Kuro: A Land in Eternal Night

Chapter 24.4: To Tame a Tikbalang

The Tikbalang moved closer to the boy, towering over him. "You see the difference between us, boy?" the Tikbalang began again. "You are a boy against a mighty Tikbalang. You are not even worthy of knowing my name."

"I have given you mine in accordance with the customs of the land," Kulas calmly said. He would not be bowed. He was after all, a king in the making. "You shall show me the same courtesy I have shown you."

The Tikbalang thought about that for a moment. The great chest heaved ever so slightly. "I am Suleiman. You do not need to know any more than that. I am acknowledging you as the laws of the land dictate. You will need to prove yourself to me."

Kulas' mind was racing at the moment. He was trying desperately to come up with a plan for this situation. He knew he had bitten off more than he could chew.

"I guess there is no other way to find out but this." Again the recklessness. His recklessness was going to get himself killed one day, Kulas thought as he leapt forward. Perhaps today was the day it would happen. But no matter, he would worry about it later. For now, he had a Tikbalang to tame.

A muscular arm met him swiftly and cast him aside like a gnat. Kulas was flung through the air, flying several feet until finally stopped by a Balete tree, his back connecting unceremoniously with the trunk. The impact knocked the wind out of him and he folded to the ground. It took all of his strength just to get back up. He tried to look as noble as he possibly could, given the situation. This was not going to be an easy task.

He darted quickly to the left, hoping to outflank the giant man-horse, but Suleiman read it perfectly and moved in to block his path. A giant forearm brushed him aside and he flew in the air like a rag doll. Kulas saw stars in the dark sky and it was not a good thing. He quickly stood up and tried to find his bearings as Suleiman's laughter echoed throughout the forest.

"Foolish young one. You have the the insolence to challenge me?"

Kulas hid himself behind one of the bigger Balete. He had a sudden flash of genius. Slowly and carefully, he disappeared into the darkness, using every bit of his slender agility as he could.

In the days of Amaterasu, Mystika had been a beautiful island with lush trees, sparkling blue waters, and white sands everywhere. When the Goddess forsook the land, Mystika would have been lost if not for an odd twist of fate. Without the benefit of the sun, the forest changed, and the Balete that used to thrive only in the darkest parts of the woods, took over. Their mystical and spiritual properties saved Mystika, for the island nation became the only nation in Kuro to remain in contact with the gods.

Kulas held his breath and slowly climbed all the way up a tall Balete. As he reached the top, he moved and craned his head to get a good view. He was now looking directly below at a bewildered Suleiman, who at least for the time being appeared to be looking for him in earnest. He positioned himself carefully for a surprise drop from above. He would only get one chance at this. If the Tikbalang figured out what he was up to and reacted accordingly, he would be brushed away again, and at that height, it was very possible he would get killed. Again, the recklessness. He took a quiet, deep breath, and dove straight down.

For a moment, he had a nagging thought that he was making a big mistake. The earth came rushing to meet him and everything became a blur. He realized this was going too fast for his mind to react so instinctively. His hands tried to grab on to something, anything.

A loud neighing pierced the darkness. Animals in the vicinity bolted in several directions, seeking safety. When Kulas finally found his bearings, he realized he was now hanging on for dear life from the Tikbalang's dark mane. He was glad he wore the thick gloves that he had on at the moment, specially designed by his people, for the mane of a Tikbalang was razor sharp. It had already begun to cut into the thick hide covering of the gloves, all the way to the chain steel underneath, a precaution in the event the mane cut all the way through.

Gloves or not, Kulas had a hell of a time hanging on. His fingers tired, as did his shoulders as fatigue set in. The wind whistled around him, the world a sudden blur. Kulas closed his eyes to the raging tempest around him. He grit his teeth as his entire body rattled in reaction to the Tikbalang's bucking.

Suleiman refused to give in so easily. It went down on all fours and proceeded to gallop madly through the trees. The speed was sudden, vicious. Kulas thought his neck would snap from the force as the creature continued its mad dash through the forest. He opened his eyes again and wished he hadn't. Tree branches were coming within inches of his face. He hoped the creature knew what it was doing. A crash at this speed would kill him.