"Death by Exsanguinate"

"Death by Exsanguinate"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.

The card Exsanguinate was made to end lives. Specifically to end the lives of all your opponents when playing Commander. Sucking the life out of all your opponents simultaneously and adding all of that life loss to your own is way better than just using one Consuming Spirit or Drain life on a single target. Talk about a massive swing in your favor right? When this card first came out in Mirrodin Besieged it had multiplayer written all over it. It was the only place where it was maximized and it was seen in bargain binders the world over.When EDH came to the forefront in the list of Magic players this one particular card stood among those cards that had the Multiplayer seal stamped on them. 

In our current EDH league I was able to watch Karl finish off Garry and Cryst by having one uncountered Exsanguinate resolve and do all the dirty work. Garry who was running an Azorius Blue/ White Deck and Cryst who was running an Izzet Blue / Red deck was not able to react to the this blackspell that consumed them to Oblivion.

The X on this particular cards might be considered a draw back but please keep in mind that EDH is a long drawn out game where people can amass vast amounts of mana in no time at all because of Rocks, Talismans or Runes. Not to mention the mana ramp that is available to any green mage.A simple Vorinclex in play instantly doubles all of your mana while crippling your opponents on the succeeding turns. Indeed in EDH there are so many ways to die.Death by Exsanguinate though is a higher way of dying because unlike creature damage it is much harder to pull off. 

So the next time you see a player with Black Mana and an abundance of mana ramp ,keep that counter handy. An Exsanguinate just might be a turn away.

"Land destroying Lands:A Comparison"

"Land destroying Lands"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.

Lands destroying other lands(LDL). Why that's like people eating other people! At least in the world of magic this is just fine. Lands destroying other lands I mean.

Pin point land destruction is a must for any player who plays in an environment where non basic lands dominate. EDH games are the best example of this where the most competitive decks are chock full of Non-basic lands. There are a lot of these lands that give unfair advantage to your opponents so a little land destruction goes a long way to make sure that EDH games run a bit more fairly for you. Lands that give Mana Advantage likes Serra's Sanctum or Limitless Recursion like Volrath's Stronghold to the Man Land Cycle of cards from World Wake. To the Infective Inkmoth Nexus and Monstrous Dark Depths. There will never be a shortage of targets.

Now why choose lands when there are an abundance of spells that actually do that job. Yes there are spot removals that could take care of creatures in each color but there is just one word for them: Counters. Lands that destroy others do so by mana- activated abilities and are virtually unstoppable when they pop. Who would want to target one of these Land destroying Lands with a Pithing Needle right? 

Now as a given LDL's have one constant feature aside from being able to blow up their own kind. They give you one colorless mana to build your mana base when you get them early. So this is the inherent draw back of using them. If your mana base is screwed up you lose one mana producing land when you use their second ability. The good news though is that in EDH no one really needs to destroy anything early. Over the years Magic has tweaked them a bit to make them less stronger for the standard format.

The 6 best lands to include in your EDH deck are the following:

1)  Encroaching Wastes

Pros: Choice of LDL for Standard

Cons: 4 colorless mana to activate!

- The latest of the line has been hosed down a bit but will still see play because it is the only LDL in standard today.

2) Ghost Quarter

Pros: No mana cost to activate

Cons: Your opponent will be able put one basic land in play

- Your opponent gaining one basic land is better than dying to an activated Dark Depths later on. 

3) Tectonic Edge

Pros: Just 1 Colorless mana to activate

Cons: You need to wait until your opponent has at least 4 lands.

- Very good against Man Lands during its time.

4) Dust bowl

Pros: The great thing about it is that you don't need to sacrifice it. You could sacrfice another land to be able to use it again.

Cons: 3 mana cost and loss of a another land. Most likely a basic land.

5) Wasteland

Pros: Just tap and Sacrifice!

Cons: A weaker version of strip mine but then again no one really just wants to blow up Basic lands. 

6) Strip Mine

Pros: Tap to pop a land and It can blow any land too!

Cons: Aside from losing one land. Nothing

- By far the strongest LDL since it can destroy even basic lands.

There you have it. 6 lands that can make a difference against the Non-basic land menace.

There may be a lot of targets at any given time but these lands are always limited. Choose your targets wisely.

"Ang Tunay na Dukha"

"Ang Tunay na Dukha"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.

I

Dumungaw ako Mula sa Taxi

Doon sa bantayog

Doon ko sila nakita

Mga batang madumi at ulila

II

Sa paanan ng mga bayani nakahiga

Pagod sa kapapalimos , nagpapahinga

Alam kong kumakalam ang sikmura

Hindi hiningi na maging dukha

III

Sa mata nga mga tao

Sila’y kinukutya

Pero sa kanilang mga sarili

Hindi rin alam na sila’y dukha.

