SCARLET 2: ALICE (Emerald Series)

7

CLYDE

"Bakit ba kayo nangingialam? Sino ka ba?"

Hinigpitan ko ang pagkakatali kay Captain Hook. His crew are tied up as well. I took a dagger from my thigh pocket at tinutok ito sa leeg niya. "You made a mistake by threatening that girl's life. I'm Prince Clyde Emmett Pearson and you are going to rot in prison."

"Clyde," tawag ni Seth. He's carrying Alice on his back. Lumapit ako at tinulungan siyang buhatin ang walang-malay na si Alice. It looks like she fell into the water.

"Bakit parang... may dugo?" tanong ko nang mapansin na mapula ang suot niyang damit.

"Hindi ko alam kung paano pero nakita ko nalang siya sa tubig at patay na ang mga crocodiles na nakapaligid sa kanya. The blood is from the crocodiles," Seth answered.

"Help!" Tumingala kami at nakitang may nakatali na batang lalaki sa taas ng flag pole. I loaded my bow and released an arrow to cut the rope that's tying him on the pole. I was expecting him to fall kaya't ni-ready ko ang sarili ko to slow him down using my abilities but he didn't fall. He stayed there and floated. He went down at doon ko lang nakita na may kasama siyang fairy.

Oh. I understand now. Fairy dust. He must be Peter Pan and the fairy must be Tinkerbell. I've heard stories about them and their feud with Captain Hook. It makes sense now.

"Thank you, your highness," Tinkerbell said. "Thank you for saving us!"

"We owe our life to you," Peter Pan said bago sumilip sa likod ko. "Alice! What happened to Alice!"

They both flew towards the unconscious Alice.

Pinakalma sila ni Seth. "She's okay, she'breathing. Mukhang nag-shutdown lang siya, or rather, nakatulog bigla. Probably because of all the stress."

"Madalas ba itong mangyari?" tanong ko.

"No. Pero ngayon lang kasi siya nakalabas ng ganito katagal. Hindi niya na siguro kinaya ang stress at pagod," he answered.

"Ngayon lang nakalabas? Mula saan?"

"Umalis na kaya muna tayo dito?" pagbabago niya ng usapan. "Gabi na. Delikado sa gitna ng dagat kapag madilim na."

I called out griffin at dahan-dahang sinakay si Alice. Tinkerbell, on the other hand, sprinkled her fairy dust on us so we could fly. Nakabalik kaming lahat sa shore safely. May mga batang sumalubong sa amin at niyakap si Peter Pan. These must be the kids that Alice saved from Captain Hook.

"Hindi pa rin siya nagigising?" I asked nang makita kong buhat-buhat siya ni Seth. Umiling lamang ito.

Nagpaalam na kami kay Peter Pan at Tinkerbell. They both promised that if ever we need help, just let them know. We started walking back to the treehouse. A group of fireflies started leading the way kaya't 'di kami nahirapan na makakita sa madilim na gubat. This must be Tinkerbell's way of helping us.

Tahimik lang kaming naglalakad. Hindi ko mapigilan ang sarili ko na mapatingin kay Alice. May kakaiba sa kanya. She feels familiar.

Tumigil bigla si Seth. Mukhang nangangalay na siya. "Ako muna."

At first, he didn't want to let her go but I insisted. The moment I held her in my arms, bigla siyang dumilat. Her violet eyes stared right back at me and shouted something that sent a chill down my spine.

"Sky!"

ALICE

"Sky! Tumakas ka na!"

The guy with angel-like wings is back again. Am I dreaming? He smiled at me with tears in his eyes.

"It's okay, Scarlet. If it's you, it's okay."

The place suddenly turns into black. I heard a girl screaming. The next thing I knew I was kneeling. Sky is now covered in blood in front of me. Hindi na siya nahinga. A door opened and I saw him. Si Clyde.

"Scarlet... Anong nangyari..."

Napatingin ako sa hawak kong espada. Puno ito ng dugo. No. Sky...

"Sky!"

Pagdilat ko ay ang una kong nakita ay ang mga mata ni Clyde. Violet eyes. Nakakunot ang kanyang mga mata habang buhat-buhat ako. "Anong sabi mo?"

Binaba niya ako bigla causing me to feel dizzy. He looks... mad. "Ulitin mo nga sinabi mo."

"What do you mean?" tanong ko.

"You said something. Ulitin mo."

"I... I don't remember."

"Kilala mo ba siya?" tanong niya. His voice is shaking. This is probably not the right time to tell him about the visions that I kept seeing. Lalo na't malaman ko na kasama siya sa memories na nakikita ko. Lalo na't ganito ang reaksyon. Mukhang malalim ang samahan ni Clyde, Sky at Scarlet.

I'll do everything to find out bakit nakikita ko ang memories ni Scarlet. She must be the way for me to remember who I am.

"Tama na 'yan," awat ni Seth. "Magpahinga na tayong lahat."

Thankfully, ni-let go na ni Clyde ang mga tanong niya. Tahimik kaming naglakad pabalik sa treehouse. Pagkalabas namin sa clearing, nakita namin na pinapalibutan ng mga kawal ang treehouse.

Tinago ako bigla ni Seth sa likod niya. It's them! Yung mga humahabol sa amin kanina!

"Huli!" natatawang sabi ng isang kawal. "Nahuli rin namin kayo sa wakas!"

"What is this?" Clyde demanded. "Bakit kayo nandito?"

"These two belong to the royal family of the South Kingdom. We are under strict instructions to bring these two to the King," paliwanag ng isang kawal. But wait. Anong pinagsasasabi niya? South Kingdom?

"Anong South Kingdom? We're from the North. Anong sinasabi niyong pagmamay-ari kami ng South? Nagkakamali yata kayo," protesta ni Seth.

Tinutok bigla ng mga kawal ang kanilang mga armas sa amin. "Sa hari kayo makipag-usap. Sumusunod lamang kami sa utos."

Bigla nila kaming hinawakan ni Seth at sinimulang hatakin. Tumingin ako kay Clyde at saktong nakatingin na rin siya sa akin. "Help."

Humingi siya nang malalim at pinikit ang kanyang mga mata bago nagsalita.

"Wait. Sasama ako."