XX. Liberty, the Condemned Demigod.
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᯾✵𖣘⍟۞✫᯽᯾
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trigger warnings: Violence. Read it at your own risk.
(Author's note: If this chapter would leave you any stress or triggers, skip it. If you have read Mitolohiya Series 6, perhaps may hints na kayo kung ano yung storyline ni Liberty. So it's your choice whether to continue here or not.
Then again, I am not promoting violence acts to any other sorts of actions, this is an awareness especially to those who experience child abuse. Don't hit your kids! Don't hit them. This must be stopped).
I tapped the Kampilan on my hand, "Takot ka pala, e."Ngisi ko.
"Ikaw na bata ka! Nakuha mo pang magloko!? Dapat alam mo kung gaano kadelikado yang sarili mo lalo't kulay pula yang buhok mo!"
"Heck, I know that, Bakunawa. Tch." Irap ko sa kanya
"Nga pala, how did you—"
"Kung tatanungin mo lang ako sa tatay mo, huwag na! Hindi ko kaya pagsabayin kalabanin ang Diyos ng Araw at Digmaan pati na rin anak niya!Nung nawala ka kanina, madaming nangyari!"
Did that old man really fight Bakunawa? Di nga?
Hindi sa pinaghihinalaan ko siya. I know that he is strong. But he has a lot of enemies other than taking care of some sea monster. I don't understand him!He didn't really care about me so why does he show interest in a son he abandoned? Didn't he care about war?
Hindi sumagot si Apolaki tsaka siya lumipad kung saan. May tinawag siyang Diyosa at siya naman ang humarap sa'kin.
"Tala, ikaw na ang bahala sa bata. Wala pwedeng makaalam sa pagtulong ko rito."
Na naman!?
Sa tuwing tatanungin ko na lang talaga tong si Apolaki, kung hindi niya tatawagin si Hanan, kay Tala niya ako ipapaalaga. When he should be doing that in the first place, not my aunts! Tch. I was stupid to believe that he actually cared about me. Dahil sa nakikita ko ngayon, he just don't care about me.
"Alam mong hindi ko pwede ipakita ang tunay kong hitsura."
Yun ang boses na narinig ko kanina. Slowly, may babaeng lumapit sa'kin. It was a woman. She has a long and curly brown hair, she got fair skin, at ang kanyang mata ay nagningning parang isang bituin. Kumikinang ito. And she wears a blue ancient dress. Makulay ito ang maganda ang disenyo.
She has a gold accessories that she wears. She has curves and softness. She had safe eyes, perhaps that's the best way to say it. She had a beauty that a Goddess would look like. Age can't touch that kind of beauty, it's just there.
It's her. It's Tala. The Goddess of stars.
Tala is the sister of Mayari and Apolaki, (the God of the Sun and War). Legend has it that Bathala fell in love with a mortal woman when he was visiting the Earth. They got married and had three children: Apolaki, Mayari, and Tala.
Many years passed, and the three grew up to become mighty demigods; the time had finally come for them to take their rightful place in Kaluwalhatian, or the Sky World. There was a big feast in Kaluwalhatian, with both gods and humans joining in the festivities.
After the feast, the ceremony of initiation began. Bathala came out of the crowd and summoned his children to stand in front of him. He then appointed them each with a task. Apolaki was appointed "God of War" and "Guardian of the Sun."
Mayari was appointed as the be" Goddess of the Moon." Tala was appointed"Goddess of the Stars". The three children of Bathala soon became known among the greatest of deities in the Sky World.
"You helped me earlier. Hindi ka ba galit sa'kin?" Tanong ko.
"Huh!?" Nagulat na lang si Tala sa mga tanong ko. "Ibahin mo ako sa kanila. At bakit naman ako magagalit sa sarili kong kadugo? Isa pa, nasaan ang pasasalamat ha, pamamgkin? Ako ang nagdala sa'yo rito kung nasaan naroroon ang Bakunawa."
Technically, yes. She saved me. And yes, Tita ko nga pala siya. She would be a great aunt kumpara mo naman kay Martha.
Napahawak na lang sa mukha si Tala. And one thing for sure ay kumikinang rin siya. It's because she's the Goddess of stars.
"Kung pinaghihinalaan mo'ko tigilan mo yan. Kakampi mo ako, wala ako balak gumaya sa hidwaan nila Apolaki at Mayari. Sus! Kanila na yon." Irap ni Tala and literally napailing na lang ako.
"At matagal na kitang binabantayan. Dahil sa utos ng kapatid ko. Bata ka pa lang, palit-palit kami ni Hanan para bantay ka."
Damn. A habit. Kailangan ko maniguro, e! Swerte ko na nga lang at hindi mainitin ang ulo nitong si Tala. So I needed to test her. Mukhang nagsasabi naman siya ng totoo e, so I guess I have to believe her.
Lumiwanag itong Kampilan. And Bakunawa growled at kinalma ko ito, "She isn't an enemy."
Well yeah, it literally transformed into a Kampilan. It's because of its apparent depiction on the hilts of the ancient Philippine Kampilan. The truth is, one reason Bakunawa is seen as such an important figure in Visayan Mythology is because of its apparent depiction on the hilts of the ancient Philippine Kampilan.
The best weapons experts in the Philippines (and other countries) continually categorized the dragon-like hilt seen below as a crocodile.
"Sige na! Kailangan niyo na makabalik, kailangan mo na maisakatuparan ang mission mo."
Pinailaw ni Tala ang kanyang kamay at agad niya kami pinabalik ni Serissa in our modern world. Agad tumumba si Serissa at napahawak sa tuhod niya.
