Barboza saw his men's arrival between teary eyes. But the relief they brought was passing as the burning sensation from the red powder still numbed half his face. He cursed in silence. This was embarrassing. Then, he spat. He could still taste the tangy substance in his mouth. The only consolation was that he was sure it wasn't any poison he'd tasted before. He gagged a bit as he tried to induce himself into vomiting it out his system. It wasn't pleasant but it was necessary... just to be sure.

  He cursed one more time in frustration. Poison or not it didn't taste good. He spat again and wiped his lips. "Damn witch! What the hell was that?"

  Baraboza clicked his tongue, anger seething from his core. The fucking crone better start running, he thought, because he'll bring hell on her and make her pay the moment he gets his hands on her.

  But some immediate things had to be addressed first, Barboza signaled his men to circle the hard-faced indio that hacked off Mortez' head. He won't let the murderer escape. Killing one of them was inexcusable. Even if it was just Mortez. Barboza sighed heavily. He could not imagine the litany that Magalhaes would unleash if he informed him about this. So, it was decided, the native would die a most excruciating death in return for his murderous act. His men closed in on the native. But instead of fear, the man only stood in defiance between Kalipulako's daughter and Barboza. Apart from his ugly visage, the man was taller than most natives and tattoos covered the tawny man's bald pate like a circlet of thorns. Barboza cursed. The man's blade was still red with the sergeant's blood.

  "Who wants to go first?" Mingming cried but it only registered to Barboza's ears as gibberish nonsense.

  The captain of Victoria never bothered to learn any of the natives' tongue. It was never his interest nor his style to do such petty things. For him, all scholarly endeavor amounted to nothing in a fight. Well, unless if it was a book about sword fighting, he thought. Because you could always smash that to someone's head if they disagreed with you. He turned his attention to the shouting savage that hindered him from his price. "I don't like hearing your yammering you fool!" he said, eyes still teary.

  Barboza never liked the pot-bellied sergeant too. He was a foolish lapdog who hounded Fernao' all day long. A worthless man who used his rank to make his fellow men suffer. But Barboza knew how Magalhaes would react if he let this pass. He'd have another long and boring talk with the man himself. Again. He turned his sights on Mortez' head. Removing it from his neck didn't improve the man's features. And even in death the man still looked annoyingly obnoxious but an ounce of pity clung to the captain's heart. Someone he knows need some avenging and he was glad he could be of service. He took his canteen and washed the alchemical substance off his face and instant relief came a second later.

  "Thank the Virgin," he exclaimed.

  The savage spouted a series of curses that made Barboza hiss in irritation. He pocketed his canteen and walked as proud as Lucifer pass his men to face the newcomer who took the sergeant's head off. He needed to show his men how a real knight of Espa?a dueled against barbarians. He was also banking on the fact that if things go bad for him they could always overcome the indios by their numbers. He unsheathed his sword and took a provocato stance, eager to teach the indio a lesson in revenge.

  "Shall we begin?" he said, disdain clear in his tone. "Or do you prefer to shout it out and bore us to death?"

  The noisy savage, flanked by two shorter men took the bait as expected. While his fellow barbarians stayed to protect the young woman. The bald savage acknowledged Barboza with a simple nod and leaped with his sword like a rabid ape. Barboza slapped the barbarian's first strike away and counter-attacked. "Feisty little shit. You trying to catch me off guard?"

  The savage parried it awkwardly and back in forth they fought. The captain of Victoria dodged down from a fatal blow and smiled as the bald indio fell on his knees. The savage was strong, noted Barboza. But sadly he was only that and nothing more. So, the captain of Victoria lowered his garde, trying to bait the man in to a death trap. And the barbarian, without hesitation, tried to take his head off with one brutal swing.

  Barboza sniggered. "Nice swing! But your aim's off." Then, Captain Barboza parried a thrust and struck back with fury. He was sure that it would end the man. But the indio used the flat of his sword to shield himself.

