Oktofinitum

Chapter 37

Riezl Anne

The moment the ship arrived at the port; Yada looked rather invigorated. She jumped down the platform and landed straight to the ground with a joyous thud, "Finally!" I smirked, she's finally herself again, "We should eat, I'm starving."

"Puking for six hours straight will cause that," Wendell said.

"Don't remind me."

Napalingon ako sa dalawang naglalakad sa likuran ko, the stairs down the ship was a bit steep so my gentlemanly dear cousin held his palm to assist her. I eyed him suspiciously, this flirtatious scintillating golden-haired dunce. Huling bumaba sa platform ay sina Jorgette, Rexel, at Jennifer. Agad naman akong sumabay sa hakbang ni Wendell, "Look at those two, ako lang ba o may kakaiba sa kanilang dalawa," Her eyes squinted for a moment and widened a fraction, "Akala ko ako lang ang nakakapansin, huh."

Napa-iling na lamang ako pero pareho kaming natahimik nang makalapit na ang pinag uusapan namin sa amin, "What are you guys whispering about?" Nasamid naman ako nang bahagya, "Nothing, just uh– where should we dine to replenish our energy," palusot ko. Wendell and Yada side eyed me from my periphery and they both nodded in agreement, "Yeah, I'm exhausted from being seasick, we all could use a little rest in a nearby tavern and maybe some food," aniya.

"There's one near here just a few blocks away from the port," we all nodded and Aidan led the way as he's the most versed in the cobbled streets of the Capital. However, Jorgette immediately went in front of him and Rexel at our rear, maintaining our traveling formation except now we are walking instead of horse-riding, "God, it's freaking hot here."

"Well this will not be called Ilios or City of the Sun for no reason," ani naman ng pinsan ko, "Well, geographic location is one but seriously? It's like it has been a lot warmer here since the last few years. And our stupid coat is not really helping the heat," reklamo ko pa.

"Maybe you guys are experiencing El Niño?" Biglang saad naman ni Mirakov sa mahina ngunit dinig naman na boses.

"El–what?"

"It's uh... a type of climate pattern that kind of worsens the natural or average climate of any place. Like a forest is supposed to be naturally moist but due to the worsening of climate change, nagiging arid ito or naka-kalbo. Vegetation is not growing anymore because the heat is maybe ten times worse?" Paliwanag niya, "Are you saying the Goddess of Creation is punishing us?" Napalingon siya sa tinuran ni Wendell at tumango na lang, "I guess that works as an explanation, too."

Dahil sa pagdadaldalan namin ay hindi na rin namalayan na nakarating na kami sa tinutukoy ni Aidan. We entered a rather shabby three-storey tavern with little moats and chipped wooden doors. It was quiet inside with few people and day drinkers who immediately turned to our attention the moment we went inside, they stood up in alarm, as if they're wary of any trouble, but the moment Aidan took of his hood and revealed his symbolic golden haired head, they immediately raised their glasses, "Aidan! You son of a Banshee, where have you been!?"

Natameme kaming lahat dahil rito, "Just around, traveling you know. How are the wife and kids?"

"Oh, we're divorced now! She's with the blacksmith who apparently fucks her better than me!"

"Too bad! Well, go on then drink a tub of ale and it's on me. I'll just need the tavern lady so my company can rest," the drunk guy nodded and immediately fell on his head-first on the table dozing off from too much drunkenness, "What the hell was that?"

"Oh, that's Cravos, when I first met him, his wife cheated on him with the town's blacksmith and wanted to divorce him. He's amnesiac when he's drunk so he still thinks the divorce's still new even if his wife had already left him like a few years ago," paliwanag niya sa mga detalyeng hindi ko naman tinutukoy. Napa-iling na lang ako sa mga bagay na maaaring pinaggagagawa ng pinsan ko sa tuwing naiinip siya marahil sa palasyo.