The Last Days of the Wind Part 3
She heard the barking carried on the fetid air of the cave, another victim for Tan Mulong, and a human one at that. The wind had learned what the sounds meant, there was little else to do in this prison.
Tan Mulong had one being in the world that he could call a friend, a spirit mongrel that helped him trap more souls for his power. The hound had served its master well for centuries, luring unsuspecting humans to their final resting place.
The wind was not who she was anymore. It had been days? Years? Centuries? Since her journey had come to an abrupt end, imprisoned in dark stones and mingling with the other prisoners.
The human souls never took long before they went completely mad. Their minds weren’t conditioned to face the truth of the spirits. There were exceptions of course, but Tan Mulong preferred normal humans. She wondered what it would be this time, another fisherman? They always strayed too close to this wretched place.
She could feel the light footsteps approach the cave. Her power may have been shackled, but from time to time the breeze could still speak to her. The dog was excited to bring its gift, which meant it had lured an elusive catch.
Even before they reached the entrance she knew that it was a child, Tan Mulong cherished their screams the most, but this one was different, almost familiar to the wind. After a moment, she recognized the figure. She had not seen a human from her home in so long that she could scarcely believe it.
The red and black clothes sparked her memory and made her mind race. A lifetime ago this would have been the kind of child she orphaned if her parents did not follow the spirits’ teachings. Seeing this child of the peaks and terraces so far from their home gave her purpose, something she was scared to have again.
She carried her voice on the breeze, speaking out words of warning to the child’s ear. The wind knew it was far too late for her to think of freedom, the years took their toll and her captor was too powerful to fight.
The words broke the hound’s spell and the child ran as fast as she could from the evil beast, and the wind sat in her prison, content with what she had done.
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Story continued from the Puok’s Tale
Written by Karl Gaverza
Copyright © Karl Gaverza
Story inspired by The Spirit Dog of Tan Mulong description in The Soul Book. Demetrio & Cordero-Fernando 1991.
The Spirit Dog of Tan Mulong Illustration by Leandro Geniston from Aklat ng mga Anito
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