Solace hiding in her cloak. Huwag niyo po kasi siyang palibutan!
-chapter forty-
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ISANG DAGUNDONG ang narinig sa buong dungeon. The walls vibrated and the stone ceilings trembled. Napakalakas ng pwersa na nagpayanig sa buong dungeon. But no one knows where it comes from.
"Hala. Hala. Hala..." kinakabahang sambit ni Feyre habang nakakapit sa haligi na sinasandalan. "Ano 'yon? Bakit parang ang lapit at tsaka nasaan na ako?!"
Dahil napagod sa paglalakad kanina ay sumandal siya sa isang pader. Gusto niya lang naman magpahinga muna at kumain ng mansanas, pero bigla itong gumalaw at nahulog siya patalikod, papunta doon. Before her friends could help her, nagsara na ang haligi at naiwan siya sa dilim. It was narrow that she can stretch her hands and feel the two walls. At kanina pa siya naglalakad dito ngunit parang wala itong katapusan.
"Poro, may nakikita ka ba?" tanong niya sa alagad kaagad na nag-hiss bilang sagot. She used the snake as her eyes on front dahil hindi masyadong maliwanag ang ilaw na nagmula sa cloak niya.
She frowned when she remember where she got it. Nascam siya nang merchant na 'yon! 100 gold pa ito! Sinabi sa kaniyang iilaw daw ang buong cloak kapag kailangan mo pero parang nagmukha lang siyang neon cloak ngayon! Hindi talaga mapapagkatiwalaan ang mga merchants!
The ceiling trembled again and the floor shuddered upon another powerful impact. Nahulog siya sa sahig dahil sa pagyanig ng paligid. May naisip na siyang tao sa likod nito, isang taong nahihirapang ikontrol ang lakas na lumalabas sa kaniya. Ngunit hindi niya alam ang dahilan kung bakit ito gagawa ng ganoong atake.
Kailangan niya nang makabalik sa kanila.
"THERE'S NO other person who can deal this much damage," sambit ni Hex habang nakatingin sa gumagalaw na ceiling. "It's Sol..."
"Malay mo si Astro 'yon, nakita si Apo," sagot ni Voldmir.
"Mula iyon sa pinanggalingan natin. Huwag mong sabihing nandoon din si Astro?"
Minerva gasped. "Paano po if that was Ate Sol and the berseker guy?"
"E'di may nasira na..."
"Kuya! Kuya!" tawag ni Priamos na nasa likuran nila. Lumilinga-linga ito sa paligid. "Hindi na po sumunod si Kuya Hiraeth!"
Napahilamos si Hex ng mukha. Unang nawala si Feyre, sunod si Sol at ngayon naman wala na din si Hiraeth sa grupo nila. Tumingin siya sa apat na nakatitig sa kaniya.
"Don't stray from the path and don't lean on the walls, okay?" paalala niya. "Malapit na tayo."
"Hindi... ba talaga natin... sila tutulungan...?" tanong ni Vesta.
Napabuntong-hininga si Hex. "Gusto ko din naman silang tulungan pero hindi natin alam kung nasaan sila ngayon. Hindi din natin mabuksan ulit ang mga pader. Sa ngayon ay kailangan nating bumalik at mahahanap din natin sila mamaya. They're all capable of defending themselves."
The last thing he wants is them to be even more seperated. Feyre will always find a way back and Sol has nothing to be afraid of. Si Hiraeth naman ay hindi niya masyadong kilala pero malalaman ang lakas nito sa tingin pa lang. Kaya nagtitiwala siyang makakabalik ng buhay ang mga ito.
"DON'T YOU think it's weird, Astro?" tanong ni Rio habang nakaupo sa sahig at nakacross ang mga paa. "Where are all these quakes from?"
"I have no idea," sagot ni Astro na nakatingin sa ceiling na gumagalaw. "But aren't you worried about your sister?"
May ilang minuto na din silang naghihintay sa lugar na iyon. Rio was the first one to arrive back, dahil sa nagagamit niya si Nirvana sa loob ng dungeon. Ngunit dumating na lamang si Halcyon at Astro, may nagyanig na lamang sa paligid at wala pa din ang kambal niya. He has no idea why but he can't sense the worry in him. Especially when he heard the sound of footsteps coming from Solace's way.
"Wait..." napatayo si Halcyon. "Bakit lima na lang silang bumalik?"
Now the worry seeped into his bones like cold acid. Wala ang maingay na pusa, ang wirdong tagahanga ni Solace at ang mismong kambal niya. Only five concerned faces appeared and it's starting to revive a burning fear in his heart.
