1 The Epilogue
Ever wonder what the hell those stories your grandparents had been rambling about ever since you were a kid were about. You know, the good old 'Alamat' [1] that they used to tell us before going to bed? The things that appear at the corner of your eyes and then disappear immediately after. The feeling you get like you're being watched, the wedding being held every time it's raining and sunny at the same time, the "Tabi-tabi po" [2] habit, and so much more...I'm here to say that what they had been telling you are all real, after all mythology and legends about witchcraft and dragons are based on real events albeit the heavy exaggerations.
Engkantos and Engkantadas [3], known as the children of the fey with their beautiful looks and mesmerizing gazes, party all night in the most expensive bars and clubs mingling with the mundane jumping from one bed to another as part of their casual encounter rituals to satisfy their desires.
Tikbalangs [4] like whirlwind, race through the streets for a quick buck, Aswangs [5] smuggle goods and are notorious drug dealers to humans, mostly they smuggle cadavers and human beings for their more predaceous clients.
Kapres [6] are the kingpins of crimes, discarded descendants of the mighty Titan race; smoking their cigars in their high class barong tagalogs [7] and suits, smiling as they lash out at their incompetent goblin and orc lackeys.
Most of us didn't know that they still exist, but they do. Stories hailing from various parts of the continent sharing the stories of old, some long forgotten and some twisted beyond recognition. Kingdoms and Empires hidden behind the veil of skyscrapers, landmarks, malls. I'm telling you they're real, they walk among us, they might even be your boss, your professor or your best friend.
"Hey guys, can I pee now?" a man in his early 20s, by the name of Lucky, asks his companions where the restrooms are. "Over there" his companion gestures with his pursed lips to the corner of the building. Lucky proceeds to walk briskly towards the restroom with difficulty, he heard his companions calling out to him "We'll be at table 19" he had been holding it in for the past 2 hours of non-stop driving and his companions won't even let him take a leak by the road because they didn't want to be late.
"I should have stayed at home." He whispers to himself and cursing why his companions do not know how to drive a manual transmission vehicle.
"It's locked" lucky knocks angrily at the restroom door that is a shared bathroom for men and women. He could hear faint grunting and decides to put his ear next to the door, "I'm coming!" the voice of a burly man can be heard and was immediately followed up with grunting and "me too" from a deeper voice, Lucky pulls away in fright at what he heard. "Fuckers" He comments and decides to take a leak by the abandoned alley he saw before walking in the building.
"What was that?" Lucky said as a faint silhouette moved past him. He steps back in surprise and quickly puts away his junk back into his shorts, and behind him a strained raspy voice was heard, "Hand over your money" he looks behind him and brings out his pepper spray, "Stay back! I don't want to hurt you, I just want to pee!" holding it out in front of him and a small stain of urine on his shorts "Like that would wo-" the thief didn't get to finish his sentence due to the sudden burning sensation in his eyes as he yells in pain.
The thief charged forward slashing blindly with his Balisong [8], until he made contact with something. "Motherfu-" He fails to finish his sentence and instead blurted out "hugger!!" a child-friendly line he heard spider-man say as he felt the wound on his right wrist and his scratched watch. "You shouldn't have done that!" he stared at his scratched watch and started hissing and growling much like a snake and a tiger, he began his change.
The sclera of his eyes blackening as rage fills his body, his nails sharpening into claws, his teeth turned into fangs sharper than the knife the thief was holding and his tongue grew longer and sleeker, his face morphing into an ugly lamprey-like face with numerous folds. If the thief could see clearly, he'd have mistaken it for a naked mole rat with a jaw problem. Lucky grits his teeth and says "I should have stayed at home!" as he lunged at the partially blinded thief with his razor sharp claws. In a short moment, a large gash starting from the thief's stomach up to his throat was left behind, blood gushing out from the laceration and leaking down the cold alleway.
Lucky changed back into his previous handsome and chiseled form with his chestnut-colored hair wearing his light pink polo and shorts; his watch scratched and stained with blood, "I don't feed on trash like you." He sighs and said to the dying thief. The man left the scene like nothing happened and headed back into the entrance of the building where he was greeted by one of his companions having a smoke "No smoking inside the building." She shrugged and continued "looked like you needed help." Lucky clasped his hands together "You know I had to do it 'em" [9] he replied. "I meant peeing." She rebutted as she flashed a coy smile at the red-faced Lucky. "Shut up. Let's just go back inside." He said as he closed the door.
Morning came and of course my six o'clock alarm buzzer goes off. I reach out my hand and press snooze. We know where this is headed and {Several opportunities to bathe later} the voice in my head says sounding suspiciously like the voice actor who does the flash cards on Spongebob.
As I opened my eyes, blinded by the morning sun, "Eh? I overslept!" I turn to look at my phone to see it's already 7:58 am. I ran fast, grabbed last night's jeans and a clean shirt from my cabinet. I struggled as I put them on and grabbed my stuff. College life is hard, especially when you're living alone in an apartment, but that's the least of your problems when you're attending the premiere university in the country, the University of Brixton in Nueva [10] Siti a melting pot of culture, traditions, races, and secrets.
