Cameron stood at the edge of the ship as it cut through the dark waters, the wind brushing against his coat. His eyes stayed on the horizon.
"Heh… that prideful old bastard is finally dead," he muttered under his breath.
"I wonder what kind of monster of a Likha managed to kill him…"
He glanced at his men.
"Shift the route," Cameron said calmly. "We're heading to the Lakan first."
"Yes, sir."
The ship turned, sails adjusting as they changed direction.
After hours of sailing, they finally reached an island.
At first glance, it looked… ordinary.
Small. Quiet. Almost empty.
Cameron stepped off the boat, his boots pressing into the sand.
"…Same as always," he murmured.
They walked deeper inland.
Then—
The air shifted.
Like stepping through water.
Suddenly, the illusion broke.
A massive hidden palace revealed itself beyond an invisible barrier. The land twisted unnaturally—trees bent in strange ways, shadows moved even without light.
Cameron smirked slightly.
"A land of the Tikbalang…"
He looked back at his men.
"Stay close. Don't stare too much. They don't like that."
A voice echoed from above.
Cold. Distorted. Not entirely human.
"Who is it… that entered Biringan…?"
Cameron didn't even flinch. He looked up.
Sitting on a tree branch was a tall figure—long limbs, horse-like features, eyes glowing faintly in the dark.
"It is I," Cameron said calmly.
"The merchant."
A pause.
"Tell your king—" Cameron continued, voice steady, "—his black merchant has arrived."
He smiled slightly.
"And I bring good news."
After a moment, the presence vanished.
Not long after, guards appeared and escorted them inside.
The palace was vast, decorated with gold and dark wood, yet it felt… wrong. Like it wasn't meant for humans.
At the center, seated on a high throne—
The Lord of the Tikbalang.
Tall. Still. Watching.
Cameron stepped forward and bowed slightly.
"The great lord of the Tikbalang race… it has been years."
Silence.
Then—
"What do you want?"
The lord's voice was calm… but heavy. Each word felt like it carried weight.
Cameron lifted his head.
"I bring news," he said.
A pause.
Then—
"Seraphiel of the Hernandez clan… is dead."
The room went still.
Even the air felt tighter.
The lord's eyes narrowed slightly.
"…Is that so."
A brief silence.
Then—
"Then why," the lord asked slowly, "have you not taken the swords?"
Cameron expected that.
He smiled faintly.
"My men are skilled," he said. "Talented, even."
He paused.
"But the grandson… is still a Hernandez."
Another pause.
"And an Emovere."
That word lingered in the air.
Cameron continued, voice calm but deliberate.
"To take the swords by force without preparation would be… inefficient."
The lord said nothing.
Watching. Measuring.
Cameron took a small step forward.
"But," he added, tone shifting slightly, "I can obtain them now that his grandfather is dead."
Now he had the lord's attention.
"In exchange…" Cameron continued, "I want something from you."
Silence.
"…Speak."
Cameron's smile deepened just a little.
"The weapon of the Agarthan," he said.
"The one they call… a gun."
A faint shift in the room.
The lord's gaze sharpened.
"You ask for much."
Cameron shrugged slightly.
"And I offer something you've wanted for years."
He let that sink in.
"The swords of Hernandez."
Silence.
Heavy.
Calculated.
The lord leaned back slightly on his throne.
"…You will not sell it," he said.
Cameron stayed quiet.
"…Not before the war ends."
A pause.
"And especially… not to Maharlikan."
Cameron nodded without hesitation.
"Of course."
A lie? Maybe. But it sounded clean.
"You have my word."
The lord stared at him for a long moment.
Like he was trying to see through him.
Then—
"…Very well."
The tension eased—just slightly.
"You will be given a sample."
Cameron bowed his head.
"Then we have a deal."
As Cameron turned to leave, the lord spoke again.
"If you fail…"
Cameron stopped.
"…you will not see another day again."
Cameron smirked.
"I never fail," he replied.
Outside the palace, Cameron exhaled slowly.
Then smiled.
"Prepare the ship," he said.
"We're heading to the noble next."
As they walked away, his eyes darkened slightly.
"…Everything is falling into place."
Back on Mavulis Island—
Uláp knocked on Navi's door.
Navi opened it.
"Let's go, ser," Uláp said.
"Yeah, let's head to the forest," Navi replied.
While they were walking, Uláp was already talking non-stop.
"Ser, do you know they pay Sandatas better on the mainland? Why haven't you left this island?"
Navi shrugged a little.
"I promised my grandpa I'd become stronger than him before leaving the island."
"Ohhh…" Uláp nodded.
Then he continued.
"You know, I read in a book that we're living under the biggest ocean—bigger than our world. They say that's the reason for rain. And the only thing stopping it from pouring down and drowning everyone is an invisible barrier."
"That's a lie," Navi said flatly.
"How come it's so hot right now then?" Uláp shot back.
"They say it's because the water is boiling hot," Uláp added confidently.
Navi just gave him a look.
"Oh, by the way," Uláp continued, "what's your dream, ser?"
"My dream?" Navi repeated.
He scratched his head.
"Well… I don't really know. But I do have a goal."
"What is it?" Uláp asked.
"I promised my grandpa I'd avenge my parents," Navi said.
"But he always told me I need to get stronger first. So… yeah."
Uláp nodded.
"Then what's your dream?" Navi asked back.
"Oh, mine?" Uláp grinned.
"I want to explore the unknown continent east of Maharlika."
Navi raised an eyebrow.
"They say the strongest Likha live there. And there's a special grass that can stop you from aging. book says that's where the immortals come from—that's why they don't age like us."
"Who said that?" Navi asked.
"The book," Uláp replied proudly.
"And I want to see dragons too."
