-chapter fifty-eight-
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"They'll help us on our quest. Let's get this key already."
"WHERE ARE we going?!" sabay na sigaw nina Feyre at Acrasia.
Hindi ko alam kung matutuwa ako at hindi na sila nag-aaway ngayon. I'm glad to see that no one's getting killed but their noise together are a pain to my ears. Ang sarap nilang itulak pababa sa mountain na ito.
We didn't use our mounts because, unbelievably, lamang ang boto sa gustong maglakad. No, scratch that, ako lang ang bomoto na sumakay ng mount. People who didn't vote were automatically counted as yes, because as Feyre explained silence means yes. Oh diba ang saya lang.
Kaya ito't paakyat kaming naglalakad papunta sa kuweba. Una nag-uusap lang silang lahat, na may bangayan sa gitna, hanggang sa bigla na lang silang kumanta.
"White Dragon's Cave!" masayang sagot ni Priamos, Minerva at Cerami. Ang mga bata nga naman.
Napatingin ako kay Aisling sa tabi. She says she's older than me but she's enjoying the show so much. Kumikinang pa ang mata niya at ibinubulong ang sagot.
"Where are we going?!" itinutok nila ang imaginary na mic kay Voldmir, Vesta at Hex.
"White Dragon's... Cave." mahina at bored nilang sagot.
In fairness, hindi sumali si Voldmir.
"Where are we going?!" itinutok naman nila sa'kin ngayon ang imaginary na mic.
Tinaasan ko sila ng kilay at tiningnan ang likod nila. Isang atras na lang at pwede na silang mahulog.
"Where are you going kayo mamaya kapag nahulog kayo," sagot ko.
Umismid lang sila at umalis na. They started to lead the group again while occasionally arguing with each other.
"Ano ba ang hindi mo maintindihan sa ako ang kakanta? You stole Reverie away from me and now you're gonna steal away my lines too?!" madramang singhal ni Acrasia kay Feyre.
"Anong gagawin ko kasi hindi nga tama ang tono mo? Isa pa, I didn't steal Sol! We're teammates by fate!"
Umirap si Acrasia. "Teammates by fate. Yuck!"
"Kami po ba talaga ang bata o sila?" nakangiwing komento ni Minerva. "They don't behave like they're in their twenties po."
"Hayaan mo na. Magiging ganiyan ka din 'pag 20 ka na," banat ni Voldmir sa kaniya.
Napailing na lang ako nang magbangayan ulit sila. Kahit siguro ang mga taong nasa city ay maririnig ang ingay namin.
"You are really a noisy and weird bunch," komento ni Cord sa tabi ko.
Ngumiti ako. "This is normal. Mas magugulat ako kapag bigla silang tumahimik."
"Sumasama si Hiraeth sa inyo 'di ba? Does he also contribute to the noise?"
Natawa ako nang maalala ang pag-away ni Feyre sa kaniya na hindi niya pinapansin.
"Well, he says a word and nothing after that. He's pretty quiet... and strange."
Tumango si Cord. "Even at an early age, he's a man of few words. He likes observing rather than talking."
"And he disappears all of a sudden. Tapos biglang susulpot sa kung saan. He's also very curious about his sorroundings kahit na he's always been here. He also has a flower garden near the lake where he usually sleeps,"
"Flower garden?" tanong niya.
Tumango ako at ngumiti. "Yeah, he never fails to plant tulips there. Iba't ibang kulay. Tapos the birds would usually destroy them kaya babatuhin niya. He tilts his head when he's confused, kapag hindi siya gagalaw at nakaawang ang labi, may isang bagay na nakakuha ng interes niya. He always stays two steps behind- what?"
Kumunot ang noo ko nang makitang titig na titig si Cord sa'kin. He seems to be studying my expression or something. Nailang ako sa titig niya kaya napaatras ako. Bago ko pa matanong ulit kung may problema ba ay narinig ko ang sigaw ni Cerami.
"I can see the cave na!"
Mabilis na sa alas-kuwatrong bumaling sa gawi namin sina Feyre at Acrasia.
"Where is the White Dragon's Cave? Can you point it?" sabay nilang tanong.
I frowned. Were those even the right lines?
Walang reaksiyon itinuro ng tatlong bata ang direksiyon ng gubat. The faces of the two girls at front immediately crumpled. Naiinis nilang sinundan ng tingin ang itinuro at umiling.
"No! That's the wrong direc-"
"Mali! You should say 'That's right!' because that's what Dora always says kahit na mali ang itinuro naming direksiyon!" reklamo ni Minerva.
"You fail..." dagdag ni Cerami.
Naestatwa naman ang dalawa sa kinatatayuan while the rest of us continued walking. Nang malampasan sila'y binigyan ko sila nang nakakalokong ngiti.
"Ayan. Magi-imitate na nga lang, mali-mali pa." I teased. "Flop~"
"Hoy Sol! Anong sinabi mo?!"
"I can't let that slide, Reverie!"
When they moved, I quickly went to run. Pero sadyang mabilis ang dalawa dahil naabutan agad nila ako! The three of us fell into the ground, laughing and giggling. The setting of the sun casted behind us and the rest of our group stood at the mouth of the cave, shouting at us to get over there quickly.
May inis pa rin sa mukha ng dalawa habang padabog silang naglalakad papunta do'n. They began to tease Minerva to bring their ego back. Napangiti ako habang tinitingnan sila. Their noises have already become normal in my life that without it is boring. Their constant chaos is already a sight to see.
Tumakbo ako papunta sa kanila. With the snowy mountains and setting sun behind me, we left and wandered on the dangerous cave where the first step of our plan lies.
