A Thousand-Year Old Prophecy

29: A Glimpse of the Past 2

"It is dangerous, Nyssa."

Angal ni Vina sa kanya as soon as she told her about the mission she received from her father.

"Not our first danger, Vina, so no point in worrying too much."

"This is different, though." Vina's voice started to die down. She knew exactly Nyssa's attitude.

If she wanted to do something and she already made up her mind, wala ng makakapigil sa kanya.

And knowing kung gaano karupok ang lady boss niya pagdating sa pamilya niya, specifically to her father, Vina knew it was already a lost case.

Nyssa, however, was fully aware about Vina's concern.

She just smiled at her.

"What do you know about this Golden Tree?"

Vina sighed. But still she gave her the information she needed.

"According to what I know about that Golden Tree, one needs to cross the Condemned Forest in order to get to the Fabled Mountain kung saan ito nakikita kada isang libong taon."

"Fabled Mountain?"

"Yun yung tawag doon dahil wala pang nakakarating sa bundok na iyon because most of the travellers either died on the Condemned Forest o di kaya naman ay nagbback out agad."

"Then, those people were not that strong as us."

"I... I don't know."

"Oh, come on, Vina. Ilang lugar na ba ang napagtagumpayan natin sa kabila ng mga rumors at panganib na kaakibat non?"

Natahimik si Vina.

She knew Nyssa had a point. She trusted her lady boss' strength and capability too.

But since she came from a family na masyadong pinapahalagahan ang mga sinaunang pamahiin at babala tungkol sa mga sinauna ring mga lugar, she couldn't help but to feel divided about this mission.

Isa pa, the fact na nanggaling ang mission na ito sa tatay ni Nyssa, made her more suspicious about it.

However, she couldn't voice out that one.

Nyssa might be kind pero iba itong magalit.

She wouldn't want to push her luck by being too honest with her lady boss.

"But then... you said na kada isang libong taon lang nakikita sa Fabled Mountain ang Golden Tree. And since ipinapahanap siya sa akin ng tatay ko ngayon, does it mean this year is the thousandth year?"

Vina nodded.

"I heard rumors about it. An old tribe has their records kung kelan ang huling appearance ng Golden Tree. And sabi nga nila, this year is the next thousandth year."

"Interesting. Can we find out where is this old tribe na sinasabi mo?"

Vina was silenced. She knew how smart her lady boss was. Pero hindi niya inaasahan that she would see through her that easily.

"Well?"

"W-we can. That tribe is my very own family."

***

Soon, Nyssa and the whole guild went to travel to the Southern Island. Since nandoon ang buong pamilya ni Vina, kaya naman kinailangan nilang magtungo doon.

Vina's family were composed of tradition-loving folks kaya ganun din siya kahit papaano. Kundi siya umalis sa lugar nila noong nakatungtong siya bg tamang edad, baka mas lalong matindi ang debosyon niya sa mga ganito.

Of course, because she had somehow lie low, some of her family became aloof towards her. Most specially the elders.

Kaya naman laking gulat niya na isang araw lang ay nakuha na agad ni Nyssa ang loob ng mga ito.

"How did you do that?" She asked her lady boss ng maiwanan na sila sa tutuluyan nitong tent. She always stayed after with Nyssa because there were always unsaid things kapag kaharap nila ang ibang tao and they only talked about it kapag silang dalawa na lang ang naiiwanan.

"What?"

"You immediately get the trust of the elders."

Nyssa smirked. "Everyone learns to love me, Vina...

"...except my own family."

The smirk she had turned out to be for herself.

Napailing na lang si Vina.

Nyssa seemed to be an easygoing leader. She loved to tease, be funny... Parang iilang beses pa nga lang niya nakita ang lady boss niya na seryoso.

And she knew, despite this jolly personality of hers, her pain inside was huge.

Sino ba namang anak ang gustong itakwil siya ng sariling ama?

Who wanted to be unwanted?

No matter how much she proved herself, no matter how stronger and powerful she got, it was always gonna end up as useless.

And somehow, she pitied Nyssa more than herself dahil kahit papaano, she knew how to be treated as daughter by her parents.

Naputol ang iniisip ni Vina when someone flicked her forehead.

"No need to pity me, Vina. Matagal ko ng alam na unfair ang mundo. If it isn't, then I won't be this powerful at all. Minsan talaga may kailangang umangat at bumaba because balance can only be achieved by the equalization of two or more things."

Then she stood up and laid a map on the table.

"Balik tayo sa Golden Tree, I have learned a lot from Nana Asyang. She told me the reason kung bakit kada isang libong taon lang sumusulpot ang Golden Tree."

Vina nodded.

"You knew about it."

"Yes."

"And you didn't tell me because..."

She sighed. That's another weird thing about Nyssa. If other boss found out that their subordinates kept a secret to them, malamang nanganganib na ngayon yung tao na yun. But Nyssa always tried to be rational at everything.

"Because I knew very few about the Adarna bird."

Nyssa nodded.

"Nana Asyang told me that just like the Golden Tree, the Adarna bird appeared every thousandth year.

"Kapag dumadapo ito sa Golden Tree, it will start singing series of songs which can make anyone hear them fall asleep. Afterwards, the bird will poop and that waste can make anyone turned into stone if it touches a skin.

"What I am curious about is, is it really this bird ang dahilan kung bakit pinahahanap sa akin ng tatay ko ang Golden Tree? Or there could possibly a lot more thing is going on here. There might be something more into this.

"Probably, this isn't just about the tree, the bird or the fabled mountain themselves."

"What do you mean, Nyssa?"

The lady boss looked at Vina. But she knew that Nyssa was already far ahead of her thoughts. She merely seeing her now.

"I am not sure too, Vina. But I feel different towards this mission.

"And yes, you might be right...

"This might be a dangerous mission."

Ang hindi inaasahan ni Vina, the next morning after saying those, magjjourney mag-isa si Nyssa papunta sa Fabled Mountain.

Huli na ng marealize niya.

Kaya naman pala magaan ang loob ng mga elders dito. Because she promised to leave the whole guild with them and trodded the path towards her death alone.

***