Chapter 4
"Unflappable Fate"
"I feel dizzy…"
Endang is confused because everything she sees is spinning. She keeps rotating, and her attention is being repeated over and over again.
"I'm going to go that way."
"Oh, no!"
She can't seem to get out of that huge Balete tree. She takes a break from flying, walks, and then flies again. Her head goes up and then back down. But she can no longer escape in that direction. Suddenly, the legendary Sylph appears before her.
"Oh, Endang of Algonquina," she whispers.
"Who's that?" Endang responds, quickly turning her head to look behind her.
The Sylph is a legend and the subject of speculation by many. According to experts or eyewitnesses, it is an elemental creature that lives in the sky and has no soul. The person who witnesses them receives a reward because they grant a request, but with reciprocal conditions.
"Finally, we met too, Ollette's daughter," Sylph whispered again.
"Where are you? I can't see you. Why do you know my mother's name?" replied Endang.
The legendary Sylph knew her mother's name. Finally, Endang meets her. She was truly surprised and asked if they were friends with her late mother.
"I am Hafiffe, I know your late mother well, Endang," responded Hafiffe.
"And you look like her," she added.
After this little chat, Hafiffe introduced herself and said that she was the one who fulfilled her mother's request before. Ollette earnestly asked the "Fountain of Dreams" to have a godsend's blessings. Someone who would truly admire her and grant them the ability to have a child.
"Her life was miserable then, so she asked at the sacred fountain of Algonquina," she added.
"And the outcome? She met my father, Ciboro and had a daughter, and that's me, Endang," questioned Endang.
"It means they sacrificed themselves just to have me?"
"But why?"
"Miss Hafiffe?" she couldn't resist bursting into tears.
Ollette would do anything, even exchange her life. So, at that request, Hafiffe appeared to Ollette and complied with her requests. Thus, it was set that Ollette would die after all her requests were fulfilled.
Endang just cried and cried, realizing the extent of what her late mother sacrificed just to bring her into this world. She was suddenly interrupted by Hafiffe's offer to fulfill all her proposals, just like her late mother Ollette, in exchange for one condition.
"I will help you achieve your dreams, just make a wish for me," enticed Sylph.
She wondered what she should do, until she decided not to take a bite out of its offer. She wanted to avoid ignoring the sacrifices of her mother and father.
"Sorry, but I can't accept your offer. I need to find Wamaro," she declined.
Therefore, she looked for a way back to where her brothers were. Legendary Hafiffe was even more amazed at her because she was the first creature not to ask anything from her.
"Since you are the first creature to refuse my offer, I will still give you some rewards," mumbled Hafiffe.
"No need, Miss. I don't want any consequences for those rewards," uttered Endang.
As a reward, Hafiffe urged Endang to help her. Hence, she taught her where the way back was.
"You can find what you are looking for if you have found what you want to find," that was its last word, and then the legendary Sylph disappeared.
At the same time, as she left, Endang got out and returned to Ahn-Ahn's place. Later on, she informed her sister that she couldn't find Wamaro.
"Huh? Oh, Anh, I lost him. He is not there," exhausted, Endang said.
***
Jrazm, who headed north, had a strange feeling. Her brain thought that something bad might have happened to her brother, Wamaro. So, even though she was scared, she still kept looking until she felt a shadow surrounding her. It had been monitoring and following her.
"Wamaro, come out! This is not funny! We have been searching for you all night!" yelled Jrazm.
"Why are you running?!" she screamed again.
Until she reached a cliff that surprised her even more. The wind was forceful and carrying her.
"What the hell is this place?"
On the other side of the trees, not reflected by the moon, she noticed something.
"Come out, Wamaro! I'm tired of running!"
Jrazm thought she was just mimicking. When she turned around again, she witnessed so many blazing eyes that it seemed as if she was the one being watched.
"What the heck…?" she exclaimed.
