Part 5
"So, Papang had already made his decision. I must go with Laum, then." Marikit said with a determined face.
Her eyes were unblinking, dead straight. She stared at him so long as if she was reading his pretty tanned face to predict his response to her. No longer than the sound of sea waves reached his ears, Laum averted away from her eyes, looking to the blue sea.
"No, you don't have to." The fact that she's a pixie, the foreign land would be fervidly interested in her. It was written on his chest that he would protect his dear ones including Marikit.
Upon having his mind calmed down after eating their lunch, he had thought clearer and sounder now. His father was not wrong. In fact, it was the right decision for dealing with the situation. There's nothing can be done. It was already decided. Laum should agree to his father even no one likes this to happen.
But he would not agree on the pixie's request. He did not want to make her suffer with him. "Besides, you will guide Mayumi for me, won't you?" He said to the pixie calmly but seriously.
"But I am not hers, I am your pixie." She sat on the shoulder and patted him in stubborn manners.
"But – "
Knowing her circumstances, it would be undeniably dangerous for her to follow Laum into stranger's land. Nevertheless, the Pixie's determination was as hard as a stone. She even disrupted him talking.
"No Buts. Laum is stubborn, but he's nothing compared to me." Crossing her arms on her tiny body, she said strongly.
Laum's eyebrows turned up. His sweating forehead formed three lines. "It's dangerous for you –" Marikit did not want to hear the next words. She held his cheeks, cutting his words and forcing his lips to smile.
"I know, but as I had said already, I am your pixie. I'll follow everywhere you go, even in death."
As she said the last word, she looked down, not wanting their eyes to meet. She let go of his cheeks.
"Jeez… enough of this, Laum. You know that I'll follow wherever you go. We're inseparable pair after all" She smiled again, sealing the deal. Laum could not help his self but shake his head while accepting the stubbornness of the pixie.
With nothing left to be said, Marikit looked at other things to talk about. Her eyes were upon the weird statues standing everywhere.
"Look Laum, does the place seem familiar to you," She said while flying close next to one of the bird-like statue.
The statue was black and gray as molds and lichen almost entirely dominated its surface, though the outline of the statue was still obvious to say it was bird-like. Marikit grazed its rigid surface, trying to scratch the lichens. Time and alternating suns and rains had already done a good job, not only the statues, but also the ancient village on this lone island.
"No, I am unfamiliar with this place. However, I think this island is close enough to the next village. It's strange why the place is abandoned." Laum said while getting closer to the serpent-like statue. "Why would they leave such a place with statues and monument around which symbolized the rich culture of the place?"
Seeing the pixie touched the bird-like statue, he became more curious. She might a thing or two about this place. "Do you know these things?"
"N-no, but I can sense ominous mana lurking somewhere in this island," she answered her, averting her eyes away from him.
"Yeah. I can feel it too"
Must be because there's something deep in this island. Perhaps it must be the reason why the islanders abandoned the place.
Looking ahead, there was a single mountain on the island that was completely covered by the greens. Laum faced forward eager to know more.
"Alright, let's have a look" he looked at her that made her shrugged a shoulder as if she correctly guessed the flow of events. "- before we head back."
Finally letting out a sigh, she agreed. "What I can do? I am your pixie"
Her tone was always cheerful as ever but this time, it seemed something bothered her. Laum could see somehow that she was uncomfortable and reluctant. He thought that she could just tell him not to proceed deeper, but for some reason, she did not.
Perhaps she was considering the fact that Laum didn't have another chance to explore this mysterious island given that he was destined to leave his homeland. She let him do whatever he wanted for this time.
"Follow me until death, huh?" Laum murmured to himself.
With a deep breath, he decided. He just needed to explore a little more about this island. Something was bothering him.
'Yeah, I won't deny It.' He had to remedy the curiosity of his mind.
The pixie noticed Laum's face had lightened up a little bit. She had read the eagerness to explore Laum's written on his face. Flipping her wings, circling around of Laum, then she landed on Laum's shoulder.
"Okay" She replied only in one word, but in a downward tone. Her voice sounded like she had decided something too.
***
Laum and Marikit entered the island's deep forest.
They walked straight following the trails of once a pathway, but now, green grasses and bushes grew even the middle of the pathway. It was apparent that this old pathway would lead them to a ritual place since the two religious figures - the bird and the serpent statues - were guarding in both sides. On the left was the bird-like statues and on the right, it was the serpent. The statues gave out an eerie feeling as if they were carefully staring at them, observing every single step he took.
The pixie was sitting silently on his shoulder. Her heartbeat must be racing given the stagnant and gloomy atmosphere of the place. Still, she steeled her heart telling herself it was okay since she was with him, with her Laum.
It was still passed mid-noon and the sun was descending from the highest peak of the sky, yet the heat from the sun's ray did not reach their skin. The dark shadow under the trees, cast as the sunray hit the canopies, was a perfect place for monsters and magical beasts to hide as they watch their prey. It somehow gave out chills on their spine. They should be sweating now from the scorching heat of the past noon's sun but the cold air caressed them, which gave them cold sweat. Still, they continued as if something had allured them deeper inside the island.
