The Tales of Tikum Kadlum

1 A FLEETING SLUMBER

4.1 DOG DREAMS: In which Tikum wakes in a dream- Escapes from the other moon-eater- Makes new and weird acquaintances- And returns back to his favorite pastime, which was of course, running

It was a cold night with no moon in sight when three strangers met at the edge of Ulay, a village ruled by Datu Magung. The same chieftain infamous for his groundless superstition, boundless cruelty, and limitless hatred towards buruhisans, beings with magical gifts. But the place was of no importance to the three strangers, neither did the ruthless man who ruled it. They were there looking for something else. Someone else entirely...

"Devata Dalikmata's eyes see nothin'," the first stranger said in a low voice, eyes blacker than the night. She lowered her glowing hand. And for a moment it trembled as the god's magic coursed through it like smoke. Then, she halted, face expressionless. In a glance, she would've passed on as some wandering loon looking raggedly unkempt. But she was not some ordinary mad woman for she was actually a babaylan. And a powerful shaman at that.

After travelling for three days straight, her gray hair was now in disarray. While dirt and mud covered the hem of her form-fitting malong, marring the golden stars embroidered on it. Over all, she looked fatigued, but it did not lessen the youthful beauty she had. She turned to the second stranger, their tracker, who squatted a few feet ahead of her, scanning the ground for any fresh trail they could follow. She stared at her a few seconds longer, struggling to form each word she was about to say.

"What do you see?" the babaylan finally said.

The tracker shook her head, dislodging the dry leaves sticking on her short-crop hair. She ignored the gray-haired woman and loosened the side-strap of her turtle-shell armor, leaning towards the spoor in the ground. She looked tired as well, but she couldn't rest. Not yet. Not that instance. She didn't want to displease their master again.

"Too old to accurately tell," the tracker answered as she studied the ground, narrowing her eyes. The same black pools as her companion.

The gray-haired woman nodded, whispering something to the wind, dispelling the eerie light emanating from her hand.

"The trail from the cross roads stops here," the tracker added as she stood to acknowledge the third stranger behind them. Their newest companion, a robed woman with pearl white skin didn't reply as she walked away from the shadows to join them.

"There's no sign of him or her... here," the tracker said as the third stranger came closer to her side.

"No?" the robed woman said. "Let's make sure you're right this time around, Tihol." Her words came out like a cold command.

Tihol grunted, bowing her head. It was all she could do with the leeway of thought-process she was given.

The robe woman sighed, turning to the shaman. "And you, babaylan? What did the all-seeing goddess showed you?"

"Only darkness and death," the gray-haired woman said, staring at the Toad king's village a short distance away. "Devata Dalikmata would not bless us with what you asked for..." she added, eyeing Ulay as though she was an owl looking at an unsuspecting mouse. Only the yellow-flamed torches of the patrolling timawas lit the nipa roofs and the amacan walls of town's crowded huts.

She turned to her master. "Will we burn this place too?"

"No." The robed woman said, facing the babaylan and studying every move Karas' made. "Not yet." She gathered her loose black robe, walking pass the champions of Raguet.

Controlling the two wasn't easy. But they were far more suited to her new approach. Subtlety worked best against her foe, Tikum Kadlum. The robed woman's blackened hand fidgeted. The binding spell on the two was taxing to maintain, but it was not as costly as the other way she might approach things. Like for example, summoning a gadlumanon consort from the shadow plains, a choice she reserved if all else failed. She hissed at the thought of even considering it.