γῆς δὲ τῆς Θεσπρωτίδος ἔστι μέν που καὶ ἄλλα θέας ἄξια, ἱερόν τε Διὸς ἐν Δωδώνῃ καὶ ἱερὰ τοῦ θεοῦ φηγός·
'Among the sights of Thesprotia are a sanctuary of Zeus at Dodona and an oak sacred to the god.' Pausanias, Description of Greece I.17.5
ORACLE OF DODONA
I realized we were already in the Grove of Dodona when we sa a large oak tree in the middle of knee-high stone structures and bronze cauldrons around.
"How will we get an oracle?" tanong ko kay Aster. Of course, I had no ideas!
Her eyes slightly squinted as she looked around, then she turned to Damon, asking, "Uh, may naiisip ka bang paraan kung pa'no tayo makakapagsulat sa mga tablets?"
"Ha? Tablets? Wala namang tablet dito, ah?" ani Diane at naglinga-linga pa sa paligid.
Aster sighed and pointed at the stones. "The stones are called tablets, Diane."
Sabay naman kaming napa-'ohh' ni Diane. I really didn't know what kind of table I was thinking about, but I do believe that I first thought about a gadget while Diane thought about the medicine tablets. Mahirap talagang sumama sa matatalino.
"Zeus' sword," sambit ni Damon. "Mas matibay ang esapadang ginawa ni Zeus. Sa tingin ko sapat na 'yon."
"What do we need to write anyway?" tanong ko naman.
"Nabasa ko na ang ibang mga nakasulat sa tablets. I think we need to write a question on how we'll be able to find Artemis," Aster explained.
Ah, so the Oracle of Dodona will give us more information and details to find the lost Goddess. First of all, why did she disappear anyway?
I summoned the sword and handed it to Aster. But then, she pouted. "Hindi ko ata kayang idiin ang pagsusulat. Pa'no 'yon?"
"Ngi, weak!" asar ni Diane at tumawa. "Ako na nga, Aster. Ano bang isusulat?"
"You don't know how to write ancient Greek language, Diane. Ako na, sigu—"
"Light-an mo lang ang pagkakasulat, tapos ako na ang magdidiin. Babakatin ko nalang," suhestiyon naman ni Damon at ngumisi. "Hindi rin naman kasi ako maalam magsulat ng ancient greek language."
"Kailangan bang ancient greek languange?" tanong ko naman. Hindi rin naman ata ako maalam magbasa n'on.
"Yes," Aster answered. "The Oracle of Dodona is ancient, so we needed to communicate in ancient way too."
She started looking for an empty space on the tablets and knelt down when she saw one. Napangiwi naman ako nang makaramdam ng pangingilo dahil sa tunog ng patalim sa stone tablet. Lumayo nalang ako r'on upang hindi na kilabutan pa.
Hindi ko na sila narinig kaya't pinagmasdan ko nalang ang paligid. Around the grove, there was a vast land on the west while large trees on the east.
A wind suddenly gushed over me. I closed my eyes to feel it more, but my breathing came short after I heard the wind whisper my name.
"Xynthea."
My own voice. Nilibot ko ang paningin ko, at sinibukang hanapin kung may ibang tao bukod pa sa'min, ngunit wala akong nakita.
"Don't go near them, Xyn."
Ngayon nama'y napalingon ako sa mga kasamahan ko. Nagkunot-noo ako nang makita na si Damon na ang may hawak ng espada.
I was about to move towards them, when I suddenly stopped moving— as if I froze in my place.
"It's dangerous. Stop!"
Napapikit ako nang mariin nang makaramdam na naman ng sakit sa ulo ko. I opened my eyes and my vision became a little blurry. After a few minutes, naging maayos na ulit ang paningin ko. The controlling feeling over me stopped.
I breathed heavily, pero nagulat kaming lahat nang makarinig ng pagbagsak ng puno sa likod ko. I gasped and ran towards them.
Napatigil si Damon sa page-engrave, at napatayo ang lahat sa biglaang pagbagsak ng puno. Diane immediately went forward, and ran towards the tree.
"'Wag kang sugod nang sugod, Diane!" pabulong na sigaw ni Aster sa kaniya.
Diane squinted her eyes, looked around the tree, and behind. Hinawakan niya rin ang dahon at napansin na nalanta 'yon.
"There's no one," seryosong wika niya. She glanced at us. "Ipagpatuloy mo lang 'yan, Damon. I'll guard this part. Xynthea, guard the opposite."
Nanlaki agad ang mata ko. Ako?! Ako talaga? Eh, napatakbo nga agad ako n'ong bumagsak ang puno!
