The small village were uneasy right now. They all gathered in the morning and talked about what happened last night. In preparation, they secured their small villages, it doesn't have a strong foundation you can call a wall, just a twigs as fences. The houses are surrounded with salt, garlic, and inside the household are prayers. When the twilight grace them with its presence the gloams show it's appearance. Every night murmurings from a neighboring village surrounded the air, their words are always about the flesh eating demons; aswang.
Last night, a type of aswang known as tiktik attacked, thankfully they scared it away, but they're not certain if it will return. The villagers are not aware that the tiktik was killed by a river spirit known by many dwarfs as Ilawod. He is magneficient with otherworldly beauty, but has anger issue naiad. The river Ilawod resides is located nearby the village. Some villagers uses the river as a source of livelihood; fishing, source of water, taking a bath, and doing the laundry, but lately some rascal started throwing their trash in the river including animals and humans feces. The pristine water started to turn green. The river gives them livelihood, food, and water but in return the village poison it. A lot of water spirits got sick and some even passed away. The shokoy migrates to other streams and then all left was Ilawod.
Rumors around the forest among the spirits about Ilawod being enigmatic. Hearsays spread that he is the one who effortlessly killed the tiktik, but the tiktik clan didn't believed it or refused to because of cowardness, they instead throw the blame at the villagers. To the Tiktik leader it was the human village who harmed and killed their kindred, and tonight blood will spill, the land will be painted red.
When dusk is nearing the fairies fly up to the tall trees, hiding away. Their glowing wings flap against the wind, they are worried but it isn't their business. They only watch from the above as aswang crawl aggressively below, their saliva drop to the land, their eyes red, their teeth sharp and yellow, their bodies covered with hair—it's the tiktik!
When the dog howled the villagers stilled, their breathing heavy as their hold to their strength tightens. The men are outside guarding the surroundings, sharp axe, swords, and stingray tail on their hands. The women are inside the house, hugging their love ones. They hold different strength however their hearts drums. They are only human, yes, but that what makes them powerful. They... believe.
"AAAAHHHHHHH!" A fat man yelled, a tiktik jumped at him and broke his neck, pulled his head; he was split.
"ASWANGGGGG!" The villager's men attacked. The sharp edge of their weapons shined beneath the moon's light.
"YOU WILL PAY!" The tiktik leader growled. He crawled swiftly, everyone who attacked got split, shred in many pieces.
Ilaya was peeking at the window, eyes widen, hands trembling. It rain, it rain with blood. The villager men are overpowered, they lack training, the aswang are powerful and mystical. One tiktik managed to evade the guard, it went straight inside a house, then there was a scream and silence.
"NOOOOOOOOOOO!" One villager men screamed. It was his home, his family.
The tiktik snarled, as if to taunt the humans. But, then, an arrow hit one of them straight to the eye. It penetrate the skull, the speedy arrow embaded on a tree trunk along with the tiktik's eyeballs.
The leader of the aswang eye's widen, "W-who…?" He scanned the surroundings. "It's not a normal being… not a human…"
The villager men are on the ground, some lost arms and legs and some died. The taunt earlier gone in an instant.
"Retreat!" The aswang leader commanded. "We will be back next fullmoon! And that time we won't be merciful!" He warns, and the tiktik trope leaves.
The fallen villager men slowly help those who have a hard time. When the first light kissed the land, the remnant of last night battle slap their faces. It was brutal and horrifying... life was lost. Everyone seems did not notice it but Ilaya does.
"Who was it? Why did he helped us?"