Objectives of the day:
Get Traiser and slay all aswangs.
I got up to my feet. I inhale voluminous air, the trees sway and the aswangs had a hard time standing on their ground.
I set my mind for mass killing time.
Larger than Bakulaw, I grew my size along with hardening my skin. My sword takes its form into Bolo y kamatayan. Long flexible whip-like, twenty sharp blades attached at the body, and covered by curses and black blood. Don't miss out on my tails as they also grew in size, and I transformed them into frightening scorpions' tails.
Let's kill these uglies.
I raise my hand upwards, swirl the bolo rapidly, and just dancing in the middle of the swarm. Every aswangs got hit by the bolo erupted in dark flames. The manananggals scream as their body parts are also been decapitated by my upgraded boomerang.
I've felt like a killing machine.
Frankly, I swirl and swirl then receive the boomerang, throw again, and went on and on. My tails got their own business as they keep on jabbing every aswangs.
The cycle of killing the aswangs. But, I never waste my time there.
My legs sprint and follow the smell of Traiser's blood. Until I got to the foot of Mount Malabahoc where two manananggals connect their bodies, turn towards me and sneer.
I minimize my size as I quickly charge the creatures. They dodge my whip, but not my tails. Screeching in agony when both my tails endlessly stabbed them. Gradually, their body exploded in the ground and gross green blood splattered.
I kneel and went beside Traiser. His lips are pale and his eyes are slowly closing. I then change my form into a regular one. Henceforth, I carry him like a baby and run through somewhere.
Somewhere reliable.
I ended up in the village. Strange, they seem to wait for us. They immediately carry Traiser and bring him inside.
I awfully look at the old lady with 'okay-my-bad & sorry-for-leaving-so-early' face. She nods at me like she had heard my thoughts. Wait, had she?
I did not muster the courage to check on Traiser. I just help myself to sit on the ground, having to stare contest with the air. The old lady did the same thing except the latter.
"The crows send the news. Apparently, you are being followed from Capiz, and here."
Shocks, that's surprising news. I sigh, I already knew that. So what? We're being reckless--- no, I am way too careless and reckless.
"Aswangs intended to attack you in Capiz, but you already went here. So, they also went. The barrier on this island is weakening. We can't keep up other entities to enter."
I glance at her. She had a calm demeanor. After all, admitting and confessing to a demon.
She added. "We cannot remain neutral anymore. Say, diablae, what do demons deserve to form an allegiance with mages?"
"I don't know. You must ask our ruler, he knows."
"Or maybe we ask Traiser. He'll know."
I look at her with confused eyes. I already have enough of these days. Now, she's adding fuel to my inner rage. I feel lost.
"He's just a human with pure soul." I consort.
She looks at me as if staring into my soul. "Yes, he is. But, he got something that differs from others with pure souls."
We're getting nowhere.
I chuckle with sarcasm. "What? His captivating voice?"
She smiles. Is she teasing me? Or, mocking?
"You already know what it is. Throughout the short journey, you and Traiser already share a powerful bond. This may surprise you, but I believe this is just a tiny percent of Oracle."
That doesn't even make sense. I just need Traiser for my quest, nothing more, nothing else. And, about the Oracle thing, yes, I know. This is just one deciphered part of the scroll.
And, probably this will be the last moment of Limdi Panah. If I can't find the portal.
"I must go inside, now. I'll treat Traiser and make him alive. Don't worry. You should dry your tears."
What tears? As I touch my cheeks, mostly wet because of.... continuous tears. What? Why am I even tearing down for... mere human?
Unbelievable.
"A diablae tears. Wow, so twenty-first century here. Finally, an entertainment."
Deep and loud voice came from the huge entity that climbed down from the tree. He filled the surrounding with his cigarette smoke. I cough and struggle to breathe, at first.
I glare at the Kapre. He's larger than Bakulaw for probably ten centimeters. Slacking off, smoking cigarettes, tree entities, they are the dudes. This Kapre in front of me had the skin of the soil, long dark hair and beard, and huge glaring eyes.
"O, the little diablae is mad."
I grin at him. "O, the humongous Kapre is smoking and smells like a shit."
He laughs. "Do I?"
I roll my eyes and avoided him.
"What are you tearing for? Is it for the boy? I sense a lot of..... lo-"
"No. It's because of the bell."
"The bell? Right, the bell at St. Francis of Assissi, which have been purely blessed by the deities."
He goes on. "Siquijor once had a good relationship with deities and demons. But, as the generation changes, Siquijor only remains to be the sanctuary of mages and other hidden creatures, like me."
I turn my face to him, examining his expression, thus to my disappointment, the smoke altered my vision.