  The captain circled around him, trying to find an opening to strike. He smiled as he found one. So, he made his move. A thrust of his sword graced the native's shoulder and another strike nicked the savage's forearm but instead of discouraging the indio it only made him more reckless as he attacked the captain of Victoria like a fiend.

  "Give me a fucking break!" the captain said as he side stepped the indio.

  The man staggered a bit as he tried to halt his momentum. He then turned and clubbed Barboza with the hilt of his sword. The pale foreigner almost fell on his knees but regained his stance just in time to defend himself against the native's next attack. Barboza tried to gain his composure back but the overwhelming attack of the savage came from weird angles and as soon as he tried to create space between them the man would just leap and close the distance. But the wiley captain noticed something.

  "Tiring right?" he said, moving as far away as possible from the man's single-edged sword.

  It was now clear to see that the savage had difficulties pacing his attacks. He was all force and no thought. Seeing the savage slow down a bit, Barboza feinted and followed it up with a fist to the man's jaw. But the brute was a hardy man. Instead of hurting him, it only filled him with fury. The savage smiled as he shook his head.

  "Oh, fuck!" Barboza said as he realized something. It was the kind of smile only madmen wore. A very bad sign to see in a fight.

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  The captain of Victoria tried to trip the man over with his boot but the indio headbutted him even though he had his helmet on.

  "You fucking imbecile!" Barboza said as they both staggered away. The indio only laughed like a lunatic after seeing him hurt.

  Barboza shook his head to clear the cobwebs away. "I wish and hope you're ready to die." He gritted his teeth. "Because I'm gonna slice you to bits and feed you to the strays after this."

  The savage grunted in reply.

  Seeing it, Barboza raised his steel towards his enemy, an unspoken challenge only warriors could understand. "I changed my mind, I'll poke some holes all over you instead and burn your quartered remains."

  The bald ape only shook his head and lunged at Barboza. He started to swing his blade from awkward angles once again. The captain struggled to get out of the way from the native's pressure tactics. "You enjoying this?" he snarled at his stunned men to get their attention and their much needed help."You worthless runts!"

  One foolish soldier answered his call and tried to interfere in their duel but he was easily cut down by the berserking indio. He bled and died from a long gash on his sternum within seconds. His fellow soldiers all took a step back as the indio snarled at them, angered by the distraction that afforded his enemy a chance to get away. He turned his attention back to Barboza with fearsome rage, brandishing his baleful blade like a legendary bagani.

  The captain tried to back away from the hot-mad heathen's attack, but lost his footing when he stepped on Mortez' bloody head. A knowing dread was written on Barboza's face as he fell to the ground. The savage followed it with a punch in the gut and Barboza choked on a witty remark. He feinted to keep the savage away. It wasn't going well, he thought as rolled away from the indio's strike. His enemy's unorthodox attack and the lingering alchemical burn was too much even for a great swordsman like him. He turned his head and cried for his men's help, voice wavering a bit. It was time to go, he thought. It was the time to run!

  Mingming cut the pale man's cry off with a shriek of his own, "Daragangans!" Then, two dozen men came down from the hills on their right flank with spears and glinting kampilans.

  "Finally...you all really took your time." Mingming growled, trying to suppress the pain in his knee.

  No more running, he thought. No more chasing his enemy. He raised the kampilan that cut off one of the pale man's head that tried to hurt his niece. And all the Daragangan converged on their enemies. A panicked cry came from the leader of the silver-wrought men startled Ming as he joined his crew mates. Some of them were already scrambling up the slope, trying to escape their pending fate.

  "Cover our retreat! They're too many," Barboza said in his own tongue as he turned away with his tail in between his legs from Mingming and his Daragangans warriors.

  "Stop squealing and fight!" Mingming said, dumbfounded than usual. "Where are you running to? Fight me!" He gave a command to his Daragangan to rout the cowards, but witch fire from one of the pale men's weapon, a longer and leaner lantaka, stopped them in their tracks.

