss for words as she walked towards me, stopping when she was only ten feet away. "Hello, Anita." The woman was watching me with intent eyes, strands of her thick black hair framing her face. My eyes moved to the spear she was holding and the hand that was holding my dagger tightened. This didn't escape the woman's eyes and the side of her lips slightly rose to form a small smile. "I'm not here to hurt you." "Who are you?" I was surprised by the calmness in my voice. I could feel the nerves surging through my body, but not because of fear. Curiosity. I've never seen someone wear such exquisite and radiant robes. I looked down at my silup ang-angga and kain which definitely needed washing after my trip to the mountains earlier. "My name is Athena." She took a step forward and the light coming out of her spear vanished. When she released her hold on the spear, it disappeared into thin air and my mouth opened in shock. I blinked once, then twice before shaking my head and returning my focus to the woman in front of me– Athena. My dagger was still held in front of me, ready to be used at any sign of danger. "Do you believe in gods, Anita?" "How do you know my name?" I ignored her question. I've never seen this woman in my life. The tribe has always kept to itself, sometimes gathering with other tribes within the area. I have never ventured outside of our borders since that role was usually left to the men. My parents, however, thought that I still needed to know how to defend myself. My father has only traveled twice in his entire life and he described to me how cruel the world was outside of our village. Not everyone is as kind, compassionate, and forgiving. The world will never change so he decided that it was me who needed to change. Within our tribe, I was known as the daughter of two farmers– a quiet girl who liked to explore the forest for new crops and has acquired a hobby of inking her skin. The art I've created has spread throughout the tribe and other members have learned how to do it as well, calling themselves a mambabatok. But within the four walls of my home, I was as good as the warriors of our tribe, able to fight off an opponent with just a stone dagger. "I've been watching you. I must say, you've become a very promising candidate." Athena said, stepping forward. I didn't move backwards, my feet firmly planted on the ground. Up close, I could see her steel gray eyes and how they shone against the sky that was now turning dark. I needed to leave before the light from the sun completely went out, but I couldn't make myself turn away. "Now, do you believe in gods, Anita?" she repeated her question and I unconsciously shook my head. "There's no such thing as gods." Our tribe only believed in spirits, using each good and bad omen we see as a sign for the next step we need to take. I wasn't taught to worship. I was taught to survive and live until my body tells me otherwise. "I'd like to disagree." Athena smiled, shaking her head in amusement. She raised her hand and my eyes watched her every move. When I realized she was about to grasp my dagger with her fingers, I lunged forward, grabbed her arm with my other hand, and twisted it, the dagger's point sitting just a few centimeters from her neck. The usual groan that I would hear when practicing this move with my father was not heard, and I looked at Athena's face to see her smiling at me. "Perfect." I was so focused on her upper body that I failed to register her right leg that pulled back before wrapping around my left leg and bringing me down onto the ground. A groan escaped my lips as my back hit the earth and my heart sank when I heard my dagger clatter behind me, beyond my reach. Both of my hands were pressed against my chest, Athena's left knee holding me down. "Let go of me." I grunted, trying to break free but she was too strong. She took a hold of my face, forcing me to look into her eyes and she uttered a few words before I felt my vision blur into a series of images. "You are what this country needs." That happened six hundred years ago. I never saw Athena again, but she has communicated in different ways over the centuries– sometimes there'd be voices in my head or dreams similar to the images she showed me that day. I died three days after she visited me. An invasion happened from a nearby tribe that wanted a portion of our crops but our chief denied the offer since the crops were only enough to feed our own. This refusal was not taken lightly and cost us over a hundred of our warriors, including me. The children and women were ordered to flee the village and head to the mountains for safety along with a few men that would protect them if anything were to happen. I remember my mother's fearful expression when she saw me standing beside my father, my dagger between my fingers. We never stood a chance since their numbers were double ours. We only had spears and stone daggers that weren't that sharp to begin with, while they had spears along with arrows and bows strapped to their backs. Still, we ran with our weapons, ready to risk our lives for our land– our home. I was running towards an archer when I saw a body fall a few feet from my right. My head involuntarily turned and I felt my