n. the kind of unnoticed excellence that carries on around you every day, unremarkably—the hidden talents of friends and coworkers, the fleeting solos of subway buskers, the slapdash eloquence of anonymous users, the unseen portfolios of aspiring artists—which would be renowned as masterpieces if only they'd been appraised by the cartel of popular taste, who assume that brilliance is a rare and precious quality, accidentally overlooking buried jewels that may not be flawless but are still somehow perfect.

* * *

It was evening when I returned to the world of the game. I find myself, as usual, to a place that is completely foreign to me. I guess, the world of the game will always be a foreign sight for me to behold. After all, I am not used with the scenery of seeing too much greenery instead of building after building.

Anyway, I hear a rustle in the leaves that before I can even turn to the direction of the sound, I find myself face-to-face with the end of a rifle pointed at my forehead. I immediately hold my breath, not thinking that I'll be placed on this very peculiar situation in the first place. The last times that I've returned to the game, it is always in the side of the allies, and not beyond enemy lines.

A full minute passed before the rifle is lowered down against me and I hear Colonel Vicente Enriquez's voice after a sigh. "Ah, ikaw pala yan, (Y/N). Akala ko kung sino. Bakit ka kasi nandito?"

I pull myself up, brushing the dirt away from my skirt and sigh in relief. "N-Nag-ikot-ikot lang. Baka may mahanap ako na paraan para silipin ang galaw ng mga kalaban."

He raises an eyebrow at me. "Kailan ka pa binigyan ng ganoong utos ni Goyong? Hindi ba dapat ay kasama mo ang mga mediko sa paghahanap ng mga dahon na maaring makatulong sa panggagamot?"

"Ah. Isa pa yun." I shake my head at once. "Ibig kong sabihin, yun talaga ang rason kung bakit ako nandito. Upang maghanap ng mga dahon na makakatulong sa panggagamot."

He looks at me intently, as if unsure if he'll believe in my words or not. In the end, he nods slowly and sighs. "Naiintindihan ko. Pero, sana, maintindihan mo rin na delikado maparito. Ilang tapak na lamang ay linya na ng mga kalaban. Sino makakapagsabi kung walang mga nakatanim na bomba dito?"

I press my lips together. Siguro kung marinig nilang may sumabog na bomba pagkatapos ko makatapak sa isa.

In the end, Enteng offers for him to walk me back to camp. I comply with him, not wanting to arouse his confusion and curiosity of the real reason that I've been there at that position out of all things and given the hour. I didn't realize how late it had been until I finally decide to look up at the sky and realize the presence of bright stars in an otherwise blanketed dark sky.

Enteng ushers me to a set-up tent by a church square and when he pulls the flap open, urging me to enter in, I realize that it had just been Goyo and his brother Julian present inside. The two appears to be talking about some heart-to-heart talk when we interrupt them, finding them two whispering at each other, a little agitated about whatever topic they are talking about. Enteng breaks the tension, "Goyong. Julian. Nakita ko ito muntikan na pumasok sa linya ng mga kalaban. Buti na lang at nandoon ako upang pigilan siya."

Goyo immediately breaks into a smirk and crosses his arms across his chest, leaning on his seat. "Ano pa ba ang aasahan mo sa isang Pendejo?"

"Goyong," Julian remarks, standing from his seat with a heavy sigh. He doesn't even break into a smile, as if he is all in business as matters currently rest. "May kakaibang nangyayari dito. Hindi naman basta-basta magpapadala ng telegrama ang Presidente ng ganito-ganito lamang."

"Anong telegrama?" Enteng immediately inquires. His curiousity, I guess, will surely one day be the death of him. He, after all, continues asking and interrogating every new information he recovers. In a different life, or possibly in my own world, that will surely make him a target of many for knowing too much. He looks at the brothers, and so do I. "Ano itong telegrama? Goyong, ano iyon?"

"Nakatanggap ako ng telegrama," Goyo replies as he sighs heavily and checks his nails, a little irritated about the topic. "Pinapaalis ni Presidente Aguinaldo ang ating mga pwersa palabas ng Maynila. Walang sinabi kung bakit." He nods at his brother's direction. "Itong si kuya, siyang atat umuwi, sinasabi ngayon na bakit pa tayo aatras kung abot-kamay na natin ang Intramuros. Parang, kung kailan tayo malapit na, doon pa tayo aatras."

"Hmm..." Enteng looks at Julian before returning his gaze back to Goyo. "Oo, Goyong. Masyadong kakaiba iyang pinapautos ng Presidente. Wala bang binanggit na rason."

Goyo shrugs.

Julian sighs and brushes his fingers through his hair. "Basta, sinasabi ko, may kakaiba dito. Pero... kung ganoon din naman pala ang mangyayari, sana pala eh sa simula pa lamang ay sinabi na aatras na tayo."