Good thing here is that my apartment is near the maglev train stop. I made it just in time and flashed my ID card before the maglev train closes its doors. "I am currently in the maglev, I am going to make it, I am going to ace this subject, despite it being the middle of the semester already, and no one is going to notice that ketchup stain near my crotch." I whisper to myself to make myself feel better about being late to my first class. My first class every day is Math, yeah it sucks. Math for breakfast every day, the worst part is that I'm not even a math major, I'm an agriculture major! The maglev stopped in front of a large Villa, the math building. A bearded and heavily muscled man is the first to walk out of the maglev train towards the math building I couldn't tell if he was an upperclassman or a freshman like me. A lot of them look like they've been in an isolated island with no shaving tools, and some look like first year high school students. I learned not to judge a person by their looks considering that I have a professor that looks like an elementary school boy. I made my way into the building, strange how it had so much history written all over it, despite being rebuilt; how it burned to the ground and how many lives it had taken. I pass by the lone mango tree, for a building it has a lot of open space, I walked absentmindedly, "Hurry up, or I'll mark you absent." A husky voice came from behind me, I turned to look to see a muscular bald man sporting thick rimmed eyeglasses. "Eh?" I made a strange sound and he continued with "Mr. Dela Vega is sick, I'm his substitute." I nodded my head and rushed to the door of the lecture hall thankful that the lecturer was late as well.
"Good morning, I am Professor Kovacs and I will be your lecturer up until next week, Professor Dela Vega is down with the flu and asked me to cover for his lecture." Professor Kovacs said as he prepared for his presentation he smelled nice, I could smell him because he passed by my aisle where the doors were. He smelled like freshly cut grass after the morning dew has settled, he didn't seem like a math teacher, he seemed more like a tractor operator. He then proceeded discussing the topic that was left hanging by our professor last week which was conics, "gods, I hate conics." I whispered to myself and began taking down notes.
"Yes! At last I'm free!" said the first student to leave the room, "Mr. Morales, may I have a word with you?" Professor Kovacs said in flat tone, but there's three Mr. Morales' in this class. The three of us went to him, asking each other what he might want, or which one of us he wants. "No, you two go, my business is with Raymond." "What is it sir?" I said gulping in my anxiety "Follow me into my cubicle." he said with his going up and down my body as if to scan me. I thought to myself "I think he's hitting on me." we head to the second floor and stopped in front of the door to the faculty room, I look up and read the room label, "MB 203" he opened the door and gestured for me to follow.
He cleared his desk from scratch papers and doodles, I saw one paper with a drawing of Finn and Jake from adventure time and some letters. He then laid his messenger bag on top of his desk, and sat down on his chair. I stood there staring at him and him staring right back at me. This is very strange, I don't even swing that way! Why is this happening to me? "Am I in trouble sir?" I asked nervously, "No, you're not." his husky voice was heavy yet it felt relaxing like a warm blanket on a cold winter night, "Listen kid, I've been watching you." his voice now more authoritative.
Oh man, Oh man, Oh man what am I going to do I panicked; my face as pale as a sheet of paper, now I'm sweating hard like I ran two kilometers up and down ten floors of a building, the shirt on my back drenched in sweat. "You're destined for something..." he trailed off and suddenly appeared next to me "something big." he said. My eyes wide in surprise and my body paralyzed in fear at the bald and muscular man breathing next to my ear praying to every god that I don't end up molested. I don't want to my chrysanthemum to be blown apart, I want my lawyer! I want my mommy! I want my lawyer's mommy! [11]
"Oh and kindly fill out this student personal data sheet. You're the only one in class who didn't submit one and relax yourself, kid. You're almost swimming in sweat." He straightened himself and patted me on my sweat drenched back and gave me his pen, and I began writing the details down.
"There you are sir." I gave him back his pen and the ledger "That is all... and if there's something you need you can always talk to me. Except financial assistance." His eyes glinting as he gave a half smile before chuckling at his own joke.
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Hello friends, I made this story back in 2012 and had forgotten it ever since. I love stories of mythology and made this one. Anyway here's the footnotes:
Release frequency TBA, might proofread if I had the time or if my girlfriend wants to proofread it for me.
For most terms you can look them up on Wikipedia the sources are there, I'd rather not go over how Spaniards in power used these myths to oppress my people (maybe next time though).
[1] Alamat – Filipino translation for 'Legends or myths'
[2] Tabi-tabi po – Filipino phrase used to express that the individual is 'just passing by' and does not mean to intrude on the invisible supernatural entity nearby
[3] Engkantos and Engkantadas – Humanoid creatures often depicted in spirit form in Philippine folklore with a penchant for illusions and magic characterized by their beautiful faces, blue or black eyes, fair complexion and golden or light brown hair, and high-bridged noses. Their defining features that differentiate them from humans are the lack philtrum and navel.
[4] Tikbalang – familiar with centaurs? Good! Now the Tikbalang has a horse head and human body. Very much like Bojack Horseman
[5] Aswang – Think vampires and ghouls had babies, really ugly true form. Very similar to Shalltear's berserk lamprey form. Described in Philippine folklore as shapeshifters with long tongues and specializes in dark magic.
[6] Kapre – Big, black and muscular creatures often referred to as tree giants described with a height of 7 to 8 ft tall and exuding the smell of cigars and tobacco. From Wikipedia: The term kapre comes from the Arabic "kafir", meaning a non-believer in Islam. The early Arabs and the Moors used it to refer to the non-Muslim people. The term was later brought to the Philippines by the Spanish who had previous contact with the Moors. Some historians speculate that the legend was propagated by the Spanish to prevent Filipinos from assisting any escaped African slaves they sometimes imported from Latin America.
[7] Barong Tagalog – formal wear in the Philippines made out of various fibers native to the Philippines
[8] Balisong – butterfly knife
[9] You know I had to do it to 'em – Yes! The character Lucky is LuckyLuciano17k from twitter who was the inspiration for the photoshoppable meme!
[10] Nueva – It means "New"
[11] I want my lawyer! I want my mommy! I want my lawyer's mommy! – Deadpool says that before the final fight against Dr. Doom in Marvel Ultimate Allaince
