Chapter 22: Part 2 - Aswang

"Always travel in groups!" A big aswang yells to his men as they gather at the gates of their town. "At least two but never alone!" the party roars in agreement.

Tatang stands in front of the party and gave a small speech before letting them go into the wild. As this is happening Juan is thinking to himself that now he inspired Tatang to get the part out there, this is the perfect opportunity for him to discover the people behind the kidnapping across Antrian. Juan is deep in his troughs that he didn't notice the roaring and stomping. All he cares about is where can the kidnappers be hiding; he remembers when he asked his frog to glide with the aswang, they saw the dense forest surrounded by mountains. He questions what creatures can come in and go without the aswang knowing or detecting.

" . . .and now we let them know the aswang won't back down!" Tatang finishes his speech. The gates open and the party then charges forward and into the dark forest. Juan runs with the group and he heads into the night. He looks back at the village and there he sees Tatang looking directly at him with a smile. Tatang nods as the gates close.

It's been minutes and the party has dispersed into multiple search groups. Juan is staying close to his group. There he is bundled with three more individuals: Tago who leads them thru the forest and with his eyes, Kisig a female aswang with ears that can pick up the smallest breath of the animals in the trees, and Labo whose smell can pick up the scent of blood from the small drop of blood in the ground. These guys left no stone unturned and they inspect every nook and cranny they find. And Juan's job is to be the lookout for the team for anything they missed.

"I am seriously getting pissed." Labo stomps his feet angrily as they walk. "Where are these kidnappers?!"

"Shut it! I can't hear them if you keep yapping back there" Kisig replied as she follows Tago.

"We need to redeem our honor and look for our missing members," Tago replied. "Especially Juan back there . . . this especially hurts this more than us. Inang was his family member"

Juan was caught off guard and replied hastily "Yeah! I am worried for her too."

"See? Juan is shaken up by this event. Seriously this is such a drag . . . "Labo says it as his enthusiasm to walk began to fade. Then he picks up something. He sniffs and sniffs in the air. "Hold on. I smell blood". The group began to follow Labo as he leads them to the source of the blood.

They're at a place sits a small patch of grass with blood drizzled on it. Tago touches the blood and exclaimed it hasn't dried up yet. It looks as if this was just recent.

Kisig looks above the trees and sees nothing but the branches. She listens to the area and heard nothing. "Funny, other areas have critters crawling and running about but this is place is silent. Something has scared them off." She looks over the area but sees nothing.

They might not see anything but Tago realized something. He points upward and sees that the branches directly above them were either destroyed or disturbed. "As if something passed on those branches and created a small hole between the branches." The group all looked upward to see the braches that Tago pointed out.

Juan turned his attention to the ground and sees no footprints. He places his hand on the ground and uses his magic to spread on the ground. As the other aswang are busy looking for clues on the tree branches, he let out this green magic scatters across the ground. He tries to detect any magic at play in the area if there can be any clue that can help them. Then his magic reacted to the blood they found earlier.

"Juan, you found anything?" Tago asked as he tries to make sense of what is happening around them.

"All I found that the blood is somewhat magical." Juan replies as he picks up a patch of grass and showed it to the grip.

Tago didn't see anything wrong with it. Kisig can't see anything too and Labo doesn't smell anything weird with it. "Wait how did you detect this blood is magical?" Kisig questions Juan.

"Ah damn. I was too compliant . . ." he skipped a beat and tries to come on with an explanation. Then it hits him "Blackfoot magic. Inang taught us that."

"Huh, I didn't know that. I thought Inang didn't want to share the secret of the Blackfoot with her other family members" Tago raised an eyebrow.

"Hey, all family has secrets that they need to keep, okay?" Juan tries to cover his lies with excuses.

"Wait; if the Blackfoot have that magic. Why the other Blackfoot members didn't use that ability before? Like to protect us or help the scouts investigate this disappearance before?" Labo is curious and he tries to press Juan further.

"She was taken and you expect me to do nothing?" Juan's voice began to rise with anger.

