Chapter 42 Three portals

"What's your difference between us, Iris?"

"We never fought enough. We surrendered and accepted our lives as a sacrifice. You vowed to never walk the same path. You vowed to end this curse. Don't let any white werewolf follow our paths. You are still alive, and there's your mate who's still fighting for you, you have friends. . ." two voices have been whispering in my ears.

Nakahawak na ang mga kamay ng maliliit na diwata malaking bula na nagkukulong sa akin. Their eyes were filled with determination and hope that I'd gather more strength to fight this endless curse.

I took a deep breath. "I want to be saved."

Agad gumuhit ang ngiti sa labi ng dalawang diwata na mabilis din pinagdaop ang kanilang mga kamay dahil sa matinding tuwa. Muli akong tumanaw sa pangyayari sa labas ng kadilimang nagkukulong sa akin.

"But they can't just remove my body inside that igniting ball. I can't see the goddess anymore and I am sure that it's already my presence that is holding the old ruin." Luminga ako sa paligid. It's an infinite black filled with white bubbles as if we were in the depth of the ocean that couldn't reach by the sun.

I don't think I can find a way to escape this endless darkness without any touch of magic. Nang sumulyap ako sa dalawang diwata ay mariin din nila akong tinitingnan na parang hinihintay nila kung may maganda ba akong iniisip sa sitwasyong iyon.

"Here in Attero, everyone uses magic. I can't make a move or away similar to that," panimula ko. Good thing, these pixies went inside this darkness, dahil sino pa ang maaaring makapasok sa lugar na ito?

I don't think the Head Wizard will enter this realm or even the Earth Dragon Wizard, dahil kung may kaalaman sila ay matagal na nila iyong nagawa, knowing that they loved the same woman. Even Tavion and Rosh to enter this darkness would seem impossible, lalo na sitwasyon nila sa mga oras na iyon.

"When we had the war between the goddesses of Deeseyadah our approach was to destroy their world- their place," panimula ko sa dalawang diwata. "But I am sure that Anna already had this thought."

Dahil kung iisipin, isa lang ang siyang pinakamadaling gawin para matigil ang tatlong lugar upang magsama-sama at higit na umaagaw ng buhay. We should destroy it, just like what we did in Deeseyadah.

If Queen Raeliana sacrificed her body to protect the tunnel in Nemetio Spiran, the mate of the Head Wizard in Fevia Attero, and if my intuition was right that Queen Talisha fulfilled her failed mission her years ago, and now with my body protecting this ruin ni Fevia Attero, those bone-eating portals will stop its expansion.

"But how about. . ."

Muli akong dumungaw sa maliit na liwanag kung saan naroon ang imahe nina Tavion, Rosh, Earth Dragon Wizard at ang Head Wizard na nagtatalo sa isa't isa.

"I have to reach them. Help me. . ." inihawak kong muli ang mga kamay ko sa bula na nakakulong sa akin, marahang humawak roon ang dalawang diwata.

I could see the relief in their eyes as if I'd told them the great news they ever heard in this lifetime. If King Thaddeus, King Raheem, Queen Talisha, Queen Raeliana, the Earth Dragon Wizard, and the Head Wizard failed their mission in a similar way, why do we have to do the same way?

Sabay tumango sa isa't isa ang dalawang diwata at muli nilang inihawak ang kanilang mga kamay sa bula na nagkukulong sa akin. Ipinikit ko ang aking mga mata at pilit na sinalubong ang kanilang maliliit na palad sa pagitan ng makapal na harang.

Ilang beses kong tinawag ang pangalan ni Tavion sa kanyang isipan ngunit ang siyang namamayani lamang sa kanyang isipan ay ang kanyang palitan ng salita sa pagitan ni Rosh at ang pag-awat sa kanila ng dating Earth Dragon Wizard.

"Who are you to stop me?!" sumugod na si Tavion kay Rosh at marahas niyang hinawakan ang kuwelyo nito hanggang sa itulak niya ang prinsipe sa pader at iangat ang katawan nito.

