XI: Claiming Ceremony
Sabrina's Point of View
I still couldn't believe that Miss Katarina is a goddess. My mouth was half-open, and my mind was as if in a trance. Iniling ko ang aking ulo. For god's sake, Sabrina! Her name's not Katarina, she's Amphitrite! A goddess and a queen of the sea.
"You can call me anything you want, my goddess. If you are comfortable with calling me by my disguise name, I'm fine with it." A voice suddenly entered my mind. And that voice was from Miss Katarina.
Napatingin ako sa kaniya nang diretso. I saw her sweet smile plastered upon her lips. Out of the corner of my eyes, I saw her husband looking at me with his sad and a glad expression at the same time.
"She's gonna be alright, my king . . ." I heard Katarina's voice in my head once again. But, I am pretty sure she's not talking to me when I saw her hands softly caressing her husband's left arm.
I saw him smiled. Pero nandoon pa rin ang mapait niyang ngiti. After witnessing that bitter smile, I don't know how, but I felt sad. His emotions as if linked with mine. Miss Katarina's husband nodded at her.
"Aqua, my child, the golden orb," we heard him said.
Nang marinig ng academy director ang sinabi ng asawa ni Miss Katarina, tinanguhan niya ito. Tumayo siya't ikinumpas ang kaniyang mga kamay. When she released her hands, countless golden orbs suddenly floating above us in circle.
Each golden orbs had a symbol engraved inside, and glowing at the same time. Kaming mga baguhan ay hindi mapigilan ang sarili kundi ang humanga. Our attention were taken away from us when we heard Miss Katarina's husband cleared his throat.
"These floating golden orbs was created by my nephew himself, Hephaestus, the god of fire and blacksmiths. They will be the key of you being claimed by your deity," paliwanag pa ng asawa ni Miss Katarina. "Newcomers, did you see that?" Napatingin kami sa itinuro niya.
His index finger pointing straight to the golden circle that was located on the floor. We all quickly nodded as a response. "Very well, if your name is called, you stand up there and wait for your golden orb to come to you. Once it glows, that means you are being acknowledged as an offspring of that deity."
Nabalik ang aming atensyon nang marinig naming tumikhim ang academy director. "If I call your name, please come forward and step inside the golden circle as what Lord Poseidon says," she formally speak.
Biglang lumitaw ang nakalutang na kulay gintong papel. Almost everything here is golden. It really speaks divine. She continue to browse and stopped when she finally find the list of the newcomers.
"Kishabelle Rain Magdayao!" The girl with long straight hair sitting beside Novie Mae stood up.
Taas noo pa siyang naglakad patungo sa sentro ng chamber na 'to. She made a quick sigh and step inside the golden circle. Seconds later, a golden orb were approaching to her. Huminto ito sa ibabaw ng kaniyang ulo. I concentrate looking at the symbol.
I couldn't recognize it at the first glance. But, later on, I realized it was an ancient writing tablet. Nakita ko itong umilaw bigla. As it glowed, her appearance suddenly changed. From her straight long hair turns into long wavy hair.
We were all surprised when she suddenly sang. She had a beautiful voice! After she sang, a four letter above the golden orb appeared.
"Her name's Kiss!" Umalingawngaw ang boses ng academy director sa apat na sulok ng chamber na ito. "A daughter of Calliope, the muse of epic poetry!" Matapos i-anunsyo ito ng academy director ay malakas na nagpalakpakan ang lahat.
"Philippi Noel!" A guy lazily stood up and walked straight to the golden circle.
I looked at him in disbelief when I saw him lazily yawn. Gaya ng nangyari sa nauna, segundo ang nakalipas, lumapit ang isang golden orb sa kaniya. Huminto ito sa ibabaw ng kaniyang ulo. The golden orb has the symbol of a tree.
Hindi ko alam kung ano'ng klaseng kahoy 'yon. Napansin kong mas lalong umitim ang buhok niya. He had a teakwood skin. Above the golden orb, five letters suddenly appeared. Revealing his demigod name.
I couldn't believe these things were real.
"Philip, son of Hypnos, the god of sleep. His father is the son of Nyx, the goddess of night, and Erebus, the god of darkness!" The academy director announced. Namayani ulit ang malakas na palakpakan. "Meira Zhanya Montenegro!"
The girl sitting next to the girl sitting beside with Novie stood up. Nang makapasok siya sa golden circle, walang kasing-bilis ng dalawang naunang lumapit sa kaniya ang golden orb. Her deity parent must be proud.
Napahawak ako sa aking magkabilang braso nang biglang lumamig ang buong silid. Out of the corner of my eyes, the girl's brown hair turns into mane of lush black hair. Her raven black eyes turns into coffee-brown eyes.
