OLYMPIANS' LOST PROGENIES

CHAPTER FOURTEEN - The Medallion Thief

     Aswang's fog form attacked us without any warning. Nicole, looking so strong enough to stand, went closely to Barry. "Give me the claypot."

Barry refused. I couldn't blame him for not trusting Nicole again.

Aswang's fog circled rapidly around us, it was already hurting our skin like rough sandpaper.

"Please, give me the claypot." Nicole begged.

Barry looked at May. I saw May nodded and Barry reluctantly handed the claypot to Nicole.

Nicole concentrated as the black fog kept on circling us. The fog went close to us. It already made a little cut on my right hand. Nicole opened the lid of the claypot and glowing butterflies came out from it.

"You thought butterflies can help us?" Barry angrily bellowed, but he was surprised when almost hundreds of butterflies in different sizes came out of the claypot and joined the black fog as it circled us. The fog slowly separate itself from the butterflies and went to the stone bridge where it transformed back to its ghostly Aswang form.

The butterflies floated near each other and glowed with blinding light. The light exploded and Maria Makiling appeared in our sight.

"It's you again!" Aswang bellowed to Maria Makiling. "It's always you. I'm not going to let you kill me again." He opened his mouth and black sand came out going to our place.

"You're already dead." Maria Makiling said. A giant butterfly wings sprouted from her back and in the wink of an eye, she flew in the middle of us. Her wings folded and cradled us inside. I could hear the black sand hitting the wings. It sounded like sand falling to a metal surface. The wings disappeared when Aswang stopped his attack. "The same old strategy Aswang."

"Why don't you just let me do what I want to do? I'm more ancient than you." Aswang's fang came out and he snapped it as a warning.

"You don't belong here anymore, Aswang. You're story has long been forgotten by the people. There must be few who remember you, but your name is already use as a call for monsters that are lower than your rank." Maria Makiling walked in front of us. "Give me the medallion."

Aswang laughed hysterically. "No, no, no. Not that fast, butterfly woman. I have a proposal to you. Do you still remember when people respect and know you as a goddess and not as some fairy that lives in a mountain or forest? Together, we're going to take back our rank as divinities of this island."

I saw how Maria Makiling stepped back and the glow around her white terno dwindled a little.

Aswang advanced a little and continued talking. "See? You're realizing how much you have lost ever since people redressed you." Aswang laid his hand in the air. "Come with me and we're going to get everything back."

Maria Makiling turned her head to us. She gave us that motherly look, but this time she seemed asking for help.

"Don't." I said.

Maria Makiling's face glowed brightly and she instantly faced her enemy. Aswang's lengthy wings spread so wide, it darkened the place, but it exploded into hundreds of black bats with glowing red eyes. All of them attacked us. "Goodbye then, there's something more important to do than defeating the fairy who killed me." Aswang was ready to leave, looking at our way back.