3 Chapter 2: Sid and Maggie

Cebu was a different vibe from the last time Sid made his way there. The air was heavy and congested with smoke and dust. He could no longer feel the succulent energies way back when people still worship the gods of old. Everything was hectic. Jeepneys and cars clogged in the narrow streets and intersections, horns honking non-stop. People walking everywhere, selling things, begging, running, shouting and some were fighting. It was a chaotic energy. It tasted like junk food, it fills you up but it will never satisfy you.

The boat flew over tall buildings that reached up the sky. Sid smiled as he remembered how he used to mock Lihangin about the day where men can reach the skies and knock the doors of his kingdom. Lihangin would often laugh and say it was impossible.

Lihangin, you'd be damn wrong about it. he whispered.

The city below looked like little roots with ants crawling all around. The buildings are nothing more than stones sticking like a sore thumb from above.

Sid misses the old city. He missed the Karatelas in the muddy road or how the horses' hooves sounded in the stone pavements. He missed how the coconut oil would linger its scent in the roads as peddlers would walk their way to the merkado or agora for a tabo [market fair]. He missed the loud bells humans would ring after they end their worship in the kapilya. He missed it, he remembers it, he longs for it. The old times were a good memory, a dream that he wishes to return but something that is out of his reach.

Tagahatid interrupted him from his reminiscing with a nervous yet loud call, " Master! The Mistress is..."

Suddenly, the boat shook violently and he heard a loud thud in the boat. The next thing Sid saw was Tagahatid thrown overboard with sheer force while the boat rapidly descended towards the city. Sid was quick enough to jump out of the boat and summon his eldritch roots to land on. He already saw this one coming, but he never thought it would be this quick.

He looked at the city below and saw Tagahatid landing in a pile of garbage. He's not worried about him, he knows how an alagad can regenerate and fight fiercely if needed. He saw his alagad slowly standing up when all of a sudden, a hulking beast pounced over him and started ripping Tagahatid apart. He saw the beast's long blue fur and overly huge antlers ramming his alagad like a ragged doll.

He tried to extend the roots to stab the monster but it collided mid-air with a water ball that splintered the roots into fine pieces. He looked around but couldn't find her. Yes, he knows she's here hiding somewhere. He shielded himself with thickets and roots as he tried to descend. Then another water ball collided with his defense. He had no time to look around as suddenly it became a barrage. He crashed down and leveled three houses along the way.

He has not hurt thanks to the roots that protected him but now, he has to move fast as the barrage is far from stopping. He summoned an eldritch bark from his tree and housed himself there while he was looking for the attacker. Finally, he saw a moving silhouette from a low-lying cloud, jumping from one cloud to the next. He timed the shadow and finally launched his counter-attack with the roots extending towards the clouds piercing everything in its path, the shadow stood no chance but to descend to the ground as well.

"Pugay, Maggie!" he greeted his attacker with a slight bow.

"Sidapa! You don't belong here! This is my territory!" she answered lividly.

"Can't I do a courtesy visit? I mean, Cebu has nice beaches?"

"We both know, that's not the thing you came here for! You hate sea water!"

"Can we just settle this as mature deities and talk it out?" he calmly said.

"Nothing is mature with you Sidapa you're here to steal a kalag [soul]! I know you would!" she pointed at him accusingly while holding her conch shell on her left hand.

"Now, now, there's no need to sound the shell. I came here in peace! See, I even made the hand gesture as a reference, Magwayen."

Magwayen stood silently still as Sidapa tried to calm her. However, she can never tolerate Sidapa's presence. She felt like he is a mockery to the deities that rule the Living world.

"Sidapa..."

"Yes, Lady Magwayen?" he answered politely to try and appease the fuming deity.

"Get. Out." Magwayen then blew the conch and water came rushing in from the seas.

Sidapa hurriedly summoned his eldritch roots and went for the higher ground. The raging waters were now filling the streets. He tried dropping one of the strongest roots of his eldritch tree at Magwayen but she was able to swipe it aside. Now, the waters are swirling creating a maelstrom. He tried to catch a glimpse of Tagahatid but he was nowhere to be seen.

Sidapa had to evade water whips and projectiles thrown at him by the angry goddess. He fought back as well, even grazing Magwayen's arm which angered her even more. It has been a non-stop fight between them both and the part of the city was already starting to look like in ruins. Mud, roots, and water just threw everywhere.

Finally, after a long fought battle. Sidapa was able to subdue Magwayen with indestructible thickets wrapping her wrist and ankles together, hopefully stopping her rampage.

"Whoa! Maggie. Let's stop already, this is no longer healthy! We can't tip the balance even further." he begged.

Magwayen was silent.

Sidapa sat down in relief as he finally saw Tagahatid limping towards him while making use of his paddle as a staff to make him walk steadily or at the very least trying to.

"You got beaten up that bad?" he mocked Tagahatid.

" My Master, I apologize but Tagabantay is in his element," he answered.

"Never be this messed up again or else..." he signaled Tagahatid with a thumbs down.