"A Dead Poet's Anguish"

"A Dead Poet's Anguish"

By:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.

I

The death of my heart,

The death of my soul,

has left me broken  , old and cold.

I see.

I hear.

but yet I do not feel,

The madness of joy

or the numb

Inescapable insanity of a delirious boy.

II

Ah, speak to me.

drive away this sheet of despair.

let me feel that you truly care.

Scream! I want to utter that soundless cry.

help me, teach me how to feel pain and how to die.

let me bleed, let me hurt, let me feel.

let me do anything and experience the thrill

of living; 

God don’t let me go down, without knowing why

I have ceased to fight and meekly accepted to drown;

and wither away with the tragic face of a clown.

“Seeking the pages”

“Seeking the pages”

By: 

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.

It was a dark place. A very dark place along the alleyways of  Atalacia , an underground city of the west. Most criminals come here to hide along with the other dredges , most of them survivors from the other tribal wars that have been constantly rocking the continent. There would be more of them still as the fighting still continued.

People in Atalacia were easy pickings for the darkness aided any crime. The underground crystals that lit the entire city was constantly blinking on and off because the sun where they drew their power was slowly being blocked out by the smoke of war.

He came here awhile back with his companions. His name was Alexander. Named after a past king  living as a pauper. How the irony struck him. Hidden under a cloak away from the peering eyes of the crowd he continued to walk.

The towering figure  ahead of him was Omega. And he was the one who would get them inside of this mansion to retrieve a page of the book of Sonkiar. Omega deftly climbed the walls followed closely by Delphine. It was hard to imagine that Delphine was actually an attractive woman underneath her thick but light armor that masked any feminine features. Aided by the dark she was just another person. An owl hoot signaled Omegas success. He had released all of the alarms on the side of the mansion.

Alexander majestically pushed the door as haughty as a king. In one smooth motion with the power he was borne with created two swords in both his hands and slashed the two guards caught by surprise by his entry.

Delphine rolled back her eyes. “That guy is as haughty as ever”. 

“Silence” Omega said “It is our duty to make his job easier for him”

“Like that time we retrieved the other two pages you mean? where that freaking dragon almost cut off our heads.” Delphine said

“It has been written and so it shall be child.” Omega said. “it was by his power that we were saved after all.”

“ yeah after we run around like headless chickens inside that cave.”

“Enough of that.We must aid him again now”

“Whatever”

Alexander walked and looked at the cameras. He smiled and smashed it. He walked calmly as ever. As if this was not the house of Atalacias most ruthless crime boss.

He opened another door and a dozen guards greeted him. They rushed toward the trespasser but from behind them Delphine landed on the floor as graceful as a cat and cut off 5 heads in one motion of her sword.

Omega thundered down like a boulder and grabbed two heads and slammed them to each other. The two unconscious guards dropped to the floor. He elbowed a third and with his free fist sent a fourth flinging to the decorated walls on their right.

Delphine moved swiftly cutting down two more before they could even fire their guns. A lone guard remained and he run toward Alexander with his drawn sword raised up above his head. A sword pierced his chest before he can even reach him. Blood splattered over Alexanders  lightly armored body  and he looked at Delphine who threw the sword. He looked at Omega and gave him a nod which meant that he and Delphine should stand their ground here until he returns. Without a hint of emotion he walked past the two and opened the door to the main chamber. Alexander disappeared in its dark recesses as the door snapped close.

“What in the hell was that for?” Delphine said. “Not a word of thanks or anything like that.”

“He is under a lot of stress Delphi , you need to understand that” Omega said as he slumped toward the door and took out a sword that punctured his left flank. It was a small break in his armor that might have proven more costly than he thought in the face of more enemies.

          Blood gushed down his sides. Delphine noted and run toward his side and took a piece of cloth from within her armor and pressed hard on the side of the old man.

          “Omega you are hurt , we should get you out of here.”  Delphi said as she looked around for something that could be used to carry the solidly built warrior.

          Omega grabbed her hand. “No , we must not leave him here. We must stay and guard this place until his return. I am quite alright. If we have time later we can fix this but not at the moment.”

          “How can you be alright? Look at how deep this sword pierced you?” The warrior said pointing to the bloodied sword that lay on the carpeted floor. “Besides if he is the creator , he can take care of himself right? So let us go old timer.”

          “No , even if he can create swords by his hands now he still has a long way to go before he becomes the one who will save us all. There will be a time where he will no longer require us but for now we cannot leave him alone.”

