THE HEALER'S CONQUEST

CHAPTER 7: THE REAL CHALLENGE

"Would you like my gold or this ring?". He asked me intently as he pointed out at the items that he showed. It surprised me for this is the first time that I saw him and he was giving me something so I became suspicious at him. I shrugged my head and refused.

"Sorry to offend you Elder but I can't accept things from. you for I don't even know you". I kindly refused as I carefully backed away and waited for his response. I was cautious because I didn't know how it behaved.

"Why don't you accept and choose between the two?". He asked with a persuasion in his tone tempting me to choose between the two.

"I have something more important to get in this place". I said that answered his question without hesitation. I thought he would be angry with me for rejecting him so I prepared myself. But I was wrong because he just smiled and snapped his finger and the appearance of the gold and the ring suddenly changed. From the alluring gold it became a rectangular fragile wood and from an elegant ring it changed into a plant stem molded like a ring.

"You passed". He said and disappeared like a bubble. I continued walking as my stomach growled due to hunger so I took shelter in a tree and took out my food and I started eating. While I was eating, I suddenly saw a strange animal that looked so thirsty and very hungry. It is a small creature that is as small as a mouse but looks like a deer. This is the so-called Pilandok that is rarely seen in the forest because of its elusiveness.

Because of this, I felt sorry for its condition so I gave it a fruit that I was going to make for dessert. It was given water to drink and when it was finished, it suddenly disappeared. I heaved a sigh and cleaned myself and my trash and then left after a while I saw the very familiar clearing that I would sometime stumble upon gathering supplies. So I draw out the newly sharpened Bolo Knife. As I carefully walked to the center where a mound was pristinely protruding from the ground.

A lightning flashed and hit it blinding me for a while and heard a deafening roaring of the Thunder. As the sound subsided I looked at these mound and saw it was smoking from the impact it took.

'You should approach the thing that was struck by lightning and stick it in. there'. I remembered as to what The Elder said and so I got near it and immediately stick the sharpened knife doused in sugarcane vinegar. When I was about to pul it out. I was dragged. by a hand away from it. And when I stood up. I saw a Tikbalang stand sitting blocking the mound. I rushed towards it but as I have as got near it. I was smacked in the stomach and stumbled across the field.

"Oh son of a b***h, my scars and wounds are not even healing yet, there are new ones again". I said that there is a feeling of pain.

"I will not let the jewels here be taken". He said emphatically and stood up and shook his thigh. And there I studied its form. From its head like a horse. Hair as long and black as that of Stallions blown by a strong wind. Eyes as red as gas lamps in the darkness of the night and his breath steaming as he exhaled. As the flash of lightning continued, the muscular shape of his body appeared.

Despite its terrifying appearance, I stood my ground and rushed at it even though I would only receive a kick and a slap from it. I didn't give up and just kept doing it until it got tired of me and got to the point where I just fell to the ground. When I felt him turn his back on me, I immediately stood up and rode him on his back, clinging to his hair, which hurt him a lot. I held on tight even though he hit me and beat me on his back.

There are times when it jumps to make me dizzy and let go of my grip. Sometimes he bumped me into a tree, which I finally managed to handle but before I fell, I managed to pull it out with his tangled golden hair. I threw myself tightly on the hair that wrapped around my left hand. Standing I'm a little dizzy because of the speed of Tikbalang.

I just saw him bowing which surprised me but I was surprised when his hair turned into a gold bracelet that wrapped around my hand. As I walked he stood up and moved to the side giving me way to walk so I walked passed him and felt strange but relieved that he did not attack me this time. I got to the mound and took the blade and smoothly pulled it revealing a shiny pair of contrasting identical fang-like Stones a black and white gemstone. I touched them but I was surprised.

"AHHGH!!! it Burns". I shouted in surprise as I felt like I touched a molten rock. I blew at my fingers in I took a piece of paper to look at a chant that The Voice taught me. it says "KIMAT, KILAT, KIDLAT, LINTI, IBA-IBA MAN ANG IYONG NGALAN BASBASAN MO AKO OH LIWANAG NA MULA SA KALANGITAN" and said that it should be repeated thrice while holding the gems.("LIGHTNING, LIGHTNING, LIGHTNING, LIGHT, WHATEVER YOUR NAME IS, BLESS ME OH LIGHT FROM HEAVEN"

"KIMAT, KILAT, KIDLAT, LINTI, IBA-IBA MAN ANG IYONG NGALAN BASBASAN MO AKO OH LIWANAG NA MULA SA KALANGITAN" I said after grabbing the gems and endued the pain it has as I chanted 3 times and felt a surging heat enter from my hand to my whole body Which is only the begining.

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Pilandok- Philippines mouse deer

Tikbalang- A Filipino mythical creature that has a human body but a head and hooves. of a horse. It has a super strength, Invincibility, superspeed and illusions.

KIMAT, KILAT, KIDLAT, LINTI- Lightning in different languages of the Philippines Such as Filipino, Tagalog, Ilocano, Bisaya and others.