Chapter 69: Dancing Flowers

"Astrid!"

I had lost count of how many times I called her name in the vastness of this swamp. All I could hear was my own voice, the sound of the moving water as I continued to row, and the creaking of the enormous plants above me as if one of those would crash into my improvised petal boat.

I looked up, grimaced, and blinked with the sudden flash of my imagination. The slow movement of my petal boat and the momentary shadows on my cheek from the shades of those gigantic flowers gave me a sudden relief. 

There was a sun but no wind at all?! It was scorching hot and damn blinding!

How was it possible to feel the movement of these massive plants without even feeling the wind? I kept wiping the sweat from my forehead with my arm. The humidity was suffocating. And the silence was deafening.

Tiniis ko na lang ang init at muli akong humarap sa unahan.

"Right! Astrid! Do you hear me? This is Kezalli!"

I closed my eyes, wondering if this was the best way to get her attention. How should I introduce myself to her? Was she aware of the stories of the prophecy? Did she grow up with the idea of us, or was it all as vague for her as it was for Claret? What if she had no idea at all? 

Bigla kong naalala iyong sinabi sa akin ni Claret tungkol sa kanya. She tried to come near her in the human world, pero tinarayan lang daw siya. Kung ganoon na siya kay Claret na sobrang ganda, ano na lang ang sasabihin niya sa katulad ko?

I looked down and grimaced with my own sight. I might have been dressed like a performer, but it was now filled with dirt. Ikaw ba naman ang bumagsak sa tubig na kulay brown? Kinapa ko rin ang buhok ko. The pixies took care of it but now it was all sticky and disgusting.

Baka sa sandaling makita ako ni Astrid ay paghinalaan niya akong nababaliw o 'di kaya ay isang kalaban.  

How I wished I could have that kind of spell like Claret, she could literally dress up like those pixies, but I knew that my power was more inclined toward weapons. Nagagawa ko lang gamitin iyon kapag may armas ako. And if I tried to use spells like how Claret used it with her blue power, it should be with my intense emotions. I couldn't control it the way I wanted to.

I sighed. I should give up the idea that I'd master my green light just like how Claret expertly drew it in thin air. I'd stick with my weapons and green light embracing it.

Pinagpatuloy ko ang pagsagwan habang lumilinga sa paligid. Pare-pareho lang ang nakikita ko, maduming tubig at napakaraming matataas na bulaklak at payat na puno. 

As someone who grew up and survived the dark side of the human world alone, having this journey in this strangely looking place wasn't too much for me. I used to wander through places no one would expect a woman like me to explore. I have always been an adventurer, driven by my love for discovering history, the past, and the artifacts that tell its story.

Siguro ay dahil iyon ang tumatak sa akin noong bata pa ako. How at a young age, I was exposed to the idea that it was important to preserve archaeological things— the print of the past. I knew that I shouldn't feel the excitement right now with the idea that my mate might have suffered for this sudden decision, but just like what the blue fire had told me, she summoned me.

I am still wondering about her words, but for now, I know that I should find her— Astrid.

"Astrid! This is Kezalli! I came from the human world as well! Can you hear me?! Your fiancé—" natigilan ako. "Fiancé na ba dapat?" I shook my head.

"Your boyfriend—" muli akong natigilan. Kilala niya na ba si Rosh? Ano ba ang nasabi sa akin ni Claret tungkol sa relasyon nila? I think I remember something about their connected dreams dahil ganoon din kami ni Claret kina Tobias at Zen.

"Probably a suitor, yes . . ." I nodded. Nanligaw ba sa kanya si Rosh sa panaginip?

Damn it, this is a confusing job!

"Astrid! Your suitor is looking for you! Unfortunately, I am the only one who can enter your mirror! Can you hear me?"

Para akong baliw na kinakausap ang sarili habang patuloy ako sa pagsagwan. Muli akong lumingon sa paligid. May araw, may tubig, at may mga halaman, at may kulay ngunit ang lamlam. Ang lungkot at ang bigat-bigat sa pakiramdam.

