Whispers (Marahuyo Series)

Whispers in the Wild

Amara's POV

The chorus of a wolf serenaded me awake. Blinking in the unfamiliar room, I felt like I'd stumbled into a hunter's lodge gone rogue. Animal skins adorned the walls, shelves overflowed with glistening gemstones that looked suspiciously like petrified eyeballs, and a giant moon carving dominated one corner. Tiyak na hindi ito kuwarto ng lola ko.

Tumayo ako at lumabas sa kwarto, napadpad agad ako sa bakuran, kung saan may isang baabeng nakaupo sa tapat ng fireplace at may isang PACK LANG NAMAN NG MGA LOBO DOON. 

My fight-or-flight instincts went into overdrive, but then the strangest thing happened. All the wolves perked up, ears twitching, and... bowed? NAG BOW LANG NAMAN ANG MGA LOBO SA AKIN? haha nahihibang na ata talaga ako.

"Did I just get a doggy welcome wagon?" I muttered, pretty sure I was hallucinating from sleep deprivation.

"Oh, you're awake! Did the pups scare you with their howling?" A woman with a voice smoother than melted butter emerged from the shadows. 

My jaw nearly hit the floor. This wasn't just any woman; this was the goddess Artemis herself, looking impossibly cool in a leather jacket and jeans (apparently, may fashion taste naman pala ang isang DIYOSA ng kagubatan).

"Y-yes! No! I mean, uh..." I stammered, eloquence failing me miserably.

Artemis chuckled, a sound like wind chimes on a breezy day. "No worries, they usually only bow to me. You must be special, Amara."

Special in a way na pagkatapos kong mabuhay ay hinahabol na naman ako ng panibagong kamatayan? huh?

Special? More like confused and sporting a suspicious bandage on my head. "Uh, about that..." I reached up and felt the gauze. "What happened po?"

"Don't worry, a little Minotaur mishap. Happens to the best of us," Artemis said casually, as if battling mythical beasts was an everyday occurrence.

Minotaur mishap? Did she mean the grumpy-looking reindeer munching on hay outside? 

Suddenly, the "reindeer" transformed. One minute antlers and hooves, the next, a gruff-looking old man with a twinkle in his eye. "Come on, Artemis, don't tease the poor girl. I may be a centaur, but I still pack a punch... well, at least I used to before my arthritis kicked in."

Centaur? My brain officially declared bankruptcy. This was all way too much to process over breakfast (which, by the way, involved actual food, not magic beans or ambrosia). 

"ANYWAYS, Thank you Amara for your bravery, it's undeniable that you're also his daughter." Grandpa Deer

He knows my parents?

"Huh? Do you know my parents?"

"Yes of course! you're the daughter of the God of L-" Grandpa Deer wasn't able to finish what he was about to say because Artemis gave him food.

"He's just hungry," she took a food and handed it to me "Come on, let's eat first and we have a lot to talk about" Artemis. I accepted it and joined the meal.  Masaya lang kaming kumakain at nag lilipunan dito, as if hindi isang Goddess itong kasama ko.

"Nga pala, bukas ay babalik tayo sa Amazonia, doon ka muna pansamantala at tutulungan ka din nila ma train ang powers and ability na meron ka" Artemis

"Po? hahaha meron ba ako non? isang hamak na normal na tao lang naman po ako--" Hindi ako pinatapos ni Ate Diana dahil naging alerto ito. Just when I thought things couldn't get any crazier, a pack of scowling figures in loincloths materialized, looking like they hadn't seen a washing machine in centuries.

Naging kulay ginto ang kaniyang mga mata at nagkaroon siya ng foxy ears. Tila lumapit naman sa akin si Lolo Deer dahil nakaka amoy daw ito ng kapahamakan. REALLY? ano na naman ba ito?

"Looks like trouble's brewing," Artemis muttered, her eyes flashing gold. "Seems a grumpy goddess named Niobe has a bone to pick with your family, Amara. Family drama, the never-ending story, right?"  

Artemis, being a brave goddess, started dodging punches like a pinball machine on steroids. The arrows guided by the moonlight exploded, the sparks flew, and for a moment, I almost felt sorry for the goons (almost). But then, the truth came: they're here for me, and suddenly "almost" wasn't enough of an explanation anymore.

Ate Diana whispers something fancy-pants under her breath (probably an ancient Greek insult about bad breath),at ang susunod na bagay na alam ko, may nararamdaman akong kakaibang kilos sa aking mga paa na umaakyat sa aking utak. Apparently, it's my "latent ability" – isang kakaibang paraan ng pagpapahayag na maari na akong makipag-usap sa mga palaka at magpabunga ng mga bulaklak sa utos (hindi gaanong kahanga-hanga, sa totoo lang).. Then, she throws this gorgeous moonlit necklace at me like a particularly sparkly Frisbee. "Unlock your hidden potential," she says, all dramatic and stuff.  Galing, sobrang pressure namarn ate ko!

"Run, Amara, run!" Artemis yelled, a hint of amusement sparkling in her eyes. "Just follow Lolo...deer," she amended with a smirk. "He'll get you to safety."

Safety? This whole situation felt like a particularly wacky episode of "Mythological Creatures Gone Wild." Tumakbo lang kami ng tumakbo at Hinahatak ng mga tinik ang aking mga damit, ang mga ugat ay bumabangga sa akin, at sigurado akong naririnig ko ang tawa ng isang palaka sa mga nangyayare sakin (bastos na palaka toh a, prituhin kita jan e!). Pero sige, pinapasok ng aking instinto ng survival, at bigla akong naging parang Usain Bolt na may kasamang isang gazelle. Before I could protest, a giant wolf with fur that shimmered like a disco ball under the moonlight materialized beside me. Apparently, Lolo Deer had a secret stash of celestial Uber rides.

Ngayon, tawagin ninyo akong baliw, pero yung utakko , sunog sa takot at kakulangan ng oxygen, I decided that this is Diana's wolf from that old myth I vaguely remember. So, what do I do? I climb on its back, obviously. With a powerful leap, we soared above the trees, the wind whipping through my hair (at kung may natitira pa akong maayos na buhok, dahil halos sabunutan na ako ng mga sanga ng puno kanina). For a moment, the chaos faded away, replaced by a breathtaking view of the moonlit forest.

The wolf deposited me with a gentle nudge in front of a castle that looked like it belonged in a Disney movie, complete with turrets, sparkling windows, and suspiciously well-manicured lawns. Before I could even process my surroundings, biglang bumukas yung gate at niluwa nito ang dalawang tao na naka cloak.

Bago pa lang sila makalapit sa akin ay tila nakaramdam ako ng hilo at nilamon na naman ako ng kadiliman..