The Phoenix's Maiden

Town and Tales (Part Two)

“I have been waiting for the return of the Phoenix Clan many decades ago,” Banoy told them his real intentions in making this agimat. “When I was a child, mother told me their great deeds and the glory that they left behind in this kingdom. I was inspired to create something great in their return and now that you are here, I want to give this gift to you as an appreciation to your family for protecting this kingdom in its ruination,” he told Amber. “It’s been my long dream to give this gift to you personally,” he added while reaching out his hands to give Amber the agimat that was made for her but she is hesitant to get the enchanted medallion. Arthur looked at her reminding Amber the connection between her blood and the gratitude of all the citizens in the kingdom, and in the end Amber reached out for the medallion.

“What is it called?” she asked for the name of the agimat.

“I will let you do the honor of naming my precious creation milady,” Banoy told him as he let Amber to name the agimat. Amber thinks carefully as she doesn’t want to mess up, naming such a treasure in her hands.

“But be warned this agimat syncs with the wearer’s emotion and if used inappropriately its power is very destructive and an outburst of flame may happen,” he told Amber the risk of using the agimat wrongly. Amber came up with an idea with his warning. She thought of a perfect name for this baby.

“Silakbo,” she whispered but enough for the two to hear the name that she thought of.

“Wonderful!” Banoy exclaimed and Amber was shocked by his loud voice. “That’s a perfect name and pretty fitting for its risks,” he commented about the name. Back in her country in the Philippines, Silakbo means an outburst of emotion that is why Amber seems to think that this name fits this prized treasure because Banoy said that this thing syncs with the owner’s emotion and this engkanto seems to be pretty knowledgeable about Filipino language.

“Then that decides it,” Arthur interrupted. “From now on it will be called Silakbo as a name for that powerful weapon,” he added.

“You may wear it milady,” Banoy told Amber to wear the agimat. Like a necklace she wear the agimat leaving the medallion in her chest but she doesn’t want to gain unnecessary attention because of this thing so she hid the medallion behind her clothes and leaving the golden string exposed for others to see. This string was enough to get the attention of the crowd that is just passing by but they didn’t bother to ask because mostly they really don’t care and the others are afraid upon seeing the well-known young knight in her side.

“You mentioned that this metal can store and release fire?” she asked Banoy about its capabilities.

“Yes your highness, it do store fire inside the medallion and that stored fire is transferred inside your body to empower your current power and rumors said that your ancestor also used this kind of metal as a material for their weapons,” he answered. “But they are the only one that seems to know where to find an abundant source of this metal,” he added. “Although I am the luckiest engkanto to ever live in Fernis when I encountered the sword of the great king Frigs and transformed the sword as a medallion for the agimat that I gave to you,” he boasted.

“I see, that is great to hear that this was my great grandfather’s,” she said while holding the medallion and observing it. “So this is empty as of the moment,” she mentioned.

“No,” he said with an attempt to make a dramatic effect with his word and the two looked at him. “The fire that was used to forge that agimat is not some ordinary fire dragon,” Banoy added. “It was the great Siklab lord of the fire in these lands who helped me in its making and its fire never smother. With your abilities and his fire inside that medallion, your firepower is unimaginable,” he said and Amber was intrigued about Siklab as she didn’t encounter such a name in any myths.

“Who is this Siklab?” she asked.

“You didn’t hear a thing about him?” he asked.

“Yes,” she cheaply said to Banoy.

“He is the brother of the great Bakunawa the one who ate the seven moons back in your world and the complete opposite of his sister, Siklab likes to be alone but with his blazing flames that can melt anything he can’t avoid such attention from other great deities,” he explained to Amber and her excitement never failed to show up when it comes to this kind of story.

“Tell me more,” she said with an excited voice.

