Where the rice rice terraces rise like a stairway to heaven lived a man named Aliguyun. He was a warrior, swift, sure, and strong in the use of the spear. As a boy Aliguyun learned the skills of warfare, Amtalan, a warrior. Aliguyun’s first battledfield was the hard earth beside his house. His first weapon was the top. His first battle was with the boys of his village when they gathered to spin their tops. Aliguyun wound his top and threw it. Spinning, darting, and attacking with sure forced, Aliguyun’s top broke and split every top that was thrown against it. He never lost.Aliguyun’s father brought out other talents in his son. He learned to sing the stories of the great warriors in the village. Knowing the prayers by heart, these men breathed to heaven for strength and constancy. He learned the secret words of power that the priest of his people use from ancient times to ask for divine help.
Alinguyun’s father instille in him courage and fortitude tom prepare him for battle with his lifelong enemy, Pangaiwan, who lived several hills and warrioras in his village and together they traveled to meet his father’s enemy. He was Dinogayan, a son of Pangaiwan, who raised him to meet his enemy, Amtalan, Aliguyun father.
Warriors themselves by now, the sons of warrior met. Their battled field was a wide terrace beneath the village hills. Others rose around them, green and fair with blossoming rice. Aliguyun held his spear behind a shield of hard wood and buffalo skin. Quickly and sureky, he tipped the shaft with a blade. Slim as arice sprout, the dart precise, the blade glistened in the sun as Al;iguyun raised his spear above his head. He twirled the spear, then hurled it. It cleft the air swiftly, flying toward Dinogayan’s heart.
Aliguyun was amazed. “Amtalan’s son is so skillful,” he exclaimed. Around him, the spectors-men and warriors and maidens of the village-heard the words of admirarion.
Dinogayan twirled the spear above his head, then hurled it back to Aliguyun’. It was so swift, so straight. With eyes sharp and quick, hard was swift too. He caught spear in the air with his palm.
The spear flew back and flew forth between the warriors, their eyes darting to and fro as the spear flew back and forth him deep!” the maidens cried. “Dinogayan, son of Pangaiwan, shoot him strike him down.Early in the morning, the sun warmed the warriors in combat. At high noon, it seard them. Going down the sky to hide behind the hills, the sun sparkled red on the flying blade. The fight went on, day after day, as the sun rose and set. The warriors laid the rice stalks low. They leaped from terrace, sped down the vlillage slopes and climbed them again. They fell to the riverbed, catching the spear among the reeds.
Hiss, humm, hiss hiss, humm- the song of the spear rose, bounding from the terrace and bouncing from the hilltops. Aliguyun threw, Dinogayan caught. Dinogayan threw, Aliguyun caught. In the sun, the blade, the blade, slender like a rice sprout, glittered; the dart, precise, threw off sparks like oil fire.
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