The Tales of Tikum Kadlum

3 AMULET AND TALISMAN

2.3 RUN DOGGY RUN

Tikum took a step back and ducked low to avoid the jug.

"I think you're drunk," he said. "I think you're really drunk."

"Maybe. But you know what I think? I think you should return that where you found it." Her red lips twisted as she scowled. "I won't repeat what I just said, thief." She spun the karambits on her fingers, the blades' edge glinting like a musang's green eyes.

Tikum raised his hands placatingly. The babaylan was actually easy to the eyes. Younger than most babaylanon too. Which was quite rare, for the vocation tended to have older, more experienced women. Maybe that's why she dyed her long hair ash gray, he guessed. Perhaps, to make her look older than she actually was. Before Tikum could comment on it the babaylan made her move, lunging at him with the karambits like a panther cornered in her cage.

Tikum tried to move out of the way and let Karas' own momentum off-balance her swing, but he misjudged the distance she could cover. "Gi-atay," he said as one of the kambit nicked his abdomen. He back-pedaled, unstrapping his trusty axe, Hutik. "What did I do to you!? That was uncalled for!"

"Don't play dumb and stay in one place, piss-brain!"

Tikum shook his head. "Stop swinging those things at me and maybe I'll reconsider." He ran to the opposite side of the room.

Karas pointed her blade at Tikum. "You lout! You think you can get away?"

"That was the plan."

"You know what we do with thieves like you?" She made a cutting gesture with her weapon down her other hand and sneered. "Let's see if your mouth could talk smart after that."

He smiled nervously. "Seems so harsh for just a piece of horse hair."

"No one's stealin' from me."

"Stealing? Hey, I'm just borrowing. I'll probably return this." He paused and smiled again. "Probably."

Karas growled as her talon-like blades came down like two splinters of the moon towards Tikum, only to stop on the clear black flat of his axe. Steel grated on steel as the babaylan pushed the knives closer to Tikum's face.

"I'm just loaning this for awhile," he said, straining a bit. "We don't have to kill each other for a trinket!"

"You don't know who you're stealin' from," Karas said. "And you don't know what that thing does."

"Oh, I know!" He shifted his weight and pivoted away from the woman.

"Stop dodgin' around, coward!"

"Whoa! Coward? Okay, to be fair that word has been said far too many times that I no longer deny it."

"I'll bleed you dry!"

"That too!"

"Stop! You dimwit."

"Okay, sure, now you're three for three. And because of that I'll let you hit me with your best shot," Tikum said, lips twisting into a smug smile, making Karas more furious.

"You arrogant fool! I'll skin you!"

Tikum parried the babaylan's head kick and feinted a punch. He did it again and again to frustrate Karas every time she attacked. And when the drunk babaylan lowered her guard, expecting another feint, he actually struck her in the forehead with an open palm, staggering her. But it only fueled her drunken attacks more and more as she lashed out with anger.

"You're goin' to bleed so much for that!" she said, gracing the Black Dog's arm with one of her wide swings. "I'm gonna make you squeal like a pig too!"