Nagniningas ang mga mata ni Tavion. Nangangatal ang mga kamay niya habang nakalabas ang kanyang mga pangil. "Wala ka sa sitwasyon ko! Wala kang karapatang pigilan ako sa desisyon ko! You have nothing to lose. My mate is disappearing in front of my eyes. Should I stay? Should I watch? Should I let her go?!"

Matalim tumitig sa kanya si Rosh, ngunit hindi nanlaban ang prinsipe. Hinayaan niya si Tavion na iangat siya sa ere habang bagsak ang kanyang braso. Ngunit sa huli ay si Rosh ang siyang nag-iwas ng tingin kay Tavion na anumang oras ay maaari siyang kitilin.

"I have my own mate as well, heard stories about her, saw her in my unreachable dreams, she kept on disappearing in front of my eyes, but what should I do? There are things that we have to wait. At may mga pagkakataon na hindi natin sila kayang hilahin patungo sa atin. Our mates should come for us, they have their own decisions, we have to respect them, us, vampires have our ways, but it's not something that the other creatures could understand, they might end up to hate us."

"We're in different situation, Rosh!"

This time, Rosh held Tavion's arms and pushed it away from him. Tavion's body was thrown away on the other side of the wall, Rosh quickly followed Tavion's body and this time, his arms pinned Tavion the way he was pinned before. Unlike Tavion, Rosh was calm. Hindi nagniningas ang kanyang mga mata, hindi naglalabasan ang kanyang mga ugat at hindi nakalabas ang kanyang pangil.

"I've been in a different situation, Tavion Lancelot Gazellian. Do you think I didn't discover ways to desperately pull her into this world? I've been on different kinds of journeys from different worlds and discovered ways to have her. But I am still waiting, I am waiting for her to come for me, I am waiting for the right time to claim her because if I forced it, she will not like it. She will hate it. . . she will hate me," mas dumidiin ang mga salitang binibitawan ni Rosh. "Iris will hate you."

Binitawan na ni Rosh si Tavion na nalugmok na sa lupa habang nakayuko. Tumalikod na si Rosh at namaywang habang nakatingala na sa katawan kong nakalutang. At tahimik namang nagmamasid ang dating Earth Dragon Wizard at ang Head Wizard.

"Ilang oras pa bago tayo mapasok rito ng mga kalaban?"

"I can handle this," tumuwid na sa kanyang pagkakatayo ang Head Wizard.

"Yes, I think he can handle this. He might be lovesick, but he is still the most powerful creature in this world," kibit balikat na sabi ng Head Wizard.

"So, are we not going to have another fight, then?" nagtatakang tanong ni Rosh.

"Now that the Head Wizard is in his right mind, I think this world can start to crawl back into its places. After all, the whole problem of this world from the very beginning is the Head Wizard being the huge spider in this old ruin, and now that Anna Merliz Callista freed him. . ." sinadyang bitinin ng Earth Dragon Wizard ang kanyang dapat sasabihin.

"How about that wizard named Howl? Is he still a criminal? I can hire him in my empire."

The first Earth Dragon Wizard chuckled. "I don't think he'll accept your invitation, vampire. The Head Wizard will do something about his name," ngumiwi ang Head Wizard sa kanyang narinig.

Nang lumingon na ulit si Rosh kay Tavion ay nakaupo na ito sa lupa habang nakatingala sa lumulutang kong katawan. "Now that my mate sacrificed her body for the good of the three worlds, are you all now happy and satisfied? Bakit hindi na kayo bumalik sa mga dapat ninyong puntahan? I can stay here forever with Iris."

Muling nagkatitigan sina Rosh at Tavion. "What? Do you expect me to come with you? Sa tingin mo ba ay magagawa kong iwan si Iris? Patayin mo muna ako, Rosh."

Huminga na nang malalim ang Earth Dragon Wizard at pumagitna na kina Tavion at Rosh. "Bakit hindi na lang muna kayo magpahinga at-" malakas na tumawa si Tavion sa narinig mula sa Earth Dragon Wizard.