"Dragons?" Navi asked.
"Yeah. You've never heard of them?"
Navi looked away.
"…I don't really care about dragons," he said.
Uláp squinted at him.
"Hmm."
Then he kept going anyway.
"I read that dragons are as big as castles. They look like giant lizards with wings that breathe fire or ice. They say the Kapre used to ride them before the Great Divide separated the two races."
"The Great Divide?" Navi asked.
"Yeah," Uláp said.
"A long time ago, the world was just one continent. But then the Emoveres almost destroyed the entire planet with their wars, so everything split apart."
Navi glanced at him.
"You know a lot of stuff."
Uláp grinned.
"Books."
After a while, they finally reached the forest.
Navi crouched slightly and looked at the ground.
"…Footprints."
He studied them.
"Boar Likha."
He turned to Uláp.
"Hide and wait for me. These things are aggressive. If they notice us they'll attack us immediatly"
"Yes, ser."
Uláp quickly hid.
Navi moved quietly through the trees.
Soon, he spotted them.
Two boar-like creatures, feeding on a dead animal.
Navi slowly approached, careful with every step.
Then—
He lunged.
But the creatures reacted fast.
They jumped back—then immediately charged at him.
Unlike average likha, these ones didn't run.
They attacked anything that saw them.
The first one rushed in—
Navi dodged smoothly.
The second followed right after—
He already predicted the movement.
Slash.
He cut the neck of the first one cleanly.
Before the second could react, Navi stepped forward, already reading its escape path.
He moved ahead of it—
And sliced it in half.
Both bodies dropped to the ground.
Navi exhaled.
"Uláp," he called.
Uláp popped out of hiding.
"Whoa…"
"You can collect them now," Navi said.
"Let's head to town and sell them."
Uláp nodded quickly, already moving.
On the way back to town, Ulap was already chattering before Navi even finished hoisting the body onto his back.
"So, ser — every Sandata from a named clan has their own sword style, right?" Ulap said, walking beside him. "Like the dalisay clan uses that wide-stance thing, and the Maliwanag clan does those short quick cuts—"
"Yeah," Navi said. He adjusted the weight on his shoulders.
"So… do you have one? A sword style? Or at least an ability?"
Navi was quiet for a second.
"…Yeah. I've learned the hard part of ours."
Ulap's eyes lit up. "Really?! What's it called?"
"Don't know the name. Grandpa never told me."
"…Okay. What does it do?"
Navi shifted the corpse again, avoiding eye contact.
"Can't really explain it without doing it. But—" He paused. "—I can't even do the first style yet."
Ulap blinked. "The first one?"
"Yeah."
"…Isn't the first one usually the easiest?"
Navi's jaw tightened slightly.
"…My grandpa said the same thing."
Ulap opened his mouth.
"Don't," Navi said.
Ulap closed it. Then immediately opened it again.
"So wait — you learned the hard part but not the easy part?"
"I said don't."
"I'm just asking—"
"Ulap."
"Okay, okay." A short pause. Then: "That's kind of impressive though. In a weird way."
Navi glanced at him sideways. "It's not."
"No, I mean — it's like learning to run before you can walk. That's not nothing, ser."
Navi looked away.
"…Whatever."
Ulap kept pace beside him. "And your clan name? You know it?"
Navi scratched the back of his neck with his free hand — awkward, almost sheepish.
"…No."
Ulap stared at him.
"Grandpa said he'd tell me after I mastered the sword style." Navi shrugged, a little stiff. "I didn't. So he didn't."
"And your ability—"
"Haven't unlocked it."
"…Ser."
"What."
"You don't know your clan name, you can't do the first style, and you haven't unlocked your ability yet."
"I know that, Ulap—"
"But you killed a rare Likha Bear last week—"
"Can we not talk about this—"
CRACK.
Branches snapped to their left — fast, heavy, close.
Navi's body moved before his mind did. He shoved Ulap sideways with one arm and took the hit himself — claws raking across the back of his hand as he spun.
"Agh—!"
He dropped the corpse, blood already welling. He drew his sword in the same motion.
"Run," he said.
"Ser—"
"Hide."
Ulap scrambled behind a tree.
Navi turned to face it, sword raised, hand burning.
A bear Likha again— He exhaled slowly. Where are these things even coming from—
It lunged.
Navi stepped back, just out of reach — then planted his feet and lowered into a stance. Still. Focused. The same stillness his grandfather used to describe as listening to the fight before it happens.
He watched it move. Read the weight shift. Left side. It favors the left.
The Likha lunged again — Navi stepped into it and swung.
The blade bit deep into the creature's arm.
Then the arm grew back.
Navi's eyes went wide. "What—"
He didn't finish the thought. While it was still mid-regeneration, still disoriented, he closed the gap and took the head clean off in one motion.
The body dropped.
He stood there for a second, breathing.
"…Ulap."
Rustling. Then Ulap's head poked out from behind a root.
"…I'm here, ser." He looked at the headless Likha. "Oh god."
"Put the head in the bag," Navi said, already crouching to lift the body. "I'll carry this."
Ulap picked up the bag and carefully — very carefully — nudged the head inside.
Then he stood up and looked at Navi.
"Ser."
"Don't start."
"That sword style you just used—"
"Ulap."
"I've read about it—"
"This Likha isn't supposed to be native to this island." Navi hauled the body up, wincing at his hand. "Two of them in three days. That's not normal. We need to get to town now."
Ulap snapped the bag shut. "Right! Yes. Going."
They started down the road.
A beat of silence.
"…It was the Hernandez style, wasn't it?" Ulap said.
navi seems like he didn't heard what ulap said.
it seems like navi didn't hear what ulap said.
Navi walked faster.
"Come on, Ulap!"