How to Ride a Tikbalang Ch. 14

The three lovers were lying entwined with each other on the bed in Urduja's cave, answering each other's snores when it happened: Something was burrowing from the cave entrance, heading straight for the foot of the bed.

The scratching, digging sounds woke Jinx first and she sat up, her eyes intent on the undulations of soil being displaced as the burrower plowed forward. With slitted eyes, she raised herself to a kneeling position, her forefinger pointed at the moving mound, ready to zap it with lava... or something like it, when a head popped up and she saw who it was.

"Diwata, goddess, it is I, Bagtas." The nuno climbed out of the hole he'd made with hands held up, palms facing her, to show he was unarmed. "Don't shoot." The nuno bowed his head.

Kidlat snored on, but Jinx's movement woke Cocoy. The bayot picked up the closest thing to his hand, intending to weaponize... a chicken feather from his headdress. So he settled for waking Kidlat up, instead. Jinx had relaxed a bit, lowering her hand but keeping the nuno firmly in her line of sight.

"Forgive me, but my punso is losing life. I would not bother you otherwise. I have come for my amulet." The nuno's words were courteous, but there was so much urgency in those two sentences. "Return it to me and I will depart."

Bagtas did look the worse for wear, Kidlat thought, noticing a droop to the nuno's dark brown skin that gave it gray undertones which were not there when the trio last saw him.

Kidlat wrapped Cocoy's tapis about his hips as he rose from the bed to fetch the amulet and hand it to Bagtas. "Here it is, elder Bagtas. We had to cut it from the kilkig to take it from him. We also had to use its power, but our diwata welded it back together for you. Please take it and restore your home."

"Thank you, tikbalang prince, son of Ulap and Bulan," Bagtas answered with the formality of old that belied the relieved and happy smile he gave the diwata, tikbalang and bayot. "And may the gods and goddesses welcome your diwata into their midst. May you ever be blest. I look forward to your joining rites. Should you need it, I will be most honored to provide the blessings of music upon you then." With that, Bagtas put the amulet back around his neck, popped back down the hole he'd dug, and burrowed back out of the cave.

"Goddess?" Jinx's voice was tinged with a blend of disbelief, amazement and the false modesty that had been drummed into her human self. "That may be a bit much."

"Goddess," Cocoy said with lecherous undertones as he ran his hands lightly over her bare skin, "is just about right. Look at your lush breasts, diwata, and that delicious behind. You've got the body for it."

"Goddess." Kidlat agreed unequivocally. "You saved our bacon out there. So yes, goddess. And look at your hair, Jinx. It's down past your paist now. If that isn't a sign of divinity, I don't know what is."

The tikbalang walked over to the Cocoy's backpack and extracted a pocket mirror, holding it up to show Jinx exactly what he meant. The diwata cocked an eyebrow and looked into the mirror as she took it from Kidlat's large hand.

"Oh my gulay." She spoke in a shocked whisper as she held the mirror closer, then farther, then moved it so she could see herself in parts. Her once short crop of hair hung in a long, straight curtain of thick blue-black all the way to her waist. The diwata's skin glowed like illuminated morena marble and her pupils were amber ringed with silver gray. "I'm going to need to wear shades, or colored contact lenses, to look normal to the humans."

"There is that," Kidlat grinned at Cocoy and Jinx as he clibed back into bed with them, waggling his brows suggestively. "But you are perfect in this diwata body, and long hair is so sexy on you."

Cocoy wrapped Jinx's newly-long locks about one fist, flashing her his killer dimples just before pulling her gently, but surely, into a hot kiss. He released her lips to beckon to Kidlat. "Come here, tikbalang. Our diwata tastes divine first thing in the morning. No dragon breath."

"Dragon breath? Why you...mpfh!" Jinx's protest died the moment Kidlat's sweet mouth landed on hers and began a dance of tongues, lips and teeth that short-circuited her uncaffeinated brain. That and Cocoy's careful oral attention to the juncture of her shoulder and neck, and his hands skimming her thighs and breasts, were driving all rational thought from her mind.

"Don't you know, diwata? Dragon breath is for the Taga-Lupa only. So I'd better test Cocoy's breath, eh?" The levity in Kidlat's eyes had all three of them laughing, after the tikbalang kissed their bayot, of course.

"Ahem."

The trio's love-play was interrupted by a pink glow, the only announcement of Urduja's presence they'd got before the diwata of Biak na Bato approached them.