She has unnatural skin, the color of the snow. She wear now a silver necklace with a crown as a pendant. At kapansin-pansin ang mga snow na nagsibagsakan kung saan siya nakatayo. After her appearance changed, five letters appeared above the golden orb.
"Meira, the daughter of Khione, goddess of snow. Her mother is the daughter of Boreas, god of the North Wind and sister of Zethes and Calais!" When the academy director announced who she was, that explains everything. The snow, her appearance, and the sudden cold temperature in the chamber.
Muling namayani ang palakpakan. "Shaira Dela Cerna!" Huminto ang palakpakan. The girl with long black hair stood up. Her hair reach down to her waist. She was wearing glasses and simple rainbowed t-shirt.
Gaya ng mga nauna, pumasok siya sa golden circle. Couple of seconds, lumapit sa kaniya ang golden orb. The golden orb's symbol were an ancient golden pitcher and a winged staff with two snakes intertwined.
When the golden orb glowed, a rainbow appeared few inches above the girl's head. Sa ibaba naman ng rainbow ay nandoon ang tatlong letrang nakalutang. Her physical appearance still the same, except her hair. Her hair is still black, but there are highlight of rainbow. It makes her more beautiful.
"Ira, daughter of Iris, the goddess of the rainbow and the messenger of the gods! Her mother is the daughter of a minor sea god Thaumas, and Oceanid Elektra." The academy director announced.
As usual, the chamber filled with loud applause. Bumalik sa upuan si Ira. Habang ang academy director ay muling tumingin sa kaniyang listahan.
"Zaijian Juanico!" An athletic looking guy stood up. Nakaupo siya sa pinakadulo ng lamesa. Taas noo siyang naglakad patungo sa golden circle.
Kasing-bilis ng kay Meira na lumapit sa kaniya ang golden orb. Nakaukit naman sa golden orb ang isang golden wreath bilang simbolo ng deity parent niya. When the golden orb glowed, his mahogany brown hair changed into raven black hair.
Four letters quickly appeared above the golden orb. "Jian, son of Nike, the goddess of victory!" Namayani ulit ang malakas na palakpakan.
Natahimik ang lahat nang marinig namin ang pagtikhim ng academy director. "The next four newcomers will be personally received their grace by their own city leaders. When I call your names, please come in front," she said. Muli siyang tumingin sa listahan niya. "Shantelle of Nero City. Rose of Fotia City. Elvis of Gi City. Lastly, Jhonic of Aeras City."
Sabay na tumayo ang dalawang babae at dalawa pang lalaki. Each of them wearing the four color of the elements: blue, red, white, and green. I didn't know that there are four cities in this world.
Marami pa akong dapat na malaman tungkol sa lugar na 'to.
Nang makarating na sila sa harapan, niyuko nila ang kanilang ulo bilang pagrespeto. Sabay na ngumiti 'yong apat na babaeng nakasuot na tila parang pang-militar na kasuotan.
"Shantelle of Nero City, please take a two step forward." Ginawa naman niya kaagad ito. "I, Aqua, daughter of Poseidon, god of the sea, the academy director and the leader of Nero City hereby give your grace in accordance with your honorable actions towards our people. You will be given the privilege to study here in Imitheos Academy!"
Nakita kong ikinumpas ng academy director ang kamay niya. Seconds later, a floating water above of her palm appeared. When she gestured her left arm, dahan-dahang lumapit ang tubig papunta sa lugar kung nasaan nakatayo si Shantelle.
When it reached her, Shantelle offered her two hands. Three drops of water on her palm, her hands glowed. Malakas na nagsipalakpakan ang lahat. Bumalik si Shantelle sa linya nang tumigil ang palakpakan.
"Rose of Fotia City, please take a two step forward," a gentle but authoritative voice echoed inside this chamber. And there I saw, the woman in red formal uniform. Isa siya sa apat na babaeng nakasuot ng tila parang pang-militar na kasuotan. "I, Fatima, daughter of Hephaestus, god of fire and blacksmith and the leader of Fotia City hereby give your grace in accordance with your honorable actions towards our people. You will be given the privilege to study here in Imitheos Academy!"
Ikinumpas ni Miss Fatima ang kamay niya. At doon lumabas ang apoy. I was flabbergasted when the fire from her hands directly hit the girl. But nothing happened. The fire slowly disappeared. Out of the corner of my eyes, I saw a last strand of fire she absorbed with her bare hands.
How cool is that!
"Elvis of Gi City, please take a two step forward," another authoritative voice echoed. "I, Rocky, daughter of Demeter, goddess of harvest and agriculture and the leader of Gi City hereby give your grace in accordance with your honorable actions towards our people. You will be given the privilege to study here in Imitheos Academy!"
A tree plant vines came out from Miss Rocky's hand. And it crawls slowly on the floor right directly to Elvis where he's standing. When the vines reach him, it crawls to his legs upward. The crawling stopped when it reached his arms and hands.
