8.5 BURIED BONE

  With Sri Kihod preoccupied, Tikum dragged himself up, half-limping towards Ukok. He whispered a curse. He was back to his old routine again– body beaten to a pulp with every inch of it bathing in pain. But this time his resolve was on a new high. That, and his stubbornness too. This wasn't exactly the plan but what was he to do? He stared at his missing hand, grimacing at the mess. Definitely not the outcome he was looking for.

  They were supposed to make it fast and quick– snatch his daughter before getting hurt. That was all there was to it. Simple and reliable always does it. But reality was always far from what he planned for. He sighed, stopping below the red crystal where Ukok was held. She was so close but things were still out of reach. Tikum spat. Even with two hands he won't be able to get her. He cursed again, this time to himself. He was running out of time. Sri Kihod would soon see what he was up to, and it wouldn't be a cat and mouse chase between them anymore. Not in his current condition.

  Aside from all that, the sorcerer-king's earlier spell that barred and held the gadlumanon's at bay was shrinking. And those slavering creatures knew it as well. Tikum whispered another curse. His condition was worsening by the second– soon enough his body would give way. Even at that moment, he couldn't think straight. His ears were buzzing and an awful headache would come and go every time he made an effort to move. Problem after problem, complications mounting into a mess. Even with Tikum's determination, some things where just obviously unattainable. He was over his limitations. He felt as though his soul was stretched too far and he feared it would snap.

  A tear left his eye as he bowed his head and fell down to his knees. How could he be so useless? Why couldn't he think of another way? He felt like screaming but even that he couldn't do. His mouth was dry and his throat was parched. Everything was for nothing. Was that it? He shook his head. So, when all things fell to its final place, this was his fate?

  He felt deflated. But a part of him– a small ember of hope inside his heart, told him not to give up. He let his fist go, punching the ground in frustration. At that exact moment, Amburukay grabbed him by the shoulder and lifted him up in the air like an eagle snatching its prey.

  "This doesn't mean we're even." The Lady of the Darkest Night gritted her teeth as she flapped her webbed-wings with effort. The scattering of feathers on its broadside were falling and one of the wing's had its tip broken– damaged by her fall earlier but it did not stop her. It would not. "We will still settle things after we help her. We have to save our daughter, Tikum. Just as promised."

  He stared at her as they climbed higher in the air, wind blowing at their faces. Amburukay was having a hard time breathing too. Bruised and scratches covered her bare skin and Tikum would guess that there were more wounds all over her transmogrified body concealed by her black feathers. A slight tremor ran through her hands before she adjusted her grip. Even the strongest person he knew was cracking into pieces like him.

  Tikum nodded absentmindedly.

  "Just as promised!" he said more to himself than to Amburukay.

  Mid-way on their flight, Amburukay's wings started to flap erratically, straining at every feet of elevation they gained. She grunted, trying her best to straighten it, but she could no longer power through. She hissed a curse as pain crossed her face. They won't reach the crystal enclosure. She was too tired and to beaten to fly over it. Her whole body was screaming to a stop too. This was it for her physically. So, she weighed her options in a blink of an eye.

  "It's time, Tikum!"

  Before Amburukay finished the last word, she boosted Tikum up, throwing him above the red crystal. The momentum of her action pushed her down, sending her plummeting back to the ground and out of Tikum's view. As he reached the highest point of her throw, he felt his blood turn to fire, feeling weightless in the air. He did not expect this. He wasn't exactly prepared for this But this was his chance. Time to grab it.

  As he fell back down, he almost bounced off the side of the crystal. The sudden jolt sent his heart jumping off his chest. But luck favored them this time around, with one limb missing, Tikum still found a handhold. He gritted his teeth, trying his best to pull himself up, but instead he started to slide down the slanting side of the ruby prison where her daughter waited. He cursed as his blood ran cold. Falling at this height was going to be fatal. But at the last second, Tikum gained purchase on the side of Ukok's transparent perch. He looked down and saw Amburukay awkwardly glide to one of the blasted monument littered all over the place. It was clear that she was fading too fast. She won't be strong enough to carry them both. Not with a single wing. He was sure she was spent and only willpower was driving her. Flying with all her injuries wasn't helping the fact that she just used an unfamiliar form of magic to transmogrify her physique. And it was the unstable kind of power as well.

