CHAPTER SEVEN
🧚 "Sugo ng Diwata" (Envoy of the Diwata)
~ Other info ~
The province of Pangasinan is located in the west-central part of the island of Luzon in the Philippines. It is part of the Ilocos Region. Pangasinan is bordered by the provinces of La Union and Benguet to the north, Nueva Vizcaya and Nueva Ecija to the east, and Zambales and Tarlac to the south.
The people of Pangasinan (Totoon Pangasinan) are called Pangasinan, or in the Spanish-derived term, "Pangasinense," or simply "from Pangasinan." Pangasinan is currently the fifth most populous province in the Philippines.
It is divided into four cities: Alaminos, Urdaneta, Dagupan, and San Carlos, and is composed of 44 municipalities in the entire province.
The next morning, the young Erik was still a captive in the Siklaon camp, located in the middle of the forest.
The people in the area woke up early for their training sessions held outside the huts. You could see the men wrestling or exercising. This was preparation for the attack that Siklaon was planning to launch on the town three days from now.
The attack was planned by Alfredo to coincide with a grand celebration organized by the Spaniards in the town.
Meanwhile, inside one of the huts, Alfredo and the other members of Siklaon were eating breakfast together at a table. This included Erik, the newest member, whom Alfredo had forcibly inducted into the group.
The young man was quiet and unresponsive, perhaps because everything was new to him, and he knew nothing about their planning, or maybe he simply didn't know what to say because he couldn't understand their words. They were speaking Pangasinan with each other, so Erik couldn't follow the conversation to offer an opinion or suggestion.
Inside that room, they were discussing the steps and plans to take place three days from now. Alfredo also introduced his companions in the room as the group's officials who were counted on for every task, except for one woman who was separated from them. She remained silent, not joining the conversation, and was yawning in her chair, seemingly uninterested in the group's discussion.
She looked at Erik, causing their eyes to meet, and the woman caught him staring at her. The young man quickly averted his gaze to another part of the house, apparently embarrassed.
~ Erik's Point of View ~
I can't figure out how I ended up in this situation. I'm just a normal kid, but now I'm part of a rebel group fighting the Spaniards.
I'm losing my mind... I have no hope, and maybe in the next few days, I'll be one of those shot by the Guardia Civil.
But do I have a choice?
I don't know if I can refuse his offer and what they might do to me if I say I don't want to be like them.
Alfredo's treatment of me still hasn't changed; he is kind and considerate of my condition because of my head wound. He constantly gives me food and attends to me, as if I were a guest in their camp.
I asked him why he brought me with him to the camp. He knew I couldn't do or contribute anything to his supposed liberation of Urdaneta.
His only answer was that he liked me because I was a good person and "ignorant." He laughed when he said that, but he also mentioned that he was truly impressed that I dared to defy the Spaniards so boldly.
"I saw the courage in your eyes, and you're willing to fight for what you believe is right. I can't explain it, but you strengthened my resolve to continue our goal against the Spaniards."
He confessed that he had been afraid and hesitant many times due to the fear of what might happen to them if they took a risk.
The words came directly from his mouth:
"Sometimes, it's also good to be ignorant and clueless about things," he said.
He was referring to my brave confrontation with the Spaniards, something Alfredo had never managed to do while in the city. He recounted that if you fight the Spaniards or argue with their children, you have to prepare yourself for punishment and the suffering of being jailed for a few days at the precinct.
Even if you didn't hurt them, it was easy for them to fabricate a story, and the Guardia Civil would immediately believe it.
The truth is, I did those things because I didn't know the rules and system of the city, and I thought I had the right to complain. But if I had known early on what I might suffer at the hands of the Spaniards, I probably would have just kept quiet.
The law in the city is a joke—that's how Alfredo described the governance of the officials in Urdaneta.
He was calling for a change that could only be achieved if Filipinos themselves led their own town.
I mentioned to him again the fact that I couldn't help in the fight since I was just a kid and didn't know how to fight. He only smiled at me and said the words:
"Don't be afraid. Everything will be alright because we will succeed with the help of Siklaon."
