The Curse of Ashenvale

Kabanata 53

Selena Sangre

Kakasikat palang ng araw nang dinala nila ako sa isang malaking puno sa liblib ng kagubatan ng Ashenvale. There was a small passage in between the roots of the trees. They pulled me inside.

I can't help but be nervous. They're planning to leave my fate to the entire coven. Nalaman ko rin na halos kasapi pala nila ang mga namatay na nightguard dahil sa pagbukas ko ng gate na tinatawag nilang gateway to hell.

We were going further underground. Do people here have fascinations about tunnels?

I could also hear the earthly soil.

They suddenly stopped so I did too. What lies before us is a clump of gigantic roots. A dead end.

Or so I thought.

Tinapat ni prof ang palad niya dito at bigla itong gumalaw at umatras. A new passage opened.

Nagpatuloy kami sa loob. Bumungad samin ang isang malawak na bulwagan kung saan nakalutang sandamakmak na kandelabra sa gilid ng lugar. As in nakalutang, literally!

Ang daming mga taong nakapula. Lahat sila napalingon samin.

Sakin pala.

Napuno ng bulong-bulongan sa loob.

"Silence!" sigaw bigla ni prof. Nagsitahimik sila agad.

Hinila naman ako ni Morgana, ang babaeng nagpasakay sakin ng walis, papunta sa malaking upuan sa gitna. Pagkaupong-pagkaupo ko ay nagsigapangan ang mga ugat sa kamay, binti at beywang ko para pigilan akong umalis.

Mas lalo tuloy akong kinabahan. Kung saan-saan na dumadako ang paningin ko. The chairs are built in a staircase manner to make sure every attendee het a full view of what's happening below here, the center.

On the north side stood three huge chairs made of wood where professor Hermosa takes her seat at the middle. While on the left side sat...

Nanlaki ang mata ko. Karma?!

Halatang nanghihina pa rin siya. Do they have to force her to attend whatever this gathering is for despite her condition?!

"Let's begin the conference, my dear brothers and sisters," sambit ni prof. "For those who don't know my name, I am Keres Gehenna, the mother of the three witches, the witch of thorns."

"Three witches?" wala sa sariling tanong ko.

"She meant the three witches who leads a coven."

Napalingon ako nang magsalita si Morgana.

"Like the government who has presidents, secretaries and the like, the witches' coven has the crone, the mother and the maiden," paliwanag niya.

"And the lady beside me is Louve Karisma Warlock, the maiden of the three witches, the witch of Karma," patuloy ni Keres.

So they have titles too? I'm not the least bit interested. I just want to get this over with.

"And the woman occupying the empty seat is the witch of the abyss, Lilith, the crone," dagdag niya. "Now that we have introduced ourselves, let me introduce you to our special guest today, a newly awakened witch who has returned to us."

Napakunot ang noo ko. Alam kong ako ang ibig sabihin niya pero ano? Returned? Seriously? Tingin niya galing na ako dito?

"Selena Sangre, daughter of the moon, the new holder of the key of the gates of hell," pakilala niya.

Narinig kong nagsinghapan sila at nabalot nanaman ng bulung-bulongan sa loob.

They were talking about the Sangre family who were one of the founding members of the cult years ago.