Nowhere in the World: Chapter 3

Chapter 3:

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Dawn came with a vengeance. The village was still asleep when it happened and they were caught unaware, this was the intent of the intruders who had spied on them from the forest, having discovered the small tribe quite by accident when they went in search for a missing child of their clan that had aimlessly wandered into the thick woods.

The golden people’s village crier had seen them coming and had given out the warning before a spear caught him on the shoulder. That one cry was enough to alert the entire village of the intruders, but these invaders came prepared with burning torches and an array of weapons.

Soon, huts were set on fire, clanging kris joined together with battle cries.

The old and the children were sent to hide for safety but the able-bodied women remained to salvage the burning nipa huts by throwing water from the river over the flames. They worked in rhythm, passing jars and leather skins, anything that could hold water, and showering the still controllable fire, while the men protected them from harm.

Araya swiped at a burning torch thrown in the air, slicing it in half, before it could reach the walls of the healing hut. Two maidens were still inside with the girl, Libang was also busy fending off attackers from the other side of the hut and he was nearer to the entrance than Araya was.

He saw one man balance and aim a spear at his occupied brother, and with no time to warn him , Araya jumped for Libang, causing the two of them to fall from the whizzing lance. It completely missed them, they were unharmed, but their tumble caused the enemy to gain entrance to the healing hut. Three had managed to get in before Araya and Libang held back the others.

Araya swore under his breath when he heard the maidens’ screams before another sound came it altogether, followed by a long period of silence.

Strange sounds and unfamiliar noises slowly infiltrate into her muddle dreams – dreams that didn’t make sense, like rippling water but in an array of colors that blended and then went down one flow. The distinct sound of screams jolted her thoughts back to consciousness, not as quickly as she had wanted for the noises were rather disturbing to her senses.

Higeno tried to open her eyes but found them too heavy a task and attempted to call out.

Okasan…

She tried to speak the first person that came to mind but found her voice silent, although she felt her lips move slightly.

She felt so numb… heavy… and lethargic…

Trying to make sense of where she was, or what happened last, Higeno was rather distracted at feeling her back was a little stiff and straight. It wasn’t uncomfortable, just a new sensation… was she lying down?

A jolting nudge on whatever she was lying on confirmed that she was definitely on her back against something. It was also enough to jerk her awake to full consciousness.

Here sights focused on blurry images… a wooden ceiling with dried leaves close together, burning torches, an array of beads and brightly pattern cloth materials against the walls, bamboo chairs and tables, strange straw mats everywhere, clay jars — and a man advancing towards two cowering women, one of them glaring defiantly.

Not taking time to register the events occurring around her, Higeno took hold of a potted plant,  slightly heavy with earth and a small fern and, without thinking, raised it over the unwary man’s head, smashed it down hard.

She barely grabbed hold of a second jar when another one came bursting in…

He cursed, dispatching his opponent and with a signal at Libang entered the hut where he nearly tripped and fell over a fallen man just a few distance from the entryway to the sleeping girl’s room, a broken pot near his head. He could see shadows moving, but not enough to decipher who owned it.

He charged in, halted by the open doorway and saw the two maidens huddled on one corner. The shadows that moved about connected to one foe, and the other one to the supposedly still sleeping girl. The katre separated her from the man whose back was turned towards Araya. They were assessing who would move first when Balo, eyes widening, found him standing there.

“Kuya Araya!” She cried out to him desperately.

At the sound of her call, the assailant turned, surprised to find him there and raised his kris in attack. Araya dodged, catching him by the shoulder and shoved him against the door frames of the entryway, drew his dagger and plunged the smaller blade on the man’s back.

When he turned he nearly jumped back in alarm when the girl raised a heavy jar to throw at him when Balo hadn’t suddenly leaped up and held her back.

Surprised eyes turned to look down at Balo, the jar hovering overhead.

“Balo!” Araya called out.

“No! It’s alright, he’s with us!” She exclaimed to the bewildered girl who glanced from Balo to Araya and then back again, her brows furrowing in confusion. “He won’t hurt us.”

The hands that held firm to the clay jar slowly lowered. Libang came inside at that moment, not yet noticing the undertakings in the room when he suddenly appeared beside Araya.

“Araya, I got rid of the other one, what of the others—” He finally noticed the befuddled look on Araya’s face and turned to look inside, his dark golden eyebrows rose up in surprised when he saw the dark haired one hugging onto a jar and eyeing him in warily. “She has awakened!”

She was confused.

They were talking in a weird language she never heard of. She should be alarmed but one of the girls who had been hunched at the corner had jumped and stopped her from doing any damage to these two new intruders.

The way she was talking to them gave Higeno the impression that these two men were friends, not like the one whose skull she must have cracked under that impact.

Thinking of her action a little earlier, Higeno glanced at the fallen man.

She didn’t know what had made her do it, she wasn’t even sure if he would ever wake up. She couldn’t understand what was being said, or what the commotion was all about outside, or what was happening. 

She didn’t know what the hell was going on!