"I hate to kick you three out," Urduja spoke with suppressed laughter in her voice. "But I need my love nest back." She stood in front of two creatures that were shaped like well-formed human men, but were almost entirely made of lava and electricity.

Urduja picked up the tea rose marble orb that the tikbalang, bayot and their diwata had left at the upper corner of the bed and handed it to them, nodding toward a dais by the cave entrance. "Adora will be glad to have this stone back, too. You three can get dressed in the batalan, if you don't mind. Diwata business won't wait. Jinx is strong enough to wait a bit more before having both of you."

Urduja's guests were barely at the dais when Urduja's "diwata business" was underway, with Urduja dropping tapis and wrapping herself around one of her lovers, impaling herself on his cock of hot lava and lightning while the other swept that diwata's hair aside and skimmed kisses of literal fire that sparked across her shoulders, on her neck and down the proud line of her spine.

***

Jinx, Kidlat and Cocoy walked to the foot of the stairs at the Pepe's Pole basement just as dawn gently pushed night's cool darkness away. Their bodies were bathed in an aura that was pale gold tinged with tea rose pink and they held the magical rock that transported them carefully, passing it around as they mounted the stairwell to Adora's office, where they left the tearose marble orb that served them well as transport before exiting the bar and proceeding to Cocoy's apartment.

There was a lightness to their gait that one could not miss, and they walked hand in hand on the still streets where the morning somnolence was only broken here and there by a speeding jeepney or the strident calls of a taho vendor hawking the sweet soy and caramel confection that most Filipinos enjoyed with breakfast.

The trio caught up with the magtataho and bought almost half of his stock, asking him to wait as Cocoy brought a large soup bowl down to contain the sticky and sweet soft tofu, caramel and tapioca they'd soon feast on.

"Mmmmm. I love taho. It's soft, sweet and silky, just like Jinx," Cocoy said with a small laugh as he settled into his window-seat with a mug full of the stuff.

Kidlat was too busy scarfing his taho down, gulping it straight from his mug without bothering to use a spoon. "Mfgrhfrggrh. Grhurghurh"

"Cochino." Jinx sipped daintily at her mug of taho after uttering the mild expletive her parents used to use to call someone a filthy pig. "You're not supposed to talk with your mouth full." Despite meaning her words to come out as a scolding, they flowed out with an indulgent undertone. Yep, I got it bad. Look at me, I can't even scold that tikbalang when he looks so adorable while stuffing his face silly.

She cast a glance down at the street where the magtataho was still serving customers, ladling his sweet treats out into clear plastic cups for his patrons. We're like taho, Jinx mused. Good together, like tapioca, tofu and caramel.

Once their mugfuls of taho were gone, Kidlat brought the mugs to Cocoy's kitchen. "Do you two want refills? Because I have a better idea for the taho."

His two lovers followed the tikbalang into the kusina, intrigued by Kidlat's vague suggestion. They walked through the kitchen door and found him buck naked, holding up the taho ladle and waggling the wings of his eyebrows suggestively as he scooped some of the taho in the soup bowl into the ladle he held.

"I wonder how you two taste with taho? Sticky, sweet vtaho."

"Mmmmm... sago, between hot breasts," Cocoy flashed his dimples again, at Jinx, then at Kidlat. "All over a hot six pack, too. Sounds delicious. But the taho has cooled quite a bit." He made an 'ick' face.

"That isn't a problem," Jinx piped up as she took the ladle from Kidlat's hand and pushed the tikbalang to one of the bar stools at the kitchen island. "You've got a hot goddess in here with you. So, how hot do you want it, boys?"

"How hot can it get?" Kidlat splayed his legs wide and set both elbows back on the kitchen island, an invitation Jinx didn't hesitate to take.

She slowly tipped the ladle of taho over Kidlat's chest and dripped the sweet curds diagonally down his pectorals and abdominals to create a path worth licking and sucking and Cocoy followed that path with his mouth.

"Just remember that turnabout is fair play here, diwata of ours," Kidlat's words were uttered between sharp intakes of breath as Cocoy nipped and licked erogenous zones the tikbalang never realized existed. "We'll be getting everyone present sticky and messy."

Cocoy took up the ladle and repeated Jinx's motions with the taho, now heated to the perfect warmth by her hand on the bowl. "It's going to be delicious fun. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, after all." He put the ladle down as Jinx worked to complete the sensuous X of taho, sucking kisses, and long, slow licks they'd created on a groaning Kidlat's torso.

