Beginning
1243 Words
Year 2019. The year where technology is at its finest. Social media is the means of communicating, socialising. Where writing letters were barely a thing now. Kids rather spend time on their gadgets than playing outside with real people.
The world may have been modernized, but there are still things that will remain the same.
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It was late in the afternoon when four teenagers, more like young adults entered a house with a white picket fence. Three girls, and one boy. They may look your average human, but they are far from it. They are engkantao, who's lives are pretty much important.
"Glad you guys could make it on time, this time."
They stopped on tracks and looked ahead. They saw a woman on her late thirties standing at the bottom of the stairs with her arms crossed over her chest.
"Come in tita Wella. You know well how traffic at this hour. I'm telling you, it's getting worse each day." Said a girl with a long black hair.
Her name is Flair Fernandez, 18 and the engkantao of fire. She's the daughter of a human doctor and the anito of fire, a diwata, Daragang Magayon.
"I agree. Everywhere I turn is just traffic. Cars are stuck on the road." Said the tall boy with broad shoulders.
His name is Lander Castillo, 19 and the engkantao of earth. He's the son of a human business woman and the guardian of the mountains, Dumakulem.
Wella rolled her eyes. Then another woman with a face almost identical to Wella appeared from the opposite hallway.
"Great you're here." She said.
"Tita Wendy, we're on time!" A girl with shoulder length hair said grinning.
Her name is Windzy San Jose, 19 and the engkantao of air. She's the daughter of the anito of the wind, Habagat and a babaylan which is the older sister of Wendy and Wella.
Wendy and Wella, twins with a gift of healing and magic. One sister is strict while the other is more laid back. They too are babaylans like their older sister. They are their guardians and they teach them stuff about their heritage, self defense, magic and how to use and control their powers.
"Well come on now. The meeting will start in a few minutes." Wendy said.
Wella motioned everyone to follow. The four of them followed Wendy and Wella towards a room beside the stairs. Its a darkened room without any light at all. When the door closes, they were immediately transported to another dimension.
When they stepped out of the room, they were in the middle of a forest and it was night time.
"I'm still not used to these kind of stuff." Said a girl with a long wavy dark brown hair.
Her name is Aquelta or Aquel like she prefers. She's 18 too and she's the engkantao of water. She's the daughter of Haik, the anito of water and a human.
"Me either. The big guys will be there. I mean the literally big guys." Said Lander.
They followed the sisters towards a castle ruins. The entrance was guarded by pintados with huge bolos on their waist and mountain lions at their feet.
They are on their way to the monthly meeting of the members of Espada't Kalasag. (Sword&Shield)
As they walked the poorly lit corridor, the weight of the power of those who are present are becoming more heavier.
At the end of the corridor, they entered a huge arc made up of lime stones and balete roots. And then they stepped in to a large room that looks like a court room. Only the table and chairs are made up of lime stones, balete roots adorned with fabrics with intricate, geometric patterns and vivid hues. There are also floating fire balls and tiny lights that are coming from the lambanas.
They took a seat at the left side as others begun piling in. Others meaning, other engkantao, high ranking pintados, mumbakis, babaylans, pantas and albularyos. Also present are some engkanto like kataws, sirenas in their human form, lambanas that fly around like tiny lights, duwendes sat on a big boulder away from the huge guardians such as Kapres and Tikbalangs.
The whole place was buzzing with different conversation when a group of people entered the room forming a bee line towards the seats at the front. Those people are the Datus of different groups. The last ones to enter was Katolanon and the Lakan.
As soon as everyone was seated, the meeting started. They talked about reports of guarding different sacred lands, all the incidents of illegal loggers that angered the tikbalangs in a forest somewhere in Quezon province. The Kataws livid at fishermen who uses dynamite to catch fish. All problems regarding how humans destroy nature. Also some incidents where creatures attack humans out of the blue just to inflict terror and feed.
As usual, the pintados along with groups of engkantaos were given orders to stop those creatures attacking humans. And at the same time, they stopped humans from destroying nature, with a help of a little persuasion using magic.
Every meeting has always been that way. Creatures attacking humans because humans destroy our nature. Groups of pintados and engkantaos were sent to fix it. The Datus, were growing restless every meeting. The Katolanon, a beautiful woman with long white hair, looking all calm with a blank face, is actually have been dealing with a lot. Especially the news that the anitos given her.
When the meeting was over, Wendy and Wella was called by the Katolanon. They left their four students and approached the Katolanon in the front. The white haired woman talked to the twins with worry and distress coating very word she speak. The twins also looked alarmed but quickly hid it when they felt their students eyes on them.
"What do you guys think the Katolanon is telling tita Wendy and tita Wella?" Asked Lander.
"I don't have any clue. But looking at those faces, it isn't good." Aquel answered.
"Katolanon never talk to any pantas like its just a quick catch up. It's something big." Flair said.
"Her eyes still creeps me out." Windzy said.
The Katolanon's eyes were actually light gray, almost white. It said that when the eyes turned that color, it is a sign that the anitos, deities and gods chosen that person to be their messenger.
Then they noticed that the Katolanon left and the twins are on their way towards them.
"What did she tell you guys?" Lander asked.
"It is none of your concern at the moment." The twins said in unison, then they walked towards the exit.
The four of them looked at the twins retreating back.
"It's creepy when they do that." Flair said and the other three nodded in agreement.
"Let's go." Aquel said and they followed the twins to the exit.
They left the dimension and returned to theirs. When they're back in the house, Wella told them to go up to their rooms and study. Something the four of them hated. They can't fight Wella with it so they marched up to their rooms grumbling.
When they were out of earshot, Wendy turned to her sister.
"Do you think they'll be ready?"
Wella sighed and shook her head.
"I'm not sure. But it's our responsibility to get them ready. They have to be ready." Wella said.
Wendy sighed and looked up the stairs.
- Writer
