Bequest of the Twilight

00. A Walking Darkness

Prologue

"I guess darkness serves a purpose, to show us that there is redemption through chaos."
— Brendan Fraser

Δρυοδάσος Φολόης, Πελοπόννησος, Ελλάδα
Foloi Oak Forest, Peloponnese, Greece

My back firmly pressed against the coarse and hard trunk of an oak tree. Maingat kong pinapakiramdaman ang paligid, lalo na ang mga marahang paggalaw na alam kong ako lang ang nakararamdam.

I clutched on my bow's grip and positioned myself. Mahigpit akong nakahawak sa aking gintong pana habang sumisilip mula sa aking pinagtataguan.

From afar, behind a huge oak branch, came out two harpies in their demon form. Rinig na rinig ko mula rito ang matitinis nilang boses, kaya inayos ko ang dalawang ear buds na nakasuksok sa aking mga taenga at inihanda ang sarili.

For weeks, I became busy dealing with these monsters. The institution have already deployed enough demigods to incapacitate them, pero kataka-taka lang at hindi pa rin sila nauubos.

Nangangamba na rin kami dahil kapag hindi ito matigil, maaaring makatunog na ang mga mortals sa mga nangyayari.

Thankfully, Greece was abundant with mist—a mystical veil that separates the world of the gods from the world of mortals. It is under the control of the goddess of magic and necromancy, Hecate. Pero alam naming hindi kami maaaring makampante dahil lang dito.

I was taken aback when I felt the harpies closing in my direction. Mahigpit kong hinawakan ang aking pana at walang pag-aalinlangang humakbang palabas. Naalarma kaagad ang mga ito sa aking presensiya, ngunit huli na dahil bumaon kaagad ang aking maiitim na palaso sa kanilang dibdib.

To immobilize a harpy, one must aim its heart.

To kill it directly, one must possess . . . let's just say, a divine power.

Mortals could slay harpies, but the process might take a little longer. Hindi nila ito basta-bastang mapapatay.

These monsters were born invulnerable to any man-made forces and weapons—bullets, knives, arrows, swords . . . name it. Mahirap silang patayin gamit lamang ang mga bagay na 'yan. Kaya heto at napipilitan akong gamitan sila ng dahas at kapangyarihan. Labag iyon sa aking kalooban, ngunit kailangan.

Harpies were born to unleash havoc, and we didn't want them to disrupt the normal life of mortals. Kaya mas mainam na paslangin na lamang sila kaysa magkagulo pa ang lahat.

And the Gods? Hindi naman siguro sila magagalit na napapatay namin ang kanilang mga alipores, tutal wala nga silang ginawang pagpaparamdam.

I scoffed. Ano pa bang inaasahan ko? They would never meddle with our problems, especially in times of war and danger. They only care about themselves.

The harpies let out a shriek before fading into ash. Napabaling ako sa aking magkabilang gilid nang sumulpot mula roon ang anim pang magkaparehong nilalang.

With their ineffable speed, they were fast to reach my side. Their sharp talons were all ready to claw on me, pero mas mabilis akong nagpakawala ng mga itim na palaso upang abalahin ang mga ito bago tumalon papunta sa likuran ng isang puno at umapak sa anino nito bago naglaho.

As I stepped into the dark dimension, my eyes honed to focus on the outlines of plants and trees surrounding me.

I eyed the baffled harpies. Nagtataka 'ata ang mga ito sa biglaang pagkawala ng aking presensya.