5.3 SNIFFS AND HOWLS

  Inside the town hall of Ulay, a dry gust of wind from the yawning doors extinguished the bright torches, blanketing everything in black. But before the darkness permanently swallowed everything whole, an eerie blue glow emanating from the runic patterns on the wooden paneled-floor pulsated like a dying star.

  It was clear that something vile was afoot. Something that should not be there was coming to join Amburukay and the others. It was in the palpable quiet that hid deep in the shadows. It was in there with the soundless creatures that fled away in terror. The people inside the town hall felt it in their bones. For a span, a veil of anticipation and dread spread as the faint whispers in the shadows grew.

  "What's that?" Datu Magung's eyes bulged in fright, lips trembling as the blue glow from the runes intensified, fighting the deep darkness that tried to swallow everything in the room. "Can you hear it, too?" His face twisted into a pale grimace. "Oh, that awful sound. Do you not hear that voice?"

  Karas and her sister, Tihol, stepped away from the fearful chief as the rending sound turned a pitch higher into a moan of agony. And then, Datu Magung's body shook and writhed as an unseen force drew him up and suspended him in the air. His lips mouthed a plea for mercy before his back arched violently and the sound of bone snapping followed suit, snatching the light in his eyes away in an instant.

  Silenced stretched in the hall as fear struck everyone's heart. As this unfolded, Amburukay began weaving spells and whispering incantations. When she finally stopped a creaking sound from the floor boards began. It was followed a breath later by the wood itself erupting to pieces. Next, a fetid stench akin to a dead man's breath spread all through out the hall. Then, the paneled floor at the center of the magical circle split apart like cut skin opening a bigger hole. Dust and debris filled the room and everyone began coughing.

  When all the commotion settled, the hole revealed something so awful that even Amburukay's blood ran cold. For upon closer inspection, the opening revealed a great and most hideous eye, staring back at them. It's ruby-red pupils began regarding the people in the room with an evil, piercing gaze that sent everyone's skin crawling. Tihol's instincts overrode Amburakay's control, and for a split second she drew her kampilan sword to blind the lidless eye. But before she could take a step Amburukay raised her hand.

  "Do not strike. Do not cut it. Whatever you do…do not make it bleed here," the manghihiwit said, a note of fear in her admonishing tone. "You do not want a high gadlumanon's immortal ire. It is not like its lesser shadow-kin. This one will curse you if its blood stains your bare skin... It will curse us all if you do so."

  Tihol retreated out of necessity just as the malevolent eye gave out an ear-splitting shriek, shifting focus towards Amburukay– following her soft voice. The manghihiwit raised her hand to weave a warding spell but she was too weak to finish it. Controlling Karas and Tihol while opening a channel from Gadlum was exhausting, even with the babaylan's help. Amburukay was about to step closer to the eye, but something stopped her in her tracks.

  "It is nice to see you once again my pupil," a cold mocking voice said.

  Amburukay almost fell over with shock, but she caught herself in time when she heard the familiar tone laugh. It was an unwelcomed one, a voice she loathed– a voice from a man she hated but respected, the voice of her master, the Lord of Manghihiwit himself.

  "And you are not alone," Sri Kihod added in an almost casual tone. It was only then when Amburakay realized it was not a sound coming from someone's throat, but a voice that spoke directly to her mind.

  Amburukay sat on the throne and raised her chin as the evil eye regarded her with hate. "Ah, my master. You look better than the last time we met. Are you planning to keep that on? And how is your eternal prison? Does it match your lofty standards?" She smiled. "I did not expect that you'd become the Bone Gates' keeper. The Lord of Shadows, Saragnayan, must hate you that much to relegate you in such a low position."

  A resounding laughter filled the vast town hall. Its maniacal tone rose so high it felt like it was coming everywhere, but then it abruptly stopped. It was succeeded by a screech that sounded like it was coming from a dying animal. Amburukay knew it was not Sri Kihod anymore. It was something else far removed from what was real. It was a gadlumanon. One of the many manifestations of primal darkness itself. And it had arrived because of her summoning. A dark force flooded all over them, sapping all their hopes in a blink of an eye. The sensation was a shock, paralyzing Amburukay like a stone marker. Even with her strongest wards, it still pierced through it easily. Doubt grew in her core. Has she made a mistake already? She knew that consorting with other beings from other planes was a perilous act but this had to be done. She mustered all the courage she had and spoke to break the thick silence.

  "Are you still there my dear old master?" She lowered her voice. "I guess–"

  The laughter rose again, driving away the invisible force that spread dread all over them. Sri Kihod was struggling against the shadow-fiend. He was trying to wrestle control of it. But the shadow-fiend would find ways against his efforts.

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  "You don't sound well, Sri Kihod."

  "You don't look well yourself my faithful pupil. I can smell the hopelessness and fear in you. The stain... The rot seemed to have spread on your hands like leprosy too. Even I could not imagine the pain you are in, right now. Magic in its most chaotic form is eating you bit by bit, Amburukay. How I envy it. After what your husband and you did to me…" The voice shifted into a lower octave as it uttered the next words. "Oh, I still hope I could taste your pearl ssskin…"

  A slurping sound punctuated the voice that grew too loud that even Karas and Tihol began covering their ears.

