Mermaid Blues: Beasts, Giants and Spirits

Dap-ay

On the peak of a mountain north of Bontoc, Mountain Province where Cielo was. He can't make sense of what was happening. He suddenly transported to somewhere he didn't know. He was just in the hide-out of the hunters. He was on his way to bringing Wendel out of the building. He didn't know what happened but he felt a needle suddenly penetrated his neck. He then felt the effect when he was assisting Wendel at the hallway to lead him to safety outside where the other agents of Marksmen were waiting. He was dizzy. His eyes begin to roll uncontrollably and his body trembles. Next thing he knew he fell to the floor, knocking Wendel with him. Then, he opened his eyes a second later and he found himself somewhere.

He is standing in the middle of a circular platform made of rocks. There are five huge rocks standing by the edge of the platform- one rock is located to the North, one is on the Eastside, one is on the Westside, one is standing on the South-West and the other one is standing on the South-Eastern side. He gently turns around to familiarize the place. He realized that that spot was an ancient meeting place the natives call the Dap-ay. Grasses grew tall among the crevices below him. The area is covered with pine needles. The surrounding pine trees make the place hard to spot by the n***d eye.

He was certain the place was ancient. No ones been using it. He began to wonder if he was asleep and right now he was in a dream.

He closed his eyes as he breathed in the breeze coming from the pine trees. "This is just a dream, I guess" he said to himself.

But then, his back began to ache again. Whoever injected him with something, back then. He gave him pain in his back. He reached out to the stabbed area with his hand. The sensation was getting worse.

"Oh, God. It hurts," he moans. He lowers himself. He kneels down on the ground as he tries to endure the pain. Pine needles from the pine trees are being carried away by the strong wind toward the Dap-ay. Some of them landed on him.

His head is getting lighter. His vision is becoming fuzzy. He lies down on the grass face down. In his hands, there are vein-like patterns sticking out of his skin. He coughed up blood. Then, he slowly shuts his eyes. There, he realized that he was back into the real world. He can hear the men shouting now. They were in panic based on the shaking of their voices as call for the medic. He can see shoes coming toward him. He finally gave in. He completely shut his eyes closed with a hard sigh. He lost consciousness.

***Blue Water***

Japeth and Mr. Dallaliw, one of the elders, walked side by side through the long hallway, leaving the lobby behind as they made their way toward the conference room. Their footsteps echoed against the polished floor. They were passing by personnels moving through the corridor with hurried steps, speaking in low voices. The events surrounding Wendel’s rescue had left everyone on edge, especially with so many unanswered questions surrounding the strange creatures and anomalies they had been encountering. More over, the news about Cielo's condition added their wonder to the case.

"You haven't told me about what you discussed with the ambassadors yesterday," Elder Dallaliw said.

"The president is willing to cooperate. He will provide whatever resources we need to take down Gabriel Umali's troops. He said he would bring in soldiers if necessary," Japeth informed. "The UN ambassadors are still having trouble trusting the supernatural investigators. However, the majority of them are willing to pledge allegiance. They are willing to help us if ever we need something from them."

"They know that the world is ending, yet, they don't want to trust us? Oh, come on!" the elder whined. "It's good that the majority of them are willing to help us though. Screw those who refused."

"That's what it is. They can't trust the organizations they can't control. Whatever happens, their ego always floats on top."

Elder Dallaliw nodded. "Those guys do get in the way of our operations. The worst is that we should have to follow their rules anyway. I hate it."

"They come to us criticizing our work like we are the ones who are at fault," Japeth seconded. "I would like to say 'Excuse me. Ever since you have not yet found out about us, the supernatural organizations are doing well with their jobs. You just butt in and criticize our works just to make yourselves more supreme than ours.' I really want to say that to that stupid ambassador yesterday."

Elder Dallaliw sighed. "You know about the news, right?" he asked.

"What news?"

"The fifth collision?" he replied.

Japeth turned to see him with a frown in his face. "When? And I was not informed?" he complains.

"I am sorry but we just learned it too, on the news this morning," the elder said. "It occurred in Flora, Apayao. You should have seen the size of the water tornado covering an entire plane of rice."

"I wonder which one is it this time? Is it Kianu?" He asked. He resumed walking.

Elder Dallaliw followed him. "I am afraid it might be Benjie," he suspected.

"Oh my God," the pack leader sighed in frustration.

::::::::::::::

At the mountaintop east of Lacub, Abra, within the Cordillera Administrative Region, a strange sight appeared against the open sky.

