*Season's P.O.V.*
Perhaps, Kaloy did save me because it just so happened that he saw me in the enemy's camp and not because he had wanted to see me, but the point is, he still came to save me. And I must admit that it cost him a lot, so I ought to be grateful. Which I am. "Kaloy... Thank you." I said, breaking the silence that stretched between us as we continued walking, alarmed everytime we hear rustles nearby, thinking that it's a threat.
"For what?" He asked, stopping for a while to sit on a rock. My legs are a little bit wobbly after all that fighting and walking anyways.
"For rescuing me when there are more important matters to be taken care of here. In your kingdom. And I'm so sorry..." I said sincerely. It's kind of my fault too, their defeat and the death of his mother. Perhaps if Kaloy was in Lumayan, preparing for the enemy's arrival rather than in Dalaket to save me, their chances of winning would've been higher considering the heightened defense and all. I just have to sigh.
"Don't thank me yet because I'm not sure how I can get you out of here." I was a bit surprised at his reply because of the fact that he had let me in and out of his realm a few times before with no problem, so why not? Maybe because of the prevailing tension between their kingdom and their enemies? I would've voiced that question out but he beat me to it by explaining. "You see, Lumayan has control over almost all of the portals in this realm and region. It is the seat of power and whoever is sitting on its throne possessed that amount of power. For centuries, my father's lineage, the royals kept it neutral. Although they have supreme control over the portals scattered everywhere, they let the tribes closest to it have control too."
"By tribes you mean, mythical creatures?" I asked, remembering how I got into the nuno's and the tikbalang's homes. I saw him nod.
"Yes. And now that it's under the enemy's hold, including the whole palace, I don't think it would be safe for any of us to get close to any of those portals." He added.
"Meaning to say, I'd be stuck here until you'll be able to get back in the palace?" I asked reluctantly.
"So much so." Came his response. Gosh, this is worst than I thought. For sure my family would be worried because of my disappearance! And if ever I'd return, how will I explain everything to them?
"How long do you think I'd be gone from the my realm?"
"Depends on how this war would go." The uncertainty that laced his response made goosebumps ran down my spine as I felt something like a panic attack fueling my system. What will become of me in this realm full of mythical beings? Would I even make it out alive?
Quit that Season! Didn't you see how well you managed to fight those handsome yet evil eyed Dalakets? You'll survive!
But what if that's just because of adrenaline rush and is something that I should be counting on?
"Season..." Kaloy's calm voice stopped the monologuing thoughts that ran through my brain as I took in the information and I can only look at his equally calm composture. How can he be so calm? He just lost his mother!
Perhaps, he really is a master of himself because he can do these things at a time like this. Which I'm not! Hell, I'm even bothered by my dreams and the even more peculiar beings in there that called me Wu Xia. Yes, I don't quite know myself at all.
"I know I gave you a reason not to trust me before, to run away even. But, please can we set it aside for now? Both our lives are in danger and until I find my people who survived, we only have each other. So, I'm asking you to trust me. To let me protect you as best as I could. Even if you still can't forgive me for the foolishness I've done a few months ago." The sincerity in his words struck me so much like how it used to and for some reason, I understand exactly what he meant. So I nodded.
"Of course Kaloy. You're right. But let this not be a one-sided thing. I may not possess some sort of power like all of the beings in here but, you saw what I can do with the sword, so let me ensure your safety as much as you want to ensure mine." Came my response. And I do hope that it would make sense to him.
"Of course. You saved me as much as I saved you for the past 12 hours anyways." He said and for the first time since I saw him again after a long time, I saw a light smile stretch on his lips, making me smile too. There's just a certain intimacy in the way that our eyes met, or was it just me? Gosh! I truly missed him. How could I have been scared of such a fine looking and heart warming person anyway? The number of good things he has done for me surely weights more than that badly traumatizing one, right?
My sweet expression turns into that of horror though as I noticed the shrub behind him develop a face on one of its leaves. "K-kaloy?" I stammered, pointing at the plant. He immediately turned to look at it and stood up beside me with a chuckle.
"Don't worry, it's a gnome. They are peaceful creatures who prefers to take their plant form. And the presence of these gnome plants means that we are near the spring." He explained, rather delighted and I can only sigh in relief. "Kaibigan, ipakita mo ang iyong tunay na anyo." So they're friends.
