The Healer and her Lover

Prologue

A low painful moaned seemed to drift in the cool night air, mixing with the scent of death and smoke and pine. Healia turned into the breeze and followed her Goddess's urging. Nagtataka parin hanggang ngayon si Healia kung bakit siya kinausap ni Callia. Mahabaging Diyosa! Bakit ninyo ako tinawag? 

The panting sounds of pain weren't hard to track. Healia was amazed that she and the warriors hadn't heard them earlier. She'd walked only a few feet into the surrounding pines when she came to the gully. What she saw at the bottom of the trench in the earth had her freezing with shock and disbelief.

Hindi niya maiwasang matakot sa kanyang nasaksihan. Tila nanghihina ang tuhod ni Healia dahil sa kaba. Maririnig niya ang mabilis na pagtibok ng kanyang puso na para bang nakikipagkarera ito. Hindi siya makapaniwala. Totoo ba itong nakikita niya? Isang nakakatakot na nilalang na batid niyang ito ang kwentong tinutukoy ng kanyang lola. Isang kwentong naging bangungot niya gabi-gabi. Ang nilalang di niya gustuhing makita ay ngayo'y nasa harapan na niya.

The winged creature lay crumpled on the ground, its leg caught gruesomely in an iron trap so large it must have been set for the vicious brown bears that liked to lurk to the castle.

It is your choice, daughter, whether you aid him or not.

"But he's a Gavolot! A demon that could kill me!" Healia shouted at the top of her lungs. Hindi kagalang-galang ang kanyang pagsigaw ngunit lubha siyang nagulat at natakot at nabahala dahil ang demonyong iyon ay nangangailangan ng kanyang tulong. Mismong si Callia pa ang nagdala sa kanya. Ngunit dapat lamang na mamatay ang mga Gavolot, hindi binubuhay. Sila ang mahigpit na kalaban ng Carusa tapos pahihintulutan ni Callia na gamutin ni Healia ang kanyang kalaban? Nakakagulo . . . Nakakalito.

"Are you a goddess or perhaps a spirit?" His voice was a surprise. It was deep . . . manly . . . beautiful, almost musical in quality. And he sounded frightened.

"I am neither," she replied. She's glad and a bit relieved because she didn't stutter in front of the beautiful yet demonic creature. Then she pressed her lips together, thinking that it was madness that she was speaking to him, to it, instead of running screaming for the warriors.

"You look like a goddess." he said.

Then he smiled and even as Healia cringed back from his fangs that glistened in the dying light, she felt drawn to the unexpected gentleness in his eyes that so perfectly matched his expressive voice.

Akala ko ba ang mga Gavolot ay may mga hindi kaaya-ayang itsura ngunit bakit ang nilalang na ito ay isang napakagandang demonyo at nakakabighani sa kabila ng kanyang pangil, sungay at pakpak? 

Ngayon lamang nakita ni Healia ang ganitong itsura ng isang lalaki at di niya lubos maisip na mas nakakaangat ang Gavolot na ito kung ikukumpara sa mga binata ng Carusa. 

No! Maybe they are using a magical spell. Maybe that's their tactics, to fool anyone from their looks.

"You're a Gavolot," Healia said, as if to remind herself. Parang isang napakalakas na kampana ang narinig niya sa kanyang tenga upang gumising siya sa katotohanan. A demon will always be a demon. A Gavolot will always be a Gavolot. 

"And you're a goddess. We are perfectly matched, don't you think?" 

"Gavolot are demons!" she blurted. "What could you know about the goddesses?"

"Some of us know of Callia. Some of us . . . " he trailed off, sucking in his breath as a spasm of pain shot through him. Parang pinipiga ang kanyang kalooban dahil sa hirap na makikita niya sa lalaki----sa demonyo pala. Hindi na siya magkakaila ngunit nakikita niya ang kanyang kaibigan sa formorian na batid niyang nahihirapan na siya at maisasagip pa kung papayag si Healia na gamutin siya. 

"Help me goddess." Hinang-hina, itinaas ng demonyo ang kanyang kamay at naghihintay na tanggapin ni Healia. 

Ano nga ba ang nararapat? Nagtatalo ang kanyang puso't isipan. 

Isang napakabigat na desisyon ang kanyang gagawin. 

Simple lamang ang pagtanggap ng kamay nito ngunit mahirap ang katumbas nitong bunga. 

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Hahayaan nga ba ni Healia na mamatay si Devin dahil nabibilang ito sa mga nilalang na kinasusuklaman ng kahariang Carusa at ang pumatay sa kanyang matalik na kaibigan 

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Tulungan ito hindi lamang sa kanyang kakayahang manggamot at ang pakay na pagtagpuin sila ng diyosang si Callia kundi ito rin ang idinidikta ng kanyang puso

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