          “Arghhh , have it your way but at least let me patch you up”

          “Ok”

_____________________________________________________________

          The door closed and Alexander was alone in the darkness of the main room and their in its very center inside a glass case lay a page of the book of Sonkiar. As the legend once told , the gods have sealed their powers inside that book when they met to decide the fate of man.This was to ensure that no petty squabbling would get in the way of the talks but the god of the underworld had taken hold of the book and tried to run away with it. The gods sensing the betrayal took after him and killed the darklord. They got their powers but a copy of each was left in the pages  so when the book fell into mortal hands it decided the fate of the nations until one lone assassin tore the book in the cliff of Sonkiar and let its pages fly. So it came that pages of the book settled in different parts of the world and those who were worthy could harness the power of the book.

          Haldebar Suk , the owner of this mansion was not one of those. But he acquired a page of the book  by killing a kind man who healed for free. And it intrigued Alexander what this page held. And how will that power aid him in his quest.

          The door behind the case opened and came in the lord of the house with two whores in see through clothes clinging tightly to him.

          “So I see you’ve taken care of the men I stationed out there. Bad luck for them. Good luck for me coz I don’t have to pay them tomorrow.” Haldebar said amused with himself.

          The 2 whores laughed with him but Alexander stood there silent.

          “Whats this? No sense of humor at all?” the old fat man said. “Son if you don’t start lightening up you won’t even reach my age and get women like these.” Haldebar pinched the women’s asses.

          Alexander still holding on to his two swords lifted off his hood to reveal a young face  bearing so much sorrow that the two ladies took pity on him. “My name is Alexander of Sandoza and I have come to take that page”

          “And what makes you think you can come out of my mansion alive boy?” Haldebar clapped his hands and it was as if the room shifted. Then 4 massive beasts appeared but it seemed that they could not fit in the room. There was a whirring sound from unseen gears and the room adjusted , in a matter of seconds it seemed to have no boundaries and the beasts slowly moved around as if being awakened from a deep slumber.

          “Come Alexander of Sandoza , let my beasts show you  the way to where your dead brethren are staying.” With that the four beasts attacked at once in a surprising speed that did not hint at any hibernation process.

          Alexander surveyed the area as fast as he could and noticed that although the room looked the same, the space had greatly widened and he was going to turn it into his advantage. He backed off and run toward the end of the room. If he was right , the place would be like an arena and that meant it would go in a circle.

          The beasts were charging and he knew he could not kill them at this rate with just the weapons he can produce.

          So his only chance was to send them all back to the sender.

          Alexander hugged to the walls and one beast who was faster than the other crashed to the wall. Smashing its head and making it fall unconscious.

That’s one. 

          The 3 were coming and Alexander moved to the left staying near the walls.  Two more of the beasts crashed to the wall behind him. The last mere inches to where he was and the  force of the blow sent him flinging to the air , landing on the ground near his target. The 4^th beast sensing that his prey had fallen went into a full gallop.  Alexander a bit shaken but conscious was where he wanted to be and a smile broke on his lips. In the end the mind wins over brawn.

          Haldebar knew what would happen next but it was too late as the beast collided with him. He was nothing but a smear on the very walls he created with his magic. The two women with the crime boss were frantic and run away.

          The illusion of the room faded and Alexander ended up with just the glass encased page. He took a step and dusted himself up. He smashed the glass and took the page in his hands. The page shone in his hands and it spoke.

          “I am the power of Medici , god of healing , create anything that would heal and give life. For the savior is not just one who saves the soul but the body as well.”

          The page turned to dust and Alexander felt the power course through him. And he sensed that Omega needs his new found skills

____________________________________________________________.

          Delphine was outmatched by the whole slew of warriors that appeared but she was fighting and killing everyone until an unusually strong arm took hold of her neck. The hard hand started to squeeze her throat. She swung her word upward and it broke into two. She looked at the face of her adversary and it was that of a crystal troll , they were made of the hardest substance on the planet and no blade can save her now. Her vision faded and she uttered her voice to the god of death.

          Then she found herself sprawled to the ground. The hand that almost killed her still in her throat. She opened her eyes to see Alexander with a sonic blade singing in his hand and the troll was slashed in half.

          Without uttering a word Alexander created what looked like herbs and fed them to Omega who lay near his death. Omega coughed and looked at Alexander.

          “So my lord it was the God Medici’s page. I am again indebted to you.” Omega said as he bowed.

          Alexander placed an arm on his shoulder. “We should go now and rest.” The creator put on his cloak and walked out into the cold night.

          Delphine who was still dazed  looked at Omega and limped out to follow in her masters wake.

