She could feel their eyes peel the insecurities off her skin. It wasn’t their fault, of course. Beauty such as hers demanded attention and the stage was where she could shed all pretenses and be the genuine soul that her beloved audience could adore.
Sparks danced around her bare arms as she started the first chorus. The others of her kind didn’t want too much attention to be brought upon themselves, they would rather stay locked away in Biringan, but Amihan had enough of their rules made out of fear.
It was time for the third verse: “If I knew how much I loved you I would have stayed. But time takes too much time. I’m left looking at the past, waiting for my future to begin.” The crowd cheered as she belted the high G. It was sonic ecstasy, nothing could ruin this moment.
Nothing except what was pricking at her skin. It came from across the audience, the unmistakable scent of magic in the air. Amihan was caught off guard and rushed through the bridge, the band struggled to catch up but they managed to finish the song.
Amihan dashed to her dressing room, her assistant not too far behind. Already they could hear the audience demanding an encore, they would have to wait. There were more important matters that she had to attend to.
“I’ve been waiting for you.” Amihan locked the door behind her. Jesa, her long suffering assistant would have to suffer a little longer as Amihan ignored the pounding on the door.
“You stole my idea.” Bukad stared her down. The smell of sweet summer flowers surrounded the dressing room. Amihan remembered where Bukad’s name came from, how the spirit’s would travel and stop by the flowerbeds to scatter their scent through the mountains.
Amihan always hated the smell of flowers.
“You can’t own an idea.” Amihan pushed away her hair from her eyes. She collected every shred of contempt in her body and directed it towards Bukad.
“It was mine and you took it!” The girl moved forward. Violent winds started to crash through the dressing room.
Amihan yawned and shot a smile at her rival.
“Stop with the parlor tricks. We both know you’re not strong enough to challenge me.” A streak of wind shot through the room and connected with Bukad’s arm. Spirits such as they did not bleed like humans, but the air that coursed through her leaked from her wound.
Bukad started to laugh and Amihan felt her skin crackle. There was something new in the air, something old.
“I won’t leave here until I get what is mine!” Bukad took out a small jewel and pointed it towards Amihan.
“Where did you get that!?” Amihan knew what it was, a jewel of power fiercely guarded by the bantay. There was no way Bukad would have been strong enough to fight one, let alone know how to channel her magic through the jewel.
They were both floating now., the winds in the room loud and violent enough to drown out even Jesa’s shouts.
Even against the onslaught Amihan would not back down. She was the one that ran away from their city and went to the human lands. She was the one that remade herself into an icon that was adored by millions. She was the one that deserved to be adored.
Bukad’s eyes started to glow with an unearthly light, the same color as the jewel. The smell of flowers was thick, Amihan almost felt like vomiting from the stench.
“You were the one that stayed in Biringan!” Amihan shouted through the gale.
“I was going to leave, but they wouldn’t let me!” Bukad answered back.
“That’s you’re problem! You were the one that let them tell you what to do!” Amihan braced herself against the small hurricane coming from Bukad. She felt the wind cut against her flesh, but the pain didn’t matter. “You were the one who let your dreams die!”
“No! It’s your fault! I told you my plan! How I would go to the human lands and use my magic to make them love me! You stole my life!” Tears were streaming down Bukad’s face as her winds strengthened.
“Take responsibility for what you did!” Amihan inched closer to the jewel. She stretched out her arms and put her hands around the glowing orb. “I did what you couldn’t do! I listened to myself! Time takes too much time!”
Amihan felt the power of the jewel coursing through her veins. She also felt Bukad through the power of the jewel. There was so much envy, so much pain that Amihan had no time for. This was her life. This was her moment.
Bukad’s power lay in the scattering of the sweet summer scent, but Amihan’s was the force of the typhoon. She stared into Bukad’s tear stained eyes and gave one last look of pity.
“This was never yours to begin with.”
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Jesa’s hands were painful from beating against the door. It had already been 25 minutes and the audience still demanded an encore. Amihan had certain peculiarities, but she would never leave a crowd waiting.
And the noise coming from her dressing room seemed to be the speakers turned to full. It was as if she was purposely trying to avoid the world.
Jesa was paid very well to make sure things were running smoothly and tonight would be no exception. The audience would get their encore even if Jesa had to drag her by the hair.
Jesa mustered all her might and kicked the door. It fell unceremoniously and Jesa stared into a dressing room that looked like it was struck by a bomb. There was an unconscious girl in the middle of the room and Amihan was just standing there, staring at her.
“Ma’am… The audience…”
“Oh, they still want an encore? Alright let me just get this.”
Jesa watched as Amihan took a small glowing object from the girl’s hand and put it in her pocket.
“Be a dear and have this cleaned up. I had a visit from an old friend.”
Amihan brushed Jesa aside and walked towards the stage, practicing the lyrics to her encore.
“Hmmm mmm…. Looking at the past. Hmmmm…. Waitingfor my future to begin…”
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Written by Karl Gaverza
Copyright © Karl Gaverza
Inspired by the Digkusanon legends from Western Visayas
Digkusanon Illustration by Kurt Prieto
Behance: https://www.behance.net/
Watercolor by Catherine Chiu
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