The Phoenix's Maiden

Garden of Eden (Part Four)

An hour and a half had passed since I am carrying this mysterious lady on my back and there’s nothing special is happening right now. I mean I am thankful for that because I can find my way with ease outside this forest. But... it will go against my goals.

“Uhm,” I felt the mysterious female mystic move a little bit behind my back and I heard her whisper behind my back. So, I stopped walking and it’s a good thing that there are trees around us, so I can take a break and maybe talk to her and get some information.

I carefully lowered down my body and let her slip gently down from my back and I make sure that her back is carefully leaning against the tree. Then I saw her trying to open her eyes and it’s like that she is experiencing headache. Why? Because I saw her put her hands on her head.

“LET IT STOP!” she shouted and I immediately covered her mouth so she won’t attract more monsters. I don’t want that Gerarda or any monsters like it craving for us any moment by now. Maybe now we now know what will happen to us if she continues to scream. After what happened to here earlier.

After a while of preventing her from attracting more monsters in our position. I don’t want to be eaten though. She calmed down and I slowly put away my hands from her mouth and I should be careful because she might scream again.

“W- who are you?” she asked me nervously and I can understand why she does not trust me yet. It’s our first time seeing each other.

“I’m Amber,” I answered her question in a cheerful way so I can make her comfortable around me. “By the way do you remember what happened to you?” I asked her back, wondering what happened before she ended up in that cave.

We stare at each other for a few seconds hoping that she will answer my question soon enough. I really don’t know what to respond if she asks me another question. I want to know her name though. She has a blonde hair and her eyes looks green in contrast of her hair color, I don’t know but in my personal view, green and yellow are like white and black. They are rivals. I put rivalry on colors and I am not ashamed of that. It’s fun.

She looks good on that though; she wore a worn-out sleeveless shirt and a brown leather pants with her boots. She looks so innocent, that’s why I am wondering how she ended up wandering in this forest. Wait, why is she taking too long answer my question. It’s so easy to answer. Maybe she doesn’t remember it clearly and her head is still foggy.

I need to give her time to cope up with our situation right now. I watched her scratch her head, trying to remember what happened earlier. I look at the sky and saw the sun at its peak, I mean we have a lot of time, a couple of minutes of waiting won’t harm me. The worst thing that will happen to me right now, is letting the moon rise in this forest.

With basic knowledge of animal behavior, many predators mostly hunt at night, because it’s easy to catch their prey off guard, and I don’t want a giant like arthropod or insect chasing after us, I mean it’s gross obviously and they have a very scary fangs and fearsome venoms. That’s why I hate those kinds of animals. I mean I have my fire to light the place but still, I don’t want to be chased especially with her around. I don’t want someone else dying on me. It’s too much of a burden for me for me my whole life.

“Uhm,” I snap out of my thoughts when I heard her voice. “I was searching for something,” she answered my questions. “Then I just noticed that there is a monster stalking me from behind and then I discovered myself in that cave, and a black creature snatched me then everything went black, then here I just found myself carried by you,” she explained in a messy way. This girl really needs to calm down. By the way where did she came from?

As much as I know there are no nearby civilizations in this village so it is strange to see some intellectuals here. Except for the goddess, Arthur, Kamandag, and me.

“Thank you,” she expressed her gratitude and it’s like she can remember everything clearly which is good, so there are no more confusions that will add up in my head.

“If it’s okay, how did you end up here?” I tested her with a question.

“I’m an explorer,” she said and scratch her head. “If it’s okay for you to not tell anyone? I am a foreign Mystic and that means that I am not allowed to step on these lands,” she said while gesturing a shh sign towards me. I know I need to keep this as a secret.

Well, I mean the goddess is also a foreign Mystic but was allowed by the kings that’s why if I told them about her right now, they will be prevented to report her on something like the world government in this realm. There must be one since the kings mentioned formed an agreement between nations to have these rule as taboo in each country.

“Then what brings you here in Fernis?” I changed my question since she is an explorer and I want to know her reason for exploring these lands.

“Something about the forgotten twin dragon gods,” she said. “Bakunawa and Siklab,” she added, I was reminded that an engkanto once told me a story about them. The one gave me this amulet that I still wear to this day. Oh, I remember now, Banoy, the one who gave me Silakbo.

I completely forgot about my amulet, and if I remember it correctly, this can benefit my power but I don’t remember it clearly maybe Arthur does and I intend to ask him later. I hid my medallion underneath my shirt. Also, my geeky side is overflowing again when she mentioned about Siklab (the unknown Philippine god) and Bakunawa, the moon eater.

*Disclaimer – Siklab is just a made up character of mine.*

“What about them?” I asked her curious about her intentions about the twin dragons.

“They vanished many years ago and there are more of us who are curious uncovering that secrets about them,” she explained to me. “I want to be the one that will uncover those secrets first before them,” she said with dedication in her voice and I think that it’s best for her to prevent her from doing so. I mean, that might get her executed is she’s been fine out by the kings. It’s their only choice for keeping the secret about the goddess safe.

“Mind if you come with us from now on?” I asked her and she gave me a questioning look.

“Why?” she asked me.

“I can protect you from the kings,” I said and she smiled.

“Really?!” she exclaimed and I immediately covered her mouth.

“Don’t shout the monster will know that we are here,” I added.

“Sorry, I forgot that we are in the Garden of Eden, the place where the first sinners are born,” she explained and one of my eyebrows was raised.

“Sinners you say?” I asked her, I felt so disrespected about that term about the humans, they are sinners she is not wrong with that, but it’s such a hypocritical statement for her to say that since what she is doing right now is committing a grave sin to the God.

“Yes why?” she asked me oblivious of my hint. She doesn’t know that I came from the human world and I am the last phoenix alive. Then I will keep this a secret to her.

“Then this act does not make you a sinner?” I asked her and she was confused.

“I won’t deny that I am committing a sin, but what I want to say they are the first ones who defied the great one,” she explained.

“What about the fallen angels or the mystics that commits a sin before the human was ever created, does not that make them sinners before they do?” I asked her again proving a point to her.

“Hmm you have a point,” she said and I nodded proving my point to her. Her jaw dropped when she opened her eyes again and now, I have my complete victory over this discussion and I continue to nod to show her that I am right and later on she pointed her finger to me.

“I know, I know, I’m right,” I said to her while smiling triumphantly over her.

“N- not that,” she said, I opened my eyes and looked at her. Then what. “B- behind y- you,” she said and I heard a low growl behind me. My whole body froze even I can feel the heat of this thing behind me. I slowly turned around, only to see this giant beak that is ready to eat me.

My whole body is not listening to me now, even I want to run away right now. I cannot, it’s like I turned into stone that instant that I saw this beak behind me.

“ROOOOOOARRR!” both of us were almost taken away by that roar and it lifted its head and this time we have a clear image of what is this monster. Despite it having a beak, it had a reptilian head and body which has eight legs.

“RUN!” the mysterious female mystic shouted and I felt her hand grabbing mine and I was surprised when she pulled me and I almost lose my balance. Thankfully the terrain is flat but the monster is chasing after us right now. This is more terrifying than that Gerarda.

“Kill it,” she said to me and my eyes widened with that statement.

“NO!” I replied.

-The Phoenix’s Maiden-