The Immortal Flame

Chapter 3: Encounters

"Are you sure this is the right path?" Bidat asked as they stride lightly on the dirt road below their feets. He pompously wore a white cloak weaved from the silks of sheepballs and a tunic made by the garbers of the north.

Rikoen was annoyed as Bidat had asked the same question three times now. He answered again however, "For the last time Bidat," he clenched his fist, "I am awful certain that this is the right way."

The road to Nalalas was dreadfully confusing in actuality. Many men and women lost their way in the path. Legend has it that the trees nearby were the habitat of the cursed luluwas who had a horse's feet and head instead. They were commonly termed to be as tikbalangs. They were evil in nature and they had the power to control time locally. They were also fast and cunning like the steeds from where their horrid appearance was based on.

It was in fact sun rise and the two friends had been on the way to the city hours ago. Bidat was becoming impatient. His mind wasn't as enduring as his body in truth. It was Rikoen who had tolerance. The winding path was as easy for him to navigate as foraging a bunch of flowers at Tiya's garden patch. Oh how he had missed Tiya's special tea. The woman had left their village to travel to Bororos which was an islet in the archipelago's region of the Middle Islands.

The thought stays in Rikoen's mind as he walks further the twisting trail. He was, again, departing from reality as he studies and remembers the taste of the tea from memory. Not an easy feat to accomplish. The clanking of his companion's sword was not enough for him to be disturbed, and not even his maddeningly annoying travel tunes. This was one of Rikoen's odd talents.

A moment later, Bidat had stopped singing his tune. A briskly frigid breeze ran across his face as if it was trying to warn him. Strange as it may seem, leaves were thrown at his friend's head but to no avail did the wind get his attention. There was a sudden darkness and frigid feel that filled Bidat as he walks farther from where they came. Suddenly, he became nervous, anxious, worried of something he could not see, and this emotion is what he cannot understand as it came too swift and untimely.

Bidat clutched the handle of his sword just in case anything might happen.

He walked faster and beyond Rikoen just so he could survey the road. He needed to stop at any crossroad he may see of course, but there was none. The stout man took a few meters of distance as he was way past a sharp turn the road has, a well-known indicator that they're not far from the capital of Malaya. But still, worry and anxiety dominates Bidat. He was far now and he thought to return back to his friend.

From the woods near the curve of the road was a tikbalang! Bidat saw this and shuddered in horror. The tikbalang watched the large man as did he. He could not scream nor shout for he knew he was now bound to a curse by the beast. He could not warn his friend and all he could do was stare back at the gaze of the grotesque man-horse. Shivers and chills ran down Bidat's body and suddenly the tikbalang pounced at him.

There at that moment, he screamed at the top of his lungs, "RIKOEN!!!"

Birds that were resting from the trees flew out of surprise.

Rikoen ran towards his friend but when he had seen them, he could do nothing but stare. The beast's power paralyzes him from moving as he cannot attempt to attack or exert any effort to rescue his dear friend. He could still think however. Mind was as good as any sword. Master Wakwun had thought him that amongst other things. In truth, the two of them were one of the last remaining anitos, the supposed masters of the art of Mahika.

Although, the books to summon its power have been lost, Rikoen's master still knew of some tricks that were passed down to him from previous generations. A few of those can actually make one free from the entrapments of the tikbalang. So, he thought hard of how he could unleash the power whilst not attracting the attention of the beast.