Title: My First Trading Partner is An Awake
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"What kind of help can I provide for you?" Henry frowns with the compliment and when he opens his spiritual eyes, the old man focuses his spiritual eyes to him.
"It's about the abduction of the people in my care. I bet Dondon here explained to you about our jurisdiction." Calixto explained vaguely.
"Yep. I remember that Mang Dondon caters to the needs of the most areas in your province but there are people like you who would have specific areas to take care of." Henry said remembering one of the talks he had with Mang Dondon.
"It was that case. It was one of the ancient rules we had when we joined the Order as it was established during the reign of the Pintados." Calixto further explains.
"That's interesting, I heard about the myth of the Pintados and I even heard about the story of the last Pintados in the country. I thought it was just a story, though." Henry said and truly had encountered the group of warriors called, The Pintados.
"Yes, it's not just a story, Henry. Some of the encounters of these ancestors truly happened. Going back to what I need for help, we had lost contact with the three of our colleagues that manage this city."
Calixto said, which made Henry confused. "Hold on, can you elaborate more on this?"
"Yeah, Calixto. I am confused too. Let me do the talk. You listen," Gregorio interjected as he listened to his colleagues.
Henry focuses on the two when he glances at Mang Dondon had smirk in his face as he looks at on the green house upfront.
"Henry, as my friend here is saying, even in these vast cities, we have colleagues who are members of the Order, and we tried to track them down along with our spirit familiars but we failed to do so."
"By courtesy, we should have asked for their help first from our concern but we failed to contact them," Gregorio explained further.
"I'm more confused with your concern before the issue of your missing colleagues," Henry asked, which made Mang Dondon laugh in hysterical manner.
Then they remember that they had not explained their first intention. "Yeah, we didn't explain it in detail. Calixto had truly confused me."
"Anyways, my jurisdiction and Calixto's had this concern of missing people. Even Mang Dondon's had some people in his place missing." Gregorio explained.
"Wasn't that normal? Even in our city, we have many cases too." Henry said. He knew of this as their former place in the slum had reported missing people every month.
"Yes, however, our cases have similar markings. As you can see, we have opened our spiritual eyes and we find similar traces of Aswang's activity." Gregorio explained.
"So it was Aswang again. I really don't want to deal with them as they have this revolting smell that I don't want to smell again." Henry commented.
"Yes, they have that kind of peculiar smell. It was because of their diet as most of the Aswang really want raw meat and internal organs. As I was saying, we found markings of Aswangs in the abduction of people and it was traced back here in the city."
Gregorio further explains and Henry understands.
"So you had asked the help of the three of your colleagues but couldn't find them and you came to me?" Henry asked.
"Yes. Since you are in the city, Mang Dondon tracked you down and here we are." Gregorio answered.
Henry nodded and can't find ways on how to help them out. "How many of those people are missing in your care?"
"14 people for me, 22 for Calixto and for this Shaman, it's about 12 people. Three of our people in the order will also come, maybe tomorrow as they called about their situation too," Gregorio detailed.
"That's a lot! Was that only five days ago, Mang Dondon?" Henry asked the idle old man.
"No, I believe no, young man. It's maybe about 12 days now. I thought it was the case of kidnapping and organ trafficking but when Calixto shared his concern to me, I did some digging and found that it was the doing of Aswang." Mang Dondon said.
"That's a big case, are the police not aware of it?" Henry asked.
"It is a big case but most of the report status is missing. As you know, they don't believe in Albularyo like us." Calixto said.
Henry understands this. He too would not believe about this if he didn't encounter about the infection, Mang Dondon's combat and the force opening of his spiritual eyes.
"I'm not sure how I can help out," Henry finally said after understanding their concern.
"That's where I come from, Young man," Mang Dondon finally joins the conversation. "These two failed to look for our colleagues but I continue to track down the traces, ah no, it was Banoy."
"Banoy, can you come out now. I know you have taken a liking to the veggies in the greenhouse for it was attractive to you."
The tikbalang came out from the shadow of the cotton fruit like a ninja. Imagine someone came out from a shadow which had taken a form and with Henry's spiritual eyes, he can see the said encanto.
"Long time no see, Henry, young man." Banoy said. "I'm interested in your vegetables here, I'm not sure why they smell so nice."
