I'd like to thank the warm and encouraging authors who reviewed this story. Thank you also for understanding how hard it is to be at the last quarter of your high school life. I waited until graduation so that I can give my full (read: distracted by college enrollment and credit by examination but doing her best to continue this) attention to this fic.

WARNINGS: Roman Catholic traditions. I hope I'm not offending anyone. Also, suggestive themes, courtesy of Mr. Jones, who will be out of the picture for the second half of this chapter until I decide to throw him back in.

Chapter 5: Leaving Comfort Zones

Austria's eyes fluttered open, flicking towards the open window. The gray skies were breaking into a lovely blue. The morning breeze ruffled the leaves of a nearby coconut tree and the sound of the waves crashing onto shore was calming. Also, there was a huge eagle sitting on the windowsill—

Austria bolted upright, grabbing his eyeglasses to make sure he was not dreaming. There was indeed a majestic bird sitting on the windowsill. It was an eagle, with brown feathers forming a sort of mane around its head. The bird had a dark, stern face, piercing blue eyes, a white underside, huge yellow claws and a bluish-gray beak.

It stretched its wings, spanning six feet. It was a showy predator.

Instead of being intimidated by the animal, Austria decided to come closer. "So, you are the Philippine Eagle, I presume? The King of the Skies indeed." The animal seemed to lower its head and bow down before the Austrian.

"Yes, Mr. Austria."

"YOU SPEAK?" Austria almost backed away from the creature. "Fear not, Mr. Austria. I am Alapaap*, messenger of the Motherland and her children. It is with honor that I welcome you to our nation." The eagle bowed to the aristocrat, folding its right wing in front of its breast.

"And what message does the Motherland wish to convey?" Roderich asked. "Not the Motherland, sir. It is Master Harun who wishes to see you on the shore. He had very strict orders that you come out as silently as possible. He would not want his mother and Mr. America to hear your conversation." Alapaap said.

"Please tell the young master that I will be with him shortly." The aristocrat nodded as the eagle took to the skies.

I'll miss you.

Slightly chapped lips touched the smooth, warm forehead of Paulita del Pilar-Bonifacio. Her brown eyes fluttered, hoping that those lips were not an illusion. Surely enough, she was faced with bright blue eyes and a warm smile.

"Magandang umaga!" Alfred said, his pronunciation definitely incorrect.

Paulita did not say a word. She closed her eyes and edged towards him, her cheek on his collarbone. "Stay a little longer." She finally said. "I'll go at the same time as your boss. I'll drop him off at the palace for you before I go to the airport. That way, you'll have all the time to entertain Austria. Does that sound good?" he asked. A nod answered him.

"What time is my boss leaving?"

"9 A.M."

Paulita reached for the cellphone on her bedside table. It was just 6:45 in the morning. She put it down and looked at Alfred again.

"You don't usually wake up this early." She mused. When in her country, the American usually would wake up no earlier than 11:30. "I'm sure you're hungry. Would you like some arroz caldo**?" she asked him.

She was about to stand up and walk when he pulled her back down and set her on top of him. Upon realizing their compromising position, Paulita's face turned red. She was about to hurl a few chosen expletives when he said, "Breakfast can wait. It wouldn't hurt to have some pillow-talk, right?"

Paulita gave a mock sigh but deep inside, she was grateful for a few more minutes of staying in bed. She rolled off him and claimed her usual spot, still facing him.

"When will I see you again?" she asked. "On my birthday, of course. I'm still thinking where to hold it this year." He said. "It's also Filipino-American friendship day. You could hold it in Manila. If you want some beach fun, we could go to Palawan. You and the others have seen Boracay already. If you want a hiking trip, Sagada would be nice. There's a hotel where you can see wild horses running in the morning."

Alfred's attention was caught when he heard the last place. It made the cowboy in him burst with happiness. "Sagada it is. Am I allowed to bring my cowboy gear?" he asked, blue eyes shining. "Sure, birthday boy."

"I love you." Alfred pulled her closer, pressing his lips against hers. Paulita ran her fingers through his feathery blonde hair and down his nape. He stopped to look her in the eye and grin audaciously. He moved downwards, his lips leaving no skin on her neck untouched. He was about to suck on her collarbone when she whimpered.

"My boss…" "Sorry, babe. You're just too beautiful. One day, I'll worship every inch of your skin and…" "You talk too much."

It was her turn to attack his lips, requesting him to open up. Tongues danced and a few quiet groans and breathy moans were exchanged. With a coy smile, she trailed down his neck to suck on the healthy flesh.

"Ngh…go on. Mmmm, that's right. Mark me. Make them see that I'm yours. Set me on fire like you're the tropical sun." He said in an unusually low voice, with his mouth on her ear. Alfred. The things you do to me.

Paulita was about to take up on his request when she heard someone knocking. "Paulita? Are you awake?" It was her boss.

She froze in horror. Alfred just winked, taking his glasses and moving quietly to the floor. He crawled under the bed, hoping that he would fit. He squeezed himself in, listening to whatever may happen. Thank God her linens are long.

Just when they thought the door would be opened, footsteps went into a different direction.

Paulita opened the door a bit and found that no one was there. "The coast is clear." She said, locking the door. Alfred immediately crawled out of his hiding place. His hair was mussed and his glasses were crooked. Paulita was stifling laughter. Alfred looked so adorable. "Damn, it was cramped down there. I was afraid that we'd get caught." He said, on the verge of laughing.

"We'd better get going. If he doesn't catch us, I don't know who would." Paulita said.

The sapphire seas brought in gently rolling waves. The tide was low, leaving some starfish and clams on the white sand. A lone figure stared out into the sea until he heard the squawk of an eagle. The boy held out an arm wearing a thick leather glove to allow the messenger to perch on his arm.

