Pulaco's warrior serfs rounded every Chi'n on the deck that surrendered. But he was still unsatisfied with the result of the skirmish. After all, it was avoidable. The chief of Mandawili sighed.

  "Still not enough," he said as he surveyed the aftermath, looking for someone. Someone who should've known this would happen but didn't do what was right.

  When the numbers came, it only validated his thoughts– a quarter of the Chi'ns died and six warrior serf bit the mud. He'll have to talk to their families and tell them how they fought and died like baganis. Such a waste. A handful of his men were seriously injured too but the healers could mend them. Or if not, then the babaylan would. All in all, it was a victory for the Mandawilians. A small success, but Pulaco thought differently.

  "This could've been avoided, " the datu said. He could've spared more lives. He observed their captives and finally spotted what he was looking for. "You there," he called out one of the Daragangan warrior, one of the twins. They looked exactly alike for him to really know who was who.

  "Untie that one." He pointed at one of the Chi'ns kneeling in the middle of the ship's deck. The front part of the foreigner's head was bald while the other half had hair long enough to be tied into a knot, his face was scarred and wrinkled like a pale tobacco leaf. The Daragangan untied him with his dagger. The Chi'n spat a vile curse at him. He gave the datu a nasty look, massaging his raw wrist.

  "Is that more convenient for you, captain?" Pulaco said. The narrow-eyed Chi'n raised his brows in surprise. There was no chance for the native leader to know who he really was but somehow he still caught him as he tried to hide in plain sight. His surprise turned to anger a few moments later.

  "We came here to trade! Not to be slaughtered!" he said. He tried to stand using one of the crates beside him but the blunt end of Mingming's spear struck his side and kept him on his knees.

  "Don't do anything stupid," Mingming whispered.

  Pulaco raised a hand to ward Mingming off.

  "You said you came here to trade?" the datu said to the Chi'n as he walked towards him. "Maybe you should change the manner of how you conduct your business." The chief leaned closer towards the man. "Because raining arrows on your possible customers isn't exactly a good business practice."

  Pulaco's men laughed but he didn't share their glee.

  "Did my brother told you to never sail on this part of the sea?" He sighed. "Did he warn your lot that this place is off limits?"

  The Chi'n scowled. "Your not the king of San-hsii, savage fool. You are not the Makaporos nga Datuk! You are not leader of all!"

  Pulaco looked him in the eye. "I'm not? Then, why do you kneel in front of me?"

  The man hissed. "You think, we'll let you do this to us without retaliation? You attacked us unprovoked just like a brigand would. You'll surely pay for this, savage! It'll be just a matter of time."

  "Your threats are empty." Pulaco looked down on him. "I already spoke my piece months ago. Trade somewhere else. Go far north or south just not here. It'll be best for the both of us."

  "You don't own this route. We've already paid tribute to one of you. This is piracy! We don't have anything to pay you anymore." He hissed in anger. "You greedy scums can go to hell. You can't just attack us! We're under Opon Matan's protection," snarled the Chi'n captain.

  "Under Opon Matan's protection?" Pulaco turned to Lam and Mingming, both shook their head in reply. "And you already paid tribute?"

  The Chi'n captain smiled baring all his teeth. "Yes, to one of your honorable chieftain."

  "What're you saying?" Mingming gave him a menacing look but the man only eyed him with disdain.

  "Honorable chieftain?" Pulaco said, disappointment clear in his tone. He heard of rumors before that someone amongst his fellow datu were conniving with the outsiders. But hearing it with his own ears was still a shock. He cleared his mind as to what this betrayal implied. He must know who it was. But first, he had to find out why someone would do this. "And what did you pay him for tribute?" the chieftain said.

  "Ah, simple... Of course, I paid him enough metal ore, poppies, silk and wine to drown himself twice over."

  "And that was enough for him?" Pulaco's face turned from angry-red to furious-white in no time.

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  "More than enough. I'd even say it's...." The Chi'n captain stood and took one of the crate's lid. "Enough to keep his greedy hands off my goods."

  Mingming moved to manhandle the man but Pulaco waved him off for the second time.

  The Chi'n smiled. "Yes... Enough to let us pass these route with a couple of this!" He raised and aimed a double flatbow towards Pulaco and pulled the trigger. It was so fast that almost none of the people on the deck saw it coming. Almost...

  Pulaco's instinct took over as he spun to catch the arrow with his shield. With a violent crack, it broke the shaft upon impact, sending the kalasag itself away from his hands. The datu staggered and fell on the deck from the sudden motion, face flushed and shield-less. So, the opportunistic Chi'n captain quickly aimed to fire another shot at the vulnerable man, a smile forming on his dry, cracked lips.

  "Savage fool!" he screamed.

  He could've ended the tyrant chief with another shot– another arrow, but Mingming's spear already went through the back of his head before he could unleash the deadly blow. Mingming growled, seeing the keen weapon halt on the man's gaping mouth like the devils lolling tongue– its sharp tip stained red with blood. And just like that the Chi'n captain was dead.

