THE ICE FAE

"SO, Zebrion."

"Call me Zeby!"

"Zeby." Lis crossed his arms, eyebrows up while squinting his eyes. "Are you aware how dangerous your pet is?"

"Yes!" mabilis naman nitong sagot na parang pinagmamayabang pa.

He tried to stay calm but seeing her bright face as if they weren't almost got shot by a beam made him want to pinch her on the face.

"Kung ganoon, bakit mo hinayaang magpagala-gala 'yan dito?" singhal niya habang salubong ang mga kilay.

The Ice Fae giggled dahilan para mabuwisit pa siya lalo.

"Are you trying to lecture me, twisted chief?" She leaned towards him. She was close. Too close that their nose touched. At parang pinaliguan ng isang balde ng yelo ang pakiramdam niya. She was too cold. Papaano? He was under Aster's spell; he shouldn't feel any coldness.

"I'm older than you so don't lecture me," she pouted. He thought she would kiss him, but instead she blew at his face. Napapikit naman siya ng matamaan ang kaniyang mukha ng maliliit na mga snowflake.

It came out from her mouth.

'Yuck!'

Napahawak siya sa balikat ni Aster dahil bigla siyang nanghina. Hindi dahil sa may ginawa ang Ice Fae sa kaniya kundi dahil nasusuka siya. Hindi niya lubos maisip na binugahan siya ng snowflakes sa mukha. It was so—

"Disgusting." Nilingon niya si Aster dahil sa sinabi nito.

"That was what I'm about to say, too!"

Makikipag-high five na sana siya pero napatigil nang mapansin niyang hindi lang nakatingin si Aster sa Ice Fae kundi sa kaniya rin. Pabalik-balik ang tingin nito sa kanila na para bang ang dumi nilang dalawa ng Ice Fae.

'What? Ba't pati ako nadamay?'

"Aster, nakakasakit ka na," he said but his butler's expression remained the same, empty.

Zebrion giggled again. "How rude of you, Mister Butler."

"You are the rude one here, Miss Zebrion," sagot naman ni Aster. Itinaas nito ang kanang kamay bago ulit nagsalita. "First, you called the master 'twisted' which is a word, I assume, not positive."

'You called me worse than that!' Gusto sana niyang sabihin pero napunta ang atensyon niya sa kamay nito. His eyes widened when a small ball of light started to form on Aster's palm. Hindi maganda ang kutob niya rito.

"Second, you exhaled at the master's face, an action that is rude and disrespectful to the master and to the Royal Dragon Lineage."

Napapikit siya nang sumalubong sa kaniya ang malakas na hangin.

"According to the Mythrian Law, they who dares to disrespect the Dragon lineage shall be extinguished. Therefore, as his butler, I am going to cease your existence." After he uttered those words, the ball of light broke, and a violet light, shaped like thorns grew out from his palm. Kagaya kanina, napalibutan ng liwanag ang paligid habang palaki ito nang palaki. Hindi pa nakalalapat ang niyebe ay natutunaw na ito dahil sa init.

Nilingon siya ni Aster at naghintay ng kaniyang pahintulot. Napailing na lang siya at napatampal sa kaniyang noo. Really? Do they really need to kill the fae?

Binalik niya ang tingin sa Ice Fae. Akala ni Lis na matataranta ito pero wala man lang bahid ng takot ang gumuhit sa mukha ng babae. Her transparent wings released snowflakes, and even her eyeballs. Nakangiti ito sa kanila na parang bang aliw na aliw.

'Weird. Ice Faes are weird. Period.'

He raised both his middle and index fingers. "We are sparing her. This girl saved us. We aren't taught to show gratitude by killing someone. Undo your spell now," he commanded.

Mabilis namang sinunod ni Aster ang sinabi niya.

Although, he was pissed. Palalampasin niya muna ang babaeng 'to.

"Aww. Boring. S-genes are boring!" sagot ni Zeby at pumapadyak pa sa ere.

