THE LAND OF MAGICIANS

"MALAYO pa ba?" tanong ni Lis dahil kanina pa sila lipad nang lipad pero wala pa siyang naaaninag. Tansya niya, dalawang oras na silang lumilipad. Lumalakas na rin ang spell na pinalibot ni Aster sa kaniya, nangangahulugang malapit nang sumikat ang araw.

"We're almost there!" masiglang sagot ni Zeby.

Kanina pa 'yang 'we're almost there'. Hindi lang 'to nagsasabi baka nawala na pala sila. Well, he could complain, but he wouldn't be able to do anything anyway. The land was foreign to him. No other choice but to rely on the Ice Fae.

"Let's fly higher!" They followed Zeby's lead and flew up.

The snowstorm grew stronger, hindering his vision. Umiiling-iling pa siya para tanggalin ang niyebe na dumapo sa kaniyang mukha at buhok.

"Zeby, malayo pa ba?" he asked one more time.

Hindi sumagot si Zeby kaya tiningnan niya ang gawi nito. Akala niya'y nawala ito, nasa harapan lang pala nila. Pero may napansin siya.

Zeby became transparent.

"Zeby?"

"I'm fine! This is just natural," sagot nito na para bang naintindihan kaagad nito ang ibig niyang sabihin. "An Ice Fae for the Blizzard Region and a Desert Fae for the Desert Region; we are not allowed to go beyond our places. If we become transparent, it means we are nearing to the mainland of Faegika!" As usual, her voice sounded so alive, despite of her cold appearance.

Tumango naman siya bilang tugon.

"Aah!" Lis covered his face with his arms when a whirlwind of snowstorm crashed their way. Nagulat siya dahil sa lakas nito. Hindi ito kagaya ng mga sumasalubong sa kaniya kanina. Napapikit siya nang may mga niyebeng pumasok sa kaniyang mga mata. Mabilis niyang inalis 'yon ngunit 'di niya namalayan na sumasabay na pala siya sa alon ng hangin.

It was violent enough to push him away. His eyes were stinging, yet he forced to open it. Ayaw niyang mahiwalay. Gusto niya ring makita ang situwasyon ng dalawang kasama niya.

He reached out his hand and to his relief, someone held it.

"We're here!"

Pagkatapos marinig ni Lis ang salitang iyon, tuluyang nawala ang pakiramdam ng umiihip na hangin sa kaniyang balat at tainga. Wala na ring mga niyebe na tumuntong sa kaniyang mukha kaya nagtaka siya. Para bang naging tahimik bigla at kalmado.

Exclaims and loud cheering echoed in his ears. It was probably Zeby. But he still couldn't see well. Mahapdi pa ang mga mata niya. Ilang beses niyang kinusot-kusot ito kahit na walang tigil ang pag-agos ng mga luha niya upang luminaw lang ang paningin niya.

He was getting impatient. Parang nang-iingit ang boses ni Zeby kaya gustong-gusto na niyang makita ang tinatanaw ng dalawa.

When he felt that his vision's slowly getting clearer, he focused his eyes on the light in front of him.

'It's sunny?'

Hindi na rin niya maramdaman ang spell ni Aster.

"W-what . . ." As soon as he saw what was in front of him, he was stunned. His feet were struck by an arrow of steel, nailing him from moving. The sea-like sky and a sun shining from their back, he couldn't help but to gasp.

He turned around and saw the Blizzard region. And when he looked down, the soil he was stepping wasn't covered with snow. It was just pure soil, a soil like from the tropics. It was as if there was a boundary between, stopping the snowstorm in reaching them. Parang nasa itaas sila ng kapatagan ngunit hugis pabilog ito. Ang gitna nito ay parang hinukay. At ang nasa loob ay isang siyudad.

Napalunok siya nang bumilis ang tibok ng kaniyang puso. Dahan-dahan siyang naglakad habang pinipigilan ang sariling mapangiti. Sa sobrang saya niya, nakalimutan na niya kung paano maglakad nang tuwid. He needed to hold his emotions together or he might freak out.

But when his eyes had a clearer view of what was below them, his system gave in.

It was exactly what he heard from the rumor.