Mahigpit itong nakapulupot sa mga braso niya't kamay. Makalipas ang dalawang segundo, bigla itong naglaho at nagliwanag ang mga palad niya. After that happened, a loud applause from the crowd echoed.
"Jhonic of Aeras City, please take a two step forward," another authoritative voice echoed inside this chamber. It was more authoritative than the first three. "I, Sky, daughter of Zeus and the king of all the gods, and the leader of Aeras City hereby give your grace in accordance with your honorable actions towards our people. You will be given the privilege to study here in Imitheos Academy!"
Bigla kong naramdaman ang hangin na paikot-ikot dito sa loob ng silid na 'to. Seconds later, we found Jhonic floating in the air. A proud smile plastered on his lips. I am even more impressed when he started flying around inside this chamber. Pero hindi naman siya nagtagal ay bumaba siya at nag-bow bilang pasasalamat.
Nang pumalakpak ang lahat, naglakad silang apat pabalik sa aming lamesa. At muling tumayo si Miss Aqua para ipagpatuloy ang seremonyang ito. There's six of us left.
"Nine newcomers had been claimed, therefore, we only have six left." We heard her said in excitement. "Novie Mae Carpio!" Mabilisang napatayo si Novie na katabi ko lang nang marinig niya ang pangalan niya.
She gave me a fierce smile before walking straight to the golden circle. She gave herself a deep sigh before stepping inside. Nang makapasok siya sa golden circle, her golden orb instantaneously comes closer to her. It was quicker than the others.
Napansin ko naman na ang nakaukit na simbolo sa golden orb ay isang owl. Ilang segundo ang lumipas, lumitaw ang apat na letra sa ibabaw ng kaniyang golden orb. Mas nauna ata ang paglitaw ng demigod name niya bago mag-iba ang anyo niya.
From kinda straight hair, mas lalong naging wavy ang buhok niya. Her gray eyes glowed for a moment. Napapikit siya ng ilang segundo when she found herself glowing. It's just temporary, nawala kaagad ito.
"Nkri, daughter of Athena, the goddess of wisdom and war!" Puno ng pananabik na anunsyo ni Miss Aqua.
Ang kaninang palakpakan mas lalong lumakas. Halos lahat ng estudyante ay humahanga sa kaniya. It's as if she's been claimed by a higher deity. Matapos 'yon ay naglakad siya pabalik sa lamesa namin nang may ngiti sa labi.
"I've got a chance to talk to my mother for a short amount of time, Sabrina. I've been waiting to hear her voice ever since," she said.
I responded to her congratulations. And she just responded to me with a big smile. After that, my smile faded. Can I hear her or his voice as well later, right?
"Rindash Willson!" Tumayo kaagad si Rindash at naglakad papalapit sa golden circle.
Nang makapasok si Rindash sa golden circle, dumaan muna ang tatlong segundo bago lumapit ang golden orb niya. Huminto ito sa ibabaw ng kaniyang ulo. Napansin ko kaagad ang wheat bilang simbolo. When his golden orb glowed, nagbago kaagad ang hitsura niya.
His black hair turned into blond hair, the color of ripe wheat. He also had a warm brown eyes. Nakita ko naman ang plant vines na pumulupot sa kaniyang mga kamay. The plant vines on his hands turns into a golden sword. Ilang segundo muli ang nakalipas bago ito naglaho.
"Dash, son of Demeter, goddess of harvest and agriculture, presiding over grains and the fertility of the earth!" Ganoon pa rin ang energy ni Miss Aqua, ramdam ko ang pagiging excited niya.
Some girls on the crowd silently giggling around. G'wapo naman talaga si Rindash bago mag-iba ang itsura niya. Mas lalo lang siyang naging g'wapo matapos siya ma-claim ng deity parent niya.
"Blaylan Young!" Taas noong tumayo at naglakad si Blaylan papunta sa golden circle. I've got to admit, Blaylan and Nkri has the same vibe.
Could it be?
Kasing bilis ng kay Nkri lumapit ang golden orb niya. When his body glowed, pumikit siya ng ilang segundo. As he opened his eyes, we all saw a fierce gray eyes. There are some strands of his hair turns into gray.
"Blaze, son of Athena, goddess of war and wisdom!" Miss Aqua excitedly announced. As usual, sobrang lakas ng palakpakan ng lahat.
Nang makabalik si Blaze sa aming lamesa, nakipag-apiran pa siya kay Nkri. They both had the same deity parent after all. And that made them siblings.
"Jace Lim!" A smile plastered upon my lips when I heard him childishly giggles. Habang napapailing at the same time.
