B2A1 - The World of Myths

Chapter 51 : Berberoka & Kataw V

Chapter 51 : Berberoka & Kataw V

-Enzo-

            *You received 32119 EXP*

            *You leveled up to Level 37*

            *You leveled up to Level 38*

            *You leveled up to Level 39*

            *You received an item: Sulibao*

            Sulibao? I heard this in music class before.

            A sulibao is a conical tenor drum played by the Bontoc and Ibaloi people of the Philippines. It is played with the palms of both hands. It usually appears as part of an ensemble along with the kimbal, pinsak, kalsa and palas. Sulibao is made from a hollowed out log covered with deer skin.

            *You leveled up to Level 40*

            We entered the forest finally leaving this village, I don't even understand why we went here, when we could go to the shore and just start there. But Elliot just looked at the map following what it's telling him. I wanted to doubt him but it's just a waste of time.

            Whatever the reason why we're going this way, it's maybe because the storyline says so. There must be something here very important that's why we have to be here. At least were having a progress though, I can't believe I'm on level forty.    

            We just walked silently until we get to a damp area, there are many swamps here. I bet it's because this area is near the sea... I don't know, places like this usually are near to bodies of water. It kinda look off, because these water's somehow green in color, though it's clear, I can still see what's under.

            But I don't want my feet in there... I don't want going in there, it disgusts me... I'm not a fan of swamps and so on. No one seemed to mind these swamps anyway, they just walked peacefully along it. I noticed that the others have stepped on the edges of the swamp, where probably the most shallow part.

            I can't imagine myself stepping there. Why aren't they bothered, don't their feet get wet? Especially Vic, the water is like inches high on his feet. It almost gets to his knees. Who would blame him, the path is kinda narrow for us, so someone had to step in there if we don't want lining up here ahahaha.

            It's not a thing anyway.

            "Woah!" someone suddenly exclaimed as I heard loud splashes of water. I saw Vic bring dragged into the water by something that moves very fast. I don't know what is it but it came from under the water. I knew I shouldn't be stepping there. 

            “Gosh, help him out!” Avery shouted as Vic was suddenly pulled by something from the swamp and is struggling now or I don’t know, it seems like something is drowning him. Lucy quickly went into the water to help Vic. After all, she had the power that relates to nature so she can do it.

            I noticed something moving from the other parts of the swamp coming towards us. I tagged Reiven on his shoulder and pointed it to him. As we both looked at it, it slowly went near us. Though we aren’t on the water, I still felt so scared about it. I just observed it while it still kept moving, if it’s just like what’s attacking Vic, then we should be alarmed.

            “What is that creature!?” I heard Elliot screaming asking what that was. I need to know what that is and I should not let my eyes off of it

            “Get off the water quick!” Darxi shouted as if calling someone to get out of the water, I took a quick glance at who he’s talking about, I wasn’t on the water. Vic started to walk out of the water as he was soaking wet.

            “Watch out!” I heard Scarlett shouting as she just appeared in front of me blocking something to get to me “Guys, be alert, there’s too many of them!” she shouted as she stood at ease putting down what she used to block it. I saw a creature who somehow looks like Shrek, I don’t know, I mean an ogre who jumped into the swamp.

            But no, it's so scaly, but it's green. It looked hideous, I don't know how to describe it. All I see is true terror. We just backed off from the water and looked everywhere to see if Lucy would come out from it. 

            “Lucy! Where are you!? Come back up here now!” Darxi called her as she hasn’t come up yet. The water seemed to stabilize meaning there aren’t movements done in it already. Gosh, where is she? Did she drown herself saving Vic?

            “What happened?” Elliot asked Vic as he looked at him intently. Vic is still soaking wet as his clothes stuck to his skin showing off his shape that he probably worked out as he played basketball.

            “I don’t know, she just pulled me up and I haven’t seen her” Vic answered

            "You looked hot, by the way" Elliot said out of context as he stared at Vic's body

            "What?" Vic asked as he hardly processed it

            "Nothing, I was just trying to mess with you, but you were so slow, so never mind" Elliot said as he turned to the swamp and looked for her. Suddenly, the water started to shake and something started to come out from the water, a lot of them.

            I just watched it speechlessly,  it's the same thing I saw that went down from the water. What are they doing? They just stood there, they even have that neat formation, leaving the middle part empty. As the shaking stopped, something slowly appeared in the middle from the water.