"EDH Battles: The Price of Aggression"

"EDH Battles: The Price of Aggression"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.

EDH is a political game. In a setting where players can attack anyone the key is to have enough threats or deterrents before you could unleash your fiendish master plan. I break this mold though by playing a very aggressive commander in the form of Skull Briar. Since my Commander literally grows when he hits an opponent , players are usually wary of the General Damage that they could get from him. 

He does not seem very threatening at 2/2 or 3/3 so most players are happy to let him slip through. Once he becomes 7/7 though then opponents do tend to take notice especially if there was already enough damage on them that could already consider lethal. 

This is a double-edged sword for me in the sense that some opponents tend to focus more on taking care of my Commander that they sometimes fail to notice the combo pieces that I am now laying down on the battlefield. People are to busy not dying from Commander damage that I have already managed to put an It that Betrays in my graveyard and could reanimate it at any time or that I have already cast a Mikaeus the Unhallowed on the board giving Skull Briar another +1/+1. Sometimes they expect the Triskelion after Mikaeus makes an appearance sometimes they totally miss it. It lands on the battlefield and pings everyone to death! Talk about dying while being distracted by the prospect of dying!

"Ping Ping Ping...Ping"

The other side of this coin is when all my opponents happen to assess me as the only viable threat on the table and decide to take care of me as soon as they could. It gives me an ambivalent feeling.  Happy that I am being considered the most powerful one in the entire table not so happy because I might die from consistent attacks before I could even cast a mass removal on the board. EDH games go on for a long time and it does not really feel good watching from the sidelines as the play continues without being involved in it.

Oh well , at least in the game I can do as I please. Die fast. Die Hard!

"The Footsteps on the Ceiling"

"The Footsteps on the Ceiling"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr. 

When I was younger it was not so surprising to find people going to my mom to ask for prayers. One afternoon a group of people went to our house and asked my mom to join them in a prayer session. My Mom dressed up and agreed. I tagged along because I was curious to see what the prayer was about. (Usually it was about a prayer to bless someone taking a board exam or a couple who was having problems in their marital life). This time though it was different.

When we entered that house I found something that I have never seen before. There was one set of foot prints. Black foot prints of a man with no shoes or slippers that appeared in the middle of the house , went toward a wall and continued to walk vertically and apparently stepping on to the ceiling to disappear somewhere in the middle as well. The ceiling was way too high for any one to use a stick to fashion those foot prints. We even knew these people. They didn't have that sense of humor that usually comes in making pranks like these. What they were though was very scared. 

Aside from the footprints I also saw a shadow that was hiding behind a religious idol. It was looking at everyone as the prayer started. I saw the shadow flicker behind the idol and vanish. When the prayer ended I told my mom about what I saw. I believe that the prayer was successful because there were no follow-up requests. I wondered why that spirit was terrorizing that family? I guess I would never know. That house was bulldozed to make way for condo type apartments. As of today there have been no reports of any Footprints on the condominium ceilings.

"Hotel Ruin Pool Orbs"

"Hotel Ruin Pool Orbs"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.

SM Baguio now sits atop Session Road. This used to be the site of Pines Hotel. These used to be ruins that were caused by a fire that my friend Eros and I would walk through everyday going home from UP Baguio. There were rumors of many Ghost sightings in the area. I wasn't so sure about that since all we were really able to witness were couples sitting down on the benches under the lamp lights.

After a College Event ( I failed to remember which one) Eros and I and a couple of others passed by these hotel ruins again. There would normally be roaming guards in the area. It might be abandoned but it still needed protecting but surprisingly during this time there was none to be seen. We decided to explore the area a bit and found what seemed to be the pool area of the hotel. The pool still had water and for some reason the lights were still on. Despite being stagnant for awhile the waters were still clear. A few debris floated here and there but it was still clean. I was wondering about that when the first orb appeared. It emerged from out of the water.  It was the size of a tennis ball. It was White/Yellow and just hovered above the pool. This pool orb did not come any closer though. It was just there floating in mid-air. 

One after another orbs were slowly lifting out of the pool. I was counting about a dozen of them or so when Eros tugged my arm so we could go back. I had to agree with my friend on this one. We went out and did not look back at all. Who knows what those things could do?

Did we disturb those spirits? Is that the reason why the guards left those lights on? I was not able to go back to the pool again and now that SM Baguio seems to be sitting on top of it who knows if those same orbs are still appearing there. 

"The Melira-Woodfall Primus Bomb"

"The Melira-Woodfall Primus Bomb"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr. 