'Really? 'Yan sasabihin mo? Sana pala hinayaan ko na lang si Aster na patayin ka.'

"Zeby, we are grateful to you for saving us. Thank you, but we really don't have the time to fool around. We need to go," sabi niya at bahagyang yumuko. Tumalikod na siya at handa na sanang umalis pero mabilis namang humarang si Zeby sa kaniya kaya napatigil siya sa paglipad.

"You're in the wrong way!" she said cheerfully, snowflakes flowing down her eyes. Hindi siya sigurado kung umiiyak ba 'to dahil nakangiti naman ang mga labi ng babae.

"Alam mo ba kung saan kami papunta?"

"Of course!" she replied. "Wala naman kasing dumadaan dito puwera na lang sa mga kagaya niyo na handang baliin ang treaty!" Hinawakan nito ang kamay niya. Cold. It looked like Aster's spell couldn't counter her coldness. "Do you want me to help you? I'll guide you there! Okay? Okay? Okay?"

Hindi siya sumagot at nag-isip muna. Pinagmasdan niya ang fae na nakangiti ngayon sa harapan niya. Should he trust her? He could find out the entire map of this place, but it would cost an extreme spell. He couldn't afford to waste that much energy and ruin his body for the sake of directions.

On top of that, there were more ways to reach the mainland. He could think of three things. First, by asking the Flora. He already did, but the Conifers just teased him. Second, fly until he would see the entirety of the land, but it couldn't be possible because of the snowstorm hindering his vision. Lastly, find a guide. And this Ice Fae just offered them option three.

He couldn't sense any malice in her but still . . .

"Please? Please? Please?" She leaned closer and their nose touched for the second time. The girl kept on invading his personal space.

"Fine!" sagot niya at tinulak ang mukha ng babae palayo gamit ang kaniyang palad.

"Yehey!" tuwang-tuwa nitong saad at mas lalo pang dumami ang mga snowflakes na lumabas mula sa mga pakpak nito. Hinagis din nito papunta sa kaniya ang aso nitong muntik na silang patayin. Hindi man lang napansin ni Lis na hawak-hawak na pala nito ang aso at nagbago na rin ang anyo nito. Muli itong naging tuta.

Tumalikod na si Zeby at nauna sa kanila. "This way!" Tinuro nito ang silangan.

He stared at the dog who was now on his arms, waggling its short tail.

"Cute. You should just stay like this." He pinched his nose and let out a sigh.

Sumunod na siya sa dalawa.

"SO? Anong pakay niyo sa Faegika?" usisa ni Zebrion.

"We're looking for a black magician," he said without looking at her. Busy siyang kurutin ang pisngi ng aso dahil sa hindi mapigilang gigil.

"A black magician," she paused. Kumunot ang noo nito. "Bakit black magician?"

Siya naman ang napakunot ang noo dahil sa tanong nito.

"What do you mean?" He didn't feel the need to tell her about what happened to his Dragon Stone, so he just masked a questioning look.

"Just wondering," she responded. "Black magicians are quite rare. The mainland of Faegika is dominated by red and blue magicians, so you may have a hard time finding one."

Napatango naman siya. That was what he heard, too, back in Mythria. It may be accurate or not. He didn't have enough information about the other districts because of the treaty, and most of his people were not interested on other genes, or more like, they were not curious enough. Why? Because they had been taught that other genes would bring no good in their life, just like what happened long ago about the war.

"They are irrelevant to us as how we are irrelevant to them." A teaching Lis grew upon. Basically, telling them that they weren't each others business, and it was best to leave each other alone.

But Lis was different. The teaching didn't influence him at all. He believed that they were each other's relevance. They wouldn't be on the same country if they weren't. At nakasisiguro siya na hindi lang siya ang nag-iisa na gustong makamit ang pagkakaiisa ng tatlong distrito. Alam niyang mayroon pang iba. He just hadn't met them.

He smiled at Zeby. "Tell me more."