Lumulukso-lukso pa siyang naglalakad papalapit sa golden circle. Kita ko pang kinagat niya ang kaniyang ibabang labi bago pumasok. Dahilan para mapatawa ako nang mahina. Subalit, laking gulat ko na lamang na sabay pala kaming tumawa ni Joshua.
Nagkatinginan kami. And here it again, sumalubong na naman sa aking mata ang itim niyang mga mata. I averted my gaze when I found myself staring at him. I heard him laugh softly. That laugh made my heart beat rapidly, and made me bit my lower lip at the same time.
"Ace, son of Aphrodite, the goddess of beauty and love!" Nalaman ko na lamang na natapos na si Jace nang marinig ko ang anunsyo ni Miss Aqua.
But, when I saw Jace walking back to our table, my mouth fully opened. How could he become this beautiful?! Look at those perfect bushy eyebrows, pointed nose, heart-shaped lips and his spiky black hair with a highlight of gold. Even his clothes changed. It's as if he's wearing magic make-up.
"Joshua Bigcas!" Tumayo naman siya nang marinig ang pangalan niya.
Naglakad siya papunta sa golden circle nang nakapamulsa. He even wore his serious expression upon his face. His killer stares made everyone shiver in fear. Nang ipasok niya ang isang paa niya sa golden circle, lumapit kaagad sa kaniya ang golden orb.
That fast?!
Napatingin ako sa golden orb niya. My forehead quickly furrowed. What kind of dog is that?! It was a dog with three heads and one body. Wala namang nag-iba sa hitsura niya, ganoon pa rin, pero 'yong dark vibe niya mas lalong umaapaw.
"Mavros, son of Hades, god of the dead and riches and the king of the underworld!" When Miss Aqua announced it, it sent chills down our spine. That explains everything.
Walang kahit na sinong pumalakpak, the reason why I felt sorry for him. Bigla akong tumayo. At pumalakpak nang malakas. I saw him look at me. Sumunod naman ang pailing-iling niyang ulo at mga matatamis niyang ngiti.
After no'n ay naglakad siya pabalik sa lamesa. Habang suot-suot pa rin ang ngiti niyang nakakakaba. Mas lalo akong nailang nang titigan niya ako hanggang sa makaupo siya.
"Stop staring at me, will you?" I pleaded.
"Why would I?" Nanghahamon niyang tanong. "You just made my heart flutters earlier, did you know that, right?"
"Chantara Sabrina!" Hindi ko siya sinagot nang marinig ko ang aking pangalan.
Nang tumayo ako, tinamaan na naman ako ng matinding kaba. The nervousness I felt earlier is different than this. It was fear. What if my deity parent won't claim me? What if the bad luck strike me this time . . . again?
Mas lalo akong kinabahan nang mapansin kong nakatingin na sa akin ang atensyon ng lahat. Niyuko ko ang aking ulo. Tinitigan ko pa ng ilang segundo ang golden circle na nasa aking harapan. Bumuntonghininga ako nang malalim saka pumasok doon.
Seconds have passed and nothing happened.
It's already been two minutes, nakatayo pa rin ako rito na walang nangyayari. Kinain kaagad ako ng hiya at kaba. I bit my lower lip, restraining myself from bursting out in tears. In that range of time, sobrang tahimik. There are others whispering.
I was about to leave when a golden orb slowly floated closer to me. The symbol is familiar. Everyone gasped in shame. Napatingin ako sa asawa ni Miss Katarina. It was a big golden fork. When Poseidon stood up, he slightly pounded the end of his staff to the floor, the reason why it shook.
I was overwhelmed when I felt great. It's a power, I am sure of it. It was surging every veins of my body. I also felt that my eyes changed its color. Hindi ko alam kung ano'ng kulay ito. Napatingin ako sa mata ni Poseidon.
Sumalubong sa akin ang mga tingin niya. Nandoon pa rin ang malungkot niyang ekspresyon. It's as if he's telling me he's sorry for everything that happened to me. Nabaling ang aking atensyon kay Miss Katarina―Amphitrite. She's smiling at me and slightly bowed her head.
"Heshiena, my child." My eyes grew wider when I heard that voice again. It was him! It was Poseidon who's been communicating with me through my mind.
I am happy. I couldn't stop myself, but I cried. "Finally, I found you, father . . ." garalgal ang aking boses na sabi. "There's so many questions I wanted to ask, and there's so many stories I wanted to tell you. And here you are, I finally got the chance to get to know you."
I heard him in my head sniffing. He then fakes a cough. "Firstly, I am sorry." He said in a sad tone. "Because of me . . . you suffered a lot," he continued. "From here on, you won't feel lonely. I'll be around, me and Amphitrite will watch over you."
I smiled. Doon ko na lamang napansin nakaluhod na pala ang lahat sa likuran ko.
"Heshiena, daughter of Poseidon, god of the sea, storms, earthquakes, droughts, floods and horses!"
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