After Light: Journey To The Empyrean (Agnes, Book One)

Chapter 20

Ilang araw na kaming naglalakad sa kaharian na tanging sa libro lamang namin nalalaman. Kasalukuyan kaming nagpapahinga sa ilalim ng lilim ng puno galing sa isang mahabang paglalakbay. Dahil sa pagkalubog ng barko na nasama ang ilang mga gamit ng aking mga kasama ay tinyaga nalang nilang kumain ng mga bungang kahoy na aming nadadaanan.

Wala namang hindi magandang nangyari sa kanilang pagkain ng mga bungang kahoy na madadaanan sa kaharian ng Empyrean maliban nalang sa panandaliang pagsakit ng tiyan na nangyayari ngayon kay Eulises.

"Ito na ho priest Eulises." maagap na saad ni Ophelia matapos gumawa ng gamot gamit ang ilang dahon na makakatulong sa pagpagaling ng sakit sa tiyan.

Humans.

Matapos nito ay nakapagpahinga na si Eulises. I groan looking at Cerberus and Verleen intertwining their fingers while sleeping.

Nang matapos na si Ophelia sa paggawa ng barrier para siguraduhin na walang makakakita at makakaalam na may tao sa aming pwesto ay tumabi na siya sa natutulog na si Larco sabay hawi sa ilang hibla ng buhok nito na nakatabon sa kanyang mukha.

I do not know but the moment she did that to him I turn my gaze away from them and jump to the top of the tree. Naupo ako at tiningnan ang walang hanggang kagubatan. I use my vampire sight but still there is no civilization to the course we are heading, only a never ending pathway of trees. I took my music box in my pocket and open it like how I do everytime I feel something like this, something foreign, something hurtful, something crazy.

"Ophelia is Larco's mate, she has the right to do that." I silently whisper while listening to the rythmn of the music box that keep me sane throughout this quest.

"She is not my mate."

My eyes widen realizing he heard my silent whispers. Tumabi siya sa aking inuupuan at tiningnan ang music box na nasa aking mga palad.

"How did you get here?"

Mataas ang puno na kinalalagyan namin. Hindi ko alam kong ilang minuto ako napatingin sa kawalan pero hindi yun sasapat sa bilis na kanyang nagawa sa pag-akyat sa puno.

"Don't underestimate me priestess Agnes."maikli niyang saad habang mabilis na kinuha sa aking palad ang music box.

"It is wrong to deny your mate, priest Larco." saad ko sa kanya sabay tingin sa malayo.

"She is not my mate. Humans do not have mates. If ever we do my mate is Silleret, the city I have been taking care off for years." sagot niya na nakatingin lang din sa malayo.

"You can always choose to love the latter Larco. The council can always appoint someone in your position. You can always choose to love and live life." mahaba kong salaysay na nagpatingin sa kanya sa aking gawi.

He look at me with his empty expression. He must have find my words offending for his eyes did not left mine. Ako nalang ang unang bumitaw ng aming titig dahil para akong nalulusaw sa paraan ng kanyang tingin. He look at the vastness of the sky. "You are a vampire so I'm sure you already have your mate?"

"Yes."

"You already met him?" dagdag niyang tanong.

"Yes." He look at me again intently in eyes like he only want me to tell him nothing but the truth. "And you can leave your responsibility for him?"

Nanatili sa aking utak ang kanyang sinabi. I cannot leave the city to be with my mate but a part of me can leave the city for Larco. I shrug at the thought of it. He just look at me and gaze at my music box. He grin out of nowhere.

Problema nito?

"I have been hearing a soft melodic song throughout this journey and I have been wondering where is it from." mahina niyang saad habang pinapaikot ang music box at hinayaan itong tumunog.

I secretly open my palms and the wind sway the branches of the tress cradling us in a gentle way. I grin realizing this is the first time we are this close. I let my heart beat and my mind drift into an emotion I keep on hiding. I let myself chose to love him just this moment. This one chance in a thousand years to cheat our responsibility to the city. A genuine smile appear in his lips and so is mine but we did not talk. We just let our hearts talk for ourselves.

"Excuse me lovebirds, but Eulises found a civilization a few miles away from here." saad ni Cerberus sabay kindat sa akin.

"It is not what you think." sigaw ko kay Cerberus na naka-ngising bumaba ng puno.

Papababa na sana kami ng biglang may kakaibang tunog ang lumabas mula sa bag na nasa aking likuran. Mabilis kong hinawakan ang bag at inilabas mula dito ang itlog. Laking gulat ko ng hindi na itlog ang nakuha ko mula dito pero isang maliit na dragon.

It slowly open its eyes and look at me and Larco. I hold Larco's hands while gripping  the little dragon tightly but in a gentle way and jump to the bottom of the tree where everybody's resting.

"Oh my god!" hysterical na saad ni Cerberus gamit ang kanyang weird na paraan ng pakikipagsalita.

"It's a baby dragon." saad ni Eulises sabay lapit sa amin. Hahawakan na sana niya ito pero mabilis siya nitong binugahan ng apoy. Kung gaano kabilis nakalapit si Eulises kanina ganoon naman siya kabilis nakaalis dahil sa maliit na napasong parte ng kanyang mga daliri. Ophelia quickly run to him and chanted a spell for it to heal.

Ophelia is a good healer and a witch. I know she can manage helping Eulises burn. Maybe he will lessen his deathly glares towards the dragon.. quickly place the dragon in an elevated platform and look at it intently.

"That's bad, Draco." It just look at me and slowly nod like it understands what I'm saying.

"Draco?" Larco whisper in my back that made me shiver. Kanina pa pala siya nasa aking likuran at hindi umalis.

"To own it, you must give it a name." saad ni Angus na siyang nagturo sa akin ng minsan rin kaming nakahanap ng isang batang panda sa kagubatan ng binigyan kami ng pagkakataong makalabas ni Ama galing sa isang pagsasanay pero pinatapon rin lang niya dahil hindi nakakatulong sa amin ang isang bagay na magbibigay sa amin ng kahinaan na maaaring magpatalo sa amin sa panahon ng digmaan.

"Is it a boy dragon or a girl dragon?" magiliw na saad ni Ophelia na mabilis na inilapit ang kaniyang kamay pero lumipad ito patungo kay Larco at sumiksik sa kanyang kilikili.

"Boy dragon." saad ni Larco habang bahagyang inilalapit kay Ophelia si Draco pero hindi ito umaalis sa kanyang pwesto. Mabilis itong lumipat sa akin at sumiksik sa aking braso.

"The first people it sees is the one it obeys." dagdag na saad ni Angus sabay hilig sa isang puno.

Now I understand why the witches wanted the egg so much. If the egg hatch under their jurisdiction, they can do whatever they want the dragon to do and that is break the walls of Camelot Alley. The only thing they wanted to do for decades but can't.

But the question is why does the witches wanted to invade the human realm? Ano namang mapapala nila sa kanilang pagsakop sa mga syudad?