He had to seize this opportunity. It would be great to know more information before they would enter the mainland. The book Yeyi gave them might not be enough, even though he had yet to read it.

Come to think of it, where did Yeyi got the book on the first place? Just like he said a while ago, information was limited, including books.

"Hmm. Okay! Pero bago 'yon, let me tell you some do's and don't's before you reach the mainland of Faegika." Lumingon sa direksyon nila si Zeby habang nakapamaywang. "First, do not show your hands when you greet them. Magicians are very keen when it comes to respect, one of their cultures is to always put your hands at the back while greeting them."

"Does that rule applicable to you as well? You're an A-gene, after all."

"Nope. Faes don't do those kinds of stuffs," sagot nito at napakamot sa tainga nitong may pagkamatulis.

Sabay naman silang napatango ni Aster at itinuon ang atensyon kay Zeby. Hindi pa siya masiyadong makapagpokus dahil sa lakas ng hangin. Rinig na rinig niya ang tunog sa tainga kaya pakiramdam niya tuloy nilalamig pa rin siya.

"Second, never try to get the attention of a violet magician, they're very clingy. Third, they love rules. Masunurin sila sa mga patakaran kaya dapat matuto rin kayong sumunod at huwag lumabag. Fourth and the most important." She stopped smiling. The playfulness on her face suddenly disappeared. "Whatever rumors you hear, do not engaged. It might lead you both in danger. So be careful."

Napaisip naman si Lis. Why would rumors endanger them?

"And lastly, hide your identity. Alam ko naman na aware kayo sa treaty, so pretend like you're one of them," dagdag nito at muli nang bumalik ang ngiti sa mga labi. Tatalikod na sana ito pero napatigil at ibinalik ang tingin sa kanila. "Do you already have a place to stay in?"

Sabay silang napailing. Wala naman silang masiyadong alam sa Faegika. At mas lalong hindi sila handa. But whatever!

"We'll just figure it out when we get there," he responded. Ang bagay na mas nag-aalala siya ay kung paano sila magpapanggap na magician.

"Zeby, can I ask you something?"

"Sure, sure!"

"How do we blend with them? If I am right, magicians used their body's energy to wield their magic, and they used weapons as well, but we don't. The sources of our energy are different."

"You're right and you're partially wrong." Lumapit sa kaniya si Zeby at kinuha ang tuta sa kaniyang braso. "Magicians used their body's energy, but not all of them used weapons. Ang blue at black magicians lang ang gumagamit ng weapons. Others used some harmless things as their medium."

"Oh, I see." He nodded. They could just pretend to use some random things as their medium then. Problem solved!

Napatawa siya nang mahina at napaisip. That would be cool.

"How do we know what kind of magicians they are?" Aster asked.

"Just look at their clothes," she said and giggled.

Marami pa silang pinag-usapan habang lumilipad sila. Ang daldal din kasi ni Zeby kaya minsan napapakunot ang noo ni Lis dahil 'di niya maunawaan ang mga sinasabi nito. Phrases like "under the pile of snow" and "swim above the sky" made his eyebrows furrowed. What did she mean? Literal ba ang ibig nitong sabihin o may iba pang kahulugan?

Despite that, he somehow enjoyed the company of Zeby. Zeby was talking to him as if they had known each other for a long time. Hindi niya rin mapigilang matawa sa tuwing nilalapitan nito si Aster para bugahan ng snowflakes sa mukha. A random behavior that he couldn't understand. It was disgusting, but it was funny when she does it to others. It was even funnier when he saw how sour Aster's face turned.

This was the first time he saw an Ice Fae. And he couldn't help but be fascinated. He was talking to an A-gene! A being different from him.

They were talking. Peacefully. And of the same language! How could they say that interacting with other genes would just bring war when they could converse like this.

It just made his belief grew stronger.

Lis couldn't wait to get his Dragon Stone back, inherit the title of chief, join the council, and extinguish the treaty. He wanted to prove everyone that no war would suffice again the second time they co-exist.