"Zepar", tawag ni Zaggy. Napatingin naman ako doon but all I can see are two green lights. Medyo madilim kasi kung nasaan siya. Wait? Are those his eyes? Bakit ang baba ata?
"Human", nagulat ako nung parang saakin siya nakatingin. I admit, his voice is also scary.
"Yes?" "Zaggy, am I going to be alright?"
Hindi ako sinagot ni Zaggy sa halip ay umalis siya sa leeg ko then, he transform into his human form. His imperfect human form dahil sa kahit mukha siyang tao ay may sungay at mga tattoo-tattoo siya sa katawan niya.
"It's been a while Zepar since the demon assembly. Now, what do you think are you doing?", seryosong sabi ni Zaggy. This is the first time I saw him so serious. I'm glad that he is my spirit guardian because he looks scary right now.
"At ease Zagan, I won't do anything. I'm just curious about what you've been doing these days", sagot naman nung isa. "There's been a rumor circulating that you have been playing with humans and haven't been in the demon realm for a while. It looks like it's true", he added and he sounds so amused.
Nagtago ako sa may likuran ni Zaggy dahil napansin kong lumakad papalapit saamin si Zepar. Napanganga nalang ako ng tuluyan na siyang nakalapit saamin at makita ko ang buo niyang itsura.
Zepar has long green hair and bright green eyes. Like Zaggy, he also has horns in his head but bigger. And most of all, HE'S A CHILD!
"Zaggy? Is that his human form?"
"Yeah. He looks infuriating, right?" Huh?
"What are you talking about? He's cute despite being a demon".
"Exactly, he likes pretending to be cute. It's disgusting".
"Are you two done talking about me?", napatingin ulit ako sa cute demon na nasa harapan namin. "Pardon my late introduction, my name is Zepar, I'm one of the dukes in the demon realm".Oh? So Zaggy has a higher position because he's a king.
"H-hello, I'm Alexandria Eveque".
"Well, take a look at that. She has the demon's mark", he said while looking at my hand? Demon's mark? Is he talking about the contract emblem in my hand?
Lumapit si Zaggy kay Zepar at nagulat ako ng bigla niyang batukan si Zepar. How could he hit a child?!
"AW! How could you hit me, big brother Zagan? Alexandria, huhuhuhu", bigla namang tumakbo saakin si Zepar at niyakap ako sa bewang. What the?
Wait? "Your brothers?", tanong ko.
"We're not. And you!", turo niya kay Zepar. "Get away from her!"
"No!", sigaw niya tsaka siya tumingin saakin. " Alexandria, how could you form a contract with him? He's so ugly and I'm way much cuter than him".
"You stupid kid", what am I witnessing now? Two demons having a wrestle. This is not what I expected of demons. This novel is crazy, so is the author!
=========================
"So where are we exactly?"
Kasalukuyan kaming umiinom ng tsaa na inihanda nung mga black spirit. Kanina nakikipaglaban lang mga yan, ngayon binibigyan ako ng tea at snacks.
"We're near at the center of the earth", sagot ni Zepar.
"Wasn't it supposed to be hot or something here?"
"Yes, but I'm using my power to make it homey. Don't worry, Alexandria"
Tumango-tango nalang ako sa sagot ni Zepar. Hindi na ako magtatanong basta may ginawa siya dito." How long have you been living here?", tanong ko.
"More or less... 300 years", bigla akong nabilaukan. I forgot that demons have a different sense of time and aging.
"Then, how old are you?"
"I'm the youngest, I'm only 378 years old". Youngest? Bigla akong nahiya, ako na 16 years old.
"Then, what about you, Zaggy?", tanong ko naman kay Zaggy.
"Pfft- Zaggy", rinig na tawa ni Zepar. Sinamaan naman siya ng tingin ni Zaggy.
"I'm 2,097 years old", dahil sa gulat ay naibuga ko kay Zaggy yung iniinom kong tsaa.
"Hahahaha" halos mamatay naman sa pagtawa si Zepar.
"Sorry Zaggy", buti nalang at may panyo ako. Pinunasan ko mukha ni Zaggy. Hindi ako sanay na punasan si Zaggy in his human form. "Why are you looking at me like that?", tanong ko sakaniya dahil sa nakatitig siya sa mukha ko.
