"Why not all the islands?" Pulaco repeated, a ghost of a smile in his lips. "Well, because we don't want to lie inside a sacred place, right?" Pulaco walked and kissed the old woman's hand. The old crone smiled in return.

  "And before I forget." Pulaco presented their kill to Manang Sabtano. "We bring you and the gods our humble offering."

  "People seem to do this a lot less nowadays," Manang Sabtano said. "They seem to have moved on with their lives, leaving old hermit healers like me behind in the shadows."

  "Well, that's what hermits do right?" Mingming said as plain as he could.

  "Your lot tend to isolate yourselves-"

  "Oh shut up, I may be a hermit but a visit from my loving son and my ever loyal son-in-law... now and then, ain't too bad."

  "Oh, come on, mother!" Mingming stood up. "Pulaco sends his men every three days to give you food. I send you gold every month! I don't even ask where and how you use it. That ain't too bad either."

  "Shush, you petulant boy!" Manang Sabtano said as she dragged the carcass at the center of the floor. She looked frail but she made the task seem so simple and easy. "Go, and be a good boy and fetch me some firewood for tonight."

  "Nah, I'll fetch it after we're done here." Mingming took Manang Sabtano's hands and kissed it.

  "Lazy as ever... I'm really glad I named you after our house cat." Manang Sabtano smiled. "Come here, you two. Let's not waste time." They all sat around the wild boar. "I know you need my help so let's not delay any further," Manang Sabtano smiled.

  Then, the babaylan's pagan ritual commenced without a hitch. But there were no astral projections nor was there any ghostly manifestations. There was only a long, boring and continuous chant that made every men's gooseflesh rise up as the old crone cranked the eeriness up around them.

  Mingming shifted from his seat remembering his childhood. This is why I don't hang around with crazy old crones, he reminded himself, shaking his head.

  When the ululating chant of the babaylan reached its peak it finally ended abruptly, leaving the old woman with a straight and stoic face similar to that of idols around them.

  Then, Manang Sabtano took her bone dagger and sliced a slit in the carcass' abdomen, spilling the animal's entrails.

  "Oops, didn't expect that to happen, " she said.

  Mingming shook his head, annoyed. "Oh, come on!"

  "What? A woman my age needs constant practice to do this right," Manang Sabtano protested. "And I haven't done this for a while. And why are you so annoyed? You sour pickle."

  "Mother..."

  "Did you take my advice about marrying Datu Butod's daughter? You need a woman boy...been telling you that for ages and still you wouldn't listen."

  Lam snickered. He was about to give his take on things when Mingming glanced at him, eyes glinting with restrained fury. The waylander raised both hands on his side, placatingly.

  "Could we just go on with the ritual already?" Mingiming said.

  Manang Sabtano rolled her eyes as she hacked the carcass open to see what the devatas' had in store for them.

  But then she paused, eyes on her son. "Or how about Sandawili's niece? She's pretty witty and charming. Comes by here every other day."

  Manang Sabtano waited for Mingming's response but her son only shook his head.

  "Okay...okay, business first then," she said. "So, what's your first question?"

  Pulaco cleared his throat. Manang Sabtano was a brilliant healer and a great seer but limiting a person's inquiry to three was hard even for him. He thought for a while, phrasing the right words to take advantage of the power of her portents.

  The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

  "Well the next three days be a good time for one's wedding?" he said.

  Manang Sabtano raised the boar's intestine, her glassy eyes straining to see. "Nope, bad time for marriage. War is coming. War is always a bad thing for a wedding if you ask me."

  "But- ," said Lam as he tried to protest. But the old woman hushed him down before he could continue.

  "Next?" Manang Sabtano stared at Pulaco.

  Mandawili's chief nodded. "I reckon, we'll be the one's at war. And there'll be no avoiding it, if so, how do we win this coming war?"

  Manang Sabtano smiled."Good question, chief. Your old ways will help you. The sky too, when it rains its arrow on your enemies. But you must stay and let the rooster drown the field of battle with its call." She paused examining the entrails as best as she could. "Because if you go and leave your door open, death will come in and take all that you hold in your heart so dearly."

