It was nighttime when Samika received Renszel’s phone call—he apologized for his behavior, explaining that his grandfather had already told him the truth. Samika was relieved; convincing him had been easier than she expected. She promised to meet him first thing in the morning, and the call ended.
“This calls for a celebration! We’ve got snacks, and we can watch a movie while I continue searching for our next demigod. Before we know it, the Seven will be complete,” Vincent said, matching Samika’s enthusiasm.
“Oh, buy me some soda, please!” Samika begged, handing Vincent her blue card.
“You know, you’ll get addicted if you keep this up, Sam.” The demigod rolled his eyes and chuckled, refusing to take the blue card. “This one’s on me.”
A few minutes after Vincent left, the ground shook violently. Samika stood up from where she lay, peeking outside their hotel window. The vehicles on the streets had stopped, and children playing outside were quickly called indoors by their parents. The tremor abruptly ceased. If it had lasted longer than two minutes, the ground might have split open. Samika grabbed her leather wallet, fetched her crystal, and tried to call back home, but no one answered. She was startled when the door suddenly slammed open—Vincent rushed in, clutching a plastic bottle of soda.
“That had to be at least a magnitude 7,” Vincent panted.
Samika tilted her head, trying to shake off her dizziness. “What does that mean?”
“Oh, uh... I’m not really a science guy, but bigger numbers mean stronger quakes.”
The engkantada nodded, acknowledging Vincent’s explanation. “I see. That was intense. I still feel,” she shifted her head again, “lightheaded.”
“Yeah, it happens. Just sit down for a while—it’ll wear off soon,” Vincent assured her.
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The tremors could be felt in all realms. The sacred leaves fluttered down from Luminara’s great Narra tree, shaken loose by the violent trembling. Some twirled gently in the air before landing, while others seemed to drop suddenly, as if gravity had plucked them straight from the branches.
After the earthquake subsided, portals from different realms opened. Ambassadors from the realms of Tikbalang, Duwende, and Kapre all arrived in Luminara, seeking enlightenment on what had caused the chaos.
“I fear that the Intumbangel has once again been disturbed,” the King announced without preamble. The crowd gasped collectively, whispering amongst themselves, but the King remained resolute. “My niece, the Great General’s only daughter, Samika Myria Narr’Abun, is currently searching for the Seven. Last we heard; she had already found Aman Sinaya’s half-mortal son.”
“But what is causing the disturbance to the Intumbangel? We know the Seven’s task is to lull the beast back to slumber, granting us generations of peace. But what or who is behind this?” The Kapre Ambassador’s voice boomed, though he quickly lowered it.
The King pursed his lips, glancing at his brother and the Wise Engkantos standing beside him, but even they had no answers. The King shook his head in disappointment. “That, we don’t know. It is a burden Samika carries along with the search for the Seven. We are trying to help—we sent scouts a few days ago, but none have returned. As far as we know, whoever is behind this has contracted with the Dalaketnons. Anyone who aids a Dalaketnon will be considered an enemy of the Kingdom and the Realm.”
Once again, everyone in the room—except those already aware of the mission—was shocked.
A figure placed himself atop a large wooden chair with great effort. It was the Ambassador of the Duwende. He was half the height of the Engkantos and a miniature compared to the Kapres, but he stood proudly despite his small stature.
“Council, my King, my Queen, I humbly offer the service of the Duwendes. Our scouts are small and will go unnoticed—a perfect asset to discover who is behind this.”
After a brief discussion, the council agreed to the Ambassador’s offer.
“I, too, would like to offer the service of the Tikbalang to aid the Duwendes. We can provide safe transport and wait at a distance while they gather all necessary information,” the Tikbalang Ambassador added.
“That is settled, then.” The King announced, and applause roared inside the Great Hall. “One more thing, as per my niece’s request, no one should open portals to the human world without her prior notice. The power surge of energy might attract Dalaketnons nearby. Everyone agreed.