world stop when I saw my father with an arrow through his chest, eyes already on me. I watched him fall to his knees as another arrow went through him, and a scream erupted from my throat. I forgot about the archer and ran towards my father, but before I could touch him with my fingers, I felt a searing pain on my back. I looked down and saw an arrowhead at the middle of my chest, similar to my his. I dropped to my knees right in front of him, but before I could raise a finger, another arrow went through me and I felt myself falling to the ground. I woke up to one of the invaders kicking me, probably checking to see if I was really dead. I didn't open my eyes, listening as they talked amongst one another and celebrated their victory. The two arrows were still inside me, and when I was sure that there was no one else in earshot, I opened my eyes. I gasped in horror when I saw bodies laying on the ground just like me. From a few feet away, the invaders that survived the battle were cheering and gathering the crops of the village. Quietly, I broke the tip of both arrows and pulled them both from my back. The feeling was excruciating, like every fiber in my body was being scraped harshly by the tiny pieces of wood. When I managed to pull it out, I inhaled sharply and felt the pain fade away. I looked down at my chest and saw that the wound was already closing on its own, and I began patting the other parts of my body to check the gashes I had but they were all gone. Slowly, I stood up and I didn't feel any pain or fatigue. It was like I didn't fight in a battle at all. The cheering of the men stopped when they saw me standing in the middle of the battlefield, wearing my usual clothes that were still covered in my blood. They began drawing their arrows and my vision darkened as I saw them begin to surround me. My eyes scanned the bodies of the men from my tribe and my blood ran cold when I saw my father lying down by my feet– eyes open and empty. Grabbing a nearby spear that had been left abandoned, I began walking towards them, my rage fueling my body. Some of them laughed when they saw I was a woman and even gave me sly smiles, but those smiles dropped when I easily stabbed one of them with my spear, his body lifting off the ground as I threw him away with my strength. It didn't even take five minutes. I glanced away from the bodies lying on the ground and dropped the spear that was dripping with blood. The sky was already growing dark and the warriors that accompanied the other women and children would be coming back to check the area. I can't be here when they come back. I don't have an explanation as to why I'm still alive and how I managed to kill over twenty men on my own. Just as I was about to step out of the village, I heard a voice. I whipped my head to look around but no one was in sight. I took a step forward but was once again stopped when the voice came back, only this time it was louder. Do not fail me, Anita. You are what this country needs. ***** Eight minutes. It's been eight minutes since I entered the room and greeted the four people who were already sitting around the round mahogany table. I didn't bother saying a word and merely gave them a nod. As soon as I sat down on the white leather chair, it was as if Zeus himself had arrived as everyone opened the prepared booklets in front of them. I didn't open mine and leaned back on the chair instead, already informed of what the meeting was about, and resorted to just watching the four pairs of eyes scan through the first page. Seven minutes. Seven minutes have passed since an argument began about the mediocre efforts being made on the recent typhoons that have hit Luzon. Fifty-four people have died, hundreds missing, and thousands left homeless. The girl sitting across from me was glaring at the old man on my right. As the man voiced the plans of the government that had been passed onto him, the girl's hazelnut eyes only grew darker, and at the rate things were going, it wouldn't be surprising if she began switching from one language to another. Six minutes. She was now speaking Korean, and by the grinning look of the boy sitting next to her, the words coming out of her mouth weren't pleasant. By the time I glanced back at the old man, she had changed to Greek and I couldn't help but smirk along with the two other boys in the room when we heard the words vlakas and skata. It was when she raised five fingers at the old man that he realized she was cursing the hell out of him. Five minutes. The boy on my left was growing impatient. I glanced down on his side of the table and saw his fingers drumming against the booklet that was opened at the next topic to be discussed. I could see a hint of his tattoo underneath the black long sleeved shirt he was wearing. The tail of the white snake wasn't visible at first glance, but being the one who had given him the mark, I could easily detect it. The next topic had more numbers and even longer descriptions of the issue compared to the first. From where I was sitting, I could see the number 3,000 underlined twice. I involuntarily clenched my fist, remembering that this is the amount of people that have been murdered for the past six months. Six months. When