The Tales of Tikum Kadlum

3 A FLEETING SLUMBER

4.3 PLAYING FETCH

Tikum was about to refuse the offer when a loud crash outside stopped him in his tracks. No longer having the option to escape, he planted his feet and stared at the four figure. Three of them were human but the last one, he was sure, was clearly not. It looked more like a round giant insect slightly bigger than a man. At first, he thought it was just a statue but that was quickly dismissed when it craned its head towards him. Like all the rest, it sat cross-legged around a table full of painted tiles, enjoying a game of pairs.

"I think... Mr. Bagangan scared him witless," the man with blue glowing eyes said. His voice so hallow it made the goose-flesh behind Tikum's neck stand. The rest only chuckled. "Should we continue?" he added as he shifted in his seat beside the giant insect, who was now buzzing.

"You know, it's not right to stare at people," the fellow with the long, flowing gray hair on the other side of the giant insect said.

He looked effeminate and somewhat unremarkable except for one thing. Tikum had to look twice to confirm it.

"What in Saragnayan's balls is happening to your hair!" he said pointing at the man's long locks.

"What now?" the man said as his hair shifted its color from gray to black to red and then to purple.

"It's–"

Before Tikum could finish speaking the man with the ever-shifting hair color interrupted him. He wasn't exactly unremarkable, there was something odd in the glint of his eyes. It did not match his youthful face. It was-

"It's beautiful, I know."

"I'd call it weird, if there was any word for it."

"Weird is better than nothing. And I prefer this than being boring."

"Are you some demon?" Tikum hesitated. "Wait, don't tell me, are you an amaranhig?"

The man gave a short chuckle. "Your guesses are all interesting. Sadly, I'm not any of those ." He smiled. "Amaranhig? Really? Why would you ever say that? And if I was one, I'd have eaten this lot for being such a drab bunch when it comes to gambling."

"You're not?" Tikum took a step but halted. "So, you're an aswang?"

"Manling, be careful with the words you use," the only woman in the group said. "How dare you compare my master to a blood-hungry night-ghoul?"

Among all of them she was the most normal-looking. Her hair was tied to a bun while thin arching brows lined the base of her wide forehead. A crooked nose jutted at the center of her oval face and a mismatched pair of golden rings precariously hang on her ears. The glint of a curve dagger on her belt caused pause for Tikum. She sighed.

"Do you even know where you are?" she said.

"Oh, I thought he was your visitor, Si-an Usong," the man with the ever-shifting hair color said to her, placing a tile on the table.

"You are sorely mistaken, my Lord Halmista," Thin brows said back to him. "I invited a lovely binukot not a crude ape." She stared at Tikum, one brow raised.

"Then, let's extend our hospitality to him and invite the poor fellow in," Halmista said, turning his hair into silver this time. "We could use another player in the game. And he looks like he's not planning on coming out to meet the our little steel-beaked friend outside."

"But we will have to restart... if you let him join us, Halmista," the man with the blue gem-like eyes said with his eerie voice. He rearranged the rectangular tiles in his hand. "And I'm already close to winning our game."