LEGENDS: Celestial Beryl (Season, #1) ✔️

Dangerous

Nakarating sila sa karwahe. Mabuti na lamang at hindi pa sila hinahanap ng mga magulang nila. How long have they been to the wilds. Was it just a short span of time? But what happened there was totally a lot, because the Archduke awakened his levitation. Yes, he levitated first before awakening and using his wings to fly away from the surface. He finally unlocked levitation ability and knocked up his wings. And that's extremely a lot, that means a lot.

They moved meters away from each other after composing their balance on the surface.

Napayuko si Celestial sa hiya kasabay ng pag-init ng kaniyang mukha. "P-pasensya na po, Archduke."

Now she's totally speechless, no idea of what she could spill next.

The archduke smirked. "It's Chalcedony."

Celestial's eyes widened. Tama ba ang pagkakaintindi niya? Nagpakilala sa kaniya ang Archduke! She wants to introduce herself too, ngunit ayaw niyang pangunahan ang Archduke. Magsasalita lang siya ng kaniyang pangalan kung tatanungin siya niyo.

She badly wants to introduce herself not as Celestial, but as Beryl. A precious gem she never was.

Chalcedony chuckled once again which is so freaking new. "All right, you can call me by my name. You were my first passenger at all. How's the ride, kid?"

Celestial just chuckled along with Archduke Chalcedony. Were they getting along? Is this a good thing, or not?

They immediately stopped chuckling when a goblin appeared right beside Celestial. The goblin was probably there minutes ago, watching them and waiting for a chance to interact with Celestial. But the Archduke was too threatening. Ang Archduke pa ang nag-react kaysa kay Celestial.

Chalcedony growled at the goblin after appearing beside Celestial. "Stay away from her, you idiot!"

Realizing he is an Archduke, the goblin immediately disappear. Who knows where did it go, he was threatened by the Archduke's sharp stares and presence.

Celestial sighed and glanced at Chalcedony. "That goblin will not hurt me, your highness."

Bumalik sa pagiging suplado ang mukha ng Archduke. Nangunot ang noo nito, tumaas ang isang kilay at saka pinagkrusan siya ng braso.

"How are you so sure?"

Celestial shrugged. "I'm just sure."

Chalcedony drew the curtains of the carriage and sat on the base. He glared daggers at Celestial. "Matigas talaga ang ulo mo. Hindi ba't kakasabi ko lang na hindi ka dapat nagtitiwala sa kung sino-sino? You better apply it this instant, you can't allow anyone or anything to go near you. Hindi lahat katulad ng alam at inaasahan mo. Huwag matigas ang ulo, makinig ng payo kung ayaw mapahamak, naiintindihan mo?"

Celestial did not answer, she just stood there and stare back at Archduke Chalcedony.

"Believe me, I know Abyss better than anybody else. Do not trust anyone, okay? Including me, need not to put your trust on me. You know why?"

Celestial shrugged.

Chalcedony's lips curved. "I'm a demon."

For the nth time, they stared for a couple of minutes. And it was the Archduke who broke the staring contest. It breaks his ego, freaking drowning his pride. Bakit siya pa ang kailangang mag-iwas ng tingin?

His eyes darkened, trying to scare Celestial. "Do you understand?"

Tila naman umubra ito sa bata. "O-Opo..."

"Good girl. Now go and ignore other creatures." Saad ni Chalcedony at inginuso ang tulay pabalik sa bahay nila.

Naroroon na ang Reyna at si Almira, naglalakad patungo sa karwahe. Nasa mukha ng dalawang Ina ang pagtataka kung bakit magkasama silang dalawa.

Isang matalim na tingin ang ibinigay sa kaniya ng Reyna bago siya nito nilampasan at tuluyang pumasok sa loob ng karwahe, "Chalcedony, let's go home." Saad nito sa Archduke na agad ring sumunod. Ni hindi na siya nito tinapunan ng tingin upang magpaalam.

"Celestial, come here." Saad ni Almira na nakatayo sa gilid ng tulay.

Tumalima naman si Celestial at kumapit kay Almira, sabay nilang pinanuod ang pag-alis ng karwahe. Celestial just stood there and waited for the Archduke to atleast show himself for the last time to bid goodbye. But she failed, Chalcedony did not show himself after their sudden talk.

Celestial just shrugged and glanced at her mother, "What did the Queen say?"

Nagbuntong hininga naman si Almira at lumuhod upang pantayan siya. Mukhang maayos na ang mood nito, hindi na galit sa kaniya. Inayos nito ang kaniyang buhok at hinaplos ang kaniyang pisngi. Hinawakan siya nito sa balikat habang ang isa'y hawak ang kaniyang braso.

"Celestial, you are no longer allowed to visit the village every day. Isang araw ka nalang pwedeng bumaba sa isang linggo, kada sabado nalang at huwag na huwag kang magpapagabi."

Celestial reacted. "Pero paano po ang mga ginagamot ko?" Hindi iyon pwede, marami siyang ginagamot at doon sila kumikita!

Almira sighed, "Aakyat nalang sila sa bundok araw-araw. Kada sabado ka nalang tutugtog sa baba."

"P-pero bakit po?" Nangangatal niyang tanong sa Ina.

"Huwag nang maraming tanong." Saad nito at tumayo, saka siya hinila upang tawirin ang tulay.

"Why?" Pagmamatigas niya.

They stopped in the middle of the bridge, Almira let out a long breath before facing her daughter, "Because demons are everywhere."

Hindi nakuntento sa sagot na iyon si Celestial, "Because Abyss is the home of demons."

"No, Celestial, the demons out there are different. Very very bad demons, they don't have horns, they wear capes instead, they carry two edge sharp swords."

Celestial shut her mouth for a second, building her imaginations more. All she could see in her vision of contrivance is a human, exactly someone just like her but wearing an ensemble of two or more usually matching outer garments and a sleeveless outer garment or part of a garment that fits closely at the neck and hangs loosely over the shoulders, impeccable, no additives on body parts, holds a weapon with a long metal blade that has a sharp point and edge cutting or thrusting that is often used as a symbol of honor or authority.

"Humans..." just like her.

She should be scared by now because of Almira's spooky tales, but she's not. She doesn't fear, instead, she suddenly has the urge to meet those people in capes. People whose exactly like her, a human.

"They hurt Abyssinians, they hurt people like us. They are from the prohibited Kingdom of Eufrata. Some of them are here, at anuman ang mangyari ay hindi ka pwedeng makihalubilo sa kanila. Naiintindihan mo ba?" Almira warned her.

Celestial just nodded, but her heart screams the opposite. "Y-Yes..."

"They are worse than demons, at hindi sila magdadalawang isip na saktan ka."