The shrub then transformed into a greenish looking dwarf and it bowed its little head at Kaloy. "Ano ang mapaglilingkod ko sa prinsipe ng Lumayan?" The literal garden gnome asked.
"Maari mo bang ipabatid sa amin ang daan patungo sa Bukal ng mga Pangitain?" Kaloy responded with his own question. The gnome turned its short and chubby figure about face and pointed to a path with a rather dense vegetation.
"Sundan nyo lang ang masukal na daanang iyan at maabot ninyo ang bukal. Ngunit mag-ingat kayo pagkat maraming mga katulad ko diyan, at kahit mabait kami, hindi kami natutuwa kapag kami ay naaapakan." He replied with a warning tone.
"Salamat kaibigan." Kaloy thanked him.
"Mahal na prinsipe, maari ba akong magtanong?"
"Ano iyon?"
The greenish, short, chubby, old man looked my way and opened his mouth. "Sino ang kasama mong tao?" If I were to translate his question, I'm quite sure that he said 'who is the human you are with', yes my understanding of tagalog had improved slightly and I looked at Kaloy awaiting his answer, as much as the elf does.
"Siya ay isa sa mga taong ligaw. At kaibigan ko siya." A stray person and a friend? Heh, stray my face! I was kidnapped that's why I'm here! Perhaps he didn't want to say that. And a friend. For so long I have questioned what I am to him, this is a rather odd way to know the answer. I had once thought of confronting him about us but sometimes has always stopped me and now, I don't have a reason to think too much about our connection in the past because he already said that we're friends. Is it okay for me to be a little hurt by that? I guess.
I vaguely noticed the gnome return back to a shrub as I was lost in my thoughts or well the memories of Kaloy's proclamations of love only to know that we're just friends. Was it because I disappeared for half a year? I don't know, but it's probably for the best. I was just pulled back to reality when the engkanto himself called my name and I saw him already heading to the path that the gnome pointed out and I quickly followed along.
"You see those shrubs with medium-sized, heart shaped leaves?" He asked when I finally caught up to him. I nodded. "Be careful not to step on those, they're not normal shrubs, they're gnomes." He instructed and I nodded again, being careful with my steps. It's a good thing Kaloy is healed now, so he doesn't need to use me as crutches anymore. But I can still see him limping a little bit.
I guess we were walking for almost an hour now and the vegetation just got denser and denser. We started walking under huge trees and over their protruding roots as the surroundings becomes darker and darker. "Are we there yet? Woah..." I exclaimed as I almost lost my balance.
"I don't think so." He said, stopping for a while to look around. I stopped too, a little breathless from the unending walk and the bruises I got from the fight. Gosh.
"When you said those gnomes were a sign that we're close. How close did you mean exactly? Because I felt like we're walking for ages!" I complained. I really am tired and thirsty.
"I don't know exactly. I've never been here. I just heard that their presence is a sign that we're on the right track." He reluctantly answered.
"Are you kidding me!?"
"No." He curtly answered, looking at me this time. I just sighed, still looking annoyed. "Do you want us to rest for awhile?" He generously offered.
"It's getting dark anyway, we should probably rest, but uhh... This doesn't look like a safe place to camp for the night." I pointed out.
"You're right. We can walk further maybe the bushes would be thinner there." He agreed and we kept walking. When I stepped on a protruding root so avoid those gnome transforming shrubs, I slipped and almost fell on the ground. I was preparing myself for the impact of the knee-length fall possibly directly on the shrub that I was avoiding earlier but it didn't happen as I felt strong arms wrap around my waist, preventing the fall and steadying me. I just have to stare at the beautiful blue eyes of my companion as he pulled me towards him. "Be careful." He said softly as his embrace lingered for a second longer before he slowly unwrapped his arms around me.
I just nodded, motioning for us to keep going. We're friends. That was totally friendly. I have to chant in my head. And this long walk is not romantic at all. This is rather creepy and well, long and tiring, and a little bit awkward! Why do I have to endure this? This reduction from a love interest to a friend who he's obliged to save? Gosh! I'm starting to like my nightmares more than this. Atleast I can wake up to reality after those. Whereas, after this, I would just be left with the memories, that are not at all romantic. For Pete's sake Season! You are in the middle of a mystical and dark forest! The least thing you could worry about is romance! And Kaloy. But you know, I am technically journeying with Kaloy, who is wounded that is why I ought to be worried about him, right? But he's an engkanto! He can handle himself more than I can.
