A Para-fable (Complete Version)

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"Enter," Matang Lawin said when he heard a knock on the door of his study. Laoakan entered.

"You never cease to amaze me, master," the assistant said, "you stay up half the night preparing lessons then you are awake before the crack of dawn."

"What do you need, Laoakan? Is something wrong?"

"Nothing is wrong, nothing at all. In truth, today might just be the most fortunate day of my life," the assistant answered. He suddenly reached into his pocket and drew out a long kitchen knife and pointed the sharp end at the master.

"Come with me to the cellar, please."

Bagwis knew he would catch up with Lemuel and Mariquita within the hour. He had picked up their trail quite easily and the tracks he was following were fresh, no more than an hour or two old. He lifted the torch he was carrying to scan the horizon ahead of him, there was nothing there...just shadows cast by the cliffs of the plains. Suddenly, he heard a woman's scream and a wolf howl. Bagwis, the assassin, quickened his steps.

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"So tell me, Laoakan, after all this time, which temptation did you finally give in to?" Matang Lawin asked as he and the assistant made their way down to the cellars.

Laoakan was behind the old man, his knife inches away from the teacher's back.

"Don't you know, master? I thought you could read people's minds, hence, your name, the one with the eyes of a falcon," he sneered, "Money, master, it's always that, is it not? Of course, in this case, it is the lack of it."

Matang Lawin sighed. He did not want to believe what he had just heard; Laoakan had been with him and his brother, Magdalo, when they had first started the school and when the brothers had a falling out and Magdalo left, it was Laoakan who had stepped in to fill his brother's shoes.

"What do you intend to do, Laoakan?" the master asked.

"I want only what is due me, master."

"And what is that?"

"Everything."

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There was no escape! Lemuel thought that they could outrun the wolf, all he and Mariquita had to do was to reach the cliffs and climb up the lowest ledge, but that had been too steep for them to reach. Now they were trapped -- the beast blocked the way they had come through -- and all around them were the high cliffs of the Medero!

"Stay behind me, Mariquita...whatever happens, stay behind me," the governor's nephew said.

From their vantage point, all that Calmando and the hermit could see were two figures -- a man and a woman -- hemmed in by a large wolf. The beast kept weaving round the pair, snarling and baring his teeth. The man was shielding the woman from the animal, but it was clear that he was unarmed, except for a short walking stick. Magdalo was about to say how careless it was for the couple to venture into the Medero at night, but when he turned to Calmando, the farmer's son was already running down the path and towards the helpless pair.

The hermit shook his head and headed back to the warmth of the camp.

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Bagwis could clearly hear a wolf snarling and snapping its jaws. When he turned the clearing, he saw Lemuel and Mariquita trapped by the beast. He pushed the end of his torch down into the ground then reached for the spear that was strapped to his back. He had but the one spear...and only one chance to kill the wolf. He could not afford to miss. He took aim and hurled the lance.

It flew through the air, its supple tail making a swishing sound that cut through the silence of the night, but Bagwis had miscalculated. The spear struck the cliff wall and fell harmlessly between the wolf and its prey. Startled, the beast turned away from the two figures cowering under the ledge and turned to Bagwis. It started to run towards the assassin.

Bagwis pulled at the torch he had pushed into the ground, but it was buried too deep! He could hear the wolf panting as it closed in on him. He remembered the small dagger he kept in his cloak, he reached for it, but it was too late. The last things the assassin saw were the beast's red eyes and jagged teeth.

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Calmando heard the screams of pain as he ran towards the clearing.

The moment he realized that the two figures trapped by the wolf were his friends, Calmando had started running down the cliff. Now he could only hope that it was not Lemuel he could hear screaming. As he neared the bend, the screams suddenly stopped.

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"Is all this just greed, then, Laoakan?" Matang Lawin asked, as he and the assistant finally reached the cellars.

"Oh no, master, there is vengeance involved too, you know, and perhaps even a bit of self-preservation and -- envy, yes definitely envy. I thought that I would eventually run the school, but recent events have led me to think otherwise."

"Do you mean the death of the Lakan's son?"