Laum could feel some eyes were staring at them.
"Now that we have reached this deep, I think it's not good to be here long enough." He said but his eyes had something to say more to the pixie.
Nonetheless, he thought that this would be the only chance that they could explore the mysterious island.
"Hey, Marikit… maybe we have explored the island enough. I think we should go back"
"You think so? But I thought you're going to find out what's on the end of this pathway"
"Yeah, I want to but I have a bad feeling for this. Don't you feel it?"
"W-what are you talking about, Laum? I have pixie's intuition. I can feel the danger when it's on our way. D-don't worry about it"
"Hmm… I guess you have a point."
"Besides, we have walked this far. We can't let our effort go to waste, right?"
"Alright. I got you already. I have the same feeling that I should not miss this chance."
The pixie was still sitting on his shoulder, grabbing his ears. After their short conversation, deafening silence dominated again. It was abnormally silent that he could hear even his own breath. Yet, they continued until they should stumble something.
Finally, they had reached the center of the thick forest and saw the pathway's end where the statues on the side of the pathway circled around a ritual site. At one look, Laum could tell it was a ritual site. The Bird-like and serpent-like statues were circling and were alternating around the circular ritual site. The total statues guarding the site were twelve, six of the bird-like and other six of the serpent.
The ritual site was not so spacious, approximately twenty hand spans in diameter. The ritual ground's floor was made of limestone block, neatly arranged in a ring, layer after layer until a single, big circular limestone was in the center of the ritual site.
In that center limestone, a black stone embedded. It was a black diamond as dark as the raven's feather, perhaps darker than that.
Laum glanced at the pixie and saw her poker face did not conceal her fear as her small hands were shaking as they held into Laum's right ear.
Laum fixed his eyes on her. Marikit's eyes left the black diamond noticing he was looking at her. In response, she shook her head. She was bothered, he could tell. However, her eyes were looking down again, avoiding the meeting of their eyes. Soon after, she let out a sigh.
"Are you okay?" Laum asked.
"Hmmm, I am o-okay. S-so, you're not going to have a good look at that black gem?"
He hesitated to answer her. He did not want to get any closer but the pixie seemed fine so Laum thought it was okay.
Laum nodded, continuing to walk forward to the center of the ritual site, closer to the black diamond to have a closer and more detailed look.
The stone was shining but not from its own luminescence. As dark as this diamond, he doubted it would have the ability to glow its own light. It shone only because the sun rays reflected against its smooth and refined surface.
'Something's odd…'
Kneeling down, he attempted to touch the stone. He stopped halfway.
"This… is definitely odd…"
No. The ominous aura lurking around the island all along was already adequately odd in the first place. However, what he had seen next was definitely odder.
The pixie fled quickly behind his back, leaving Laum's shoulder. She sensed something bad was going to happen, but she did not warn him.
"Marikit? What's wrong?!"
He wanted to follow Marikit but something caught his eyes. There was something on the black stone.
The sun was reflecting its radiance to the stone. Of course, it was. However, the top of the smooth and refined black stone reflected the image of the sun, directly to its center. It should not be possible since it was now already passed mid-noon.
To confirm his observation, he looked up to the sky but the sun's blinding ray prevented his eyes so he used his right fingers to filter the light.
"How could it be? The sun is again at the zenith. You gotta be kidding me!"
The shadow of the bird-like statues was casting directly straight. It was dead straight proving the sun was at the peak of the sky again.
As he had noticed earlier when she flew back behind, he turned around to search the pixie but the pixie's image was nowhere to be found.
"Mari – " Laum tried to call for her. However, he bit off his own tongue as the ground suddenly shook.
The ground suddenly shook like something big underground had woke up.
Afraid losing his balance for the shaking of the ground became stronger each second passed, Laum anchored his self to the crumbling limestone blocks with one knee on the floor and hands on the side, touching the ground.
'Where's Marikit? Why did not she alarm me?'
Marikit has pixie's intuition. She detects danger. She should have warned him.
As the ground continued shaking, he searched warily for the pixie. She must have been taken out first by the evil entities who the mastermind of this since she could sense incoming danger, he thought or.
'No, I think she's alive somehow.' He felt it. ' She did not betray me, I could tell.'
He knew Marikit for so long. He believed she would not think of something like betraying him. Even he sensed the pixie was still alive, he worried about her.
Things went worse. The limestone where the black stone embedded started to crack. The black stone levitated as if the sun ray was pulling it up. Soon, the black stone floated upward, just below the level of his eyes. The continuous shaking of the ground made the limestone blocks to rumble.
Fixing his eyes on the ominous black stone, he saw the sun's reflection again.
"What the!"
The sun's image from the black stone's reflection was being replaced. A dark sphere was trying to cover up the sun's light. The dark sphere was smaller blocking the sunlight and produced a ring of light. He looked up to confirm. It was really happening.
The dark sphere together with the blocked sun created a spectacular ring of light.