  All those sacrifice. All their pain. Tikum couldn't allow himself to waste it. He made a promise to do his best. Amburukay and Ukok will have their second chance. Even if it might end his own life.

  "Now, it's my time," he whispered to himself, enduring all the agony. "Now, it's my turn."

  With both legs wrapped around the edge of the crystal, Tikum made a fist and brought it down with fury. Lancing pain flowed from the tip of his finger but it would not dissuade him. He raised his hand again, gritting his teeth. Tikum won't stop anymore. He punched the same point again, this time it gave the desired result– a small crack formed. Another punch landed. And another came soon after, this time with a roar of determination. One after the other, it landed with the same intensity. With the same intention. A web of cracks formed, stained by his blood. He thought of her daughter. Ukok would live her life the way she wanted it to be. He swung again. She would smile once more. She would be free. But for that to happen, Tikum would have to save her first. He was halfway from throwing another fist when the whole thing shattered and collapsed under him.

  With his remaining hand, he grabbed his daughter and held her. As they fell back down to the ground, he prayed to the deities of the islands to spare his daughter. He should have thought this through. Now, what was he to do? He embraced Ukok as tight as he could. He didn't want to let her go. If they do fall to their death, he would try to protect her. He would die first. After all, Ukok was everything to him. Just like Ambu was before. He would save her, if it was the last thing he did. Expecting a brutal crash to the ground, Tikum was surprised when something wound around them halfway through. His eyes widened as a cocoon of black feathers suddenly enveloped them.

  "Don't get your hopes up. This may not be the most graceful landing," Amburukay said as she braced herself, embracing Ukok and Tikum.

  Catching and flying the two to safer ground was no longer an option. Not with her wings. But seeing what her former husband did, she knew what to do. She met them half-way and held them both, wrapping the two with her vast wings as tight as

  she could.

  In the chaos of their fall, Tikum felt Ukok's warmth, and for that single second he decided on a new path to take. He would make sure it would happen too. If only he was given another chance. Both of them will survive this. Both should come out alive– Ukok and Amburukay. Even if it meant forfeiting his life over and over again. It would be worth it. It would always be worth it. If only the devatas could her his plea.

  Without forewarning, a flash of light and a beam of arcane origin went straight through them, piercing the three like a keen arrow. Then, everything turned white scattering all the shadows around them.

  ***

  Jurah's summoned spirit fought with tenacity. It wasn't like the first time around against Makabagting. This time, she actually had all her preparations at the ready. The Taglugar was the strongest as well. But Sri Kihod was undaunted, equaling the spirit with his own fighting prowess. He also had an advantage against it. He could cast a spell.

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  After evading a lunging attack from the god-spirit, he gestured three succeeding spells utterly destroying his spectral foes' two limbs. He sent the final spell down Jurah's path, gracing her head with a concussive blow and sending her down with a thud. He could've finished the disagreeable ati, but a scream caught his attention. His head snapped to the red crystal containing the key and saw Tikum Kadlum shatter the whole thing.

  Sri Kihod cursed. He should've dealt with him first. Playing with all of them was an arrogant mistake on his part.

  As Ukok and Tikum plunged down, Amburukay caught them and did her best to protect them from the impact of their fall. But Sri Kihod would have none of it. With a fraction of a second to spare, he drew to Gadlum's ocean of power, unleashing a staff of light from the tip of his claws. It travelled the gap between them in astonishing speed, striking through his target.

  Well, it looked like that way for all of them, except Si-an Usong. Somehow she saw it coming and acted without hesitation. She made a cut through space to open a couple of small windows all over Tikum, Ukok and Amburukay. The so-called window-portals received Kihod's foul spell, releasing it to the other side. She then opened another larger tear in space to catch the three and save them from the jagged ruins that awaited below. With a twist of the wrist, she deposited them safely to the other side of the battlefield near the tip of the arcane barrier.