            "What is it?" Reiven whispered asking what creatures we are seeing right now

            "These big guys here are called berberoka, they're usually not like these, they're dangerous just like how they attacked us a while ago, so something must be happening right now, not to forget Lucy's disappearance" he answered mentioning Lucy again.

             As the creature finally showed itself, it had Lucy with it. The creature looked scary too, it had a very long hair. It's face is so different, but it looked like a human, it's just that it's more... fantastic. It's head was covered with aquatic head dresses, which actually made it looked elegant.

             It also has a fishy designed outfit. It has so many scale designs added with fins and aquatic colors. It's truly a work of art, I wonder who had this kind of imagination of creature like this--- wait, what creature is this again?

             It has a very long tail of a fish, and is purple-ish in color. It gave us Lucy back and stared at us for a while.

             "That's Kataw" Avery said referring to it "The Kataw is one of the merfolk in the Philippine Mythology. In Visayan, Kataw was believed to have higher rankings than other water and sea creatures as those of Sirena, Sireno and Siyokoy. It is believed that the Kataws are the reigning rulers of the kingdom Bantay Tubig" he said as his eyes were fixed on it

            "It's beautiful, at first I thought it was a mermaid..." Raizen said "No wonder, these other creatures here seems like its body guards ahahaha" he added

            "You must be these heroes that people had been mentioning" the kataw spoke mentioning it "I heard you saved this village from  bad people who conquered them. I'm very glad to know that, I'm so sorry how these Berberokas here acted towards you, they didn't mean to scare you" it added

            "Those men were a threat to lives here in this forest, they have been causing us so much troubles. We can't do anything about them as they kept on coming, we can't always make them disappear... and we can't even let them know we exist" it continued speaking

            "That's why along with these people here, I am very thankful for your bravery and drove off those people from here... it's such a big thing to us"  it continued as it smiled to us while gesturing its hands "I never expected that humans would help their fellow being, and even us from humans as those guys"

            "I thought that humans are only up to no good, but when I heard about you, I realized that not all of them. I realized that there are people like you who would be willing to risk their lives and save the others. I am so happy to know that" it continued speaking, I am liking what it's saying

            "So as something that I can do in return, I would stand as a guardian to this village and also the other villages that you are going to save if they remain the kind of people they are now. I would be very happy to watch over them and keep them safe from farm, especially when those men comes back" 

            That made me feel comfortable. At least, if ever they come back here, there would be someone who would drive them off that can surely keep them from coming back anymore. I feel safe for them, and I feel happy hearing all of those things from it.

            "You proceed now to your journey, I would be always here to guide you in the water... Good bye" it said as it gradually sunk in the water disappearing from our sights and so as the berberokas which swam very fast and disappeared out of sight. 

            "Are you alright?" Scarlett asked Lucy as she walked towards her

            "I'm fine... don't worry, I think that was supposed to happen ahahaha" she answered as she started making herself dry using that stone in his hand. I bet it's a fire stone since it's emitting heat from it "How about you Vic, you wanna get dried up?" she asked

            "No... never mind, Elliot loved seeing this anyway, so I'd just leave it like this" he answered playfully

            "What!? I never said that, I was just messing up with you..." Elliot quickly defended himself

            "Why are you so triggered? I was just messing up with you... calm down" Vic said repeating what Elliot just said, though he obviously sounded like he's teasing Elliot. 

            "Go and dry yourself up, you might catch a cold" Elliot just said and started walking again

            "No worries, there are no sickness in games... unless the developer puts it in" Vic answered confidently. Well, I know not a lot about the game, but he's kinda right ahahahaha

            "Whatever, do what ever you want" Elliot responded without looking at Vic. Well, the two of them seem to be having a little fun talking it out, so none of us tended to speak. Vic suddenly removed his shirt as he squeezed his clothe of and shook it off trying to make it a little dry.

              "There Elly, have a better view ahahaha" Vic said to Elliot confidently even giving him a nickname. He was so confident with his body, I can't blame him... it looked nice, it just made him look appealing. I would like to have like that too, but never mind, eating is my favorite hobby.

              "Eww, that's ugly! wear your shirt on" Elliot said as he took a quick glance at Vic then back to the map. After they were done talking, we just continued to walk until we get to the shore and take that alternative route then get to the next village.