Curse Of The Aswangs (The Vasquez Brothers #1)[COMPLETED]

29: JASPER

"Tito always puts the book with power in here." Frankie said.

"We'd better search for the rest of the shop, Frankie. Or we can be attacked by aswangs at any moment." I said.

"Aswangs cannot attack during the day." Frankie replied.
"You think Aswangs only come out at night?" Dylan began, his voice low and steady, a note of warning lacing his words. He was tending to Jose's wounds. His face was a mask of grim seriousness "That's what most people believe. But it's not the whole truth."

I crossed his arms and leaned back. "So what, they stroll around in broad daylight now?"

"They can," Dylan said firmly, locking eyes with him. "They can strike during the day, but it's rare. Daylight weakens them—but it doesn't make them harmless. You have to understand, Aswangs are vampiric shapeshifters in nature. They're cunning, and when they're desperate, they'll use whatever they can to get what they want."

Frankie, who had been quietly listening, furrowed his brow. "What do you mean by 'whatever they can'?"

"They don't just rely on their claws or their teeth," Dylan continued, his voice dropping to a near whisper."The Aswang Clans are part of the underworld crimes in the Philippines. They can use weapons. Knives. Spears. Tools made of iron or bone. Anything they can get their hands on, they'll wield it like they were born with it."

"I hope Ash and Zade could finally retrieve the King's helmet? How did they know where to find it?" I asked

Dylan shrugged, a small smirk playing at the corners of his lips. "Aswangs have their ways. Dark magic, spies... who knows? But what matters now is we can give it back. The King will not be pleased if it would not be returned in time."

****

We entered a dimly lit, mysterious magic shop that smelled of ancient books, incense, and exotic herbs.

The walls were lined with shelves of arcane tomes, potion bottles, and peculiar trinkets that seemed to shimmer with a life of their own. A flickering candlelight casts dancing shadows across the room, adding to the enchanting atmosphere.

I was fascinated by the idea of turning base metals into gold and discovering the elusive stones. My mind raced with possibilities, and I furrowed my brow in concentration, trying to decipher the ancient language.

Frankie, on the other hand, was more hands-on and intuitive. His uncle was a shopkeeper.

He was drawn to the bubbling cauldrons and shelves of exotic ingredients. He picks up a jar of glittering dragon scales and inspects a vial of shimmering liquid labeled "Essence of Moonlight." My excitement grew as I imagined concocting potions that could heal wounds or grant temporary invisibility.

My eyes darted around the room, "My hands are itching to start mixing ingredients and see what kind of magic I can create."

"Alchemy is not just about mixing ingredients or following formulas," said Frankie. "It's about understanding the balance of the elements, the connection between the physical and the spiritual, and the transformation of the self."

Frankie and I glanced at each other, both intrigued but in our own ways.

"I'll try to teach the basics, how to read the ancient symbols and I'll guide you through the process of creating a simple potion." said Frankie.

I became curious and analytical, and was immediately drawn to a dusty alchemy book on a wooden table. The same title that Frankie mentioned earlier.

My fingers glide over its gilded edges, eyes widening as I flipped through pages filled with complex symbols, elemental charts, and the secrets of transmutation. I saw spells for magical wards.

"Dude, this has a magical barriers spell, this should do the trick." I said.

Frankie came over to read it. "This spell can be used as a magical ward against negative energies, entities, and other spiritual forms. This ward can also be used against curses or hexes."

"Then let's use this one!"

****

Frankie and I stood in the center of the magic shop, surrounded by shelves brimming with enchanted trinkets, dusty tomes, and shimmering potions. The shop's dim light flickered as they exchanged a determined glance, both knowing the gravity of what they were about to do.

"Ready?" Frankie asked, his voice steady but his hands trembling slightly as he gripped my hand.

Inodded, already beginning to mutter the ancient incantation under his breath. His fingers traced intricate symbols in the air, leaving behind glowing trails of energy. "Let's protect this place."

As we chanted together, the atmosphere around them shifted. The air grew heavier, thick with magic, as the ward began to take shape. Golden threads of light unraveled from our hands, weaving into a protective dome that expanded outwards, covering every corner of the shop. The walls hummed with energy, absorbing the power of the spell, making the shop itself seem alive with magic.

We heard a thud from the door. "Great!" Dylan grumbled.

The late morning sun hung high, casting long shadows over the cobblestone streets. Inside the cozy magic shop, dust motes floated lazily in the light, undisturbed by the chaos brewing outside.

"We need to hurry, Jasper!" Dylan urged, his voice strained with concentration.

I nodded, my brows furrowed. The ward spell shimmered faintly, a translucent barrier slowly taking shape around the shop. His fingers tingled with raw energy, the pulse of magic running through me like an electric current.

I focused harder, his incantations blending with Frankie's until the air around them hummed with power.

Outside, Dylan stood firm, his back pressed against the door. Shadows flickered at the edges of my vision—dark figures slinking toward the shop with inhuman grace. The aswangs, creatures of nightmare, had no business being here, especially in broad daylight.

Dylan tightened his grip on his sword, its blade glinting under the sun's rays. "Frankie! Jasper! How's that ward coming?" he shouted, his eyes darting between the advancing aswangs.

"Almost... done!" Frankie's voice trembled, her arms aching from the strain of holding the spell. "Just... a bit... more!"

The first aswang leapt from the shadows. It was Armando, a blur of claws and sinew smashed through the door. Dylan was ready. His sword flashed, slicing through the air with deadly precision. The creature let out a shriek, recoiling, but more of them slithered forward, undeterred.

"Any time now!" Dylan yelled, parrying another strike, his muscles burning with the effort of holding them back.

I exhaled sharply, and with one final push, the ward snapped into place—a glowing barrier that encased the shop in a soft, shimmering light. "It's done!" I shouted.

As soon as the spell sealed, the aswangs let out guttural hisses. They recoiled from the ward, their claws scraping uselessly against its surface. For a moment, silence fell over the street, broken only by the sound of Dylan's labored breathing.

Frankie sagged against the wall, exhaustion etched into his face. "We did it," I whispered, relief flooding my voice.

Dylan sheathed his sword and turned to face the glowing barrier. "Yeah," he muttered, wiping sweat from his brow. "But they'll be back. This is just the beginning."

Frankie's eyes flashed with determination. "No one will get through this."

I was focused and calm and also happy that I channeled magic deeper, reinforcing the barrier with layers of defense. "We've made it strong, but we need to anchor it to something," I said, looking around.

Frankie scanned the shop before her gaze fell on an ancient relic—a small, intricately carved stone set on the highest shelf. "That,"

With a flick of his wrist, the stone floated down into his palm. Together, they poured the last of their magic into it, the ward binding to the stone, locking the spell in place. The entire shop glowed for a moment, then dimmed as the ward settled into an invisible shield, silently guarding the magic within.

"It's done," I said, wiping sweat from his brow.

Frankie exhaled, his hand brushing against the stone. "Let's hope it holds."