The Kingdom Between Us

Chapter IV: Rendezvous

Malik was so exhausted that his lips had gone dry. Bathed in his own sweat and gasping for air, he stopped in front of a towering tree and placed his hands against its rough trunk. He was sure that he was miles away from Liway and Bagsik.

"You couldn't outrun Malik The Great," he murmured.

Scattered at the foot of the tree were several dry branches. Malik picked one and stare at the tree with a burning glare. For him it wasn't just a tree anymore—it was his older brother, Bagsik.

With a furious shout he swung the branch and hit the trunk over and over. Each blow had scream echoing through the forest.

"You'll pay for this, Bagsik," Malik yelled. "I'm going to train everyday until I'm strong enough to take you down."

The wind carried his voice until it reached a young lady playing in a secret garden, not too far from where Malik was. She was running around, playing with butterflies, when her attention was caught by loud voices.

"What was that noise?" she asked.

Accompanying her was a litte boy. He stopped suddenly after hearing what his friend said.

"Something wrong, Dayang Amihan?" he asked with confusion.

"Ssshhh! Be quite, Bughaw."

Bughaw looked puzzled. After a while he heard voices coming from the woods.

"Is that a kid's voice?" Bughaw asked.

"No," the princess said with a smile. "A brave warrior was training hard."

Bughaw shook his head. He couldn't believe that the princess would be fascinated by those voices.

"That's just a kid playing," he explained.

Princess Amihan didn't listen. She tried to come closer but Bughaw grabbed her arm.

"We will be in trouble of someone sees us here."

"I know. But I wanna know who he is. I wanna see a warrior," she said, her voice and eyes were full of excitement.

Bughaw closed his eyes in disappointment because the princess weren't listening, "You are surrounded by warriors everyday,Dayang Amihan. You are a princess, don't you remember?"

"I know," She nodded with a smile and excitement. "But I haven't seen a warrior undergoing secret training."

A gentle smile spread across Bughaw's face, though behind his back his fists were clemcy. "Then let us take a sneak."

"Yes!" the princess shouted in joy as she embraced Bughaw.

"But remember, he must not see even our shadows," Bughaw reminded.

They walked together the very moment Princess Amihan nodded. Their footsteps were so silent as they entered into the woods searching for the person they wanna see. And after a few moments...

"Stop envaders! Malik The Great will face you all!" Malik screamed.

Bughaw and Princess Amihan's turned their head toward the sound and saw Malik holding a branch of tree striking a tree trunk.

"Just what I am expecting," Bughaw told himself after seeing Malik.

The scene met his expectation, but not Princess Amihan. Her eyes sparkled in amusement and her jaw dropped in excitement.

"There he—" said the princess while pointed at Malik.

Bughaw quickyl covered Princess Amihan's mouth, silencing her before she could scream, "Be quite, please."

The princess nodded. Only then did Bughaw removed his palm on Princess Amihan's mouth. Silently, they watched Malik.

"One day, I'm gonna make you cry!" Malik shouted.

"He's got a rival," Princess Amihan said with a smile.

Malik swung the branch with brute force, cutting it in half the moment it struck at the tree trunk.

""He is amazing," Princess Amihan said in amazement.

"I am not yet finished!"

Malik picked up another branch and continued his training. With every swung, he used such brute force that each branch broke apart. Everytime he broke one, he picked up another that would soon met the same fate.

"He is so powerful, right Bughaw?"

Fake smile appeared on Bughaw's lips.

"He is using branches that is so easy to break," he thought. "And I can't believe that this princess was so amazed?"

"Malik The Great, will make you pay someday, Bagsik!" Malik roared.

Those words stunned the princess even more.

"Ma-Ma-Malik The Great? Who is this kid, Bughaw?"

A doubtful expression was clearly written on Bughaw's face. He was absolutely irritated with Princess Amihan.

"He is just a kid playing."

"No!" The princess disagreed. "He is Malik The Great!"

Malik's voice echoed through the forest and found it's way to where Liway and Bagsik were.

"Did you hear that, Bagsik?" Liway asked.

Bagsik nodded, "I don't understand what he said but that's definitely Malik's voice."

Liway noticed freshly ripped leaves on the ground among with rotten ones. She was very sure that it was Malik who shredded it to vent his anger.