  Amburukay leaned forward, hiding the exposed skin of her blackened hands underneath her voluminous robe. Sri Kihod was right. She could barely hold it together. But it was unavoidable. All of this was for Ukok, after all, and she'd do anything for her daughter. Anything. This was her last move against Tikum and whoever he aligned himself with. The glamour they made would cancel her magic or any magic for that matter. It would dissolve her link on Karas and Tihol and that's just after crossing the spirit wards, fighting her way to take her daughter from Tikum was another story. A direct assault would only, at best, continue their cat and mouse chase... and she no longer had the patience and resource to wage a prolonged battle with Tikum.

  She knew her own limits. This risk had to be done. You had to sacrifice something to gain what you want. She cleared her throat. "I can manage. You see I'm not like you my master. I don't sacrifice other people to get what I want."

  "I see otherwise..."

  "I am not a monster." She regarded the eye with distaste.

  "Not yet, Amburukay. But in time... in time you will become one. It is unavoidable. It is your only path." Another maniacal laughter filled the room. "And you will never have what you want the most. Fate has spoken and it is final my dear pupil."

  "Enough! Enough with the taunting. You think you could talk to me like that? You foolish old man!" Amburukay stared at the Champions of Raguet and with a gesture she severed the link that controlled them. Karas and Tihol fell unconscious at the sudden release of their will.

  The pressure of maintaining Amburuakay's control subsided and magic surged through her vein, reinvigorating her in mere seconds. With renewed energy, the manghihiwit invoked a vicious spell and struck the eye with a coruscant whip of living light. The lidless monstrosity yelped in pain, cursing its torturer.

  "Now, plead," Amburukay said. "Let us see if your taunts will do you good." She drew her magical whip and dropped it like a strand of lightning towards the eye. "You think I forgot what you wanted to do to Ukok? You fiend! You and Tikum are no different! You only used me when it suited you!" She paused, seething in fury. "You were going to bleed my daughter dry for your ritual! For what? To open the the Bone Gates permanently? To siphon Saragnayan's powers all for your own?"

  The evil eye did not answer back.

  "You are nothing but a spiteful man, Sri Kihod! And now, you are less than one." When Amburukay's shoulders were too tired to strike she finally stopped. Breath dry and throat in pain, Amburukay steadied herself. She needed to focus her anger. After a few more breaths the Lady of the Darkness Night calmed her rage down. "Now open the Gates, Keeper! Open a path to Gadlum and do as I say! Bring me Makabagting! Bring him to me! Bring the one they call Hound of the Nameless Host."

  With satisfaction, the voice spoke, "You shall have what you wish my pupil. And more…"

  With that, the great eye of Sri Kihod burst into a purple mess of puss and goo and from the hole that it left something moved. It was a formless misshapen thing– too strange for Amburukay to fully comprehend. Random angles protruded from it and when it realized that someone was staring– it swiftly turned to its beholder with inhuman speed. Amburukay looked away before the thing from Gadlum laid its many eyes on her. The manghihiwit hesitated, but it was the only way. Not seeing where to cast her spell would put her in a disadvantage, but she needed to close her eyes against this vile creature. Its strength was palpable but she knew that calling something weaker than this would surely fail. It would not last in this realm for long. It had to be this entity. She clenched her jaw. Yes, this was a risk, but one that was worth it.

  Like shadow and smoke it came to her as she shut her eyes tight. It spoke words laced in honey, tempting her to watch it, telling her to satisfy her curiosity. She knew it wasn't just saying things. It was actually trying to compel her to do something that would weaken her in the end. It took all Amburukay's will to stop herself. If she opened her eyes it would give it a chance to use all its powers on her. It could see through her weaknesses faster. It could know her deepest desires.

  "Shit." She shook her head as disappointment settled on her gut. She could have done a lot more to protect herself. Her hate got the better of her again and without enough preparation she called the entity in haste. And somehow, the insidious Sri Kihod almost drove her to defeat just through simple taunts. Much like Tikum, her master knew her too well.

  The smell of death crawled inside her nose as the thing leaned inches from Amburukay's pearl white skin. Then, it touched her forehead with its cold squirming tentacles. She almost recoiled but steeled herself. The touch had an otherness to it, a very unsettling feeling clutched its claws on her mind. Her throat went dry. The sensation felt like being dropped in a dark empty room full of maggots and worms waist-deep. Then, it spoke to her and a spine-tingling terror washed all over her body. She felt naked and exposed. She felt so vulnerable. Finally, everything went silent as though all the sound in the world decided to die simultaneously.

  "My daughter," answered Amburukay. "Bring my daughter to me, Makabagting. That is my desire... Go, go and do as I command you. Go and you shall be fed with fresh blood." With eyes still shut, she pointed at Tihol and Karas' prone body. "Go and get my daughter, Ukok. And you shall have them!"

  Before she opened her eyes the dull echoes of a thousand bones rattling like bells reverberated inside the hall as the thing from the shadow plains dragged itself towards the deep, dark night to follow her orders...