Luwalhati

Chapter 1: Aurorum

Unfathomable vastness of the native Ifugao, rice terraces ameliorate the landscape. Traditions are ceremonial and each Ifugao child reared to transpire as significant conferrer to their respective clans. Burgeoning sons to menfolk as befitting protectours and maturing daughters to imminent child-bearers. Yet, common lineament to the entirety, all villagers commits implanting on the terraces. Awhile, mumbaki priests are at helms of invoking geotic umbras. As tribes forgather outside in tending to thons elevating rice leas, the convenances procreate indisputable homage to nature that bestows irrigation to their homologous parcel of arables; the Muyongs, scilicet as the bundles of agrestal forestry atop graven mountainsides, are holiest to the Ifugaos of indigenous beginnings. Utmost ponderous of clustered rice echelon is one situated that borders the main hamlet. The Ifugaos none forswears for such notable Muyong is deemed as most sacred. Indeed, their ingrained beliefs are incarnated. Whereas, above toiling tribes and beyond physical planes of evergreens and the ethological, unearths a veiled haven. Terrene rooted for the land to marry the sky. This cabalistic existence is enshrined Biringan. A kingdom swayed by an adorned lakan over her subjects: of creophagous aswangs, egregious kapres, gulling tikbalangs and coaxingly engkantos; equivalently: onomatopoeic tiyanaks, miry syokoys, scutterful duwendes and plethora of other-kind halimaws. Miscreations are often illustrations in common man's figment; although, these indwellers are tributary to be entitled as Biringanons. The reigning Lakan Dumagat has scioned three progenies, binal sons and tertiary, a daughter of sole. Datu Batucan respires to be oldest. Courtly and esteemed, he pertains literal to prospective commander in every aspect of his upbringing. Notably, the segregated principality and its subjects abide his orders mislaid of any determent. Absquatulating aside moreover, an order being farcical; whichever, the datu ofttimes causes aplenty. The second heir bore is Datu Gumabon. Indifferent to his kinship, he is of libertarian principle. Recurrent solicitousness nearabout immediate to him, the minor datu compensates with his ardent disposition that adhering Biringanons appraise as compelling. He is uttermost prevalent amongst the three progenies. Vestigial in the midst of forenamed princelings, the freshest spring floret and onliest daughter of the lakan is titled Mutya Luwalhati. Eighteenth binomial harvests imbued periodically in the wake of her nativity. Notwithstanding vilipend of her inured privilege, she frequents ensconce apart from her other relations and the public; her reticence is staggering. Passing seventeen annual cycles, she still wary from generous gatherings social in denomination. Attributed as outcast by brotherly cognates, she houses herself often in sovereign acreage; relative than, consorting beside other beings of halimawage descent. The subjects reciprocates congruous affinity towards their solitary princess. They findeth her most endearing; she possesses beckoning of surfaces from the realm in absolute undeterred by her lack of aplomb. The preponderance of Biringanons perceives her as callow cognate comparable to an incipient rice grain; she ushers in the inclination despite her deficient and discernible affirmation of patulous gratitude in the bestowed moniker. Her mother Dumagat, in conjunction, holds dear Mutya Luwalhati in absolute pinnacle; whence, contentions befall the fated heirs, the lakan overtly stands with Luwalhati. She is her principal parapet in all discords. She will always be her beloved. One day, all was clarion in the kingdom of Biringan until Lakan Dumagat called upon her three children. Sheer message of earnest is in impending delivery for her successors forthright. She announces her departure from the living world soon. Her children bare myriad of reagency from the bad tidings of the reigning lakan. The most apparent departed from Mutya Luwalhati, who adoreth her mother inordinately. The trigonous aftercomers request for the lakan's conclusion of her inevitable foreordination. She conveys to her progenitures of her trenchant empathy; akin at the time of the previous lakan, their father. His apprehension wast well guaranteed towards his fate prevailing at life's antipodal edge. Henceforth, Dumagat ordered for the following doctrine to be conducted. The time of 'The Choosing' has come, or of native tongue by the many, 'Ang Itinakda'. All three are subservient, genuflection in spite of detrude-bound and forthwith discern what their lakan was dispatching onwardly.