"You have double-chin", sinapak ko nga. Napahawak tuloy ako sa may baba ko. Naparami na ba ang kain ko? Na-bother tuloy ako.
"Tsk, tsk. How could you tell a lady she has a double chin, Zagan", iiling-iling na ani ni Zepar. "You know nothing about ladies, what have you been doing for the past 2000 years?"
"You ungrateful shit, of course, I've been overseeing my territory", kaya ayun nagsapakan ulit sila.
"By the way, are your black spirits still attacking the knights and my classmates above?", muntik ko nang makalimutan yung mga kasama ko. Okay naman siguro sila, tsaka andoon si Daryl, mas nakakatakot pa siya sa mga black spirits ni Zepar.
"No worries, they're just playing with them. Humans often visit this forest, my inferior spirits are kinda bored so I let them play with them", napakunot-noo ako sa sinabi ni Zepar.
"Huh? That's weird. From what I heard, people are not allowed to come here as this forest is overruled by monsters. Only officials and permitted by the emperor can only enter this forest, just like us".
"Hahahaha... that's funny. There were humans lurking in this forest a few days ago, and a day before that, and a day before that. There are lots of humans who visit here, that is why I've been staying here. My inferior spirits have been happy for years. Sometimes, I also play with them... and then eat them afterward"
Huh? What was that? I think I misheard him.
"There is this one time, a bulky man got lost in this forest. I think he was a mercenary. He was left behind and betrayed by his group, I think. There was a lot of shouting and punching. I didn't hear much of what they are talking about but they left him unconscious. It was fun watching him fighting the monster here helplessly when he woke up and realize that he was abandoned by his group. When he was about to get eaten, I helped him since I was entertained. Aren't I a kind demon?"
I make face at what Zepar said. Kind my ass. Pinanood nga lang niya yung mercenary na halos mamatay na makipaglaban sa mga monsters.
"Wait, is the mercenary's name... Barry Ferrell?", I asked. Yung kinukwento kasi ngayon ni Zepar ay parang kaparehas nung nabasa kong journal.
"Barry Ferrell? I don't know I can't remember but the name sounds familiar", well it's been 200 years. "Anyway, that human lived for another week. I also met the group that betrayed him... the inferior spirits play with them as usual then ate them. That was a splendid day".
Based on what I read in the journal, Barry Ferrell was able to get out of the forest safely. Napabalita rin noon ang yung pagkawala ng mga dati niyang kasamahan not until some people found bones at the entrance of the forest. The inferior spirits really ate them.
Since then, the empire closed Dednia Wilds forest and was tagged as dangerous.
No one should be entering this forest, so who the hell are those people coming here?
"Zepar, do you have any idea who are those people coming here and what do they do?", I asked.
"Hmm? Let's see... those people start visiting this forest 50 years ago. I think they are looking for something. I don't know, I'm not really interested in what they do here, as long as they keep coming here as my food source".
"You ate every single of them?"
"Not all of them. Some escaped. Oh! By the way, all of them are wearing this weird-looking mask and black robes. I actually have the mask, I took it as a souvenir since it looks cool", ani ni Zepar.
May lumapit saamin na inferior spirit tsaka iniluwa ang mask na tinutukoy niya.
It's indeed weird. Medyo may kalakihan itong mask. How do they even breathe on this? I tried wearing it, surprisingly, it is comfortable. You can actually breathe here.
"Humans have a weird taste", komento ni Zaggy. "That mask looks a lot like your demon form Zepar", dagdag pa niya.
Agad ko namang tinanggal sa mukha ko yung mask. Zepar's demon form? The more I look at it, there's clearly a horn and fangs?
"I know, right? That is why I took it. It's cool", Zepar.
"There's a writing inside the mask", sabi ko nang may mapansin akong may naka-carved. "Az..az.. az'goch T..Tath'tinir? What the hell does it mean?", napansin kong napatigil sa pag-inom ng tea si Zaggy.
"Az'goch Tath'tinir is a demonic language", sagot ni Zaggy.
"What?", demonic language. Kinuha ni Zaggy sa kamay ko yung mask at tinignan. "Are you aware that it's been carved in here or perhaps you wrote this?", tanong niya kay Zepar.