"If you won't show yourself, I will undoubtedly hit you with my arrow!" Jrazm warned, aiming her bow. She doubted that Wamaro would actually do this. It was unclear whether he understood her warning, or if these creatures understood at all. But what happened next was that more and more eyes appeared, and almost every corner of the tree was darkened.
"Please forgive me," Jrazm begged for her life.
Terrified, she considered shooting a signal into the air, but she hesitated. She thought they might leave if they believed she had found her older brother Wamaro. She was torn about whether to continue or not. Confusion clouded her mind as she imagined her older brother being eaten or killed, making it impossible for her to return.
"Wamaro!!! "
During those times, she only thought of the term her father always reminded her of.
"Face your fears. You won't know what the consequences will be if you don't try," Alexandre told her.
So even though she was scared and nervous at those times, she faced it and went. She walked slowly while the arrow was ready, and if she was shot or experienced unpleasantness, she would not hesitate to kill if necessary.
"If you come closer, I will hit you one by one." she shouted.
As she got closer and closer to the forest, more and more blazing eyes showed up. Until she was about to shoot the one approaching her, but suddenly, she stopped by what she could see from the moonlight, which was just a diminutive oblong creature.
"What the heck?"
"Don't worry, we won't hurt you," spoke up one of them.
"We are Ancient Eggs," he added.
They talked, and one of them introduced themselves as spiritual beings. As her father says, do not believe anyone right away. Maybe they are just pretending.
Just a few minutes later, all these oblong shapes appeared in front of her. There are so many of them, and everyone is trying to introduce themselves to her one by one. As a result, Jrazm lost her fear of them and was replaced by joy because of their behavior.
Ancient Eggs is the name given to them, which symbolizes the genesis of gods, the earth, and life. They are the eternal souls who cared for the earth and died to protect this world. They will remain here on the ground until the time of their return to heaven.
"Why do you stay here in this forest?" asked Jrazm.
"Here in Magenda's Forest is everyone's final destination because this is where the doorway to heaven shows," somebody responded.
Likewise, they know who the good creatures are. Unfortunately, they can no longer protect this forest because they are just souls, but they can still find a way to keep it from being further damaged.
"For how many days will you stay here?" wondered Jrazm.
"There is something strange here since that laboratory was built," whispered one of them.
"This may be the reason for not opening the Door to Heaven that we always hoped for," somebody added.
Because they saw the goodness in Jrazm's heart, they blessed her with their honor and neglected the protection of nature. One of the ancient eggs told her to hurry back because her older brother Wamaro's life was in danger. Even though she had been close to it for a short time, she had been happy. She met new friends.
"Thank you for the new energy you have given me," Jrazm said while hugging each one of them.
Thanks to their blessings, Jrazm felt a strange energy. Because of the offering to her, she did not have to use an artificial arrow, but a spiritual arrow that came out spontaneously.
"It feels so different. I feel more energized," murmured Jrazm.
She ran instantly and wanted to catch up with her siblings. She knew exactly where her older brother was located, according to their guidance.
***
"If plants are this big, it means the animals living here are giants too," Tatukwe thought.
He is heading east of the forest. At first, he passed gigantic trees and also encountered a few animals and insects. Eventually, he also came across the gigantic Gympie Gympie, which is one of the most dangerous plants.
Its leaves trigger a severe allergic reaction in its victims, sometimes causing anaphylactic shock. The pain can be excruciating and debilitating for many months. That is undoubtedly what happened to him. His body felt as if it were being burned by acid, electrocuted, or squeezed by a giant hand.
Eventually, he came across the strange shapes of the trees. He had noticed a noise, so he followed it.
"Who are you?! Wamaro, is that you? I'm tired of seeing you here in this strange place," he screamed at the gigantic trees.
Thinking it might be Wamaro, until he came across a considerable grass as tall as their coconut trees on the island. He found it difficult to cut because the leaves were so rough that they looked like iron in hardness when cut by his sword. On the other hand, when touched by the hand, it was as soft as cotton.
