Chapter 47 : Berberoka & Kataw
1945 Words
Chapter 47 : Berberoka & Kataw
Berberoka - The people from Apayao, Abra and Ilocos Norte believe in and fear a swamp creature called Berberoka. It lures victims by sucking water in the pond enough for a number fish to come to the surface.
When the potential victims get attracted to the school of fish, the Berberoka drowns them by hosing water and swallowing them afterwards. Despite all their powers, these water ogres have a morbid, ironic fear of crabs. They were compared to the Greek naiads, the nymphs of water elements.
They have the ability to suck up all the water in a swamp or lake. Also, many elderly people believed that they use water to attack their enemies. They discharge a large amount of water just like a fire hose at their victims until they drown.
The Kataw is one of the merfolk in the Philippine Mythology. In Visayan, Kataw was believed to have higher rankings than other water and sea creatures as those of Sirena, Sireno and Siyokoy. It is believed that the Kataws are the reigning rulers of the kingdom Bantay Tubig.
Based on physical features, Kataws, along the Sirena and Sireno, were the Bantay Tubig-creatures that bear likeness to human while Siyokoy are those that resemble water-creatures. Unlike Sirena, they have feet instead of tails but they have gills on their bodies and fins in their arms.
These marine creatures disguise into fishermen asking for help. When approached by mortals, the Kataws drown them into the abyss.
According to old folks, Kataws have the ability to manipulate and control water-type elements and related forces such as pressure, tides, waves, bubbles and the likes. Also, they can change water to ice
-Raizen-
“I’ll lead you to the end of this forest so that you can quickly get to the next village” the diwata said after I closed my notification page and received all of those that she gave “The next village that you will be going is an area near the seas, you have to be careful” she added reminding us
I don't know about the path that we'll be taking so I'm not that worried ahahaha yet that's not a good reason to let my guard down. Elliot knows the way, and Vic is powerful anyway, so I don't have to worry so much.
Plus, I've leveled up to thirty six, I've gotten strong already, at least. I've learned this skill called anti-magic. I pressed my chest to check what does it do.
~Anti-magic is the ability to nullify and destabilize most if not all forms of magic and even destroy someone's capability to utilize magic. They can also achieve a variety of destructive effects on magic users, including crippling or killing them~
It says, so that means I can nullify every magic by simply erasing it's existence and even cause the user to lose his magic... that's strong, I wonder what it's limitation is, but it doesn't say here.
Let me check the other one...
~The user can absorb forms of energy, while removing ot from the source , into their body or use it in various ways, gaining some form of advantage. Either by enhancing themselves, gaining drained power, using it as a power source either temporarily or permanently~ it says, wow, it's kinda amazing.
I can erase magic and I can absorb magic... I wish I could use this to defeat Lucio... I wonder if I can absorb my team's magic and use it in one ahahahaha this skill is a dream work.
The diwata shoved her hand and within split seconds a very bright light blinded my sight, as if the sun was in my eyes, then as fast as it was, the light suddenly disappeared, and we sa ourselves in these trees around us.
We must have left her home already. I looked around trying to scan the whole area, I bet we just teleported to the other side of the forest where we were headed, the diwata made it easy for us to get here.
"Hey look, the maps working again... it says here that we just skipped an hour of walk... do you know what that means? ahahaha" Elliot said showing us the map... he knows that we don't see anything from it right?
"Well... yea, that's amazing ahahaha" Vic said awkwardly agreeing with him. Elliot finally realized as he took the map and put it down while scratching the back of his head.
"Whatever, at least that was an impossible shortcut, yet were possibly here" Elliot said as he turned around and started walking. He just looked at the map studying it and leading us to the right path.
I just silently followed him and so as the others. I wonder what danger is waiting for us in that place the diwata told us. I feel curious but I don't feel scared, don't get me wrong... but last time someone warned us about something, we didn't like what happened.
Someone got hypnotized by flowers, someone with a nice smell of something, that was me, and I don't what happened.
I just wanna know what danger is waiting for us out there. And I'm just so excited to use this energy absorption and anti magic... if we meet someone using magic, of course. I don't want using this skill to my friends ahahahaha well, I could try... just kidding.
"Hey look, the map says there's something in this part of the forest... it's a location, I don't know where it is exactly but it says here... let's look for it..." Elliot stopped telling us something about a hidden location
"What do you mean? If it's not written in the map, then why do we have to look for it?" Reiven said
"No, it's written in the map, it just don't say where exactly it is... it's like a hidden place or whatever... I'm curious, let's look for it" Elliot corrected him and stated that he wanted to find it. Me too, I grew curious about it. Some hidden place, he say? I'm fond of things like it...