At that moment, I asked him if he was serious about what he said last night—that the giant tree outside would be used to defeat the Spaniards in the upcoming battle. He immediately answered, and just like last night, he insisted that the tree was a guardian.
"I know it's hard to believe, but what I'm telling you about Siklaon is true."
Alfredo suddenly smiled, knowing I didn't believe what he was saying. To convince me, he invited me to step out of the house we were in.
"It's better if we go out so you can understand better."
Carrying a cup of coffee, Alfredo went out the door first and called for me to follow. I stood up to follow him, and at the same time, I noticed the woman following me out of the room as well.
She was the one in the room with us but hadn't spoken to her companions in Siklaon while they were planning. When she stood up from her chair, I saw her entire appearance. She was wearing only a white dress and was barefoot. Her black hair was long, reaching her waist, and what surprised me most were the markings on her face and body. I initially thought they were the symbol of the Siklaon group, but upon closer inspection, she was the only one in the group with such marks.
I don't know, maybe she came from an indigenous Pangasinan tribe or perhaps it was a family tradition, but I didn't try to talk to her since she just silently stared at me. So I just left the room to follow Alfredo.
As the two of us stepped outside, Alfredo immediately called us down from the house. Alfredo pointed to the trees around and spoke:
"Do you see those? They are the living disciples of the diwata (nature spirit) Ada Siklaon, who takes care of our town," Alfredo said.
I became even more curious about what Alfredo was trying to tell me, so I just continued to listen to what he had to say at that moment.
"It's a bit complicated, but perhaps you'll understand better if I start by telling you a legend," he said, smiling.
At that time, he was recounting a legend about diwatas that I only used to hear from the elders in our area.
In the old days, when the gods left the earth and settled in a better place, they created the first beings in the world. These were the Primary Diwatas, who were given lands by the god to inhabit and guard.
They were special because they possessed certain qualities and powers that could be likened to the gods. The great creator allowed them to possess powers similar to his own so that these diwatas could further beautify the world they were leaving behind.
Among the first beings in the world, there was a unique Diwata whom the god favored because of her natural vibrancy and excellence in some things that he didn't often see in the other diwatas.
Her behavior was very different; she loved to celebrate and was childlike. She was the very last Diwata the god created millions of years after their departure from the world as their home.
Before long, this diwata wished to have land in the world the gods had left, just like the other diwatas, so she would have a place to live and play.
It was here that the god caused volcanoes beneath the sea to erupt, raising a strangely shaped land from the very bottom. This land was given by the god to this Diwata as a gift to their so-called youngest child.
This land was abundant in minerals, fertile soil, healthy animals, and various types of sea creatures that she could use. This land was so blessed with natural resources from God, a fruit of his love for this diwata.
Alfredo pointed out that the land he mentioned in the story was the country of the Philippines, millions of years ago, before humans existed on earth.
Diwatas live for billions of years, and one of their habits is that they can rest for an incredibly long time when they get tired or bored with the millions of years spent awake in the world.
They have slept and woken up many times over the countless years they have been in the world until they noticed that their land was changing and being destroyed by calamities and other things they were unaware of due to their sleep.
So, to ensure their lands were cared for while they slept, they created beings like themselves whose duty was to protect every area in the entire land they owned.
In short, the powerful diwata who owned the Philippines created guardians of the land, and according to Alfredo, one of the Guardian Diwatas created by the Primary Diwata was Ada Siklaon. The one who guards the province of Pangasinan.
Here, I asked him again why the diwata Ada Siklaon he was talking about was a tree. "Is your diwata really a tree?"
He laughed at that moment and jokingly told me to let him finish the story.
"That tree is merely a gift from the diwata to the town of Urdaneta so that it can be watched over and so that someone can defend the Filipinos in times of need," he said.
Continuing his story, he mentioned again that the diwatas possessed powers granted to them by their creator so they could protect the land entrusted to them.
The Diwatas are awake for more than a thousand years, a shorter period than the Primary Diwatas can last. Therefore, to have someone watch over the land entrusted to them by the Primary Diwata while they slept, they searched for people who could replace them as guardians of the land.