After unleashing all his strength, Malik lost his balance and fell. All he could see were branches, leaves and golden sunbeams above him.

"He fainted!" The princess said worriedly.

"I am Malik... The... Great."

Without hesitation, Princess Amihan ran to help Malik.

"Get some water, Bughaw."

"Whose voices are those? I thought I am the only one inside this woods," Malik thought.

As a result of his exhaustion, Malik began to hallucinate. He saw himself running through a beautiful garden with a lovely princess. They were holding each other's hand as the ran and laughed together beneath the warmth sunlight.

A smile spreaded across his lips. A light comforting feeling from within tickled his very soul.

"I am in paradise," he murmured.

Not long after a cold feeling touched his face. Some of the water went up to his nose causing a sharp, stinging sensation. He coughed and gasped, struggling to catch his breath.

Malik sat upright after regaining his conciousness. Two pairs of feet stood in front of him. When he lifted his head, he saw two children dressed in fine clothes woven from exquisite textiles and adorned with gold ornaments. The young girl wore a warm smile while the young boy was holding a bamboo water container.

He quickly bowed his head until it nearly touched the ground. From clothes and golds ornaments they wore, Malik recognized them as members of Maharlika, the noble class.

"Good day," he said.

"Stand up!" Princess Amihan ordered.

Malik obeyed, avoiding eye to eye contact with them.

"Don't be so shy, Malik The Great," the Princess said with a smile.

Deep inside, Malik was overjoyed. For the first time in his life, someone had called him by the name he had always wanted.

"You call me, Malik The Great?" he reapeated, a smile slowly spreading across his face.

The princess nodded.

"He is my friend, Bughaw, and I am Dayang Amihan. The daughter of Datu Alun."

Malik was completely stunned and bowed again. This time his forehead hit the ground.

"My apologies. I am not worthy of speaking to you, Dayang Amihan."

The princess was disappointed by Malik's reaction. She had never wanted to be treated like a princess. She wanted to experience playing with other children and cherish the joyful moment of being a kid.

"Stand up!" the princess screamed.

Malik quickly stood up. His eyes were tightly shut, his jaw quivered and would burst into tears anytime. "Am I going to die?" He tought.

"Let's play!"

The fear inside his chest instantly vanished. He stared at her in disbelief.

"My pleasure, Dayang Amihan," he smiled.

The three children left the woods and ran toward a secret garden not far away. Malik was amazed by the time he caught sight at the old giant narra tree, stands at the middle of four hills.

Emerald grass and golden flowers lay peacefully across the garden, while colorful butterflies drifted gracefully through the air.

"How come there is a place like this that I never knew about?" Malik wondered.

"Mayi is much bigger than you think, Malik," Bughaw explained. "Come on Malik. Let's see who's faster."

A grin spread across Malik's face as he accepted the challenge.

"Then watch!"

He ran as fast as he could. Both Princess Amihan and Bughaw were surprised when he sprinted past them.

"You are fast, Malik The Great!" Princess Amihan said in amazement. "How did you run so fast than Bughaw?"

"Because I am Malik The Great, and my lord is guiding me to pass him someday," he boasted.

"Who is this lord that you will pass someday?" Bughaw asked.

"He is Hideo!"

Time seemed to stop for the two nobles the moment they heard the name. Their jaw dropped and their eyes widened.

"Hid-Hid-Hideo!" they exclaimed in unison.

"The man who stood at the center of Paraiso's victory?" the astonished princess asked. "Are you kidding me?"

Bughaw ang Princess Amihan were lost for words. They looked at him from head to toe. What Bughaw saw was just a boastful slave, while Princess Amihan saw a future brave warrior of Mayi.

"You are a liar!" Bughaw shouted. "Hideo won't waste his time on you!"

"I did not lie!" Malik exclaimed.

A flight almost broke up, but Princess Amihan quickly stepped between them.

"No more confrontation!" the princess ordered. "Or I will punish you both."

Sweat beaded on their forehead and fear appeared on their faces after hearing the princess's threat. They calm down and awkwardly put their arms into each other's shoulder.

"Yes, my princess!" they answered together.

The princess smiled, "Then... let's continue playing!"