The sun read 7:55 and the wind was particularly strong. Hanz sat beside a yawning Carlo on the concrete stairs at the dormitory entrance.
"Were you able to sleep last night?" Carlo asked Hanz. Dark circles around his eyes gave Hanz the impression that he wasn't able to sleep at all.
"Mhmm," Hanz responded with a hum. "What happened to you?"
Carlo kept yawning and crumpling his eyes. "My roommate. That bigass dude named Tiny snored like hell last night."
"A big guy with Tiny for a name?" Hanz almost laughed.
Carlo pulled out a weird-looking food from his pocket that was wrapped in dried leaves. "Have you eaten yet?"
"No."
"You want some?"
"Err... what is that?" Hanz leaned toward Carlo and took a peep inside the dried leaves.
"Never had tikoy before?"
Hanz shook his head.
Carlo took a piece and offered it to him. "Here."
"Are you sure it is edible?"
"Nevermind." Carlo pulled back his hand.
Hanz took the piece of tikoy from Carlo and nibbled on it. "I wasn't expecting it to be sweet."
Carlo took a big bite of his piece and nodded.
"I-I like it." Hanz took another bite.
As the two were eating, Sam appeared. "Morning!" He waved at them.
"Good morning, Sam." Carlo reciprocated.
"Morning." Hanz's eyebrows raised.
"Where's the girl? Barbara, right?"
"She was summoned by Gertrude," Hanz answered.
"That's a bummer..." Sam scratched the back of his head. "Wanna go?"
Hanz and Carlo nodded at each other.
"We're ready," Hanz said as they both stood up.
🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳
The three had been walking in the forest for two hours now and they couldn't find the way out of it. They seemed lost.
"Are you sure we're treading the right path?" Carlo asked Sam who looked less confused.
Sam was holding a map of Balete City—his index finger hovered on the drawing of the Black Woods. "I am 100% sure that we're on the right path. It's just that..." he stopped looking at the map and turned his face toward Hanz and Carlo.
"Let me guess..." Hanz took a deep breath to scan the area, "are we dealing with a tikbalang?"
"Yes, there's an old one that lives here in the Black Woods and he is known to play pranks on by-passers—disorienting them." Sam with a sinister tone of voice, explained.
"How can we escape this illusion then?" Carlo asked. "And darn that smell is too strong! Even for me."
The tikbalang is a humanoid with a head of a horse—they are known for producing a pungent odor that disorients anyone who smells it.
"We can't escape it," Hanz answered.
"That can't be true." Carlo denounced.
Sam rolled up the map. "Hanz is right. But if we can figure out where the tikbalang is, we can kill it and stop it once and for all."
"K-Kill it?" Carlo uttered.
"Take off your clothes," Hanz ordered everyone.
Sam and Carlo stared at each other.
"What's gotten into you?" Carlo asked.
Hanz rolled his eyes and took off his shirt. His shoulder-length hair bounced as it got out of it. "Just do as I say." He shrugged.
The two awkwardly removed their shirts.
"What now? Do you want us to take off our pants as well?" Sam teased.
Hanz scoffed. "Turn it inside-out then put it on."
"Wait... I think I know what you're up to." Carlo said as he put on his shirt.
"Yes. This is what humans do in their realm to dispel the tikbalang's illusion." Hanz explained.
"I don't get how it would work but let's try." Sam also put his shirt on.
"Now tell us where the exit is," Hanz asked Sam.
Sam nodded and jumped on top of a tree. He looked down to the two and gestured to follow him and so they did.
After five more minutes of hopping from tree to tree, the trio could finally see the village.
"Great job, Hanz! We're almost there." Sam said.
Before they could even get out of the Black Woods, the tikbalang jumped out of the bushes and blocked the way.
"Not so fast!" The humanoid creature shouted at them.
Hanz, Carlo, and Sam came to a complete stop.
"Out of the way, stinky!" Sam provoked.
