Tale of Time

04

"Any progress?" Tanong ni Signia nang makaupo sa silyang nakaharap sa bintana.

"My fairies are breeding faster than I thought. Although we have a few men, masipag naman silang mag-dilig." Ngiti ni Violeta habang naka-dekwatro sa gitna ng silid.

"Huh? Edi pare-parehas ng tatay yung mga bata?!" Gulantang ni Denrich.

"What? No! Some of the women's pixies haven't ripened yet, so they'll conceive later, after a few years. It's just that with pixie breeding, it takes time,"

In Navillera, men and women do not need to interact in order to conceive a child. All they have to do is wait for the female pixies to ripen, which usually takes 5 years or more, and that will be their seed.

And in order for that to grow, didiligan iyon ng mga kapares ng mga babae which can be extracted in their pixies. As soon as it blooms, that's when the child comes out.

However, if they were in mortal form, they could reproduce like humans, though it was a challenging process due to their size.

"You're so judgmental. Ano na bang happenings sa territory mo?" Irap ni Violeta.

"You're so judgmental." Denrich mocked, even distorting his face.

Their banter was a common thing. Millennia of companionship had brought them close, even if most of their time was spent in endless arguments.

"Ano nga?"

"Gago, nag-reklamo sa'kin yung bata ko. Bakit daw gumawa ako ng maasim na aso?" Hindi makapaniwalang singhal ni Denrich.

"Kailan ka pa gumawa ng aso?" Pagtataka ni Signia.

"Ayon nga, bro. Bakit ako gagawa ng aso? Kaya hinayaan ko muna roon si Dylan kaso tangina, pagbalik ko para ng binagyo ang Zetril?!" Nauulol na kwento ni Denrich.

Cosmos and Esme stayed silent, watching closely as the drama unfolded. They exchanged a look, nodding subtly as if something was beginning to make sense. 

Cosmos raised her hand, casting a joule—a magical orb of light that gave them a full 360-degree view of the entire Zetril landscape from above.

"The fuck?" Saad ni Signia na sinundan ng halakhak.

"Aso lang gumawa niyan?" Pagdagdag niya.

"Oo, tanga. Aso." Sabay tingin sa joule.

The massive creatures appeared in the corner of their view, unlike anything they had seen before. 

These "dogs" were far larger than any animal from the mortal realms, three times the size of the largest beasts they had encountered. 

Their long legs made them seem even taller, their bodies towering over most.

Though their fur looked soft and inviting, a closer look revealed their sharp, predatory eyes. 

The fur was dense and perfectly groomed, as though nature itself had shaped it with care. The mix of gray, white, and black added to their imposing appearance.

They resembled wild dogs, but there was something different about them, an ancient, untamed ferocity in their presence.

"How did the wolves get in?" Pagtataka ni Cosmos.

"Wolves? Really, C? Are they even-" Bago pa matapos ni Violeta ang kanyang sinasabi ay tumirik na ang mata niya kasabay ng pagbagsak sa kinauupuan.

Mahinang natawa si Esme dahil kahit kailan, hindi na nagbago ang dalaga.

"Anong wolves sinasabi mo?" Singhap ni Denrich at mabilis na nakalapit sa tabi ni Cosmos.

"Wolves? As in lobo? Yung mga malakas umalulong? Yung kaagaw namin sa mga tao?!" Mabilis nitong sabi.