Unforgotten Tale

CHAPTER 5

LUMINOUS ALLEY 

Nasa Fortes Hall na kami. This is huge. The walls are made with concrete, there are big glass arched windows. I looked at the ceiling, there are a lot of glass ball pendant lights that give brightness for the whole place. The dining tables are made of wood and can fit fifteen students, the chairs are bench-like though. There are foods ready on each table. We found the spot for the first years and started to eat.

Kumakain kami nang tahimik ni Melissa. Maingay ang mga nasa paligid namin pero hindi na kami nakigulo. Wala naman akong kakilala, ang nakakagulat ay ganoon din si Melissa. It's normal for first years not to have friends according to her because we all came from different places. There might be some who knows each other but that's it.

Bigla nalang tumahimik ang paligid at nagkatinginan kami ni Melissa. Inilibot ko ang aking paningin at mayroong tatlong estudyante sa harapan. There's a platform here in the Fortes Hall, I think that's for announcements.

"Third Years." She whispered in my ear.

"What are they doing?" Nagkibit balikat naman siya.

"A week from now the selection of students for their respective houses will begin. We will hand you the application forms. Fill the application out on what house you want to join and drop them on the boxes."

The blonde haired girl announced. Houses, what are those?

"Choose the house you want to join wisely." The guy with big glasses continued.

After that the other girl waved her wand and suddenly envelopes floated in the air. The envelopes came to each and everyone of us. How cool is that, you don't need to exert effort in handling the envelopes one by one. The envelope is in rose gold. It is sealed using wax and stamped with the school's logo.

Nakahiga na kami pareho ni Melissa. Hindi ko parin alam kung anong house ang sasalihan ko.

"What house you'll join?" Pagbasag niya sa katahimikan.

"I don't know. Hindi ko nga alam kung ano 'yang house-house na 'yan eh." Bigla naman siyang napabangon.

"Seriously?" She exclaimed.

"There are four houses here in Chimera. Those houses came from the four animals in our school's logo. The House of Gryphon they have the symbol of the lion, though they are in the second rank. The House of Beithir, they are on the first rank and they have the symbol of the dragon. Though I don't wanna be associated with them."

I asked her why, if they are on the first rank I'm sure there will be a lot of students who'll join them.

"They don't play fair. They are first ranked and they think highly of themselves. They are bullies." She answered.

Okay, I changed my mind. I don't want to join them anymore.

"Then we have the House of Unisus, they are on the third rank. I'm actually thinking of joining them. The last one is the House of Hircus, they are basically on the last rank and they have the symbol for goat."

I'm thinking about what house I should join. If Melissa will join Unisus maybe I'll join that too. Si Joaquin kaya, what house will he join? I erased him from my thoughts, closed my eyes and slept. 

We don't have class for today and we will go to Luminous Alley. We were already at the receiving area when I remembered that I had something to ask her.

"What's in the east wing?" Dumako naman ang kaniyang paningin sa daanan papunta sa east wing.

"Boys's dorm." She answered shortly. Nagsimula na ulit kaming maglakad hanggang sa makarating kami sa tapat ng gate. Melissa gave a letter to the one guarding the gate. He's a big guy with long hair and beard. The gate is like a concrete fence wall. It's very high and it feels like it's twenty times higher than me. There are green stuffs on it that indicates it's already old.

Pagkalabas namin ay bumungad sa akin ang daanang gawa sa bricks. There are horse and pegasus carriage. The horse carriage is in color black while the pegasus's are in white with the school's logo embellished in gold.

We learned that only the higher authorities and those who are in Beithir can use the pegasus carriage. Though I want to ride it but we can't. I am mesmerized by the pegasus, I can't believe they really exist. They are so beautiful that I can't take my eyes out of them.

Sumakay na kami ni Melissa. I looked at the window of the carriage and I saw Juaquin riding on the pegasus. I thought we can't use it? Ipinagsawalang bahala ko nalamang, baka hindi siya 'yun at namalikmata lang ako.

Ipinikit ko ang aking mga mata at di ko namalayan na nakarating na pala kami. Pagkababa namin ni Melissa sa kalesa ay tumambad sa akin ang hilehilerang bilihan. Napaka makulay at napakarami ng tao.