A land that he had heard not too many times but left quite of an impression to him. It was a hollow-looking land yet a fortified one. From the distance, the buildings were gelatinous cubes; squishy that one might think it was edible. Despite its soft-looking appearance, the insides were shut from the eyes of strangers. There was no hint of wood or any furnitures, and only a transparent white. Too bold and defenseless yet contained many secrets.

Hands shaking, Lis couldn't help but compliment how the sun's rays flashed down the land. It became a spotlight, centering his attention to the first land he dreamed of going.

After 450 years, he finally felt the progress of his ambition.

He wanted to spin, jump, and shout until he would lose his voice. These feelings would not be possible if the incident of his Dragon Stone never happened. He would not be standing at this moment, seeing the mainland of Faegika, if his stone wasn't stolen. That eventful night when he got drunk was a blessing in disguise.

He finally reached the land of magicians.

"I feel . . . alive. So alive," he whispered. He was sure he said it with a sound, but he couldn't hear his voice. The place he was standing was in silence. In contrast, the voice of the plants crowded his ears. They were foreign Flora. Meeting new ones was one of his favorite feelings. And that immediately filled his jumping heart.

"How long are you going to keep that mouth of yours open, master?" Aster brought him back to reality.

Grinning like an idiot, he glanced at them. "We're finally here! Zeby!" He turned to look at Zeby, but he couldn't see her anywhere.

"Zeby?"

"I'm over here!" Napunta ang atensyon niya sa boses na nasa likuran ni Aster. Mabilis niyang tinungo ang direksyon ni Zeby.

There was no wall between them, but the difference of the climate made it look like there was a barrier. And Zeby couldn't seem to cross the tropical soil.

He reached out for her hand. Nang maglapat ang kamay nila, doble pa sa lamig ang naramdaman niya dahil wala na ang spell ni Aster.

"Thank you. I'll never forget your kindness, Zeby." He implanted a kiss at the back of her hand.

She giggled. He couldn't fully see her face for she was too transparent that even dust of snow were passing through her body.

"Be well, twisted chief. Oh! And before I go, find a man named Cortez. Just say my name and he will provide a home for you to stay."

"We will."

Zeby waved at him using the puppy's paw. They bid her goodbye, and when she finally went away, he turned to face Faegika once again. Tinanggal niya ang kaniyang coat at inalis ang mga natitirang niyebe sa katawan. Hinagis niya papunta kay Aster ang coat. Nang makarating ito sa direksyon ng kaniyang butler, nawala ito. Or should he say, it became invisible.

Napansin naman niya si Aster na abalang magbasa ng libro na binigay ni Yeyi.

"How do you feel?" he asked.

Napatigil naman ito sa pagbabasa. "Nothing. At all."

"Really?" He smirked. "But I heard you gasping earlier, though."

Hindi naman sumagot si Aster at pinagpatuloy ang pagbabasa. Mahina siyang napatawa at inakbayan ang kaibigan. Kahit kailan talaga.

"You're free to smile, you know." Hindi ito sumagot kaya nagsalita siya ulit. "You might find your dream here, Aster."

"A dream . . ." He heard him mumbled. "Do I really need that?"

Nagkibit-balikat naman siya. "I don't know. Maybe? Dreams are what makes us alive, after all. Well, at least, for me."

Kinuha niya ang libro sa mga kamay ni Aster at naglakad papalapit sa dulo ng kapatagan.

He looked down. Oh, how he was so tempted to jump at the jelly-looking building below them. His mind whispering him it was bouncy. It was kilometers far below, but it didn't really matter for him. The higher the heights, the greater the adventure.

Inalis niya muna ito sa isipan at ibinaling ang atensyon sa libro. Sa panglimang pahina, nakita niya ang imahe ng Faegika, kagayang-kagaya ito sa siyudad na nakikita niya. Nagpunta siya sa kabilang pahina at nakalatag naman doon ang impormasyon sa kanilang kasuotan.

"Blue cloaks, green cloaks, yellow cloaks . . ." Lis mumbled as he read the descriptions. Parehas lang naman ang disenyo ng mga balabal bukod sa kanilang mga kulay ngunit kakaiba ang disenyo nito sa balabal na mayroon sila. The cloak of Faegika had long and tight sleeve, while the edges contained carved of gold roots.