"Yes, perhaps, but I meant the coming of the farmer's son. It was clear from the start that you looked at him differently, Matang Lawin, he could never do anything wrong in your eyes, while I -- I have lost your favor. I don't need the gift of prophecy to know that you have chosen him over me as your successor."

Laoakan could not mask the bitterness and jealousy in his voice.

The old teacher turned and looked at his assistant with sadness.

"Then I have been guilty of that sin twice. There was a time when I looked upon you the same way. I even took your word against my brother's."

Laoakan laughed.

"You know, master, your brother was always better at reading people than you. But I am grateful for your belief in me; it has, shall we say, paid great dividends."

"I shall ask again, Laoakan, what do you intend to do?"

"This!" the assistant said, as he thrust the knife deep into the old teacher's stomach.

Matang Lawin doubled over then fell forward. Laoakan knelt beside the fallen man and calmly wiped the bloodied knife on the fallen man's coat. He rummaged through the pockets until he found the teacher's seal. He stood up and started climbing the steps.

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Calmando reached Bagwis just as the wolf let go of the assassin's throat. The beast then turned and ran back to Lemuel and Mariquita.

The farmer's son knew there was nothing he could do for Bagwis, he ran past the lifeless body.

"It's Calmando!" Mariquita whispered.

Lemuel looked past the wolf snarling in front of them. He saw the farmer's son running towards them, sword in hand. He had to keep the beast's attention away from the fast-approaching figure. Lemuel started flailing his arms and shouting at the wolf!

Mariquita followed suit. The animal looked confused for a moment, then it started to snap its jaws at the two of them; suddenly it lunged and caught hold of Lemuel's sleeve, he felt the sharp teeth through the thick cloth.

The wolf started to pull him away from Mariquita and the ledge. He hit its snout three times with the walking stick but the beast would not let go; from the corner of his eye, he saw Mariquita run to the satchel he had dropped. She grabbed the bag and flung it at the wolf's head.

The beast let go of Lemuel's arm and turned, snarling, at the girl. Mariquita turned to run.

"Do not move, Mariquita," Calmando said softly behind her.

Holding his sword low with both hands, he stepped in front of her.

"As soon as it attacks, run out of this gorge, Mariquita, and up the path where I came out of. Do not argue, I have a friend waiting there."

The farmer's son could only hope that the hermit had not left and was still at the camp.

Suddenly, the beast gave a howl that echoed round the surrounding cliffs and lunged.

"Go!" Calmando ordered, raising his sword. Mariquita turned and ran.

"I'm sorry, Calmando," Mariquita whispered as she saw the farmer's son wince. She was cleaning his wounds as gently as she could, but the gashes the wolf's teeth and claws had left on his body were deep and she knew he was in pain.

"They look bad, but they're not serious, my dear," the hermit said, pouring hot water into a drinking cup. "Bloody and no doubt, painful, but superficial and very survivable, right, Calmando?" he added.

Calmando nodded to the old man, then turned and smiled gently at Mariquita.

"The hermit is right, Mariquita. Do what you must and I promise I will not move...nor wince."

The mayoress' daughter bit her lower lip and nodded. She dipped the small towel into the cup and then pressed it gently onto a deep wound on Calmando's arm.

True to his word, he did not move, although Mariquita could see the muscles beneath his skin tighten.

"Here, Mariquita, try a little of this salve, I think it's stopped my cut's bleeding," Lemuel said, handing a small bottle to Mariquita.

"One of Matang Lawin's concoctions, no doubt," the hermit said, stoking the fire.

"Actually, it's one of my own," Lemuel answered.

The hermit looked at the young man with interest.

"Really? Well, I hope you're better at mixing potions than at fighting wolves, my boy," Magdalo said, "What were the two of you doing out in the Medero, unarmed, at night?"

"We were looking for Calmando," the younger man answered, "we were in such a hurry to get away from Laoakan that we did not think of bringing any weapons."

"And we never really believed Laoakan's tall tales," Mariquita added.

"Now you know differently," the hermit said.

"That's enough, Magdalo," Calmando said, "we've all learned a lesson tonight and I'm sure no one here will dare venture into the Medero again, unprotected."

He turned to Mariquita.

"Thank you," he said softly.

Mariquita gently placed her hand over his. It was only for a moment, but Calmando felt that her gentle fingers had marked him even more deeply than the wolf.

