Heshiena's Point of View

After our sudden quiz on History, the others went back to our cabin. Ang iba naman ay hindi ko alam kung saan pumunta. Habang ako naman ay pumunta sa tabing dagat kung saan ako huling tumambay. Naging score ko sa quiz namin ay passing score. Ako at si Ace lang ata ang nakakuha ng ganiyang score.

As expected, children of Athena get the highest score. And the rest are almost perfect.

Hawak-hawak ko ang libro sa kanang kamay ko, habang sa kaliwa ko naman ay dala-dala ko ang dalawang sandwich. Maging ang panulak kong 500ml C2 apple green tea. I am planning to spend time alone again by reading the history book about the gods.

Plano kong basahin ang laban nina Zeus at Typhon, the event after the Titanomachy and Gigantomachy. I've heard that Zeus was challenged for the supremacy of the cosmos after their war with titans and giants.

The main reason why it hooked me to read in advance.

As I arrived at the spot I wanted to spend time alone, the smell of the ocean greeted my nose. My sight was greeted by glistening water and waves crashing against the shore. My ears, on the other hand, were greeted by the sound of a gentle whistling wind. And the other sounds are caused by nature.

I heaved a sigh as I sit down under the same tree. Dahan-dahan ko namang binuksan ang takip ng C2 at lumagok ng pangalawang beses. Before deciding to open the book right directly to the page I put my bookmark, I take a one bite of my sandwich.

Habang nginunguya ang kinakain kong tinapay ay napag-isipan kong simulan na ang pagbabasa.

The book says, si Typhon daw ay pinakahuli at ang pinakamakapangyarihang anak ni Gaea. Typhon is also known as the storm giant or the father of all monsters.

Huminto ako sa pagbabasa at muling kumagat sa sandwich. Nagpatuloy ako sa pagbabasa. Typhon's wife is Echidna, the mother of all monsters. And his father is the protogenoi Tartarus. Huminto ulit ako sa pagbabasa nang may mapansing kakaibang word na hindi ko alam ang ibig sabihin.

"Protogenoi?" tanong ko sa aking sarili.

"Also known as primordial deities." Napasinghap ako nang marinig ko ang boses ni Mavros. Napatingin ako sa paligid. Sinusubukang hanapin ang presensya niya. "Look up," he said.

Dahil dito ay napatingala ako. There I saw him sitting at the thick tree branch. Nakasandal pa siya sa puno ng kahoy. Habang nag-cross arms at nakatuwid ang dalawang binti. His eyes were closed. Napatitig ako sa maamo niyang mukha.

When he suddenly opened his eyes, kaagad na napaiwas ako't ibinaling ang aking tingin sa libro.

"Kanina ka pa ba diyan?" I asked.

He hummed as a response. It means, yes.

"Did my presence bother you?" he calmly asked back. "Puwede naman akong umalis kung nai-istorbo ng presensya ko ang pagre-relax mo," he added.

Muli na naman akong napasinghap. I gritted my teeth and bit my lower lip afterward. Siya ang naunang dumating dito. Walang modo ko naman kung papaalisin ko siya. At since siya naman 'yong taong tahimik din kagaya ko, hindi naman siguro siya makaka-istorbo sa pagbabasa ko.

"You're reading?" muli niyang tanong upang basagin ang katahimikang ilang minuto ng namayani.

Napatingin ako sa librong nasa hita ko. "Yeah," maikli kong sagot.

He once again hummed as a response. At muli na naman siyang tumahimik. I guess, if ever na wala akong maiintindihan puwede ko naman siguro siyang tanungin.

"Primordial deities?" I asked without looking up.

I heard him heave a sigh. "Gaea, Ouranos, Love and Tartarus are one of the primordial deities. It means, they are the first race of immortals to come into existence and were born directly from the void of Chaos," he answered.

And just like that, bumalik sa alaala ko ang itinuro ni Miss Meriam sa amin kanina. I remembered that she also mentioned about Chaos, Gaea, Tartarus, Eros, and Ouranos. All the matter in the cosmos drifted around in a gloomy, soupy mist called Chaos.

Muli kong tinignan ang libro. Typhon was feared even by the gods, he is especially hated by Aeolus, the keeper of the winds and king of the mythical floating island of Aeolia. Because when he is defeated, thousands of anemoi theullai are released, this making Aeolus' job vastly more difficult.

Huminto na naman ako sa pagbabasa nang may salita na naman akong hindi maiintindihan.

