Nick and Jason exited the bus with opposite feelings.
“Bicol here we are!!” Jason threw his hands in the air.
“Welcome home,” Nick said dourly.
Not even two minutes in, a stranger approached them.
“Blood of my blood.” The old man spoke in Nick’s direction.
“Sir I don’t know who you are, please leave me alone.” Nick looked unamused.
“Nick, don’t be rude. What is your name sir?” Jason tried to smoothen the conversation.
“Blood of my blood,” the stranger replied.
“I’m going to leave now.” Nick looked at his escape options.
“Blood of my blood. He has returned.”
“So he can say something else.” Nick still looked unamused.
“The blood of Baltog runs deep,” the old man said to no one in particular.
——————————————
Nick had a flash of recognition when the stranger said those words.
Growing up in Bicol, he had heard tales from his elders about the epic of Ibalon.
The brave Handiong, the elusive Oryol and of course the warrior-hero, Baltog.
There was always a glint in his lolo’s eyes when he told that story.
—————————————
The oldman took something from his pocket and gave it to Nick.
“Blood of my blood, he has returned.”
And with that he scurried away, leaving a confused Nick and a curious Jason.4
“What did he give you?”
“Just this stone.”
“I think it’s glowing.”
“Hmmm.”
“Wait.”
Jason took the stone and pointed it north.
“It’s glowing even brighter.”
Jason gave him a knowing look.
Nick sighed, he knew better than to fight the inevitable.
The stone still sone and pointed them forwards.
“Let’s go!” Jason shouted at the horizon.
———————————–
They managed to drop their things at Nick’s ancestral home and talked about their plans.
“We can’t just go in blind!” Nick was exasperated.
“We aren’t going to! The stone will guide us!”
We got the stone an hour ago, how can we trust it?!”
“You’re right.” Jason looked pensive.
“Wait, what?” Nick wasn’t used to Jason giving in so quickly.
“This is your adventure. I will follow your lead.”
“That’s new.”
“You’ve never had one before.”
“That’s true.”
“So let’s see where this goes. One night of rest and we can head out tomorrow.
—————————————–
In his dreams, he called.
Bright flashes coursed through his veins.
The stone glistened in his palm.
“Blood of my blood.” The voice roared like thunder. “He has returned.”
“Who are you?!” Nick cried out.
“Blood of my blood.” The voice boomed.
The stone dug into his skin.
All he saw was a shadow being cast in front of him.
“Blood of my blood.”
=———————————=
The stone pointed northward.
The pair packed light, only the essentials brought.
Through the trees and by the lake they traversed the wilderness.
They stopped by a balete tree to take a much-needed rest.
“What are we going to do? When we get to wherever he stone is pointing us to?” Nick asked.
“We’ll get to that bridge and decide when we get there.”
“It feels warm.” Nick took a better look at the stone. “It kind of looks like an eye.”
“Let me see.” Jason took the stone. “Agggghhh, dammit! It burned my hand.”
Nick took the stone back.
“Ok, now it stays with me.”
They took a swig of water and headed north.
=————————————-=
The cave was pitch black.
“Glad we have flashlights on our phones.”
“I don’t think we’re going to need them anymore.”
The stone grew bright, illuminating the environment.
A booming voice replied to the light.
“Blood of my blood.”
“There we go.” Nick looked resolute. “I know what you are, I know where this is going!”
“Blood of my blood.”
“I have the blood of Baltog within my veins and I will vanquish you, spirit!”
“You are quite mistaken.” The voice sounded like a peal of thunder.
“You are not his descendent.”
“You are mine.”
“Blood of my blood.”
The reptilian form of Rabot slinked from the stalactites above.
“What—” Nick felt a lump in his throat.
“Nick, look out!”
Rabot lunged at Nick with his fangs bared.
Jason managed to intercept the creature, his arm dripping crimson.
“Not my blood.” Rabot spit at the ground.
“Jason, run!”
“I won’t leave you!”
They both broke into a sprint.
They needn’t have done that. Rabot did not give chase.
“Blood of my blood.”
=————————————————=
“I need to tell my family!” Nick shouted as they exited the cave.
“We have to get to safety first!”
“You heard him! He wants blood. My family’s blood. He’s going to hunt us down and—–”
Jason grasped Nick in a hug.
“Shh, shh, everything’s okay.”
Nick burst into tears. “I shouldn’t have followed the stupid stone. I should never have had this adventure.
“We can’t change that anymore. Come on. Let’s go back to the house.”
“And then?”
“And then we prepare.”
=——————————————–=
The pair rushed to the house.
But they were too late.
Blood pooled at the base of the stairs.
“Tita? Lolo?”
Their broken bodies gave no answer.
“No—- This is my fault.” Nick fell to his knees.
In the carnage the stone glistened.
“This is useless, it already lead us to Rabot.”
It flickered and glowed even brighter.
“No, we can use this.” Jason took the stone.
It sizzled his skin and he cried out.
And the stone changed.
It still glowed but it flattened, taking the form of a small dagger.
“What is this?”
“Looks like a weapon.”
“Can we trust it?”
“I don’t trust anything anymore. I was stupid enough to think I was the descendant of a great hero.”
“Hey, look at me. Look at me! This thing needs to be stopped and we’re the only ones that can do it.”
Nick held the blade in his hand. It burned with righteous flame.
“We need to go back.”
=—————–
In the aftermath Nick and Jason held each other. The floor of the cave was drenched in blood.
“Blood of my blood.”
Nick could feel himself change, his right arm sprouting scales and he could swear he could hear colors.
The dagger was embedded in Rabot’s skull, his hunt of descendants finally over.
And Nick knew in his bones that he would never be the same.
“Blood of my blood.”
Written by Karl Gaverza
Copyright © Karl Gaverza
Inspired by the Rabot descriptions in The Ibalon. Retana. (1896) and Bikol Beliefs and Folkways: A Showcase of Tradition. Nasayao 2010.
Rabot illustration by Mic Comia
FB: mic comia – art
IG: @micomiart