Tagahatid bowed low and helped his Master up from where he was sitting.

Sidapa asked Tagahatid to build another boat because they were running late, however, Sidapa noticed something from Magwayen. She was indeed silent but her lips were moving, she was mumbling fast. Sidapa tried to read her lips when all of the sudden, water started to rise again from the sea. But this time, he could feel an overwhelming presence rushing towards them, something big and angry.

Before Tagahatid can even point at it, a dark shadow is emerging from the ocean with its eyes glaring towards them.

"Bakunawa..." Sidapa armed himself again with eldritch roots.

He felt a sense of dread slowly enveloping them. He knows very well that if that monster lets loose, it'll be the end of the lovely island they're at. He can only imagine the damage and death it will cause.

Suddenly, someone broke from the heavens and crashed to the ground like a thunder's roar. It scared the mythical beast who quickly retreated to the depths from which it came. The crash also swept both the deities away.

Tagahatid was able to catch his Master which Sidapa landed on a soft blow.

There was a powerful gust of wind pulsing through like a storm steadily standing to wreak havoc. It took Sidapa a while to notice the figure of a man standing in the middle of the gust, had a thousand wings of different winged creatures, he is armed to the teeth with golden armor that flashes lightning. His shields were created from the scales of the mythical beast he had slain and the kampilan made from the feather of Tagmamanukan, that can slice everything that stood in his way.

Sidapa knew too well, who this was and who sent him. So, he bowed lower than usual and asked Tagahatid to kiss the ground to greet him.

"Pugay, Saraggang Bagyon! Your presence is always a marvel to behold."

"Enough of your pleasantries." his voice rumbled like thunder. " Where is Magwayen?"

"Here, Lord Saraggang." Magwayen timidly crept out from the debris she was thrown into when Saraggang Bagyon landed. "What brings the mighty bearer to descend to the Living World?" she asked as she also bowed to greet him.

"The arbiters of the Skyworld have tasked me to stop both of you from fighting. You are causing too much damage to Likalibutan [the Living World], they asked me to mitigate the situation," he answered sternly.

Sidapa took this chance and step forward to explain the situation. " Lord Saraggang, this was supposed to be a peaceful visit. But alas, Magwayen began attacking me out of nowhere."

"He wants to steal a kalag from me!" she spat.

"I believe this kalag is under my jurisdiction and thereby, not considered as stealing," he answered back.

" The person currently lives in the land which I govern. She was born in the land that I govern!" she quickly answered while showing Saraggang the Capiz shell to prove her claim.

Saraggang looked at the mirror and nodded to Magwayen. He looked back at Sidapa and demanded evidence to validate his claim.

Sidapa took out a piece of bark torn from his Eldritch tree and showed it to the deities.

He read," In this bark, a contract was written in blood by a man named Anastacio Andres. The contract states that every soul of his living family and descendants will worship the God of Death Sidapa and their souls will be given to him."

Saraggang took the contract and examined it.

" They no longer worship you! So the contract is void!" Magwayen butted in.

"Silence!" the enforcer roared.

" Though it is true that the old gods have long been forgotten, we still have to work to balance the laws that we had placed in both nature and man. Magwayen has claimed this kalag as hers because she was born in the territory she ruled in. Under normal circumstances, I would have found you Sidapa at fault on this. However, because a contract was sealed with their blood and soul, I Saraggang Bagyon of the Sky World, rewards this verdict to Sidapa."

Sidapa hid his smirk as he bowed in acceptance to the verdict. Magwayen was furious and ordered an explanation again from Saraggang.

"Lady Magwayen, even if one of the conditions of the contract stated that Sidapa had to be worshipped, we have to accept the fact that humans cannot stand by their words. Even if they would, at some point one tends to forget. However, souls were used to binding this contract. Blood was used to write this contract and thus, we consider it as an offering to the gods, even if the latter generations no longer remembers this." he explained.

"Us, gods, never forget."

Magwayen bowed in resignation.

"You may now go to that soul, Lord Sidapa, and await the penalties we shall give you for disrupting the balance," he ordered. " Lady Magwayen, go back to where you came from and await the penalties we shall place on you."

"I shall handle this mess you had both caused." He flapped his wings and every ruin was instantly set back to the way it was before. The mud and water were still there, but he at least restored the huge damages both the fighting deities had caused.

Sidapa was satisfied but also annoyed. He knows he can now take the soul he's been eyeing for a while but also, he has to pay for the penalties that he and the meddling Magwayen caused due to their fight.

" Tagahatid, where's the boat?"

"Right here, Master." Tagahatid presented him with the new boat.

He checked it for a bit and nodded in approval. Then decided to tweak the boat a little by putting flowers like Ylang-ylang and Waling waling to form a bouquet where he placed at the flooring of the boat. He also summoned miniature santelmos to look like fireflies hovering the boat.

He checked on it again and was pleased to see his beautiful creation. The boat fit for the kalag he chose.

"Good. Now let's get back to business."