"Alright, break it up, boys. We need this sorted out" Kisig intervenes and calms the other down. She asked Juan what about the blood he discovered. What can he share?

Juan knelt and summons his magic and tries to analyze the blood. Tago and Kisig knelt beside Juan and Labo decided to listen as he tries to look for clues by the trees.

"Well, there is something within the blood . . . something ancient." He says as continues to analyze the blood.

"How can you tell?" Kisig asked. Juan replied that with Inang's teaching, he is well versed in the craft of magic. Deep down Juan knows about this blood as he saw them before - a few days ago when he was fighting Orochimaru. When he was cleaning his blade, the dry blood of Orochimaru exhibits some strange sensation when his magic passes thru it. The sensation of something old breathing beneath his skin is present. He feels like something like gets a hold of him or someone is dragging him to the ground. It is an uneasy feeling but it's nothing that Juan can handle.

Juan suggests a theory that whoever that this magical blood is from, it can be either from the kidnappers. Kisig points out that none of the Aswang have their blood infused by magic. Tago agrees with that notion. Juan then posts a question "Then where did the blood came from?" It somehow brought into the patch of grass but no signs of the battle took place to let some blood be spilled.

Tago points upward. "Maybe up there?" He points to the broken branches on the trees.

"So our kidnappers can be monkeys?" Juan suggests magic-controlled monkeys but Kisig says there are no monkeys in this forest. If they are, then she should have heard them a while back.

Juan stands up and asked the group that maybe they need to fly and investigate up there to see if there is anything that they miss. Tago and Kisig agree and transform their arms with bat wings but then Tago stops transforming and notice something is amiss.

"Labo? Where are you?" Tago shouts as he notices that Tago is not in the area.

"Hey man, stop playing." Kisig angrily shouts as she demands Labo to stop playing around.

Juan raises his hand and signals the others to be quiet. Juan looks at Kisig and points his index fingers to his ears asking if Kisig heard anything. Kisig shakes her head.

Shaking off the tree branches can be heard from afar. A strong gust of wind began to blow. The leaves shake violently. Kisig, Tago, and Juan pressed their back on each other. Something is coming.

"Juan, Kisig . . . better transform now." Tago's body began to shift into his true form. Skin turned darker and harder. Fangs and claws sharpen. Their eyes go bloody red and horns began to grow as tall as a finger.

The leaves rustle above them. Kisig's ears twitch and leap to the trees above. "GOT YOU!" she snarls with her claws stretch out.

"Wait! Kisig stay in the group!" Tago implores but Kisig was quick on her feet. As she leaps in the air silence follows. Then a thud and loud slashing noises can be heard above. As is two lions are fighting with a thunderous roar.

"Juan! Transform now!" Tago leaps into the trees and follows Kisig. But before he can do anything, a red tongue manages to tie around his waist and dragged him back to the ground. The red tongue started to tighten and drag Tago into the bushes near them.

Juan rushes to help Tago but before he can reach him, a red tongue shots from the darkness. Juan was quickly materialized a copy of his sword to his frog. The sword materializes on his frog's hands and sliced the tongue.

A scream came from the bush. There emerged a pale bald man with pointed ears and blood spurting out of the cut tongue. "Bastard!" The man jumps out of the bush and there Juan sees the man is missing his lower half and got wings of the bat like an aswang but their wings are shaped like huge hands that form into wings. He flaps his wings and attacks Juan baring its fangs and claws ready to shred him.

Then it clicked on Juan's head. That's why no one can hear the victims. Their wings are silent like owls that hunt in the night. Juan remembers when his father was teaching Juan the different birds of their realm. It was a dark cold night and a mouse was feeding on their field. Odin had it with this pest and ordered his two ravens to fetch an owl to deal with this problem. Within minutes, an owl dives from the dark sky and snatches the rat away into the night. No noise was heard from the owl, only the squeak of the helpless rat as it is lifted towards the sky.

As the create flies toward Juan leaps backward and slashes the creature. The creature dodges the attack and maneuvers itself. It flies near the left shoulder Juan and manages to takes a bite on his arm. The pain was intense that the frog and Juan almost split their psychic link. Quick on his feet, Juan summons his armor on his left arm. It formed and it manages to make the creature's teeth stuck in the armor. Without hesitation, Juan slices its head off.