"In short, they also needed to find a guardian when they took a rest for more than a thousand years," Alfredo said.
Those people are called "Sugo ng mga Diwata" (Envoys of the Diwatas). They are the chosen ones to guard the land owned by the Primary Diwata. The selection of Sugo takes place whenever the diwatas sense danger for their land.
He faced me and smiled again while saying:
"I am one of them. I am "Tayog," one of the Sugo ng diwata of the province of Pangasinan, Ada Siklaon, and my mission is to protect the town of Urdaneta, which is now held by the Spaniards."
I was shocked and couldn't believe what I heard. I couldn't say anything at that moment, perhaps because I was not fully convinced by what Alfredo had told me, which sounded like a fantasy story you'd read in books.
All I could do was stare at him. Even the woman with me was just yawning, seemingly uncaring about our discussion. Silence filled the place, and Alfredo seemed to be waiting for my reaction and comment about what he had said.
Due to my silence, Alfredo realized that I still didn't believe his story, so he thought of a way to convince me.
"Words aren't enough to make you believe, then. I'll just show you," he said.
At that moment, Alfredo stepped away from us. He was muttering words that weren't clear to my hearing, but one thing completely shocked me: with every step he took on the ground, a green aura seemed to emanate from his body.
I could clearly see it because of the daylight. I could not be mistaken about the amazing thing I was witnessing.
I felt a presence from it, as if a faint electricity was spreading through my body. I don't know if it was because I was afraid of what I was seeing or if it was a natural human sensation.
The green light surrounded him, gradually enveloping his body like a creeping vine. His entire body was covered from head to toe, and his form slowly began to transform into a light in the shape of a person.
The light seemed to be chased by the wind, gradually disappearing from Alfredo's body. As that happened, I witnessed a change in my friend's body.
Wait...
Alfredo?
~ End of PoV ~
As the light that enveloped the young man, Alfredo, vanished, his appearance and clothing changed.
Alfredo's previous appearance was gone; it was as if someone else had replaced him. He was muscular and had short green hair with brown tips on each strand. He was wearing a dark brown suit with a green crystal on his chest, like a superhero in a show.
He faced them and smiled.
"What do you think of my look? Do I look cool now?" he said.
Erik couldn't believe what he saw and witnessed in his friend's transformation right before him. He could only gape, unable to speak, as he stared at every part of his body.
"Wait, is that really you, Alfredo?" he asked.
"This is just one of the costumes Ada Siklaon gave me. I'm going to show you something even more amazing," he said, smiling.
He produced a dagger made of wood with a green crystal at its tip. He quickly went to a nearby tree and plunged the weapon he was holding into it.
His body was covered in a green aura, and as he plunged the dagger into the tree, hundreds of vines sprouted from the body of the tree facing the young man. At that moment, he was pulled inside the tree's body, as if merging with it.
Erik clearly saw the gradual change in the tree's form, as if it was shaping into a monster. Its leaves disappeared, consumed by the branches that were merging into the monster's body. Erik could only step backward, looking up at Alfredo's gradually growing body.
Erik tripped while stepping backward, both from shock and the colossal tree in front of him, and was intimidated by its frightening face.
"W-w-what happened to Alfredo?" Erik said.
Alfredo had become a 30-foot tall tree monster. It had large arms like a human's, which served as its branches.
"H-h-he's a monster, he-he-he became a monster," Erik stammered, pointing at Alfredo.
"D-d-did you see? He became a tree," he asked the woman with them, pointing at the monster.
The woman didn't answer him. She was just standing with her hands on her hips, looking up at the giant monster in front of them, but unlike Erik, who was utterly surprised, she showed no reaction, as if seeing such a thing was normal.
"If that's the case, then that's the power of the Sugo ng Diwata of Pangasinan," the woman said.
A strong wind hit them there, loosening her deep black hair as green leaves scattered around them, carried by the wind. She looked at him and suddenly smiled at the young man.
At that moment, the young man suddenly recalled something that puzzled him.