"Let's go..." I said
"It's just around... check the trees or bushes it you find a track leading somewhere..." he said telling us what to look for, even Reiven started looking too.
"What tells us when we find it?" Scarlett asked before he proceeded...
"I don't know.. but we'll know if we get there... I'll check the map if one of us gets there... the map tells what location each one of us is..." Elliot said answering her question. We started looking everywhere to find that hidden place in this forest.
I wonder if it's the only hidden place around the map, we went to a lot of places already so I wonder if we missed some hidden locations.
I check every tree and bushes I can see to check if there are tracks behind it... It's just around here somewhere... we have to scan the are thoroughly to find it...
"Hey, Enzo! Where are you!?" Elliot suddenly shouted getting all our attentions. I looked at him and saw a trace of worry in his face. I also noticed that Enzo isn't here anymore. Oh my gosh, is this danger? I mean is this what the diwata warned us about, what creature is causing this?
"Why? What's happened?" Vic asked as he ran towards Elliot
"He found it..." Elliot answered as he looked around to check for Enzo. Yet he's still missing. Gosh, we're not only looking for the hidden place, but now, Enzo is included in the missing list.
"Guys, over here....!" we suddenly heard Enzo's voice calling us, it sounded faintly as if he's a little far. It's kinda silent so it's very hard to know where he is... gosh, only he knows how to locate using sound, yet he's the one missing.
"Where are you!?" Lucy shouted as she kneeled down and touched the ground. She closed her eyes while staying put in her place.
"Weird... I can feel him, he's just nearby, but he sounded like he's far away" Lucy said as she stood up finishing what she did. Now, I know what she did there, she located where he is using the nature "But I can't see him, probably because he's in the hidden location" she added
"Guys, I'm here!" I literally hopped due to shock, not believing what I saw when he suddenly appeared between those two tall trees in front of us... "I cam see you from there, yet it seems like you can't see me" he added "I think I found it... let's go" he continued.
We all walled next to him. We entered the trees that leads to it. I feel some magical something that covers the hidden location. There's something that keeps it from naked eyes, so If you won't look, you won't see.
As we entered, the whole place suddenly changed, the plain green and brown trees changed into colorful. It's like a paradise, so many flowers, and butterflies, and that smell... I love it, it's so sweet, that must have came from the flowers.
It's so amazing, I walked around to check the whole place... there's also that waterfall where the water is sparkling and it's so clear, I can see fishes swimming under the water from here.
"Hey, look..." Avery called all of us, we turned to him while he's pointing towards a mossy statue. You won't actually notice it at first since it's covered with moss that it almost looked like a tree "What is this thing?" he asked
"It's enormous..." Scarlett commented as ye raised his glances up to the tip of the statue
"Wait... were in the south-western hemisphere... let me check the map" Elliot said as he grabbed the map from his pocket and opened it "I knew it..." he exclaimed then pointed at the statue "That is the Bathala ng Lupa that Nunong Lino mentioned... we're in his shrine" he continued.
I see, I remembered they were stoned when Lucio took the power gems from them... That's why they're here...
"What are you doing here?" we heard an old man calling our attention. His voice sounded like an old man so I assumed he is and I wasn't wrong, he seemed like he's the same age as Nunong Lino...
"We're travelers and we happened to stumble upon this location..." Elliot answered him politely
"Travelers... only a few people sees this place, so it's not usual to have visitors" the old man said "Last time we had a visitor, he took the Earth Gem... and that's why---"
"Lucio!" Vic interrupted him
"You know him? Are you with him?" the old man asked
"No, we're traveling because we're after him... we will take the power gems from him and get it back where he took it..." Darxi answered him
"Oh I see, just as the prophecy told me... good luck young ones, may you all succeed" the old man smiled and said "Here take this with you..." he extended his arm as if giving us something
*You received x1 Earth amulet*
"The Bathala ng Lupa made that himself, that is blessed with so many things so you take that along your journey and may the power of the Earth guide you..." the old man said as he turned around and walked towards the trees. That's weird but amazing ahahahaha.
"We better get going..." Elliot said inviting us all to go... good thing we decided to go here... we all went out from the hidden location and went to out track towards the next village
- Writer