Juan lands on his back and yanks the creature's head off. Before he can stand up he sees, Tago crashing from above. Juan rolls out of the way; with the frog's speed and alethic body it manages to roll before being crushed by Tago's huge body. There Juan sees Tago is still entangled from the tongue and the tip of the tongue is shaped like a pointed blade stuck on Tago's side. Juan cuts the tongue and frees Tago.

Tago was about to give Juan his thanks but he noticed Juan's weapon –a sword made out of iron, the main weakness of Aswang and most creatures of the night. But before he can say anything the creature that had him swoops down from the tree branches. Then another one comes down with the Labo; he looks alive but he isn't moving at all. Then Kisig falls near the creatures with another of those creatures on top of her. Kisig manages to remove herself from the claws of her enemy and tumbles back to Tago and Juan's side. The creature vigorously licks its claws from the blood lick.

"Manananggal! How dare you destroy the Pact! Do you know what this means?" Tago asks the three creatures in front of him.

"The Pact means nothing for the Manananggal!" One of the manananggal says as he holds the body of Labo. Another one chimes in "Our Lord demands blood and so we shall give." And the one licking their claw stops licking and brandish their claw. The three flaps their wings and flies above the trees leaving Labo's body on the ground.

Tago is about to chase them but Kisig stops him. She points to the wound by her neck "There is poison on the tip of their tongue." She says as calmly as her eyes began to feel heavier each time she blinks. Tago realizes he was also stabbed but the poison isn't acting up yet. "Tago, they got magic too be careful." As she tries to act brave but she there is no denying her concern for Tago and Juan. Then in another minute, she falls to the ground and she starts to snore.

Before Tago can check on her two Manananggal dives from the trees and manage to tackle Tago and Juan. They are too fast for Juan to handle but Tago is strong. Maybe not strong as Atlas but he manages to hold the manananggal in his arms. He uses his wings to match the speed of the manananggal. Then he flips and slams the manananggal on their head straight to the ground. Juan tries to escape from his manananggal but this one drove their claws into his arms and preventing him from using his blade.

Juan was dragged up in the sky where the other manananggal dives down to attack Tago. "Come my pretty!" the manananggal tease. It opens its mouth and tries to stab Juan with it. Juan then cancels his magic and lets the frog drop. The frog free falls back to Tago's place. The manananggal was stunned and was looking for Juan.

Back in the ground, Tago is beginning to feel the poison taking its effect. "That right, sleep aswang and soon you will join your clan in an eternal sleep!" Tago tries to stand up but the more he fights the more of the poison spreads on his body. He tries to punch the manananggal but with his sluggish movement, it was easily dodged. And just like Kisig and Labo, he too succumbs to the poison.

The frog falls above the manananggal and Tago. Juan transforms the frog back to his form and stabbed the manananggal thru its head. "They might be fast but they can't react to things they can't see coming." Juan nudges the blade and pulls it out.

Slash! Juan felt another claw hits his back! The other manananggal from above and caught Juan. Even with the armor protecting Juan, the claws manage to cut his skin. Juan turns around and attempted to slice the manananggal but as the blade reaches the creature, it easily flies back into the air.

"Armor, morphing, and an iron blade – you are no aswang and not an ordinary human." The manananggal tries to realize what kind of creature Juan is. T

"While we are at it, why did you attack us?"

"Your blood is needed for our Lord! Our Lord demands blood and so we shall . . ."

"Yeah blood for the blood lord of something. Very threatening, hey can you tell me the reason why you need our blood?"

The manananggal grin and sharpened its claw – preparing to strike after hearing Juan disrespecting their Lord. It spoke softly "To resurrect him." then the manananggal dives down with such speed that Juan didn't have enough time to react. The manananggal manage to cut his legs. Then the manananggal flies and took another dive and manages to slice his sides. Juan tries his best but just like the fight with the Tengu, he is outmatching in terms of speed. The manananggal laughs and mocks him for just bracing from the damage and standing there like an idiot.

