Glistening Lantern (Gazellian Series #7)

Chapter 11

Chapter 11: Earth-Dragon Wizard

"I am not your map, Caleb."

Those powerful words suddenly unlinked the warm strings that pulled us together, the strings that allowed us to get caught inside this sinful illusion. A magical illusion that rattled not just my thoughts, but my unnamed emotions the moment I laid my eyes on this silver-haired vampire.

"I.am.not.your.map."

Mas pinadiin ko ang aking mga salita kasabay nang pag-angat ko ng puting bulaklak sa pagitan ng aming mga labi.

Nang akala ko'y sisimulan na niyang tanggalin ang kanyang mga kamay sa aking pisngi habang ang aming mga mata'y hindi humihiwalay sa isa't isa, higit na musika ang siyang namayani sa kabuuan ng lugar.

I thought my words or even the loud music around us would fully awake him from reality, but what made us both surprised was the abrupt parade of musicians and dancers in the street.

Several colorful portals appeared from different directions with performers in their fancy costumes as they crossed the magical rings. The musicians with their different types of musical instruments were dressed in combination of red, yellow, and blue uniform with their tallest hats designed with tassel and fur. The unified marching of their feet, the graceful movement of the dancers with their fitted gymnast-like attire, bamboo rings wrapped with colorful ribbons were alternately spinning on air. Some were fantastically breathing fire, and even the endless confetti's pouring around the street never seized to amaze everyone's eyes.

I thought it was just performers on feet, but the crowd got even more surprised when the portals went bigger and welcomed a series of huge carts catering to another batch of performers. Each cart was filled not just by the performers but different types of flowers, and small elemental beasts.

Halos hindi ko maintindihan kung saang direksyon ako dapat tumingin. Everything was so fascinating!

Walang tigil sa palakpakan at kasiyahan ang buong Itara Thenon.

Is there a festival or something?

The swarming group of huge performers made Caleb and I distracted from our little confliction. Lalo na nang hindi na namin magawang makaalis doon sa aming posisyon dahilan kung bakit halos masagasaan na kami nang nakaparaming nilalang.

"Anna!"

Caleb tried to grab my hand, but it's already too late for us because the parade already caught and separated us. Ang tangi ko na lang nakita'y ang kamay niyang pilit akong inaabot.

We tried to struggle and grab each other's hands between the surging waves of creatures, with music around us, colors of mana, and endless claps of the people at the side of the street. But the only thing we felt was the sudden brush of our fingertips before we finally lost each other.

At dahil hindi ko na nais pang masaktan dahil sa bumabanggang mga instrumento sa akin dahil sa pagpupumilit kong bumalik sa posisyon namin ni Caleb, pinili ko na lamang sumama sa daloy ng parada.

Itara Thenon's way of greeting their guests is really fascinating! Kahit sa kaalamang nasa hindi magandang sitwasyon kami ni Caleb, hindi ko maiwasang hindi mawili sa mga nakikita ko.

There were also tall humans from both sides of the parade, tipping their hats off, and playing their canes, the huge carts with the master performers were lively waving their hands to the public, even the great magicians without using any talisman or wands were present! But what made us more fascinated were the huge mascots of the legendary blue, red, white and silver elemental dragons!

"Oh, my god!"

Halos takpan ko ng aking mga palad ang aking mga labi dahil sa pagsinghap ko nang malakas. How could I ever suppress this fascination?