066- FOR THE FLOWERS THAT BLOOMED AND WITHERED
PRIMORDIA
"Y-You're a Thracian princess? And a demigod at that! B-Bakit nandito ka sa Pallene?", omg she's my sister! She's also a daughter of Aphrodite. Kaya pala ang ganda niya!
Wait. Her father is King Sithon of Thrace? From what myth did I encounter that name again? I'm sure I've read about him from the books at the Bibliotheca. Nakalimutan ko na nga lang!
Kaya pala hindi naniwala si Ismena sa mga sabi-sabi na may sumpa ang kagubatang to and instead, she chose to live here in the forest alone under our mother's protection. That's why she trusted the goddess Aphrodite so much.
"My father's wife, Queen Mendeis exiled me out of Thrace after discovering that I was a daughter of her husband King Sithon out of his extramarital affair with Aphrodite.", pagpapatuloy ni Ismena sa kwento niya. I just sat infront of her across the table---attentively listening.
"I wandered from village to village for a couple of days until a pure white dove appeared before me and led me to this island. It was Aphrodite.", so mother guided her here. Hindi parin ako makapaniwala. Ismena's really my sister. A semideus of old! What are the odds?
"And she revealed to you the secrets of this forest? The Asylum?", I guessed. She nodded.
"I've lived here alone for quite some time now. I didn't really mind. The Asylum provides everything for my survival, just as what Aphrodite told me.", sagot niya na siyang nagpamangha sa'kin.
Medyo nagtatampo ako kay mom. She never told me anything about the existence of the Asylum at hindi rin ito nakatala sa mga libro sa Bibliotheca so this is quite a shock to me.
"Do you know about mo---the goddess Aphrodite's affiliation with The Asylum? I mean, this forest must be important to her, right? Given that she declared this a sanctuary for mortals and demigods?", hindi ko maiwasang mapansin ang detalyeng iyon. What's so special about this place?
Hindi ko rin kayang aminin kay Ismena na anak din ako ni Aphrodite dahil paniguradong mas lalo siyang magtataka kung saan ako nanggaling and I can't tell her the truth behind my origin. I don't belong in this time.
"Yes. The myth behind the Asylum is something very significant to Aphrodite. It's quite the topic Primordia, but I'm afraid it's getting late. We should both get some sleep for now. I'll tell you about the story tomorrow, I promise.", saad ni Ismena bago siya tumayo mula sa pagkakaupo at nagligpit na ng mga pinagkainan namin. I followed her.
It made me more curious. If this forest is that important to our mother, Aphrodite, then how come she kept it a secret from me? And.... oh sh*t.
I almost forgot to ask Ismena about some information regarding my real goal here in the past. Prim what an idiot you are. You're getting easily sidetracked. You need to focus.
After preparing a spare Kline for me to sleep on, humugot muna ako ng isang malalim na buntong-hininga bago siya tinanong.
"Ismena, by any chance have you heard stories about the Gigantes here?", I asked her, making her turn to me. Hindi ko inasahan ang sagot niya...
"You mean, like the giant king? Porphyrion?", my eyes widened at her answer at halos hilain ko siya palapit sa'kin sa gulat.
"You know Porphyrion?!", tumaas ang boses ko kaya nanlaki ang mata ni Ismena sa naging reaksyon ko. Dahan-dahan niya namang binawi yung mga kamay niya mula sa pagkakahawak ko as she gave me an awkward stare.
BINABASA MO ANG
The Prophecy of Fates
Fantasy"You are fated to end the reign of the gods." After discovering the appalling truth behind her birthright, Ahlkria ends up in a position far from the reality she once lived-in and believed. Exploring places where she thought to have only existed in...