"Wala tayong magagawa. Ngayon lang dumating yung telegrama at utos mula kay Presidente." He sighs and leans back heavily against his seat. "Walang magagawa, kung hindi ang sumunod sa utos."

Both Julian and Enteng look intently at him. I exchange glances at the two before looking as well at Goyo. I am surprised to find the lack of determination in him. I understand that something changed about him. That, if this had happened a few months ago, he'll not be here being this easy in following orders. He usually takes the risk in everything; he likes planning and winning. Isn't moving out of this city a part of falling in surrender?

Enteng turns back to Julian and remarks, "Goyo, sabihan namin ni Julian ang ating pwersa sa naging desisyon ni Presidente Aguinaldo."

I see the hesitation in Julian's eyes, as if he wants to fight back. However, before he could speak, Goyo nods and answers, "Salamat."

In the end, the two leaves. Enteng looks at me for a second, but didn't show any sign of pulling me out with them. Julian, on the other hand, seems to debate over himself whether to follow or not, and yet, didn't protest anymore until he makes it outside with Enteng.

Goyo then looks back at me, his small smile instantly dropping as he turns serious. "Anong sa tingin mo, Pendejo?"

I raise an eyebrow at him. "Kailan ka pa nagkaroon ng interes sa sasabihin ko?"

He smirks. "Sabi sa akin ni Isidro noong isang araw na, 'Upang magtagumpay sa buhay, kailangan mo ang dalawang bagay: kamangmangan at pagtitiwala.' Sa tingin ko ayos na ako sa pagtitiwala; sa pagtitiwala sa mga salita ni Presidente. Sa kamangmangan naman..." He chuckles. "Nandiyan ka para doon. Kaya, ano sa tingin mo?"

"Sinasabi mo ba na malaki akong tanga?" I frown at him, crossing my arms across my chest.

"Hindi." He smiles. "Pendejo."

I pout much more.

"Pero... seryoso." He suddenly turns serious all at once. "Hindi naniniwala sa akin si Julian na tama ang desisyon ng Presidente. Maging si Enteng. Kahit di siya magsalita, nakikita ko sa mga mata niya na nais niya rin akong pagdudahan." He sighs heavily. "Kailangan ko ng isang tao na naniniwala sa akin. Na tama na sumunod ako sa utos ng nakakataas. Ikaw ba iyon, Pendejo?"

I suddenly remember Isidro's words to me the very first time that I arrived in this world. He told me that it is my role to lead Goyo to the path of patrionism and heroism; not to a dark path that most people obtain because of their positions. I start to realize now that even though Goyo has too many followers, soldiers under his brigade that will surely follow him until death, if ever, he still stands all alone. Unsure and paranoid if there will be someone who'll continue believing in him. Even in the lowest part of his life.

Before I can even answer, he shakes his head and pushes himself away from his chair. He says, "Kalimutan mo na lang na tinanong kita." Then, he draws closer to the table in the middle where a lamp continues to emit a small glow of light, and where most of his things are: his satchel, journal, trinkets of war, revolvers and medallions. Moving closer to the table, I realize that those medallions had been engraved with the profiles of the Virgin Mary and of the Holy Cross.

Religious medallions, I tell myself, looking at each. One caught me in particular, since it is a medallion that does not show the Virgin Mary or the Holy Cross; instead, it shows someone else. A man in robes that seems to hold a Bible in one hand and his other raised.

Goyo seems to realize that I am looking at such and to the one in particular that he takes it from the table. He says, explaining my curiousity, "San Gregorio Palamas. Kung kanino nagmula ang pangalan ko."

I pout a little. "No offense. Pero di ko inaasahan na ipapangalan ka mula sa isang santo." I cover my mouth with my hands, trying to suppress my smile. "Napakalayo mo sa pagiging banal."

He didn't look offended, as if I didn't say anything. Instead, he adds, "Sabi nila, ang huling mga salitang binitawan niya raw ay: 'Sa itaas! Sa itaas!'" He shakes his head a little. "Bakit kaya niya nasabi iyon, ano? Sa huling yugto ng kanyang buhay?"

I look at him intently, not understanding what he means by that. In the end, he continues to explain each medallion to me, and why he have them as part of his belongings that should always be with him.

# # #

A few weeks after Goyo's troops vacated the city of Manila, a few steps away from the walls of Intramuros that is considered the heart of Spain's power over the Philipines, Goyo received a letter, issuing him as the commandant of the National Militia of Bulacan. In the next succeeding days, the Revolutionary Government of President Emilio Aguinaldo had been moved from his home province of Cavite to Bulacan.

The reason was that our once friends, the Americans, that seemed to aid everyone to independence from Spain, is slowly becoming our new enemy.

* * *

A/N: Follow me on twitter @23meraki for more updates. ;)

#GoyoDeadReckoning || #GoyoAngBatangHeneralStories || #ProjectAguilaStories