Previously: Ubal woke up in Madlus, a strange world with three suns, where he met Stok who transfused him with his blood. Ubal also noticed a strange organ growing out of his chest. On their way to Mt. Kirkir, while the suns were in a showdown, the mysteriform Yanggaw appeared to them to warn against Kriyum.
“YOU need to eat if you want to go on with this journey. We do not know if, and when, Wuting will reveal himself,” said Stok as he handed Ubal half of the strange fruit.
Ubal had no choice, but was forced to eat the offered fruit because, truth be told, his stomach had been grumbling a long time. He was surprised by the sweetness of the fruit. He actually liked the honey taste of the kulukalubay. His orbis stiffened in excitement once more.
“Who is Kriyum?”
Stok almost choked with Ubal’s question.
Ubal repeated his question, “Who is Kriyum?”
“There are those who say that Kriyum is the cruel twin of Wuting. Some say that he is Wuting himself in his cruel form.”
“Then, why did we change course to evade him?” Ubal flared. “If he really is Wuting, then I would have finished my mission to find him.”
“And what if he is not Wuting?”
“Have you seen Wuting, Stok?” Ubal asked with a tone of mockery.
Stok did not answer.
“How will you know him if you see him, Stok? What does Wuting look like? What does Kriyum look like?”
Stok understood the question in the stranger’s face so he told the story about Kriyum.
It was in the boiling brook of Sapalok where Stok first met Kriyum – also called Lastik because of his power to grow additional arms and legs, and hands and feet.
When the then-youthful Stok, and the feared Kriyum crossed path, they sat face to face for a while, and seized each other up because the mutsi bridge over the piping hot brook allows the passing of only one person at a time.
“Who among us will pass over?” asked powerful Kriyum Lastik. There was no cruelty or threat in the voice of the fearsome Lastik but because of Stok’s youthfulness, Kriyum’s voice caused a great fear in him. He tried to hide his fear, and forced a nervous smile.
They continued to sit, and stared at each other’s eyes in silence for some time. In the end, Kriyum asked, “What is greater than Delight?”
Stok was surprised by the riddle, but because he wanted to be recognized as an equal, he spoke with Lastik as if they met for the only reason of conversing and answering riddles.
“Pain,” he answered, “because pain drives away delight.”
“What is greater than Pain?”
Stok thought for a moment. “Love.Because we are willing to suffer the pain of our beloved.”
“And what is greater than Love?” Kriyum continued to quiz Stok.
“Nothing, Kriyum.”
“And what is Nothing?”
Stok was even more puzzled by Lastik’s final question, but he managed to turn the situation around.
“Tell me about Nothing, “ Stok demanded.
“Yes, I will tell you,” Wuting started. “Know that this is Wuting’s world. The good children of Wuting know delight, pain, and love. The faithful children of Wuting are rewarded, but there is still another world, a different world, that does not belong to Wuting. In that world, there is no knowledge of delight, pain, and love. In fact, a different law of existence rules that world. We call that world Nothing, but in truth, it is not Nothing, but only Other.”
With that, they passed time in silence until the green Dyuman shone in full.
Finally, Stok asked again. “Is it true what they say about you – that your wisdom ebbs and flows?”
Kriyum nodded. “Quite true. But those who said that forgot to tell you that they often mistake my high tide for low tide.
“I think,” Stok said, “that it is difficult to be wise.”
“Maybe. But you don’t know that, and perhaps, you will never ever get to know that at all. For you, the world will always be redeemed by love and sacrifice… But try to be happy in your own way.”
“You speak as if you know Wuting very well.”
Kriyum smiled a smile that Stok would never forget for as long as he lived.
“Tell me,” Stok pleaded, “is it true that you are really Wuting as others say you are?”
And with that, Kriyum stood. He growled like an animal, and grew more arms and hands all over his body. Then, he jumped in the boiling waters of the Sapalok Brook. (To be continued/PN)
