The Songs of Strife

10 FERAL

The giant gave the ground a lazy swipe with his flail, sending rocks and blades of grass into the air. Apart from his immense stature, the left side of his body was tattooed from head to foot. And the only clothing he had was a green embroidered bahag wrapped around his wide waist and thick-muscled thighs.

He stared at Lam's direction with beaming eyes and fuming nostrils. "I'm Siagu, and I come to take your head you little fuck!" he screamed, red veins pulsing in his neck.

Lam pointed at himself, confusion written all over his face. The waylander knew nothing of the giant. "Me?" he said. "what did I do to you?"

The giant Siagu raised his flail towards his direction. "I'll have your head or die trying you little fucker. I had to bare a weeks worth of travel by sea with arrogant pale-skinned arseholes just to find you." He snorted and spat a thick clump of phlegm on the ground.

"What?" Lam scratched his head. "Seriously, I don't even know you."

The giant trotted and sped on to a jog towards him, slowly building momentum. His flail making blurred circles beside him.

"He's talking to me, Lam."

Lam-ag Sagpang Baha turned his head just in time as the gloomy skies opened up. He stared at Pulaco as rain drops began to fall on his face. "You know this beast?"

Pulaco nodded back. "He came here to take his revenge on me," the datu spoke, no inflection in his words. "Is that right, son of Ziawi?"

The giant chuckled in excitement as he dashed in a straight line towards Pulaco like a rampaging bull on a rut.
"Revenge?" He laughed. "I'll reserve that for later. First, I'll give you a bloody beating then I'll give you what you truly deserve!"

With incredible speed and force he continued towards the two men. It was unnerving to see him close the gap between them with ease, almost enthralling. Almost paralyzing. And as the fleet-footed giant moved, a murderous aura followed behind.

"Get out of my way puny vermin!" Siagu said at Lam as he struck him with his free hand, breaking his spear in half upon impact and sending sharp splinters in the air. The force also drove the waylander bouncing down the green grass a couple of meters away.

Pulaco leaped backwards in the slippery grass, his sharp eyes anticipating every move the giant made. He glanced at Lam's direction. Although limp, he still showed signs that he was still breathing. Pulaco sighed. This should not happen. He cursed himself when he realised that this is all his fault. Somehow people got hurt because of him. But before he could catch a breath, the giant swung his thick fist at Pulaco. Good thing the datu saw it coming and Siagu only struck thin air. Pulaco countered with a kick on the side of the giant's head, staggering him away. But it was more because he was surprised than hurt. He whirled back at the little man, flail slicing the air. But Pulaco was waiting for him, he quickly shifted his footing and darted away.

"You run and run like a coward, fight me!" Siagu said. "Fight me like a bagani."

Then, the giant dashed, smashed and slashed wildly at Pulaco, eager to club the chief's head into mush. But the datu dodged and parried every brutal blow, using his innate speed.

"You ambushed my father!" said the giant, frothing in the mouth. "You killed him in cold-blood!"

Pulaco leaped away to avoid the giant's wide swing. "It was a misunderstanding," he said. "Just a difference in our opinion that blew out of proportion. You don't need to do this. If you only knew why things happened the way it did–" Pulaco slipped in the slick ground but regained his footing to evade another murderous assault from Siagu. He shook his head. The man was so angry, it's making him predictable, the datu of Mandawili thought.