"Oh! 😵💫😰"
He screeched because when he touched the leaf, he was bitten by an insect. Then he suddenly awoke and opened his eyes. It was just a dream where he saw the massive leaves and was bitten by a strange insect. He tried to stand up, but he was having a hard time.
"Ahhhh!!"
So, he wounded his hand to provoke himself.
"This is not good."
"Who are you?"
He stood up and continued walking. He could see twin children wearing red hats, a girl and a boy.
Furthermore, he had to choose whether to go in the right direction for the girl or the left direction for the boy. Likewise, he had more confidence in the boy, so he headed to the left road.
"I will be your guide on your journey," the boy spoke to him. After he took a step, the two children disappeared.
He kept walking until he saw someone with their back turned, waiting for him at the end of the road. 🚶🛤️
He knew it wasn't Wamaro because of the strange attire. Not only that, but he was surprised when the person turned around and confronted him!
"Heya! I almost killed your father. Hahaha!" the man teased.
It was Captain Aleph, smiling and taunting him. Tatukwe rushed at him and drew his sword.
"I will take revenge on my father!" Tatukwe yelled.
He was furious about what had been done to his father. Similarly, he sought revenge for what had been done to Alexandre. But it was as if he were just swinging his sword in the air, not even landing a hit. With just one flip from Captain Aleph, he was sent flying. Tatukwe immediately ran out of energy, and his weapon was even broken.
"Hahaha! Poor kid!" Captain Aleph burst out laughing.
Before he took off, the Captain left a word.
"If you want to defeat me, you need to be strong. You can ask me to coach you. Go to Isle Dagandang, and I will wait for you there."
"Then, we will finalize our battle. Just make sure you can fight and learn how to use swords! Haha, haha," teased Captain Aleph.
Even though he tried to stand up, he couldn't. So, he got even angrier, but there was nothing he could do. Later, he woke up again, and it was just a dream once more. He slapped himself, so he could wake up even more. As soon as he stood up, Ahn-Ahn rushed at him and stabbed him with his sword.
"Why, kid? Why?" he asked while catching his breath.
"Hahaha! You are so mean to me," chuckled Ahn-Ahn.
Tatukwe could not move. His eyes widened even more, and he screamed and screamed. He introduced himself as Tatukwe, but Ahn-Ahn did not pay attention to him.
And when his sword was almost on his face, he woke up again and was startled. Endang, Jrazm, and Ahn-Ahn were already there. He made a move… He wanted to avoid touching any of them. And maybe he's dreaming again.
"Don't touch me!" shouted Tatukwe as he pushed everyone.
"Hey, Tatukwe, it's me, Jrazm, your twin," she introduced herself.
"Hold both of his feet, Jrazm," ordered Endang.
Endang and Jrazm held him so that Ahn-ahn could treat him. According to her, this was the effect of the Gympie Gympie he had touched. If they had not come immediately, he might have died, which is why Ahn-ahn needed to cure Tatukwe as soon as possible.
Though Tatukwe hesitated, he gradually came to believe that what Ahn-ahn was saying might be true. It was just the effect of the giant leaf of Gympie Gympie he had touched earlier. After drinking the pills, he lost consciousness.
He was tracked down because Jrazm's arrow, which she had placed behind him, exploded. As he swelled in pain, he may have accidentally pinched it and caused it to spontaneously explode. So, his siblings promptly rescued him.
***
Harris almost fell into the very high waterfall. What he wonders is why the water below is becoming turbulent, causing the water flow to become stronger. There was a big hole beneath him. He was pulled down along with the rocks, drifting leaves, and fish that were also being sucked in.
Because of his rubbery body, he was forced to reach for the Acacia tree and tie his arm there.
"It almost got me. Whew!"
"The water is quite different."
"What's happening here?"
