MEDUSA & ARACHNE
The next thing I knew was I teleported to a new place. Tiningnan ko ang paligid at wala akong kasama na kahit sino. There was an endless sea around me. I realized I'm in a remote island. The sea. Bigla na namang sumakit ang ulo ko as if may naaalala ako.
Hinawakan ko ang puso ko. It was beating very slow again. I shut my eyes, and breathed deeply. You're going to be okay, I told myself. This happens to me always. Minsan, bigla nalang akong naghihina o nahihimatay, pero kapag naman nagigising akong muli ay ayos na ulit. I just hope that I won't suddenly faint in the midst of the battle.
I'm physically weak, that is why I always strive to be emotionally strong.
One man whistled from afar. I turned to its direction. I saw a bronzed-skin man with shaved hair. His eyes were amber colored. Halata ang batak ng kaniyang katawan sa kaniyang putting damit. Halatang halata rin ang mga scars niya.
"Mortal!" he greeted.
I almost raised an eyebrow. Kung makapagsalita s'ya, akala mo hindi rin s'ya mortal? It's obvious he's a mortal like me. Or maybe he's a Semideus.
"I'm Damon, Ares' apprentice. Ako ang na-assign para magbantay sa'yo para sa susunod na test. Congratulations, by the way," pagpapakilala niya at ngumiti. Ningitian ko rin siya. But... Ares' apprentice? The God of War? No wonder he looked like someone from the military or army.
Napawi naman ang ngiti niya nang hindi ako magsalita. "Hindi ka ba magpapakilala, mortal?" Oh, I didn't know that he was expecting me to introduce myself. Akala ko ay kilala na n'ya ako.
Bago pa ako makasagot ay biglang lumakas ang alon at hangin, dahilan kung bakit ako napatalon.
He sighed deeply, "Well, I guess we have no time. You will be sent to sleep using Hypnos, the god of sleep's potion. Morpheus, the god of dreams will be entering your mind. Lahat ng makikita mo pagtapos nito'y panaginip lang. All you have to do is get away from the dream, and remember not to sleep or die inside your dream, mortal."
I squinted my eyes on confusion. Dreams? How am I supposed to get away from a dream?
"May limited amount of time. Kapag hindi ka nakalabas sa panaginip mo sa loob ng isang oras, hindi ka na makakapasa sa Semideus test," dagdag pa n'ya. I pouted as I look at him play with an hourglass in his hand.
"Paano naman ako makakalaba—" bago ko pa matapos ang sasabihin ko'y napalibutan na ako ng pink smoke. I coughed hard. Masyadong matapang ang amoy ng gas. Is this Hypnos' potion?
Unti-unting nawala ang potion at namulat ako sa parehong lugar— except that it's dusk, almost night time. Nawala na rin si Damon. Wait, I'm in a dream already?
I roamed my eyes in the island. I heard crickets and some birds. Sana naman ay wala nang ahas dito. My eyes caught a glint of a shiny blade buried by the sand. Tumaas ang kilay ko, is it a sword?
Lumapit ako roon at 'di nga ako nagkamali. Kinuha ko 'yon at mahigpit na hinawakan. Bakit kaya may espada sa panaginip ko? Don't tell me may mga monsters din dito? Gosh!
"Hays, paano ba ako makakalabas sa panaginip na 'to?" I sighed.
Napatigil ako nang makarinig ng agos ng tubig mula sa paloob. A nightingale sang. Sinundan ko ang pinagmulan ng tunog na 'yon. That song seems familiar. I looked up at the nightingale.
Muli na naman siyang lumipad palayo. Mas lalo ring lumakas ang tunog ng agos ng tubig. Is he guiding me towards it? Sumunod nalang ako, at pinutol ko ang ilang bush para makadaan.
Bumungad sa'kin ang napakagandang tanawin. May talon dito at napalibutan ako ng mga kutitap. The water glowed blue-ish. Pumunta ako sa edge ng falls at hinawakan ko ang tubig. Woah, it's warm.
I saw my own reflection. My silver hair looked like pale blue because of the water. The scar near my head down to my eyebrows was visible too. Wow, I looked fragile.
Napasulyap naman ako sa mismong talon nang makarinig ng kakaibang tinig mula r'on. I squinted my eyes and realized that there was a cave behind the falls. Nilublob ko sa tubig ang aking mga paa, at nagsimulang maglakad papunta roon.
Dumaan ako sa parte kung s'an hindi ako masyadong matatamaan ng agos ng talon. Though, basa na naman talaga ako. Hawak-hawak ko pa rin ang espada.