But this is Juan; he never lost a fight in raw damage or ability. Experience, skill, and intelligence beat anything. "Oh and here I thought the lord of blood minions is scary. I killed two of you and the best you can do is scratching me? And that tongue is what? For show? You manananggal are nothing like those tengu or yokai!"

Anger stirs, pride was broken and his sense began to dull as the manananggal takes offense to that insult. The manananggal dives toward Juan with furry in its eyes.

"NOW!" Juan transforms his frog into its giant form. The frog stretches its tongue and manages to wrap its tongue on the manananggal. The manananggal was taken by surprise and didn't expect such a move from Juan.

Then a smaller frog hops and leaps from the bushes and leaps into the head of Juan's frog. Then the smaller frog transforms itself into Juan. "Did you know that the tongue of a frog has saliva that even birds and bats have a hard time escaping?"

The manananggal tries to wriggle out but the saliva was on the frog's tongue was liquid and yet solid at the same time. It works like a powerful adhesive that even the manananggal's claws can't destroy. Juan snaps his finger and another frog appears and it too grew in size. The tongue extends and manananggal's left arm.

"So little bird, sing for me. Why take us to the blood lord of yours. What's in it?"

Manananggal keeps his mouth shut and instead tries to escape the tongues of both frogs.

"You know, frogs have tongues that can pull something with such force?" Juan nods and the frog pulls the manananggal's left arms off and swallowed it whole. It was so fast that the manananggal didn't realize at first that his arm was missing. The manananggal scream in pain and tries to wriggle. Fears began to set in as the manananggal knows Juan won't release him.

"Tweet tweet little bird" Juan nods to the frog and it grabbed the left-wing.

"No, please! PLEASE! I'll tell you what I know just let me go!"

"Now the bird has nice tunes to sing. Go on . . ."

"We attack you so we can put you to sleep and sacrifice you to our Lord. He. . . he. . . " the manananggal is stammering and withholds his information. The frog tightens its grip on the wing and the manananggal yelps.

"He demands to give blood to help him return to life. We sacrificed at least one person every night. In exchange for our service, he will grant us more power than ever and we will be more powerful. Powerful enough to conquer Antrian and the rest of the world!"

"So the bird thinks he is some kind of god?"

"NO! We are not. I am merely the servant of the lord - the new god to replace Bathala!"

Juan stops for a moment. He heard this before, just like when Leshin said when he was fighting Daija. Daija claims that Bathala is dead – heresy. And now another one claims that their lord is a new god. Juan pieces the clues together, these must be the kidnappers. They use their wings to fly in the night and grab their victims. Their tongue will inject poison and immobilize their victims with a powerful sleeping agent and they are taken somewhere to be sacrificed. Juan shudders in the thought that this manananggal became so bold from a promise of a false god. He formulates a theory on which their lord's identity is. Juan stops for a second. He dreads the thought and hoped he isn't is right. He stomachs his fear and took the courage to ask the manananggal three questions to confirm his theory.

"You pour the sacrificed blood into an anito statue correct?" The manananggal nods. Juan puts his hand on his chin.

"And the anito is your lord?" The creature nods once more in affirmation. Juan began stroking his chin.

"And the name of your lord?" Juan braces himself from the answer.

"Bakunawa" the creature replied. Juan shuts his eye. His theory is correct: Bakunawa is a Dogon and manages to infiltrate the ranks of the manananggal. Maybe the anito statue is a conduit of Bakunawa's power or he is the statue itself but all Juan knows – this is the threat Jasmine saw. This is the chaos is to come and they need to stop this Bakunawa now.

"Thank you little bird. The tune was appealing to me. Now before I let you go, tell me where your base is" Juan leaps from the top of his frog into the ground. He leans closer to the manananggal and pulls his blade. "Pretty please?" Juan smiles as he places the tip of his blade ontop of the manananggal's chest.

The forest rang from the creature's scream. He screams and screams attracting all of the aswang in the area to converge on their location. The night is still young and Juan will see this thru.