We went through a long corridor with various carvings on the cave walls. Acrasia has also put lights along the cave para hindi masiyadong madilim. She usually visits here to see how the dragon is feeling. Pero at the near end of the corridor, wala na masyadong ilaw.
"We need to move quickly. Kahit na tamed ko ang dragon na 'yon, she can quickly break our contract especially if she feels danger towards her babies," seryosong tugon ni Acrasia. "For now, she's out and hunting for food pero babalik din iyon dito. So better get what you want and we'll leave. And refrain from touching the eggs or she'll sense us."
"Can't you just stop her?" tanong ni Feyre.
Umiling si Acrasia. "The Meldorovina is the Mother of Dragons here in the North. We made a contract but she's not really something I can fully control. Nakaatas ako sa pagprotekta ng cave niya dahil under ito sa aking territory and in exchange she will lend her strength when deemed necessary. However, their nests are a different topic. Walang dapat makapasok, makalapit at makahawak nito."
Nakarating kami sa isang malawak na espasyo. It was a large room with a nest-like thing in the center. The walls glittered in bright and large white crystals. May mga ice crystals sa ceiling and snow scattered in the floor. Isa iyong napakaganda at napakamaliwanag na lugar.
Umakyat si Acrasia upang silipin ang nest. It was so large, kasing-laki ng syudad ng Astedia. Makalipas ang ilang minuto ay bumaba si Acrasia at tumingin sa'min.
"It's not a nest. Just where she sleeps."
"But the nest should be somewhere here right?" tanong ko at inilibot ang tingin sa paligid. There's nothing else aside from two passageways. "Where are those leading to? Baka isa sa mga 'yan ay papunta sa nest?"
Tumango si Rase. "Meldorovinas usually change the locations of their nests. The reason are unknown but it's one of the theories regarding why they would be categorized with the highest difficulty if put into a quest."
"Especially that when they sense you and you're still inside, you're pretty much dead, you know~ Kaya ayaw ng mga tao ito dahil din sa bagong update ng d&r function." dagdag ni Aisling.
Naningkit ang mata ni Feyre sa kanila. "You're game masters, aren't you? Hindi niyo bang pwedeng sabihin kung saan nakalagay ang nest?"
Umiling si Cord. "We can't help you with that. The location of the nest are changed randomly. I don't have God's eye or access any system that can show us it. Wala pang site na makakakita nito dahil sa hindi pa ito naisali sa map ng game. It also goes down to the creator whether he uploads it or not."
"Anong ibig mong sabihin?"
"Hindi natin magagamit ang any cheating system to locate the nest dahil wala ang cave na ito sa mapa. As well as the nest. It's an unknown item and location. It can only happen once the creator uploads the map in game. And it's only the creator who has absolute knowledge at the random locations of the nest."
"Then," itinuro ko ang dalawang passage. "Let's just split and look at both sides. Once nakita niyo na, just send a message and we'll get out of here quick. It's a..." tumingin ako sa magpinsan.
"It's a golden key with a dragon design~" sagot ni Aisling.
"That. So," binilang ko kami. "It's six to six. How do we split this?"
"Siyempre it's the seven of us and the five of them!" sagot ni Feyre.
"Bingi ka ba?" asik ni Acrasia sa kaniya. "Sabi ngang six to six!"
"Why don't we just... play rock-paper-scissors... to decide the teams?" magandang suhestiyon ni Vesta.
"What-?"
Bago pa sila makapagreklamo ay nilahad ko na ang kamay ko. "Okay! But let's just pick between rock and paper to see the teams."
"Jak-en-poy!" sigaw namin at ibinaba ang kamay.
Four of us chose rock while the other eight chose paper. Kaming apat nina Vesta, Cord at Rase ang bato. Habang ang maiingay naman ay papel.
"I'm actually a part of the rock team," saad ni Hex. "Hindi ako maingay."
"Ako din po!" sagot ni Priamos.
"Oh, anim na kami!" Hex smirked.
Bigla namang umangal si Feyre. "Hoy, soro! Ano 'yan?! Hindi tama 'yan!"
"Oo nga! Let's play again!" sagot ni Acrasia habang tutok na tutok sa kamay ko.
"Huwag na," pigil ni Rase. "We're just wasting time. Let's have the healer and the tank in our team and go our ways."
"Hindi tama 'yan! May defense at heal kayo! Paano kami?!" sigaw ni Minerva.
It's not like we'll fight with the eggs though...
"What are you saying kid?" si Acrasia. "Cerami is a paladin and I kind of know some healing skills."
"Huh?!" gulat naming tanong. "Cerami is a paladin?! Nasaan ang shield niya kung gano'n?!"
"I hid it in my inventory system. It costs a lot of gold but it's convenient," sagot nito.
"And I purchase the double-job function after the pirate quest. Kaya I can learn some healing skills." sagot ni Acrasia.
Wait! That's possible too?!
"The pirate quest is a special quest for players who have surpassed special requirements. Sa kaniya ang maging guild leader ng largest guild at makaaccumulate ng one thousand members. It's not really a quest you can find but it's a quest that finds you," paliwanag ni Rase sa'kin.
"I-I see... Well, let's just go and find this key quickly. I have a bad feeling." wika ko at naunang maglakad.
"I do too." sang-ayon ni Cord. "Kaya dapat nating bilisan at makalabas sa cave na ito."
Napatingin ako sa kabilang grupo na maingay at panay ang bangayan. I hope they'll be okay.
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-chapter end-
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[UPDATE!]:
1. Make a legacy with the Oddcredibles.
2. Show Hiraeth his real path.
3. Kill the king.
4. Take the Northern Continent key. Don't touch any of the eggs in the nest or ×_×.
5. Make a wish to the magus.
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