Tumingin ako kung nasaan si Mavros. To my surprise, sumalubong na naman sa akin ang mga mata niya. When he realized our eyes met, he averted his gaze and scratch the back of his head. Tila ba'y nahihiya.

"If you don't mind, can I ask you a question?" panghihingi ko ng permiso.

Tumikhim muna siya bago ako muling tapunan ng tingin. "What is it?" he asked back.

"Anemoi Thuellai . . ." banggit ko sa salitang gusto kong malaman.

"They are the storm-wind spirits," he concisely answered. "The storm-winds locked safely away inside the cavernous interior of Aeolus isle, releasing them only at the command of the greatest gods to wreak devastation upon the world," dagdag pa niya.

Tumingin siya sa akin. I was about to continue reading when he started talking again.

"Aeolus is the divine keeper of the winds and king of the mythical floating island of Aeolia." Tumango ako bilang pagsang-ayon dahil nabasa ko na ito sa libro. "He is also the leader of god of the four winds and the four seasons."

Tumingin ako muli sa libro habang 'yong dalawang tenga ko ay nasa kay Mavros.

"Gods of the winds and seasons are also known as Anemoi. The four of them are the sons of Eos, the goddess of dawn, and Astraeus, the god of dusk." Hinayaan ko na lamang siyang magpatuloy since alam kong may makukuha akong impormasyon tungkol sa kanila.

Nagtaka ako nang bigla siyang nanahimik. Tumingala ako para tignan siya. Muli na namang nagtama ang aming mga mata. Pero this time, hindi na siya umiwas. His forehead even furrowed in confusion.

"Did I annoyed you?" puno ng pag-aalala niyang tanong.

I smiled because despite Mavros noticed that I always distance myself away from others, nandoon pa rin ang sensitivity sa boses niya. He was worried that he might cause to upset me. At dahil sa pagiging maingat niya ay na-a-appreciate ko ito.

Marahan kong iniling ang aking ulo bilang tugon.

"Okay," he said. "You don't mind if I continue, right?" tanong niyang muli.

Dahilan para marahan akong tumawa. When I heard him chuckled, my heart skipped a beat. I bit my lower lip because of a sudden feeling that is foreign to me.

"These deities are also chief. First, Boreas is the north wind and bringer of cold winter air. Notus is the south wind and bringer of the storms of late summer. Zephyrus is the west wind and bringer of light spring and early summer breezes," I heard him paused. "Lastly, Eurus, the east wind and the bringer of autumn."

When he stopped speaking, tumingin ako sa kaniya. Tinanguhan niya naman ako. Bilang pasasalamat ay tinanguhan ko rin siya pabalik. Afterward, ibinalik ko ang aking atensyon sa libro at muling magbasa.

It is said here, si Typhon daw ang pinakamakapangyarihang nakalaban ng mga Olympians. Isang tanong ang dumaan sa isip ko. So Typhon is the most powerful than the titans?

I am intrigued.

Thousands of years ago, after the Titanomachy, Gaea was enraged at the defeat of the titans, her children, and of how they were locked away in Tartarus. Galit din ito sa sinapit ng mga anak niyang mga higante nang matalo rin ang mga ito ng mga Olympians.

Napailing ako ng aking ulo.

Ilang araw ko ng pinag-aralan ang tungkol sa mga deities, at halos lahat doon ay involve si Gaea. She was even plotted coup against her husband for being cruel father. At binigyan pa nga niya ng advise ang anak na si Rhea na i-trick si Kronos.

Letting him believe that he swallowed Zeus. At ngayon galit siya dahil natalo ng Olympians ang mga anak niyang titans at giants? Ewan ko kung saang side siya.

I remembered about the cause of Gigantomachy. It started when the Big Three divided the world to rule. Zeus got the dominion of heaven. Si Poseidon naman ay sa karagatan. At si Hades ay ang underworld. The giants fought for supremacy of the cosmos.

And that is how the war between the Giants and Olympians began.

Pero may nakasaad sa propesiya na matatalo lamang ang mga giants kung may mortal na tutulong sa mga diyos. Gaea enter the picture, to protect her children, she tried to find a plant, pharmakon, that would shield the giants from any harm; however, Zeus stopped Eos, goddess of dawn, Selene, goddess of the moon, and Helios, god of the sun from shining, and took every single plant for himself.

Pagkatapos nito ay inutusan ni Zeus si Athena na i-summon si Heracles. The Olympians fought the giants with the Fates' assistance before the aforementioned prophecy was made. This means that the giants would have overcome them if Heracles hadn't fought.