"No way! Wamarooo!!" — shocked.
He was able to reach the tree safely, but the fish did not. He thought maybe Wamaro was also consumed by that black hole.
Eventually, he was surprised by the accompanying shock of witnessing a gigantic creature emerging from the bottom of that waterfall, hidden in the shade of the river.
"What is that thing?"
This creature is called a Berberoka. They are creatures that live in the river. The energy it tasted from Harris was the reason it reappeared a hundred years later.
🌬️🌀
It splashes water along with gigantic river rocks where Harris is. The tree is in ruins, and the creature is eager to swallow him.
"Why can't I beat it?"
Harris punches it but doesn't touch it. Eventually, he can't escape and hits his head, losing consciousness.
"I need to leave this place and ask my siblings for backup."
As he tries to push his body to the limit, his strength in holding the trees becomes weakened.
As a result, he instantly fell to the bottom, near Berberoka. This monster was overjoyed when he rapidly ate Harris. Berberoka gained more supplemental strong energy.
"HARRISSS!" screamed Jrazm.
"Endang, rescue him!" ordered Ahn-Ahn.
"I'm still weak, I can barely move my body," told Tatukwe.
"Hey, Monster! My brother is not food." shouted Endang. And then she used her magic towards the Berberoka.
It was too late when Jrazm, Endang, Tatukwe, and Ahn-Ahn arrived. So began their rescue of Harris in the womb of the monster.
"We can still save him," said Ahn-Ahn.
Berberoka was resisting Tatukwe's sword, nor was it felt by the wind that Endang was blowing. Even Jrazm's bow and arrow had no use.
"🌬️🌀"
When the Berberoka showed its other ability, everyone was caught off guard when they were hit by the water blown by the Berberoka.
On that occasion, Jrazm remembered the advice given to her by the Ancient Eggs.
"Use your heart and mind," they had advised.
Consequently, she attempted a spiritual bow given to her by the magical creature. She concentrated earnestly, but she was thrown off again when the water hit her.
"Focus. Your heart and mind must be connected," muttered Jrazm.
She tried again, but this time she enlisted the help of others.
"Endang, divert this monster to another part," ordered Jrazm, pointing to the right side.
"And you, Tatukwe," she added.
"Yes," sarcastically answered Tatukwe.
"Try to counter the water thrown in my direction," she responded.
"Noted, my twins," Tatukwe agreed.
"You, Ahn-ahn. We don't know your capabilities, just don't block our way," Jrazm told her, pointing to the right side with Endang.
Ahn-Ahn, on the other hand, showed them her powers. Using her one unique ability, the sturdy shield, she protected Jrazm's whereabouts. They were flabbergasted.
"So, you need more concentration," said Ahn-ahn nicely.
In another attempt, Jrazm hit the three hearts of this Berberoka monster…!
"Flook! Flook! Flook!🏹"
Suddenly, its body was perforated and all the water and things it had eaten came out. A tsunami had occurred and Harris's body was included in the drift.
"That's him!" reported Endang.
Harris was quickly rescued, but he is still unconscious.
"I can't do anything," Ahn-Ahn uttered.
"You're a useless healer!" shouted Tatukwe, anger evident in his voice.
"Come on, Harris. Wake up! Huhuhu," cried out Endang, her voice filled with desperation.
"This is because of you, Wamaro! Your incompetence as a big brother has reached its limit! I hate you! Oh, Harris. Come on. You need to fight," Jrazm expressed with deep sentiment.
Ahn-Ahn tried to cure him, but had no impact. They became depressed and sad because they could not save their brother, Harris. Everyone was bursting into tears, especially Jrazm, who was very close to Harris.
Everyone blamed themselves for not arriving earlier. Eventually, Tatukwe carried Harris's lifeless body inside Ahn-Ahn's Spacecraft, their actions filled with mourning.
"We need to go back to that area," Ahn-Ahn said determinedly.
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