"Nasaan si Sol?!" kaagad niyang tanong, ang mga mata ay nasa likod ng lima at humihiling na lumabas doon ang mukha ng kambal.
"We lost them," the fox priest answered.
"Lost them? Paano?"
"When the walls shifted, we were seperated..."
Kumunot ang noo ni Astro. "What do you mean by walls shifting?"
"Feyre leaned on a wall and it opened, dragging her inside. Solace was going down some stairs but it quickly ascended upwards making her fall down," napaisip ito sandali. "Hiraeth is... hindi namin alam kung ano nangyari pero nawala lang siya bigla sa grupo namin."
"I've been leaning on the walls since an hour ago and they never... opened?" komento ni Filter.
"This is that guy's fault! Baka si Hiraeth ang nasa likod ng mga 'to!" galit na anunsiyo ni Halcyon, may suspisyon ang mga mata. "Tingnan niyo, hindi nila alam kung bakit siya nawala! He planned this all along!"
"And for what?" asik ni Astro. "Kill the slayer? I doubt that. Kill the rogue? He doesn't even care about her."
"Baka hinahanap niya sila kaya lumayo siya," tugon ni Ceres. "He might be worried and are looking for them,"
Nagsipagsang-ayon ang lahat sa sinabi ng binata. But Halcyon didn't believe it. He stands with his reason - he's been having a weird feeling about Hiraeth. May kakaiba sa lalaki at hindi niya masabi kung ano ito. Ngunit naniniwala siyang may kinalaman dito si Solace at ang Hiraeth na iyon ang may pakana nito.
"Ano na ang gagawin natin ngayon? Are we just gonna leave them there?" tanong ni Halcyon.
"We have no choice," sagot ni Astro. "Kailangan nating magpatuloy. Going back there won't be fruitful anyway, we will meet them halfway, I think..."
Hindi nagsalita si Halcyon pero kita sa mukha niyang tutol siya sa disesyon na ito. Astro could see him escaping in the back and finding Solace back there. Tiningnan niya ang kapatid ng slayer. Rio's expression was unreadable. He can't help but sigh, he has no idea why they're worrying over a player who can easily defeat them. A player who got the title of slayer. Dapat ngang ang dungeon pa ang mangamba dahil may gumagalang halimaw ngayon sa loob nito.
"Halcyon," tawag niya. "We are going to continue and complete this quest. I don't want you disappearing. Do you not trust the strength of the woman you admire?"
"I don't trust that guy who got lost," sagot nito.
Astro rolled his eyes. "Even their members are not panicking like you. They've spent more time with them than you."
Napatingin si Rio sa mga kasama ni Solace. Totoo nga at mukha lang itong kalmado. Tahimik lang ang mga ito habang tinitingnan sila at hinihintay ang gagawing desisyon.
The fox priest sighed. "We can just keep going. Those two won't look for us, they'll head towards the questpoint. That's how they roll."
All eyes then went to Halcyon who scoffed and headed into the corridor that will bring them to Mizuki.
On the other side of the wall is Hiraeth who's frantically searching for Solace. Nakalabas na si Keiko at tinutulungan siya sa paghahanap. He was also using his cards and placing them on the walls after certain distances. He's not afraid of the danger that will befall the elf, he trusts in her strength. However, finding the directions were a different matter. Ilang beses niya na itong naabutan at palagi itong nawawala sa bawat pagkikita nila. At sa pasikot-sikot ng dungeon na ito ay talagang mawawala ang dalaga.
"Elf, where are you? Show yourself to me..." mahinang sambit niya.
Keiko's ears perked up and he started running. Napasunod sa kaniya si Hiraeth. Could it be? Maybe Keiko sensed Solace's smell or presence and is heading her way now. His fox never disappoints and it always helps him in looking for the elf.
However, it was a different matter for Keiko. He ran, not because he sensed Solace, but because his nose whiffed the smell of apple. But his desire for the fruit will disappear once he met a wall that will block both of them.
A wall with Feyre on the other side holding an apple out with her hand and munching another.
"Soro, come on..." wika niya. "Use your foxy senses and come get your apple.... Soro..."
Feyre found this out one time. The foxes in these world are greatly tempted with apples. And when Hex got lost once in the mountains of Gaea, she used the apple to lure him back.
"Nasaan na ba kasi ang sorong iyon! Paano ko naman malalaman kung saan banda ang quest point?" reklamo niya. "Bakit kasi hindi ako nakinig noong nagplano sila kanina?! Bakit kasi hindi ako na-"
Natahimik siya nang may marinig na mga boses. Mabilis siyang nagtago. Gusto niyang gulatin si Hex kapag dumaan ngunit nasira lahat ng plano niya nang makita ang mga bagong-dating. Si Apocalypse at ang leader ng Legalius!