  A pale man even aimed for the Daragangan leader's head, but fear from the fury-driven warrior overcame his nerves and instead he missed and struck the serf on Mingming's right side.

  "Get down fools!," snarled Mingming."These lot are cowards!"

  The Daragangans all dropped down for cover as another volley erupted. But most of the pale men's shot were wild, hitting tree barks and roots as they ran from whence they came.

  Mingming told his men to stop their chase, exercising unexpected caution this time around. "Let them run. We've got better things to do." He inspected the serf's injury beside him. It was just a flesh wound. Nothing too serious. The man would probably die from his wife's nagging about it than the wound itself. "It's just a scrape." He faced the injured man who was in clear agony. "Look at them. You made them run. You should be proud," he said to the Daragangan, trying to console him.

  "They're just pale men who're too scared to finish what they started. They'll never win with their witch fire like the Magalos devils." Then the Daragangans finally joined his side, most of them panting, including Halang who had his front teeth punched off his face. Two serfs held him down with their brawny and unwavering arms. While Malaya's siblings, Hatano, Kugan and Anggo, the three oldest sons of Pulaco, followed close behind.

  "You all right, kids?" said Mingming.

  Hatano nodded. "We're all okay, uncle. We went straight to grandma's pavilion. The rest stayed." The young boy turned to his brothers. "We thought we could help you fight."

  Mingming smiled. "Brave like your father, eh?" He patted the three boys on the head. It was times like this that tested one's mettle. And the three boys were definitely braver than those pale men, Mingming thought.

  "You'll get your chance when you grow up. Now's not the time."

  Mingming turned and went to check his mother, genuine concern written on his face. "You okay ma?" He hugged her and propped her up. She gently pushed him off and gave him a warm smile. The old woman was tougher than she looked but age seemed to have won against her this time around.

  Manang Sabtano dusted herself. "I'm okay. Don't you worry about me...best you check my grand daughter first, son. I think she got the worse beating."

  Mingming turned and lifted Malaya off the ground. Pulaco's daughter opened her eyes as soon as he did so.

  "Uncle...," she said weakly. She place a hand on her temple.

  "You okay?" Mingming said, face still full of concern.

  Malaya nodded still a bit dizzy. She didn't look exactly fine but it was better than being unconscious, Mingming thought. And way much better than being dead.

  "Where's your father, Malaya? We need to tell him that Zullah's behind all this. He, Humabara and Halang planned this whole mess from the start. Where is Pulaco?"

  Malaya raised a hand and pointed at the direction of the Narrows.

  Manang Sabtano place a hand on Mingming's shoulder. "Go, child! Make Dumalaguit proud! Show them that you are your father's son. Save our datu!"

  Mingming turned his head and gave her mother a determined look. She rarely spoke of his late father. And when she did it was always how he could never outshine his old man. But hearing those words from her with utmost sincerity made him glad. Those words were both a challenge and a complement coming to her like that.

  "Pulaco needs you more than ever! Go and be swift for all our lives depend on you my son." Manang Sabtano said, her voice sounded less like a command and more like a plea.

  Mingming called the two Daragangans who guarded Malaya. "Escort them back to the pavilion. Protect them with your lives" He turned to her mother. "Are you sure it's okay for me to leave?"

  Manang Sabtano kissed him in the forehead. "I'll take care of her! I'll bring them to safety myself."

  Mingming nodded as he knelt down and placed Malaya on the grassy ground.

  "I'll undo this...," he whispered as he stood up. "I'll undo all of this." Then, the Daragangan leader turned to his warrior serfs, face unreadable. He raised a fist and they huddled closer to him. "Daragangans!" he looked every timawa in the eye. "This is the time to prove ourselves. This is your time for glory! Let us show these invaders how we Mandawilians fight!"

  All Daragangans cheered and howled, raising their spears and swords to the heavens. Mingming raised his blade with them. "Move like the wind! Our datu needs us!" And with that, He lead his Daragangans as they marched off to find their chieftain, Salip Pulaco...