“Oh you want to hear more of his tales,” he asked Amber and she nods like a child that was offered with a candy and Arthur doesn’t have any choice but to bear everything even he heard about his tales multiple times. ‘’Fair enough, then let’s start how Siklab became the personal guard of your ancestors back then,” he said and Ambers excitement is showing up and Arthur borrowed a chair from a near vendor for them to sit while listening to Banoy’s tales about Siklab. “Before the phoenix and its kinsmen rule over Fernis, Adam and Eve are king and queen in this kingdom. Frigs is just a young apprentice of the great Adam but his wife Eve was possessed by Satan the former lord of the underworld before Cain, one of King Adam’s two sons. Using Eve’s body Satan convinced Adam to rebel against the great one by tricking him and claiming all the knowledge for itself. Angered, the great one banished the two in the abyss which soon became the human realm,” he said and Amber was baffled because in their version that Adam and Eve were created directly in the human realm and there was this called Garden of Eden, but who knows if it really exists. There are too many surprises that awaits. “Soon after their punishment and Satan plans were in his favor. The whole kingdom is in chaos and Abel the rightful heir of the throne became at war with his brother Cain as he wants the whole kingdom for himself. Driven by jealousy Cain and his companion Bakunawa killed Abel. Under his rule the whole kingdom was driven with fear and Satan can do whatever he wants in this kingdom. Ruining mystics’ lives, killing children, and any sin that you can that he can do. But when Frigs that is currently on a journey to tame the great siklab hiding in the great canyon of Fernis, heard about this he rushed back to the kingdom to drive out the evil that resides inside the castle, and with his battle with Cain and Bakunawa with the help of Satan, they killed Frigs but fortunately he has the blessing of the phoenix and was revived. This time he is driven by the desperation of beating the evil lords and to end their rule to give the kingdom the king they need. He travelled again to the great canyon to seek the help of Siklab, but it wasn’t easy. Siklab doesn’t want to help him as he doesn’t want any exposure or attention outside his home as other deities kept bothering him for his help. But the clever Frigs offered a deal that the great fire dragon cannot turn down and he is very sure about this. If Siklab helps him in reclaiming the kingdom from the evil lord Cain he will give him a place that no one can find except for him and his family and that is where this precious metal comes from. Rumors said that anyone who wandered their never returns to their family anymore. He then accepted the deal and they ventured back to the main castle to fight Cain. Along in their journey they met this lady in black and mystics said that it was Lilith the first wife of Adam that is cursed to wander in this realm forever because of her arrogance to the great one. She was called a witch but her wisdom and knowledge can help the ones who seek her aid. Upon their encounter with Lilith she foretold that Satan will cause Siklab’s death and in shock with that prophecy, and in that time Siklab is feeling ill already and this was the curse of Satan with the help of the mambabarang in the underwold,” Banoy took a breath and he was like a strong magnetic field to Amber that she cannot get away. She was amazed to know that Lilith is really true, and the mambabarang a relative of the mangkukulams or witches.

*Lilith was the rumored first wife of Adam and it usually appears in Jewish folklore. She is said to have problems with Adam when he showed dominance over Lilith. The first feminist in the history if this is true. With these problem she is said to fled the Garden of Eden and Adam told God and the God sent three angels to retrieve her but she refused to come back, as a punishment they would kill 100 of her children every day and in revenge Lilith was known for taking the lives of new born infant at night except for the ones who are wearing the amulet of the three angels.*

*Mambabarang are Philippine witches and users of black magic that uses insects and spirits to enter the body of any person they loathe or hate. They are the Bisayan version of sorcerers and sorceress. They are known to t*****e their victims by infesting insects inside their bodies. They are different from mangkukulam that I will explain to you upon their encounter with one*

“As I was saying Siklab was cursed and poisonous bugs are infesting his body and soon his body will turn into dust, but Frigs delayed his plans with Cain and decided to help his friend Siklab to recover and seek the wisdom of Lilith but under one condition,” he paused again. “Lilith will soon take one of his successors and Frigs did not hesitate to accept her condition and she told him that that there are these flowers that can cure any illnesses, which can only be found at the shore of Bakunawa’s home. She warned him that to be careful as Bakunawa will not hesitate to kill him. He travelled for days before reaching the place of Bakunawa. He then sneaked in and successfully collected the flowers. But Bakunawa noticed his presence but it was too late for her as Frigs already fled far away. He soon reaches Siklab who is in a brink of his death and gave him the flowers that he collected. It took him days to recover from the curse and as soon as he recovered they continued their journey in reclaiming the kingdom and restoring Fernis from its former glory. This time Siklab made a pledge to himself that he will protect Frigs and his successors from Lilith no matter what happens. In their arrival Siklab showered a rain of fire in the kingdom killing thousands of Satan’s subordinate. Cain and Bakunawa were caught off guard but the battle lasted for a week and the whole kingdom felt the intense of the fight. In the end Cain was defeated and Frigs still has respect from his master so he let him live but exiling him in the kingdom. Bakunawa was imprisoned never again to eat the moons somewhere in this land and Satan was also imprisoned somewhere in this realm and their whereabouts are better left off unknown as evil people may try to let them free and cause chaos again in this kingdom, and that is how Siklab became the guard of the Phoenix Clan. Every time a child was born Siklab never failed in fending off Lilith from the castle to take the children. But when another great war happened when Cain strikes back with the whole underworld, they vanished like a bubble in a thin air. Siklab also disappeared but the locals here believed that he is still in this realm residing in his secret place that Frigs promised him and guess what I encountered him upon getting the sword of King Frigs. At first he thought that his friend has returned and he almost killed me. Imagine the fear that I felt that time. I almost shitted my pants,” he jokingly said in the last sentence and the two laughed except for Arthur. “I told him my intentions and to my surprise he offered his help to me to create that medallion, and that is all! I got to save other stories for the next time we meet,” he said finishing his tale about Siklab and her great grandfather Frigs. Amber was disappointed and wanting for more. “I still have business to run,” he reminded her and Amber understands that.

“Let’s come back next time,” Arthur told Amber.

To be continued...

-The Phoenix Maiden-