"I can't believe you escaped from my trap by just turning your shirt inside out. I've never seen anything like it."
"What do you want?" Hanz asked as he jumped down from the tree and onto the ground.
The tikbalang walked closer to Hanz. His hoofed feet clacked. "I wanna share something with you."
The two jumped down as well and the three of them surrounded the tikbalang.
"Proposal denied," Sam said after he landed. "We don't negotiate with ringless Tree Dwellers. Especially to those who intend to deceive and harm others!" He added.
The tikbalang laughed. The strong wind blew and his mane rippled behind him. "This one's feisty. I like him." He grinned, then with force, hit Sam's head with his own. Sam was thrown against a mango tree like a dummy.
"Sam!" Carlo shouted in shock then he hurriedly ran toward the groaning Sam.
Hanz, with concern apparent in his eyes, watched as Carlo picked Sam up from the ground. Sam's arm was around Carlo's shoulder.
"Why? Why are you doing this?" Hanz hissed.
The tikbalang crossed his arms. "At first, I was gonna let you go because you are amongst the few people who have ever escaped my illusion."
Hanz was fiddling with his ring. It seemed like he was itching to take it off.
"But then I realized, if I let you leave, then news about your escape will spread and everybody will hear about such a stupid solution to my trick."
Carlo listened as he carried Sam. "Hanz, be careful!"
"Whether we escape or not..." Hanz took off his ring. "...is not up to you."
Hanz started to transform. The right side of his face was ridden with veins. His skin turned pale and his pupils dilated to the point that the white of his eyes became nonexistent. His brown hair turned white and gained more volume. He positioned his hands in front of him and his nails became black and each grew one inch longer. He exposed his teeth and wailed in pain as his fangs gradually lengthened. Finally, Hanz revealed his original form.
"What's your name?" Hanz with a deeper voice uttered as he slowly approached the tikbalang.
Sam gained consciousness. "Is... Is that H-Hanz?"
"Yes. It's Hanz the Ripper." Carlo nodded to Sam's question.
"Ripper?" Sam tried his best to look at Carlo properly but his head was still in pain from the impact.
"My name? Why is it suddenly of your concern?" The tikbalang made a small step back.
"Because..." Hanz immediately zoomed forward and grabbed him by the neck.
The tikbalang's feet dangled in the air as he struggled to breathe. "L-Let go..." he tried to punch Hanz but he couldn't reach anything but his arm.
"What is your name?" Hanz raised him higher in the air.
"Ty-Tyler!" The tikbalang's voice was barely audible. "It's Tyler!" He shouted.
Hanz let go and Tyler fell to the ground with his hands around his neck.
"He's known as the Ripper," Carlo answered Sam.
"Why?" The latter questioned.
"After he gathers the name of his enemies," he gulped, "he rips their hearts out."
Tyler, the tikbalang, stood up and threw a flurry of punches directly at Hanz's face and torso but it did not connect. Hanz was able to dodge every single one.
Hanz caught Tyler's right arm and tried to twist it but the horse-headed humanoid turned his whole body along with his arm to counter it. He used the momentum that he gained from the move, and then using his legs, sprung toward Hanz's abdomen and hit it with his head. Hanz was able to deflect it by crossing his arms in front of him but he was still pushed back a good distance away regardless.
"Looks like Tyler's not going down without a fight." Sam shared his observation with Carlo.
"I've survived three great wars, child!" Tyler cried out. "You can't take me down that easily."
Hanz tilted his head in confusion. "You've survived which wars exactly?"
"You don't believe me?" Tyler quickly kicked the dirt with his hoof which landed on Hanz's eyes—briefly distracting him.
"Hanz, watch out!" Sam yelled from the back.
Tyler immediately bolted—stopped in front of Hanz and did a backward-somersault kick which hit Hanz's chin. The impact threw him up at a 90° angle crashing into a big tree.
"I was there when Wilda won the 6th Great War," Tyler smirked. "I was there during The Blacksmith's Fall. And I also fought in The Vanishing."