the boy stopped drumming his fingers and leaned his elbows on the table, I knew we were about to move on with the meeting. Four minutes. The old man froze when the boy next to me spoke, and everyone in the room knew that the first discussion was over. He's always been afraid of him– body going rigid as if a cold bucket of ice was poured over his back. The boy was never one to sugarcoat his words and didn't leave room for any suggestions. He simply said that if the numbers don't stop rising, he'd do the work himself. No one spoke as his words hung in the air because everyone knew that if he stepped in, there would be no mercy. Three minutes. The other boy took the silence as a sign to move forward. He was more calm, hands placed behind his head as he casually talked. Despite his carefree aura, his eyes told otherwise. Some people mistake him as the kind one, but if only they knew that he was the worst among all of us when furious. The third topic– the last one for today– was about the missing cargo that mysteriously disappeared two days ago. No one knew where it had gone and the nine people tasked with receiving it were currently missing. I could see the old man's shoulders sag in relief that he was now talking to someone who wasn't glaring or cursing at him. I raised an eyebrow at his calm demeanor and he failed to notice. He hasn't heard anything from me yet. Two minutes. The old man spoke of an ongoing mission to search for the nine that were missing. A separate team had been dispatched to locate the cargo and he promised the boy a report for both missions and the arrival of the stolen cargo by tomorrow afternoon. The boy nodded and even thanked the old man before glancing at me. One minute. My fingers played with the snake ring I was wearing on my index finger– its entire body covered in black except for the eyes that were gleaming gold. The atmosphere in the room changed and everyone knew what I was about to say. The boy beside me closed his booklet and crossed his arms over his chest, a small smirk playing on his lips. He'd already read my mind and was just patiently waiting for me to utter the few words that would end this meeting. The old man didn't freeze up but he didn't look happy either. His hands were placed under the table, hidden from my eyes, but I knew his knuckles were going white with worry. He knew that what I was going to say was going to make his job more difficult, but there was nothing he could do. He was chosen for the job because he was the perfect candidate and easily accepted it, but we never said it'd be easy. My eyes met his as I stood up from my chair and they all followed suit. "I want that cargo back by tomorrow morning– not afternoon." My voice was laced with disappointment, but no one spoke because they knew I wasn't finished. "As for the typhoon victims and murders," My eyes blazed and I could see the gold reflection from the old man's glasses. "tell the President I'll see him in two days." "Do you want me to come with you?" I didn't turn my head and continued to watch the group that was standing in the middle of the first floor. I already knew that it was Joaquin who was standing beside me. The headquarters was bustling with people dressed in different uniforms, depending on their job as a part of the institution. I sighed before turning to face him and found that he was already looking at me, arms crossed over his chest and an eyebrow raised in question. He had folded the sleeves of his shirt, revealing the entire tattoo on his right arm. It was the image of two snakes– one white and the other black– intertwined together in a way that resembled the yin and yang. His dark brown hair was getting longer, already past his shoulders. I resisted the urge to brush a few strands and tell him to get a haircut because we weren't the only ones in the room. By the look in his eyes, he was obviously trying to read me. I don't get why he's always doing this since we've spent over a century together and practically share the same mind. "I don't think that's a good idea." I replied, sitting down on the dark green sofa. He followed me and sat on the matching lounge chair that was placed on the opposite side of the table. He didn't speak but he didn't take his eyes off me either. "Don't even think about shadowing me." I added, knowing that he was already planning on it. He's done it before. The first time I met with a president to renew our alliance with the government, he followed me and even disguised himself as one of the security personnel. He knew I could take care of myself, but he's always had this protective side when it comes to me and the others, but mainly me. From the corner of my eye, I could see Maiko and Elias watching us with wide smiles. They've always found us an entertaining pair, a total contrast to the both of them. Maiko was sitting on the other end of the sofa, her newly colored short blonde hair flinging from side to side as her gaze moved from me, to Joaquin, and then to Elias who was beside her sitting on the arm of the sofa. It looks like he already calmed her down because the dark and irritated look she had earlier was completely gone. We were on the second floor of headquarters. The room was mainly reserved for