Banting

The age of fathers: Binwangan

Kingdom of Binwangan

Magindusa declared his rule, and called himself Hari and established the Kingdom of Binwangan, from now till everlasting the sirenas will not hunt and scavenge. We will farm and build massive structures to the envy of the tambanukanos. A man can have as many wives but a wife cannot more than one man, for the sons and daughters belongs to the man. All man shall lead a life of hunting, fighting, and building. While the woman and mothers should farm, care the young, and serve the man. These I decree as the first and foremost rule of Binwangan, and kingdom ruled by a father and to be succeeded by a son.

Magindusa took Magindara as his wife and born him many sons and daughters. The daughters are neglected and while the sons are put into a pedestal. Oryol took allegiance and made the head of the farming of sisiklat, the highest position a woman may earn in Binwangan. Tala who refused to recognize Magindusa was imprisoned to a pearl, Agemem, was forced to reveal who was their father and eventually was chained into the cells of the Kingdom. Mapulon was tasked to seek for Lihangin, the all-father as Magindusa named him, while Dakawe was sent to Tubbataha to demand the tambanukanos surrender and recognition of the Kingdom of Binwangan and Magindusa as their king.

Mapulon never returned while Dakawe did with a severed right hand replaced with a shell. He said that the tambanukanos will not recognize a fish king, a pale fragile being who can be torn into pieces and fed to the fish. They will only recognize his kingdom if the sirenas can grow shells, severe their hands and grow claws instead. Magindusa, of course, was quick to anger and is about to order to assemble the army, but Magindara his measured wife suggested that if they cannot be threatened, maybe a recognition by marriage will merge their kingdoms. Magindusa is irritated but decided to abide by his suggestion, and he again sent Dakawe to the Tubbataha to convey the message.

Dakawe returned this time with his fins cut and replaced with corals in the shapes of a horn, he presented himself to the king and said. The tambanukanos will accept the marriage, but only if the maiden is of high name and is capable of birthing. Magindusa and Magindara seemed pleased, and the king was about to command the preparation of the most beautiful maiden in Binwangan but Dakawe cut the command and mentions the last condition. The maiden shall be married to the giant crab and bear his children until it is impossible for the maiden to give birth. These placed fear and disgust to Magindara but a smirk to Magindusa that he gave a declaration that shocked everyone. Agreed! Magindusa declare, prepare Agemem! If she can give birth to five beautiful children then she can definitely give birth to giant creatures. Prepare a party and deliver her to the tambanukanos immediately the king commanded. He threw his crown to Dakawe and ask him to remove his coral ears and placed it to the crown as he is about to be the king of Galatea and Banting the moment Agemem gave birth.

Magindusa grew impatient for he cannot wear his crown that is now decorated with the corals from Galatea. He shouted to his wife Magindusa and ask her to went directly to Tubbataha and see for herself if Agemem has given birth and ask the tambanukanos to give praise to him as their king and be ready to be summoned.

Magindara did not prepare a party but decided to disguise herself as a shelled creature and talk to ordinary tambanukanos, the creatures talk of a sirena who was ravaged and by the Tambakunawa (Giant Crab) and born many giant creatures. A giant sea serpent with scales as hard as the crab, giant manta rays, giant turtles, and other hideous combination of creatures. They also tell stories of a King with no shell, who will be shred into pieces by the tamabanukanos and will be fed into the fish once all the creatures are born.

Shaken with fear she rushed back to Binwangan to tell his wife about the plans of the Tambanukano and they should start moving away to establish a kingdom far away from where they cannot be found and leave in harmony. Magindusa was insulted by the suggestion, he is a man and a father, and the suggestion of a woman is cowardice and should be detested in the kingdom. He placed his crown into his head and ordered to assemble the army and prepare an attack, all the men gladly followed while the women wept.

Magindusa and his army presented themselves in the gates of Tubbataha which is now fashioned with pearls that defeat the grandeur of his court. This infuriates him and shouted Lying shell creatures it is time to honor your promise and bow down to your true king, open these gates and kneel so that you may live! There was an eerie silence and Magindusa can see that he is not taken seriously, he was about to command the attack when the gates open. But instead of a messenger that will kneel, a giant serpent with eyes as black as the deeps, with horns of corals and scales made of shells that cannot be penetrated presented himself. The sirenas were about to scramble when the serpent began to speak, saying 'I am the Bakunawa, the child of the Tambanukawa and Agemem your queen and creator, I am your real king bow down to me and you shall be my honored slaves'. Magindusa felt a rush of his blood and commanded the attack, a wrong and miscalculated moved before his armies can reach the Bakunawa, giant creatures swarmed from behind and disseminated half of his army that caused fear and hopelessness, many of the sirenas were about to kneel but Magindara intervened. 'Bakunawa, let us prevent more bloodshed let us divide this world, Galatea is yours and the tambanukano and the Banting is for the sirena, and if you will return Agemem, Binwangan will swear never to attack Tubbataha'. The Bakunawa replies 'Keep your Banting, Galatea, and Agemem remains and we will not destroy you here'. Before Magindara can reply, Magindusa quickly agreed and retreated fast.

*****

Agemem ravaged and hopeless lies helplessly cradled by the sounds of fighting and roaring outside, out of a sudden, the giant clam, Taklobo, one of her child from the Tambakunawa, ask her to get inside the clam. He promises to protect her and will never open her mouth unless Agemem commanded. When the Giant Crab returned to ravage Agemem again, she was gone and even if he tried repeatedly to open the clam, it is too strong, even with the help of his children, the Bakunawa, Minokawa, and all other giants Taklobo will never budge. Angry and dismayed, Tambakunawa lifted the clam and thrown it to a dark place in the Galatea deeps that even the Tambanukano cannot reach.

Magindusa's defeat eroded his rule, many sirena left Binwangan and decide to swim away and establish small kingdoms independent of the kingdom. The king succumbed to madness and commanded his loyal followers to hunt and kill these traitors, these pushed more sirenas to go further out of sight of Binwangan soldiers. And these continued for a long time, that those who lived near were either killed or enslaved, while those who survived are those wise enough to swim to a place where no sirena dares swim, the way is up, towards the sky. The shallows.