T H I R D P E R S O N P O V
"Hermes, Dionysus, Hera has ordered the two of you to return to the Olympus immediately. "
It was Iris who delivered the news that annihilated all the hope that was left between the four of them. Only Hermes could provide the fastest way back to Mount Olympus. Since Hera herself has commanded their return, they have no other choice but to take the longer route.
"Can Hermes stay here?" tanong ni Dionysus, nagbabasakali.
Iris shook her head, "Unfortunately, he can't. She's anticipating your presence at the Olympus . . . . the two of you. " she looked at them firmly.
Worry could be seen on all three of their faces as they exchanged glances. "Listen to me, Iris," Dionysus said, drawing his face closer to hers. "The mortal is dying, and she needs us," he said, lowering his voice so Chanel couldn't hear.
"That's the least of my concern. My job here is to deliver the news and escort you two back to the Olympus. " nakipagsukutan ng tingin ang dalaga.
Napapikit si Dionysus sa inis.
"Let Apollo take care of the mortal. The two of you has to go with me. " huling sinabe niya bago tumalikod at nilisan ang kagubatan.
Napabuntong hininga si Dio samantala naigulo ni Hermes ang kanyang buhok. "That little brat! Nanggigigil talaga ako sa isang 'yun. Masyadong loyal sa amo niya. " Hermes could almost rip all his hair out of annoyance.
Even if it is against their will, the two are helpless but must obey Hera's decree. "It's fine. Kailangan niyong sumunod sa utos niya. Ako na ang bahala kay Chanel. We'll be alright. " mahinang wika ni Apollo at pinasadahan ng tingin ang kawawang dalaga na nakahiga sa kanyang bisig.
"Babalik din kami kaagad, pangako. "
Tinanguan ni Apollo ang dalawa bago ito umalis. Nang mawala sa kanyang paningin, napadasal na lamang siya sa isipan. Hindi mawari kung anong unang gagawin. If they take the long road to Olympus, the poison will surely devour the poor girl's heart before they even reach there. That being the case, he needed a quicker route.
"W-what are we gonna do b-blondie?" papikit-pikit ang mga malumanay na mata ni Chanel.
Hindi kaagad nakasagot ang binata habang nag-iisip ng paraan.
Ah right.
He totally forgot the pegasus!
Before he could call it, the ground began to tremble until it gradually got stronger. The forest began to shake violently with each second they remained. Apollo peered into the distance, and as he noticed an army of centaurs coming closer, his anxiety level increased.
"Again?" He said in disbelief.
"W-who's coming blondie?"
An arrow appeared in their direction out of nowhere. Luckily, Apollo managed to catch the arrow and break it in anger. "Those bastards never gave up! Why are they doing this?" He would have buried them for a long time if they weren't his friends.
Not wanting to waste any time, he whistled frantically to summon the mystical creature.
In an instant, the creature that will transport them to Mt. Olympus appeared. It rarely shows up, so it's only now that he thought of calling it. The centaurs paused for a moment as they watch the winged creature descend from the sky.
It's the pegasus.
Chanel swears a tear fell on her cheeks upon witnessing the magical creature emerge from the thick clouds. It was a breathtaking scene. "Is that a horse?" The poor girl, unaware of the existence of this being, had never heard of a pegasus before.
"Yey! You actually showed up!" Even Apollo couldn't believe his eyes. He had called it a thousand times before, but it only appeared as rare as stumbling upon a diamond beneath a hectare of land.
Kinarga niya kaagad ang dalaga at isinampa sa likuran ng kabayo habang patuloy sa pagpa ulan ng pana ang mga kalaban. "Stop them!" mabangis na sigaw ng kanilang leader.
"What did we do wrong?! Halt your arrows this instant!" naubos na lahat ng natitirang pasensya ni Apollo. Ano ba ang atraso niya sa mga 'yun?
However, the centaurs continue to discharge their arrows.
