THE KIDS AND I WERE PLAYING WITH THE IDEA OF CREATING A THREE-PART SAGA ABOUT A FICTIONAL ISLAND, AS A PART OF THE FOLIO WE'RE COMING OUT WITH BY JANUARY NEXT YEAR.
HERE IS THE PROLOGUE FOR BOOK ONE. Read on if you still got that child in you :)


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Ezuthyl
BOOK ONE
The Origins: Memoirs of Toshiro

In the beginning, there was darkness. And the Lord stood up and said, “Let there be light!” And there was light. On the day light was created, a firmament was made to delineate the light from the dark. And from there, many earths and many moons were created in alternation – some a part of the other, while others lived in perfect reciprocity with another. In the beginning, there was Ezuthyl.

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In the early days of the beginning, the seed of light was planted on the island’s fertile soil, bringing forth the four elements of life on Ezuthyl – fire, wind, water, earth. Oldest of the four elements was Pyrea, the daughter of light from whom sprung forth the first breed of Ezuthyl’s elementals. Born of fire, Pyreans thrive in the heat of the smoldering volcano of Ezuthyl, Canlaos. With their diamond-covered skin, they have magma flowing in their veins, and the will power to overcome atrocity inscribed in their hearts. They are naturally-born fire-starters.

Second eldest was Aureaus, son of the wind and sky. The most boastful of the four, Aureaus mastered the sky and created for him a breed that lived in the sky islands of Petroa. With invisible wings of air, Aureans hover and fly over the island of Ezuthyl with much gusto and egocentric balderdash that has made them one of the more despised elementals of the island. Living in columned castles in the sky, these winged beings have come to believe that they are the highest of the elementals in Ezuthyl.

Second to the youngest was Aquia. With her flowing hair and gentle touch, she sprung forth elementals that had intellect as their best weapon. Aquians are known for their telepathic powers, summoning both beasts and matter. Living in domes enclosed in bubbles under the sea, these elementals are the life of Ezuthyl, having powers that control all liquids surrounding and within the island, in the Sapian Seas.

Youngest of the brood was Tectonica. Known to be the most bullheaded of all, this elemental is known for his rock-hard abs and kind heart. Tectonicans are known to be the brawnier elementals, and the most down-to-earth of all. They occupy a greater part of the island’s rocky mountain ranges, with huts on top of giant red sequoias and prehensile abilities to use vines. Being the youngest of all the elementals, they are also the most technologically-advanced.

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PROFILES: AUREAUS

Ashka
Having the ability to muster weapons out of thin air literally, Ashka is the leader of the Aurean Troops. Trained in the way of combat, this telepath is known for his witty side-comments and stern decision-making. Ashka can create swords, wind blasts, whips and any other weapon by gathering gases that surround him and converting them into semi-solid objects in a split of a second. He is the master of the North Wind.

Navil
A weather wizard by birth, this elemental is second in command. He is known for his temperamental
outbursts often leading him to produce violent weather around him. Navil is a poet by heart, but a soldier by training; he controls rain, thunder and lightning, hale and snow, as well as the wind and mists. He is secretly in love with Mikan, and is the Master of the East Wind.

Nova Sky
He is the son of North Star, the current king of Petroa. His father thinks he is a weakling, since his power is mere teleportation, aside from the ability to hypnotize mass audiences (a power he inherited from his mother whom he did not know was Aquian), as compared to his cousin Ashka. He controls the West Wind.

Tora
The most playful and naughtiest of them all, Tora creates hurricanes that whisk away everything in her path. The sister of Navil, she takes pride in destroying families because of her temptress ways, although in reality she is afraid to fall in love because she cannot accept the fact that she has fallen for Tashi. She is the Mistress of the South Wind.

PROFILES: AQUIA

Yumi
Of all the Aquians, only Yumi has the power to control all liquid objects with her mind. Her hydro-kinesis was a gift from the council of elders of the Sapian Seas after graduating at the top of her class in the academy. Uptight and austere, Yumi uses her decision-making skills and heightened senses as she leads the Aquian Guards.

Tashi
The resident merman, Tashi can talk to marine life and ask help from them. He is the keeper of records, and the messenger of the Council. He is aware of Tora’s affection towards him, but despises her because Tora destroyed part of the seas where Tashi used to live – with his wife and children.

Karan
This telepath controls vapors in the atmosphere and can convert water to gaseous elements and then use this to create vapor blasts that either stun or slice through anything. The twin sister of Mikan, she is envious of her sister since she too has feelings for Navil.

Daio
A morpher, this Aquian can copy the looks, voice and mannerisms of any being. This she does by touching water and using the surface tension to envelope herself in a thin film which she then manipulates mentally to create the image of the being she is mimicking.

Mikan
The twin sister of Karan, she controls gaseous elements surrounding her and condenses these telepathically into solid ice. This she then manipulates into ice crystals, knives, blasts and, snowballs. When she holds hands with Karan, they combine they mental abilities to create powerful ice and vapor blasts. Mikan has a crush on Navil.

PROFILES: PYREA

Mitsuki
The daughter of Camros, the late king, Mitsuki is the queen-to-be of Pyrea but she denies herself of the crown because she wants to first make amends with Kimo, whom she was friends with during their childhood days. A pyro-kinetic, Mitsuki can craft weapons with a flick of a finger, and her favorite is the fire whip.

