Chapter 3: Alyssa

The brilliance of the moon was pointing us the path that we should take though the thick ancient trees in the forest were narrowing our it. The three of us were cautious about our surroundings, looking around and watching every rustle from the leaves.

Aside from our noisy breaths, there is nothing more to be heard from the forest. Savannah caught my attention when she pulled her robe downward, and even Glifford noticed it.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"I'm tired. I'm sorry." She uttered. I pulled her robe upward and saw the exhaustion on her eyes, its been hours since she cast her spell to us.

Ang pagkukubli sa aming itsura ay isang madaling kapangyarihan lamang sa kanya, ngunit isang buong araw nang naka-activate ito. Tiyak akong malaki na rin ang magic energy na nawawala sa kaniyang katawan.

"We should rest," Glifford stated. I was about to get the cube, the invisible secret base when Savannah stopped me. I quizzically looked at her.

"Malapit na tayo sa walls. Kaya ko pang magtiis." She pleaded. I heaved a sigh, nakatalikod akong umupo sa kaniyang harapan.

"Sakay," I said. I waited for minutes before she finally rides behind my back. We continued our journey with Glifford leading our way. Yet, we halted when he heard a peculiar voice, it was the sound of a woman. A melodious voice that was making the trees, flowers, and even the sky dances at her song.

"Garet..." Savannah whispered. Glifford looked at us and gestured to hid behind the truck of an ancient tree, not from afar we saw something majestic.

Sa mga librong nabasa ko, alam kong nag-eexist sila ngunit hindi ko inaasahan na makakakita ako sa totoong buhay. Mailap sila sa mga mamamayan ng Divine Continent.

"Beautiful," Savannah whispered while looking above.

A woman with a golden silky long hair was sitting on the branch of a tree near us. She was brushing the hair of a baby sphinx with her lilac eyes looking at it with so much admiration while the sphinx was simply enjoying her soothing caress. The flickery sparkling specks of dust were falling behind her, the golden wings attach from her back was shining from the moon's brilliance.

She was different from the illustration from the books. She's not a green fairy nor a red fairy. And she's not also repeating her words based on her singing voice.

Napakagat ako sa 'king labi nang mapatapak ako sa isang tuyong dahon dahilan upang tumigil ang fairy sa pagkanta, gulat niyang ginala ang kaniyang mga mata at mabilis kaming tumago nina Glifford.

At nang marinig namin ang malakas na pagaspas ng pakpak ay pareparehas kaming napabuntong hininga. We looked back but the only thing we saw was the sphinx alone, the peculiar fairy was already gone.

"I totally forgot that besides this path is the Mt. Seraphyl," Savannah uttered.

"But what's with that fairy?" I asked. Both of them shrugged, and now I'm curious about that fairy's identity.

Ang saya talaga maging suwail na anak kung saan-saan kami napupunta at ang dami rin na nakikitang ibang bagay. Sorry, Hephaustus. Bawi po ako next time.

"We are at the end of the forest," Glifford stated. We all pulled removed our robes which were hiding our fake face, sinalubong kami ng isang malaking pader sa aming paglabas sa madilim na kagubatan.

We awed. The sacred walls were really amazing, just by looking at its facade, I can really tell that it was made for decades to finish this masterpiece. We walked our way towards the front gate of the wall, a huge welcome signboard was attached above.

'Welcome to Achaea'

As far from I know, the other two walls were Belster and Cerxes. And we must travel until we reach the Belster to rent a cabin, the Achaea wasn't that welcoming especially that this place is full of demigods that were hunters. They are hunting for mythical pieces of equipment that they can sell in the Belster, some were the greedy type, most of them hunt the poor mythical creatures to get their body parts. For example, a group of demigods in the Achaea were founded to locate minotaurs and to steal their horns — a huge amount of drachma in exchanged of life.

A lot of eyes were following our moves, we are way more cautious than when we are in the middle of the forest. Because our kind is way more vicious than the monster lurking inside the forest.

Both Gilfford and I halted when we saw a group of demigods charging in our direction. Glifford smirk as grips tighter on his sword attached to his belt, he was about to draw it when a lot of swords soared the sky and pierced through the ground. It made the demigods stop from charging to us, they all gulped and awkwardly laughed.

I curiously looked at them as they slowly turned back. They know the one who executed this attack. Nang tumingin sa akin si Glifford ay nagkibit balikat na lamang ako dahilan upang ipagpatuloy namin ang paglalakd na naudlot.

I squinted my eyes when I saw an exceptional color of hair, it was simply captivating. Aphrodite's daughter at my back might be beautiful in their eyes but this woman who was standing before is way out of her league.

Her pale brown eyes were languidly looking at us, directly in my direction. And her unique salmon hair was waving as she walks towards our direction, and when we bumped to each other, I unknowingly halted.

"What a stupid prince." She jeered using her telepathy when passed through me.

Hindi nagsink in sa utak ko ang sinabi niya dahil kakaibang presensya niya. It was like she was not supposed to exist but here she is, giving me shivers just by looking at her.

"Garet," I was pulled back to reality when Glifford called me. Muli kaming naglakad hanggang sa makarating kami sa Belster, bumaba na rin si Savannah sa likod nang makarating kami sa isang paupahan.

We are waiting inside a lobby. Savannah and Glifford were talking about the Mt. Seraphyl, they both wanted to go there but when scolded them that we shouldn't trespass in the Land of the Fairies they leered at me. Savannah wanted to see the peculiar fairy again, on the other hand, Glifford wants to check the herbs planted in the vicinity of Mt. Seraphyl.

"Why are you three hiding your faces?"

Pareparehas kaming napaangat nang tingin sa isang babaeng nakaupo sa aming harap. She was reading something earlier dahilan para hindi namin siya pagtuunan nang pansin ngunit nakapagtatakha na nalaman niya ang tinatago.

She was smiling while looking at me, she has a raven hair along with a pair of pale golden orbs. "Should I repeat my question?"

"Wha—what are you talking about?" Savannah nervously asked. She even avoided the woman's eyes. What an obvious idiot.

"Oh, come on, I've been trapped in this world for almost a year. Bumili pa akong ticket sa concert ng iKON tapos hindi lang ako makakanood! VIP seat pa 'yon, muntik ko pa ibenta ang atay ko para lang mabili 'yon—"

"What the hell are you talking about?" I asked.

"Do you know what is iKON?" I heard Glifford asked Savannah. Umiling naman si Savannah dahilan para umarte na parang nasaktan ang babae sa harap namin.

"Like I was saying— Tsk. Kunin n'yo muna 'yung susi ng cabin n'yo sa front desk." She said. She's being rude for not giving her as she talks to us. Kinuha ko ang susi na binigay sa akin ng babae sa front desk, I thought the woman from earlier will stop bugging as but she pulled as on the cabin across ours.

"You must be the royalties who were rumored that runaway from your kingdoms." She stated while looking at us. She locked the door and even closes the windows along with the curtains. "You must be tired, you can uncast your spell." She said to Savannah.

Savannah looked at us first before she dispelled her spell. A mask was slowly disappearing from my face that feels kind of weird.

"The prince, the princess, and the right-hand man." She smiled, she suddenly tapped her fingers in the table while looking at us, "Or should I call you the three idiots?"

"What are you saying ba?" Glifford asked.

"Thank you for your stupid twisted tongue, Glifford. Sobrang nakakatulong siya sa seryosong usapan ngayon." Savannah jeered.

"Who are you?" I asked.

She sweetly smiled once again, another surge of nervousness covered the whole room.

"I am a human with the blessed eyes."

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