Luines - Book 1

Chapter 22: Quiapo Church

After the quick run from Fort Santiago, The Manila Cathedral and Intramuros, they arrived a little early from the given time by Mang Pulon; She hoped that Drake Corvin would arrive. She asked Zee to search and wait for him inside the church while she took Neon Requyem around the food stalls.

The crackling sound of the fryer woke her sleeping hunger. She pointed at a couple of squid and fish balls, a few skewers and a black sugar tea with jelly. The sizzling smell of the frying squid and fish caused another growl in her stomach. As soon as they were ready, she paid the stall owner and handed a few skewers to Neon.

"Are you sure these are edible?" Neon Requyem said as she studied the barbequed chicken feet. She sniffed it, and shrugged.

Hal laughed, "Just try it! You won't get clawed by that. They don't scratch!"

Neon bit on the feet and almost choked. She stared at another skewer with chunks of overburnt squares, and shook her head. "Your kind has weird food. What is this?"

"We call that betamax. It's dried pork blood."

Neon cringed in disgust. "You know, my kind are mostly vegan or forest fed."

"If you see Sol around, you can give it to that kid, or give it to any kid around here. They'll eat that." Hal said.

Neon nodded and handed it to the first kid that locked eyes with her in curiosity. She smiled, and gave the kid the sticks. The kid thanked her, took the skewers and disappeared in the crowd.

Hal bid that they head back to the church, as she snacked away with her fish and squid balls. She dipped a few bites into a cup of red sauce and gobbled them into three bites. She threw her sticks and cup at the bin by the church, while Neon waited for her under the shadows of the church. As she got to her, Hal asked, "So, how'd we convince Charm to cage our enemy in the ring? And where do we find a ring?"

Neon brought out another serpent ring, "I traded with Lady Hanago for this."

"What did you give her in exchange?"

"Strangely, she told me to pursue my love with Gan, and make it a point to slap that in the faces of the stuck up Realm Council especially on the elves. And all she wants is to see that future unfold."

Hal huffed, "Lucky you. Even if Ma used to leave us there when she went to her church meetings, I hate it when she strikes a bargain. You don't know what mood she'll be in. She gets crazy sometimes and we call her Auntie Witch when we were kids."

A cold arm laid across her shoulders; she squeezed his arm and was about to throw that person away from her until he spoke. "And you can never predict what she'd want from you. How are you doing, bunso?"

She knuckled him on the shoulder, while Officer Drake took her by the neck and ruffled her hair. As soon as she got out of that lock, she said, "You're hard to find! Where have you been hiding?"

"I haven't been hiding. I've been training someone with your aunts in their mountains. Hence, Zee couldn't reach me there. We received Mang Pulon's message and I came."

"So, will you help us?" Hal said. She folded her arms, and raised her brows, anticipating his answer.

Officer Drake Corvin gleamed, his fangs were protruding out. "Well, somehow I am. I'm actually training your one and only boyfriend. I never thought Ryu Kazama would fall for you."

Hal Cruz jabbed him on his torso, but Officer Drake didn't flinch. "Gago mo! What kind of being are you?"

"I'm half vampire and half lycan who has lived long enough to meet two sets of Luines." Officer Drake Corvin said. This time his tone shifted into a serious one. "I hope for all people you'd never be one. I knew Neon Requyem was, and Zee, but you..."

Hal Cruz bit her lip and furrowed her brows, "Don't I deserve to be a Luine?"

"You're unexpected; you're a human. It's never happened before. Looks like it'll be tough. Are you sure you kids can handle Bakunawa?"

"We need more Luine power and two more witches to cast the entrapment spell. That's what I remember from Ced's memories."

Officer Drake pulled the two of them inside the church, as they looked for empty seats. The church was still packed from the previous mass held, and every pew was filled with devotees of the Black Nazarene. They stood near the old women, waving their fans at the corner of the church. They asked if they wanted to have their prayers sent to the Black Nazarene but Officer Drake declined.

They walked to the dark area where the candles were lit for the prayers or for the departed. Hal dropped a few coins in the prayer box, took a candle and lit it with a snap. On the tip of her thumb, she watched the tiny ember diminish and stared at her candle with the thought of her dad. "I bet if dad were alive, he'd have the perfect answer for the rut we're in. You know, I wish Ryu was here too."

Officer Drake laid his arm over her shoulder and pulled her in a closer hug. "I bet your dad will have a solution. He'll enlist me to go hunting for more witches to aid you. But, would you believe we did the incantation with one witch?"

Neon Requyem asked, "How?"

"Two of the three sisters were killed by Bakunawa during our entrapment operation. So, Phyrne Halliwell summoned her ancestors through their family symbol, and cast it with their spiritual power. So, if Charmaine Halliwell carries that family symbol, you'll be able to entrap Bakunawa."

Neon said, "I'll take care of that first thing tomorrow."

"If Charmaine Halliwell is just like Phryne, she'll be as stubborn as a batibat. So, there's another family symbol you could use. The other set of Luines used dragon power against a dragon."

"So, witches or dragons, huh?" Hal looked at Drake and asked, "By the way, where's Zee? I thought he'd be around here."

"Well, you know how your aunts are with Zee. The moment they saw him, he got ordered around to work. And now that your aunts physically met Ryu, enjoy the coming holidays with them!" Officer Drake said. A gust of wind brushed on their feet. "I guess he's done."

Zee slowly materialized with another human next to him. The other human had his arms at his back. As he was slowly forming, he was beaming from ear to ear, and Hal knew exactly whose smile that was, Ryu Kazama's.

Ryu Kazama said, "Hey there, beautiful."

Hal's eyes sparkled as he leaned towards Ryu and kissed him on the lips. "So, what are you hiding?"

"Zee told me about something you wanted to see. I pulled some strings, and..." Ryu handed her tickets to the Let Hell Break Loose Concert.

Hal bit her lips, or else she'd scream inside the church. She took the tickets, and hugged him so tight as if she'd never let him go. She looked into his eyes again, and mouthed, "Thank you, I love you."

Ryu kissed her again on the forehead, then he drew his fingers at her chin and he kissed her on the lips. He smiled brightly, "I love you."

She rested her head at Ryu's shoulders and counted the tickets, "Why do we have five tickets? There's you, me, Zee and Neon? Drake, are you coming?"

"It's not for him. I bought them for Zee. He wanted Ced to tag along."

Hal studied Zee, and he was turning so red that she could have sworn he emitted an orange glow, different from his usual faint white. "Bal, let's go home!"