The bayot and diwata were both enjoying their tikbalang, their busy hands caressing him, and each other across him, teasing their passions for each other higher with each stroke and kiss.

"I know we won't die," Kidlat gasped as he reached out for his two lovers' heads (which were now level with some interestingly upstanding and dangly bits of his). "But if we would, this would do it and it would be a damn good way to go."

"Thank goodness we won't die," Cocoy muttered before engulfing Kidlat in a single swallow.

"Since we can't get enough of each other, I second the motion," Jinx said in her multi-layered diwata voice. And she seconded Cocoy's other motion as well, once he popped his mouth off Kidlat to take one of her breasts to his mouth. "Mmmm. Forever sounds delicious."

"Oh, by the Old Gods, marry me, you two." Kidlat took hold of both his lovers' heads again, clenching his fists in their hair while he spoke through pleasure gritted teeth. "Let's have breakfasts like this forever."

"And ever."

"Amen!"

***

Bulan held her two youngest children in a strong hug, one that had them protesting their strangulation. Ulap was looking them and Waki over, taking inventory of their bruises and welts.

The diwata Urduja had seen the three home to the Batumbakals' place on the border of the cities of Manila and Pasay, and she'd complimented both Bulan and Ulap on the upbringing of their two youngest progeny. The diwata didn't stay too long, instead issuing an invitation to visit her at Biak na Bato soon.

"It's been too long since your last visit to my mountain, you two," Urduja said to the Tikbalang King and his consort before she turned to leave. "Remember where you were wed. The jungle misses you both and I do, too. Now, take care of these three young ones and let me know when you'll be in my domain."

You'd think that the Batumbakal progeny and Waki weren't adults yet, for all the fussing the First Priestess and Tikbalang King were indulging in while in the haven of their home. Filipino parents. No children of theirs would ever be considered old enough for any sort of pain—ever. Not even the ones they'd informally adopted because, well, that's just how families rolled on the archipelago now called the Philippines. Younglings were younglings. Period.

"Thank Bathala you are home, you three," Bulan's voice was shaky as she spoke. She'd finally released them and they were too busy breathing to protest much.

"You're going to need to tend to their injuries, baylan mine. Shall I fetch your kit?" Ulap may be a king, but he would ever be the right hand of his chosen bride—and the doting father he enjoyed being.

"Please do, my love." The gaze she cast at her life's mate was intense and full of the love they'd shared for centuries and Ulap blushed slightly as he took the kit from a cabinet under the entresuelo's mantel and crossed the room to hand it to Bulan. "Now, while I'm tending you three, perhaps you will tell me what happened." The command in her eyes as she looked from Amihan, to Habagat, to Waki would not be brooked.

The three told their tale, filling in each other's sentences, as they have done from childhood. Bulan's gentle hands kept dabbing ointments and unguents on the injuries she found. Ulap sat silently beside his youngest son, his eyes intent on theirs, shifting adroitly from one to the other as they took turns speaking.

"I see your brother was true to his word, then. Justice has been served to the barista named Martha. Her true killer has been neutralized and he is in the hands of the SkyFather and EarthMother," Ulap stood to leave the room now that he was assured the three would be on the mend soon. "I must record this in the Book of Worlds."

Kingly duties still needed doing, after all, and one of those was to keep the Book of Worlds up to date. Ulap couldn't wait to pass that job on to his firstborn, Buhawi. Retirement with his babaylan was something he'd looked forward to for a very long time.

He also couldn't help but wonder what happened to Waki's eldest brother, Bulalakaw, who had once been his best friend. Perhaps the Great Parents would spare that one, give him redemption. That was something else for the Book of Worlds, a prayer for Bulalakaw who had once been his closest friend.

***

By the time Kidlat, Jinx and Cocoy made it to Cocoy's claw-foot tub, they'd pretty much finished all the remaining taho and sated their appetite for each others' bodies enough to engage in some bathroom fun amid a shared shower with a handheld showerhead to clean each other off.

The bayot and tikbalang shaved each other, a new ritual that the two enjoyed immensely—and one Jinx enjoyed watching just as much.

"So, we're getting married, eh?" Cocoy sounded happy at that prospect. "It's a good thing I love you both, then."

"Thank the Old Gods for that, or I'd have to commit a crime of passion, like keep you from coming until you do break down and love me back," Kidlat nodded to Jinx. "Or I'd just let her do it. She loves us."

"I love you? Since when?" Jinx's levity was spiced with a slightly ascerbic tone, but her eyes were shining silver and gold at the two men who did hold her in thrall.

