I am invoked by those that can peer into the spirit world.
And now….
Now I am filled with pity.
Dogs will obey, but I am not their master, I am just a spirit that cares for their kind.
I face a great power.
He of the Skyworld sends his loyal subject to subjugate those that do not give him his due.
He sends his messenger. Kimat, the dog of lightning.
Or should I say, dogs.
Many would like tot hink that singular hound obeys Kadaklan’s will, and many would be wrong.
Such is his power that he has tamed these beasts and made them his messengers.
Where they came from is now lost to time.
The true number of these creatures, I do not know.
Little by little I gain their trust, to break the shackles of the sky god.
I follow the lightning to see where it takes me.
And in my quest I find familiarity.
I do not forget easily and I knew it was a Kimat I had talked to before. It had just finished punishing a mortal and was about to ascend to the skyworld before I screamed.
I cried out to give it pause and I was successful.
The hound stopped halfway to the sky and we locked eyes.
My companion dog spirits bowed their heads to acknowledge the Kimat’s power.
I had never seen such sadness in a living soul. Its eyes were glassy and betrayed exhaustion.
It didn’t want to punish mortals, but that was the instruction given, and it must obey.
How it was tamed, I saw in its skin.
The Kimat bled lightning, their blood cackling with energy and I could see scars and open wounds.
I could only hope that it would listen to me,
It was scared, barely able to approach me, a quality in sharp contrast to the devastation that followed in its wake.
All I saw was a dog.
A dog that just wanted to be free.
It could sense that I wasn’t an enemy.
I beckoned it closer and it let out a whimper.
As if saying, please help me.
I offered it a place in my pack but it declined.
It would not leave its Kimat bretheren. If Kadaklan saw that it escaped, the punishments would fall on the others, on its family.
I swore to the Kimat that I would not forget its pain.
I waved goodbye as it made its way to the skyworld.
And I plotted.
Kadaklan is great and powerful, it would take the strength of a god or great spirit to even think of doing battle with him.
But I had other options.
All I care about is the welfare of the messengers.
Maybe I should bargain?
No, he would not even entertain the thought.
If I could be ablet to distract him, I could order my pack to help the Kimats descend to the middleworld.
But I am alone in this endeavor.
I will travel through the layered worlds to find aid.
I will never forget the Kimat’s eyes.
And I will demand freedom.
The Skyworld will shake.
And they will be free.
=——————-
Written by Karl Gaverza
Copyright © Karl Gaverza
Inspired by the description in Igorotak: Igorot Creatures Collection. Tor Sagud. 2021
Illustration by Brian Valeza used with permission from Rob Martin of Pine Box Entertainment and Secret Garden Games