  ***

  Lam walked towards the dead man, giant sword resting in his shoulder. "Well, that shut his mouth up."

  He dabbed a finger on the drop of blood from the dead Chi'n and rubbed it to his thumb. After all these years his curiosity about the blood running in his veins never ceased. He'd been covered with it. Sometimes it was just his but most of the time it was someone else's. It didn't smell like copper like most people say, it had its own distinct smell. Sticky and red.

  Underneath it all, no matter what skin color one may have, no matter what place we call home we're all the same inside, he thought. We're all equal in a way.

  "The most precious thing a man could ever have isn't gold or any treasure... it's actually that red stuff," Pulaco said, disappointment clear in his tone. "Unfortunately few people know that."

  "Truer than the truth," Lam-ag whispered, addressing no one in particular.

  He pointed his sword at one of the warrior serf. The warrior's face began to whiten, thick sweat formed to rivulets in his temple. "You, go and find a rope and tie the rest. Let's not skewer another one."

  Mingming and Pulaco walked over the wooden crates and opened a couple. Their contents were all the same weapons coupled with their own projectiles. All were of high-quality and it was evident from the craftsmanship that they all came from the Middle Kingdom. The waylander joined the two bagani.

  "What is it?" Lam said.

  Mingming turned to him. "Flatbows, flatbows everywhere!"

  "What do we do with this?" Lam-ag asked, aiming one of the flatbow from left to right.

  Everyone in his vicinity winced and shifted to avoid him. He gave it a funny look. It was light weight, well oiled. A new design from the Chi'n's country? Perhaps. He tried to examine it more but accidentally clicked the flatbow's trigger.

  "Abba's balls, look out!" he said as its arrow blurred and whistled in the air.

  Mingming ducked down to avoid it. "You crazy waylander!" He stood up and stared at the arrow half embedded on the ship's mast, or what was left of it. "Sheeesh man, we're on the same side. You almost had my head there." Mingming dusted himself. "There's only two things to do, we either use it or burn it. And I say we use it." Both him and Lam turned to Pulaco.

  "No, we'll keep it away from anyone," said Pulaco.

  "What? Why?" Mingming's face was veiled in disbelief.

  Pulaco closed the lid of one of the crates. "We already offended Halang and probably his father by extension today. Let's avoid insulting the honorable datu even more."

  Mingming sighed, eyes full of hostility. "When I told you I wanted to protect our village... I meant it! I'm willing to die and fight for all the Mandawilians. Going easy on our foes is the wrong thing to do." He pointed at the dead Chi'n captain. "These trespassers don't deserve freedom. They deserve to be an example for others that'll follow them."

  "Yes." Pulaco nodded. "When you also said you'll respect and obey me as your leader I knew you were sincere too. We don't need to make this much worse." Pulaco pointed at the dead Chi'ns sprawled on the deck, eyes fixed on Mingming. "We already made ourselves clear and that's enough. You're a protector not a murderer, Ming. There's time for war and there's also time for forgiveness and understanding."

  "If you say it like that then okay...okay, you win." Mingming agreed grudgingly.

  Lam-ag shook his head. "I kinda don't agree with it Pulaco. Do you plan on returning this to our 'would be' enemies? It's not even theirs to have. Halang would see your earlier actions as an insult and use these against us."

  "I'll surrender it back to Zullah. Or maybe offer it to him as a gesture of peace and friendship. But I'll do it right after his and Halang's temper and glaring noses subside," Pulaco said. "We don't want them as enemies.

  Mingming shook his head. "So, we'll take our time. And pray to the devatas that these men do the right thing? I hope we don't regret this decision of yours."

  "This is the way we protect Mandawili and the whole of Opon Matan... With our allies. With the datus who call it home."

  "Wait... wait, did I hear it right? You insulted the little rat princeling?" Mingming smiled at Pulaco. "Didn't expect for Halang to wear down your legendary patience this fast. Guess, I missed a lot of things this morning."

  "We simply disagreed on things." Pulaco sheathed his sword. "Brother, find a place for these things and make sure no one finds it."

  "Yeah, yeah I know just the right place," Mingming said. "But are you sure about this?"

  "Yes, and free the rest of the crew. Let them return to their homes with the knowledge that we don't condone uninvited incursions here. Especially those with the intention to peddle useless things or this..." He held on one of the flatbow. "Things are complicated as it is. We don't want to worsen what we have now. And one more thing Ming, make sure our men get themselves properly mended. And see to it that the families of those who died today get the aid they need. They're the real heroes. They're the one's who sacrificed so much."

  "Back to the Middle Kingdom then," Mingming said as he stared at the captured Chi'ns.

  "Yes, back to their homes," Pulaco agreed as he patted Lam on the shoulder. "Let's go, we have a lot to prepare for your wedding. But before all that, we hunt..."