Chapter 4: Chapter 4- Looking for Monsters to Fight

GABRIELLE

 

We decide to leave Amilyn at the apartment before we head out. It's not safe what we're about to do, and as a pinili, she's still helpless in the situation we're about to put ourselves in.

Si nous n'étions pas dans un tel besoin, I wouldn't agree to this solution. Still, desperate times call for desperate measure. 

See, what we're about to do is to attack a monster and collect its prize, and use said prize to catch a ride home. 

Allow me to explain. When a being of the supernatural dies, it leaves behind precious jewels. The bigger and the more dangerous the being, the more jewels it leaves behind. Our plan is to kill such a monster and summon an anggitay to ferry us home. 

Supernatural creatures can be classified into three: the good (those who serve the deities), the bad (those who wreck evil), and the neutral (those who simply exist and act and react to situations as befitting the dilemma). An anggitay is a neutral species. They have the upper body of a female human and the lower body of a horse. They can travel at such speed and run over water. And most importantly, they love jewels. Anything that sparkles, they go for. So for us to fetch a ride home on an anggitay, we need jewels. 

Now, a monster to kill isn't that hard to find. In fact, I've sensed one the moment we stepped in the block. And you might ask, why am I complaining? Isn't my job basically to get rid of monsters? Well, mon ami, I happen to have just had my nails done, and the monster is a big one, by the looks it. I don't fancy getting my nails damaged today. But well, it is what it is.

I checked the news just to confirm our suspicions. Sure enough, there's been some disturbances at some abandoned building just east of the apartment. 

And so we go, drenched in the rain, in search of our very own monster. Quelle heureuse pensée !

"Are you sure this is the place? There seems to be nothing here," comments Alren as he looks around.

Truth be told, he seems to be right. The dilapidated building isn't the typical place for a kapre to appear. For one, it's not in the middle of the forest, where huge trees like the balete tree where the infamous kapre lives are found. Two, we've been here for minutes already, and nothing is attacking them. Rule of the thumb is as soon as baganis emerge, monsters always immediately jump out of their resting place to devour them; it's just how things are, baganis are delicious lumps of meat for all monsters. Just as we bagani can sense the supernatural, they too can sense us. But in this case, there's nothing but the occasional howling of the wind and our own footsteps.

We need this monster, and we're already drenched in the rain. It's cold and time is of the essence. And we can't leave here empty-handed. 

"Old building two hundred meters from the apartment, this is it. I'm sure this is the place," I reply as I  continue to look around. "Maybe it left?" I suggest as she takes a turn.

"No, it's still here. I'm sure you can sense it as clearly as I can," Alren replies. "But it sure is taking its time showing up. 

His complaining is answered by the roof of the building suddenly caving in. Pieces of cement and plumes of dust came flying towards them. We immediately jump out of the way in reflex. In swift and practiced motions, we both summon our weapons before they even land on the ground. 

Alren pulls a crystal ball from a series of other stones hanging around his neck. As soon as the ball is free, it lights up and turns warm. In a few seconds, a huge single-edged sword is in his palms. The sword is dual pointed and with a carved hilt, heavy and forty inches long made of pure steel. This sword is called a kampilan, a sturdy sword that can take out two human heads in a single swing, not that it's meant for human head cutting. 

I take out a single pearl from her bracelet. Like my partner's crystal, the pearls glows and starts to warm before morphing into her own weapon. Not too long after, a kalis appears in my hand. The sword is a double-edged sword with a single tip. It is straight from the tip down and wavy near the handle, finished with a wooden handle. 

"Well well well, look who decided to show up," Alren comments although he can't really see what they're facing.

"Oh shut it, will you? Don't anger the…hooooooooooooly…."

I'm not able to finish her sentence as Alren drags me to the side, just in time to avoid a giant fist landing on where she was standing just now.

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The dust clears up a little, giving them a better view of what we're facing. In front of us is a giant humanoid monster, about thirty feet tall. The creature is hairy all over, and is sporting a huge cigar in its mouth. Its eyes are red and the size of a human palm, and its body is all covered with black hair.

"That's one huge kapre," comments Alren as the two inch backward, preparing to evade the giant's next attack.

"You don't say," I reply. "Wanna do the honors? We shouldn't wait for it to keep on attacking us."

"By all means," says Alren, raising his sword. "Well then, here goes," he adds, cracking his neck and then…running straight towards the monster in front of them.

Kapres depend on their brute strength to defeat their enemies. They can't see well because of the hair all over their eyes, and their moves are slow and wobbly. Even for a giant as big as this, it's not too difficult to get in between the feet and start getting to work slicing and dicing. Which is exactly what Alren intends to do. But first, he needs to get up close, which is where I come in. 

I  start chanting under my breath while simultaneously ducking to the side to avoid the kapre's next attack. A few seconds later, a ball of light emerges from her hand. The light grows larger and larger until it's the size of a basketball. I then raise my hand and throws the light at the giant. The light hits the kapre right in between the eyes, causing it to scream out in pain. Even when on the move, I fancy myself a good aim. 

The kapre howls in a loud booming sound, causing all nearby glass structures to break. I fall to my knees and cover my ears with my hands. 

I always hate this part, no matter how many times I do it, I tell herself as I curl up to a ball. No matter though, I've done my part superbly. 

 The light itself is harmless, but being creatures of the night, kapres are sensitive to light, it burns their eyes. Getting hit by a ball of light near the eyes hurts just like having your eyeballs gouged out. 

"Now!" I scream, struggling to be heard over the kapre's howling.

"You don't need to tell me that!" replies Alren.

During my distraction efforts, Alren made it right below the giant. And he starts with the task at hand. He attacks the limbs first. With a mighty swing of his kampilan, he strikes the giant's right leg. One swing is enough to cut the leg off cleanly. The giant howls out in pain some more, but Alren isn't done yet. Avoiding the giant's hands that are attempting to grab him, he draws his attention to the left leg, also slicing it in one clean swing. The giant falls to the ground face-first. Blood spurts out from both severed limbs like a waterfall of black goo, as the giant writhes around in pain. 

Alren takes the opportunity to climb the giant's hairy chest. In one push, he drives his sword right into the giant's chest. 

The giant gives off one last shudder before finally dissolving to a pile of dust. In it's place are four shining golden nuggets. Alren, who was until now riding atop the giant, falls to the ground. He walks towards the nuggets, collecting them in his hands. 

"Well, that wasn't as bad as I thought it would be," he comments, playing with his prize.

"You don't say. How many this time?" I reply, referring to the golden nuggets.

"Four. Should be enough to fetch us a ride home."

"And I didn't ruin my nails. Quelle chance!"

"Right, lets go fetch our pinili and get out of here," declares Alren.

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