Melira-Pod decks have been making the rounds of the Modern format the world over. Making sure that creatures like Kitchen Finks and Murderous Red Cap would keep on coming back for more life or damage in a loop that never ends.Well technically it ends when your opponent is bored to death at tearing through your life total or die from the 2 damage generated again and again by the Murderous Red Cap. Yup , Persist + Sacrificie outlet + Melira really is a mighty bomb. Translating this to the EDH setting  , it surely is a \ crippling effect that would make your opponents cringe. This simple recipe for destruction will surely be close to the hearts of those who could pull it off.

I decided to add this to my Black/Green Golgari deck. You could never have enough weapons now can't you? My take on it is having a Sacrifice outlet in the form of Varolz , the Scar Stripped or a Nantuko husk in play. Since Melira and the Woodfall Primus are green creatures they could both be fetched by Green Sun's Zenith or Tooth and Nail. There are other tutors in my deck because I play Black colors as well. Timing is still everything in this combo because you don't want to be countered. The perfect time to play it is when your opponents are catching up on the land counter or creaming you with enchantments or artifacts. The Crippling loop can begin.Sacrificing the WP to Varolz. Persist would allow it to return to destroy One Non-Creature permanent , the -1/-1 counter on it would fall off since Melira is in play( she does not allow those -1/-1 counters to stick to any of your creatures).  You could repeat the cycle for as long as you want. Usually when all of your opponents Non-Creature permanents are gone. It is not a sure win condition( is not a fool-proof plan since a simple Torpor  Orb could ruin your day) but recovering from such a massive hit even in an EDH setting is very difficult. Try not to gloat so much when you are able to use the combo.You still want your friends to play with you right? 

"Simic EDH: Sea foods time!"

"Simic EDH: Sea foods time!"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr. 

Playing with the Simic always looks like a lot of work. From the old Simic who have Graft as a guild mechanic up to the recent Simic reincarnation in Return to Ravnica that have the Evolve mechanic you will always need to roll out your dice and monitor the counters that you put into them. This is something that you will do on almost every turn. I do like the Evolve Mechanic though and thus I find myself writing about it today. A creature with the Evolve mechanic gets bigger when a creature with greater power or toughness comes into play under your control. It involves putting a +1/+1 counter on it every time this happens. So if you start off with an Experiment One in play (a 1/1 creature) and a 2/1 creature comes into play. Experiment now becomes a 2/2 creature and if a creature with 2/3 or 3/3 stats enter next then Experiment One becomes 3/3 himself as well. 

Now we all know that when you play Green Mana there is never a shortage of Big Creatures to choose from which makes sure that in the later part of the games you could still evolve your creatures. There is never a shortage of creatures like this in an EDH setting. Another aspect of a Simic EDH deck  involves the Graft Mechanic. This has a great interaction with the Evolve mechanic as well. It has a great give and take relationship. Graft creatures that come into play with a set of +1/+1 counters on them are perfect for evolve creatures as well. Evolve creatures become monstrous in no time at all.

For me though the true appeal of playing Simic colors is the concept of Aggression and Control. Green has size and strength and blue has the ultimate ability: The ability to say No.This is the color where Brain and Brawn unite. Creatures like Draining Whelk even embody this Simic style . Countering and Growing at the same time. This is one of the best color combinations because it has all the tools to get the pieces it needs consistently. Card Draw and Mana Ramping are not a problem. Defensive wise There is Bounce and Counters. You even have access to great spot removal like Beast Within or Pongify or Rapid Hybridization.

Prime Speaker Zegana embodies the colors of this deck. Might in counters. Might in Card Advantage. You could simply be content controlling the board state and then attacking from with Monstrous creatures. Cards like Biomass Mutation make sure you are not attacking in a puny way. So Seafoods anyone?

"Ganda ng Timing"

"Ganda ng Timing"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.

I

Ala ka namang awa

Ngayon na malapit na

Tuwing aawayin mo ako

Kapag may test pa

II

Bakit ba sumasabay 

Lahat na lang ng away

Kapag may test

Kapag may test

III

Malambing . mapagmahal

Pero bakit pag malapit ay nahihibang 

Kapag may test

Kapag may test

IV

Minsan nga ang sabi ko na lang

Bakit ka pa tumawag , nang-aaway ka lang

“kapag may test”

Kapag may test

V

Please naman wag ka nang sumabay 

Ipitin mo na ang urge na nag-aaway

Wag lang munang grouchy , wag masyadong sensitive

Nababaliw na ako kung di ka understanding

VI

Di ko kailangan ng sakit ng ulo ngayon

Dahil bukas ang paghuhukom

Di ko kailangan ang galit mo

Masakit na masakit na ang ulo ko

___________________________________________________________

Writers Note: Last 2002 I started writing a musical entitled Eksena Medisina about Medical School life. One of the most annoying things about being in a relationship while in Med school is that fights always almost happen on the eve of a major exam, Quizzes , Comprehensive ,Battery exams or even the Boards. It might be the increased tension but no one has ever given a proper explanation. This scene was about a girl dreading a call from her boyfriend because she knows...magaaway na naman sila...

