-chapter fifty-nine-
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"Well, let's just go and find this key quickly. I have a bad feeling."
"SA TINGIN mo ba ayos lang sila?" tanong ko sa mga kasama.
Binalingan ako ni Hex. "Sino? Sila ni pusa?"
Tumango ako. I have a bad feeling about those group. They're most likely the ones who will endanger themselves, and potentially kami din. At sa ingay nila sana wala silang magising na kung ano.
Not just their noise. Ang bangayan din nilang walang kupas. Paalis pa nga lang kami nag-aaway na sila.
"You look troubled," komento ni Cord habang nakatitig sa'kin.
I sighed. "Sino'ng hindi mag-aalala kung magkasama ang grupong iyon? I won't even be shocked if this cave suddenly crumble."
"It'll be fine..." Vesta assured me. "Someone can lead... them... uh, someone..."
Nangapa siya sa sasabihing pangalan.
"Well, Acrasia is a guild leader." Hex pointed out. He keeps on hitting his staff on the crystal stones above us.
Naningkit ang mata ko at lumingon kay Rase. "Paano nga pala naging guild leader 'yon? She can't even lead groups in class because she's a procrastinator!"
"Well, she's in charge of the dragons and human interactions. Ako ang gumagawa ng mga gawain sa guild." sagot ni Rase.
"Well, at least hindi po siya kagaya kay Ate Feyre na may balak magnakaw sa guild namin!" singit ni Priamos.
"Hindi lang balak. Nakapagnakaw siya..." mahinang wika ko.
Nakita ko ang biglaang pagtigil ni Hex sa paglalakad. His staff lowered down and he froze up. Natahimik kaming lahat at tinitigan lang siyang slow motion na tumingin sa'min.
"What did you say?"
I didn't even blink. "Nagnakaw si Feyre sa funds."
"How much?"
"100 thousand gold. Ang whole donation mo kinuha niya," sagot ko. "Sabi niya sa'kin pinahintulutan mo raw."
"I didn't!" singhal niya.
Nagkibit-balikat lang ako at naunang maglakad. Nanatili si Hex sa kinatatayuan. Well, who wouldn't be upset? Isang buwan at ilang linggo niyang pinag-iponan iyon para sana sa bahay niyang ipapatayo dito. I agreed to his proposition basta mag-iiwan siya ng 30 thousand donation.
But Feyre crushed his dreams.
"By the way," lumingon ako sa kaniya. I saw hope crossed his eyes. "Walang refund iyon."
"WALANGHIYA KA PUSA!" sigaw niya na nagecho sa buong cave. "I'LL FREAKING CUT YOUR PAY TOO!"
"Sabihin mo po kay Kuya Voldmir para magawan niya ng paraan." suhestiyon pa ng batang may maliit na sungay.
"You shouldn't drag our personal lives... over this matter." parangal ni Vesta sa kanila.
"You are sorrounded by a bunch of weirdos, Rev." komento ni Rase sa tabi ko. "You have a fox as a priest. I think he's the only one who looks like that in his job. Tapos may kasama kang bata na nakapaloob sa isang armor."
"And a sniper who can kill moving objects but not stationary ones." dagdag ko.
Vesta, without any help from us, can't shoot anyone who stays on one spot. Pero nakakagulat lang na kaya niyang i-hit ang mga taong gumagalaw.
Priamos now walks around without his helmet kaya sobrang weird tingnan ng isang napakalaking armor na may ulo ng bata.
Minerva is probably the only bard who plays rock music. Palaging nagugulat ang mga kalaban o kasama namin kapag nang-e-enchant siya.
Voldmir never summons any other creature other than Cerberus. Recently, nakita ko siyang ni-delete ang dalawang skills niya na wide-range with heavy damage para lang mapa-upgrade si Cerbe! And he always complain about his feet hurting pero hindi naman nagsusuot ng tsinelas!
Hex is the only priest in fox-human hybrid. Scratch that, he's the only priest in ani-human race. Usually kasi, ani-human races are in mages or rogues classes dahil nakakatulong ang stats nila dito.
