B2A1 - The World of Myths

Chapter 42 : Diwata

Chapter 42 : Diwata

            Diwata, engkantada, or engkanto are gods and goddesses below the supreme deity or deities; some are similar to dryads who guard natural creations such as forests, seas, mountains, land and air; fair-skinned, good-looking and, sometimes, blonde-haired.

            Reside in large trees, such as acacia and balete, and tend to be resentful of humanity's intrusion into their realm. Diwatas have magical abilities, and usually live their lives mostly hidden, and invisible to the human eye. They are usually good-natured deities that protect the forests and mountains they reside in, and they love nature.

            They usually don't mind humans. However, they will mind if they see a human hurting nature, or if ever someone does a big wrongdoing. In some legends, diwatas even punish animals and alive plants who do wrongdoings. They also occupy streams and lakes cursing any trespassers that do not respect their surroundings.

-Enzo-

            Good thing, I heard Elliot and Scarlett’s voice though I was sleeping, because if I didn’t, then I would be dead by now. It was such a horrible experience that I don’t wanna be in that situation anymore. I hate it. if only I knew that this thing is already cursed then we shouldn’t have got this.

            But no one knows. And what happened, already happened. Might I as well just be thankful that I survived rather than regretting that we picked this tree than anything else. I was chasing my breath when I woke up. I really thought that that would be my last breath, that that would be my last sleep.

            Good thing someone was awake and knew what to do. I quickly stood up to see if I really am awake or maybe this is just another dream that will kill me as well. I don't want to trust my dreams anymore ahahahaha just kidding. Well, I was just scared that that dream would be my end.

            I really never thought of that thing happening to me. it was so difficult. good thing I'm still alive. I kept on chasing my breath as I almost lost it. I don’t know what happened but I can’t see anything as I try to open my eyes that time. Everything is black as if something is blocking my eyes.

            I felt like something very very heavy is on my chest preventing me to breath. I can’t even move my hands nor my body. I can’t pull it to get up. I heard someone shouting that I should bite my thumb, yet I can’t do it. That thing was keeping me from doing it, I can’t raise my hand up to my mouth.

            Then I heard someone shouting that I should wiggle my toes which is a lot easier since that thing isn’t on my feet. I tried doing it though it’s kinda difficult since I’m wearing my shoes. But I still tried it in order to save myself. I tried very hard to do it, and after a few seconds, that thing on top of me suddenly disappeared allowing me to get up.

            I automatically rose up as that thing disappeared. I opened my eyes while catching my breath, I then saw Elliot, Scarlett, Mayari, and Dian in front of me with their worried faces. I continued gasping for air as it became slow until I got my lungs stable.

            Dian ran back inside their nipa hut and as he came back he’s carrying a basin of water with a ladle in it. he extended his arms and gave it to me.

            “Drink this…” he said. Elliot got it for me and handed me the ladle with water in it. I slowly drank the water and asked him for more. I continued drinking the water until I quenched my thirst already.

            “Thank you…” I said as I gained my strength and finally composed myself. Elliot gave Dian back the basin then he placed it carefully on the chair near him

            “You’re welcome” he said “I knew that was a batibat…” he added telling me about it

            “What’s a batibat?” I asked him curiously

            “You should have chosen another tree, that one you used has already had someone living in it. As you cut it down and brought it with you, the batibat also went along with it. Batibat is a vengeful spirit who doesn’t want anyone living near it. In your case, you slept on a wood made from its house, so it became very angry” he explained to me

            “Batibat transformed into its form, into a huge, old, fat woman and sat upon your chest to suffocate you. Good thing your breath is long and you wiggled your toes quick” he continued explaining it to us

            “Quick? Ahahaha I felt like it was forever” I said as I recalled how long was that, it was I think the longest sleep in my life ahahahaha

            “Be careful upon choosing some woods to cut off next time” he said

            *You received 1278 EXPs*

            “What are we going to do with this chair anyway?” Elliot asked pertaining to the chair that I am sitting on right now. I shifted my look upon Elliot then to Dian and to Mayari. I just waited for what they’re going to do with this. After all, something’s already wrong with this chair so there’s no reason to still hold on to it.

            “It stays here… the batibat is already gone anyway… you made it gone already” Dian said deciding to keep the chair as he looked at me “Besides, it’s Nunong Banoy’s gift to us, so we really have to keep it. And the chair looks so nice, we love it here” he added as he smiled

            “What if the batibat comes back?” I asked him about the possibility of it coming back here. But I don’t so, we already received an EXP from driving it away so it must not come back anymore ahahahahaha I’m just worried with the possibility. Well, this is a game after all, nothing’s to worry about.

            “No it won’t…” he answered me “And we’ll ask for the albularyo’s blessing for this chair’s protection” he continued which I somehow agree. That’s what I thought too…

            "We can also ask Lucy to purify this wood, and Avery to cast some spell here to keep the batibat away” Scarlett suggested that Avery and Lucy could help

            “Yea that’s right…” Elliot agreed with Scarlett. I stood up from the chair and moved to another so that I won’t fall asleep in there again and experience some life and death situation ahahahaha

            “How are you now?” Scarlett asked as I sat next to her while Elliot on her other side. Mayari went back taking care of her child while Dian went inside to finish what he’s doing

            “I’m fine now, thanks” I said responding to her as I smiled to prove them both since Elliot turned to me as Scarlett asked. I looked at them both for a while “Oh right, how about you Elliot?” I asked him back to see how he’s doing now. I fall asleep when he’s still fast asleep too. So I’m kinda delayed from the news.