"Ang Hawla ni Dr. Hunyango"

"Ang Hawla ni Dr. Hunyango"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.

I

Gusto ni Mama

Gusto ni Papa

Doctor si Ate

Doctor si Kuya

II

Mahabang tradisyon

Mahabang prosisyon

Mga doctor na maibilidad

Ako pa lang ang babaliktad

III

Gusto ni Mama 

Gusto ni Papa

Gamit ang OTP ni Ate

Gamit ang libro ni Kuya

IV

Nakakatawa na habang nagtutuli

Iba ang iniisip ko

Yung bang mga bagay na gagawin ko

Kung di ako doctor

V

Pumapasa naman sa lahat ng block

Genes daw ng doctor kaya daw predisposed!

Aba ewan parang cancer na bumangon

Mga thoughts na dapat di maexpose

VI

Gusto ni Mama

Gusto ni Papa

Pero ayaw ko

Ayaw ko

VII

Umiiyak na lang sa pagtulog

Para bang nakakulong

Nakakulong sa compromiso

Ng pagmamahal para magpatuloy

VIII

Sorry Mama

Sorry Papa

Di po ito ang calling ko

_______________________________________________

Writers Note: In 2002 I started writing a musical entitled Eksena Medisina about Medical school life. One common thread among Medical students is that there are a lot who were forced by tradition to take up medicine. This was a scene about those Doctors who struggled so badly but trudged on because they did not want to disappoint their parents. The Musical was never finished but the words remained.

"Ang Huling Eksena ni Mang Kulas"

"Ang Huling Eksena ni Mang Kulas"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.

I

       Sa ward ko nakilala si Mang Kulas

Maitim ang labi sa kakayosi ng madalas

Nahihirapan nang huminga

Sabi ni doc di na kaya ng baga niya

II

Sabi ko sana di niyo na lang ginawa

Sabi ko masama yun sa baga

At pinalapit ako ni Mang Kulas sa higaan

May sinabi siya sa akin ng biglaan

III

Sabi ni Mang kulas 

Di daw siya nagsisisi

Ang tanong ko ay bakit?

Masarap daw kasing magyosi

IV

 Tumawa na lang ako

   Kahit alam ko ang totoo

   Tumutulo ang pawis sa kanyang noo

   Pinunasan na lang ng anak na naroon

V

Ang mga anak talaga

Kahit ano pa ang mga magulang nila

Sila ay mga anak pa rin

At magulang pa rin sila

VI

Tuloy ako sa kakatanong

Pero si Mang kulas parang pagong

Nauuna pa ang pagbuka ng bibig

Doon sa mga gusto niyang masabi

VII

Sabi niya ay nauna ang kanyang asawa

Namatay sa kanser ng baga at sikmura

Doon ko napansin ang kanyang mga mata na dilaw

Puno ng lungkot at puno ng panglaw

VIII

May gusto sana akong sabihin pero nauna ang matanda

Tinanong ko kung ano ang nakakatawa

Sabi niya kung mamamatay na daw siya mamaya

Sa wakas e mahahalikan na rin niya ang kanyang asawa

IX

Natapos ako sa kakatanong

Sabi ko ay magpagaling siya

Ngayon lang ngumiti si Mang Kulas

Para ipakita ang dilaw na ipin , sanhi ng nicotina

X

Tapos na ang boksing para sa akin

Anak , alam ko na ang mangyayari

Kaya kong puwede lang

Puwede mo ba akong bigyan ng yosi?

XI

Gusto kong batukan ang matanda

Pero di ko nagawa

Ngumiti na lang ako sa anak niya

Sige Mang kulas….hanggang sa huling pagkikita

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Writers Note: In 2002 I started writing a musical called Eksena Medisina. The script was never finished. The words however are still here.This was originally a scene called History Taking.

"The Darkness Emerges"

"The Darkness Emerges"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.         

          The club was jumping to the music as Tyndall entered. No one noticed him , the way he wanted it to be , but it all ended when the first girl he bumped into turned around and kissed him on the cheek. The girl tried to start a conversation with him but he waved her off as he made his way into the middle of the club, toward the bar where he was supposed to meet someone.

