Cordella is made up by six boarded lands. Each being overseen by either one of the three major clans. Kawashinget, the largest and richest boarded land and the most populated one, however, is not claimed by any of the clans. Ten years ago, it was decided that the responsibility of overseeing the wealthiest of the lands shall be shared among the clan heads.
Cordella has one official metropolitan area which was named in honor of the region's ancient name, Caliphagay. The city is within the boarder of Kawashinget and it is where the Council has always been held.
However, the current problem with the resurgence of a Kaleshing, a summoned dead spirit, caused some changes. If during the gathering, a Kaleshing appears, there is no assurance that the 'regular public' shall be safe. Thus, the Chief of the Council with the consensus of its members agreed to hold it away from the dense city and to one of the minor towns of Kawashinget, Petang Asol.
As the sun begun to set, the house of Ziron Kandas began to make their way to the town of Petang Asol. They were a convoy consisting of five Sedans and a van. The van carrying household servants, and each Sedan carry a member of the household: Ziron, Sardon, Emerald, Jade, and of course Dmitry who opted to drive the automobile himself.
Ziron and Emerald, the current and future clan head, were surely to come. Sardon, though without the gift, always tag along as he still holds an important role in the clan. As for Jade and Dmitry, Ziron believed that these two have good reasons to come along. Like how Sardon is a support to Ziron, Jade, shall one day be a moral support to Emerald. Dmitry was introduced to the house of Kandas already, now Ziron wants to introduce his talented grandnephew to the rest of the clans.
With how slow the convoy is travelling and how frequent Ziron commands to stop for a smoke, it will take three hours for them to travel to the venue. The sky was already dark when they have reached the beginning of the treacherous Amesla Highway.
Although the highway was more developed and made safer overtime, it has always been known that the highway that connects the six boarded lands has claimed thousands of lives ever since its soil was cemented into a road. Each year, the number of vehicular accidents increases. Popular notion is that the road was not made safe enough or unskilled drivers dare to maneuver it. But old people warn that the spirits of the trail seek revenge because their abodes were destroyed by humans for the sake of trade and progress.
Ziron knows this road well. He travelled through this highway for quite a lot when he was searching and then visiting his sister, Selena. Still, he takes his time, ordering the chauffeurs to drive not exceeding 70 mph. But the ever-cautious Ziron wasn't prepared to face the first of his misfortunes.
When the first Sedan, where Ziron rode, began do drive up the first uphill, the vehicle suddenly stopped and it rolled down colliding with the car behind, Sardon's. To stop the domino effect, drivers panicked and tried to step on the breaks but they found that they have lost control. Added to the sensation of gravity pulling them downward, the earth began to shake.
Then, beside the highway, it seemed that the mountain began to move.
Jade, who is travelling away from the comforts of her home for the first time, is now also experiencing something new: legends becoming alive. Legends like mountains sprouting legs and feet, standing, and looking down at humans.
They call them Pinad-ing, beings that are benevolent when left alone but malevolent when their abodes are disturbed.
Its rocky fists slammed on the highway, destroying the pavement. The van was not able to escape one of the Pinad-ing's smashes. Ziron shocked with the attack, prepared to defend but his vehicle suddenly slammed to one of the Pinad-ing's rocky foot. Sardon barely escaped the car that was crushed under the being's fist. Ivan, who is driving for Jade, still tried to maneuver the wheels, swaying the car from left to right. Though being paid well, Emy's chauffer chose life, so he opened the door, jumped, and left the car unmanned.
Emy, knowing that she was betrayed by the selfish act, couldn't care less as she is pre-occupied finding an escape route. To her surprise, a Sedan drove pass her and from the driver's seat, Dmitry safely and easily stepped out just before the car crashed. He jumped in Emy's car with ease, immediately shutting the driver's side of the door and maneuvering the wheel.
As if tricks are being played on them, Dmitry who stepped on the break was able to stop the car while Ivan who stepped on the gas, to avoid being crashed, rushed hitting Emy and Dmitry's car. Both vehicles headed to the cliff.
Normally, there is no escape from death for this kind of situations. But THEY are NOT NORMAL. Just before they were lost in his sight, Ziron's pupils turned green while he exclaimed, "Shagem!"