"I command you all to lay down your weapons before I forbid your people from setting foot in this damn forest!" His voce roars over the horizon that made the centaurs cease themselves out of fear.
The rage of a God.
Nagpalitan ng nababahalang tingin ang hukbo samantalang lakas-loob na lumapit ang kanilang pinuno kay Apollo. "After all the blessings I have provided you and your men, even bestowing powerful arrows for your survival, and this is what you repay me? Chasing us like some savages while I'm fulfilling my mission?!" nagsilabasan ang ugat sa kanyang leeg kasabay ng unti-unting pag liwanag ng kanyang mga mata.
Humigpit lalo ang pagkakahawak ni Chanel sa kanyang damit, nangungusap na huwag magpadala sa galit.
"I understand your wrath, your highness. But my men and I are only obeying the Queen's order."
Kumunot ang noo ni Apollo sa narinig, "The Queen? Hera?"
Mapagkumbabang yumukod ang huli, "I am not allowed to confess it to you, but you are a loyal friend and a good God, and I can't bear to betray you. Yes, you heard it right. I was given an order by the loving queen. Even against my will and despite being confused, I just obeyed her decree for fear of what she could do to my family and my men. I hope you may forgive my poor soul, though she strictly commanded me not to let the mortal set foot back in the sacred kingdom of Olympus. "
"And I'll do whatever it takes for our queen. "
Walang ibang naramdaman si Apollo kundi matinding galit para sa tinuturing nilang reyna. All this time, hindi pala siya ang pakay ng mga nilalang kundi ang kawawang dalaga. Ang lahat ng ito ay kagagawan ng kanilang minamahal na reyna.
How could she do this to a poor girl?
He saw the leader gently raise the arrow that was pointed towards the mortal. He rushed quickly to block the girl's body. Chanel paled even more at the sight of the arrow burried at the god's arm. If it wasn't for the young man, she would have been struck right in the forehead.
"Rise pegasus! Rise!"
The army of centaurs was almost thrown by the strong wind as the pegas began to flap its massive wings, ascending to the thick clouds. Apollo held Chanel tightly to his chest as he endured the throbbing pain on his arm after he pulled out the arrow.
"Y-your arm is bleeding!" Her face was frightened by the amount of blood gushing out of it.
It was a powerful arrow he blessed himself as the God of Archery. That arrow was intended to dispatch large, powerful monsters like the cyclops. How dare they used it on him!
Inaamin niya, namamanhid ang kanyang braso.
"Malayo 'yan sa bituka. " sambit niya sa dalaga.
"Anong malayo sa bituka eh namumutla ka na!"
He turned around for a moment and shot an arrow at the chief. He skillfully hit it right on the arm. The arrow contains a spell that can turn any mythical creature into a human for a month which would be a great disadvantage as humans rarely survive in the woods because of the mythological monsters hiding in it.
As they rose higher, the wind increased stronger and the clouds grew thicker. Poor Pegasus tried its hardest to flap its wings through the hurdle. Apollo gritted his teeth in hope of success; Chanel, on the other hand, gradually lost hope along with her strength.
"Come on buddy, you can do it!" He gave the creature courage.
However, the skies turned gray, and the wind was blowing them down. It's as if the universe is conspiring against them.
"Shit. " He cursed underneath his breath.
Despite the fact that his chances have decreased, he refuses to give up. There could be a good twist in their journey. He'll go to any length for the mortal; he'll find a way.
Chanel gently grab his arm, wanting him to look at her.
His eyes met her pale face, heart's aching at the sight of the poison devouring her system bit by bit.
"Kunti nalang, mararating na natin ang Olympus. Just hold on, alright?" Bagama't nais niyang bigyan ng pag-asa ang dalaga, alam ni Chanel na maliit nalang ang tsyansang makakaabot sila.
Marahan niyang hinawakan sa pisnge ang binata at pinatingin sa mga mata.