          One thing he has learned is that those of the Darkness enjoy this kind of atmosphere and the other thing is that they see your weakness and exploit it so that they could possess you. They see your lust, they see your greed and they have found their way. There was an abundance of those and so much more in this place tonight.

          He took his seat at the far end of the bar. He was 3 seats apart from a blonde girl who had a tight fitting Red dress that caught his eye. Though his eyes were momentarily distracted his other senses picked up the Darkness possessing the man next to her. They never show their true form , they love to just get the best vessels and sate their cravings for flesh. He was always the target of those from the Darkness but he has often thwarted their attempts. So for one to brazenly show this possession in front of him was highly irregular.

          The possessed man sat next to him and ordered a drink from the bartender.  He slipped him a note without looking at him. The man took his drink with one gulp and left in an unhurried manner.

          Tyndall looked at the paper. The words were written in the tongues of  Darkness. “You are ours now”.

          The lights turned off. People were confused as to what was going on , was it part of the act? Was it a pause in the music? Their confusion turned to panic as fire jumped out of the 4 corners of the club. “Fire!!!!!” someone yelled as the stampede started in the tightly packed room. Tyndall jumped up unto the bar knowing what to expect. Then the sounds of chaos stopped and his eyes adjusted to the once dark and now blinding room to see a hundred red glowing eyes all looking directly at him.

          “You are ours now” the voices said in unison. It was the tongue of the Darkness.

          “We’ll see about that”

          Tyndall knew that he was outnumbered and outmatched. If only he had open space he may have a chance. Tyndall looked at the ceiling. Open space here I come.

          The Darkness saw him as surrounded and were slowly approaching the bar when he jumped toward the ceiling and broke through. Immediately the hundred who were possessed followed him through the opening. Each one of them to be met by his spirit blade , Schism. The sword was rumored to belong to a fallen archangel who entrusted it to a pious human ages ago. And that human was Tyndall’s ancestor. It had the unique ability to harm the foul spirits that possessed humans without hurting the host. It divided the Unclean from the flesh and devoured it.

          It was now that that power held manifest as a hundred sharply dressed party goers fell one by one to the roof. The howls of  Darkness echoing through the night in time with the beats of the club below. The howls continued until the last possessed human fell.

          Tyndall sheathed his sword and looked at the people who were just beginning to stir. The Darkness was planning something if they would dare go public like this. There might not be enough time. He had to take hold of the Oracle.

"The Purpose"

"The Purpose"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr. 

     It has been a few years since he had drunk like this. He felt the world swaying all around but he didn’t care all that much. He was in the company of total strangers. Strangers he had met just tonight in this party thrown for someone who’s name escapes him at the moment.

These strangers weren’t all that bad to look at, he thought to himself as he gulped another shot of Tequilla or at least what he thought was Tequilla. The three ladies fawning him and pushing him to drink more barely had anything to cover their mostly bustling parts. He had to laugh at that somehow , how the hell do their bodies fit into those flimsy things?

            “So there you are! I have been looking all over for you. It’s time you gave a toast.” An unfamiliar voice shouted at him. It seemed liked thunder to his ears. It came from a balding man whose chin made up for his lack of hair. “Hurry up the crowd ain’t going to wait forever you know”

            A toast? What the hell? He remembered he could cudgel up a few words. A few words that would seem very generic enough so as not to draw any attention to the fact that he had no idea whatsoever about what he was saying. 

“I’m coming” he said and even that seemed to make a ringing in his ears. What was wrong? he asked but he wasn’t sure about what it was. Surprise , surprise , he said to himself. “Now ladies you just stay there ok? I gotta do this thing and were back to guzzling…he looked at the half empty bottle in his hand as if just noticing it  for the first time…whatever this stuff is.”

            The Chinny bald guy propped him up. He was mumbling something about this being a private party , celebrating someone’s love and such and such...whatever you do don’t mention anything about Ted’s 3 other wives.

            Whoa! So this was Ted Patros party , his fourth wedding , what the hell! Gotta hand it to him he thought , its almost dawn , then he remembered Alina , the gorgeous fourth wife who was into Chill out parties. A chill out dawn break wedding. That definitely weeded out all the old and uncool in the crowd. Now all Ted has to deal with were the poseurs and suck ups. That’s amazing. He suddenly remembered how tired he was. He had tried to talk Ted out of this one. He knew Alina was bad news. Really bad news and he knew that by experience. She was his ex-wife.

            “Hey man , tell me again why I’m toasting this couple?” He asked the man who was half-dragging , half-carrying him.

            “You were happy to get rid of her and this guy is gonna be ruined due to all of her capriciousness and then you were going to take over his company.”

