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2024-10-29 19:42:56“Thank you,” Kael said. He grabbed his burger and drink from the vendor and gave him his payment. It was a stall, just across the street—right in front of the internet café, his internet café. Kael walked towards his small business, crossing the empty street under the sting of hot daylight. It was a bit windy today, so his jacket slightly flapped against the rushing gust. He had missed the times when he would wear a suit and walk around the small town with dapper, but he had also already gotten used to wearing his casual clothes. They had to keep a low-profile for now, as Alice had told them. The other clans were still looking for Kadlum stragglers scattered across Manila. Yes, it had almost been a month since the attack of the Bayi on their territories. It had almost been a month since Miko’s death. He was told by Alice himself that most of the Kadlum have gathered to the ‘refuge’. But, like few others, Alice told him not t
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God Hounds Chapter 62, Part 2: They're Afraid
The night before…Lyle sat with an entertained smile across his face while he listened to the woman sing to the restaurant. Occasionally, he’d join in with her singing by humming the tune or outright singing the words. Around his table, three more sat with him with their own time-passing activities while they waited for their order to come. One leaned back against his tall chair while scrolling through his phone, the other two talked with each other about how their college exams went. Lyle, however, just sat back and listened to the music. He eyed the girl singer quite engagedly, nodding to the music while he continued to smile. Occasionally, the girl would look back to Lyle and shoot a quick smile as well. Soft orange lights decorated the place, with the completion of human laughter and conversation. He had known the girl for years. She was his childhood friend. Almost everyone inside that restaurant… was his childhood friend, or childhood role m
God Hounds Chapter 62, Part 3: They're Afraid
“Last night, the Ledanai’i got to Matthew’s family,” Alice explained as she heard it from Lyle on the phone. “Kael and the others are dead. They’re taking the family hostage, and they want to talk to Lyle. Just Lyle. I couldn’t stop him. Lyle called only after he got out of town. He’s driving there to the location right now.”“What the hell?” Aden cursed. “What the hell was Lyle thinking? That could be a trap!”“I trust him, Aden,” Alice replied. “He’s got other Kadlum with him. He knows what he’s doing. Lyle said they specifically asked us not to come. They want an agreement but Lyle doesn’t know what it is, yet. Think about it. Why make an agreement now when we’re so close to finding their temple? And why only Lyle?”Aden looked at her with narrowed eyes. “They’re afraid…”Lyle
God Hounds Chapter 63, Part 1: Gods and Men
It had been a few more days since Alice and Aden were back from the forest and village. They were back in the town of Urrutia, and Lyle had since arrived, too. A few hours ago, Alice, Aden, and Lyle spoke in private inside one of the houses just across the street from Zoey’s café. She waited, and—with rewarded patience—watched in relief when they finally came out. Virtually everyone in town knew about the negotiation. They were all just waiting for Alice’s decision. Seeing as Aden himself was in the room, Zoey had expected he at least had a say in the decision-making. The Ledanai’i, the clan who had started the war, now offered them peace in exchange for Aden’s death… by fire. No one knew what to think of it.The three walked out of the house in a calm stride, with Lyle naturally looking nonchalant even if he was serious that time. Zoey rushed to the three, eager to be the first one to hear the news. “Well?” she ex
God Hounds Chapter 63, Part 2: Gods and Men
Alice was a little more quiet than usual tonight. They drove under the gaze of the dark night, sparing little for them but stars and a crescent light. It was silent, and only the humming of the car’s engine was all that gave noise. Alice was driving tonight, and Aden leaned back against the shotgun seat with his head lazily on the headrest. They were so close to the end. They knew exactly what they needed to do. The jar.“We’re so close now. It’s really going to end soon,” Aden quietly said. “Let’s hope this works…”Alice gave a low hum in acknowledgment. “We’re almost there,” Alice said, sternly updating them of their location. They stopped, almost at the highest peak of an odd mountain. The last sign of civilization was nearly a kilometer ago; an elementary school in a small town right at the side of the mountain. The road ended here.Alice kept the headlights on and they got out. N
God Hounds Chapter 63, Part 3: Gods and Men
