Chapter 22: Ancient Quillper's Latest Issue
Since the latest draft of Ancient Quillper was just revised because of Juniper's lack of description, with the help of the priestesses in the empire, they were able to produce more copies of it.
I went to Juniper's second room, and I was welcomed by a thousand copies of Ancient Quillper. It was a whole room filled with bookshelves. Bawat lingon ko ay mga aklat at papel lang ang aking nakikita.
There were several lines on the table in the middle of the room where piles of the latest issues were sorted by the places where they had to be sent. There were hooded women in white with their glowing hands extended on each table, multiplying the issues.
Nasa gitna si Juniper, nagmamasid habang may hawak na panulat. Hindi niya na ako napansin na pumasok at tumabi sa kanya, kaya nang tumikhim ako ay halos napatalon siya.
Unlike when I first met her as if she was about to collapse, I could see a glimpse of life in her eyes. She still had the bags under her eyes, yet her cheeks were glowing, her chopped lips were now full, and it seemed like she gained weight. Maybe this is what really made her happy— work. And she felt so devastated that she had to die doing what she loved when she was in the human world.
"You look happy now..."
"Maybe I am excited that after your journey I'll live alone, secluded and at peace..."
"Are you sure about that?"
Sinalubong niya ang mga mata ko. "It seemed like the Queen of Mudelior isn't good with her promises."
"I will fulfill our agreement, Juniper. It's you..." I purposely let my words hang.
Muli siyang humarap sa napakaraming papel na nakalatag sa lamesa. Hindi man ako nakatingin sa kanya, ramdam ko na bahagya siyang nakangisi. "Or maybe the king is right... despite my fear to die helpless in this world, I am still that curious woman."
I clasped my hands behind my back before turning slightly to Juniper. She was a small human girl. Anyone could say at first glance that she was nothing but a weakness. She looked so fragile like anyone could kill her in an instant. But beneath this shell was a woman— with those observant predatory eyes.
That was why Kreios liked her— and I liked her too.
Now, who's going to be the lucky Viardellon?
Muli na akong humarap sa unahan at pinanuod ang mga babaylan sa kanilang ginagawa.
"And nothing is more interesting to a curious woman than a world she never knew existed."
She did not reply but I knew that she agreed.
When the priestesses announced that they had finished reproducing the copies of the Ancient Quillper, Milton appeared inside the room and told us that he had prepared everything for the distribution of copies, and the king had summoned us.
Dinala na ni Juniper ang isang tali ng kopya ng Ancient Quillper at nagsimula na siyang maglakad palabas ng malaking silid na iyon. Nagtataka man ako ay sumunod na ako.
I followed her trail until we reached the highest part of the castle, where I should have overlooked the whole of Mudelior, but with the brewing sandstorm, I couldn't see anything but darkness. Kreios was standing in his almost-naked traditional tunic, his hands clasped behind his back, but what I noticed were the hundreds of brown birds on the floor, pecking their beaks casually on the stone floor as if they were not about to encounter the brewing sandstorm that was about to overwhelm us.
Hindi ba dapat magliliparan na ang mga iyan?
Nagpaiwan si Milton sa likuran namin habang nagpatuloy kami ni Juniper maglakad hanggang sa kapantay na namin si Kreios.