  Sri Kihod noticed it a few seconds later and chose to kill Si-an Usong first. But she was as wily as they come. She hastily fled, opening a portal of her own. But the sorcerer-king's magic-altered speed caught her off-guard. He smiled arrogantly. The tapol's properties had finally waned and now he could augment his speed with more magic. Moving in a blur, he leaped in the air. He would tear them a part piece by piece. One by one, those who barred him from his goal would crumble just as the Bone Gate would. As he neared her, something flashed and a breath later he landed far from his intended target. He snapped his head towards Si-an Usong who was a few meters from him. He tried to pursue her again and was transported to the edge of his sanctuary spell.

  Si-an Usong laughed. "Screw you. You think you can beat me? I'm the emissary of magic. The right hand of Halmista. You're just a leech. I hold–"

  In a fraction of a second, Sri Kihod grabbed her by the neck. "Your threats are but feathers, they do not have weight."

  Si-an Usong's face turned white. Even with his speed he would not have been able to cross the distance between them in a short span. This was impossible even for the strongest sorcerers. Then, she eyed the other Sri Kihod a distance away as it collapsed into a mess of banana stalk and chaos magic. The glamour gave off a most dark aura before it rotted away.

  "Shit."

  "Exactly."

  "Not gonna lie. You are good, monster. Ugly, yes, but good nonetheless."

  "A compliment is a compliment even if it comes from a filthy fool like you."

  Sri Kihod swung and threw her like a sack on the nearest block, raining pieces of black rock all over him. As he raised his hand for the finishing blow, a pair of green ghostly serpents wound around his legs, lifting him up the air.

  "Do it, mortal!" Karas said, eyes glowing with the devatas' powers. With a gesture, she directed the phantasmagorical conjuration of the serpent-goddess, Devata Luyong Kabig, smashing Sri Kihod on a keen spire. The impact broke it in half, sending dust up high as it finally fell.

  "Don't wait on me, sister." Tihol said, taking Si-an Usong from the rubble. She lifted her up, living Silver Fin behind.

  A moment later, Karas gestured with her hand, dispelling her magic. She focused her mind to call for the gods' aid again to hold off the sorcerer-king, but a piece of rock from the cloud of dust were Sri Kihod lay, hurled in an astonishing velocity towards the babaylan. Only her instinct saved her as she raised her hand to protect herself.

  She yowled, nursing her broken forearm. Another rock, this time twice larger than the first, shot through the settling dust, hitting the nearest ruined wall beside Karas. Then, the babaylan dropped down for cover as a couple of projectiles showered at her, destroying most of the ruins within proximity.

  Sri Kihod laughed. "Among all of them you are the most powerful. The devatas must be keen on your talents. But power without forethought is nothing, babaylan. One must harness everything around them to shape the world. That is your lesson. Now, die in fear."

  The sorcerer-king turned his head towards Tikum and watch the man with disdain.

  ***

  Tikum rolled away from the portal, revealing Ukok on his arms. Amburukay nodded to him, barely able to stand. They had to move now, but not by flying. It was no longer an option

  "I need to change back," she said, feeling all the punishment dealt to her before. "Take her far away, Tikum. Get out of here."

  "That won't be easy," he answered, eyes transfixed on the Bone Gates itself.

  Magic erratically flowed through it from its alabaster base and up to its intricately carved tip. Its pillars were fracturing and chunks of it were splitting away. An enormous jagged part near its highest point separated and crash down towards a group of gadlumanons who were testing the boundary of Sri Kihod's weakening sanctuary spell. The creatures squealed in horror, pinned by the weight of the giant block.

  The rest of the portal was not looking well too. It was as if the whole thing was shrinking. Tikum cursed. He realized that all of it was due to him breaking the crystal that held everything together. Ukok's life force, her soul, her essence opened Gadlum up and connected it to the human realm. But now, without her, it was folding on itself, shutting their only exit from the hungry denizens of the realm of shadows.