Thus, in Gigantomachy, the Fates, Heracles, Dionysus, who was a demigod then, and Hecate, along with the Olympians, defeated the giants.

Sabi sa libro, tinamaan ni Heracles si Alcyoneus gamit ang mga palaso niyang may mga lason. Alcyoneus fell to the ground, but then revived, for him was immortal within his native land. Dahil sa katalinuhan ni Athena, nag-advise siya kay Heracles na hilahin ito lagpas sa borders sa lupain, kung saan ito namatay.

Porphyrion, king of the giants, wounded by Zeus and was killed by Heracles. Si Clytius naman ay sinunog ni Hecate gamit ang naglalagablab niyang mga sulo. Enceladus was crushed under the island of Sicily by Athena.

Sina Ephialtes at Otis naman ay nilinlang ni Artemis sa pagpatay sa isa't isa sa tulong ni Dionysus. Habang si Hippolytos ay pinatay ni Hermes habang nakasuot ng helmet ni Hades. Mimas was killed by Hephaestus with a volley of molten iron.

Polybotes was crushed by Poseidon beneath the island of Nisyros. The Fates killed Agrius and Thoas with bronze clubs. The rest of the giants were destroyed by thunderbolts thrown by Zeus, with each giant being shot with arrows by Heracles, as the prophecy seemingly required.

Tumikhim muna ako at tumingin sa karagatan. Hindi naman ganoon katagal bago ko ibalik ang aking atensyon sa binabasa.

In continuation, nag-attempt si Gaea na maghiganti sa mga Olympians sa pamamagitan ng pagpadala ng anak niyang si Typhon. Tumaas ang isang kilay ko. Zeus' supremacy over the cosmos once again threatened. Si Typhon lang nag-iisa, pero may angking lakas daw ito katulad ng mga titans at giants.

Sabi na eh.

Nagsitayuan ang mga balahibo ko dahil dito. Typhon is mightier than the titans and Kronos? Ewan ko na lang kung ano ang laban namin sa kaniya. The gods were quickly forced on the defensive. At nagtago raw sila, pero syempre, maliban kay Zeus.

I snorted. Here he goes again. The brave and mighty youngest son of Kronos and Rhea!

Then, Typhon would have usurped control over all gods and men had Zeus not dared to resist. The thunderbolts falling from the sky were so many in number that they broke through the land and plunged through the sea reaching even the depths of the underworld.

Natatandaan ko pa noong hindi ko namamalayang na-offend ko na pala ang nag-iisang Zeus. That day, the fear was quick to took over my system by the sudden lightning strike few inches away from where I am standing.

Lightning reached even into the depths of the underworld? Napahaplos ako sa aking braso nang maramdaman kong dahan-dahang nagsitayuan ang mga balahibo ko.

Natakot ang buong Olympus sa nangyaring labanan nina Zeus at Typhon. The earth groaned. Nabalutan ng nakakabinging kulog at lamat ng kidlat. Habang ang mismong hangin ay nangniningas, dala-dala ang mapanirang apoy sa bawat dulo ng mundo.

My mouth fell wide-open to the ground. The very wind was set aflame? Mind-blowing.

Pati raw si Hades na nakaupo sa kaniyang infernal throne ay gulat na gulat. Maging ang mga titans na nasa Tartarus ay hindi rin mapigilang matakot. So this is how powerful Zeus is. His lightning caused a disturbance beneath the earth.

Sa huling lakas ni Zeus, tinalo niya si Typhon sa pamamagitan ng pagsunog sa lahat ng ulo nito. Several more times he struck Typhon with his mighty thunderbolts, the beast finally collapsed to the ground. Ako naman rito nagbabasa, hindi mapigilang mapangiti.

Pagkatapos ay inihagis ni Zeus ang bundok ng Etna sa ibabaw ng kaniyang kalaban. Successfully trapping him. Mula noon, ang hilaw na kapangyarihan ni Typhon at ang kaniyang pakikibaka ay naging sanhi ng pag-aapoy ng lava mula sa tuktok ng bundok sa anyo ng bulkan.

Napahinto ako sa pagbabasa't dumaan sa utak ko ang mayon volcano sa Albay. Mabilis kong iniling ang aking ulo dahil sa naisip kong masamang mangyari. Zeus successfully trapped Typhon, that's all that matters.

Nang matalo raw ang huli at ang pinakamakapangyarihang anak ni Gaea, tinanggap nito ang pagkatalo.

At muling natulog, pinahihintulutan ang mga diyos na pamunuan ang Olympus nang walang panghihimasok mula noon.