"Bakit hindi na lang kayo lahat umalis at hayaan akong mag-isa? Ikaw na rin ang nagsabi na tapos na ang suliranin ninyo, ngayong nakalaya na ang iyong Head Wizard sa sarili niyang sumpa. Go, rule this world. At kung iniisip ninyong may ibang nilalang na makakapasok pa sa lugar na ito, I'll do everything in my power to prevent this ruin to kill innocent lives. I will not waste Iris' sacrifice for another life to be got killed."

Habang pilit kong iniyayakap sa presensiya ko ang kapangyarihan ng dalawang diwata, unti-unti nang humihina ang boses nila sa aking isipan.

"I can't enter Tavion's mind," sabi ko sa dalawang diwata.

"You have to communicate with them in different way," sagot ng isa sa kanila.

Kung kanina ay pilit kong pinapasok ang isipan ni Tavion, ngayon naman ay ibang paraan ang pilit ipinagawa sa akin ng dalawang diwata.

"You have to concentrate more, Iris."

Huminga ako nang malalim at mas pinalabas ko ang kapangyarihan at presensiyang gamit ko sa tuwing kailangan ko ang kakayahan ng mapa at ipakita iyon sa lahat. Hindi ko inalis ang pagkakapikit ng aking mga mata hanggang sa tuluyan kong makita ang sarili kong imaheng lumulutang sa ere.

It was like I went outside of my whole body and my floating soul was looking at my own hollow shell. Ang lumulutang kong katawan na nagliliwanag, habang may nakapikit na mga mata, brasong nakayakap sa sarili at buhok na tila inaanod ng tubig.

And when I looked down to see my soul, I found myself trapped inside a smaller bubble, as if I was a small fire inside a floating bubble.

Tuluyan nang nawala ang atensyon ko sa sarili kong katawan at nagawa ko nang dumungaw sa mga lalaking nagkakagulo sa ibaba.

The small bubble from the huge glowing golden bubble left its main form and slowly descended on the place where Tavion, Rosh, Earth Dragon Wizard, and Head Wizard were having a discussion. Mabilis naagaw ang atensyon nilang lahat dahil sa maliit at bilog na liwanag na nagsisimula nang lumapit sa kanila.

It was Tavion who first recognized me. "Iris. . ."

Kapwa napaawang ang mga labi ng Earth Dragon Wizard at ng Head Wizard nang makitang nagawa kong kumawala sa pagkakakulong na iyon gamit ang maliit na bulang nasa harapan nila.

"Wow. . ." usal ng Earth Dragon Wizard.

"How could she. . ." napatingala na lang ang Head Wizard sa katawan kong nakalutang.

"See? You have to wait for her," tipid na sabi ni Rosh habang nalumanay na nakatitig sa bula kung saan naroon ang kaunting presensiya ko.

"The fragment of her presence is inside that glowing bubble. . ." napapailing na sabi ng Earth Dragon Wizard.

"I thought I'd only admire the talent of that young Callista, mukhang hindi lang ang dalagang Callista na iyon ang siyang dapat kong hanggaan," nakatitig na rin sa maliit na nagliliwanag na bula ang Head Wizard.

Nanatiling nakapikit ang aking mga mata at ramdam ko ang init ng kapangyarihang ibinibigay sa akin ng dalawang diwata upang higit akong magtagal ay makapagsalita sa harap ng apat na lalaki.

"I found a way to end this endless sacrifice. . ."

Mas lumapit ang apat na lalaki sa paligid ko at hindi na sila nagsalita pa para ibigay sa akin ang pagkakataon. "If the late kings way was to divide the bone-eating portals and protect it individually, why do we have to make their same approach that failed years ago?"

Wala pa rin nagsalita sa kanila at hinintay nila akong magpatuloy. "I don't think King Thaddeus or King Raheem would like their sons to continue their failed mission in the very first place, they want us to make our own way."

"And what is this way?" tanong ni Rosh.

"Why don't we let these three bone-eating portals to combine and destroyed at once? Tulad ng ginawa ng Nemetio Spiran sa Deseeyadah. Bakit kailangan nating maghiwa-hiwalay kung kaya ng tatlong mundong lumaban ng sama-sama? Nemetio Spiran, Fevia Attero, and Tavion's world can fight together to destroy these portals."