Mari: Year One [Completed]

Chapter Sixteen: A Confluence of Fates

Mari ran once more, this time with motive, with reason. She remembered the lavish mansion from the vision, it was the very mansion where she killed Nick and his mother. Two burdensome humans, one a misogynistic pig who craved control and hated people who did not conform to his beliefs, whether it be gender or other things, and Henrietta, the mother who sheltered and stoked these beliefs as he grew up.

"This is a bizarre coincidence." Mari muttered to herself, as she finally saw Metro Manila once more. A twinge of pain crossed her heart as Jessamine appeared in her mind again, but she steeled herself, knowing that she must do her duty first.

"I'll be back soon, I promise." She promised at last, even though Jessamine wasn't there to hear it.

Her strength seemed to overflow, and she finally talked to the voice in her head.

"You ready to feast?" She asked,

Are you taunting me? The voice responded.

"No, but we shall indeed feast, but on my own terms."

Very well, lead the way.

"Good, now don't try to take over, just give me the strength I need without actually having to come out." Mari chided, and the voice grumbled.

"Great, let's get this over with!"

She started her trek towards the mansion, and it took her hours to get her, as she needed to save her energy and pretend that she was a human being, especially since it was in broad daylight.

It stood there, the Duque Mansion, an ivory tower in the midst of squalor and poverty.

"Never understood why rich assholes build these things." Mari murmured to herself, as she scouted the area.

Her brown eyes turned crimson once more as she tapped into her powers, her aswang side. Various scents emanated from the mansion, many humans, she could not find any smells of the supernatural.

"Weird." Mari muttered to herself, and she saw him, it was a man in black, shoulder length hair and a beard, posted by the balcony, as if looking for something, for someone.

She sneaked into the threshold of the mansion and was immediately struck by an invisible trap, as if she were being shocked by millions of volts at once.

"Okay, I am actually feeling that." Mari said hurt, her voice turning bestial and guttural. In her stasis, the same man from the balcony appeared.

"You must be the aswang in question, back for the congressman now are you?" he asked.

"Who might you be?" Mari asked, even as electric currents surged through her, making her feel a physical pain she hasn't felt in a while.

"Danilo Villamor Estevan." Danilo said curtly, bowing, "It is quite an honor to see you, as you can see, the aswangs that I have slayed do not look like you, there are semblances of humanity, and the only note of your bestial side is your eyes. Intriguing."

"Come a bit closer, let me show you more." Mari taunted still trapped, her voice turning more animalistic as she felt herself transforming, but she kept it down, stifling, wanting to remain in this form.

"Now then, shall we?" Danilo said coyly and brought out a large steel crucifix, pressing it against Mari's cheek.

"Now that's odd." he commented, when there was no reaction to it, "They usually scream and burn on touch."

"Your gods do not wish to harm me it seems." Mari said sarcastically, "Try it again, maybe their powers are a bit off at the moment."

"Okay, smartmouth, how about a garland of garlic then?" Danilo continued, as if he were testing things. Mari hissed at the stench, visibly irate because she knows it's going to hurt, yet she doesn't understand why such a stupid plant can hurt her so.