A Happily Ever After

Chapter Fourteen

JESSA

"Hindi kayo maaring lumakbay na 'yan ang ang dala dala niyo," sabi ng matanda sa amin. "Paano nalang kung may kailangan kayong kalabanin?"

"What we have is fine!" Castillo exclaims. "We used these to fight the dragons earlier. It's perfectly fine!"

I want to agree, but there's a hunch in me that is telling me that she's wrong. The weapons we have are good, but I know that there is something that suits me.. Or us better.

"May alam po 'ba kayo na pwede naming pagbilhan ng mga weapons? Ubos na rin po kasi mga arrows ko." Liam shows us his empty quiver.

"It's not a store, and you don't have to pay anything." The old woman says. "There's a legend of a man who travels around carrying a bag full of magical weapons. This man is believed to roam around the forest, waiting for the chosen ones of the Mater Fana to find him."

"Kailangan ba namin mahanap ang lalaki iyon?" Kinamot ni Stefan ang ulo niya. "Okay naman po ang weapons na meron kami eh."

"Let's just go and find him." Nilingon ako nilang lahat. "We never know how our survival rates will increase if we have weapons that will suit us better."

"Pagod na ako," sabi ni Jonah at napapikit. "Pero sige, halika na bago pa dumilim."

"Thank you so much for your help." Lumingon ako sa matanda at hinawakan ang pareho na kamay nito. "May gusto po ba kayong kapalit sa tulong na ginawa niyo sa amin?"

She smiles warmly and touches my hand. "Make sure to win everything you'll come across, your highness." She tightens her hold on me. "Wala na akong mahihiling pa."

She lets go of me. Sunod sunod na rin nagpasalamat ang mga kasama ko, maliban kay Christopher na ngayo'y nangunguna na naman nakatanaw na sa malayo.

We finally ran away. I took another look back, only to find the old lady missing. She had left too, but to where, and how? There's no clue of her existing and only the warm air blows in her spot.

"Jessa." Stefan calls me. I look at him. The bright sky perfectly illuminates his handsome features. Despite the evidence of stress on his face, he still managed to smile brightly at me.

A warm feeling explodes in my chest as I look at Stefan. Maybe my little silly crush on him will turn something more deeper in this universe, huh?

I nod at him. "Let's go."

≿━━━━༺❀༻━━━━≾

The sun is low and different shades of oranges tints the sky above. Shadows are slowly becoming deeper as we walk into the unknown. Birds chirp from the distance as the leaves crunches beneath our shoes. We were told that the man who carries magical items will be here, in this wide and dense forest, but it feels like it would be very difficult to find him here.

But we do not feel the need to move fast like what we have did the entire day. Nakakapanibago na hindi ko kailangan magmadali. Nasa tago kaming lugar, kumpleto na kami, at walang naghahabol sa amin. Ngayon lang kumalma ang puso ko sa dibdib ko.

"Hey." A familiar palm touches my shoulder. Stefan looks at me with a gentle smile tugging at his lips. "Para 'bang ang tagal na nung tayo lang magkasama... Pero kaninang umaga lang talaga 'yon."

"Yeah," I agreed. I let out a breath. "Grabe, kahapon lang din 'yung Grand Ball ni Princess Blaidrah na tinakasan natin. Parang ilang araw na ang lumipas."

Inalis ni Stefan ang kanyang kamay sa balikat ko at naglakad lang sa tabi ko. Tsaka ko napagtanto ko na hindi ako nagulat sa paghawak na ginawa niya kanina. His touch and presence immediately became familiar to me, even though he's practically in the body of someone else. As though I'll recognize him in whatever form I'll be in.