Napaisip siya. How could they blend in?

Nilingon niya si Aster na naghihintay lang ng sasabihin niya. Puwede naman nilang gamitin ang Conceal ni Aster pero gusto niyang makihalubilo sa mga A-gene. Kung susuotin naman nila ang kanilang balabal, paniguradong malalaman kaagad ng mga magician na hindi sila kabilang sa kanila.

Nagtatalo ang isipan niya kung ano ba ang pipiliin niya nang bigla na lang kumalabog ang kaniyang puso. Napadaing siya at mabilis na napahawak sa kumikirot niyang dibdib.

"Master!" Aalalayan na sana siya nito ngunit pinigilan niya.

The pain was different from the one he felt earlier. This time, it was as if it was signaling him. It was sensing the Dragon Stone.

"Aster, we need to go," he commanded and gestured Aster to use Conceal. Mamaya na lang niya iisipin kung paano niya kakausapin ang mga magician. He would find a way somehow.

Sabik na sabik, nauna siyang tumalon at hinayaan ang sariling magpatianod pababa. He could use Aerial Spell, but he wanted to feel like his falling. Itinaas niya pa ang dalawang kamay, sumigaw at umaktong ito ang unang beses niyang tumalon mula sa mataas na lugar. Napatawa siya habang sinasalubong ng kaniyang mukha ang malakas na hangin. Pumasok ito sa kaniyang bibig ngunit tuloy pa rin siya sa pagtawa. Pakiramdam niya tuloy ay nabusog siya.

'Speaking of, I want to eat. I want to taste their food!'

"Whoa!" He exclaimed when he landed at the rooftop of the jelly-like building. Lalo siyang nagulat nang tumalbog siya muli pataas.

"Bouncy! Aster, bouncy nga!" sigaw niya habang umaalingawngaw ang tawa.

"I can see that," sagot naman ni Aster na boryong nakatingin sa kaniya. Nakalutang ito sa tabi niya habang ang mga kamay ay nakatago sa likuran.

Pinigilan niya ang sariling matawa.

He looked like his parent, Lis thought. Napailing na lang siya. Bakit kasi hindi uso sa lalaking ito ang magsaya.

"Who the hell keeps on jumping on my rooftop-kaki!"

Napatigil si Lis sa pagtalon nang may marinig siyang boses mula sa baba. Napasilip siya sa baba ngunit mabilis ding napaangat ang ulo nang may babaeng lumipad sa harapan niya.

"Huh? Walang tao-kaki?" saad ng babae habang nakapamaywang. The girl was wearing a green cloak. Katulad na katulad ang suot nito sa nakita niya sa libro. She was floating in the air and sitting on a broom.

"What a waste of time-kaki!" Lumipad na ito pababa. Halata sa boses nito ang pagkairita.

"Kaki?" sabay na sambit nila ni Aster nang makaalis na ang babae. She couldn't see them because of Aster's spell.

Inayos muna ni Lis ang suot-suot niyang roba bago bumaba. Akala niya'y isang palapag lang ang gusali ngunit umabot pala sa bente. Nang makababa, napahanga siya kung gaano kaganda ang mga gusali sa malapitan. Napakalinaw na para na itong kumikinang na jelly. The more he looked at them, the more he wanted to eat them. It looked so good.

Although the buildings looked the same, they have different heights. May isang palapag lang, ang iba naman tatlo, apat at marami pa. It was shaped like squares, including the division, which he assumed rooms because of the doors. Bawat palapag ay may balcony rin. Hindi niya mapigilang hindi mapanganga habang naglalakad.

"Magandang umaga-zi!"

"Magandang umaga-kachi!"

Maaga pa pero abala na ang daanan. Some were wearing green cloak, others were blue, yellow, and the most common color roaming around were red. Oh, how he wanted to have a talk with them. He was curious about their way of speaking. His sociable self might not be able to hold on any longer.

"The air smells sweet!" He inhaled and breathed out heavily.

Masiyadong malakas pa rin ang epekto ng emosyon niya. He was still overly and greatly moved. He would make sure to make his stay in Faegika worthwhile.