Sinamaan niya ako ng tingin na tila nabasa kung ano ang naiisip ko. "Si Aster ang mag-iinterpret ng Oracle! H'wag kang maarte. Sasampalin kita."
I pouted and nodded. Labag sa loob akong tumungo sa kabilang banda. I summoned my bow and arrow just in case.
Paminsan-minsan lumilingon ako sa kanila hanggang sa natapos na si Damon at lumapit sa'kin.
"Ako na ang magbabantay dito, at si Aster naman ang bantayan mo. Make sure your ears are sharp. She has a tendency to forget things she say. The oracle is important."
Tumango naman ako, at tinapik niya ang balikat ko bago ako lagpasan. I happily hopped towards Aster, who seems to be focused on the tablet.
I smiled at her, but she didn't even threw me a single glance! She might be too immersed in reading, so I looked at the tablet and saw the engraved ancient greek letter.
πώς θα βρούμε την Άρτεμις
Napahawak na naman ako sa ulo ko nang sumakit na naman 'yon. Kainis naman! Can't I live peacefully without these freakin' headaches?! Tiningnan ko ulit ang tablet at nagulat nang maintindihan ko na 'yon.
How shall we find Artemis?
Pa'no ko... nabasa 'yon? Did I somehow study ancient greek language before?
My thoughts stopped when the bronze cauldrons suddenly glowed. The rustling leaves, and chirps of the doves filled our ears.
A soft wind embraced us. Napalapit ako kay Aster pero nagulat nalang din nang makitang nagliliwanag ang kaniyang mga mata. Her hands had a golden glow, like she's reading the energy around. The energy of the oracle. Napansin kong lumiwanag din ang mga nakasulat, but then something caught my attention.
A sole tablet with only one question.
ποιος θα πεθάνει πρώτα;
Kaagad akong kinilabutan nang maintindihan ko lahat ng letra, at gamit ang mahina kong boses, binasa ko 'yon.
"Who shall die first?" mabilis kong tinakpan ang bibig ko matapos kong masabi 'yon.
Mas lalo naman akong nakaramdam ng kaba nang narinig ko ulit ang pangalan ko.
"Xynthea... Xynthea... Xyn-"
Napalingon ako kay Aster nang magsimula siyang magsalita. Maigi ko siyang pinaringgan, at tila may kakaibang espiruto na nagtake-over sa kaniya.
Soon, the leaves turned golden, and the doves flew around the big Oak tree in the middle. The small branches swayed with the wind.
Napapikit naman ako nang mapuwing nang saglit. The moment I opened my eyes, Aster was already speaking a greek language.
And I... understood it. How come?
"Do not seek, do not grieve
for she seeks, for she lives.
There she is, finding a way
to break their curse away.
The threads are entangled,
thou shan't be strangled.
Fates will soon judge.
Thy fate will soon come.
Keep the moon alive,
or make a new moon rise."
Hinabol naman n'ya ang hininga niya nang matapos niyang sabihin 'yon. Nawala na ang liwanag sa kamay niya, maging sa mga mata n'ya.
She knelt to the ground, and she looked so drained. Nanginginig ang kaniyang labi at nataranta ako. I summoned a bottle of water from the maleta/braclet, kasi... why not?
Kaagad naman n'ya 'yong kinuha at nilagok lol. "Uh... ano pang kailangan mo?"
"Time," wika n'ya. Napangiwi ako nang muli na namang makarinig ng tila orasan sa loob ng utak ko.
Her voice became indistinct to me. A loud struck of the clock, and it's ticking filled my ears.
And I heard an oracle from my own voice inside.
"Life in exchange of life.
Death shall come.
Mortals will die first.
The Gods will follow."
Naramdaman ko na naman ang panghihina ko. I put a hand on my chest, and I felt someone else supporting me.
Please... please don't faint, self.
"Xynthea," natauhan naman ako bigla nang marinig ang boses ni Zeref. I can hear his voice clearly, while others... were indistinct.
Unti-unti namang bumalik sa dati ang paghinga ko. My eyes immediately met his teal eyes.
Napapikit-pikit ako nang mapagtantong nasa bisig niya ako. His hand snaked around my waist, and the other was around the pulse in my neck.
His eyebrows furrowed as he watched me intently.
Tumingin ako sa paligid at napansing... halos nasira lahat ng stone tablets. There were also dead doves.
"Anong nangyari?" tanong ko at sinubukang itulak palayo si Zeref.
"No, Xynthea. Tell me, what happened?" wika niya at pilit na hinarap ang mukha ko sa kaniya.
"The energy that destroyed these came from you."
"What?"
"Don't worry. They don't know about it."
The Semideus
By lostmortals
Plagiarism is a crime.
Thank you for reading!