Rogue Wars Online

Chapter One-Hundred Fifteen: To Dream Is To Fall

-chapter one-hundred-fifteen-

FINN

There was this proverb, 'Nana korobi ya oki'.

It means falling seven times and standing eight. It had a lot of meaningful interpretations. Na kahit anong dapa, kahit anong talo, hindi ka pa rin titigil sa paglaban. A 'never say die' attitude, a burning determination for a goal or a reality that someone envisioned and is starving to have. It's the good of trying, no matter how many times you fall, to make up for mistakes and strive for a new life.

But I wanted to see the bad of it. The scars, not the future. The wounds in the knees after falling, not the healing after. And the excruciating pain in both hearts and mind that would sink deep into the soul, bringing nightmares every night.

And after all that sleepness night of trying to run from your own demons, there comes the satisfaction of having not to fall for the eighth time anymore.

I've bled, and now I could stand from all that pain. That's how I understood the proverb.

I've fallen, not once nor twice but a lot of times, and the more bottomless the pit is, the more desperate I am to fly higher. Just to seek salvation. Just to seek that thing I want, even with my small and broken wings.

And when I truly rise to grasp my dream, I will no longer fall.

Napakalakas ng pagsabog na nangyari. Even as the lakewater surrounded me and the giant's body blocked the view, I could see the myriad of colors exploding. The breaking of ground mixed with the heat of fire and cold water that disturbed the whole structure and broke the wide mountain.

I had a glimpse of the sun. Even underwater, it looked absolutely ethereal.

Someone pulled me up and I coughed up some water. Naririnig ko ang maingay nilang pagrereklamo pero nakatuon lang ang mata ko sa higante na sumisigaw sa sakit. The water from the lake burned and healed him, just enough to protect him from the explosion of ultimates that could damage his life. Kaya nga nagpahabol ako sa kaniya, para masiguradong tatalon siya sa lake basta lang mapatay ako.

After all, this monster, the giant that was once a god, could only blindly attack anyone who's in its presence. Or anyone who becomes a threat. A killing machine stuck underground... or a hero too powerless to save anyone that he turned himself into a villain?

"Finn? Anong nangyayari? I thought we have to use to break some kind of curse? Bakit niyo sinira ang mountain at pinalabas siya?" Dierran shouted, running towards me after defeating a golem. "He's going to cause havoc in this state!"

Inadjust ko pa ang paningin dahil nakakasilaw. Ang tagal ko din siguro sa kuweba na 'yon kaya't sobrang liwanag dito. Parang kinukuha na si Dierran ng langit sa paningin ko.

"Mm." tumango ako na ikinabigla nila. "Need to bring the giant to the village."

"Why, Sparrow?" now it was Marcella who asked. "Hindi ba natin papatayin iyon?"

"Anong? Ano na bang nangyayari? Hello, wala akong maintindihan here!"

We all collectively ignored Eura.

I debated whether to explain what I knew and saw from the lake, which was actually a key in solving the quest. Kaya naman pala papunta ang mga turtles doon. Akala ko gusto lang nilang magswimming, I didn't realize they were an important clue.

Thankfully, bago pa ako makapagsalita ay dumating na si Fern. I have never been more glad for a person's presence, lalo na't alam kong siya magpapaliwanag.