TIKBALANG

"Shack! Zzzziig.."

From behind the massive boulder, a formidable creature emerged, its long, ebony tail swaying with each step. The creature's head, adorned with two menacing horns and a set of razor-sharp teeth, peeked out alongside the tail. Its body was covered in a thick coat of fur, exuding an aura of power and dominance. With its two muscular arms and two sturdy legs, each armed with deadly claws, this colossal beast moved with an effortless grace. As it traversed the rocky terrain, Mindaza realized her initial assumption was incorrect - there were not just one, but multiple of these awe-inspiring creatures. Panic ensued as the other creatures caught sight of Mindaza and her companions, causing them to scatter in fear.

"Run!" Mindaza yelled.

In shock, Sulaya instantly took charge. "Go to that rock!" She pointed to a large, big stone of granite about thirty yards ahead.

"Get behind it and reach the top!"

The entire group of spiral hunters swiftly fled from the scene, leaving behind their belongings temporarily as they focused on the safety of the five rescued children from Dayla village and their own weapons. Positioned at the rear, Mindaza held her sword aloft, prepared to confront any potential threats that may emerge. However, Sulaya intervened, firmly grasping Mindaza's back with her massive hand and swiftly pulling her towards the safety of the rock.

"What are you doing!?"

Sulaya's concerned voice echoed loudly as she questioned her daughter movements. Her face was marked with a deep frown, reflecting her worry and curiosity.

"I'm going to fight it!"

"Foolish girl!" Sulaya pulled her arm.

"Follow me. This is not the sort of enemy you can fight."

"But I can fight with this monster!" Mindaza answered.

"Grrrreeekk, Treekk,"

The sounds of smashing wood in the trees, feet that make them tremble on the ground.

Mindaza turned her gaze and she saw half of the mountainside rushing towards them, smaller rocks bouncing and rolling overhead as the gray and black mass twisted and roared down, taking on momentum in every yard of it. She blinked for a moment, stunned. Now she realizes that it is really a monster in the forest.

"Tikbalang!" Sulaya yelled.

"Everybody, be careful and cling to something solid."

And then there was a snarl like a hundred tigers pounding into the rock, separating into two violent torrents on either side, till the scree built up behind the boulder and overflowed across the top due to pressure from above. It was a terrible sound, a never-ending roar in which every stone's sound faded into the vast ocean of shifting rock.

Mindaza looked around. The Spiral Hunters climbed to the top of the boulders as best they could to save themselves.

Mindaza looked behind her to see another boulder just fifty yards behind her. Some of the Tikbalangs had reached that point and stopped short, as if they could smell something else around them.

Sulaya yelled. "Mindaza, over here!" Upon reaching the elevated level of the rock, she was taken aback by the unexpected absence of Mindaza, who had chosen not to accompany her in her haste. Mindaza let herself be left below the level of rocks on the ground.

Mindaza gave her mother a victorious smile, then she ran to the other side and yelled. "Hey! Monster! I'm here!"

At Mindaza's first words, ten tikbalangs of human size were already threatening to climb the high part of the big rock. It was like hungry tigers who quickly fought to chase Mindaza, who was running to the other side of the mountain. What she did was save the spiral hunters from these monsters.

"Come here!"

Mindaza yelled to encourage the monsters. Her screams continued, then faded to a soft whimper and disappeared amidst the snarling monsters.

For Mindaza, this mountain is an excellent training ground because of its rugged terrain. She bolted into a vast clearing that had big stones scattered throughout it. Now, the Tikbalangs crept gently behind her on the uneven terrain. Mindaza observes that when they are on solid ground, they run quickly, but on rough terrain, they become feeble.

As Mindaza prepared herself for battle, a surge of energy coursed through her body, originating from the hilt of her sword. With a swift leap, she swiftly decapitated a Tikbalang to her left, swiftly followed by a precise strike to the eye of another monster directly in front of her. The force of her blow caused the monster's eye to be directly impacted, and she swiftly withdrew her sword, delivering a powerful kick to propel the creature's body away from her.

