The Semideus

Chapter 19

ADELINA
XYNTHEA's POINT of VIEW

Hindi ko alam kung pang-ilang beses na akong nahimatay. Sumakit ang ulo ko nang kaagad akong bumangon. I really hate fainting, but it loves me so much. Sana all, love.

Nakarinig naman agad ako ng saway sa'kin. "Xynthea! Huwag kang bumangon agad!"

I looked at the person. Adelina. I sighed and looked around. Wala ang mga kasamahan ko, pati ang Rebels.

"They're all meeting with the King. Nahuli nila ang mga trespassers, at maya-maya'y pupunta na sila sa Grove of Dodona. You need to recover first."

Umiling ako. Trespassers? Ang rebels? "No, I am okay. I need to catch up with them-"

"Yes, you are okay. But there's something you need to know. You have a kind of curse. I'm not sure... pakiramdam ko lang. Kaya ka laging nahihimatay," bigla niyang sabi.

My forehead creased. Curse?

"Sabi ng mga kaibigan mo, lagi kang nahihimatay pero wala kang sakit na kahit ano, at hindi ka rin nahihimatay dahil nawawalan ka ng enerhiya."

I nodded. "How come you think it's a curse?" tanong ko.

She sighed deeply. "Well only that could explain your abnormality." Hindi naman ako abnormal! "Just like Cassandra of Troy, she utters prophecies that no one believes to because she was cursed by Apollo's snakes. I believe gan'on din ang nangyari sa'yo."

"B-but... wala naman akong ginagawang masama sa mga Diyos?" saad ko.

"Hindi mo nasisiguro. Maaaring ikaw ay walang ginawa, ngunit ang mga taong malapit sa'yo'y mayroong ginawa laban sa mga Diyos. That's the power of the Gods. They are above everything. They can destroy everything in a snap," wika niya na tila ba may tinatagong galit sa loob.

"But the Gods can also create and change everything in a snap. Do you, somehow, hate the Gods?" tanong ko.

She looked at me, and sighed again before nodding. A sad smile lit her face.

"I loathe them, Xynthea," wika niya.

Hindi na ako nakapagsalita dahil hindi ko naman alam kung tama bang itanong ko kung bakit. I respect her privacy, but I was curious. She is mysterious. I think it has something to do with the patch in her eyes... Did she lose an eye because of the Gods?

"Is there a way to break the curse?" I asked. It's nothing personal naman to her, so I think it's okay if I ask that.

Umiling naman siya. "I've never heard of a story where someone's curse has been broken. But it's also not impossible. Hindi mo pa naman alam kung sino ang nag-curse sa'yo, or if it really is a curse."

Nagulat ako nang lumuhod siya at may kinuha sa ilalim ng kaniyang kama. It was a small bottle with... ano 'yon? Pills?

Nahalata niya ang pagtataka ko dahil sa kunot noo ko. She smiled and handed me the bottle.

"Ano 'yan?"

"It's something that may prevent you from fainting. Gawa 'yan ni Titaness Rhea, at baka sakali lang naman na matulungan ka n'yan," wika niya.

I hesitantly accepted the bottle, kasi pa'no kung scam 'to? Or kaya may lason? Duda ako!

She chuckled. "Walang lason 'yan."

'Di mo sure!

She showed me a symbol of a swan with a crown in the bottle. "That is Rhea's symbol. Just to assure you that I am not lying."

In the end, tinanggap ko rin ang bote at tinago 'yon sa bracelet, pero hindi ko naman siguro gagamitin 'yon.

"Can I go now?" tanong ko. Tumango naman siya, at hinayaan na ako. I stood up and changed my clothes fast.

Napansin kong nasa labas na siya kaya't lumabas na rin ako. Ngayon ko lang napansin na kulay gray na nagbu-blue ang kaniyang buhok. She turned to me and smiled.

Nauna na siyang maglakad kaya't sumunod nalang ako. The City of Epirus was like a city of preserved ancient civilization. It's like the old Greece in here.

There are a lot of limestone ridges around. I also noticed the shaft graves from afar. Doon kami nagtungo malapit sa shaft graves.

Nakita ko na sina Aster, Diane at Damon. Marami ring mga Knights ang nakapaligid sa kanila.

"What's happening?" tanong ko.

"Baka pinag-uusapan nila ang mangyayari para sa Grove of Dodona," aniya.

Hindi nagtagal nakarating din kami r'on kaya't nagtinginan silang lahat sa'min. Sinulyapan ako ni Diane at mabilis akong tinanguan bago ibalik muli ang tingin sa hari.

Nagulat ako nang mawala na naman sa paningin ko si Adelina, like she really just led me here.

"Where did you take our captures?" tanong ni Damon sa Hari.

One knight answered for him, "Nakatali na sila, at maya-maya'y ibibitay na rin."

"So... can we approach the Grove of Dodona now?" tanong naman ni Aster. The King nodded and smiled.

"Yes, we sincerely thank you for catching the intruders. May the Oracle speak with you," wika ng Hari.

Aster bowed and excused us. I bet we're already going to the Grove of Dodona.

"Nakita n'yo ba kung saan nagpunta si Adelina?" tanong ko. Diane turned to me with a raised eyebrow.

"No. Is she even with you? Parang hindi ko naman nakita mula n'ong isang araw?" sagot niya. Huh? Hindi ba nila nakita si Adelina sa tabi ko?

"Siya ang nagbantay sa'kin n'ong nahimatay ako."

"Wala kaming taong pinagbantay sa'yo," sagot muli ni Diane.

"Wait... what happened after I fainted?" I asked.

"Long story pero paikliin nalang natin. The Rebels are on our side. Tinutulungan nila tayo na hanapin ang taong nagnakaw ng ambrosia," wika niya.

Huh? Ang akala ko ba...

"We were mistaken," dugtong niya. "Someone else is ruining our mission."

Someone else? Could it possibly be... the man I saw in Zeus' island before?

She handed me a handkerchief. The one with the Z symbol. Paano naman 'to napunta sa kaniya?

"Pinapabigay nga pala ni Zeref. Ingatan mo raw," wika niya. I blushed at that thought and before I could even get the hanky from her, she threw it to my face.

"Ayie! Kinilig si bakla!"

"Luh, hindi ha!" sagot ko at inayos ang tupi ng panyo ni Zeref bago nilagay 'yon sa bulsa ko.

She laughed. "Hindi mo nga pakawalan ang kamay n'ong nahimatay ka eh!"

Pakiramdam ko mas lalo akong namula dahil d'on. Did I... do that?! Omg! Nakakahiya naman!

"'Yong mukha mo, halatang hindi ka na makakaharap ng maayos kay Zeref."

The Semideus
By lostmortals
Plagiarism is a crime.

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