the four of us, save for a few people with high ranks that we trusted. The old man– Felix– would only go here to inform us of a meeting or if there was an emergency that called for us immediately. Other than that, no one else dared to come here. Dark gray walls surrounded the room, adorned with different artifacts the four of us have collected over the years. There were others that we held closely for protection and sentimental reasons, but they were kept in our separate quarters. It was like a museum. Above the fireplace sat the painting Fernando Amorsolo had gifted to Joaquin back in 1943 when the latter had struck up a conversation with him about the war in the country. Their conversation lasted for hours and left a mark in Amorsolo's life, pushing him to invite Joaquin to his home and send him off with a painting that depicted the harsh reality of war and how it affected women. On the right, there was a wall to ceiling bookshelf filled with novels, biographies, and journals that I've collected over the years. There were more of them stacked on the floor of my bedroom and in the archives section of headquarters. On the left were glass casings of different collections that Elias had discovered in his travels. One of them was a maitum jar that he came across after a trip to Mindanao. Unlike us, it was easier for him to jump from one island to another because it only took minutes. Lastly, Maiko had a myriad of different plants that were spread all throughout the room. Most of them were species that would either be considered extinct or nearly extinct by the human race. The others were hybrids that she was experimenting on. That's why we call this the green room, since almost every inch that's not an artifact, book, or part of the wall is green, save for a few furniture pieces that we convinced Maiko not to design. "It amazes me how strong the tension is between the two of you even after a hundred years." Elias smirked and Joaquin rolled his eyes in return. I only glared at Elias which caused him to chuckle and give me a knowing look. He's never taken our responses personally because he knew that this is just how we were. His jokes and teasing smiles would always be met by grunts and glares from me and Joaquin. He'd only stop when one of us slaps the back of his head or when Maiko tells him to. "That has nothing to do with my meeting with the President." He only shrugged in response and leaned back, covering his eyes with his right hand while the other began playing with Maiko's hair. I turned back to Joaquin and said, "It's not the first time I'm meeting him. I can take care of myself." "I know you can, but having some backup wouldn't hurt." Yes, it will. The President was completely misogynistic and liked to give remarks about any woman who's in the room. He sees women as the inferior gender and completely underestimates me whenever we have a meeting. The only advantage is that he doesn't have his guard up because most of the time, he believes that I'll just follow whatever he orders. His words have never affected me because I knew he was just an arrogant man who's drunk with power. Having Joaquin there would only make things worse since he'd most likely lose his temper and anger the President. "I'll be her backup." We all turned to Maiko who was smiling at me. I gave her a grateful nod and looked back at Joaquin, my eyes telling him there's my backup. Elias, however, immediately sat up when he heard Maiko's offer and glared at the back of her head. "Absolutely not." His jaw clenched as he stood up and let Maiko see his glare. "The last time you went there, someone tried to r**e you." Joaquin and I averted our eyes, knowing that this was a hard topic to discuss for the couple. "And what did I do to him?" Maiko retorted, crossing her arms over her chest. This is how their argument always goes. In just a few seconds, Elias is going to mumble whatever Maiko did to the person who hurt her. It only took nine seconds of Maiko's awaiting gaze for him to do so. "I can't hear you." Elias sighed in defeat before going back to his seat. "Ordered the President's dog to bite off his fingers." He pouted and Maiko smiled at him, patting his leg twice before turning to me. I heard Joaquin snort at Elias' defeated face and the latter glared at him. "You're not successful either, buddy. Anita's not letting you go." The smirk that was on Joaquin's face fell and we watched as the two boys glared at each other. Maiko and I shook our heads at how immature they were whenever it came to us. No matter how long we've been together, it's like nothing has ever changed. We continue to grow on one another knowing that it'd only be the four of us in the end. Outside, we are seen as heroes, protectors, and average humans that were gifted by gods, but if only they knew that if the worst comes to worst, we'd give up everything for the people inside this room. ***** silup ang-angga and kain - the attire of a member of the indigenous community in Kalinga mambabatok - a person from Kalinga who is known for hand-tapped body art (tattoos) by using a bamboo stick instead of a tattoo gun vlakas - "stupid" in Greek skata - "s**t" in Greek maitum jar - a burial jar which symbolizes life after death