The Capture of Haraya Marikit

When the passages of the lands of Sansinukob was finally fixed, the lands torn asunder were
granted to the remaining men, dwendes and engkantos. The Covenant between the three races
was witnessed by Ashen Asariel, the second sister of the Biridali. The races took an oath and
sworn through blood and bone, through soil and toil, and through leaves and trees that the
covenant must be upheld. A collective curse was placed by the Biridali, all races must watch
their own, and all who violated must be punished by their own. The Covenant, which will later
be known as the Covenant of the Sister second reads:
For ancient is the soil,
Old is their toil,
The dwendes of old,
Shall have the lands and all that grows
They shall wage no war to claim a land their own,
but everything that becomes old,
shall return to their fold

Biringan and Coguition,

The ancient homelands, of leaves and trees
The Engkantos shall have and rule
These kingdoms shall be pure
With a bounty of rice and gold
As long as the highest fair shall never leave their domain
Any man or creature of old that shall enter their homes
Shall never leave once they tasted their fruits.

Their race was born late

It’s their race that the shapers gifted
The lands where their cities stood,
Domains which they will offer their blood and bone
Shall be theirs from now on, until their bones
Are ashes, to wit, to the soil must return

Men, Dwendes, and Engkantos are forever to hold

This oath shall bind the men in blood and bone
The Engkantos in leaves and trees, and
The Dwendes in soil and toil.
May the Endless Oathbringer put an end
To whoever may violate this
Severed from the mainland, the Engkantos were isolated from the beauty of the Sansinukob.
The trees that were grown by the Dwendes and the High Halls created by Men. Dinglasan, the
7th High Queen of Coguiton and Biringan talked to her counsellors on how they can reach
Sansinukob without incurring the wrath of the Oathbringer. ‘My Queen, the Dalakitnon are
always answerable to your throne and they will loyally do your bidding. Anything from
Sansinukob can be delivered here in your court’ said Gituloc of Coguition. ‘Master Gituloc, you
speak of the truth that anything I want can be mine through the Dalakitnon, but, I want to be
there, to step in the halls of Isabella, and to feel the roughness of the Narra tree’ said the High
Queen. ‘But my Queen, even if it is possible, your absence in the throne will wither the plains of
Biringan and empty the mines of Coguiton. I fear that I might go against this dream’ said
Gituloc. What succeeded was an eerie silence, Gituloc tensed on how the Queen might react
and so as other counsellors. The court whitewashed with marbles, with walls painted in gold of
scenes depicting the history of the Engkantos, the throne that was pure black with decorations
of branches, leaves, and the Balete Tree stood proudly in a dais with nine steps. The queen
closed her eyes and sighed. She was about to wave her hand to dismissed everyone but
Manamara, a daughter of an engkanto and a mambabarang appeared before her court.
Manamara was a Halfling, many counsellors detest her presence, but pride in the Engkanto
blood prevented the court to banishing her entirely. Gituloc raised from his seat and shouted at
Manamara ‘how did a witch, confined to the fields of Negros appear here’. ‘I am here because
the Fair Queen needs me’ said Manamara. ‘The wisdom of the counsellors are enough to satisfy
the Queen, you have no place here witch’ said Gituloc. Manamara’s expression was without
fear, and even talking she did not meet the eyes of Gituloc, her eyes were fixed to the High
Queen, Dinglasan met her eyes and was intently curious. Gituloc was still rumbling words of
discontent and curses until the Queen raised her hand that silenced the counsellor. ‘Halfling,
you said you came because I need you, tell me how do you get me to Sansinukob without
bringing the wrath of the Oathbringer’ said Dinglasan. Manamara stepped further to the dais to
that caused murmurings from the counsellors but Dinglasan maintained her eyes fixed to the
Halfling, Manamara stopped and the ninth step of the dais closest to the Queen. Manamara
knelt ‘My Queen, the Covenant prevents you to leave the cities for you are the source of its life,
but it is only your body that was prevented. None in the covenant states that your thoughts and
spirit may not leave your throne’ said Manamara. ‘Blasphemy!’ shouted Gituloc. ‘The body and
spirit are bound, it is a gift from Maylika, and no one can break the gift’. ‘Hush, master
counsellor, I do not offer to severe gives from the gods, but only to use another god to help us’
said Manamara. ‘Dinglasan stood from her throne, but Manamara seemed unfazed, the High
Queen stood tall and was looking down at Manamara. ‘Halfling, how do you suppose our
prayers will be answered by the gods, we are cursed, the Engkantos cannot call gods’
Manamara stepped further to come closer to the Queen, she cupped her face and whisper to
her ‘A Halfling does not pray my Queen, but we have other ways to talk to gods’.
‘The plan will send the Engkantos into further demise Dinglasan, you should seek wisdom in all
this. Capturing the lady of dreams? Are you mad? And this woman, this Halfling you speak off.
In what gods’ power can you capture an Endless? Much more enslave her and command it to
do your bidding?’ said Dintala. ‘Father, Manamara, the Halfling is a powerful one, she is born of
a powerful mambabarang of Kasanaan. Her ancient sorcery is powerful to conjur magic capable
of summoning or even capturing a god. I’ve seen her do it, even your powerful consellors were
petrified by the spell she had performed before the court’ said Dinglasan. Dintala bit his tongue
before he can explode into anger. His temper was one of the reason that he abdicated the
throne in favour of his daughter, he clenched his fist to stop any word that he may utter in
anger. He fixed his eyes to his daughter, and admire her beauty, a beauty that will be the envy
of gods and will cause wars among the kings of men. ‘Okay, you are the High Queen, as your
father I will tell my daughter to content herself in the beauty of the two cities, but as a
counsellor to the Queen, your word is the law, and I will follow’ said Dintala. Dinglasan
managed a half smile while his father bowed and left the room.
Manamara entered the room dressed in gray dress that radiated a forlorn air across the
Queen’s room. She approached the Queen but was stopped before she can get near. ‘The next
time you come near me like you did in the throne room, it is you that will be encased in that
glass prison’ said Dinglasan. Manamara smirked, ignored the comment and produced a glass
globe from her pocket and presented it to the Queen. ‘The prison is complete, Biringan and
Coguiton will align in the next cycle, you must be ready my Queen, only through a pure
Engkanto can the sealing work’ said Manamara. ‘Remind me of what should I do again?’ said
Dinglasan. ‘On the next cycle, when the twin cities align, when Biringan is on top of Mt.
Maniolas while Coguiton is deep in the lakes of Kasanaan you must call the the Lady of Dreams
using her ancient name. She will appear before you and you shall offer her your most beautiful
dreamt that you can remember, and when she will touch the temple of your head you must
press this prison to her chest and she will be imprisoned. Using her power, you shall travel to
any creatures dream and allow your thoughts and spirit reach Sansinukob without breaking the
Covenant’ said Manamara.