Kitsune
A trusted friend, bodyguard and a secret admirer of Mitsuki, Kitsune creates fire balls and explosions with his hands. A blacksmith by training, and a skilled marksman, he is a master of archery, and tips his arrows with fire blasts.

Kiere
The spriteliest of the team, this teenager is a fire dancer, mustering fire animals whenever she needs to defend herself. She is the bastion of joy, but the nastiest of enemies given her ability to produce countless beings at one time.

Tilah
The most hard-headed yet the most passionate of all Pyrean Legionnaires, Tilah can create fire storms with her fingertips. Often quiet, she is a songstress who mesmerizes men through her melodic voice. She has a thing for Kitsune, but stops herself from indulging into the feeling because she knows of Kitsune’s affection for Mitsuki.

Aru
The last of the Drakkos, a race of dragon morphers, Aru can shape-shift into a dragon and breathe fire. He is known for his hefty appetite, and his rambunctious humor. He is Kiere’s half-brother.

PROFILES: TECTONICA

Oona
A playful nymph by heart, yet a satyr by birth, he uses his abilities to control both flora and fauna to create fabulous flower arrangements, and dangerous Venus Flytraps. He calls on animals, birds and plants to do his bidding.

Kimo
Voluptuous as she is, Kimo has a heart of stone. She has the ability to transform parts or her whole body into highly crystallized pure granite. A skilled fighter wielding the sword, bow and arrow, and the spear, Kimo can also manipulate the molecular structure of anything she touches and turns them into stone. She holds a grudge against Mitsuki, after witnessing how Camros murdered her father, Achiean, during the Great Wars of Ezuthyl. She leads the Tectonican Army.

Damnun
A nocturnal being likened to a mole, Damnun has razor-sharp claws made of diamonds which he uses as a weapon and for digging holes underground. He is the most lovable of the Tectonican Soldiers.

Random
With the ability to create and mimic camouflage for him and whoever he touches, Random is the think-tank of these elementals. Combined with Kimo’s decisive moves and strategic plans, this second-in-command is a formidable ally. Random is also the head of the Tectonican Institute for Ballistics and Weaponry, and teaches freehand combat to kids during weekends.

Katrix
An orphaned child found by Oona in the forests of Ezuthyl, Katrix grew with a dark disposition in life. Blessed with the ability to create sonic blasts by clapping her hands, and shaking the ground with 9.0 magnitude earthquakes when she stomps violently on the ground, Katrix is a seven-year-old upstart who has more powers than she thinks she has.

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And the saga begins.

I got to realize a couple of things when I realized I was turning three decades old:

1. Have done so many bad things, I lost count.

2. Have seen things I shouldn't have, but glad I did since i'll be blind soon anyway.

3. Have made people laugh, cry, swear, grunt and run amock for no apparent reason. Glad I did.

4. Haven't achieved one life-goal: gaining a PhD. Pakshet.

5. Haven't grown older, just wiser. I think.

6. Have met people i never imagined I would. Great knowing you all.

7. Have loved, lost and found love. More than a couple of times.

8. Have sworn never to lose self-respect, and still lost it several times.

9. Have taken advantage and been taken advantaged of a couple of times - enjoyed every minute of it.

10. Have seen people at their best and worst. Happy I did.

How 'bout you?

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still here.
hey.

i has been ages since i dropped by this blog.
i hate myself for that.

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i wrote this poem for a cousin, who needs a filipino poem for his class.
the things i do for family LOL

minsan aking namamasdan
mga manggagawang pulos pawisan;
naghahakot, inuutusan
tagapaypay, taga-ugapay.

kasambahay, kargador
piyon, istibador.
sari-saring hanapbuhay
hanap paruo't parito ng pantawid-buhay.

masalimuot man, mahirap
buhay nila'y kay layo sa pngarap
trabaho nila'y taglay ang dangal
walang bahid-dungis ng hangal.

bawat butil ng pawis
sa lupa'y pumapatak
katumbas ay hapis ng pamilya,
luha, tawa't galak.

kaya't sa susunod na may makita ka
manggagawang aba't maralita
init at hirap binabata
ipaalala sa sariling maging sila

may karapatang umasa
na guminhawa.

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ineng was being naughty this afternoon while she ate pancit that i cooked.
she would ask for a spoonful, then barf them at the doorstep.

i called her attention, and said "gusto mo ng palo (you want some spanking)?"

she approached me all puppy-eyed and said "love lang ni daddy si carla ha (daddy would just love carla ha)?" that was the end of my bitch-fit. i burst into laughter. my daughter knows how to manipulate her dad. brilliant.

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i went to iloilo and guimaras a few weeks ago to deliver a paper. i was hoping the fox would see me off before i left manila. but i guess the fox was just too busy.

(he promised, though)

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i am still checking scripts. tons of them.
around 18 bundles more to go. each manuscript has 4 scripts that run for an hour each. i have to read all the scripts. and check the runtime. f***, i hate myself for things like this sometimes LOL

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i just found out that the recruitment agency i am talking with now is a hoax. f*** that's the second time around.

good thing i haven't sent money for processing yet.

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going to manila on sept19 for TRIBUTE TO TEACHERS. meeting batchoy for coffee - after two years LOL

been a long time, man.

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still here.
are you?