The curator moved with purpose, the auction about to begin.
The first item up for bid was a glowing kris.
The Dikalawanan.
“This wondrous sword has an interesting tale attached to. Let me entice you with its story.”
=————————————=
In the mountains of the Teduray a great beast sowed terror. Its name Tokol-noñgo, its form, that of a giant boar.
Tenuwe, a village at the foot of the mountain was silent, the Tokol-noñgo having killed all its inhabitants.
The youth, Nogoyagey was tasked by an enchanted shrimp to fell the Tokol-noñgo.
Nogoyagey did not have a weapon, but the shrimp answered his plea.
A kris jutted out from the shrimp’s armpit.
As the youth grabbed the sword, flashes of lightning appeared around his body. He trembled as the magic of the weapon enveloped him.
The last survivor of the village, the maiden Funguson was told by the shrimp to hide inside the togo* which Nogoyagey had to beat.
Then came the boar.
From the other end of the village the Tokol-noñgo appeared.
The village had twenty houses but each were dwarfed by the size of the beast.
It saw Nogoyagey and lunged.
The youth had the ability to be in many places at the same time.
The boar was caught offguard, its only other prey normal humans.
It focused its attacks on the shrimp but it was met with a strike so powerful it was flung through seven hills and seven valleys.
The beast seemed annoyed.
In an instant it rushed through the distance, fixating on Nogoyagey as his next target.
The youth could not keep up. As large as the boar was, it was twice as fast. It took immense effort to strike the beast but he could only miss.
Hours turned into days and still the battle did not end.
The beast’s tiredness took over and Nogoyagey was able to strike it a few times. He would only know failure as he learned that the Tokol-noñgo was invulnerable.
The shrimp saw the youth’s frustration and shouted.
The shadow.
The key is the shadow.
Slash it to kill Tokol-noñgo.
Nogoyagey followed and the Tokol-noñgo was slain.
He opened the boar’s stomach and human bones fell out. The shrimp had given him an oil that he was told to sprinkle at the skeletal sight.
Funguson arose from her hiding place and reunited with her people as the oil had returned them to life.
The shrimp and the youth continuedtheir travels, leaving the village of Tenawe behind, much to the chagrin of Funguson and her father.
The youth did not look back as he was on a mission more dangerous than they could imagine.
=———————————=
The bidding begins at fifty million pesos.
=———————————=
*A musical instrument, made of bamboo with raised portions for string and the other which is like a drum made out of wood with the dried skin of a deer stretched over one end.
Written by Karl Gaverza
Copyright © Karl Gaverza
Inspired by the The description in Trecero, F. C. (1977). Tiruray Tales. Manila: BOOKMAN, INC.
Tokol-Noñgo iIllustration by Joel Bulagnir
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