"I think I've seen her somewhere," he whispered to himself.
Erik didn't know why the scene felt familiar to him, especially the young woman's smile. His full attention was on her, and he couldn't take his eyes off her, trying hard to recall the faint memories that were surfacing in his mind.
She stretched her body, yawned, and suddenly asked him for a favor. She requested him to show her the power he possessed.
"I can feel the presence of one of the diwatas inside you. I want you to show it to me," she said seriously.
Erik was speechless, surprised and puzzled by the favor the woman with them asked. He didn't know why the young woman said that to someone like him, as if she was implying that Erik was also one of the chosen Sugo referred to in Alfredo's legend.
"W-wh-what are y-ou saying?"
The woman sighed and seemed disappointed in him as she mentioned the young man's ignorance about being a Sugo. But she reiterated it to Erik and clarified that just like his friend Alfredo, he also possessed the right to use the diwata's power.
"Huh?! Me? A Sugo ng Diwata?" Erik asked.
Puzzlement was evident on the young man's face, so the woman realized that he truly knew nothing about the Sugo, which was why he reacted that way every time the diwatas were mentioned.
The woman suddenly turned her back, seemingly losing interest in talking to Erik as she told him that the young man wouldn't be able to unite with the diwata's power until he recognized her as his diwata and served her with complete loyalty.
"I won't gain anything if you can't do that."
Erik remained seated on the ground, watching the weird woman walk away. While this was happening, Alfredo returned to his original form and quickly approached his friend.
Because Erik was preoccupied with talking to the woman, he didn't notice the gigantic monster disappearing earlier. He only heard his friend calling him as he approached.
As he got closer, he extended his hand to Erik to help his friend stand up.
Erik accepted it to get back on his feet and thanked him, even though his mind was still distracted by what the woman had told him.
"Oh, why? Ah, I know. Maybe you were so shocked by what I showed you that you're just staring blankly," Alfredo said.
"Haha, it's okay. You can praise me and worship the great Tayog," he boasted.
"Showed?" Erik asked.
They suddenly stared at each other and fell silent for a moment, as if waiting for each other's next reaction. At this, Alfredo just smiled as usual and mentioned his Diwata Sugo status again. A moment later, Erik yelled at him, suddenly remembering Alfredo's transformation into a giant monster.
"Ahhh!!!! Yes, right! Y-y-you, how did you become a giant tree monster?" he replied.
"Hehe, why is your surprise so weird?" he asked playfully.
"You know, I expected you to be extremely shocked and impressed with me, but you don't seem interested in what you saw. It's disappointing," he added.
Erik immediately explained to his friend so he wouldn't feel bad, saying that he was truly shocked and amazed by what he showed him.
He quickly mentioned the strange behavior of the woman who was with them, which diverted his attention and made him forget his shock at Alfredo's power.
In the middle of Erik's frantic explanation, Alfredo suddenly went silent. He simply scratched his head, looking puzzled by what Erik was telling him. He immediately stopped him from speaking and asked the young man:
"Wait, Erik, what woman are you referring to?" Alfredo asked.
"Huh?! What do you mean who? She's been with us this whole time," he replied.
Alfredo didn't respond to what he said, remaining puzzled, as if he had never known the woman who came out of the house with them.
Erik quickly described the woman's appearance so his friend would remember her identity, as Erik insisted she was a member of Siklaon because she was inside with them.
Alfredo suddenly grabbed Erik's shoulders to stop him from talking and said seriously:
"I'm sorry, Erik, but I don't recall a companion with that appearance, and besides, there have only been two of us together since earlier," Alfredo said.
Erik was utterly shocked, his eyes wide, unable to believe what Alfredo had said.
He couldn't tell if his friend was joking or if he was genuinely serious that he didn't know they had a woman with them. He knew he had seen and spoken to that woman, but he doubted if she was a real person because he realized that since earlier, he seemed to be the only one noticing her. Now, the thought crossed his mind that the woman he spoke to might be a lost soul in that forest.
"Huh?!" was the only reply the young man could muster.
~ End of Chapters ~