"How about here Season?" I snapped out of my thoughts but it was too late because I bumped into the solid bare back of the said engkanto. Ouch. I rubbed my temple and looked around. There's a slanted branch that lays low in the ground and it's slope is enough for a person to lay down on it without falling and I think it's okay to kind of sleep in there, so I sat on it.
"Yeah, we can stay here." I said, hoisting myself up to avoid any more of those itchy plants. He cleared some weeds and sat at the foot of the tree, just below me. "Kaloy?"
"Hmmm?"
"I'm hungry."
"Yeah, me too. But I haven't spotted anything edible in this forest."
I guess I'll have to sleep in an empty stomach tonight, and I guess my saliva would suffice for now and I won't be dehydrated. I decided to conserve energy and didn't speak again as I laid my back on the hard and rough bark of the tree. Although it's far from comfortable, exhaustion had finally taken a toll in my system and soon I fell asleep. I was awaken by the cold caress of the breeze on my exposed skin a few hours later and cursed the fact that I'm wearing a swimsuit on this occasion. Yes it is long sleeved but it is cut off just below my breast and shows off my stomach so I can still very much feel the cold, making me shiver. I was going to stand up and try to start a fire cause I saw that Kaloy didn't but when I sat up to do that, I my green orbs met blue ones.
"Are you cold? I'm sorry it's not safe for us to create a bonfire for it might cause a huge forest fire considering the density of the vegetation. This place isn't really campsite material." He said, hoisting himself up in the branch too so that he's now seated beside me. He purposely minimized our proximity to the point that I can feel the heat radiated by his half naked body. Yes he's still topless.
"Do you not feel any cold?" I asked, just looking at the darkness that's stretched all around us. Good thing I didn't notice mosquitoes and other insects in here. Or else my predicament would be worst.
He just chuckled, throwing his arms around my shoulders. "My body is accustomed to the weather here, don't worry. And I'm hot enough to resist the cold." He cockily stated with a wink and I just rolled my eyes at him.
He's just being friendly. I once again reminded myself. "Okay fine. I could use a little body heat right now." I admitted, moving closer to him and he didn't waste a second in fully enveloping me in his warm embrace. I sighed. If only this means more than our survival... Maybe I was half asleep but I felt him shift in our position and cradled me on his lap as he whispered a lullaby that eventually lulled me to a peaceful sleep.
Yes. No nightmares, no optical illusion. This is the kind of sleep that I've been looking for! And to think that I felt it in the arms of the very being that I stayed away from just gave me mixed emotions. But I'm sure I am pretty well rested after that sleep because, when I was in the brink of waking up, I felt energized and ready for the journey. I was about to do a little stretch however I found my arms and legs to be restricted and noted the fact that, I felt like I'm moving, or that someone is carrying me bridal style and because of that realization, my eyes shot open.
"Good morning." He greeted before I could speak. A ghost of a smile graced my lips at his greeting. I turned my head to the side and sighed at the sight of the forest, again. I wonder what'near' means to these people. Or well creatures.
"You know that you can put me down right? It's not okay for you to carry heavy stuffs because your wounds are still healing." I finally said. Thankfully, he didn't argue and just put me down. When he did though, I felt the soil that I'm standing on to be significantly softer and when I took a step to follow him... "Ahhh!" I screamed because the ground beneath me suddenly disappeared, making me fall on something like water.
"Season!" I heard Kaloy say just before a huge splash was heard, he must've jumped after me as he helped me to my feet. Wait, to my feet? Eh? "Ahahahahaha"
"Hahahahahahahahahaha!" We burst out laughing. And why not? When I fell into this body of water that we are partially dipped in right now, I thought it was deep and I know he thought the same too because he did dive after me, but it turns out to be really shallow. Waist deep shallow. Hahahahahaha funny right? "Where did this thing come from anyway?" I asked after recovering from that laughing fit. Kaloy slowly retracted his arms from my shoulders and looked around us. I did the same.
The dull and gloomy forest suddenly looks lively as fairy lights seem to bubble up from this small body of water that Kaloy and I fell onto. Magical lights seems to swirl around us and i can only gawk in amazement. "We're here."