Magdalo saw the look that the pair exchanged. He prodded the fire one more time with the stick, got up and turned to Lemuel.

"Come with me, sonny. We'd better make sure that the body of the poor soul we buried earlier is far from camp and safe enough from the scavengers of the desert," he held up a thin hand as Lemuel started to protest.

"The mate of that beast Calmando killed is sure to be out there, and believe me, boy, you don't want to mess with a she-wolf."

"I should go with them," the farmer's son said, as he and Mariquita watched the two men walk down the path.

Mariquita did not answer.

Instead, she took Calmando's hand and held it between hers. She could feel the calluses that years of working on the land had etched on it. She traced the ridges with one finger.

Calmando's hand trembled a little in her grasp.

For several minutes, there was only silence as the two figures sat before the fire. Finally, Mariquita lifted his hand, brought it to her lips and kissed the palm. Then she looked straight into his soul.

"I love you," she whispered.

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Laoakan held up the sheets of parchment to the candle.

He had searched the master's room from top to bottom, opened all the drawers in his wardrobe, even looked inside the bedclothes and under the bed, but he could not find the agreement between the Lakan and Matang Lawin. So, he decided to make some new ones, instead.

Matang Lawin's writing was flowing and it was difficult to copy, but the assistant had practiced it many times over for the past year. He studied the new documents carefully; satisfied, he placed one sheet on the desk, dripped melted wax over it and pressed the master's seal on the parchment. Now, all he needed was Lemuel's signature on the second parchment. He folded the letters carefully and hid them in his coat. After making sure that the knife was also tucked into his belt, the assistant walked to the door.

It was time to meet up with Bagwis. Laoakan hoped that the fool had not failed him again, he was beginning to outlive his usefulness. Laoakan had to get rid of him soon.

A faint smile formed on the assistant's thin lips; Reynante had actually done him a favor by dying: Laoakan never liked sharing anything...with anyone.

There was just one more thing left to do. He got hold of the candle and threw it at the curtains in the room. The tiny flame quickly grew and started greedily eating the thin material. Laoakan turned and fled.

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Magdalo wiped the soil from his hands as he stood over a freshly dug grave.

"It seems secure enough. What do you think?" he asked Lemuel.

The younger man did not answer right away. He stood beside the hermit, remembering how the assassin had died earlier that night.

Lemuel had not seen Bagwis for over two years, ever since the bully had been unceremoniously kicked out of the school. There was bad blood all around the day he left, the Lakan's nephew had known that they would cross paths once again, but he had not envisioned Bagwis giving up his life trying to save him and Mariquita.

Perhaps the assassin had not been such a terrible soul after all. Perhaps, like Lemuel and the rest of the students in the school, Bagwis had let his fear of the wily Laoakan get the better of him. Perhaps, if he had tried harder to be a friend to Bagwis...

"I wouldn't waste my time thinking about what might have been, my boy," Magdalo's voice was almost gentle, "there's nothing down that road but regret and, more often than not, danger. Take the man's sacrifice at face value, nothing more and nothing less."

"There was a time when I wished every ill thing in the world to fall upon Bagwis' head, Master Magdalo. But now, I can only hope that he has finally found what he was searching for in this life. Does that make me weak?"

Magdalo could hear the fear, the guilt and the uncertainty in the young man's voice.

The hermit shook his head.

"It has made you a man," Matang Lawin's brother said softly, "come, we should head back to camp."

Lemuel thanked the hermit and was about to turn, when he saw something glowing in the distance.

"Is that another camp-fire, Magdalo?" the governor's nephew asked.

The hermit looked to where the young man was pointing. The glow was definitely from a fire, but it was large -- too large to be campfire -- even from this distance. A sudden chill gripped him when he realized what lay in that direction.

So many emotions were going through Calmando, he wanted to shout for joy, dance like a fool, grovel like a beggar, but most of all, he wanted to take Mariquita in his arms and never let go.

"And I have loved you from the moment we met, Mariquita," he said, "but you have always known that, I think."

She shook her head slowly. Theirs was a special friendship, true, but she had not dared to hope that it was something more.