Henry frowns. He knew that the set up was fertilized by the green liquid he had acquired from Tyler and even knew that even with his enhanced senses, the veggies didn't smell nice. It surely smells nice when it is cooked but not in raw form.
"Nice to meet you again, Banoy. As for the veggies, you talk terms with my father, Mang Dondon." Henry greeted them and told them about their interest in veggies.
"You can easily see things, young man. As I was saying, Banoy reported to me about the whereabouts of the Aswang and he tracked it to one of the secluded warehouses in this city and to the next city in the east."
"Banoy, please do explain it further." Mang Dondon said as he continued drinking his evening coffee.
"As I had witnessed, I did find traces of those Aswangs from Dondon's instruction. I managed to find the abducted people and there are many of them. However, by my master's instruction, I had also tracked down another warehouse not far from the first warehouse and the same thing is done there."
The tikbalang explains.
"What kind of thing are you talking about?" Henry asked.
"Well, humans are the diet of these extremist Aswangs so, they don't do human trafficking but they butcher the abducted human and sell them to their fellow Aswangs in the city." Banoy said.
"That's an abomination! It's my first time learning about this thing!" Henry exclaimed.
"Well, as I said, Aswangs are the masters of illusions. They had the ability to cover their tracks and traces but with Banoy who is more than century old Encantos who deals with them mostly, he can still outsmart their abilities." Mang Dondon said.
"With their ability, they can make human flesh look like the common meat in the market. Without using the common counters of these illusions like using lime juices or related fruits, you might have eaten some of it." Gregorio explains.
"The heck! That's truly concerning," Henry exclaimed as he imagined how many people go missing without reporting it to the police.
"It does, Henry. So I had asked my relatives to track down the aswangs' whereabouts and they are still in pursuit as they started this morning after I managed to monitor the two warehouses nearby." The tikbalang said.
"I bet you have a plan," Henry asked.
"We wanted to clean up the warehouses in the city with your help but we also need to be cautious. Thus, we plan to wait for Banoy's relatives. It would be better if we had more information about these Aswangs." Mang Dondon said.
"So as we wait, I would like to trade the oil talisman to you, young man." Mang Dondon had this extra light in his eyes as he found the benefits of the healing potion that Henry had given him the last time they had met.
They had traded and even the two old men were curious about this and since Mang Dondon assured that the two old men are trustworthy, he also shared the healing potion to them.
"So this is why you urge us to have at least ten oil talismen, Huh, Dondon?" Calixto asked. "Is this the healing potion that you had told us?"
"Yes and yes, Calixto." Mang Dondon didn't elaborate. They knew that Mang Dondon looks younger and stronger and although Henry didn't permit him to tell it to others, he knew that these two Albularyos are people he can count into.
Thus, he didn't deprive them of the secret.
Henry didn't mind it. Even though it's his second time to meet Mang Dondon, He trusted the old man's judgment.
"I hope you are willing to share your healing potion, young man. I really need their assistance," Mang Dondon requested.
"I don't mind. Just make sure that the three of you would not leak its source. I'm not afraid of trouble but it's better to avoid it with regards to the concern about this healing potion," Henry said.
As he plans, he wanted the healing potion to be shrouded with mysticism in the presence of the shaman like Mang Dondon and his colleagues. And since the old shaman trusted the two, he is more than willing to share.
The three agree. Mang Dondon traded his 5 Liter oil talismen to 16 liters of healing potion to be shared with the other Albularyos in his province except the two of his closer colleagues.
As for Calixto and Gregorio, they have 10 pieces and 12 pieces of the oil talismen and they traded it with 1 liter and 1.2 liters of healing potion.
"Banoy, I need you to secure these potions. These are items that we can use to heal people in our place," Mang Dondon said. The tikbalang recognizes the potion and can see the concentrated vitality on it.
He already knew that the source of this potion was Henry and kept his mouth shot. The encanto was satisfied with the errund for they can just get the healing potion to Henry as compared to accompanying the old Shaman in the spiritual world which speaks danger.
Rare ingredients are collected in the spiritual world and it would take time for the old shaman to come up with the medicine for his patients.
Although most of the curses of the patients are corrected through forbidden words, using these forbidden words are a great burden to the shaman's body.
After the trade of the oil talismen with the old men, they simply had a meal and rested as they waited for the news about the Aswangs' movement.
Meanwhile, Banoy used the cotton tree as a portal to move the healing potions to Dondon's abode.