It must be mine.
The destruction was intoxicating with blood strewn on the bamboo forest. It was enough to bring him to tears. The orchestra of the abattoir ringing in the ears of those present. And what a symphony it was.
He was used to blood, being a danag.
The danag are long lived creatures of the flesh. They are not immortal and can subside on mundane crops. It was only due to a single foolish act they became hungry for the scarlet life essence. They scattered among the archipelago, some settled in barangays, others far from the trappings of civilization.
And then there was him.
He managed his power thoughtfully, having lived many centuries. In that time he amassed a great fortune. He knew that to exist in the modern world, money would talk while he stayed silent. He was most proud of his menagerie, a collection of beings from the middleworld, skyworld and lower world.
He had his own motivations that he would reveal to those whose loyalty bound them together.
His favorite creatures were those that would lay waste at a moment’s notice, beings that knew nothing but the brutal comfort of spilled blood.
He had his helpers, of course. He did not trust other danag, the sense of despotism in their veins made him steer clear of his own kind.
There were the laksasa. They were his muscle, enforcers of his will. He had managed to lure them to his courst with the promise of gold. They were human passing enough to trade with mortals, but then he did not know what they traded them for. At this point it didn’t matter. The years they were together galvanized their loyalty.
Then came the congregation of kulam, powerful users of the forbidden magics, though he did not use them for that purpose. His requests were mostly benign, asking for divination to track his next prize. They could see through the aether and with their spirit guest, they troll through the worlds of creation, their spirits untethered from the flesh.
Spirits of different environments were collected through the endless decades. The Puwok of the Ifugao lands and the Lagtaw from Sulu were his personal favorite, handing punishment to mortals in the most brutal ways.
It was with this entourage that he set out on his next mission: Taming the Nagbuagan.
His Mangkukulam called their sight beyond sight and found their target. It was slowly making its way up the mountain ranges of the cordilleras, destroying anything in its path.
He had to plan things strategically.
Physically the Nagbuagan was an intimidating brute. No weapon could get through its thick hide. The laksasa would only be able to stop it for a few moments before it would rip them in two.
The curses of the mangkukulang would be key in keeping it docile, but he had experiences with other beings that were resistant to magic. He had to find ways to quell the Nagbuagan.
He thought of his grand scheme. There was a time when the world was young, when he became the first.
He couldn’t remember her name, all his memory betrayed was her visage. She pricked her finger and what followed was the first of many. The blood tasted wonderful in ways too magnificent to recount. And he needed more than she could offer.
Since then he had extolled the virtues of blood drinking, swaying even the most obstinate of his kind. They multiplied and he remained isolated, slowly amassing his power base.
He was the first and with this power he would be the only. He had set the curse and it was up to him to end it.
Danag are not particularly strong, they can be slain through mortal means. A swift slash of a sword or a crushing blow to the head was enough to slay them.
But first they had to catch it.
The key was an enchantment. He had learned of an incantation from Oryol, godsblood of the powerful Asuang.
The Nagbuagan were strong but their minds were easily molded. With the help of the Mangkukulam he found their stage, a cliffside overlooking the sea.
He let loose his creatures, knowing they were fodder, buying time until he could cast the spell. The battle passed many midnights, but at last he was victorious.
The Nagbuagan was his to command and with that his army was complete.
Tomorrow he would begin.
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Written by Karl Gaverza
Copyright © Karl Gaverza
Inspired by Cole, Fay-Cooper. (1922). “The Tinguian.” FMNH-AS, Vol. 14, no. 2, p. 300.
The Tinguian / Abra / Itneg: Social, Religious, and Economic Life of a Philippine Tribe, Fay-Cooper Cole, 1922
Nagbuagan Illustration by Brian Valeza used with permission from Rob Martin of Pine Box Entertainment and Secret Garden Games
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