Helping Leo

**Helping Leo** is a chapter in *Pax Regalis*. In this chapter, Bayani Mangubat Damitan, Lady Sophia and their friends and allies travel to Peekaville after HMS *Duke of Kent* was wrecked on a beach during a storm while fighting the pirates.
Upon arrival, they meet Leo the Hedgehog, but when Mangubat told him that the ship was wrecked during a storm while fighting the pirates, he began to help him and the people of Peekaville for a while.

## Transcript

**W**HERE am I? This is an uncharted place, and it's not in a map. While we were on a dinghy, we found land again! After all these days of fighting pirates... well, after fighting against these damn pirates in the middle of the great storm. "Land ho!" Sophia announced with joy in a loud voice. We cheered, then as we land to the beach, a sapient hedgehog greeted to me with a friendly smile.

"Salute, Duke Bayani Mangubat Damitan of the Grand Duchy of Segbu! I'm Leo the Hedgehog. I heard you just shipwrecked to Peekaville after a storm hit you and your crew while fighting against the pirates! You're going to love it here and make so many friends. Can I interview you for our school newspaper?"

I was nervous at first. "Uh... sure?" I said. "But how did you know my name? Where am I? What happened to my ship?" Leo replied, "Well, yeah. I know your name. You slayed many warlords, discovered dungeons, sailed across the world, defeated pirates, killed Templars, saved Sinaya and brought words about how you're doing well. Damn miracle. Oh, and this is Peekaville, the capital city of the Kingdom of Peekapakia, located in Magikonia. It's located 50 miles, or 80 kilometres to the Peekapakia Castle. We've been a power of trading berries to not only of these Europanian and Aquilonian powers, but also most of Sinaya as well. We asked the pirates that weren't trying to attack us to give berries to many places across the world, including your island. We also have exotic shit here in this place from many places all across the world. Oh, and unfortunately, the HMS *Duke of Kent* has been shipwrecked, not sunk. Luckily, all of your friends, have survived, and you were lucky to be there too. Sadly, your crew members died as well, but not all of them. At least some of them are saved too. I hope the Britannian shipwrights would be there soon, but that's taking a wee bit long, not taking either forever or too long to do so, sir."

"Thanks," I said. "In the meantime, I'll give you one question: what are some of the activities you love to do? Read? Play sports? Cook? Write? Photography? Sing? Play video games? Build things? Art?"

"Well, I'll go with... whatever, commanding my troops, sailing ships, dealing with piracy and keeping Sinaya safe from everything that's malevolent," I said. "Alas, O Bathala! These may not be in the activities that you shall be listing for, but... what the heck. Ahem. How would you like to look in your picture?"

"Sure," I agreed. I showed a painting of myself. I looked serious, like many portraits of many other people like me and many others who are prominent here in Sinaya.

"Now say cheese!" Leo said, as he's holding an antique camera. It kinda looks like the camera from the 19th century and the early 20th century. It's an old camera with an elongated bellow to support the camera lens. After, it flashes to show a Peekaville Elementary School newspaper with a black-and-white photo of me in the cafe. It said.

**Peekaville Daily News**

PEEKAVILLE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL NEWSPAPER

New Honourary Student at Peekaville Elementary!

Meet Bayani Mangubat Damitan, a new honourary ﬅudent at Peekaville Elementary School!

Bayani Mangubat Damitan loves reading, ſports, cooking, writing, photography, muſic, games, building things, art, and moﬅ importantly of all, commanding, ſailing, anti-piracy and peacekeeping!

I was the only adult to be a student of Peekaville Elementary School, according to *Peekaville Daily News*, but I never said to like reading, sports, cooking, writing, photography, music, games, building things and art, but I do like them all though. I was proud.

While we were on a chariot, a lot of people are waiting for me. The crowd cheered as the fanfares are playing. I was like "uh-oh" in here when I heard a drumroll. Inés began to announce while reading a scroll.

"People of the Kingdom of Peekapakia, by royal degree of the King of Peekapakia and by prayers of Bathala and the Diwatas of Sinaya in the name of Queen Peekana III, I, Marchioness Inés I of Peekaton, do hereby present to all of thee with all the great joy and happiness by announceth the new arrivals that shalt be arriveth from the chariot... the Most Honourable His Majesty Duke Bayani Mangubat Damitan of the Grand Duchy of Segbu, Lady Sophia of the Republic of Providencia, and his entire party, being joined by Menka, Cody, Leo the Hedgehog and all of the Peekapak Pals, including me, in our  long-awaited arrival to the Kingdom of Peekapakia and the city of Peekaville!" Inés declared while reading the scroll out loud. The crowd cheered, but the drumroll kept on.