  Tikum took a deep breath, embracing Ukok with one hand. "Make sure you follow us," he said to the manghihiwit beside him.

  Amburukay had already started her transformation spell, stubbornly ignoring the agony it brought her. It began on her face, feathers and some skin molted away as her avian features reverted back to normal, leaving behind more bruises and aches she earned earlier. Next, came her feathery webbed-wings, among her metamorphosis it had the worst effect. The pain was not like the first one. It was slower and much more consistent. She cried out before kneeling to the excruciating agony that rippled around her back. Bone snapped and broke to reassemble itself, skin sloughed as flesh squirmed underneath it. And finally muscles and sinews realigned to reform her limbs. She hunched over, vomiting from the dizzy spell it brought with it.

  Then, she realized something, one of the disadvantages of turning back to normal was having to deal with the injuries she accumulated. She held her mangled fingers. This won't cut it anymore. Using a piece of her clothing, she bound it as tight as she could possibly do.

  Amburukay snapped her head up and saw Tikum's concerned face. She groaned. She did not want his pity. Hate contorted her face but instead of a litany of curses she sighed and spoke in her usual tone, "I'll be right behind you." She formed a fist with one hand and punched the ground as the final bouts of pain flowed like lightning all over her body. "Go! I can handle this, Tikum Kadlum."

  He nodded and ran off to their only exit.

  Amburukay hissed, leaning on one of the ruined spire. "Let's do it. Let's get out of here. One step at a time. We–"

  An explosion a few feet from Amburukay brought her down. Then another came, much stronger than the first. Ducking low, she made her way to a deep crater where Tikum hid with Ukok. Tikum shook his head, looking over the crest of their hidey-hole and straight at the sorcerer-king.

  "Can't go on," he said. "Had to stop. Too dangerous." He cursed as another bombardment followed by the screams of gadlumanon filled the air.

  "What the hell," Amburukay lowered her head as debris rained down on them.

  Tikum was panting heavily. "Its our old friend, Ambu."

  "No kidding. But he's not after us?"

  They both took a peek and saw countless gadlumanons go over the fading sanctuary spell straight to its source. They were the larger and stronger kind, able to withstand the waning effects of the linked runic spell underfoot. And they also knew who to target to diffuse the sanctuary spell permanently. Sri Kihod threw a variety of enchantments as the shadow-fiends drew closer at him. Those who evaded his spells, attacked him viciously. But unable to strengthen his complex barrier spell, more and more shadow-fiend passed through it, spilling like a stream made of claws, talons and insectile limbs from all direction. Even with his powers, he struggled to fight them off.

  A short distance from the ruckus, Jurah aided Karas as they made their way out of the Bone Gates following Tihol and Si-an Usong. All were busy fighting off the gadlumanons who strayed near their path. Position at the farthest point to their sole egress, Tikum spat a curse. With him and Ambu, severely injured, they won't be able to fight off a wave of monsters. They would be drowned by their numbers.

  Tikum gave Ukok to Amburukay. "Need to help the fool."

  "What?"

  "His barrier enchantment is the only thing keeping as alive."

  "You sure about that? He might–"

  "If they overwhelm him now, the rest of the gadlumanons will feast on all of us too. And I have a plan."

  "We could make it through! If we go slow, we could avoid them, circle around Sri Kihod instead."

  "We don't have the luxury of time. The whole place is crumbling down. I need you to run straight when you see the opportunity."

  "I'm not waiting for you."

  "An encouraging thought." He smiled.

  Amburukay only sighed as she tightened the bind on his wounded arm. "You're being stupid again."

  Tikum could only grit his teeth in pain. But it was not long-lived, it soon shifted into a smile when he realized it was the golden tikbalang's mane.

  "You'll need it against those things and Sri Kihod," she said.

  "If it's not too much to ask, I'll also be needing your blood." He extended his hand towards Amburukay. "I hope this works."