"Let's buy first the ingredients and materials that professor Fredrick required us." Tumango naman ako sakanya at nagsimula na kami maghanap ng mga ingredients.

We already got some worm wood, unluckily powdered roots of asphodel are out of stock. Naghanap pa kami sa mga tindahan ng mga herbs ngunit wala talaga kaming mahanap. Habang naglalakad lakad ay may nakita kaming matandang babae na nagtitinda ng mga halamang gamot. Nakalatag ang kaniyang mga paninda sa daanan. Lumapit ako sakanya.

"Magandang araw po, mayroon po ba kayong panindang powdered roots of asphodel?" Tanong ko sa matandang babae,tumingala siya sa akin at ngumiti.

Hind ko mawari ngunit bigla nalang nawala ang kanyang ngiti at napuno ng pagtataka ang kaniyang mukha. Nakatitig lamang siya saakin. Tinignan niya ako mula ulo hanggang paa at dumako ang tingin niya sa sagisag nang Chimera na nakaburda sa aking uniporme. Nginitian ko naman siya. Bigla nalang akong hinila ni Melissa.

"Tara na, mukha namang wala siya noon." Paalis na sana kami ni Melissa ngunit sumigaw ang matanda.

"Sandali! May roon ako ng hinahanap niyo." Dali-dali naman kaming bumalik ni Melissa.

"Talaga po?" Masayang tanong ni Melissa. May binuksang kahon ang matanda at may inilabas itong bagay na nababalot sa kayumangging tela.

"Ito na ang huli, hindi ko na sana ipagbibili ito ngunit mukhang kailangan niyo." Tinitigan na naman niya ako, ngunit hindi katulad kanina, ngayon ay mukhang masaya na siya.

"Naku maraming salamat po talaga, kanina pa po kasi kami nag hahanap ng kaibigan ko gunit wala po kaming mahanap." Pagpapasalamat ni Melissa. Inabot naman ng ale ang kaniyang paninda sa akin na agad kong kinuha.

"Sino pala ang mga magulang mo?" Biglang tanong ng matanda sa akin, nagulat naman ako sakaniyang tanong. Pati si Melissa ay napahinto sa pagkuha ng ibabayad sa kanyang pitaka.

"Ah heto na po ang bayad." Inilapag ni Melissa ang bayad sa mga paninda ng matanda dahil mukhang wala siyang balak kunin ito.

"Patay na po ang mga magulang niya." Pagpapatuloy naman ni Melissa at hinila na ako paalis. Bago maghiwalay ang aming paningin ng ale ay nakita ko pang nahabag siya sa sagot ni Melissa. Nakakapag taka kung ba't niya ako tinanong ng tungkol sa aking mga magulang.

"Ang weird naman ng ale." Pagkausap sa akin ni Melissa ngunit hindi ko siya masagot. Lumilipad parin ang aking isip sa matanda kanina.

"Alam mo 'wag mo na isipin 'yun. Wala lang 'yun." Pagpapatuloy ni Melissa. "Huy!" Pasigaw na sabi ne Melissa at sabay tulak sa akin.

"Huh? Oo baka wala lang." Sagot ko naman sa kaniya. Sana nga wala lang.

"Bakit mo pala sinabi na patay na ang mga magulang ko?" Umikot naman ang mga mata ni Melissa sa aking tanong.

"Hindi mo naman kasi dapat sabihin sa kanya kung sino ang mga magulang mo, baka mamaya ay masamang tao pala siya." Tama rin naman si Melissa.

"Alam mo nagugutom na ako, kumain muna tayo." Pag aaya ni Melissa na sinang ayunan ko naman. Pumunta kami sa Rotisserrie.

"This is the best place here. Their foods are delicious." Sabi sa akin ni Melissa. Pumasok na kami at naghanap nang mauupuan.

The place is a two story restaurant. The second floor is open to below. It looks like those old classic restaurants. The place is run by magic. It's amazing. You will just write your order in a piece of paper and it will fly back in the kitchen area. Melissa ordered fish and chips while I got a spare ribs platter and we have pumpkin juice. Our order arrived and we started eating.

"After this we'll look for our phials and your wand." I got excited again. The wand might not work but I'm excited and happy about having it.