*Note this story is in Bicol-Naga
Bagong inagihan na daga, raraot na masetas. dugo. Hali ito digdi.
Duwang bulan na an nakaagi puon kang nag-ekpedisyon. Duwang bulan asin mayong nakuang marhay kundi saralang impormasyon, mayong laog na kagubutan asin mayong padudumanan na lakaw, pero ngunyan may pagkakataon na madakop ito. An bagong dakulang mammal species, pinakaenot na arog kadto an nadiskubre sa laog kan sanggatos na taon, magiging sikat kami.
Garo kabaliwan nin tulong tawo an paghahanap kaini pero gabos ini para sa funding asin dae ako nagrereklamo, marhay si Johann sa pag-survey asin aram na maray ni Manuel an lugar kaya marahay an samong kalagayan.
“Baka mas marhay na subukan ta man an ibang lugar sa may gilid kang dagat ta baka yaon ito duman.” Nadangog kong sinabi ni Manuel sa harayo.
“Dae ko aram kung okay yan, hababa man grade ko perme sa Marine Science.” Nagsabi nanaman si Johann kan saro sa mga baduy niyang jokes. Pero okay lang para dae boring ang paghahanap kaya pinabayaan ko na sana.
Naghiling ako sa palibot asin pigmasidan ko an destruksyon na winalat kaidtong hayop na ito asin dae ko masabutan. Garo ini herbivore, garo man sana normal nab aka, pero an saiyang hiru-hiro garo halos nangangakan. An sadit na usa ay garo halos marunot kan darakulan ngipon na garo tingo. Siguro napasala an mga local ti baad ini ay sarong klase ning mabangis na elepante na pwedeng magkaag sako sa cover nin magazine. Tigtago ko muna an sakuyang excitement asin pinagirumduman ko ang sakuynag sadiri na dae muna magselebrar. Kaipuhan kong maghalat.
“AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHGH” Nadangong ko ang kurahaw ni Johann hali sa likod kasunong kang lagatob nin bitis ning garo kabayo.
Bako ining tama. Papanong dae mi ini nadangog. Ibinangga kan hayop na ito si Johann sa kahoy asin nabanga an saiyang hawak habang tigngunguya kaini an saiyang braso. Nahihiling ko na ngunyan an saiyang buong hawak. Mabalahibong balat, mga dakulang pangil, dae ko aram kung garo ini baka o ano. Pero siguradong nagkakan ini nin karne. Asin mapanganib.
Luhay-luhay akong nagrayo, para dae mapansin kan hayop na marikas an hiro, pero bigla na sana akong nagpundo sa paglakaw. Pigbutasan kan hayop an braso kang sakuyang amigo asin luhay-luhay na naglakaw paduman sako. Nakahiling in isa sakuyang mata asin mayo pa akong nahiling nin mata na arog kaini sa mga hayop. Garo ini tao. Pighiling ako kaining hayop asin garo ini nakangirit sako.
Binadil ni Manuel an hayop gamit an shotgun asin nagrayo man ini pero takot pa girarary ako. Dae ka maihahanda kan eskwelahan sa arog kadtong kabangisan. Nagdalagan siya sakuya para aramon kung okay lang ako pero sa hiling ko dae ko kaya.
“Kaipuhan tang maghali bago ini magbalik.” Kinakabahan na ako asin iyo na sana ito an sakuyang nakayang sabihon.
“Dae na ito mabalik, na-shock ka lang.” Pinapakalma ako ni Manuel.
“Dae mo naiintindihan.” An sakuyang boses ay nanginginig na, masakitun mabuo an mga tataramon pero kaipuhan syang ma-warningan.
“Sa hiling ko tighahanting kita.”
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English Version
Fresh tracks, broken shrubs, blood. It’s been through here.
Two months since we started the expedition. Two months and nothing but false leads, empty forests and aimless treks, but now we have the chance to catch it. A new large mammal species, the first of its kind discovered this century, we’ll all be famous.
A team of 3 trying to find this thing seems crazy, but it’s all our funding could get us and I’m not complaining, Johann’s good at surveys and Manuel knows the area pretty well so we’ve been in good shape.
“Maybe we should try the areas around the coast, it might be by the seaside.” I hear Manuel say from a distance.
“I don’t know about that, my grade in Marine Science was always below C-Level.” Johann says another one of his terrible puns, but it helps clear the boredom of another day of tracking so I let it pass.
I look around and survey the destruction the thing left in its path and it just doesn’t make sense. It looks like an herbivore, just like a normal cow, but its behavior is almost predatory. Small deer were crushed by large teeth and what almost looks like tusks. Maybe the locals were mistaken and this may be a kind of aggressive elephant… that may get me a lot of magazine covers. I shrug off my excitement and remind myself not to count my chickens before they hatch. I need to be patient.
“AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
No. This isn’t right. How could we not have heard it. The thing smashes Johann into a tree and breaks him in half before chewing on his arm. I can see it now, in full flesh. Hairy, rough skin, giant fangs that are like tusks, I can’t tell if it’s bovine or something else. But it’s definitely a meat eater. And hostile.
I slowly move away, trying not to alarm the animal with fast movement, but I stop dead in my tracks. The thing calmly dropped my friend’s arm and walked towards me, calmly. It looked me in the eye and I swear its eyes weren’t like anything I’ve ever seen an animal possess. It was almost human. The thing looked me over and it was almost like it was smiling at me.
Manuel fired a few rounds from his shotgun and it scared the beast away, but I was still shaken. A lecture hall can never prepare you for that kind of savagery. He rushes to my side and tries to see if I’m okay, but I don’t think I can be.
“We need to leave before it comes back.” My voice is shaking and it’s the only thing I can manage to say.
“It’s not going to come back, you’re just in shock.” Manuel tries to reassure me.
“You don’t understand.” My voice is trembling now, it’s hard to me to form the words, but he needs to be warned.
“I think it’s hunting us.”
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*Central Bicol, commonly called Bicol Naga, is the most-spoken language in the Bicol Region of southern Luzon, Philippines. It is spoken in the northern and western part of Camarines Sur, second congressional district of Camarines Norte, eastern part of Albay, northeastern part of Sorsogon, San Pascual town in Masbate, and southwestern part of Catanduanes. Central Bicol speakers can be found in all provinces of Bicol and it is a majority language in Camarines Sur.
Written by Karl Gaverza
Bicol Translation by Angela Arnante
Copyright © Karl Gaverza
Translation Copyright © Angela Arnante
Story inspired by the Mantahungal entry in Creatures of Philippine Lower Mythology. Ramos. 1971.
Mantahungal illustration by Leandro Geniston fromAklat ng mga Anito
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