Morning would come soon enough and with it, the danger that they were all in. But he and Mariquita had these few hours before dawn to themselves. Calmando drew her closer.

"We have to turn back now! The school is on fire!" Lemuel shouted as he and the hermit ran up the path.

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Laoakan pulled the stallion he was riding to a stop. He had finally reached the cliffs at the edge of the Medero. He dismounted and looked back. Thick columns of black smoke were rising from the direction of the school.

"What a pity," he thought, "I'll have to rebuild everything from the bottom up."

He walked to the small donkey that was tethered to his mount. He reached into one of the saddlebags it carried and drew out the flask of whiskey. Perhaps the new Lakan could be persuaded to fund the reconstruction. He raised the flask to his lips and drank. He reached into his coat pocket and touched the parchments. Satisfied they were safe, he raised the flask to his lips and finished the remaining whiskey.

It was near noon by the time Calmando and his friends reached what was left of the school at the foothills of High Mountain. The main building and the two dormitories at its opposite ends were gone, only a few blackened posts were left standing amongst the ashes. The granaries and stables had fared better, as these stood quite a distance away from the school. Grasping Mariquita's small hand, the farmer's son approached the group of students who were huddled together, not far from the still-smoking ruins.

"Where is the Master?" he asked.

No one answered. He saw the looks the students exchanged, their eyes blank and glazed. Finally, one of them spoke.

"We do not know, Calmando, we tried to get to his room, but the smoke and the flames..." His voice trailed off.

The farmer's son felt the warmth from Mariquita's slender form as she edged closer to him, he tightened his grip on her hand, her touch was the only thing that felt real to him at that moment.

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Laoakan threw the empty flask over the cliff edge. It was past noon and it was clear that Bagwis was not coming. Had the fool failed, once more, or had something far worse befallen the younger man? Either way, Laoakan would have to complete his plans alone.

He swore under his breath, cursing Bagwis and his ineptitude. He kicked at a few small rocks, sending them flying and startling the two beasts beside him. Thrice more, he vented his anger this way. Spent, the assistant finally stopped and leaned against the little donkey.

He needed Lemuel and Mariquita, but where in the Medero were they?

He was about to vent his anger again when he saw the column of now grey smoke rising over the horizon. If he had seen the fire from where he was, perhaps Mariquita and Lemuel had seen it, too. They might have turned back and returned to the school.

He had to double back to make sure -- and if Calmando was with them...hmmm, even better, the assistant thought. He mounted the stallion and turned back to High Mountain.

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"What of Master Laoakan, has anyone seen him?" Lemuel asked the group of students.

This time, a young girl who belonged to Mariquita's class answered.

"I talked to him after evening meal and I think he went to the stables after that."

"You think?" Calmando said.

"I noticed that one of the long kitchen knives was missing and I was going to look for it when I met Master Laoakan in the hallway. He said he was on his way to feed the horses and he'd take care of looking for the knife, he told me to retire for the night. I was so tired, Calmando, that I did as he told me. I'm sorry if I cannot tell you more."

The young girl's voice trembled.

"You did nothing wrong, Mayumi," Mariquita assured the younger girl.

"What do we do, Calmando?" Lemuel asked.

Calmando did not answer at once. His only problem yesterday was how to face his father, but now...he looked at the ruins around them, he looked at the faces of the students and his friends...

"We will rebuild," he whispered, "let us salvage what we can from the burnt timber, anything that has not been totally burnt or destroyed might still be of some use," he turned to the mayoress' daughter.

"Mariquita, can you gather the other students together and start clearing up? You will have to go through the ruins and ashes. Start with the dormitories, it will be difficult and..."

She placed a finger across his lips.

"I survived a wolf attack last night out at the Medero, Calmando. This," she gestured at what was left of the school, "will not be hard at all."

"And if you find the Master's body..."

"I will send for you, Calmando," Mariquita said quietly.

He drew her closer and kissed her forehead.

"You will need more than just timber and concrete, Calmando," Magdalo said as he followed the farmer's son and Lemuel to the main building, "there are deeds and important documents that you must secure to present to the Lakan's officers if you intend to rebuild."

"Magdalo, surely you don't expect paper documents to have survived such a fire?" Lemuel said