The rainforest of the Philippines was loud with insects, but for the Serpopard, it was a hunting ground.
The creature—a leopard with the long neck of a serpent—slithered through the undergrowth. Entwining Nile Coil. It was far from Egypt, but hunger knows no borders. It smelled something sweet, like Ylang-Ylang and ozone.
It saw a man standing by a Balete tree. He was impossibly handsome, with skin as pale as the moon. An Engkanto.
The Charm
The Serpopard hissed. It knew that pretty things were often tasty. It lunged, its neck extending like a striking cobra. Rosette Illusion.
Its jaws snapped shut on the man's throat.
And passed right through.
The Engkanto flickered. Enchanted Glamour. He wasn't there. He was everywhere.
"You are loud," the spirit’s voice echoed from the canopy. "You disturb the roots."
The Jungle's Grip
The Serpopard snarled, whipping its head around. It lashed out at the trees, tearing bark.
The Engkanto raised a hand. Murmur of the Wild.
The jungle responded. Vines, thick as pythons, dropped from the canopy. They didn't strike; they caressed. They wrapped around the Serpopard’s limbs, its long neck, its tail. The beast thrashed, but for every vine it tore, three more took its place.
The Engkanto stepped out of the tree trunk. He touched the Serpopard’s nose.
Changeling Exchange.
He didn't hurt the beast. He simply swapped its intention. He took the "Violent Hunger" and replaced it with "Drowsy Confusion."
The fire went out of the Serpopard’s eyes. It yawned, its deadly coils going slack. It looked at the Engkanto, blinked, and then curled up at the base of the tree to take a nap.
"Sleep," the Engkanto whispered. "And dream of sand."