TRES - CHAPTER SEVEN - UPRIGHT HORSES

The scent of stables filled the air.

Frozen in surprise and the onslaught of fear that suddenly choked the sense out of him, Anrhu did not remember who grabbed at his arm and pushed him forcefully towards the opposite side of the broken down wall; fortunately, it was the side where the door to the outside was. What he remembered was running towards the trees with everyone else.
Behind them thundered the footfalls of the creatures that attacked, heavy and powerful stomping that shook the ground even as they fled.

The air was rent with inhuman screams that dripped of malice.

Anrhu struggled to keep up with the others, his left leg painful with each step. Right in front of him was Dong, assisting his partner; further on was the girl, Bea. There was no sign of the kapre.

A few meters from the safety of the trees, if there was even safety there, Anrhu chanced to look back and almost wished he did not. Behind him was Bulagao, a huge gash evident on his forehead, deep red blood oozing and falling in torrents across his face.

His vision must be blurred.

“Run. Keep on running and don’t look back,” cried the giant. He must have controlled his steps to stay behind the boy and assist him. His stride could have taken him to the trees so much earlier. But it was not the kapre that Anrhu fixed his stare on. It was what was running behind, going after them.

Tikbalangs!

Gigantic beings taller than even Bulagao sped towards them; horse-headed creatures that stood on two legs but with the upper body of men; corded muscles straining in exertion. Eyes, fiery red glinted with malevolence, the arms ending in claws reaching towards the fleeing companions. Their legs ended in hooves, cloven, the tips of which were sharp and crimson with what could only be dried blood.

The shelter was no more, flattened from the obvious strength of the evil creatures.

The trees sped towards them, so did the tikbalangs. It was surprising that they were not overtaken; the horse creatures had the speed of the mammals that they resembled. Apparently, the concrete ground they were on hampered the progress they would have had it been earthen ground.

Anrhu could see the edge of the trees just a few feet from where he was, already, the others were scrambling up towards the upper branches of the larger trees a little ways into the woods. The idea of escape gave him the adrenaline to pump more force into his legs; wounded legs that gave way beneath him sending him sprawling to the ground in a heap, a fearful cry escaped his lips.

He felt strong arms grabbed at him. Thankfully, Bulagao had the sense to stay behind him. Otherwise he would have been fodder to the thundering hunters that were rapidly gaining at them.

Mercifully they reached the trees. Arms helpfully grabbed at Anrhu’s arms as he was hoisted towards the upper branches of stronger trees. He was unconsciously praying out loud, repeating the words of a memorized prayer like a mantra. When he was balanced between two thick branches, the others clinging to branches of their own, he saw Bulagao turn back to face the approaching foes.

There were half a dozen of the creatures, from a ways off looking very much like regular horses…only upright. As they advanced, Anrhu noticed that even though the upper halves of their bodies were shaped like that of a man, it was covered by a coat of skin in different colors; the lead, a shiny gleaming black. Behind them trailed long, thick clumps of mane. Their cry – hunger cries – reminiscent of cattle being slaughtered.

Blind fear rose and overpowered the adrenaline that momentarily gave Anrhu energy when he was fleeing as he saw the tikbalangs stop a few feet from where the edge of the woods was. Though he was further in, he could clearly see the froth that covered the upper bodies of the creatures as they looked towards where the companions were.

They did not seem to see Bulagao, hidden as he was behind one of the trees. They stood there warily, observing. The black lead neighed a command and the rest became silent, peering at the trees where the companions hid.

For a split second, from behind the safety of the leaves, Anrhu was eye to eye with one of the beings; there was nothing inside those eyes – only a mad desire for rampage. A shiver ran from the base of his spine, travelling all the way up to his head where he felt the littlest hair stand on end. He held his breath, holding on to the swaying branch with dear life.

It was eerily quiet. The rapid heartbeat that incessantly thumped within their ribcages felt too loud for the hunters to miss. The clammy sweat that moistened their palms felt like an insult to their wish to be hidden and unscathed.

The tikbalangs stopped at the edge and did not enter into the thickets. For some reason they stayed at the clearing. The companions held their breaths and waited.

A huge rock sailed from where Bulagao was and hit one of the predators. Anrhu swore and almost fell when he lost his grip. But thankfully, the tikbalangs gave one soul wrenching cry, turned back and ran towards where they came from.

“Everybody get down,” Bulagao hollered to everyone. “Be fast about it, they will be back. We must be far from here when they get back.”

Every one scrambled down to the ground beside the kapre; Dong aiding Zoriah from the slightly lower branch where they both hid. When everyone was on ground level, the kapre led them further into the dense woods.

“Those creatures may be stupid but they are stubborn beasts,” Bulagao spoke when they were a little further, motioning for everyone to quicken their strides. “They will realize that they could have taken us all, then, they will come back and the trees will not stop them. Not this time.”

“Tikbalangs are afraid of trees?” Anrhu asked, perplexed at the hesitation that stopped the killers from going after them.

“Trees…no! But they did not see trees, did they Dong?” piped Beatrice, who was walking right beside Anrhu.

“No, they did not!” Dong answered.

“What do you mean they did not see trees?”

“They saw a wall of rock. I … I made them see a wall of rock,”

“You can do that?”

“Yes, there is something you might not have realized boy. Remember I am a waker too. And as what Bulagao mentioned, you seem to be the only human waker…that we know.”

“If you’re not human, then what are you?”

“A demigod.”