"Well," Lady Sophia said. "This is it."

"This is it," I said. Inés also said, "This is it." She pulls up the carriage lock then the fanfare played again. With the crowd cheering again, doves were released and we were in some kind of pomps and circumstances and stuff. The orchestra began to play "Pomps and Circumstances," or "Land of Hope and Glory." The soldiers raise their swords while we were walking to the carpet. The girls threw their petals. I smiled with joy.

"Thank you! *Maraming salamat po!*" I said while waving my hands. Inés smiled and said, "See? They cheered for you of course. But hey, let me introduce myself. I'm Inés. As you know, I love to learn new programming languages with my crystal ball. Congratulations on your first arrival. Our feast will begin in the Peekaville Elementary School, along with many dignitaries from all over Sinaya with Menka, Cody and Leo as its MCs tomorrow morning."

"I see," I said. "Hey, I'll be hosting the banquet tomorrow. I've prepared everything in the gym. It's a school gym with a canteen in it. Also, I'll be with Menka and Cody too to be hosting this too. I've hired bards and orchestras from all over Sinaya, prepared the finest food from all over Sinaya and I'll make Inés a list reader, reading the names of many dignitaries from all over Sinaya out loud, okay?"

"Agree," I said while shaking Leo's hands. "Now that everyone knows who you are, it's time for you to meet everyone in Peekaville! Are you ready to see Peekaville's Main Street?"

"Aye," I replied to him with a smile. As we walked towards the main street and everyone breaks up from gathering while the trumpeteers stop playing their trumpets, Leo introduced the Main Street to me.

"This is the Main Street of Peekaville. There is so much to do and see. I can't wait for you to start exploring! Before you begin, can you name how you are feeling today?"

"Yes Leo," I said. "I shall be doing this on how I felt for."

Reader, how are you feeling today?

Close your eyes and take 5 slow breaths. Notice how your face and body feel.

How am I feeling? Well, let me introduce these feelings.

We feel happy when we are doing something we like and having a good time. We may be smiling!

We feel excited when we are very happy about something that is going to happen. Our eyes may be wide and we may be smiling. We may clap and jump up and down.

We feel sad when we are unhappy and hurt. Our lips may tremble and our eyes may fill with tears. Our heart may feel heavy and we may cry.

We feel angry when we are mad about something that happened. Our eyebrows may furrow and get close together. Our eyes may be glaring and we may be frowning or yelling.

We feel calm when we are not stressed. We feel at peace and our mind and body feel relaxed.

We feel nervous when we are unsure or anxious about a situation. We feel stressed about not knowing what might happen. We may have sweaty hands and our hearts may beat fast. We may stumble over our words.

Today is Friday. I'll write down my journal that said that I'm excited about this. As a reward, I've got ten berries.

Leo is excited with happiness now about how I did with my journal today. "Woah! Did you see that!? You just earned berries for sharing your feelings!" he said. "You earn berries for helping your new friends here in Peekaville, completing activities, naming your feelings and so much more! Berries are like money in Peekaville and can be used at the store to buy amazing things!"

Wait... they're not gold coins. I thought they're intended for money in all over Sinaya. I was wrong. This may not be the only place where bartering is the currency.

I bought a horse from a stable, then I rode my newly-paid horse to ride with. This one is a female Oldenburger, and I'll call her Ligaya.

When I ride on Ligaya, I heard something... a round of bell rings. It was Zoey! She's one blonde-haired girl with green-eyes. Oh, and she's a part-time town-crier other than studying plant biology and creating hybrid plants. Looks like she's taking a break from biology and plant hybridization.

"Hear ye! Hear ye!" cried Zoey. "The Grand Duke of Segbu, Bayani Mangubat Damitan, has arrived to Peekaville, and hope is now on the horizon not only in Peekapakia, but also to the entire planet of Sinaya! Praise Bathala for his arrival! Praise Amanikable for the seas to arrive here in fulfilling our propheacy to save Peekaville from pirate tyranny! Praise Apolaki for our plans to make our stand against them and the forces of Sitan and the armies of Kasamaan! Praise Anagolay for the lost path that we need to move for the future of Sinaya! May we have hope be delivered from Kaluwalhatian to here!"

Against my better judgement, I decided to ignore what she said and carry on to meet Leo. I was praying to Bathala while wondering if I'd be able to talk to him while I can.

"Hi Leo! You don't look calm right now," I said. "How are you feeling?"

