The motor does not work in this time of crisis! Traiser checked the gas, and ridiculously, it's still even had more.
In a span, we both look at each other. My horns went crazy and formed an arc. The air becomes heavy.
Traiser whispered, "Large wave.."
True, large wave in a specific direction. Towards our boat! I quickly change my form into a water demon. Pulling Traiser along while whisking him some gills potion. Hope will work.
And, another episode of dripping wet.
Really, fate.
I dive underneath and let our boat embraced the large wave. With a heavy force, the wave slams the boat and even shatters it bits by bits. Eventually, it becomes small.
I look at Traiser, he had gills and strange, he's smiling. "What?" I ask him amidst the current. He shook his head and remains smiling.
I follow his sight.
He's staring at something and that's annoying. One mermaid singing with a horrific voice. It looks straight to me. Slowly, widening its mouth and baring its multiple sharpened teeth.
My body with scales, large turquoise tail replaced my two legs, turquoise fins supported my arms and two large fish eyes in my face. While the disgusting mermaid looks far hideous than I am. It has tails of fish, seagrass hairs, eyes of fishes, mouth of a shark, a body of a sea lion, and one antenna with light.
Don't even tempt to take Traiser away from me!
The Engkanto, Bakulaw, Tikbalang, and now Mermaid are on the list of 'Deities Followers That I Kill and Probably will kill if we meet again.'
Traiser is the one who's trying to escape my grip. He's been hypnotized by the mermaid's cry. I doubt he's been mesmerized because of its deafening cry or song.
I admit the chase is exhausting. My energy and cells are not taking this long. What would I do? My mind is only focused on one objective. To stay the mermaid away from Traiser.
Finally, there's land from meters ahead. I jump from the water to see if it is land or not. As high as my jump is my glee on looking at the view of the nearby land.
When I dive back, the mermaid is no longer in sight. Did I scare it? Not really because its master has been summoned.
Mistress rather.
An enormous woman taking the form of a human with water components, some fishes still swim inside, and her face is glowing with a blue light. Something inside tells me that I am facing a deity right now.
"I'll take the boy, and you'll be free." Her voice is inside the water, I heard it everywhere. She surrounds me with ten thirsty mermaids, ready to devour Traiser and me.
I can't believe this! After our boat has been crushed by the wave, chased by the mermaid, and now confronted by a deity.
I've lived every day with a taunting curse.
I've walked every day with unknown desires and motivation to live.
I'll bring back our family's honor.
In Panah's name, no one will stand in my way.
I let out an evil laugh. True enough, you can call it evil as both mermaids and deity shook.
"How about, you'll get out of my way and let me through or die in your stupidity?" I mock her.
Hint of anger, she let the mermaids act. She was left surprised at what I did to her poor followers. I effortlessly cut their heads and tails off within a minute.
"Ridiculous! No demons have ever conquered ten mermaids singlehandedly!"
"Well, the history is now written. I am the first demon to slay mermaids singlehandedly."
I wickedly smile at her. She glows brilliantly, almost blinding my eyes. From there, she disappeared.
With a farewell to me. "I am Magwayen, a sea deity. I shall cut your head as what you did to my children. Mark my word."
She left as her hands swayed, forceful waves push Traiser and I. So, I hug him tightly.
I gasp to breathe when I lay down in the sand. Traiser, on the other side, coughs and coughs of water. He trembles as he touches his neck. The potion is still effective, I see. He turns to me, with a shock on his face.
"What is this?"
I roll my eyes. "Gills, obviously."
"No! I mean, what have you done! How could you do this?! Without asking permission!"
Funny, how he's raging in front of me while a moment ago, he's dreamy and stupid in mermaids. I ignore his tantrums. Instead, I change my form into a regular one.
I lose all my energy in battling underwater. Good heavens, I did intensive training to fight a deity.
"What happened?! Where is our boat? Why do I need gills? Where are we, exactly?!! Limdi, answer me!!" Still on his tantrums.
I remember our bags, which are wet as well. My horns are so visible. I sit up straight, look around, and seems no one in our radius.
What a relief.
"Limdi!!" Traiser grabs my shoulders then shakes it few times. "TRAISER!" I shout at the top of my lungs. He stops and looks at me.
My eyes are heavy, I'm blinking several times. My whole body is drained and needs rest. Suddenly, my body fell on the sand. Darkness succumbs my sight.
In my dreams, I am looking at someone. The face is a blur, but I know that someone is a girl.
She came forward.
Lean on me, and whispered, "Choose your faith."
The scene shifted. I am now looking at someone, a boy. He paced back and forth, in front of me. He's confused.
Then, he placed a basket in my hands. "Run. And don't let the deity found you. Here, this will protect you and our son."
"But, how about you-"
"Go! They are near!"
"I don't want to-"
"I SAID, GO!"
Another change of setting, I am now in front of a man. Again, his face is a blur. I glance at my hands, where I held a knife.
The kneeling man said, "I will be the last pure soul you're going to have! May Zonax have mercy on us!"
I felt a sudden burst of anger inside.
"DIE! YOU COWARD!!" I grabbed his hair, pulling so hard, and then slicing his neck. Blood showered, and his scream was terrible to hear.
I woke with a start. I touch my chest, my breathing is difficult and I felt guilt inside.
"Thank God! You're awake." Traiser said as he arrives, holding a plate. I glare at him.
"Don't say the g-word."
He grins. "Ah, yeah. Anyways, here's food. We've reached Panay Island, province of Capiz. Your debit card is damaged, but fortunately, we can retrieve your cash digitally. Anyways, I didn't know how we get in here. Don't worry, I'll wait when you finish eating."
I received the plate and did not hesitate to eat. Traiser closes the door, walks into the wooden chair, and helps himself to sit. He's even watching me eat.