            “Oh.” He remembered why he was here at last. He was about to take over Patros Technologies in a couple of months. And with that thought the world stopped swaying  , he felt the ground solidify under his feet and he stood on his own. It is funny how purpose can cure the drunken.  He will get what he wants. He always does. “Thank you Charles , now show me where the damn podium is”

“Right this way Mr. A” Charles said pointing to the lone podium facing the crowd on the now deserted beach.

"Shadow Brothers"

"Shadow Brothers"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.

Midnight. Port of Alberta.

 The ship called The Sword had just anchored and in the shadows of a nearby warehouse a meeting was taking place. Rats skittered all over the floor and on the floor where the goods for Amatsu were placed a lone figure stood waiting.

          “So we meet again little brother.” A shadow whispered ,  a hint of mischief in its voice.

          “Save your breathe , I have no words for you.” The other shadow answered.  Anger rising in every word.

          “Oh really now. Then what do you call those words you just told me then? Hahahahahhaah.”  

Silence followed for a minute.

          “Still serious as ever ei Loji? You never were the one to loosen up” the first shadow sat down and opened one of the crates.  “Fresh wine from Comodo! I bet you here this is anything but legal.”

          “You’re the thief Kaji , you tell me.”

          “Oh boy , the assassins guild hasn’t helped your sense of humor one bit , little brother.” Kaji countered.

          “No but their training has helped me in other ways.” A blade shone out of the darkness and it came swinging toward Kaji. The blade missed , Kaji was simply not there.

          “Tsk tsk tsk Loji , what did father always tell you? You can never best your older brother.”The thief said from above the asssasin. “It seems that he was still right all along.”

          “Shut up! You have the nerve to bring father up , you were the one who caused his death!” the younger one said as he jumped with his powerful legs and tried to slash his brother once more with the clean and efficient movement that the assassins guild had ingrained in him. Kaji merely disappeared.

          “Loji , Loji , Loji , father was old , he never needed my help in dying. I have read about it in the papers , I knew of his death and I knew it was from old age.” Kaji said from behind Loji.

          “Then you are a greater fool than I am brother , it was not disease or old age that killed him , it was bitterness at what you had become.” Another slash in the darkness. “Would you stay still so I can kill you!” came Loji’s irritated voice.

          “What I have become? And what about what you have become? I have become free from the burdens of destiny , I have chosen  how to live.”

          “And in choosing so have made a mockery of our family. Our house no longer exists , its assets seized by the king  , your name plastered all over the walls in all of the cities. What you call fame our family only knows as shame.”

          Silence. A single thud to the back of the head was all Loji felt as he collapsed into the darkness. “Sorry brother , there will be no killing tonight.”

The ship called the Sword left anchorage without incident and set sail for the island of Amatsu, minus 10 sacks of Gold.

Morroc , Assasins Guild

          As head of the Assassins Guild , the master always took pride on being everywhere and nowhere at once , he knew the secrets that the shadows told him. He also prided himself for always knowing when the wind blows and when the light strikes the darkness but no one could have prepared him for the perfection that Kaji was. The same perfection who now held a dagger firmly at his throat.

          “You do not know me and if you look for me after I have said what I wanted you will never find me. So if I were you I would listen very well.” Kaji said.

          “Do you know who I am? Do you know that you are in even graver danger by being this close to me like this” the older man said every word dripping with arrogance.

          “Oh don’t bother about your poisons old man , I know all about them and I have an immunity to poisons , as for your weapons , you can see that if you reach for them they won’t even be there.”

          The master had known then that this man was serious. “What is it that you want?” The assassin said as beads of sweat poured down his face. He had never known fear as he had this night and he was eager to end it.

          “The boy named Loji , you will leave him alone or you will feel my dagger at  your throat again.”

          “You have my word.”

          “Good.” And with a blow to the back of the head Kaji left the head assassin in a pool of drool and sweat.

Prontera , BloodLion Castle

          “Loji , wake up…Loji…” came the soft voice.

          “Mom?” came Loji’s drowsy response. “Where am I? “

          “You are home…”

          Loji opened his eyes and what greeted him was the familiar sight of his room overlooking the whole town. Tears run down his eyes.

          “What happened? Why am I here? Is this a dream?”

          “No my son , King Tristan has returned our assets and our House. Tomorrow you can again serve as knight.” The old woman proclaimed  excitedly.

          The moment seemed so surreal. Loji could not find the words describe how he felt. He gave a silent prayer for his older brother. He knew he had a hand in all of this, but even if he could find him it was something he would ever acknowledge.

“Thank you brother for letting me free to choose my own destiny…” Loji whispered in the wind.

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Writers Note: One of my Ragnarok Phase Stories.