Hindi ito ang inaasahan kong loob ng salamin. I was expecting that this place would look like a paradise for us— a vast garden with bright colors, fresh air, living butterflies, and full of life. Akala ko ay mahihigitan pa nito ang hardin sa Deltora. Himala na rin siguro na nagawa akong buhayin ng lugar na ito. 

Maybe this was the effect of the Blue Fire's death. Ito na ba ang paraan niya para sabihin sa amin na hindi na kayang pangalagaan ng lugar na ito si Astrid?

And now that this mirror accepted another injured woman from the prophecy, this place might have absorbed all my injuries resulting in this swamp. Halos sabunutan ko na ang sarili ko sa lahat ng naiisip ko.

Kailangan ko nang magmadali. Sinabi rin sa akin ni Claret na mapaglaro ang loob ng salamin, dahil nagagawa nitong baguhin ang oras sa loob nito. Kung higit na nais ng salamin na magtagal ako rito, madali niya lang itong magagawa. 

Hindi ako nawalan ng pag-asa sa kabila ng pagod ko. Hindi ako tumigil sa pagtawag sa pangalan ni Astrid at pagsagwan sa napakalawak na lugar na ito na tila walang katapusan.

I have to find her, but what if she doesn't want to be found?

Huminga ako nang malalim. Hindi ko siya mahahanap dahil lang sa simpleng pagtawag na ito. Dapat ay may gawin ako, hindi lang pagsigaw o pagsagwan dito.

When I looked at my hands again, I saw the familiar gold bands on my wrists. These are my weapons. Sa tuwing hindi ko ito ginagamit ay bumabalik iyon bilang mga bracelet ko.

And then I summoned it, together with the sounds of its shimmers. Nanatili akong nakatungo at pinagmamasdan ang hawak kong wand. Kung si Claret lang ako ay malamang nakagawa na ako ng orasyon para hanapin si Astrid, but I am just Kezalli with her changing weapons.

"Think, Kezalli . . ."

Itinindig ko na ang wand ko at hinawakan iyon ng dalawa kong kamay. Pumikit ako at itinuon ko ang noo ko roon. "How can I locate her?"

Hindi ko alam kung gaano ako katagal na nakapikit at pilit na nag-iisip ng paraan nang bigla na lang tumigil ang petal na sinasakyan ko.

Bumangga na pala ako sa panibagong halaman, bumuhos ang tubig sa katawan ko dahilan kung bakit napaupo ako, napamura nang makitang bahagyang lumubog ang sinasakyan ko at napatingala.

Umuulan ba?

And then I saw it, the tall and enormous plant had beads of water on its leaves. Kung normal na laki lang iyon ay wala sa akin, ngunit sa katulad ko na nasa ilalim nito, para akong binuhusan ng isang timbang tubig.

"Shit! May papatak na namam!"

I desperately stood up, took the dried branch, and started to row to avoid the other drop of water, but it was too late for me, more droplets of it fell, hitting the end of my petal and the brown water behind me, giving me a sudden current.

"Shit!"

Nakailang mura na ako kasabay nang tuluyan paglakas ng alon at pagkahulog ko sa tubig. Maging sa isip ko ay hindi na natapos ang pagmumura ko, hanggang sa muli akong sumungaw sa tubig, habol ang paghinga, pag-ubo kasabay nang pagsampa sa petal na muntik nang makalayo sa akin.

Nang sandaling makabalik ako sa ibabaw, nanliliit ang mga mata ko roon sa mataas na halaman na nabangga ko. This place felt so heavy— like a dead place, but its silence has its horror. That plant was trying to drown me!

Should something inside this place harm someone like me? Couldn't these gigantic plants recognize me?

Mariin na akong napailing. May mali na nga rito sa lugar na ito.