Hanz crawled out from the dirt that covered his entire body. "The Vanishing? Are you out of your mind?"
Carlo faced Sam. "No soldier survived the 8th Great War, right?"
"No. It wiped out a good chunk of our population." Sam replied.
"What are you saying? No soldier survived The Vanishing!" Hanz looked confused. "There's no way a scumbag like you would survive that war. Only the people who evacuated to the bunkers underground lived." He added.
"I know." Tyler's tone of voice changed. It was as if he remembered something. "I should have just killed myself. It's haunted me my entire life."
Hanz didn't know what to say. He brushed off the remaining dirt on his body and walked toward Tyler. "Tell me. And don't you dare lie to me or I'll feed your heart to your own corpse." His hands turned to fists. "How did you survive The Vanishing?" His voice overflowed with resentment.
"Go ahead," Tyler knelt down with his head slumped forward, "kill me. Finally I—" he let out a big sigh, "finally, I'll be able to pay for my failures and weakness."
"My mother..." Hanz muttered with a shaky voice then he looked back at Carlo, "his, too! They had died along with the others... while you? You, of all people, survived?"
"Y-Your m-mother?" He raised his head. "Wh-What was her name?"
"Why would I tell you? You'll be dead in a minute anyway." Hanz smirked coldly.
"Hil-Hidred, wasn't it?" He glared at Hanz from head to toe with widened eyes.
Hanz stopped in his tracks. It's been forever since he heard someone mention his mother's name. And the fact that a ringless, upto-no-good tikbalang was the one to speak of her name made him feel defeated.
Tyler watched Hanz break down with his hands and knees on the ground.
Carlo stood up and left Sam to help Hanz, but as he did, Tyler was already crawling toward Hanz.
"I-I can't believe it. I thought you were killed!" Tyler's entire demeanor changed. It was as if he was talking to a long-lost relative.
"Who are you, really? Explain yourself!" With a shaky hand, Carlo pointed at Tyler.
Tyler looked at Carlo's rather hairy hand. "Wait... you're Carlo, aren't you? Your father was a Kapre... Roman, yes, that was his name, correct?" Tyler, with a hint of excitement in his voice, inquired.
Carlo was stumped but he remained standing. "Okay. You're creeping me out. I'm not falling for your tricks and I'm not gonna ask you again! Who are you?" He threatened to take off his ring.
"Hildred, Roman, and Rebecca were my friends."
"Rebecca? That was Barbara's mother's name." Carlo couldn't believe what he was hearing.
Silence seeped in but only for a brief moment.
"I'm terribly sorry. All of us could've died—including me. If it weren't for your mother's bravery." Tyler looked back down at Hanz. "I made a promise to her but I failed. Now that you're here I can finally fulfill it."
Hanz pulled himself together and quickly got on his feet. "Tell me everything that happened that day. And I will decide whether you live or die." He offered Tyler a hand. "Go get Sam." He turned his face toward Carlo.
Tyler stood up then all four of them gathered under the shade of a willow tree. He closed his eyes and relived the story of what had happened during the 8th great war known as The Vanishing.
"Tyler are you alright?" A female voice managed to wake him up. "Berberoka is down, hop onto Sarangay with me!"
"Hildred?" Tyler in his tikbalang form stood up with Sarangay's face a few inches from him—a massive wildebeest-like creature which was as green as moss with bejeweled horns. He quickly hopped on its back.
"Hang on to me!" Hildred, who was riding the mystic beast, commanded.
"What happened to the others?"
Hildred didn't answer, she just looked down.
"Rebecca and Roman?" He asked again.
"I am sorry but they're gone, Tyler—it's just you and me. We have to retreat and save Sarangay from being captured." She answered with grief in her voice.
Tyler went quiet. Suddenly, fireballs came shooting down near Sarangay's feet.
"What the—" Hildred gasped as she saw eight hooded diwata behind her. "Sarangay, move!" She ordered the beast but it was already wounded from the previous fight.