A small, translucent bubble hovered several feet above the rocky summit. It was no larger than a marble, yet somehow contained three people within it. The bubble slowly descended toward the mountaintop, drifting through the cool mountain air as though carried by an invisible current.

Inside were Grace, Seline, and Kendrick.

None of them spoke as the bubble continued its descent. The higher they had traveled, the colder the air had become. Beneath them, the rugged slopes of the mountain stretched downward, covered in patches of grass, trees, and exposed rock. Far below, partially hidden between the surrounding mountains, was the village of Lacub.

The bubble finally reached the ground.

Then—

POP!

The bubble burst.

Grace, Seline, and Kendrick emerged from it, their feet touching the cold ground of the mountaintop. Grace took a deep breath and looked around. She and Seline began to fa,miliarize the place.

"Okay. So, from the memory Ana shared with me, that place should be over there..." Grace pointed to the direction where they could see an area where there are nippa huts erected. The area is located at the foot of the other side of the mountain.

Kendrick looks at the nippa huts. From this height, the people and buildings looked almost miniature against the enormous landscape. He lowers himself and kneels on the ground. He stretched out his right hand to reach the soil underneath. The tips of his fingers are now touching the soil. He began to concentrate on all his senses. His eyes turn shiny brown and resemble those of wolves. His sense of sight is enhanced, allowing his vision to zoom in on what he sees. He can clearly see the movements happening down there. Seline stood beside him, gazing at the settlement below.

"I can see them..." he said.

"Whoah! Really?" Seline was amazed.

"What do you see?" Grace asked. Then she came over.

"I can see people...I think they are guarding the place," he said. "They are armed."

"Are they many?" Seline asked.

"Yeah," he answered. Then, he spotted Gabriel Umali walking. He just came out of one of the huts. He was heading straight to the largest hut among those huts. "He's here, Gabriel," he informed. "He is heading to the largest hut."

"Can you tell where Ana is?" Seline resumes asking.

"No. I am guessing she's inside one of those huts."

Then, he widened his eyes when he saw something that made him bothered. "Oh no!" he exclaimed. He is looking at his brother being dragged by two men out of the nippa hut located on the Eastside. His brother seemed unconscious. They are bringing him towards the nipa hut just across from where they came from.

He immediately stood up. "My big brother. We have to save him!" He is about to move but Grace and Seline immediately held his arms.

"We must not rush down there without any plans," Grace told.

"They're gonna kill him!"

"They are not going to! As long as Ana is in there, they won't lay a finger on him."

"Not according to what I am looking right now. I don't want to see him like this anymore," he said. With his strength, he managed to let go of the girl's grip. Immediately, he moves away and heads down to the foot of the mountain. Seline and Grace looked at each other's eyes filled with nervousness and fear, but with determination. They nodded at each other. Then, they ran after him.

It is almost mid-day then. The sun was up shining brightly across the blue cumulus cloud-filled sky.

::::::::::::::::::;

In the medical facility in the head quarters of the Cordilleran Marksmen. The lights are on. Everything was painted white from ceiling to the walls. The room was wide enough to fit in ten beds. There are no windows. Instead, ten openings of ventilation shafts were in the ceiling. Two airconditioner were installed.

The double door were closed shut. But then, the nurses barged in. They were all in a state of panic. They were pulling a stretcher as they get in.

"Hurry! His heartbeat is getting weaker!" Nurse Rose informed the fellow medics.

On that stretcher was Cielo was lying on it. His veins were popping up all over his body. The veins that were supposed to be blue undeneath the skin has turned black. He has undergone a state of coma. He could hardly breathe. Thus, there's tube plugged in each nostrills.

The doctor among the nurses was confused. He had never seen such condition before. He was checking the pulse on Cielo's wrist and he noticed his veins gets more visible.

On the other hand...

Seth, Gordon, and Gaston were outside. They were worried sick. They couldn't do a thing at that moment. They sighed in frustration. They just watched the double door shut right after the patient and the nurses went inside.

Gaston grabbed his waist, bit his lips due to frustration. "s**t!" he exclaimed as he approaches the wall.

'What's happening?" Gordon asked himself outloud.

Seth didn't say a word. He was pressed his palms against his face and rubbed them. He slowly turns around as he begins to think deeply. He was breathing heavily.

::::::::::::::::::::::::

Ana suddenly woke up in her bed, gasping for air. She immediately sat upright, trying to calm herself. She looked around. She is still inside the hut. But something felt wrong. Ana slowly turned her head to the right. Her eyes widened. She froze.

