Emerald Eyes

Chapter 37: Aquacean

A familiar smell of salty air woke me up from my uncomfortable slumber.

I groaned uneasily when I felt the rough texture of the surface where I'm currently lying. The moment I opened my eyes, I immediately closed them again when the blinding light from the sun hit my eyes. Tinakpan ko ang sinag ng araw gamit ang aking kamay at tumingin sa paligid.

I'm lying on the sand?

Sa may 'di kalayuan, nakita kong nakahiga rin sina Vyl, Zy at Willow. What the hell happened?

Dahan-dahan kong inangat ang aking sarili upang maupo at ganoon na lamang ang aking pag hanga ng makita ang tanawin sa harap. Nasa dalampasigan kami at nasa mismong harap ko lang ay ang malawak at kulay asul na karagatan.

I breathed in the fresh air and my muscles loosened up as the smell of the ocean invaded my nostrils. The sound of waves crashing on the shore brought comfort and it made me stare at it for a few more minutes before realizing my situation.

How did we end up here?

Klyne was just right beside me and he snuggled closer so I pet him like usual. Kinarga ko siya bago tumayo mula sa pagkakaupo at pinagpag ang aking suot na bestida dahil napuno ito ng mga buhangin.

I slowly walked towards Vyl and sat down right next to him. I smiled when I saw how peaceful he looked while sleeping. I bent down to place a peck on his lips and giggled afterwards.

That woke him up. He opened his sleepy eyes tiredly and I waited for a few seconds before he's fully awake.

"Wake up already," I said and his eyes focused on my face. He smiled slightly before sitting up and looked around.

"It worked."

He pulled himself up and I stood next to him while we both stared at the waves in front. It's mesmerizing how the clear water mirrored the blue sky above. It makes me want to jump in it and be one with the waves for a moment.

A sleepy groan caught my attention so I looked behind me and saw Zy and Willow getting up from the sand. I ran towards them to check if they're okay. They're just a bit dizzy but nothing else is wrong. We walked towards Vyl who's still standing in front and staring at the ocean.

"This is the Aquacean the keeper of Arcanum Forest meant. Across this is the frozen island where the severing gem lies."

The mention of the Arcanum Forest made me realize something. "Where's Drake?!"

I panicked and looked around immediately. Then I saw a body a bit far from where we are standing. Malapit lamang ito sa mismong dagat at natatamaan na ito ng mga alon.

I ran towards it without saying anything. I'm sure it's Drake. May naririnig akong mga yapak mula sa aking likuran kaya alam kong sumusunod sila sa akin.

When I got closer, I was right that it's Drake. I touched his face and checked his pulse to make sure that he's alive. Good thing he is. He's just currently asleep like us before.

I got Vyl and Zy to move him away from the ocean. Basa ang kaniyang damit dahil malamang ay kanina pa siya natatamaan ng alon dahil sa puwesto niya kanina. Vyl tried to wake him up by lightly tapping his cheeks. I was starting to get nervous about how he will react when he found out what happened to him. He would freak out for sure.

Niyugyog ko ang kaniyang balikat kaya tuluyan siyang nagising. He violently gasped for air and sat right up. Napahawak ang isang kamay niya sa kaniyang dibdib habang mabibilis ang hiningang tumitingin sa paligid.

"Drake, hey, calm down. It's okay, it's okay."

He looked at me with a confused expression. I gently rubbed his back so he would calm down and slowly he did. Bumagal ang kaninang mabilis niyang pag hinga at ilang beses siyang napalunok. He is still staring at me wide eyed before talking.