BULAN: The Moon Boy

PROLOGUE

He never meant to be anything else but a normal boy.

He was born a mortal just like any other ordinary kid who eventually grew up and could barely wait for the geometric designs inked into his skin that signified that he was growing into a full-grown man.

Eventually, he got the first pair after he made his first kill during the initiation hunt when he was thirteen; two spherical shapes with a twisting pattern of spirals on both sides of his chest. To say that the needles that the Apo used to pierce his skin repeatedly were painful was an understatement, but he knew that the pain was worth it. Even as the blood trickled down his bare, flat stomach – muscles clenched every time the old shaman struck at the array of needles that she has dipped on "ink" made from whatever concoction that she made it with, he only gritted his teeth and did not so much as twitch to signify that he felt anything.

Several other boys his age were having themselves inked that night, and as the bonfire illuminated the proud faces of the members of the tribe, the throbbing beat of the drums echoed the excitement that their heartbeats made deep within their chests.

He looked down at the stark black marks after they were done, they were especially dark on his uncommonly pale skin; a skin color that was different from the darker complexion of everyone else in the tribe. But the Apo said that it was to bring him good luck, along with the cornsilk-colored curls that sat atop his head and the grayish-blue eyes that peered from a face that looked too young for his age, they called him Bulan, or the moon.

That was almost four years ago. And as the years passed and he grew taller and stronger, his lean adolescent body adorned with several more markings that will soon be enough to make him one of the warriors of the tribe, he was especially proud of a pair of bands with crisscrossing lines between them that ran from where his arms joined his shoulder blades and continued down along the length of his arms and ended at his wrist where gold bracelets hid the tips of the tattoo. The tribe called it Kasakitan, or pain, a symbol of sacrifice to the pain beneath the needles once more. So many trophies to achievements he has made, trophies that were forever marked on his almost translucent skin.

On the eve of his 17th birthday, he found himself crouched under a huge rock. A rough, rugged outcropping that was dangerously close to the edge of the ridge high above the mountains. And for once, he was alone. 

There was something that he needed to do, something that would earn him another of the markings that will soon complete his journey into manhood.

Across from where he was hidden was the expanse of the valley where the tribe was. But there was nothing to be heard except for the low whistle of the wind as it hit the rock formations further high above him.

His eyes peered in the darkness. The moon above was full, lending his skin an almost eerie glow. Unlike the other boys who have hairs growing on their bodies, Bulan's skin was smooth.

He knew that his skin color did not help him at all knowing he needed to be hidden, the presence of the full moon only added to the challenge on what he had to face. But it had to be done tonight, the night before he turned 17.

Bulan took a step forward, careful not to step on any sharp rocks or loose stones. Just a little accident will send him plunging into his death.

A sound from behind him made him turn, only to see shadows and more rocks that jotted out of the cliff. There was not even a single foliage to hide himself in, only the sides of the mountain and what little shadow they lent him.

He reached for the dagger that was tied to his ankles; saw the gleam of the moon on its sharp edge as he brought it in front of him. He knew there was something out there, he just didn't know what – nor did he have any idea why the elders asked him to trek to the top of Mad-jaas with the cryptic words that he will know what he needed to do when the right time comes. Without question, he did as he was told.

Before he left, the Apo took him aside and whispered, "Only you have been chosen to do this task. You and none other."

That only confused him more.

For some reason, he suddenly felt fearful.

Excited yet he could not help but feel that there was something that the elders and the shaman were not telling him.

His grip on the dagger tightened. His knuckles were almost shaky with the pressure.

Again, he felt the presence behind him, this time there was the sound of something slinking on the loose ground; he could almost hear the individual rocks slide against a heavyweight and it was moving towards his direction but not directly at him. Whatever it was could not catch his scent, he was careful to have positioned himself where the wind was blowing towards him and not towards the darkness where the sound came from. Bulan tensed up, his breath caught in his throat as he tried to scrutinize the shadows for anything that moved.

But there was none.

Still, he held his breath in and slowly exhaled through slightly open lips to control the thumping of his heart. He had been on hunts before and he knew that he was supposed to be the predator – and predators were silent.

A flicker of light glowed somewhere further in the shadows. Not enough for him to see what was there, but more like the reddish-orange burn of a dying ember. He took another step forward...and another...he was getting braver as adrenaline was pumped into his bloodstream in his excitement.

That's when he knew he made a mistake.

A sudden hiss from where he saw the ember came too soon, too loud for that it rang in his ears.

He was stupefied as what lied before Bulan slithered towards him much slower than he anticipated; as if it was clever and looked at him in a calculating manner.

In the bright light of the full moon was a gigantic serpent.

Much bigger than any other snakes that he has seen that he could have been swallowed whole. Between the serpent's green slits that served as eyes was a stone that looked as if it was embedded there, that's where the glow came from. Like a sentient being, the serpent stopped a few feet from where Bulan crouched frozen.

The boy could smell his own fear. And for once, he could not even hear the whistling of the wind amidst the rocks as he tried to take an awkward step backward, if only he could twist and hide behind the outcropping then he would probably have a chance – but, the chance was very slim.

Cold sweat trickled from his curls to his forehead. His hands felt clammy as they held the dagger in front of him.

It seemed that time stretched as the serpent continued to look at him with interest.

He was beginning to wonder why the predator - because that's what the snake was - a predator and he was suddenly the prey, was just looking at him. But just as he thought he was getting brave enough to try to make a run for it, the serpent struck – much too fast that Bulan made a swift motion with his hands at the exact moment that the serpent's head was mere inches from him.

He could feel his blade bite on thick scales, right between the eyes where the glowing stone was.

In a split second, the serpent recoiled in pain, the stench of death coming from its mouth as it howled in agony.

For some reason, Bulan held the glowing stone in his other hand and it felt alive.

He accidentally dropped the dagger that was now drenched in blood. He reached for it, but the serpent was fast – and ferocious. It struck again.

This time, Bulan stepped back and he felt the ground give way and he plunged off the cliff the snake's head was only several inches from where he was screaming as he was pulled by gravity.

In his hand, the stone grew warmer.

In his head, he prayed to the gods, "Bathala, save me."

There was a flash of light much too bright that Bulan's skin glowed like the surface of the moon; the winds howled as if they were angry, and distantly, the boy could hear the tumultuous crashing of the waves before he remembered that the sea as so far from where he was falling to his death.

It all happened too fast.

Suddenly, there was only darkness.