"Are you sure you heard someone here?" tanong ni Apocalypse sa isang delikadong boses.
"Oo, boss! May narinig akong boses mula dito kanina tapos ilaw, baka sina Over na iyon," sagot ng leader ng Legalius. Nakalimutan na ni Feyre ang pangalan nito. Lucky ba iyon o Loki?
"But there's no one here. Not even a ghost!" asik ni Apocalypse. "This damn dungeon keeps on shifting and separating us..."
"Magpatuloy na lang kaya tayo, boss? Para maunahan natin sina Astro."
"Talaga! Magpapatuloy tayo, hunghang!" pagkatapos ay tumawa ito. "At si Astro? Do you really think he will get past the goblins out front? He can't control his bloodlust."
Kaya pala gano'n na lang ang pag-iba ng nararamdaman niya kanina. She felt so much desire to kill. Rogues has the highest bloodlust among all classes. Fighters comes in second. Pero bakit hindi naapektuhan si Sol? Hindi ba siya nakakaramdam ng bloodthirst? But she always acts like a monster in battle.
"And as they try to enter this dungeon, we'll go and complete the quest," malademonyo itong ngumisi. "Imagine the defeated look on their faces. They will feel helplessness in my hands once again. And that beautiful slayer will also get her share of defeat."
Nagsimulang maglakad ang dalawa palayo. Feyre waited for them to create a distance with her before tailing them. Kailangan niya sila para malaman kung nasaan banda ang questpoint. At uunahan niya ang mga ito, lalo na ngayong narinig niya ang pangalan ni Sol. They won't get their way.
However, the three of them are not aware that at the end of the corridor are two figures talking seriously to each other.
"You felt it too, Ais? It's the sword. That power comes from the sword."
"Are you saying that someone already wields the sword, Cord~?" napatingin ito sa pinanggalingan ng pagyanig. "There's only one person who's at the end of this halls, you know~ And... is she the person who will finally save Hiraeth?"
"If she owns the sword, she has to. It's the only way to save him," may pinalidad sa boses nito. "The only way to bring him back."
Hindi na nakasagot ang babae. Sumang-ayon na lang ito at naglakad sila pabalik sa daanang iyon. Kaya naman hindi sila naabutan ng kakadating na sina Apocalypse, Gaki at si Feyre na nakasunod.
The ceilings and floors continued to tremble and intensified when they got nearer. A large round room appeared, the center engulfed in a frenized battle. Seryosong tinitigan ng dalawa ang babaeng nasa gitna na kasalukuyang nilalabanan ang limang Nurikabe na nakapalibot sa kaniya. After a series of strikes and slashes, the five Nurikabes fell into the ground with a loud thud.
"She defeated all of them?" hindi-makapaniwalang tanong ni Cord. No more Nurikabes went to attack.
"She is... strong, you know~ It's similar to the force we felt back on the final game," sagot ni Aisling.
"That means that he felt it too?" komento ng lalaki. "So he knows..."
Natahimik sila at naestatwa nang tumingin sa banda nila ang hinihingal na babae. Her whole expression looks daze but there's still a hint of control. That she was conscious even with the sword's attempt to gain her whole body. At bago pa sila makakurap, ay bigla na lamang itong sumugod, ang espada ay nasa ere at papunta sa kanila.
And then she stopped.
Mahigpit na nakakapit ang kaliwa niyang kamay sa wrist ng kanan. She was stopping herself from attacking. At kalauna'y tumigil ang kapangyarihang nagmumula sa espada. Solace almost stumbled when the overwhelming power left, she crouched and heaved, breathing very hard. Parang gusto niya tuloy manglibre sa bawat taong makasalubong niya.
"You're... the girl a while ago..." mahinang sambit nito habang nakatingin kay Aisling.
"And you... posses the king's weapon, you know~"
Kumunot ang noo ni Solace. "King's weapon?"
"Yes," tumango ito. "That's the weapon made to kill the king. And we need it... to..." tumingin ito sa katabi.
"To free my brother." pagtapos ng lalaki.
They left Solace thinking, 'Huh? Kung gano'n papatayin ko ang hari nito? At kapatid niya? Mapapalaya ang kapatid niya? Pakialam ko naman do'n. Si Mizuki ang kailangan kong sagipin. Sandali- ito ba ang tinatawag na hidden quest? Pero bakit may kinalaman ang armas ko? Ha? Nasaan ako? Nasaan ang mga kasama ko? Kanina may monster tapos ngayon wala na- gusto kong kumain...'
In short, for the very first time, the slayer of monsters failed to get her brain functioning.
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-chapter end-