“By the way lola, what was that creature? Was that an aswang?” Asked Lumawig.

“Yes. That was an aswang called a Tiktik.” Affirmed the old woman.

“A Tiktik? What is that?” Mawi asked.

“A Tiktik is an aswang known for the sound it makes and its ability to shapeshift. Most of the time, they take the form of a large bird that looks like a crow.” Lola Yma briefly explained.

“A shape shifting monster?” Mawi was surprised upon hearing the old woman’s explanation.

“Haaays. Let us go back first. It seems that we need to put off your initiation for now and try again tomorrow.” Lola Yma sighed and stood up, then she turned around and started to make her way out of the forest with Mawi following closely behind her.

The duo encountered no problem when they were making their way out of the forest, and it was still dark when they returned home. Sabel was still soundly sleeping, however, Lola Yma and Mawi were no longer sleepy, so they stayed outside the house and continued their conversation.

“Lola, can you tell me more about the Tiktik? Are there more of these creatures out there?” Mawi sat down on the ground, while Lola Yma sat on a chair. Painting a picture of a young innocent boy wanting to hear his lola’s stories about the supernatural.

“You seem interested in them?” Lola Yma was surprised upon hearing Mawi’s words.

“Of course, I am interested, lola. Since I have decided to pursue this path of being a babaylan, I need to know more about these things, especially if it concerns my life. I need to know what I am dealing with.” Although Mawi said these words in a bashful manner, he could feel that deep in his heart that there is a great urge for him to know about these spirits and creatures.

“Haaays. Okay. I will tell you everything I know about these creatures. However, I am telling you these things so as you may understand them better, and not go out there and start hunting them.” Lola Yma agreed to Mawi’s request, but at the same time she gave her a stern warning.

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“I understand, lola.” Mawi acknowledged the old woman’s words.

“Okay, listen well, then. First let me talk to you about the spirit known as ‘Kapre’. All kapres are male; these spirits dwell in great trees like the Molave, Balete, and Narra. They are neither evil nor good but are capricious creatures. They are susceptible to their mood changes, and how they act are based on how strong their feelings are. In normal circumstances, they will not initiate contact with humans unless they have been offended or are acting on their lust.” Lola Yma began telling Mawi about the spirits he encountered a few days ago, and she explained their nature to him.

“Acting on their lust?” Mawi asked, curious about this distinct behavior of the spirit.

“Yes, lust. As I have said earlier, all Kapre are male. While they are not evil, once their lust takes over them, they will do anything so long as they can satiate their lust. In most cases, they are known to abduct young women, even little girls once they found them attractive.”

“How do they abduct their victims?” Asked the young man.

“They will show themselves to them in two ways: they can make themselves appear as a handsome young man and make the girl they fancy become smitten to them. Once the girl falls in-love with their human form, the kapre would then take them to their tree dwelling, and they will no longer be seen. So, when you see a woman acting unusual, there is a good chance that that spirit is acting on her. The second method is a more direct approach. They show their true selves to the woman they fancy, either through a dream or by directly manifesting in front of them and forcefully bring the woman away. As they are spirits, regardless of the method they use, only the person they willed themselves to appear on will be able to see them. And the ‘abduction’ is by pulling out the woman’s soul.” The old woman explained in great detail.

“If you offended them, it is quite easy to resolve as you can initiate a ritual of sacrifice to appease them. However, it is more difficult to get back the souls of the person they fancied.” Lola Yma cautioned.

“If that is the case, how can you get their souls back?” Mawi was somehow alarmed at learning the behavior of the spirit.

“If they are reasonable, then everything can be settled by talking to them and making compromises. However, if they are stubborn, that is when a babaylan like us must step in. We must mediate between the humans and the spirits, and there will be times that we will have to fight against these spirits. That is why it is important for us babaylans to have a powerful dungan.” Lola Yma answered Mawi’s inquiry.

“Do you know what a dungan is, Mawi?” The old woman inquired.

“I think it has something to do with the soul. But it is a vague concept that can be equated to will, aura or presence. It also signifies a person’s soul strength. Huh? Why do I know about this?” Mawi answered.