"Tell me, what's your race's purpose? And, why don't you side with one race in this feud?"
He sighs. "I've lived long enough, diablae. Right now, you're asking me what's my purpose? O, come on, I don't want to be sentimental."
As expected, he's avoiding my question.
"How many years have you lived?"
He then smokes again. "I don't usually count."
This conversation is getting nowhere. I give up on asking him, neither do I need to hear some nonsense tales from him.
But, he tells another story. "What's good in this world is, everyone has fair treatment. Fair life. Fair odds and obstacles. "
I roll my eyes for disagreement. I highly doubt we all experience fair enough trials in life. How much more trauma does one weakling need to suffer while the other ones are having fun in a small celebration?
"It is fair. Fair enough whereas everyone suffers unfairness."
I pave my hands-on air to remove the smoke. In a heartbeat, Kapre's face appears in front. Just an inch away, he had a serious look.
"In this world, no superiority stands. Fools only believe when they think deities are the top of this world, the ruler, the gods and goddesses."
I mimic his tone. "Only Fools. Are you one of them?"
He quickly distances his face and went on smoking. "Am I? I just take enjoyment by scaring humans and observing this new century. Much as to my expectation, meeting a diablae is a great sign of change. "
My mouth hangs open when he disappeared into thin air. Exactly when the old lady walks in my direction. She's smiling so wide and sweet.
She holds my hand. In a snap, I am inside with Traiser lying on the bed and other mages minding their own business around, while the old lady still holding my palm.
My hand let go, my eyes ask for an explanation as I gaze at her. She nods twice, agreeing on what my eyes are telling.
"He's fully healed. Thanks to his blood, a miracle happens. We do not want to take any payment, but.." She paused for a bit. Turns to me with a mischievous stare. "But, we need his blood for healing purposes and strengthening barriers."
"And, I suppose you do not curse or put any spell in Traiser's body? If you do, I'll make this whole island suffer." I stand up to my feet, glaring to her and pointing my finger as I demand.
She chuckles. "We are not capable of curses, dear diablae. Have you ever know of pure virgin soul's blood can heal illness and regenerate more mana."
My eyes squinted as I tried to think on reading pure soul's capabilities, henceforth, none of her mentions meet my mind.
"His blood remains a mystery, but we do know, this makes miracle happens. Trust me, diablae, we won't harm Traiser. In the first place, his parents already formed a contract between us, mages, and their son." She added.
"What contract?"
"To unleash the forgotten memories of Traiser."
"Memories.... but, why?"
She smiles even I see the pain in her eyes. "Someday, you'll know."
I shake my head, evading her provocative answer. "So, what now?" I still glare at her.
"His memories are recovering. So does his body. For few minutes, he'll be fine and kicking. Nevertheless, you need to take a rest too. You'll get a long journey to walk on." She snaps her fingers, and then a bed appears out of nowhere, I mean, next to Traiser's bed.
Before I even forgot, "Do you know where is the Zonax entry portal?"
She shook her head. "I don't. But, I know someone who knows."
"Who?"
I can't believe it with my own eyes and horns. She just said that someone who seems to be impossible and unreliable.
My eyes laid their stare on five tobacco cigarettes in my hand. They are large for humans' lips, probably two fingers to hold when smoking, but impossible for them to put on.
"Sweet destiny! Are they old-fashioned cigarettes? How lucky I am!!" Kapre, to my expectation, appears in front of me with normal human size.
He seems to look like a human politician with a lean figure. I already saw one politician in Mindoro, strolling with hands in pocket, surrounded by tons of bodyguards.
"These are not for free, giant."
His face crumpled like paper.
"As always. Information exchange. Now, what do you want to know?"
"About-"
He even cut my sentence. "I know. I've lived for million years, and still slacking off. I have duties too, but that's secret. Now, give me one."
I roll my eyes, sliding the cigarettes beneath my skin. He's struck dumbfounded by what I did.
"Don't freaking play with me, stupid giant. You need to respect this negotiation, okay?"
He nods involuntarily. "Fine. Your cigars, your rules." He even mumbles afterward, "I didn't know diablae has skin pockets, damn."
I ignore his whisper and then ask. "Where is the Zonax entry portal?"
"Mindanao." He smirks as if he feels he won.
I raise my eyebrow. "Particularly?"
"That'll be the second query. Now, just follow the sampaguita trails. I don't have an idea on what type of portal it is, but it's still a portal."
"How do we get there with no troubles?"
"For the remaining cigars, I'll let you ride tigmamanukan. That bird owes me a huge debt, so it's one call away. Just say when you need to go."