"You love us. We know you do," Cocoy swept her up off her feet and held her against his chest, bringing the tip of his nose to hers. "We'll even do a paninilbihan if you want. Just to prove how much we are your slaves, goddess of ours."

Kidlat enfolded them both in a warm hug, letting Jinx feel his heartbeat against her breast and laying his head on Cocoy's shoulder so he could look the diwata in the eye. "We'll be a family, yes? We will marry each other, on Mt. Pinatubo if you want."

"Oh, fine. Yes." The aspired asperity of Jinx's tone didn't quite make it to the levels she'd planned. She was too happy held between her men—not to mention ecstatic that, at last, she would have a family that was hers forever.

The three nuzzled each other in a three-way kiss, laughing when their noses got in the way.

***

When they finally made it to Ulap and Bulan's house, lunchtime had come and gone. Jinx fidgeted with her hair nervously as Cocoy rapped on the knocker. "Tao po!" A fitting greeting for him, since he was the only actual human among them—immortal now, but human.

The large narra door swung open to reveal a smiling Bulan, who had Ulap's arm around her shoulders.

"Come in, you three," Bulan's welcome was as warm as her wide smile of perfect teeth and lush red lips. "Thank you for saving my two little ones and their best friend." She and Ulap stepped aside to allow Jinx, Cocoy and Kidlat to walk into the entresuelo and past it.

They all proceeded to the living room, where Kidlat's siblings and their best friend were sitting and enjoying a light snack of maja blanca topped with toasted coconut shavings and hot chocolate made from Davao tableas. The two younger tikbalangs and Amihan waved hi to them before tucking back into their merienda.

Ulap motioned for the newcomers to settle themselves on the overstuffed couch or armchairs and his wife went to the kitchen to fectch more maja blanca and tsokolate.

The Tikbalang King settled himself on a leather wing-backed chair, obviously his favorite seat in the room.

"So, son, when is the wedding?"

Kidlat chuckled. "You never waste any time, do you Dad?"

"There's weather to arrange and a feast to plan, of course I won't waste any time!"

"Now, now, mahal ko, don't you think you're being rude rushing these kids?" Bulan was back with a tray of hot chocolate in delicate china cups on hand-painted saucers and small plates of maja blanca, with a bowl of extra toasted coconut shavings. Habagat took the tray from his mother while Amihan arranged the victuals and drinks on the steamer trunk that served as both storage and coffee table.

"Wife, you know kids these days," Ulap grumbled good-naturedly. "If you don't bring them to the point, they will keep going in circles. Look at Buhawi..."

"Husband, if you don't shut up, we won't know what planning needs to be done." So Ulap shut up. He was a good Filipino husband who knew when to push it and when to shove it down. Push had come to shove.

"Now, Kidlat—my itchy-poo, my wunnerful babykins, sproutling, snarfling beanstalk—are you getting married? Truly? To this diwata and this bayot?" Bulan cooed over her second-born son, ignoring the face-palming and eye-rolling of her other progeny and Waki's studiedly intent perusal of his smartphone.

Kidlat couldn't have been more embarrassed if his mother had pinched his cheeks and pouted her lips at him while she lapsed into baby-talk. For crying out loud...

He drew a long, deep breath as Jinx clasped one of his hands in hers. Kidlat sought Cocoy's hand with his free hand and exhaled slowly.

"Yes, Inay, Cocoy, Jinx and I are getting married to each other. Or we'd like to—if it can be done."

"Of course it can be done!" Bulan clapped her hands imperiously. "You aren't Taga-Lupa who are limited to just one life partner. Oh, this calls for a lot of planning, Ulap my darling." She flew into her husband's lap and snuggled into the Tikbalang King, wiggling her butt over his thighs so that the good king wound up looking at his second son with slightly crossed eyes.

"Anything you say, diyosa ko, anything," Ulap managed to get out past the sudden constriction of his throat. And his pants. Because Bulans fingers were rubbing sensitive parts of his ears and neck.

"Oh, dear Gods, get a room, Ma!" Amihan covered her eyes and laughed at her parents while Habagat stood and cleared away the plates he, Waki and his sister had used.

"I'm going to wash up."

"I'm going with you, dude." Waki took the opening provided by Habagat's exit to clear out of the living room as well.

"Wait up, I'll help." Amihan rushed out after Habagat and Waki, the ew factor of her parents' display of amorousness put wings on her feet. Parents have sex, yes. But kids shouldn't have to know that. Ew. Details are soooo not needed.