Replacing the ambient noise of the humming engine was the crackling of the large fire ahead. It was concentrated, far from harming the trees surrounding it. It was encircled by the forest, but it was just a little far enough so the leaves wouldn’t catch fire. It wasn’t a bonfire, no. Aden and Alice walked closer. The crackling was now matched with intense heat. It was a deep depression on the ground, almost like an freshly-dug mass grave. Only, the grave it was housing was that of the embers of the fire.Aden stepped closer to the fire, examining the concentrated flames bursting from within the ground. Alice had not followed him. Instead, she stood far behind Aden in the cover of the trees.A few more seconds, and then Aden heard more than just crackling in the fire. Left and right, from within the shrubbery… movement. Aden looked to the sound. He sighed, as the figures came to light. “We were never here for the jar,” Aden scoffed. His ey
God Hounds Chapter 63, Part 4 - Gods and Men
Zoey had to know for herself. She slowly, and weakly, came to the door of the café to peek outside under the morning’s first light. There, she waited, silently. It was the morning after she heard that Aden died, and Alice killed him.Out on the road, closing in on their secluded town, Alice had eyes that almost defied the rising of the sun. It was emotionless. Lifeless. Unlike the sun, her eyes didn’t glint with hope or chance. It only glinted with action and resolve. The death-stained irises of her eyes didn’t have any room for mercy.Lyle had arrived in the town first, waiting for Alice as well. He looked through a narrow slit between the cover of trees that surrounded the town, onto the open road. In the far distance, he could faintly see Alice’s car maneuvering along the curved road. “She’s back,” Lyle whispered to himself. They were going to keep the jar of ashes in the town for a while. “We’re almost in
God Hounds Chapter 64, Part 1 – The Island
‘The Wanderer’s Pier’ was the what they called it. It was a small hidden docks detached so far from civilization that Alice and her men needed several local guides from the remote villages. When they arrived, a handful of Ledanai’i’s men were already waiting in the area. They sat on wooden boxes and crates, and some were inside the small hut stationed beside the pier. Beyond the pier, though, it was all just fog. It was a gassy curtain thickly obscuring whatever awaited across the water.One of Ledanai’i’s men—the one in charge—stood up from the rubble of crates and eyed Alice scrutinizingly. He frowned and raised an eyebrow at her, lifting his head upwards as if to match Alice’s postural aura, but Alice was naturally taller and more intimidating. “You must be Alice Buenaventura,” he said.“The fact that you’re asking that means the man I need to be talking to isn’t here,” A
God Hounds Chapter 64, Part 2 – The Island
As Alice and Karel walked across the paved road towards the island’s centre, the temple, she felt more uneasy. Like the stone pillars from before, the structures that trailed beside the roads were of ancient origin. They were either built for shorter people, or just people with limited resources in an early civilization. They were ruins, traced with squarish patterns of demons and ill kind as engravings. The stone they used to make it was so old the color had seemed to fade. But the Ledanai’i didn’t stop using them. Instead of building newer buildings, they utilized the old ones and repaired them with their own resources. Still, looking at the mix of ancient and modern architecture in one building, Alice felt uncomfortable. She was looking at something new and strange to her, and she had no way of guessing how to understand it. The Ledanai’i, indeed, weren’t just people. Some of them… hardly blinked. All of them were harrowingly quiet ex
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Epilogue
Alice was back in her home in the town of Urrutia. It was still too early to come out of hiding. Their enemies, the other clans that Ledanai’i stirred to war, were still waiting for them. She missed Cavite, and the other places she used to freely go to. The silence in the room she was in was able to push her to that remembrance. Dante, she sat there on her bed thinking. Are you happy? Was this what we wanted? A crash before the growth of something else? Did I do it? Was I successful? It had completely been a year since his death.Alice buried her face in her palms. She was tired, but now she had rest waiting for her. A little break before a few more. Where does this lead to?She lifted her head from her palms, and checked the tattoo on her arm. It was still burning: the new one. She recognized the symbols immediately. There was a dragon, a hound, and a deer… fighting. It was the first new tattoo the Void had given her sin
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Chapter 68 – Blood
The village deep in the forest had not taken lightly to the news that Nukasuni was dead. To pay respects, and even more than that, they were silent and inside their homes. A great bonfire was lit just outside the village.Aden stood on top of the cliff, as always. Maria wasn’t there with him. Instead, it was Alice who he saw and he heard the footsteps.“Are you finally here to kill me?” Aden asked.Alice stared back in silence, but her eyes did not show surprise. She narrowed her eyes on him. “I find that you’re of better use to us alive. Besides, I know there’s still one more thing you need to do. I know that’ll benefit us.”Aden nodded. “My family. They’re alive.”Alice nodded back, with a slight smile. “Are you really going there?”“They’re alive,” Aden replied. “And I have questions.”Alice scoffed, then shook her head.