Pinunasan ko ang nabasa kong mata, at nasulyapan ang isang sculpture. I stumbled backwards because of what I saw. It was a sculpture of Medusa. I recognized because of Athena's shield. This is a dream, I reminded myself.
Medusa was once a beautiful mortal who had an affair with Poseidon, God of the Seas. Sabi nila, binuntis daw niya si Medusa sa templo ni Athena, kaya nagalit si Athena at ginawang aha sang buhok ni Medusa.
However, Medusa is dead. He was beheaded by Perseus, demigod son of Zeus and a greek hero. At totoong ulo niya talaga ang naroon sa shield ni Athena. Napakurap-kurap ako nang unti-unting magkaroon ng kulay— or should I say buhay— ang sculpture ni Medusa. Gods! Bakit ba sa lahat ng puwedeng lumabas sa panaginip ko, si Medusa pa!
Napalingon naman ako sa kabilang banda ng cave nang makarinig ng kaluskos. I gasped when I saw big legs of spider, but I almost screamed when I saw that the spider had a... face of a woman!
Gods! Is this Arachne? The one whom Athena made a spider in order to weave forever? Hindi ako sigurado kung ano talaga ang tunay na kuwento sa likod n'on, ang alam ko lang ay Arachne challenged Athena. She lost and was turned to a spider.
But why am I stuck with Athena's monsters!
"Thank you for reviving us, Athena," they said in chorus.
Bago pa man ako makapag-react, tumakbo na ako palabas. Binalewala ko na ang tubig na binasa ako nang tuluyan. Athena? They think I'm Athena? Tumingin ako sa likod at nakita kong mabilis na naglalakad si Arachne papalapit sa'kin.
I suddenly hate spiders!
Tinaas ko ang espada at nakita sa repleksyon n'on na papalapit na rin si Medusa. I panted. Mas binilisan ko ang takbo ko. Damon said I shouldn't die, right? Medusa and Arachne laughed devilishly. It sent shivers to my spine. They repeatedly called me Athena.
Nanlaki ang mata ko nang biglang may pumulupot na spider webs sa espada ko. I closed my eyes at the moment my back turned because of the force of the web's pull to my sword. I did my best to wave my sword around.
Nang makawala nang tuluyan ang espada ko, tumakbo muli ako. I shrieked when I saw a glimpse of Medusa in front of me. I almost looked at the eye! Tumakbo ako palayo sa kanilang pareho.
I need to think fast! What part of the spider spins the web ba? Their silk glands, right? I just have to aim at that. Mahigpit kong hinawakan ang espada ko. Muli ko 'yong tinaas para makita ang repleksyon nila sa likod ko.
Medusa was a little slow, but damn it! Arachne is almost just two meters behind me! I shut my eyes for a moment before slowing down. Lumuhod ako, at nang imulat ko ang mata ko, mabilis paring natakbo si Arachne.
I lied down, and when she passed above me, I aimed at her spinning or silk gland. Napapikit naman ako nang biglang mag-burst ang mga silk threads niya. I crawled away from there, and started running from Medusa now.
"Athena," she hissed.
Sa sobrang galit ba nila kay Athena, talagang pinagkakamalan nila ako? Or is it because this is a dream?
"Where's your power, Athena?" she asked. Duh! Hindi naman kasi ako si Athena! Kumuha ako ng bato, at binato 'yon sa kaniya. Wuw, sapul. Tumalikod na ako bago ko pa makita ang pula niyang mga mata.
I hid in the bushes, and the hiss of the snakes fill my ears.
"You're still looking for her?" she suddenly asked. "Hindi niyo— mga D'yos, makikita pa s'yang muli. She's sealed away by the Titans. The seas hid her."
I squinted my eyes. Titans? The deities that preceded the Olympians. Sinong tinutukoy nila? Nevermind! This is all a dream, anyway!
Napatalon ako nang humawak sa likod ko. Medusa! I shut my eyes and tried wielding my sword against her— I don't know! Hindi ko naman kasi nakikita. I heard her flinch. I took that as an opportunity to slice the snakes in her head.
She cried in anger. Napaluhod siya. Sinipa ko siya pahiga, at tinutok ang espada sa kaniyang leeg. Suddenly, I caught a glimpse of her glowing red eyes. Bago pa ako mawalan ng malay, nakita kong ngumisi siya.
"Athena," she said.
The thunders rumbled, and my eyes met darkness upon seeing red.
The Semideus
by lostmortals
Plagiarism is a crime.
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