Four tikbalangs swiftly advanced towards her, preventing Mindaza from fleeing once more to create some distance. Seizing the opportunity, she promptly engaged the first four creatures in pursuit, wielding her lightning-fast sword with precision. Each strike of her blade against the tikbalangs' heads resulted in a shattering effect akin to a broken jar, showcasing her formidable combat skills.

Mindaza meticulously devised a plan to quell the existence of these formidable creatures, and the spiral hunters played a crucial role in this endeavor. Positioned above, they skillfully launched a barrage of arrows towards the throng of adversaries, determined to prevent them from reaching the highest part of the rocky mountain.

Meanwhile, a group of brave warriors descended to engage in combat armed with their formidable weapons, ready to confront the menacing creatures head-on.

As if it had done its allotted task, the Tikbalang began to subside, altering from a roar to a grumble and then into silence.

After some time, the body of the dead Tikbalangs gradually decomposes until it turns into black ash.

The spiral hunters achieved victory in their battle against the fearsome creatures known as "Tikbalang." Utilizing their extensive knowledge and skills, they managed to overcome the challenges posed by these mythical beings. Normally residing in a distant realm, far removed from the influence of ordinary individuals, the Tikbalang unexpectedly found a passage to the human world. Upon entering, they wreaked havoc and inflicted significant damage upon the unsuspecting inhabitants.

"The prophecies spoken by the elders took me completely by surprise," Ganadara exclaimed, her eyes widening in astonishment. As if that wasn't enough, she also found herself bearing witness to the inexplicable vanishing of the lifeless bodies of those creatures. The events unfolded before her eyes left her in a state of bewilderment and intrigue.

"For me, it's just a children's story" said a female colleague who was still taking her breath and sweating.

"How are the children?" Sulaya asked to confirm.

"They were fine," one of them answered. The children show themselves, and one man from spiral hunters takes them inside the carriage to rest.

"We lost Jack," Ganadara said quietly.

"It was his time." Sulaya looked over the remainder of her fellow hunters.

"Are there any other casualties?"

"The two wagons are broken. I'll see if I can fix them. That way we'll have some leftover food and drink for the journey." one man said.

"We'll look ahead first. Maybe we'll see the two horses that ran earlier", Ganadara follows to inform Sulaya. Sulaya just nodded at her as she agreed with it.

"Sulayma, what do you know about Tikbalang? Did the elders tell you anything?"

Sulaya asks her fellow hunter named Sulayma. She is five years older than Sulaya. Sulayma is closed to the family, which honors some magic, including tales of monsters. Her family believe in fairies, tikbalang, aswang and manananggal that live in this world with humans, but no one has yet proven them to be true. Now that they could see it themselves, Sulaya paid a lot of attention to how to avoid this kind of enemy.

"They warned, but it was unclear whether they would actually come up, their sentiments and visions were based on their beliefs and perceptions of everything around them. That is why I decided not to inform you. I do not want you to worry anymore. I am sorry!" Sulayma explained. Her appearance shows that she was devastated by what happened, while her eyes are focused on the wounded fellow hunters.

"I understand, tell me something about it." Sulaya said.

"Okay," Sulayma nodded.

Sulayma handed over a book that was placed in her pocket. The pages were still thin but the letters written were short that only Sulayma could understand. When Sulaya opened it, Sulayma explained one by one the type and class of monsters that might be around them. She also explained what can be done to repel it or defeat it with the strength they possess.

"If that's the case, the same time they came to life is the time when Mindaza got her sword, I hope I'm wrong in my hunch."

"I strongly believe that it might be connected. The sword has power, so it's not far off that everything has a reason," Sulayma replied.

Two hours later, Sulaya approached her daughter Mindaza, who was currently fishing in a stream.

"I know it's very late, but I hope you think about what to do before you act."

Hearing those words, Mindaza stood up and lowered her head and said, "I'm sorry."

"Being a hero is not easy, even if you succeed, it is also a success for everyone. But what if you don't succeed? What if you lost, what if you died and not Jack?"

There was a tremor in Sulaya's voice. Mindaza felt her mother's great concern after hearing what she said. She was speechless, as if her brain was still paralyzed because she didn't know what to answer.

"Get your sword!" Sulaya ordered and stand up.

Mindaza frowned. "My sword? But... why?"