The mystic beast roared in pain when it was struck by an enchanted arrow in his foot.
"Brace for impact!" Hildred shouted at the top of her lungs. She gripped Sarangay's fur as tightly as she could and Tyler, who was behind her, did the same.
"Kill them!" One diwata commanded the troops. They all surrounded Sarangay, Hildred, and Tyler. "Do not let that beast escape! Pin it down, you imbeciles!"
They hurriedly grabbed spears that were as tall as them and pierced each of Sarangay's feet. The spears were designed specifically for pinning down mystic beasts—a grappling hook on the other end prevented it from getting away. The titanium spears were brutally hammered until they dug into the ground. Sarangay's cries reverberated in the area.
Hildred was infuriated seeing her beloved beast get hurt. Only a sick individual could ever hurt such a majestic and historic beast. "No, Sarangay!" She exploded with anger. Already in her aswang form, she ran toward a diwata and cut his head off with a horizontal swing of her bare hand. Her hand drenched in blood, she threatened. "any more movement and I'll cut you all to pieces!"
Tyler watched as a diwata with large wings draped over his back provokingly hammered the spear into Sarangay's front foot. He stood up and ran. He was so fast that it was almost as if he vanished. He then grabbed the wings of the diwata and ripped it from his back.
"Didn't you hear her? What a bunch of barbarians you are! Have you no respect for the Arcane Beast?" Tyler said with rage in his voice. He then twisted the head of the now-wingless diwata—killing it instantly.
"Tree Dwellers! Your end is nigh!" The diwata with a pair of featherless, deformed wings and a massive staff in her hand, screamed. "I, Mariang Makiling, daughter of King Aporio Makiling, crowned Princess of the Cave, sentence you to death!" Her crown of thorns covered in gold gleamed.
Tyler's jaw dropped. "Hildred!" His shout grabbed her attention. "That's Mariang Makiling! The one who killed Minister Yanu's predecessor!"
Hildred suddenly looked miserable—her eyes were painted with fear. "I know. You have to help Sarangay." She mouthed and gestured toward the arcane beast.
"Even with Sarangay, you are no match for me, you worms!" Mariang laughed with her finger pointed at Hildred.
"Said by the chicken with deformed wings." Tyler scoffed.
The diwata soldiers almost burst into laughter at Tyler's joke but Mariang cleared her throat and pointed her staff at him. Right away, the soldiers stopped laughing and fired five arrows at Tyler. Hildred was able to catch four of them with her hands while one hit Tyler on the shoulder.
"Ahh!" Tyler screamed in pain.
Hildred looked back at him and then pressed her lips together. "You'll pay for that, barbarians!" She threw all the arrows back at their shooters' necks. They groaned in pain as they slowly fell to the ground and bled to death. "You idiot, save Sarangay!" She addressed Tyler.
Quickly, Tyler pulled the arrow from his shoulder and went to take out all the spears from Sarangay's feet. "Sarangay, pull yourself together!" He shouted at the beast that went in and out of consciousness. It stood up on all fours and roared at Mariang.
"This is not the time to fight, Sarangay." Hildred zoomed closer to the beast and petted it by the ear. She then leaned in and whispered, "Find a safe area and save your energy. Take Tyler back for me."
"No! I'm staying here!" Tyler shouted. "I am not leaving your side, Hildred!" He added.
"You don't have to fight. I'll kill you all eventually." Mariang sarcastically uttered.
"We can kill her together, she's alone!" Tyler insisted.
Hildred grabbed Tyler by the neck and lifted him. "I want you to listen to me, you idiot!" Her fangs showed as she spoke. "M-My son! No one will be there for him if we both die! Do you understand me?" She immediately let go when a tear crawled from her eye.
"I will not—"
"Sarangay! You chose me as your rider, that must mean something!" She yelled with all the strength she could muster.
The beast quickly but softly grabbed Tyler with its mouth and threw him onto its back. It stomped the ground and an invisible rope tied Tyler up.