I pull the cigarettes out and handed over the Kapre. His name is Vanlito, as he appropriately introduces himself to me.
With his human figure, he says, "One of the oldest Kapre left in Earth. Whenever you have these precious cigars, you can call my name in the wind and I'll come in a second. Nice meeting you, diablae. Good luck on your journey."
He walks away, still in human form. Eventually, his figure becomes a blur and tiny which my eyes cannot perceive him anymore.
I storm inside the room and let myself rest for a while. I only thought so. Unfortunately, even in my dreams, I am haunted.
I saw two bodies. Standing, facing each other. Weird but I know they are Traiser's parents, seem to argue about something.
"How did he got lost?!" James Lustrado flustered in anger.
While his wife was even more anxious and scared, as she answered. "All this time I am holding stranger's hand.... I don't know how!! James, you know I got nothing to do with this. I blame myself for this, I know, I know!!"
"I'm sorry, darling. I don't know what happened. For the meantime, we need to search that forest. We might find Traiser inside."
He hugs his wife and caressed her hair. Something inside me yells for unknown feelings like I wanted to be caressed by someone as well.
Darn.
The scene turns to the forest where a boy is in front of a portal. A door type.
"Our house... I need to get inside or else Mama will be mad.." He mutters while touching the knob.
I want to scream at him. No! No! Don't enter the portal fool human! No!
That's too late. As the boy opens the door, he's been suck in by great force inside. Then, the door disappeared.
Another scene comes, not Traiser and his parents within, but I felt a familiar sense from the figures. They are demons with a quirky long white robes.
"Only with those blood can exit and enter the portal. We already tried some ordinary demons to leave this world, but they always ended up dying before even stepping in!"
"And we have already been informed that they don't want to leave Zonax!"
"We just need to kick them out of the Equator."
"And to where?"
"East, or most likely West."
"And, we just need to kill the father."
"Yes, the father."
Quickly, they all look at me. Even though their faces are blurred, I felt intense and mad stares. As if they wanted me to be killed. They wanted me to get out of the Zonax.
In a blink of an eye, I'm facing Columbane together with other deities' followers.
She's smirking, so evil. "You'll never have Traiser in Zonax. In the first place, you'll die!!"
She laughs as well as her fellow evil entities. I felt suddenly shame and guilt inside. I've felt they're true that I'll never succeed. I'll never regain our family's honor.
I also know I am on my knees. This is shameful! I'm kneeling in front of those freaking ugly creatures!
My chest tightens. My breathing is slowing. As if my mind is shutting itself down, my hands tremble, and my heart racing.
"I feel safe in your arms every night~~..."
I heard someone's voice inside of me. No, it's not inside. Where could it be?
I felt safe and secure.
A blinding flash of light is just meters away, I run and run to get in touch.
"...Feeling like a dream~"
Traiser's singing voice! It felt like a melody saving me from these griefs.
I stop and realize the light was gone. I've felt freaking hopeless. What happened?
Then a girl appears out of nowhere. Her face is also blurred, yet I don't know her name. Thus, I felt a sense of memory.
Nostalgic presence.
Her lips move, mumbling something with her low voice. I cannot hear nor understand.
At last, she smiled. Only her lips show.
"...I know, love is the key. Everything it is..~~"
I woke with a start. I nearly bump Traiser's head as I got up. He looks so wary and at the same time, shocked.
"I'm glad you're awake. Our ride is waiting for us. Aling Yeshus told me that tigmamanukan needs to ride on before sunset. You, okay?" He seems embarrassed, as his tone shows.
I look at him confusingly. "Tigmamanukan? How do you know it is our ride?"
He avoided my gaze. "As I said, Aling Yeshus told me. Mister Vanlito already ordered the bird, that's why you need to dress up."
I touch my whole body. Heat creeps on my horns and face. That's why he's embarrassed.
Before I shout at him, he already went outside. How did I undress? Speaking of the melody, did he sing a while ago?
I pack all of the stuff in my bag, the one I first brought here. Traiser even asked tons of questions on how incredible this was.
"Did you sing while I'm sleeping?" I ask when I mounted myself on the back of the bird.
He nods. "I'm singing while going to your room, and then, I stop in front to just peek..... Actually, you're covered with bedsheets. You know, never mind."
He even exclaimed about how long I took a rest. Almost half of the day, he already woke up after I slept and spend the rest talking with Yeshus, the old lady mage.
That got me to wonder about his lost memories. Was he the boy who accidentally went inside the portal?
I shrug my shoulders and just focus my sight on our flight. While we're soaring above, Traiser sings the same song I heard in my dream.
Hearing it, in reality, makes me kinda relieved and, frightened as well.