CHAPTER 1

"Being a great man is being a great ruler."

In the South Eastern part of the world a baby boy was born. He has dark hair as dark as night and blue eyes as bright as the sun. Truly, features befitting of a king. Their tribe's scrolls describe him even before he was born. But the future is blurry, is he going to be a good king or the king who will bring downfall to the kingdom?

His name? HARI

Join his adventures as he unravels the secret of the world, and his journey to be known as the greatest king!

***

KING'S SUN

{HARING ARAW}

Year 1881

KINGDOM OF SUN

It is a sunny day in the Kingdom of Sun in the south east, a prosperous kingdom where people worship the sun and its power. The gentle heat of the sun settled upon the hundred acres of rice crops where farmers are harvesting. Their brown skin illuminated the raise of the sun, and sweat continues to pour down their forehead.

"It is a really good day today, mahal." a lady in her forties said, looking at the sky in the middle of a muddy field.

"Have you heard, mahal? Dayang Maya is supposed to give birth today." the lady's husband said while holding the carabao and its plow.

"Really? I have no idea. I've been busy preparing our son for school everyday, I have no way to know the news." the lady stated and got back with harvesting rice.

"Lakan is already big enough to prepare himself for school, mahal." the man said.

"Anyway, I hope for the Rajah to have a son now. All these years Dayang Maya only gave birth to daughters." the lady suddenly change the subject.

"Don't talk like that about the binukots, what if someone heard you. You know that the Rajah love his daughters dearly, you will not be spared." the husband hush his wife immediately.

"Okay Okay. I understand, but if she gave birth to a boy. I wish it will be the one in the prophecy."

"I wish so too. If so, our kingdom will be even more prosperous."

___

A baby's cry can be heard from the palace walls. Heavy breathing of a woman.

"It's boy! Dayang Maya, you gave birth to a boy! A prince is born." the royal doctor happily announced.

Dayang Maya smiled wearily and held her arms towards the baby. After the royal doctor cleaned the baby, she immediately hands the baby over the Dayang.

"Mahal! Maya! are you okay?" Rajah Lakas barge into the room and rush into his wife.

"Yes mahal, I'm okay. Look at our son, he is so small." the Dayang smiled at her husband.

"You're so wonderful Maya." Rajah Lakas muttered.

They both look at the baby. The small child open its eyes for the first time only then that gasp is the only sound that can be heard from the room.

"I-I will call the elder Babaylan immediately! this is a great news!" the royal doctor rush out of the room and out of the palace towards the Elder Babaylan's chambers.

"Tala! Tala! the child of the sun has been born! The prophecy came true!" the royal doctor said screaming while continuously knocking to the elder shaman's door.

The shaman immediately stops her chanting but continued again muttering the words..."Bathala please guide him to the miserable life that awaits him."

According to the prophecy that has been pass down from the eldest babaylan's to the next. A child will be born with eyes as bright as the sun, he will be greatly love and will bring a thousand riches to the kingdom. He will be the greatest king the kingdom will have, and this is the things the kingdom knows about the birth of the king.

But what the people and the royal family didn't know is that there will be a great suffering and death that awaits the kingdom.

{A king will be born, but only after he suffers the most in the hands of those who resent him and his kingdom.}

After the elder prayed for the longest time in her life, she stood up from her knees and got out of the chamber. She looks at the royal doctor, and with a serious face uttered the words, "Bring me to the royal chamber."

"Will do, Elder Babaylan."

___

Rajah Lakas and Dayang Maya is happily playing with their newborn son.

"What do you want to call him mahal?" Dayang Maya ask her husband.

"How about Hari?" the Rajah smiled brightly.

"Hari. A perfect name for the future king." Dayang Maya muttered, her eyes' glowing even more with happiness.

Not knowing that, that happiness will end abruptly when the elder Babaylan knock on the door.

-TO BE CONTINUED

MAHAL - LOVE

RAJAH - KING OR CHIEF

DAYANG - QUEEN

LAKAS - STRENGTH

MAYA - A LOCAL BIRD IN THE PHILIPPINES

BABAYLAN - A SHAMAN CAN EITHER BE A WOMAN OR A MAN, COMMONLY A WOMAN (associated with spiris and religion)

BATHALA - GOD (COUNTER PART OF ZUES IN FILIPINO MYTHOLOGY)

BINUKOT – PRINCESS