"*Timbaya*, Duke Mangubat I of Segbu, I'm not sure how I feel right now," said Leo. "Can you help me?"

"Tomorrow, I'm presenting a project in front of my class and everyone else in the feast. I've never done that before. My palms are sweaty and my heart is beating fast," Leo continued, "Can you help me name how I'm feeling?"

"Aye. Leo, you are presenting in front of your class, including the ones who shall be attending the feast, including me. Your palms are sweaty and your heart is beating fast," I said. "You are feeling... nervous!"

"Yes, that sounds right! I'm feeling nervous! Papa Hedgehog taught me a poem to sing to myself when I'm feeling nervous, but I can't remember it," he said. "Can you help me find Papa Hedgehog and ask him?"

"Yes," I said. "I will."

"Thank you! This morning, I remember Papa Hedgehog saying he needs to buy milk and fruit," he said. "Can you find him?"

"Airght," I said. "Wait. Are you going to sing?"

"Aye, I am," he said. "I would've been the first and probably only sapient hedgehog to be a bard. Back then in the Bard's College in Solitutde, Skyrim, I knew how to sing and play drums, flutes and lutes also. I only graduated recently this June before I can go back to Peekaville, just in time for the first day of school in the Peekaville Elementary School."

"What?!" I said in shock. "Nobody told me that. Unbelieveable! Well, okay. I guess I'll get going now to meet Papa Hedgehog.

Leo nervously blushed, but smiled. Captain Albert met me, and when he stood beside me, he also said, "Here. I got ya five berries just for you."

"Thanks," I said. Now that I've got five berries, I've got 15 berries now. I got up back to Ligaya and rode to the southwest of Peekaville. The southwest of it has an ice cream shop, a market, a cafe and a flower shop. I saw that adult male hedgehog with a moustache, glasses and a green sweater. He was slaying the hawks, owls, foxes, ferrets and weasels that tried to kill him with his rapier, his crossbow, his flintlock pistol and his musket. He's defending himself and he's a darn strong hedgehog.

After killing them, he puts down his weapons back to his backpack and greets with me with a slight smile. "*Timbaya* Papa Hedgehog," I said.

"Hi, welcome to Peekaville!" Papa Hedgehog said while cleaning up blood from his body while ignoring blood stains from his sweater. "How can I help you?"

"I just saw Leo. He is feeling nervous. His palms are sweaty and his heart is beating fast. He needs help regulating his emotions!" I said to him.

"He said you taught him a poem to bring him back to calm. He can't remember it," I said. "Can you teach it to me so I can remember him?"

"Yes! It goes like this," he said before showing a paper to me. It said:

**W**HEN me palms are ſweaty and me heart is beateth fast,

I'm feeleth nervous but I know that it won't laſt.

If I take a ſlow and deep breath and put on a ſmall ſmile,

That ſcary nervous feeling will not ſtay a while!

"Thank you! I'll be sure to remember that and tell Leo!" I said.

"Bye! Tell Leo I said good luck!" he said. He gave me 5 berries, then I got up to Ligaya to hasten back to Leo. Uncle Albert waved and said, "Fare thee well, Bayani."

"Well," Papa Hedgehog said. "Those bastards are trying to kill me. At least I defended myself without a single scratch on my body."

When I made it back, I greeted Leo once again.

"Hi Bayani! Did you find Papa Hedgehog?" he said.

"Yes! Papa Hedgehog taught me his poem about how to manage our nervous feelings," I said. "It goes like this!"

I grabbed my lute, played it slowly, and sang like this:

When me palms are sweaty and my heart is beateth fast,

I'm feeleth nervous but I know that it won't last.

If I take a slow and deep breath and put on a small smile.

That scary nervous feeling will not stay a while!​​​​​

"Oh yes, I remember it now!" Leo accepted. He began to sing while I was playing my lute joyfully and faster.

When me palms are sweaty and my heart is beateth fast,

I'm feeleth nervous but I know that it won't last.

If I take a slow and deep breath and put on a small smile.

That scary nervous feeling will not stay a while!​​​​​

My friends and my allies cheered. We both bowed and got a lot of berries from them when they're happy to see us perform.

"Thank you for helping me! Before my presentation to this newly-written song, I'm going to try to take a slow and deep breath and put on a small smile. I feel so much better already," he said. "I'm so glad to have you as a friend. Here are some berries for you!"

Now I've got 5 berries. Now that I helped Leo, I think I'm gonna help Zoey and see if my adventure can ever continue without any further setbacks in here.