I summoned my wand again and tapped its end twice; it illuminated and transformed into my arrows. I waited until I was far enough from where I came from before I positioned myself. Taking a deep breath, an arrow appeared in my hand. I placed my bow in front of me and positioned the arrow on the string. My arms tightened against the familiar stance of my body, with one outstretched in front of me and one behind. The screeching sound of my bowstring echoed as I pulled back, spotting my target. The end of the arrow almost kissed my cheek. One of my eyes closed, and the tip of my fingers gently touched the coldness of the blade of the arrow. The moment I breathed out, I released my green arrow, creating a whistling sound as it surged forward. It was fast, sharp, and accurate, slicing through the sudden air. In a moment, the arrow hit the spot where the stem and the head of the gigantic flower were connected, creating a sudden crack in the middle of the stem, crawling slowly downward as the head of the flower fell. 

With that attack and the head of the flower falling into the water, I anticipated a surge of movement from the water, pushing me with increased current.

Kung kanina ay pawang katahimikan lang ang siyang mayroon sa lugar na ito, ngayon ay hindi lang ang paggalaw ng tubig ang siyang nasasaksihan ko.

The gigantic flowers were now moving, bending their bodies into an attack as if they suddenly grew fangs, ready to eat a foreign object that suddenly disturbed their silence. 

I laughed with tears, cursing myself with my own foolishness as I started rowing my petal boat and dodging every attack of the flowers, hungry for my flesh.

"Gaga!" sigaw ko sa sarili ko habang tawa nang tawa na naiiyak.

Kung hindi ako sasagwan ay bigla kong ilalabas ang armas ko para harangan ang bawat atake ng halaman gamit. My wand kept on switching from metal rings, a wand, a sword, and even bows and arrows as if my green lights were blinking between the vastness of brown water and monstrous gigantic plants.

It would be good if Astrid would suddenly appear to help me with these monsters, but I knew that I was on my own now. Alam kong walang tutulong sa akin kundi ako.

I stopped rowing and faced four hungry flesh-eating plants surging me at once, I was ready to welcome them, and probably slice them, but I didn't expect another attack from behind.

A roar of pain echoed as I felt the fangs of the plant dig into my skin, lifting me up from my petal boat while it straightened itself. Despite my metal rings in both hands, I kept slicing at every part of the monstrous flower's head, but its fangs continued to tighten around my flesh, leaving me no way to escape.

"No!"

My metal rings turned into my wand, and I started hitting the flower, now swaying giving me a surge of nausea. "Fuck off! You're not supposed to be eating me! You should damn protect me!"

Mariin na akong napapapikit sa sakit ng kagat sa aking katawan. Nakikita ko na rin ang pagdaloy ng sarili kong dugo. Unlike Freya's attack that would definitely kill me, this one was less harmful, yet the pain was unbearable and scrutinizing.

Habang pilit akong pinahihirapan ng halaman na iwasiwas sa ere, doon ko lang higit na napansin na hindi lang iilan ang halaman na bigla na lang gumalaw. They were like dancing— no they were like drunken men who suddenly learned to dance.

Tila nagwawala ang kabuuan ng lugar na iyon habang patuloy na sumasayaw ang bawat halaman. Hindi ko na napigilan ang suka ko habang kasama ako sa pagsayaw nilang lahat.

"Fuck! Ewww!"

Marahas kong pinunasan ng braso ko ang bibig ko matapos akong sumuka ngunit patuloy pa rin ako pagwasiwas. "Let me go!"

Ilang beses ko pa rin hinahampas ang halaman ngunit mas nagmatigas ito. I should turn it into half, but I could just make an accurate attack with my damn position.

I was about to summon a sword when I noticed something at my left side. Hindi muli ako pumalag sa halaman at hinayaan ko itong ihampas ako nang ihampas sa ere habang nakaabang akong muli sa direksyong iyon.

When I finally had a second glance, even with the rage coming from the gigantic flower and its harsh movement, it felt like time slowed down— the pain stopped, the roaring stopped, and everything around me disappeared but the only single flower standing formidably in the middle of the wilderness.

In the middle of these lame-colored tulips and thin-looking plants dancing wildly in the air as if everything turned into slow motion— there was a single immovable plant— a lotus. A bright red lotus with illuminating white light around it.

A small smile crept on my lips as I wiped the sudden tear on my cheek. "Rosh, I've found her."