"It is told that the Buhayostine has the power to exterminate any number of living beings in an instant. With that, we can wipe the Aswang race out of existence." The old man who is familiar with legends, Paulito depicted.
"Where is it found?" The village leader asked.
"Erm... Somewhere deep within the forest." Paulito replied, unsure.
"You see! He doesn't even truly know what he is talking about!" The panicked villager quickly shouted. "We're all gonna die..."
"How are we going to survive searching for the stone in the forest anyway? We are just mere subsistence for those fiends." A man logically asked.
"There's a temple that teaches defense against such dark creatures. We just have to travel northeast and eventually we'll find it." Paulito affirmed the people.
The chief suddenly doubted the old man's word. "Is there truly even a temple up north, and what if it's already abandoned? How do we even know if the things you state are true?"
"We won't unless we try." The old man responded and calmly sat down.
A long silence was present after Paulito replied. The tension from both sides kept growing as the prolonged silence continues, not even the most skeptical of audiences could find the words to argue such a short phrase.
"I'll go." Ezekiel suddenly stood up and volunteered.
"Are you insane?! Sit down!" Hulio whispered to his son.
Ezekiel kept on standing straight, though scared, he kept his will to fight against the pressure, to the stares and murmurs of the people, to the unfilled gap in his chest if he is, in fact, willing, and to his parents' wellbeing without his presence. The chief looked at Ezekiel, he commanded silence to his people and reached out to the boy.
"What's your name kid?" He asked.
"E-Ezekiel sir! Ezekiel Valerio!" He replied quickly, fixing his stance and posture altogether.
Hulio stood up afterward, attempting to stop his son from making any further decisions. "Sorry for my son's foolishness. Our village is in the midst of destruction that's why he can't help but play the hero." Ezekiel's father apologized to the leader and grabbed his son's arm in an attempt to change his mind.
"No, let him continue." The chief ordered.
Hulio followed against his will and sat down. Ezekiel on the other hand stood still, though he felt a pinch of regret disobeying his father.
"Why do you trust the old man's word so much?" The chief confidently asked.
Ezekiel took a deep breath to regain his composure. "Cause I saw the 'Eye of Bathala'." He then went on and explained where and what he saw. The people sat in awe as they listened told his encounter.
"A human with blue spots? Eye of Bathala? Torn clothes?" The people rejoin and talked to each other softly.
"How long does it take before one could reach the sacred temple you were talking about?" The head asked Paulito.
"The journey will probably take about two weeks. That's only a guess though." He answered.
"It is settled then! Ezekiel Valerio along with a team will journey through the forest to find the ancient temple." Their leader announced. "I will be held responsible for any casualties that may occur."
The others were hesitant to come, but through some convincing and Ezekiel's resolve, the chief managed to convince the other men. A 10 man team was assigned to guide Ezekiel through the forest. They slept early at night and got prepared early in the morning.
"Ezekiel are you sure about this?" His mother asked him, sobbing, as a last resort to make Ezekiel stay.
"Sorry Inay, but I have to go. I can't forgive myself if I don't even try." Ezekiel asked forgiveness from his mother. He hugged her and proceeded to walk towards his father.
"Itay. Ezekiel called his dad.
"I know. You're a man now. You have to make your own decisions out there." Hulio sighed and gave Ezekiel a gift before he travels off. "Here have the axe, it'll help you out at least a bit throughout your journey."
Ezekiel strapped his arms around his father. The tough lumberjack tore over his son and embraced him tightly.
"Come back." A solemn last whisper came under his breath.
Ezekiel prepared with the rest of the crew. They packed their essential items and got set for the trip.
"I'll be back soon! Paalam!" Ezekiel waved goodbye to his parents and the remaining villagers as he left.
The selected individuals went out of the cave and ventured into the treacherous wild. They avoided any contact with any other animal. They took the path on where there were fewer trees. The up and down slopes of the hills were tiring but it was the best direction to take to decrease their odds of encountering an Aswang.
"Hey kid wait up!" A voice suddenly called Ezekiel. He turned around and saw it was the anxious villager from before.
"Hey. So you're forced to come as well I'm guessing." Ezekiel foretold
"The name is James." He introduced himself. "I apologize if I was kind of hysterical back there. Those things took my siblings, I bet the other ones here got some of their family took away from them as well. You're a lucky kid."
The journey went on as planned. Along with it, Ezekiel got to know the rest of the crew members. Abbas, Galerto, Darion, Alexandre, Reyes, Dereck, Leon, and Triston. These were the names of the others that came along, the others who most likely lost a loved one, the others who were willing to believe an old man's myth, and follow a clueless young boy just to achieve freedom or vengeance from the Aswangs. The expedition was completely flawless. The team managed 6 days in the wild, only stopping here and there to either grab fruits from the trees, or camp to sleep at night.
"A toast to all the one's we've lost!" Their leader Leon announced. "At dawn, we will once again travel, and soon after that we will find that sacred temple to learn how to kill those bastards."
The men cheered on him, shortly after they ate, and not long after they slept. The men quickly tried to gather as much energy for tomorrow is a brand new day and a brand new beginning for the fate of them and their people. Reyes on the other hand failed to rest in excitement.
"I wonder what power we'll get. Maybe a fireball, or some light magic? I don't know but I just want something awesome." He thought to himself. Reyes then heard a peculiar sound.
"Aaak-Aaak!" A crow called.
He didn't think much of it at first, but then he realized. " Wait, crows aren't supposed to be awake at night..." He began to breathe heavily, he grabbed on unto his blanket ready to escape. "Run!" He screamed and startled all the members. The crows then flocked together and transformed into Aswangs. The men in panic scattered into random directions leaving them vulnerable to the creature's attacks. Abbas and Galerio were instantly killed during the chase. Ezekiel on the other hand also ran unto a random direction, James was behind him following.
"Run faster!" James panicked.
A winged Aswang suddenly swooped down and latched unto James, but he didn't give in to the pull and grabbed a tree branched. "Help!" He screamed. Ezekiel then looked back, he grabbed the axe given to him by his father. The beast scratched multiple times James in an attempt to loosen the strength of the man.
"Come on hit..." He whispered to the tool and threw it to the flying savage. Out of luck, it hit. The creature lost grip of James, he crashed down on the grass and went senseless. Ezekiel quickly carried James and ran.
"We're gonna make it, we're gonna make it, we're gonna make it..." He whispered to himself as he ran. After hours of running his legs were no longer felt by him. He then saw a huge wall.
"We made it." He cheered, the euphoria was felt the young man. He then slowly went around the wall, still carrying James and found the gate.
A familiar thing stood upon the gate. Ezekiel's eyes lit open, his body shook and dropped the unconscious James.
"What..."