The chains felt heavy on the prisoner’s wrists. He was led into a new room. The prisoner knew that he was already dead the moment he stepped in the palace. It was foolish of him to even consider going to the city of the buso, but he knew glory was on the line. If only he had managed to steal it.
The torches in the room were burning brightly, but they were dwarfed by the blaze radiating from the throne. The prisoner had only heard stories about this creature, but those words could not do justice to the horror that sat before him.
Blood dripped from the Datu’s mouth. The prisoner heard a sickening crunch and the Datu stared at him with its one red eye. It mumbled something in its language and the prisoner’s chains were set loose. He wasn’t sure what was happening, but, with his luck, it wasn’t something good.
The buso guards gave way and left the doorway open. The prisoner ran. He wasn’t going to let his chance go to waste. If they were letting him go then this was what they wanted, if this was something else then he would at least have a chance.
He almost got to the courtyard before a large flame overtook him.
The Datu’s ivory horn pulsed with flame. It grabbed the prisoner’s head and started eating. The guards wondered why the Datu always played with his food, but they kept silent.
Royalty does what it will.
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Written by Karl Gaverza
Copyright © Karl Gaverza
Inspired by the Datu of the Buso in ‘Adventures of Tuglay’ reprinted in Philippine Folk Literature: The Legends. Eugenio. 2002.
Datu of the Buso Illustration by Leandro Geniston from Aklat ng mga Anito
FB: That Guy With A Pen