"Mister Austria is here."

"Thank you, Alapaap. You may now go." Mindanao said, as the bird flew off from his arm.

"You wanted to see me, Mindanao?" Austria asked, digging his feet into the sand. Mindanao faced his companion. "Listen up. Don't believe any rumors. And when they ask you if you're Inay's new boyfriend, tell them that you're her distant cousin from abroad. Tell them that Burger Brain is still her boyfriend. Got that?" "I understand." Austria nodded.

"Take care of Inay. The three of us will go back to our homes so that we can prepare for you. Idiot America over there will go home too. Tito Noy will also go back to Manila. Inay always tells us that she can manage, but I don't want her to get hurt. I'll also try to be much nicer to America. He loves Inay and I probably couldn't understand that because I spent my life fearing that colonizers will take away my freedom. Promise me that Inay's freedom won't be taken by anyone."

"Gentleman's word." "Good. If you don't, I'm not afraid to use this on you." He pointed to the hilt of his sheathed sword. "By the way, thank you…for being understanding with me. I would enjoy having you at my place." Mindanao gave a rare smile.

"I would gladly go to your house." "Now go. I don't want my sisters to tease me that I'm going soft." Austria smiled at this. "Come join me for tea, Harun." "With pleasure, Kuya Roderich."

At 9:00, the President left together with Alfred. After long goodbyes, the President, Alfred, Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao left the house, leaving Paulita and Roderich alone again.

"So far, Roderich, do you like the place?" Paulita asked. "Your home itself screams of Filipino hospitality. As a guest, I could ask for nothing more." He replied, ever courteous. "Good. Now pack up all your things. You weren't here just for the beach, though it is quite symbolic that Kuya Yao dropped you off where my people started trade relations with other Asians. We're going to all the seventeen regions of my country and I promise that you will never forget this experience."

Roderich's jaw slacked open in shock. How on earth will we travel an archipelago in about a month? "But…boat rides, fuel and accommodations…" "The President was very charmed to meet you. He gave me a leave and told me to tour you. Besides, Kuya Antonio sent me money to cover some of your expenses. I hope you have a lot of euros there. You'll be tempted to buy many things." Paulita smiled at him.

He surely wasn't drunk, but all he remembered was throwing all his things back into his suitcase and entering an SUV with Paulita del Pilar-Bonifacio. Alapaap, the majestic eagle, had taken to the skies and just smirked at Roderich when asked how the bird would find them.

Meanwhile, Roderich stared out into the window of the driver's seat. He said goodbye to the endless blue sea and the pure sand of the beach, well, not really. He filled up a bottle with the powdery sand and seashells.

The view of the sea disappeared as they entered a dusty landscape littered with trees and filled with rice paddies and maize plants. There was also an odd plant that he had never seen before. Whole fields on either side of highway showed this crop growing abundantly.

"Paulita, what is that plant?" "It's tobacco, Roderich. This region produces the finest cigars." She smiled wistfully. "By the way, where are we going now?"

"We are now in Northwestern Luzon. Look at your map. We're currently leaving the town of Bolinao in the province of Pangasinan. I'm planning to take you to Vigan and Laoag, up there in Ilocos Norte and Ilocos Sur. But before that, we'll pray in Manaoag for a safe journey." Paulita smiled.

Roderich seemed worried. "Wouldn't that take toll on you?" "Don't worry about me. Lucia will meet us in Manaoag. She will be the one to help you see the sights. While she's touring you, I'll sleep." "I see. Thank you for going through all this."

"This is how Filipinos treat their guests, Roderich."

He fell silent at that.

They arrived at the pilgrim's capital, the town of Manaoag, struggling through the throngs of people attending Mass. They went past the Rosary Garden, the shed where hundreds of candles were lit and some food stalls. "Kuya Roderich!" a small voice called out and clung to his arm. "How did you find me?" Austria asked. "No one else here has that bouncy brown curl!" Lucia said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

A small smile formed on the aristocrat's face. "Paulita, your daughter found me." He said, as the woman turned around quickly and embraced Lucia tightly. "Clever girl. You're going to play host to Mr. Austria for a few days." The child was obviously delighted. "Kuya Roderich is going to stay for a few more days? I'll take him to Vigan and Caramoan and we'll climb up Taal Volcano and swim in the Panguil River. We'll also go boating in the underground river…"

"Until I see the whole country. Now, hush, Lucia. We will enter the church." Roderich said, looking at the stone walls and Spanish influences on the centuries-old structure.

When the mass ended, Roderich asked, "Paulita, is this church always this packed?" "Yes. It's a devotee's paradise." "Why so?" "They say that Our Lady of Manaoag makes miracles. Go on, tell her something. She will grant it. Lucia and I will wait for you outside."

Roderich stared at the richly-decorated statue of the Virgin Mary. I still love her. I want her to be by my side again. Hear my plea, even if it is insignificant compared to the miracles others want from you. He did the sign of the cross and left.

Paulita watched him from afar. She knew exactly what he prayed for. Just wait, Roderich. She will not fail you.

*Alapaap (ah-lah-PAH-ahp) means "cloud". It's one of the more poetic words of the language.

** Arroz caldo is a rice porridge mixed with chicken, garlic, shallots and seasoned with saffron. It's popular as a breakfast or snack.

This chapter was written and edited while listening to "Never Gonna Leave This Bed" which inspired the morning scene. The 'hiding-under-the-bed' part was inspired by Lazaro Francisco's Daluyong, where Lino hid under his love's bed so that her co-teachers wouldn't see him.

And Austria's travels officially begin.

Next update might be next week.