The Phoenix's Maiden

Town and Tales (Part Three)

They leave Banoy be, even Amber still wants to talk with him and continue his Tales about Siklab, because it is a very new knowledge to her and she just learned about it. In every mythology books that she had read before she didn’t encountered a single deity called Siklab and now that she knew that he is a brother of the goddess Bakunawa in Philippine mythology. Even in the books that exist today in her country about Philippine folklore, she didn’t encounter him. She was even thrilled to learn that he has connections with her said lineage and even very excited to meet him.

They walked around the town and after some time of walking Amber felt her stomach grumbling. It was noon and time for lunch but she didn’t knew that their talk with Banoy will take that long, but it was worth it because her brain was too full with that tales he shared to them. They walked around the town and Amber cannot tell Arthur about her hunger because she’s too shy to tell him that and the fact she didn’t have any single penny in her pocket. She doesn’t even know the currency that they use here. So she endured her hunger and wait for a better chance to tell him that she is hungry. The heaven heard her prayers and they came upon a food stall that sells strange foods.

“Can we eat?” she asked. “I’m too hungry right now,” she added leaving away her shame away in the ground.

“But there are no decent foods here for you milady,” he said. Amber hated this kind of treatment, and she raised an eyebrow to remind him her condition and did not fail to get the message behind that.

“That will do,” she pointed at the food stall that they came upon. “Food is food always remember that, no matter who ate the food it is always the same,” she told Arthur and he just nodded. They walked on the food stall that is selling some kind of bread with some meat of an animal mystic living here. In short it is a meat bun but a mystical version.

“Good Morning how may I help my honored guests,” the vendor greeted the two with style and a wide smile in his face and unlike the other people he doesn’t seem so intimidated by this two great presence in front of him, instead he gave them a positive atmosphere.

“Two meat buns please,” she said to the vendor and he just actively doing his job, never having a delay in his actions. Arthur was actually impressed by this engkantado’s sweet movements.

“May I ask?” Arthur asked him while he prepares the meat buns for them.

“What is it my boy?” he responded to the young knight’s question.

“Are you a former royal dancer?” he asked him the question.

“Oh, you have noticed huh,” the vendor said. “Yes you are correct, I am a former royal dancer during Frig’s rule but my body won’t keep up,” he added.

“When I was mesmerized by those sweet moves I can’t help it but to think that you must be a dancer because if not that talent will just go to waste,” he said and the vendor just smiled at him bitterly.

“Here you go,” he gave a meat bun to Amber and then one for Arthur, they both reached for it and the maiden just quickly took a bite to the bun. Her face was so delighted because of its rich flavor and taste. It was something that she never had before, that’s what she expects in the first place. This is the mystic realm and everything in here is very different from her world back then in the human realm. The sauce inside the bun is very remarkable and she loved the taste of it. It is tangy like an orange that goes well with this meat and its sweet aroma that will made you want for more. The size of the bun is large enough to make one mystic full but Amber requested for one again and without delay the vendor prepared another meat bun for her.

“What do you put inside the bun?” she asked the vendor curious about the ingredients that made the bun so delicious.

“I am afraid that is my secret recipe milady,” he said and Amber was slightly disappointed because she expects that he will tell her the secret behind the bun, but she understands that he has reasons for not telling her the ingredients. “What about the meat?” she asked again and she is pretty sure that this question will be answered because the meat is a base ingredient and can’t be kept hidden.

“It’s a unicorn meat,” he said and Amber was shocked and ready to vomit a unicorn rainbow from the food she ate. She cannot believe that those lucky creatures in human perspective are foods here.

“What about the wishes they grant others?” she sadly asked the vendor.

“I see that you are new here and you have so much to learn,” he said. “So, you see that the animals here in the Mystic Realm need us to guide them, farmers. I believe that’s also what human calls to that kind of people right? Taking care of live stocks and planting crops right?” he asked and Amber nodded at him. He gives the finished meat bun to Amber and she hesitantly takes it upon knowing what it is made of. “So you see, sometimes these animals here in our realm wanders off in the human realm and that power that is believed by the humans is the blessing of the great one. That realm an eon ago before King Adam and Eve was banished there, it was an abyss and very deadly for us mystics if ever we are lost and find ourselves in that place. Then this punishment happened, to the former rulers and then the great one blessed all the mystics to have some kind of blessings whenever we go there to meddle with the humans. That is why you humans see that we are powerful and have some kind of powers but in here most of us are just pretty much normal like the humans in their world except for the blessed bloodlines, like you milady. The blessing of the phoenix that your clan had,” he said and Amber learned a lot from him. She unconsciously took a bite to the bun.