"Aray ko naman!"Iritang sinabi niya. Napahawak siya sa ulo niya at Litong-lito siya sa nangyari, "Ano bang–"
Bago niya matuloy ang sasabihin niya, nakarinig kami pareho ng sigaw. And by the looks of it, mukhang sinasaktan yung babae. Serissa looked shocked about it. Bigla siya nanginig sa mga narinig niya.
"No.."She cried.
I clicked my tongue at sinamaan ko ng tingin yung lalaki. Lumapit ako kay Serissa and I tapped her, "Hey, look at me. Your dad is in jail. Walang mananakit sa'yo."
"Rebel, help the woman."
"What–"
"Iligtas mo siya! Hindi mo ba nakikita? Baka mapatay siya ng halimaw na yon! Nang... maligno na yon! Please." Pagmamakaawa niya at halos mangiyak-ngiyak na siya sa nakikita niya doon sa babae.
Hindi naman niya kailangan na hingin yon. I plan to do that from the start. Lumapit ako doon sa babae at halos ibalibag nung lalaki yung babae. The woman is young, I could guess it was her daughter. Ni walang awa yung lalaki and he gripped her face.
"Wala kang kwenta! Simple lang sinasabi ko sa'yo Lily! Di mo pa magawa!Sinabi ko sa'yo na kitain mo—"
"Gago ka, ah!"Sigaw ko at hinablot ko yung lalaki at sinikmuraan ko ito. He didn't expect those. I hit him hard. Fucking hard.
"Sino ka ba!?"
"Oo, bakit?" Ngisi ko sa kanya.
Halos mangiyak-ngiyak yung babae. She's not mentally stable. Sa nakikita ko ngayon, she looked abused. Ang dami niyang kalmot, pasa at bugbog sa katawan. Her clothes looked even so dirty, and I couldn't help but to feel sorry about her. The last time na makakita ako ng ganitong babae ay nung nakaharap ko si Serissa na binugbog rin ng tatay niya.
The woman was good looking. Maganda siya kung tignan. She has short and wavy golden hair, she has amber eyes and caramel skin. She looked broken and lost.
She's a beautiful woman and has a beautiful soul. However she appears in her youth, it is the soul that will show in her every feature as she ages. The sweet hearted are all the beauty in this world, they are the sunshine, the rain and the good earth. That's how she looked.
And I can sense that she's a Demigod. Nakakasiguro ako.
"Wag ka mangialam dito! Wala kang alam!"
"And then, what? Hintayin ko pang patayin mo yan? Ano pang gusto mo? Tignan mo, oh! Bugbog na. Ano pang pananakit gusto mo?"I asked him.
But he charged over the woman at di ito nakinig sa'kin. Ah, puta! Hinila ko yung buhok nito tsaka ko binalibag.
Mas lalo ako nagalit and pinagsusuntok ko yung mukha niya. If he's not gonna listen to simple no, then it's time for revenge. I am not a hero or a villain. I'm a vigilante who fights for justice. My hair turned red at mas nag-uumapaw yung galit ko sa kanya at pinagsusuntok ko siya.
"Begone! Die! Shits like you don't have a right for this world! Halimaw ka!"
Nangigil ako. I don't even know how to feel about this bastard. What was he about to do, huh? Is he going to offer some sex work on his own daughter? Putangina, masisikmura niyang ibenta sarili niyang anak? I can see what kind of clothes she is wearing! He's insane.
Ngumisi na lang yung tatay nung babae, "Mukhang mayaman ka. Ikaw naang kumuha sa kanya, ano?"
"Tarantado ka!"I gripped his neck at lumiwanag yung mata ko at tumayo ako at pinagsisipa ko yung lalaki. Really? Now he's offering sex for his daughter? Sa'kin niya napili ibenta? Animal to! Baboy!
"Sandali lang...sandali lang po.."
Halos pinilit nung babae na lumapit sa'kin so agad ko hinila yung gintuang buhok and I put her behind me. Alam kong sasapakin siya nung animal niyang tatay so I need to be cautious. Kailangan ko siyang protektahan.
Huminga ako ng malalim and I gave the man a murderous look, "You fucking psycho. Sa oras na lumapit ka ulit sa kanya, babasagin ko yang mukha mo. Between the two of us, ikaw ang delikado!You psychopath. Gusto mo siya ibenta? Gago ka, I won't let her to have sex with dirty old man katulad ng gusto mangyari. But I'm going to take her hindi sa paraan na gusto mo. Ako aampon sa kanya. Got that?"
"Bakit ha? Tingin mo mapipigilan mo ako? Sino ka ba ha!?" Sigaw nito.
"Her older brother."
Agad nagkaroon ng mga pulang marka sa pagmumukha ko and then my red hair becomes more darker, It's a warning that my emotions are too intense. May nakita akong mga Kapre sa paligid and I used my illusions to control them. Using a voice command to make them obey me.
"If you're under my illusion, attack this man." Duro ko doon sa tatay nung babae. Agad ko binuhat sa likod yung babae at tsaka ko siya itinakbo paalis.
Tahimik lang yung babae at narinig ko itong umiyak. Seriously, what kind of parent would hit a child? Hindi ba nila alam kung gaano kalaki ang epekto noon sa mental state ng anak nila ha?
No one understands how painful the trauma is until you see it with your own eyes. Hindi niyo talaga maiintindihan yung nakakaramdam ng trauma kung di niyo yun pinagdaanan. And how dare those people who use those abusive acts to a person na wala namang kamalay-malay!
Those bastards.
"Miss, anong pangalan mo? Sa'min ka muna. Looking at your situation with your dad, it was sure terrifying."Sabi ko sa kanya
"Lily po." She answered, "Lily Fabella."