Two automobiles were falling fast towards a 6, 000 ft above sea level drop. But behind them, a large serpent like creature, with bright green scales appeared. As per instruction of its summoner, it went and coiled around the Sedan where Emerald and Dmitry were.
Emy understood what her grandfather's intention was as she saw the other car falling faster than them and as Jade completely disappeared from her sight due to the serpent's green scaled body covering the windows. Ziron would rather save his heir than the sickly ungifted one.
Sensing the danger that will come upon her twin, Emy's tears started to fall, her voice unable to come out from her mouth. But her soul screamed the name of her Kowadja.
And as loud as a thunder, a low, deep, and loud growl was heard. It was rare to see, but from above, Ziron and few of the prominent figures that has arrived saw the back of a second large serpent like figure that coiled the other Sedan, where Ivan, Hannah and Jade rode.
Normally, two vehicles plunging in a deep ravine would make a crashing noise. But Ziron and the rest of the people above expected no noise at all as the Kowadja that were summoned, must have broken their fall.
Meanwhile, the Pinad-ing stopped its attacks as thick ropes and heavy chains coiled its body. Below the being, several undented luxurious vehicles parked and people, with different colored pupils, who know exactly what he is, stared at him, declaring victory upon a strong malevolent being.
Then to the surprise of the group of people staring at the ravine, darkness started to creep over the scene of the fall.
" A Takang?!" Muriel who stood beside Ziron exclaimed.
From above, it would look like darkness. But if one gets caught beneath the Takang, that darkness above him, will look like a night sky. Takang is a void where the physical world and the underworld meet. Where souls of those who just died roam and creatures of the underworld hunt. Ziron had never been inside that void. No one who is living has been. No one dared to come in because no one cannot come out.
Ziron knitted his brow, "Shagem!" he yelled.
Before the blanket of darkness covered the ravine, his Kowadja flew out. This is Shagem, Ziron's powerful serpentine Kowadja. A 25 feet long version of the endemic and almost extinct Paradise Tree Snake, which is known for its gliding ability that is considered best among flying snakes. Shagem, like his small counterparts, has rich green scales and its back, from its neck to its tail, is lined with orange scales clustered like flower petals.
Ziron expected Shagem to fly out with its body coiling around a car. But he was disappointed of the failure of his Kowadja. Ziron commanded Shagem to disappear for now. Above the starless night sky, Shagem vanished, only leaving his scales behind. His scales fell below like glitters that glow in the night. It was a spectacular show, but it did not lighten the Elders' mood.
Atop the darkness, which Muriel called a 'Takang', that covered the ravine, another illusion laid over it. It was how the ravine would look like, after a "devastating earthquake". Tomorrow, Caliphagay and the rest of the country will hear the news of a typical 5.0 magnitude earthquake that caused landslide and falling rocks that ruined a part of the Amesla highway.
Ziron and Muriel knew who was responsible for the illusion. Actually, for this scale of illusion, one person cannot achieve this. And they were right, the people responsible for the cover-up calmly walked towards where Ziron and his group stood. They were three: One was a tall, slender woman who wore a veil over her face, one was a young man, who in this time of the night, wore sunglasses, and the last one was an old man who, unlike the others, never bothers to cover his violet-colored eyes.
No one in the clan will fail to identify who this old man is. Known for his gray beard, long messy tied hair and violet eyes, Nuriel Calpo held the title, the Chief of the Council.
"The Takang was opened not by this Pinad-ing" they heard Nuriel explain, "We cannot identify who and where he or she is."
"It has been a long time since a Takang was opened. We know of one clan who takes pleasure in doing so, but it is impossible since they do not exist anymore." Ziron begrudgingly stated.
Every person on that area heard what Ziron said. All of them kept quiet. No one wants to be tempted to mention the forbidden words. There are only few people with the gift to open and shut a void. There is no reason to access a place where dead souls and beings of the night might get loose. One clan, who has members with this gift , already died out ten years ago.
"My grandchildren are there." Ziron said.
The woman with the veil stepped forward. "Leave this to us Elder Ziron. Place your confidence in the clan who now holds the keys to the void."