After talking with the bunch and discussing his plans with them, they were about to visit the secret training grounds Yagnos have mentioned but noticing that the sky had already turned dark, Miguel is forced to return to the shrine where Elder Shana told him to prepare for a gathering at the mountain peak.
He did not expect that the discussion would take long to be fully explained. While drinking the prepared Moringa tea in his hands, Miguel muttered in a dismayed tone, "Looks like I underestimated their level of stupidity..." Heaving a heavy sigh, he tried calming himself.
"This tea is calming indeed. Too bad that its original purpose did not serve me. I don't think I still need this to help me recover." Talking among himself, he repeatedly glanced at the shrine's entrance seemingly waiting for someone.
A few breathes passed and Miguel is losing his patience for waiting too long. He had estimated that he might have been waiting for an hour now as he tapped his thighs.
Currently, Miguel is sitting uptight, below the Acacia tree located just beside the shrine. He looked like an old man lost in the woods sipping a hot tea. Like an enchanted being but in his case even if his posture seemed of that to an old man, his childlike features would throw your impressions down to a gutter.
Then after a while, he heard some footsteps coming from the shrine's entrance. When he turned to slip a peek, he saw a neat line of Shamans exiting the shrine. Each of them was carrying torches of their own and some woven strips of bamboo basket hanged at their backs. The basket is filled with weird objects and it is the first time Miguel saw them.
Elder Shana along with her returned cane, nudged at Miguel with the tip of her cane. "Take this, you will need it later. Come fall in line, we are about to gather at the mountain top."
From out of nowhere, an old hag came beside him. Naturally, Miguel was startled but he recognized that it was Elder Shana he placed his cup of tea to the ground as he hurriedly followed the Elder.
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...
"Our ancestors said that powerful spirits and entities do not enter your space without your permission." A hoarse voice like a tethered wild cat reverberated throughout the place. Listening to the Babaylan's voice made everyone scared.
Alighting from a basin of a red puddle of boiling water, the Babaylan is soaked with different herbs as he cleanses herself. She wiped her whole body with a thin cloth and dawn her silky satin dress.
Miguel found it uncomfortable to witness a naked old woman in front of him, but to the others...
They did not mind. In fact, they thought that its only natural.
Cold breeze and night sky, stars that illuminate their ceiling along with the white full moon. A group of Shamans along with their Apprentice is gathered at the peak of the mountain forest called, Kaphon.
Miguel knew that he had to be wary in this place because it is where he first opened his third eye.
Tonight, they are gathered for a ceremony but before the ceremony starts, the theBabaylan has been discussing and teaching a lesson to them.
Miguel listened attentively to what the Babaylan is telling.
"These powerful invisible entities may stand at your doors and windows, waiting to be invited by the owners of any space, in the most informal way possible." The Babaylan's hoarse voice continued as she walked at the center of Miguel and the group's huddled circle.
"An example is when your front door opens by itself." When she said this, she even chuckled to herself and as she spoke, she occasionally made oped hand gestures.
"Some of us in the early days would jokingly comment, you can enter and It is at that moment that the entities enter and remain there." Pacing herself around, this time she went towards the table where a small altar was made. A few stones that stacked together are placed on the table along with torches.
"If you want to make sure that something entered your space, just like tonight light a torch in front of you and sit in front of it."
As the Babaylan's words echoed to the eerily silent group, everyone followed the instructions of the Shaman. Miguel hesitated at first but he too took the torch that is being distributed by the Elder Shamans.
"Calm your mind and repeat this in a medium tone of voice." The Babaylan ushered a chant indicating for everyone to follow.
"If you want to enter, you will have to extinguish the light in this torch. Remember not to say any words that may be taken as an invitation or else you might invite unwanted spirits..."
"If the light of the torch extinguishes, the entity has confirmed its presence here and is ready to enter,"
Then her voice wailed into a high pitch tone, as she found her hairs standing. An aura confirmed its presence!
The Babaylan at this time is also getting scared as she continued her lecture, "If the torch is still lit, there is no entity."
"But... but ...if the torch falls, along with a gushing strong wind, then the entity has been in your space for a long time!"
With her words echoing in everyone's ears, a strong gushing wind actually came just like how the Babaylan have to describe it. All of the lit torches fell one by one!
Screams of those frightened Shamans rang to Miguel's ears. He muttered to himself, "All this time I have never been scared my whole life, this frickin heck of spirits scares me now. F*CK!" Screaming internally, Miguel tried to steel himself.
Never had he expected to be so horrified after transmigrating in this newfound world. At that moment, he thought that nothing could surprise him anymore but once again this mysterious world gave him another shock!
Miguel will soon come to realize what it means to be a Shaman and the Mystery of Mt. Kaphon