Chapter 1: Makhaira
Under a night sky filled with dancing fairies and a moon that looked like Saturn with two stars revolving around it lays an archipelago. From far afield, the archipelago that resembles the halo of an angel sings to the hymn of a festival music. The rhythm is composed of flutes, oboes, piccolos, clarinets, drums, and other instrument mixed together to produce Ravel’s Bolero and the singing and laughing and dancing of everyone enveloped the land. In the middle of the festival, a fair maiden wearing a long white sleeveless dress is dancing in a ballet maneuvering with swan like steps as the lights focused on her silky long bloody-red hair. Her slender limbs fly across the stage with her smile that imprisons everyone that watches her. Her every motion is delicate as like thwarting her feathers from falling apart. Men and women from every direction admire her feat and follow her moves with their eyes. The festivity ended with a flowery roar in the night sky. The fairies dances around the fireworks and present the town people a superb endowment. It rained gold and silver. Another bounty year for all as they say.
The maiden with a long bloody-red hair bowed and went back stage as the festival ended. She walked elegantly down the stairs. Two cloaked figures took her hand and assist her way out of the crowd. The taller figure handed her a long white cloak and helped her wear it. The figure received a very warm smile in return. The three walked along the alleyway. They went deeper and deeper in the inside until they reached a dead end. The shorter figure took an orb like object from his pocket and pressed it in the wall. The wall gave way and another path opened. Along the path, a luminous forest enveloped them. Enormous grasses that looked like a tail of a killer whale swaying back and forth, spiral trees with fruits that looks like pearls are shining like fluorescent bulbs and flowers of different kind purring with the unseen creatures that hide behind it. The three continued to walk until they reached a river of fireflies. Again, the shorter figure took the orb from his pocket and let it levitate in his right palm. The figure blew a gentle breathe to the orb and the orb started to revolve around him. Then the orb act on it’s own and went to the maiden. The maiden chuckled and copied the shorter figure’s recent actions. And the same thing happened to the taller figure as well. Afterwards, the orb disappeared and the fireflies dispersed. The moment the fireflies disappeared, another trail opened for them. This time, three tall, bony humanoid creatures with disproportionately long limbs that have the head and feet of a horse and a body of a human being glanced their way. One of the humanoid looking horses that is sitting on some boulders and chatting with each other stand up and walked in two feet toward them.
“Do you want some tea first? Or do you prefer to….” But the smaller figure interrupted,
“Tigbalan are not to offer us human anything. We’re heading straight home.”
The Tigbalan said nothing more. The two other Tigbalan walked to them and positioned them in a normal horse posture.
The taller figure assisted the maiden get up in one of the Tigbalan,
“eh, we’re goin’ home already?” the maiden said,
“Can’t we…”
But then the shorter figure stared at her shoddily. “You already had your fun didn’t you?” then the shorter figure prance the Tigbalan for it to move forward. The maiden bit her lips in awe.
“Let it go Eloise,” said the taller figure as he helped himself up the Tigbalan.
“I’m sorry to make you work this late Capiz,” then the figure stroked Capiz, the Tigbalan’s mane.
“No worries! To serve the one who defeated me is my top most priority.” Capiz, the Tigbalan said.
“Melo!!” Eloise frowned and hugged the Tigbalan that she’s riding, “Orlan, I won’t make you work on you holidays ever again!” and Orlan, Eloise’s Tigbalan just laughed. “Shall we head out now Abel?” Eloise asked the taller figure named Abel.