"Welcome back to the land of the living," Gaddo said. He is standing there, waiting for her to wake up. There is Benjie lying on the wooden floor next to him. He is lying face down, asleep due to the d**g given to him.

Ana looks at the unconscious body lying on the floor. She is terrified. She wonders what he is going to do with him.

"Congratulations. You have successfully removed his ink. Because of that, I will give you another round of applause," he said. He clapped his hands twelve times.

"Why is he still here?" she wonders. "You promised to release him."

" I did," he replied. "But then, I figured 'What if I release him now, and you would end up refusing to cooperate with us because we no longer have a hostage?'"

"What do you mean?"

"Silly girl. If we release this man, I think you wouldn't have any reason to be here. If that is the case, you will fight against us..." he brought out the swiss knife hanging on his leather belt. He fidgets it. He walks around Benjie's body. "And so, I am giving you motivation." He crouches down beside Benjie's head. He positioned the blade above Benjie. The sharp point of the knife is pointing at Benjie's head.

"No! Don't!" She yells. She is about to use telekinesis to push Gaddo away from him, but her brain electrocutes her. She felt like her soul flew away for a second. Her head began to ache. "Aahh!" She yelled when she experienced the shock. She lies down on the bed. Her vision is blurring again. She closes her eyes.

Gaddo sighed in frustration after he watched her collapse again. He looks at Benjie. "I guess you are useless anymore. Her mother is more valuable right now," he said. He raises the weapon up.

However, Grace appeared behind him. She is holding a huge piece of wood. She immediately smashed it into Gaddo's head. She hit his head hard enough to make him collapse. He lays down on the floor facing down while he is still holding the swiss knife. He lay beside Benjie.

::::::::::::::::::::

Ceilo groans as he regains consciousness. He raised up and he sees that he was in that place again. He realized that he's in a state of dreaming again. It is now afternoon, from the looks of the sun's rays, he guessed it might be about two o'clock. He looked up at the sky and he noticed the clouds were covering it up. The wind turns cold. The sky might open up at any moment.

He looks down and raises his hand to check it. The vein-like patterns are gone. He touches his face to confirm whether he is really awake or not. He stands up. He looked around. He reached for his back. He tries to touch the stabbed area by pressing it with his fingers. He can feel that it pains.

The place sounds peaceful. Only the wind passing through the trees rustling their leaves can be heard. Then, thunder rumbles across the sky. He looks up. He gets alarmed when he sees a bolt of lightning strike the place where he is at. The lightning shoots the area at the distant right to his three o'clock. Ceilo saw the exact spot where the lightning struck. But then, he realized that there was something that the lightning had struck. The lightning has stricken a blue entity made of burning bluish white plasma. The blue entity resembles the Saint Elmo's flame. It is in the shape of a lion combined with a wolf. Another lightning struck on the being but it remained unscathed.

Ceilo was alarmed by its presence. He moved two steps back. The bluish white 'star' takes two steps forward. Ceilo attempts to transform into a wolf. However, his backache doubles. "AHHK!" he yells. He reached out his back. He moves another few steps backward.

"Don't push yourself to transform..." the blue spirit tells him while he moves toward him. "The more you try to transform, the more the pain you will feel."

"What is happening?" the pack leader asked. He is enduring the pain.

"Someone managed to poison you with liquid silver," the spirit told.

"AWW! Ah!" Ceilo exclaims. He pressed the infected part. He slowly lowers himself to sit down on one of the smaller rocks sitting in between two towering rocks.

"I think it is worse," the blue spirit added.

"Someone...I don't know who, but someone stabbed a needle in my back," he said. "He or she injected me with something. He escaped before I had the chance to look at him."

The blue creature didn't respond. It is just standing before the human.

"Who are you? Do you have a host?" Ceilo asked.

The spirit did not answer his question. "Let's have a deal..." the spirit said. "If you agree,, I will help you get rid of the silver in your body," he offered. "The colllision between our worlds is inevitable. If one of them dies in the battle of eclipse, then you failed to save the world."

"What do you mean? One of them dies?" he got puzzled. "What do you mean by that? Is there really a battle going to happen?"

"The three girls with you," the spirit replied.

But before the pack leader could speak...

The bluish white santelmo breathed out blue flame into him. However, the 'flames' are not exactly flames. They are spiritual energy surging in the form of swirling fire. Ceilo flinched. Instead of burning him, the flames surrounded him instead. He realized that his body was absorbing the flame. As he absorbs it, his body begins to release a black colored aura. Slowly and slowly, these auras were being burned. He feels like the effect of the poison inside his body wore off all of a sudden.