The Dissolving Flower

Kabanata 6

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.