The rare phenomenon was indeed breathtaking and beautiful, a shining ring of light as if heaven had wed the light and the darkness. Nevertheless, as for his current situation, he had no leisure to enjoy this.
'I have to get out from here as soon as possible. However..'
Marikit was yet to be seen. She was nowhere to be found. He turned around. He still felt she was on the ritual site's ground and she was still alive. Or perhaps she was already outside waiting for him. Even if she's such a tiny creature, she could pull a trick to get herself out from this.
Therefore, he stepped back, away from the floating black stone. But his clumsy foot tripped. The ground was still trembling after all. His mind was also trembling from the panic and fear was running through his distending veins. His butt hit the shaking floor. His hands supported his back voluntarily.
He crawled back to move away from the black stone.
Dust started to emerge from the shaking floor. He was aware of it. Laum made a checking to the statues for they also gave out some dust. This was not only because the ground was shaking but the statues were also moving on its own. They were growing larger and larger as the ground was still shaking. Laum noticed however it was only the serpent-like statues were growing. The statues were attempting to cover the open sky completely.
He looked behind, it was also the same; the serpent-like statues were considerably growing. 'I have to get out of this place now!' He quickly created a 'bubble barrier'.
At the time he flew fast away from the center of the ritual site, a black fog covered and blocked the exit. The black fog came out from the black stone and circled him, hindering his way out. Looking around to find another way, he got one, above.
There was still time to fly upward before the growing statues completely cover the place. He had to move away from this sacred place. However, as he did fly up, almost outside of the ritual site, a tinkling, sweet voice called him from his back.
"Laum, wait!"
It was Marikit.
"Where are you, Marikit?" He shouted back.
No one answered and she was nowhere to be found.
Laum turned back to find the pixie. He could leave Marikit here. He would not forgive himself if something bad happens to her. He lowered the bubble barrier to the fog-filled ground.
Instead of seeing the pixie, he found that a black fog had already completely covered the ground of the ritual site.
The heinous black fog must had covered and entangled the pixie, pending her escape.
"Com' on, Marikit, where are you?!"
Suddenly, the black fog encircled and burst the barrier.
"What!"
He landed with his bare feet. Laum tried to cast another barrier but it was useless. As soon as the barrier came out, the black fog exploded it in an instant. But still, he had to look for the pixie.
Without the bubble barrier, he moved around the ritual site. He was like swimming on the black fog since the fog was getting thicker.
"Come on! Marikit!"
The shaking of the ground finally stopped, however, the serpent-like statues had almost completely covered the ritual site, making a dome. Laum knew that the statues had already blocked his way out. There's no way out since he could not even cast a skill. However, he still had to see the pixie. He had to save her.
"Marikit!" He called her many times. But another voice answered him.
"Marikit? I know the name."
The voice started to form an image.
A serpentine with black fog covering its body emerged in front of him. It was a naga with piercing, glowing red eyes.
The ritual site was dark as it had become a dome, yet it was not completely black since there was still a single ray of light, a single ray of illumination. The ray of light came from a tiny hole from the center of the dome. The ray also illuminated the black stone as if putting the floating black stone in the spotlight.
Also, the shining ring of light still reflected on the refined surface of the black stone.
"As promised, you've come, my husband."
The voice of the naga had a low-pitch tone with a raspy feminine voice.
"W-what is this? Who are you?" He confusedly asked. "What… is this?"
Instead of answering him, the Naga laughed maliciously.
"Sesss, sesss, sesss, sesss! You are mine now…"
The naga dissolved into the black fog again and dashed toward Laum. Laum tried to run away but as soon as he turned his back, something had entered his body. Something unholy. He picked himself into the ground. He looked around searching the naga. As soon as he did not saw the naga, he ran to look for the pixie again.
Then, he heard someone was crying. It was the pixie, but he could still not see her.
"Sorry… sorry" Her words were crumbling, sobbing.
He turned around but she was not there. "Marikit!"
"Sorry, Laum"
"No, it's okay just tell me where you are. Don't move."
But she only apologized repeatedly. "Sorry… I betrayed you. It's all my fault."
"No, it's okay. Let's get out here together."
"Sorry, I should not have left you."
He heard her clearly, those apologetic words. He ran. He searched for her but he only found a tiny yellow light radiating from the black fog.
That must be her.
It was Marikit. But there's something different in her. Her casual attire, her blue dress, her light blue hair had changed. Her pretty face was still the same but she was glowing with golden yellow light. Her dress became golden and also her hair.
As Laum saw her, he ran toward her. However as he came closer to Marikit, the light that radiated from her hurt his skin. It was as if the light was burning Laum alive.
"Sorry, Laum"
Laum could not hear her anymore. The burning pain was so intense that made his mind lost control and went blank. He was screaming in pain as the yellow light came from Marikit still showered him.
"Ma.. Marikit…" He was screaming in hundreds – no, a thousand voices of demons.
Marikit was crying, seeing her Laum was in pain, screaming and burning like a demon exposed on the holy and sacred light. "Sorry, Laum… sorry…"