The Usog Chronicles: Book 1: Idadalmon

Case File Number 1: Davao by Night

The sun was high in the sky when Zaine woke up. The neighborhood is already breaking into a choir of gossips, peddling and the ever famous karaoke. He quickly got up and check the laptop on his bedside desk. He clicked the wake-up button and browse through his emails. He found a few from his online clients, asking him to write about a lot of topics. From the "Ideal Colors of Tiles in the Bathroom" to the review of Vacuum Cleaners and the "Most Ideal Vacation Spots for Couples over 60". He went to his little kitchen and turned the coffeemaker on. He went back to his desk, opened Google and researched on a topic that he was working on last night- "How to take pictures properly for Instagram" for one of his clients from Europe. We was clicking the keyboards when suddenly he heard a ping- an email from "The Scribe".

"Hey Nikholas, Scribe here. We have a situation. See you at the HQ."

Zaine tapped a the keyboard and composed a short reply- "Be there in an hour, CARLO. P.S. Don't call me Nikholas if you don't want me to call you Carlo the entire month."

Scribe, as he calls himself, is a 16 year old brat named Carlo Madrigal. Like Zaine, he is also an orphan who lost his parents to a car accident. However, unlike Zaine, he ended up getting a hefty amount of cash, a house at the high end community in Maa. Zaine is staying in a low-cost house left to him by his grandmother who took care of him. His mom, died when he was still a baby and Lola Iska took care of him since then. That was 20 years ago.

From having a cold shower, Zaine opened his closet and pick up a fitted shirt and jeans that he bought from Roxas. As he combs his shoulder length hair, Zaine wondered why he looks different. He's tall, lean and fair and his friends swear that his hair reflects the moonlight. Most people find him very attractive and he also got a few offer to model clothes for some of the fashion designers in the city. Since he was young, his life is simple but easy. It's like everything falls into place, just like magick.

Seven years ago, Zaine's life changed drastically. When he was thirteen, he started dreaming of crows. A few months after that, he started seeing crows around their house. A year later, he can see a crow following him around the city. He can see it inside the mall, in school, on the street and it seems like he is the only one who can see it.

When he was fifteen, he started researching about the weird things he was experiencing and as he tried to look for answers, the questions multiply. His search lead him to the study of Occult, Metaphysics and Magick. He dabbled into witchcraft and was especially attracted to the magick of the Celts. He absorbed the knowledge like a sponge and soon discovered that the crow he sees all the time is a familiar, a vetch.

It took Zaine five years to successfully communicate with the Crow Familiar he now calls "Itom" or Black. Itom is a loyal familiar which lingers all the time. Her method of communicating is not really through words but vision. It seems like Zaine sees things that Itom wants him to see. They have created a bond so strong that he can sometimes see through her eyes, especially when he sleeps and flies with her. Itom now helps Zaine and advise him how to do things. From seeing the realm behind the veil to crossing it and flying to the shining city. Ever since he was eighteen, Zaine dedicated most of his free time to study magick and help people in need, from helping their dead loved ones move on, to talking to elementals, solving some cases along the way.

He also frequented online threads and social media chat rooms to look for people with similar interests, he found a few, but most of them are just kids interested in witchcraft as a past time. One day, he stumbled upon a website called "Usog Chronicles" managed by a guy named Scribe. A few months after, they had their first get together in a resort near Toril. There he met others who are also documenting these things. He was reminiscing the past when the sound of his phone pulled him back to reality- "Yes Scribe?"

"Bring your stuff. I think we have a powerful engkanto on the loose. I saw a post on FB about a girl who just collapsed and "died" after swimming near Bangkerohan. Classic case of Soul Grabbing. Let's head to SIR, Matina and investigate further. They are asking for help online."

Zaine stuffed his bag with the things he think he needs. He went through some of his journals, picked the pouch with some cleansing and protection herbs, a pouch of Quartz crystals. His athame, a dull black bladed knife he had made. He also offered an incense to his little altar for the Gods and he travelled to Maa.

After a few minutes, Zaine found himself at the guard house of the exclusive village. The guard immediately recognized him and smile. He walked amidst the big houses and wide streets and after fifteen minutes, he was ringing the doorbell of an enormous brown gate. The house has the feel of luxury and taste. The walls are made to look like old Spanish bricks. Big French windows show a winding staircase to the second floor. Zaine found himself ringing the doorbell again when he heard the door open. He saw a short boy with curly hair and round eyeglasses. "Hey Zaine, come on in, the team's here."

Scribe lead Zaine into a spacious living room with two girls sitting on the sofa.

"Hey Zaine, you might be very interested with this. This is a well documented case. When I say well documented, I mean it's on social media." the girl with long wavy blond hair wearing an Ateneo de Davao PE uniform was gesturing at Zaine to come nearer.

"Wazzup Thrill?" Zaine looked at the laptop screen and saw what the girl was talking about.

On the laptop screen was an account on FB, saying that a girl names Melanie fell into a coma after swimming in the river. Her parents brought her to the hospital, but she was declared Dead on Arrival at Davao Doctors Hospital. She's now brought on their house at SIR Matina.

"They're the only ones available tonight." the boy Scribe was talking while petting a small brown dog.

The other girl, petite with short black hair was murmuring. It seems like she was talking to something unseen. She took a small piece of bamboo and opened it's tube. Zaine saw a large black dog from behind the girl turn into smoke and went inside the bamboo. It was a sigbin, an elemental being that is said to eat charcoal and lives in pumpkin patches.

"Bantay already located the gate to the Idadalmon, the underworld near that place. It's the big mango tree near the victim's house. He told me however, that there are three engkantados in the place now. Black Engkantos." Karen, told the group.

"Let's prepare and deploy later tonight. I haven't asked permission from Tita Carmela, so Manang Aida, wont let me out of the house tonight. I still have to study for my exams. It sucks!" Scribe said. "Leo will drive you to the place and communicate with me as I monitor you guys."