Dodong was lost in the forest and it is getting dark. He can hear voices coming from afar yet seem so near. He's running so fast and looking for directions but is still lost. It's his first time to be lost in a forest he is so familiar with. His body hairs are stiff and goose bumps are everywhere; he's feeling cold and chills enter his spine. "Hahahaha" he can hear it everywhere. "Where are you going? You cannot run far." Hearing this made him frozen out of fear. He forgot that he is no ordinary human; he has magic.
It's dim and the sun is already set. "Fire" he cast a spell to light his surroundings. A cold air passes through his ears and a soft voice whispers "You're here". A sudden movement around his feet shrieks him out. He pointed his hand that has the fire to light it up but nothing is there. As he was about to face the other direction, a drip of saliva fell on his arm. It is sticky and has a pungent smell that almost made him throw up. He immediately looked up yet nothing was there. Suddenly, something crawled on his feet and grabbed his ankle. He fell down and his body was brushed off of the ground as the creature that grabbed him ran. He cannot focus on the spell and cannot cast it. He was about to throw a fireball when suddenly it stopped.
A loud and deafening voice that shrieks pierced through the soul was unleashed and he almost passed out. He has to stay sane. "Grrrr ggrrr" he heard voices yet he can't understand. It's his first hearing it. As he said "As the god of light blesses the day, may his blessing light this night" the surroundings began to light up and he saw a bunch of unknown creatures that are like humans with their tongues out, long tongues. He was petrified of the sight and shouted "AAAAhhhhhh! No" as the creatures jumped at him.
"Brother, wake up. What's wrong with you? Are you having a nightmare?" His cute little sister Amaya woke him up. Amaya lit the candles and took a glass of water and gave it to his brother. Dodong drank the water and thanked her. He was having a nightmare that felt so real. If those are the real creatures in their village, he can't imagine his sister being eaten by them. He assured his little sister that it is nothing and that they should go back to sleep.
He asked his mother Amara about the mythical creatures they believe exist. Amara enumerated each creature. Aswang are creatures at night who like to eat people; they usually have long tongues and they like women. Tikbalang is a half-human half-horse that disrupts your sense of direction and makes you lose your way. Diwata is gods and goddesses; they are divided into three worlds who are living in the upper world like Kaptan and Magwayan, the Middle world, and Underworld. Duwende are small beings that live in a little mountain-like landscape; they are either good or evil depending on the color of their clothes. Sirena and Syokoy are beings that live in water; they are half human half fish, and some of them are dangerous and seduce men. Manananggal is a humanlike creature at night that leaves its lower half body when hunting food; it hunts humans.
With this information, he has to prepare in order to face these creatures.
Night came and the streets were empty. People are staying inside their houses; only the soldiers are on the streets patrolling. Dodong sneaked out of their house to search the village. In a narrow alleyway somewhere in the street, he heard a suspicious noise that felt like someone was eating. As he walked closely near the wall, an end part of the alleyway, he stepped on a sticky liquid and the sound of the creature seemed angry. He only knows earth magic so he can't see what's happening. The clouds that covered the moon were swept by the wind and the moon lit the alleyway. There he saw blood spilled on the ground and this horrendous creature eating a dog. Its tongue is long and it looks like the creature in his dream. The creature was alerted and is in defensive mode. It threw its tongue out like a whip. Dodong dodge it and the jar was hit and broke. Dodong can't believe that such a tongue is so powerful that it can even break a jar made of clay.
The place is an abandoned one so no one can hear them. The aswang jumped on the wall and ran on it. Its nails grew like a cat's that can pierce the wall so it can walk and run on it. They were fighting each other. At that time, Dodong only know earth magic and it was disadvantageous since it was dark. The moon is sometimes covered by clouds. He needs magic like fire. He kept shooting clay balls on the aswang but it kept on dodging; all he hit was the wall. The aswang will throw its tongue out, jump at him and even scratch him. Dodong cannot evade them all and received a punch. He was thrown away and landed on a pile of bricks. This creature is strong and he thought that he can't beat it at the moment; he needs to do some training. He kept on receiving punches and scratches from its nails. At the time he was down on the ground and couldn't get up, the aswang jumped and was ready to kill him. He closed his eyes and thought of a spear made of ice that is so sharp that it can pierce it. He thought if only he could do this when suddenly a shriek of pain was produced. The aswang is hanging on an ice spear saving its last breath.
He can't believe what happened and he doesn't know what exactly happened. How did an ice spear that was so sharp appear in front of him killing the aswang? He was still puzzled.
"blingling…" a sound of cracking pieces of the jar is made from a distance. "Who's there?" He noticed that someone was there but got out. His body was battered so he went home to recuperate.
In the morning, people gathered around the place where the body of the aswang was left. They felt scared of its appearance but they felt safe because it had been dealt with. There were rumors spreading that a god had descended and helped them slay the creature. Some say that they saw a familiar face walking out of that place that night. They are saying that probably a soldier has killed it. Dodong kept it a secret. Only his mother knows what really happened.
On that night when Dodong returned home, his mother Amara was waiting for him at the gate. She knew her son sneaked out. She was shaken when she saw her son injured and bloody. She helped him walk to his room, cleaned him, and called a tambalan to heal him. The tambalan is blessed by gods to heal the people. The tambalan cast a healing spell on him and his wound healed, however, he needs to recuperate for a day or two. He asked his mother to keep it secret because he doesn't want the eyes of the villagers on him.
"Mom, where is Amaya? Is she in her room?" A worried look is worn on his face. Her mother assured him that she was in her room. He was worried about his little sister's safety. Her little sister's room is beside him so he knows she is sleeping like a log. He doesn't want to see her little sister shred in pieces and eaten by that creature.
However, little did they know that Amaya also sneaked out.
"Did you see it? Who is that god? Why don't we know her?" Pahulangkug can't believe that he doesn't know the god who helped Dodong. They should know each of the gods. Even Santonilyo doesn't know of that god.
"We need to go to the Upper realm." He said. Then both of them disappeared.