Feyre is banned on one city, two guilds and is always chased by people. Kung pwede lang ang wanted posters dito, nasa bawat pader na ang itsura niya. On the gamesite forum, she was labeled as 'player to avoid on sight'. At mas lalong bumaba ang charisma dahil dito.
And everytime we walk in cities, we always get attention. Our guild was even written an article in the gamesite as an 'odd guild' - oddly and insanely strong and just plain odd. And people still can't believe that we got two cities under our command - beating the strongest player in Central, Astro.
At ang pinakakinatatakhan nila ay kung bakit hindi nila kami nakikita sa mga syudad. Well, it's because we never really stay in our guild hall or in the city. Sa mga gubat kami tumatambay at kung saan dadalhin ng paa.
"Woah..."
Inilibot ko ang paningin sa buong lugar. We arrived at the end of the corridor. It was so large, much larger than the room we came from. From the ceilings hang the thousands of snow crystals, glittering all over the room. Sa mga pader naman ay malalaking puting diamonds na panay ang kinang. The whole room was glittery and bright.
And at the center was a nest filled with large, white eggs. At malapit sa gitna ay kuminang ang isang gintong bagay.
"I think that's what we're looking for." wika ko at itinuro ang bagay na kumikinang sa gitna.
"The Northern key," sambit ni Cord at lumapit. "Yes, it is."
"Ngunit..." tumingin ako sa baba.
The corridor ended at a cliff overlooking the large room. Wala akong makitang daanan pababa. Nahagip ng mata ko si Rase na lumapit sa gilid ng isang pader. Kinapa niya ito hanggang sa may lumabas na parang hagdanan pababa.
My lips parted at it. Nauna si Rase na bumaba at sumunod si Cord. I gestured my teammates to go first and I'll head last.
It was just a steep and thin ladder that emerged from the walls. Hindi pwedeng magsabay ang dalawang tao at kailangan pang hawakan ang pader para hindi mawalan ng balanse. When we reached the ground, I marveled even more. From down here, the whole place looked like a fantastic wonderland. The snow crystals hanged above us elegantly and the eggs were so tall.
If the dragon's eggs are this large and the room this wide, ano ba kalaki ang dragon na iyon?
"Should we quickly get it now?" tanong ni Hex.
Tumango si Rase. "We have to move now bago pa dumating ang Meldorovina. So that we can quickly regroup and get out of this cave."
"So sino po ang papasok at kukuha?" tanong ni Priamos.
We all looked at each other. Well, more like I looked at them while they stared at me. Napabuntong hininga ako. I gulped as I stared at the eggs which are almost glued to each other. Nasa loob pa ang susi at mahirap ang isiksik ang sarili sa pagitan nito.
"Shouldn't touch the eggs, right?" kinakabahang tanong ko.
Tumango si Rase. "If you ever touch it, it will sense an intruder and label us as danger."
"Then what should I do?"
"Get the key and don't touch the eggs?"
Napakurap-kurap ako. "If only it was that easy..."
Humugot ako ng malalim na hininga at ipinikit saglit ang mga mata. I took off my armor and only my thin inner clothes are on to help me. Gulping, I stepped inside the nest, making it shake a little bit. Pilit akong lumapit sa susi habang iniiwasang mahawakan o masagi ang mga itlog.
It was when I neared the key when it happened. Abot na nang kamay ko ang susi at wala akong nasagi na kung ano, nang bigla na lang yumanig ang paligid. The snow crystals hanging on the ceiling began to shake tremendously. The nest started to spin around and there was a loud shriek.
"Shit! Sol, bilis lumabas ka diyan!" narinig kong sigaw ni Rase mula sa labas. "It's the Meldorovina!"
Mabilis kong hinablot ang susi at lumabas sa nest. The six of us wore frightened faces as we stared at each other. There were heavg stomping and then a loud roar. Ngunit ang nakakapagtaka ay malayo ang ingay sa'min.
Nagkatinginan kami ni Rase. We both have the same conclusion.
"Before the tremble I didn't touch any of the egg," wika ko.
"Which means that it wasn't us..." dagdag ni Hex.
Before we could say what's on our minds, our attention got stolen by a familiar scream and a thundering sound.
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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. Leave the Cave safely- WHAT WAS THAT??!
5. Make a wish to the magus.
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