"No, I didn't write that. I swear!", sagot naman ni Zepar.
"Why? What does it mean?", tanong ko.
"It means The Beginning of a New Era", sabay nilang sagot.
"Huh? Beginning of a new era? Are they trying to start a world war?"
"World war? Isn't that sounds exciting?", sinapak naman ni Zaggy si Zepar gamit yung mask dahil sa sinabi niya.
"Wait, demon existence is not yet proved in any country. I mean that is why we are here, right? So how come they know the demonic language?", tanong ko.
"AH!", napatingin kami ni Zaggy kay Zepar. Naging uneasy naman yung mukha niya. Mukhang siya nanaman yung salarin. "I think they might have seen the big rock, where I carved those writings", he added and he looks like an abandoned dog when he said it.
Napasapo nalang ako ng ulo. Ito pala yung punot-dulo ng lahat eh. The alleged sighting of a demon 200 years ago is true. At mukhang hindi lang si Barry Ferrell ang nakakaalam ng existence ni Zepar. Some people might have also seen Zepar writings.
Sumasakit ulo ko sa mga impormasyon na nalalaman ko ngayon. Eh wala naman ito sa novel so everything is new to me.
"Those people may be looking for you, Zepar", ani ko kay Zepar.
"Zaggy? The more I think about it, it seems like they worship Zepar", sabi ko naman kay Zaggy telepathically para hindi marinig ni Zepar.
"Hahaha... demon worshippers.. to think that this stupid kid has those", sagot naman ni Zaggy.
"You are in a lot of trouble, Zepar", ani ni Zaggy kay Zepar habang tumatawa.
"Why? I think His Majesty, the demon emperor will be happy", Zepar.
"I don't think so, so as the other demons", sagot naman ni Zaggy.
"Alexandria, you need to go back alone for a while. Zepar and I will go to the demon realm to report about this. You can just summon me again if you need me also, you can still summon my legions. About the demon worshippers and Zepar, it's up to you if you disclose it to them but it might be a good idea to keep it a secret for now for your safety", mahabang sabi saakin ni Zaggy.
"I think so too. I'll just think of a lie on what happened to me. I know there will be a lot of questioning".
"Just close your eyes, Alexandria. You will be there with your classmates in no time. Then, see you again soon", tulad ng sinabi ni Zepar ay ipinikit ko ang mga mata ko. Pagkamulat ko ng mga mata ko ay may malaking bato sa harapan ko.
Az'goch Tath'tinir. Basa ko sa nakasulat sa bato. Mukhang ito yung tinutukoy ni Zepar na bato. Napayakap ako sa sarili ko dahil sa malamig yung hangin. Teka, andito na pala ako sa labas at ginabi na ako. Paano ako babalik sa mga kasama ko, ang dilim-dilim wala akong ilaw.
Paano kapag may biglang lumabas na monster? Jusmiyo naman, ibabalik na nga lang ako hindi pa doon sa mismong camp site namin. Paghahanapin pa ako, tapos inaantok pa ako. Eh kung matulog na muna kaya ako tas bukas ko nalang sila hanapin para maliwanag.
Umupo ako sa may lapag at sumandal sa may bato. Pumikit na ako, papunta na sana ang tulog ng biglang may sumigaw.
"Alexandria!"
"Ay pusanggala ka! Daryl?", bigla naman niya akong niyakap ng napakahigpit nang makalapit siya saakin.
"Where have you been?! You've been missing for hours! Did something happen to you? Are you hurt?!", sunod-sunod na tanong niya. Hindi ko tuloy alam kung paano ko siya sasagutin nako-conscious ako sa mukha niya. Is he really worried about me?
"Why aren't you responding? Are you really, okay?"
"I..I'm fine. Where is everybody?", tanong ko.
"Who cares about them?", eh?
"MISS EVEQUE/LADY EVEQUE/ALEXANDRIA!!", nagsidatingan na rin yung iba at sasabay na tawag saakin. Mukha naman silang okay. Inalalayan akong tumayo ni Daryl, lumapit naman saakin si Sir Howard.
"That rock", tukoy niya doon sa bato. Wait, wala pa akong naisip na kasinungalingan.
Let's just faint.
"Alexandria!", and the last thing I saw is Daryl's handsome worried face.
I actually fainted for real.