            “I’m fine too… I bet they already defeated that witch who cursed me” he answered me also assuming that the others had done their job with the witches. Which is, I think they really did. They’ve been gone for a long time now, so there’s no reason they’d took so long finding one witch.

            “It’s been a long time since they’re gone, I wonder what’s taking them so long…” Scarlett said as if she just read whatever I had in mind ahahahaha that’s just what I was thinking and she voiced it out

            “Yea… I think they’re encountering so many witches… that’s why” I answered her “We just wait here… or we should go after them?” I asked

            “I’m getting worried for them, but I think we stay here until they get back. We may not find them fighting witches anymore, so it’s better to wait for them here” Elliot answered me suggesting to stay until they come back

            “Ok, that’s a better suggestion” I said agreeing with him. We just sat here for a while doing nothing. The surrounding is so silent and cold. None of us dared to speak or to open up a conversation. We just sat on the chair literally waiting for them to come.

            After some time of waiting, we heard footsteps coming along this way. It might them. We all looked at them as they walk towards us while laughing and talking though we don’t hear what it is. Mayari also turned to them as if she also heard their noise as they approach.

            It’s really them, they had the albularyo and the other man, Kabli, with them. They looked at us as they arrived especially Vic at Elliot. He was so happy seeing him doing well already. The three of us stood up to meet them as Vic walked faster going ahead of them and stopped in front of us.

            “Hey, how are you now?” he asked as he faced Elliot his tone is mixed worried at the same time, excited seeing Elliot is not in pain anymore

            “I’m fine now, thanks for asking and thanks for doing the job for me. That was so thoughtful” Elliot answered him and thanking him for what they all did

            “I’m so sorry it took us long before we defeated that witch who cursed you and---”

            “Gosh, it’s alright, at least you did it. I fell asleep anyway so I haven’t felt the pain until it was gone… don’t worry yourself about that. What’s important is that you did it for me which… I… did not… expect…” Elliot said cutting off Vic from finishing his sentence as he slowed down with his last words as if he said that hesitantly

            “Oh ahahaha well, you’re welcome then, I’m so glad I was there for you” Vic said as he suddenly smiled widely as if he just won first place for something

            “And speaking of falling asleep…” Elliot spoke as he turned for me for a while then back to them “Something happened here” he continued

            “What? What happened here” Vic asked him as his smile suddenly changed into his worried expression

            “Don’t frown, silly. It’s not about me” Elliot said as he smiled at Vic convincing him not to worry too much “It’s about the chair, it was inhabited by some creature called batibat” he added informing them  

            “And I almost died from it” I added cutting myself in as it happened to me

            “What? Really?” Lucy asked as she stepped forward

            “Yea, that really happened but we’re fine now. We already drove it away” I said as I shrugged my shoulders off and smiled

            “Batibat… the nightmare one, so what happened to you?” Avery asked saying that he knew what that creature was

            “Well, I fell asleep… I had the worst nightmare, and it suffocated me. Good thing I heard them telling me what to do so I saved myself” I said briefly explaining to them what had happened

            “Gosh… that was scary. I never imagined myself being in that situation” Raizen said as he sat on the chair where I slept and almost died ahahahaha “That’s the chair” I said that made him stand up quick. We all laughed with his reaction “We already drove it away so you don’t have to worry” I said assuring them

            “No wonder why you were left here…” Reiven said

            “I’m so sorry, I chose that tree. I should’ve checked it out before picking it up” Lucy said apologizing

            “No it’s ok, even if you checked it, you’ll never see anything. That was part of the story line, so that was meant to happen ahahaha” I said consoling her that she doesn’t have to worry about it

            “How about you?” Scarlett asked them “How about your task, how was it?” she continued asking about their job

            “It was fine… we did it anyway” Reiven said answering my question

            “Oh yea, I remember… I wanted to ask you, Lucy and Avery, to do something with this chair so that the batibat won’t come back to it” Scarlett said remembering what we discussed a while ago

            “What should we do?” Lucy asked her

            “Just cleanse it and do a spell for it to be protected” she answered. The two of them went to the chair and started what they were asked to do. I noticed Kabli and the albularyo talking to Mayari

            “My wife was also bewitched that’s why I wanted to do that…” I heard Kabli saying “Every night, I always see insects in our home, everywhere. And it’s so disgusting” he added

            “That must be a work of a mambabarang…” Mayari responded to him “But good thing, they’re all gone now” she added

            “Yea, we’ve got nothing to worry about in this village anymore” the albularyo said

            “By the way, we got to go… my wife is probably waiting for me” Kabli said as he waved good bye and went off “Goodbye everyone” he said and waved to us. We smiled and waved back at him while the others also uttered the word ‘bye’ and then he left

            “Me too, I should head home now” the albularyo said bidding his farewell

            “Oh is that so…” Mayari said as if she remembered something, the albularyo just nodded his head             “Comeback here tomorrow, we have something to ask you to do” she said pertaining the chair

            “Ok, I will” he said then walked outside. The albularyo looked like a middle aged man, older than them but younger then Nunong Banoy and he still looked strong. No wonder why he went with the others defeating the witches.

            “Dinner’s served” we heard Dian uttering as he went to us.