"Hildred! You can't do this!" Tyler tried to force his way out of the tight grip of the invisible rope but to no avail.
"Listen; my son, Hanz. I want you to live so you can take care of him for me. Promise me!" She started bawling as she gently put her ring in Tyler's hand. "Give this to him and tell him I love him, and—"
"Enough!" Mariang interrupted her. "I have not dismissed you, no one leaves!" She waved her staff but Hildred cut it into two. "Y-you will pay for that!"
"Sarangay, what are you waiting for? Get out of here, you overgrown buffalo!" Hildred slapped Sarangay on its side and immediately began running away. "Promise me, Tyler. Promise me you'll keep him safe!"
"I promise!" Tyler shouted as Sarangay fled.
Tyler opened his eyes and he saw Hanz covering his face with his hands—a smile peeked.
"That's the last time I ever talked to her." Tyler exhaled.
"Y-Your mom died a hero, Hanz." Sam patted his back to comfort him.
Carlo grabbed Hanz's shoulder and hugged him. Hanz uncovered his face.
"What happened next? Why did you not come and find me? Where's the ring?" Hanz bombarded Tyler with questions.
Tyler reached for a ring that was tied into a clump of his mane. "This... This is the one." He handed it to Hanz and held his hand tightly. "I never knew about the underground bunkers. I really thought that Balete City was done for. And when people started showing up from the bunkers, I never found you."
"That's because we were already sent out to live in the human realm. All orphans were." Carlo explained.
"Then why did you not tell the Council about what had happened?" Sam asked.
Tyler looked down. "I-I thought that I had failed her so I banished myself into the Black Woods as punishment. I have actually lost my mind. I've forgotten who I was and felt depressed that I chose not to tell a soul about it." He sniffed. "Whenever someone gets into the Woods I would trick them so I could have a bit of fun—and maybe find someone strong enough to kill me."
Hanz stood up then everyone did. He held his mom's ring tightly then swung at Tyler hitting him in the face.
"Yo, Hanz, calm down!" Sam tried to stop him but it was too late.
Tyler didn't move—he let Hanz punch him.
"That's for not trying hard enough to find me," Hanz explained as he pulled his fist back. "But I forgive you."
Tyler smiled. "I never thought I'd smile again." He made a small step forward and offered Hanz a hug.
Everybody covered their noses in disgust.
"Could you at least wear your ring first? Coz we might actually get lost again by the smell of things." Carlo laughed as Hanz nodded.
"Yeah, you stink," Hanz added.
Tyler reached for another ring from his hair and pulled it out. "It's been years since I last wore this." He said before wearing it.
He transformed into a fit middle-aged human. His hair was short and black—his bangs covered his forehead and eyebrows. His monolid eyes smiled when he smiled and they were as blue as the morning sky.
"Wow. I wouldn't be able to tell that you're a tikbalang in your human form." Carlo was bedazzled by Tyler's beauty.
"It's your turn, Hanz. You should try on the ring that your mom left you." Tyler leaned in and whispered, "It's special."
"Special?" Hanz looked at Tyler. "What do you mean?"
"Can't you tell its color is different from all other rings?" He pointed at the ring in Hanz's open palm. "Just put it on and see for yourself."
Hanz stared at everyone around him like he was waiting for someone to tell him not to wear it but they were all excited to see him put it on—and so he did.
The ring was very different just like what Tyler said but not only was it in a different color, but instead of a big letter X in the middle, it had a letter H on it. But everyone was shocked when they heard Hanz scream in pain.
"Ahh!" Hanz tried to pull it out but it was stu
ck on his finger. "Take it off! Help me take it off!" He shook his hand like it was on fire.
Carlo was concerned for Hanz but he couldn't think of how he might be able to help him as he was frantically moving around so he couldn't grab his hand. "Wh-What is happening here, Tyler?"
"It hurts!" His cries scared all the birds in the area.
End of Chapter 5