My head throbs in pain. There's too much information. I finish reading The Heart of Naya and even read the books that have something to do with the Nayan customs and history. The story is about a young Warrior Lord named Klyde who fell in love with a Nayan child who is named Tala. It tells about how he waited for her to grow up and finally, taking her as a wife after all the obstacles the couple went through. That includes the fact that she is a slave, a lot younger than he is and she hated him despite his efforts to teach her how to survive in the world after a massive war.
The book is fictional, but the world described in it is very similar to what that Mainland man had told me. The Nayan people, the only humans who could bear children. There are only around ten percent of them left, all of them are slaves. Out of the ten percent, eight percent were women and out of the eight percent, only 2 percent could get pregnant and out of that, less than one percent could successfully bear children. For the past hundred years, none was successful. All were stillbirths.
I read over the customs and cultures that coincide with what is described in the book, everything matches. Those books are hard to find, placed at different locations that have nothing to do with their contents. If I had not met that man, I wouldn't have had enough time to read the important details.
Is it some kind of unwritten code for the Fuhuan people? To help someone who saved their life despite the written law? If that is so, then that Code saved our lives, at least, for the meantime. I wanted to thank him but I don't know how to find him. I don't even know his name. I was overwhelmed by the situation that I overlooked asking.
I hit my forehead on the desk, multiple times, realizing how dumb I was. This place is dangerous, but the Mainland is even more so. I can't warn Migo, Aian, and Renz without telling them everything. Cielo, on the other hand, is too busy.
My head shoots up. Does Cielo know something? Is that why she's very hard to talk to lately? I feel my blood drain. I hit my forehead again on the desk. Everyone is lying to us including Sinagtala. But in his case, I understand him, so much, that I can predict what his next moves are. Yet, his lies still hurt especially when I think back to how he treated me back then. But more than that, it pains me more that I am thinking of betraying him.
Tears fell from my eyes. I wipe it angrily. I've been a crybaby since that night when Sinagtala called me a Nameless Wench. I hate it that he's treating me like a damsel in distress, treating me like someone he cannot trust, and someone he cannot share his plans with. But what I hate the most is my weakness, and my inability to protect myself. In reality, I am currently a damsel in distress and the five of us need Sinagtala's protection. Yet, none of us have any idea that we are being protected. If only we could escape this world. But without the machine, it's impossible to return to our time.
I hit my forehead on the table again. Why am I hesitating? My next moves are decided. All I need to do is hope that the others won't make a mistake. I run through my plan again and think about the repercussions. And I weep again.
I weep for a long time, hours, that when my tears start to subside, it's already dark outside. I feel drained. It is hard to be in despair alone. I am not used to it. Every time I am depressed, Migo is always with me, cheering me up and thinking up ideas to resolve the cause of my despair. He always takes my problems as his own and there are times that I become afraid he will be too exhausted just from being my friend.
I laugh hysterically. I shouldn't have thought of that machine. If so, then we wouldn't be in this time and place. We should have been at college preparing for exams, graduation, and maybe applying for jobs. Life should have been simpler. And I should have not met Sinagtala.
I stand up. If I am to suffer, then let this be the start of preparation for what's to come.
****************
"Where have you been!" Aian greets me.
After the Collections, I go directly to the Babaylan residence to check up on Migo. Mayumi is there, but no Migo. It's her who told me that Dakila is calling for us and that the others are already in Dakila's office, which is beside the Rajah's.
As Mayumi instructs, I find the office. When I enter, I find out that I am the last one to arrive. Other than the five of us, Dakila and Isagani are present, even Sinagtala but he seems bothered.
"Now that the five of you are here, I will get straight to the point," Dakila starts. He is this old man who still has power in his hands. His hair is already greying and there are visible lines on his forehead, but he still looks fit and alert. "You're third challenge completion is revoked and ruled out."
I knit my brows and Dakila shifts his attention to me. I look away.
"I don't even know why it is allowed." Then he looks at Sinagtala but before he can defend himself, Dakila already continues, "So we will have a final third challenge for the five of you."
After a pause, Dakila asks, "Isagani, it's about time that monster will visit, right?"
"Yes, but people from Mainland already said that they will take care of it as a gift."
"Don't. Let these people take care of it."
"Dakila!" Sinagtala raises his voice. I look at him. What kind of monster is it that warrants this reaction?
"We can't do that, Dakila," Isagani assists Sinagtala. "Even our trained hunters die just by making it flee. These people will certainly die if they attempt to slay it."
"Then, let them do what the Hunters had always done before. They need to make it flee."
"May I ask what is this monster?" Aian asks.
"It's a—"
"Surprise." Dakila cuts Isagani off. "Challenges such as this are supposed to be secret. You will know tomorrow."
After the meeting, each of the workgroup leaders fetches us and tells us that they will be watching us the whole night to ensure that no one will tell us what kind of monster we will face the next day.