I get uncomfortable. "Don't watch." I hiss at him. He just chuckles at me, then obeying my order.
"You want water?" asks he. As I heard the w- word, I hastily shake my head. His eyes squinted at me.
I lay again. Silence bounds again between us. I start the talk.
"The boat has been destroyed by the wave. And, I whisked the potion to you so that you wouldn't drown, dumb face." He's about to fire back, but I continue.
"Then, you've been hypnotized by mermaids. Believe it or not, mermaids are ugly creatures and you even have a glittering eye to them. Eww." I heard him whispers something like 'I've-been-hypnotized-yet-you-are-rude.'
I continued my explanation from the deity and how I killed the mermaids bare handled. He is amazed by my new written record.
"You mean, sirena exists and you even had to talk face-to-face with Magwayen?!" He stands up, clapping his hands, and bowing to me. "You're hundred percent amazing!" he added.
I laugh as he looks stupid. "Stop that. I need more rest. We don't know if some deities' followers still stalk us. I have enough of dealing with those ugly creatures. "
He, too, laughs. "For sure. By the way, exactly when you passed out, the gills are gone. Cool, right?"
"Yeah, whatever." I close my eyes and sleep again. I felt the bed sinks and Traiser's breath.
"Don't be close to me. I'll stab your head unconsciously." Then, he moves away.
I couldn't sleep, frankly. I sit straight, glancing at Traiser on the chair. I pick him up, carry him gently, and lay down on the bed.
A night stroll would not hurt.
I exited the room and went straight outside. We are in a small rented room. The night is dark and no moon shines. I didn't mind walking. Few stray dogs are barking at me, some cats are hissing, and few humans are out and staring.
Different creatures with the same judgment.
Fresh blood. Scent of sweet flesh. A meat. My senses got sharp and my third eye automatically pointed the direction.
In a grass, there's a cow in slumber. Due to my instinct, I silently kill the cow and eat its flesh. I'll just leave money on the ground, so the owner won't panic. That's what I thought.
As I'm finishing every flesh of the creature, a stick has been broken by someone. Angrily, I turn my head. A young man screams at me. He stumbles to run, but he did run away.
I did not have time to finish so I just leave money on the side of the cow's face. I clean myself in the nearby bodies of water.
Then, I heard a group of humans arrived at the cow's place. They talked about aswang, and this will be the beginning of the attack.
O, come on, I am not aswang!
A delightful morning, Traiser wakes up and immediately cleans himself. While I go asking humans about the place Siquijor.
The fuss about what happened last night roamed throughout the province. Everyone looks at the poor cow. And, even strange, they expect that the organs will be whacked, thus I only eat the flesh. Wanting to devour the organs, that's what I meant on finishing up, but that fool human screamed.
I am way frustrated.
"260 kilometers only. You can go to Siquijor by boat. Or bus or car." Some old folks answered. I thank them all afterward.
I meet Traiser in the dining room of rented rooms. He's currently cooking food as I arrive. And, a young lady also talking to him. I squint my eyes to that lady, reading her zui. To my relief, she's plain human.
"Limdi! How's the survey?" Traiser puts the plate on the table. I help myself to sit and pulling the plate near.
"I know where our next place is. We should stop by the nearest market. In case, we need supplies."
The girl then looks at me. "You two are in a relationship? So cute! You're traveling together! Aw!"
I want to stab her neck.
Traiser coughs. "Uh-Ah, yes. She's the one I've been telling you..." He avoided my gaze. He flushes red.
"That's swee-" I but in to stop the girl from saying anything. She doesn't want to be involved. Mostly, I have a bad feeling for every female human. "Traiser, can you get the rice?"
"Here." He lends me the plate. Still not looking.
The girl bids farewell. Good grief!
Traiser turns to me. "Are you...feeling jealous?"
I chuckle. "What's jealous?"
"You know.. envy...uhm, she's been uh like flirting on me.."
He sounded like a stray cat. I chuckle at him. "No way. Why would I? Besides, that girl imposes no threat, unlike Columbane."
He seems unsatisfied with my answer. I just ignore him and focus on getting to the place.
Traiser says, "Capiz has been dubbed as the hometown of aswang. I don't know how it happens, I didn't read enough of my dad's research. Anyways, aswang is a shape-shifting creature, which lurks during the night."
We're walking and finding transportation. I do not want to go by boat by any means. We're searching for an alternative.
"Most often they say that aswang is a woman in the day, then in night, bloodthirsty creatures. Another, they emit tick-tick-ticking noise," he added.
That's why the humans called me aswang last night. I haven't told him about last night, he might scold me. Or, who knows what's his reaction. This province has a clean and typical ambiance, nonetheless, their so-called dubbed name is dumb.
I don't see any blood quenching creatures.
For now.
Already, he impressively rented an air vehicle, he called it a 'helicopter' to ride. He handed me a new debit card with light pink color. "The bank took care of your remaining money. For now, I suppose a helicopter is convenient for you."
I smile as I took the card. "No problem. You're good at making decisions, Traiser. I can't wait to tame the helicopter."
"Tame? Helicopter is a technological vehicle. It is not a creature to tame." says he with a chuckle.
We're all set. In a matter of minutes, the vehicle starts to get noisy, and slowly lifting itself from the ground. My hand motions itself to hold Traiser's hand. The sensation of riding this vehicle gives unknown emotions inside.
"Don't worry, I'm at your side. Just enjoy the ride." I heard his voice through this thing they put on my ears, he called it as an earphone with a microphone.
I try to show a smile, but I squeak when the helicopter goes onward. Traiser laughs at me. "You're cute," he added.
Throughout the flight, Traiser told me his stories. It makes me a lot better. I gradually feel safe, and... just as he said, I enjoy the ride.