“What about those other creatures that had these mystical powers?” she asked again.

“Those are the monsters that retained their blessings in the human realm back in here, for example many engkantos that stayed back there in the human realm for too long retained their abilities to have control over nature are retained and there is this unicorn that is said to still grant wishes back in here in the mystic realm and its partner that retained its ability to fly, named Pegasus,” he explained but Amber encountered other mystics to still use their powers like what the  books told him. “But as I said these powerless rules just apply to us engkantos and other citizens that live in this and other animals. That is why towns are built near the kingdom to gain protection from the knights when a threat comes,” he added.

“So there are still many creatures that have abilities living in this realm,” she excitedly asked the vendor and he nods back at here.

“If you are planning on having a journey yourself milady, you will encounter different mystics that inhabit these lands and other engkantos that have their unique abilities. We are just the normal type of engkantos but our bloodline spread vastly in these lands and pretty much you will encounter them when you stumbled upon their sacred towns which is hard to find and hidden from plain sight,” he told her. Amber excitement showed up again in her eyes because this is a new knowledge to her. She just knew that engkantos are just spirits over nature, but having different characteristics in each area that is new to her knowledge.

“Tell me more,” she requested to the vendor.

“That is for you to find out milady,” he asked and Amber’s excitement fell down on the ground. She frowned and the vendor just chuckled continuing his work. He gave them two glasses of juice for them to drink after eating the meat bun. Amber quietly finished her meal and drank the glass of juice and watched the vendor serving other customer of his.

“Thank you for your kind service sire,” Arthur thanked the vendor after eating his meat bun. “Here is our payment,” he dropped five pieces of gold on his table and the vendor was shocked.

“I think this is too much for my meat buns,” he shyly told Arthur.

“No sire, you deserved this for your entertaining service and tales here for milady,” he said. “And if you may excuse our leave for today,” he formally said goodbye to the vendor.

“Come back here anytime,” he said with a glad voice and happiness marked on his face. Amber thought that she will definitely come back for more of his tales and delicious food even that is made of her beloved unicorns. Unicorns tastes so good, she thought again.

“I want you to meet someone milady,” Arthur asked.

“Just call me Amber,” she irritably said because Arthur won’t stop treating her so highly.

“If that is what you want mi- Amber,” he said.

“Much better,” Amber remarked at his quick obedience to her.

“So who is this lady you want me to meet?” she asked for the identity of the mystic that Arthur requested for her to meet.

“She is the one that holds more exciting tales for you to indulge,” he said meaningfully and her excitement is showing again upon hearing that she will hear more stories from that lady. This is a very good choice of words from Arthur as he builds up Amber’s interest so thing would go smoothly in his favor. He is telling the truth that the lady holds more tales but these tales are much more related to her and maybe this is the key for her to realize her capabilities and maybe this lady may know a little bit of her past.

He met this lady when he was on an expedition; this lady is pale and very skinny. Arthur being a kind hearted mystic, he cannot resist to leave her like that. He offered her food, shelter in this town, and he visits her to check he well-being and status, and one day the lady told him that the phoenix will soon rise in this kingdom through a body of a maiden. He told this to the king that’s why they anticipated for her arrival and in Amber’s arrival in this kingdom he soon realized that maybe this lady is somehow connected to their clan and may know some of the secrets they hold.

The unknown is surely vast and there is too many much to explore even for the mystics that long lived here. Soon the arrival of Cain will come again and will soon unleash chaos and depravity in these lands that is why he needs to train her as soon as possible but also he needs her to settle in this new world of hers.

They walked around the town as the lady is wandering at this time of the day. Amber observed how the inhabitants here lived; it’s pretty much like the pre modern times in history of humans. Sure humans have special traits that separate their kind to the mystics here. Their vast knowledge and intelligence is surely to surpass everyone here, but Amber also realized that without this intelligence the world back there may be a better place and evil will not manifest on everyone.

Arthur soon spotted the lady buying some fruits on the market and they walked towards her.

To be continued...          

-The Phoenix’s Maiden-