  Manang Sabtano coughed. "Next?"

  Pulaco paused and took his time to think about his last question. He remembered their altercation with Halang. Would that be it? He sighed. "Will datus fight against other datus? Will brothers fight against their own brothers? And finally, will kinsmen fight against other kinsmen?"

  Manang Sabtano raised a brow she didn't have. "Hmmm, you technically asked three questions, O' wise chief of Mandawili. But since you're a paying customer and one of my favorite son-in-law, I'll give the other two plus a bonus."

  "I'm your only son-in-law." Pulaco made a face.

  "Sure...sure." She cleared her throat. "Yes, and no to your questions. I hear giant footfalls too. And men with weapons equivalent to a thousand spears. I see pale gleaming warriors kill and die like a bagani. I see a thousand men roar against their enemies. I see the sea burn. And, I see Death will be busy when you go to war."

  Pulaco sighed. All her fortune-telling were too vague to analyze. But it better than going blind. He bowed in reverence to Manang Sabtano. "Thank you, great babaylan. I'll send my men here to look after you then."

  "That is wise but I don't need any guardians. Just promise me you'll say hello to my grandchildren, especially to my beautiful Malaya. That child of yours always reminds me of her late mother."

  She wiped a tear off her eye thinking of her own lovely daughter, Angga Miruha.

  "And Pulaco, do visit me when the fighting's over... bring the kids too," she added. "I may help with your problems then."

  "I promise to come here with jars full of fine palm wine, mother."

  "And don't forget the betel nut." Manang Sabtano smiled.

  Pulaco bowed down to show his respect to the old woman and went outside the pavilion.

  "Lam, come with me," he said. "Let's gather firewood so we can leave early." Lam nodded and led the way.

  "My turn, old woman," Mingming said as he sat cross-legged on the floor."My first question is-"

  Manang Sabtano moved her head from left to right towards her son's direction, searching for something.

  "And where's your offering?" she cawed.

  Mingming's brows furrowed. "But I helped hunt that thing too." He pointed at the wild boar sprawled in the floor.

  "Is that so?" Manang Sabtano scratched her head. "Well, my only prediction is that you keep your head down."

  Mingming rubbed the part of his head that struck the lintel. "Is that it? I think its too late for that," he said, his voice high with incredulity.

  Manang Sabtano nodded, a smile forming on the edge of her lips. "You may go now, son."

  The old woman laughed in between her wheezes while Mingming scowled. "O cheer up, doofus. I made worse predictions than that. And as a 'gabay' I could never foretell my own future. It is simply against nature. My blood flows on your veins too, so think hard enough about that before you ask another prediction from me."

  Mingming stood up. "Thanks, for reminding me why I hate you, you crazy quack. I'll send my men to visit you and bring you something to eat tomorrow," he growled and gave his aged mother a warm hug. Manang Sabtano embraced him back.

  The old babaylan pulled his son's head closer, so she can whisper to him. "Go, bring the waylander from Ma-yi back here and help your brother-in-law gather firewood before the heavens open and shower your miserable lot."

  Mingming gave the old man another scowl. "Okay, I'll visit you after the battle but I strongly doubt that it'll even happen." He took the spear off the carcass, wiping the dark blood off it. "And thanks for the poultice you sent me. My bad knee is healing quite nicely."

  He walked out and stretched his back and raised his head up towards the heavens. The skies were granite gray, making Mingming shiver. The old woman was right. It was going to rain, he thought. Not far from the Daragangan leader, Lam walked and Pulaco followed closely behind him.

  Both were a couple of yards away from the edge of the forest to gather firewood when a loud roar disturbed the birds from the shadows of the forest. Both warrior stopped on their tracks as the sound of heavy footfalls soon reverberated like a slow eerie drumbeat building to a crescendo.

  Both men suddenly stared at the direction where the sound was coming. And out of nowhere a giant freak of a man vaulted out from the foliage with a toothy smile, scattering leaves and breaking branches in his way. He turned his bald head towards the waylander's direction.

  "Here you are." He pointed a finger at him. "I've been lookin' for you!" he spat the words with relish.