The Semideus

Chapter 5

THE FATES

Tumayo naman siya nang ayos na tila nabalik sa realidad. Tinanguan n'ya lang ako at umalis na. Woah, what was I expecting? Sino nga ba namang Olympian ang papansin sa isang hamak na mortal?

Kaya siguro siya narito dahil alam niyang may mga mamamatay sa'min. Hermes was also known as one of the gods who brought souls to afterlife along with Thanatos, god of death. Speaking of him, nakita ko siya sa malayo along with his shadow of death.

Napatingin siya sa'kin. His shadow of death did too. Nagkunot-noo siya kaya't napalunok ako. He walked towards me, at nang makalapit sa'kin doon ko lang napansin ang kaniyang stormy eyes.

I held my breath as he walked past by me. I glanced at the shadow of death which seemed to be still around me. Is this a sign of death? For a short while, I felt energized because of the shadow lurking around.

Napalingon sa'kin si Thanatos. He whistled as he called his shadow of death. Nanatili ang kunot na noo niya hanggang sa nawala na sila sa paningin ko, at nawala na rin ang kakaibang nararamdaman ko.

Napatingin naman ako sa labas at nagtaka nang biglang may dalawang ibon na bumagsak sa sahig. Woah, dahil ba 'yon ni Thanatos?

I closed my eyes as the wind blew my hair back. I will be judged by the Fates, yet I still do not know anything about my past. I only have broken pieces of blurred memories. Bukod d'on, wala na.

I only know my name, Xynthea. Everything else is a blur. The reason why I wanted to go to the Olympian World was to meet Mnemosyne, Titaness of Memory, and win her heart to gain memories.

"All mortals, please proceed to the hall," bulong ng hangin sa akin. It was Lord Hermes' voice. Napaka-astig talaga ng kapangyarihan ng mga Diyos. They can communicate through the air. Their powers are what brought wonders to the mortal realm.

But after realizing what he said, I gulped nervously. It was time for judgment.Mababagal ang lakad ng halos lahat. Of course, it was as if we were walking towards the doors of afterlife. Pero sabagay, pinili naman namin 'to. We knew the consequences, but we still took the risk.

The silence stretched around the hall. No one dare spoke. Lahat ay nakatungo ang ulo. Kahit ako, ay pasulyap-sulyap lamang sa unahan. Thanatos, Hermes, and the Fates were there.

One girl with short golden locks and brown eyes called our attention, "Mortals!" She must be a Semideus. She shyly smiled when all looked at her. Katabi niya ang mga d'yos, at may hawak siyang malaking libro.

"I would like to introduce the Moirais or the Fates," wika niya. "They are the ones who personify our inescapable fates."

One of the old but beautiful goddesses stepped forward. Mayroon siyang yellow na mga mata. She was later on introduced, "Goddess Clotho, the one who spins the thread of life." Lahat naman kami ay nag-bow sa kaniya.

Sunod namang naipakilala ang isa sa gitna. She smiled at us, and her eyes were colored orange. "Goddess Lachesis, the one who measures the thread."

Last but not the least, the red-eyed goddess stepped forward. She has this smug look on her face. Mukhang siya ang pinakamalupit sa lahat. "Goddess Atropos, the one who cut the thread of life."

"Of course, we have Lord Hermes to bring you in the mortal world. In case. And also Lord Thanatos, for those who will be judged of death."

Nanginig na ako. Eto na. Nilabas ni Clotho ang mga threads. Magkakaiba ang kulay ng mga 'yon, I guess it represented our fates, our souls. Ngumisi si Atropos, at malungkot naman na ngumiti si Lachesis.

"These are your threads. We spin it everyday, and now, you will see what our power will bring you," wika ni Clotho.

Nagmistulang bola ang mga threads namin. Pinalibutan nila 'yon at tinapat ang kanilang kamay. Nagkatinginan sila na tila nag-uusap sa isipan nila.

One thread glowed, nagulat naman kami nang biglang mag-apoy 'yon. Ngunit mas lalo kaming nagulat nang may isa sa'ming biglang sumigaw. The person who screamed was burning.

Atropos spoke, "His fate was to burn to ashes. Death is an inescapable fate, for it is said to be more universal than life. Not everyone lives, but everyone eventually dies."

Humalukipkip si Thanatos, nakita kong umikot sa paligid ang shadow of death. It consumed the soul of the man, and the shadow got bigger. Natigilan ako.

"Mukhang mabubusog ka ngayon, Thanatos," wika ni Lord Hermes. Nagtawanan sila. Nanliit ang mata ko. They think death is funny? Napatingin sa'kin si Lord Hermes, at nagtaas-kilay.

My attention returned to the Moirais when they snapped. In a blink of an eye, the silence turned to chaos. Lahat, bukod sa'kin, ay sumisigaw. I looked around and saw that they were slowly burning. Others were melting, while others were turned to ashes.

Unti-unting dumilim ang paligid. The shadow of death was consuming the hall. Around me, there was still light. Napahakbang ako palikod dahil sa takot. Hinawakan ko ang puso ko ngunit nagtaka ako nang wala akong maramdamang panghihina.

All of their attention was on me now. I looked at them confusingly, they returned the same. Tiningnan ko ang bola ng threads. Every thread was burning... but why am I not burning, then?

"Aster," wika ni Hermes sa Semideus. She nodded and went close to me, but she stopped when the fire got bigger. The shadow of death whirled around me.

"What is it doing, Thanatos?" tanong bigla ni Clotho. Nagkibit-balikat si Thanatos.

Napaubo ako nang malakas. I covered my nose from the smoke. Naglakad ako papalapit sa kanila, at sinubukan kong hawakan ang threads. Tinampal naman ni Atropos ang kamay ko, "Don't you dare touch our threads!"

Lumingon siya kay Thanatos, "Get rid of her."

Nanlaki ang mata ko dahil doon. I opened my mouth to speak, but one hand immediately covered my mouth. Before I knew it, a familiar fragrance filled my nose. Hypnos' potion.

"Who is she?" I heard one ask before I could even drift to sleep.

"Xynthea, the one who doesn't have a thread."

"The one whose fate cannot be weaved."

The Semideus
by lostmortals
Plagiarism is a crime.

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