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Chapter 67, Part 3 – Throne
They coughed through the wave of dust and smoke. Alice and Lyle were closest to the crash. Lyle supported her sister while he tried to dispel the thick dust and smoke with his hand. Aden walked slowly along their direction. The last thing he saw were the antlers striking through Nukasuni’s body.Then, finally, the air’s curtains slowly withered. As if joining the thick layer’s erasure, the clouds from above had also moved past the island, allowing for the blue sky and the shining sun to strike through them.It was clear, now. And they were looking at Ledanai’i’s lifeless body, then to Nukasuni’s as well. The dragon was almost out of breath. The three stood beside the dragon, looking helplessly at the life-taking wounds in his body.Nukasuni, gasping for little air, still managed to lift his head not to look at that the three, but to stare back at Ledanai’i. The deer had no life in it left, not after the broken antler tha
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Chapter 67, Part 2 – Throne
“Hold the line! Remember the choke points! And wait for my signal!” Lyle exclaimed into the radio wrapped on his wrist, connected to his earpiece. There were stragglers, those who managed to avoid their ambushing force. Lyle and Aden made quick work of them. The rest of the Ledanai’i were pinned down, pushed away farther and farther from what now was the gods’ arena.“We’re not gonna hold much longer, Alice,” added Lyle. “This better work.”Alice heaved and raced for her breath. “It will.” She coughed, and closed her eyes. Sparks of lightning, little by little, gathered around her. Her tattoo glowed.Lyle watched the scene then focused back to the choke points. “Let’s give her more time,” he radioed again.“I’ll support the front,” Aden said, rushing to that direction. “You got this, Lyle?”There were three more stragglers in view, abou
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Chapter 67 – Throne
“Nukasuni!” Ledanai’i howled, her back on the ground while she struggled to stare at the burning images of Nukasuni and Kadlum. Compared to the form Ledanai’i took, Nukasuni and Kadlum seemed like giants to her. But…Come on, show yourself, Alice thought. She waited, as she untied the guards with her. Where’s that goddess?Lyle and Aden dashed towards Alice in the center while the Ledanai’i were pinned down by the attack. “How’s it feel to best a goddess in mind control?” Aden said.Alice chuckled. Before infiltrating the temple, Aden had taught her how to recognize when someone was trying to influence and corrupt the mind. Although it had almost overcome Alice, that slight second of recognition and preparation made it all possible. “The Ledanai’i at the port?” asked Alice.“Dead,” replied Aden. “All dead.”Alice nodded back as s
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Chapter 66 - Corruption
Three days ago…Replacing the ambient noise of the humming engine was the crackling of the large fire ahead. It was concentrated, far from harming the trees surrounding it. It was encircled by the forest, but it was just a little far enough so the leaves wouldn’t catch fire. It wasn’t a bonfire, no. Aden and Alice walked closer. The crackling was now matched with intense heat. It was a deep depression on the ground, almost like a freshly-dug mass grave. Only, the grave it was housing was that of the embers of the fire.Aden stepped closer to the fire, examining the concentrated flames bursting from within the ground. Alice had not followed him. Instead, she stood far behind Aden in the cover of the trees.A few more seconds, and then Aden heard more than just crackling in the fire. Left and right, from within the shrubbery… movement. Aden looked to the sound. He sighed, as the figures came to light. “We were never here fo
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Chapter 65 – Goddess
“You?” Alice said under her breath. She had had her fair share of meetings with gods and goddesses. But, this was different. She narrowed her eyes at her even more. “Ledanai’i?”The tall woman chuckled softly at her. “You were expecting something else?” Her eyes twinkled against the morning light.Alice remained silent. She gripped the jar of ashes tightly.Ledanai’i noticed the sudden shift in her grip. She looked down on the jar and looked at it with motherly glance. She chuckled. “Ailan’s eyes… you’ve finally come back to me, my child.” She tried to reach out to caress the jar, but Alice slightly jerked the jar away. They met eyes again.Ledanai’i smirked. “I understand.” She blinked softly, then sighed. “How is Kadlum?”“Alive,” Alice broke her silence. “But not so much as to give you his regards,” Alice cocked he
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Chapter 64, Part 2 – The Island
As Alice and Karel walked across the paved road towards the island’s centre, the temple, she felt more uneasy. Like the stone pillars from before, the structures that trailed beside the roads were of ancient origin. They were either built for shorter people, or just people with limited resources in an early civilization. They were ruins, traced with squarish patterns of demons and ill kind as engravings. The stone they used to make it was so old the color had seemed to fade. But the Ledanai’i didn’t stop using them. Instead of building newer buildings, they utilized the old ones and repaired them with their own resources. Still, looking at the mix of ancient and modern architecture in one building, Alice felt uncomfortable. She was looking at something new and strange to her, and she had no way of guessing how to understand it. The Ledanai’i, indeed, weren’t just people. Some of them… hardly blinked. All of them were harrowingly quiet ex
- God Hounds
Chapter 64, Part 1 – The Island
‘The Wanderer’s Pier’ was the what they called it. It was a small hidden docks detached so far from civilization that Alice and her men needed several local guides from the remote villages. When they arrived, a handful of Ledanai’i’s men were already waiting in the area. They sat on wooden boxes and crates, and some were inside the small hut stationed beside the pier. Beyond the pier, though, it was all just fog. It was a gassy curtain thickly obscuring whatever awaited across the water.One of Ledanai’i’s men—the one in charge—stood up from the rubble of crates and eyed Alice scrutinizingly. He frowned and raised an eyebrow at her, lifting his head upwards as if to match Alice’s postural aura, but Alice was naturally taller and more intimidating. “You must be Alice Buenaventura,” he said.“The fact that you’re asking that means the man I need to be talking to isn’t here,” A