"Listen to me Blondie. "
"I don't think I'll be able to make it. "
Kaagad promutesta ang huli, umiiling-iling. "No, don't say that. Malapit na tayo. "
"Seriously blondie, you've done enough. "
"I won't stop 'till you finish the trial and reunite with your family. " unti-unting namumuo ang luha sa mga mata nito.
Nilapit niya ang mukha sa binata, "M-masakit na k-kasi. " sabay hawak niya sa puso.
"S-sobrang sakit blondie. Gustohin ko mang tapusin ang trial, parang di na kaya ng katawan ko. K-kaya pakiusap, j-just let me go. "
"Chanel, I would do everything for you but letting go is something I can't do. "
Parang pinipiga ang puso niya habang pinagmamasdan ang mukha ng dalaga na namimilipit sa sakit. Ngunit ayaw niyang mawalan ng pag-asa gayung abot-kamay na ang destinasyon. Hindi niya kaya.
"Blondie, " mahinang sambit niya.
"Hmm? Ano iyon?"
Mapakla siyang ngumiti, "Siguro hindi naman tayo mga tanga upang magmanga-mangaan sa nararamdaman natin sa isa't-isa. I don't know if you heard the thing I told you when you were hypnotized but . . . I'll say it again."
Inipon niya ang natitirang lakas upang sabihin ito. Isantabi muna niya ang hiya.
"I think I'm in love with you. No, I'm in love with you. Though my heart is tainted with poison, you can clearly hear it beating solely for you. "
Tuluyan nang tumulo ang luha ng binata.
"Ngunit hindi mo pwedeng suklian ang aking pagmamahal. Don't say it back to me. You have to choose yourself and the humanity over me, okay?"
Patuloy sa pagtulo ang kanyang luha habang umiiling-iling.
"B-but I . . . "
"Shhh, it's fine, blondie. At least panatag ako na magkatulad tayo ng nararamdaman. At least nakilala kita at nakabuo tayo ng mga ala-ala na habang buhay kong babalik-balikan. " pagtatahan niya rito ngunit mas lalo lamang nadudurog ang puso ng huli.
"C-chanel, " nahanap niya ang boses sa wakas. "It's you . . . the one I've been waiting for thousands of years. "
"P-pangako, ililigtas kita. "
Nilingon niya kung saan banda ang araw na natatabunan ng makakapal na ulap. Kailangan niyang humingi ng lakas dito.
Sa hindi maipaliwanag na dahilan, bigla itong sumikat at binigyan ng liwanag ang kapaligiran. Unti-unti namang naglaho ang makakapal na ulap at malakas na hangin. Ito ang unang pagkakataon na nagawa ni Apollo na kausapin ang mismong araw. Ano pa nga ba ang impossible sa Dyos ng araw at liwanag?
Dahil dito nagawang makatawid ang kanilang sinasakyan papaakyat sa matarik na bundok kung saan nakatayo ang kaharian ng mga Olympian Gods.
"Look mortal, I told you we're gonna make it!" bakas ang saya sa mukha nito samantala napangiti ng bahagya ang nanghihinang dalaga.
"Good job buddy! May isang sako ka ng prutas sakin. " sabay tapik niya sa gilid ng kabayo.
Ilang sandali pa, narating din nila sa wakas ang pang huling destinasyon.
Maingat niyang inalalayang bumaba ang dalaga tsaka naman lumipad ang pegasus patungo sa kung saan ito nagpapahinga. Bumalik ang galit sa puso niya nang maalala ang kahayupang pagpapahirap ni Hera sa kanila. Nakakuyom ang kanyang kamao habang sila ay naglalakad patungo sa malaking pintuan ng kaharian.
"Are you sure you can walk?" tanong niya kay Chanel na ayaw magpabuhat.
"I'll finish the trial with my feet standing on the ground. " determinadong wika niya.
Tumango ang huli tsaka tinulak ang malaking pintuan.
"Let's end this. "
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- E N D O F C H A P T E R 26 -