The Last Moon

Chapter 29: Dreams and Visions

The voices I heard that day somehow enticed me that I woke up in the same place. It was nearly dawn where the moonlight and the sunlight are fighting each other, I can feel the cold breeze coming from the water and I can hear a loud rushing like it was raining. It was loud and there I heard the call once again, it felt like the voice is coming from the water vibrating through my feet calling my name. As I looked down on the water on my feet I saw my reflection in the water. My hair was long and wavy and reaching my knees and my face was half-covered by a mask, it felt like its an extension of my face. I touched it and felt like porcelain covering my eyes from my nose to my forehead, covering my eyes. The mask was covered with some gems and in the middle was the crescent moon. 

I heard the call again this time it felt like it's moving towards the deep. There Naga Unda emerged along with the other nymphs and they were giggling and laughing. 

"Dian Halea, come seat beside me," Naga Unda said I gladly followed as I sat on the rock next to her.

"The time is coming soon waiting for your awakening, you have to be ready for the truth once it is revealed. It may be painful but you need to choose the path. As always, your mother's advise is to follow your heart. Watch out for the people around you some can be trusted and some should not, your guts will be the one who will guide you. And if you have questions you know now where to find me. I will see you again when you wake-up," she said and then the vision faded like a vortex sucking me in and when I looked around I saw myself up high shining but was not enough since Miyari and switched places with me I need to produce the same light so I removed my mask and my body glows releasing an enormous amount of brightness blinding, shining the night sky.

I was amazed by the light I was able to conjure when a giant dragon emerged from the ocean swallowing me whole, I was caught off guard but I managed to draw my sword and struck the roof of its mouth. I fought with all my strength but it was not enough I can feel the acid taking over my body, burning me, I cried in pain and I rose from my sleep panting. It felt so real, did I just die?  It was the same dragon I was fighting in my previous dream but this time it got me and from that dream I know I didn't make it alive.

I can feel both Luna and Aspin worried. Luna is kissing me and I hugged her. My heart was beating fast and the fear inside me is so strong that I cannot shake it off. I opened the window and let the air in; there I saw the moon hiding from the clouds. I waited till the sky was clear and the moon is visible again. It somehow soothes me seeing how big it was. I felt tears rolled from my eyes, it was such a frightening experience. For the first time, I had a nightmare. I went back to bed and lie awake. I checked my phone if I have any message but there was none.

If the dream was true and I was swallowed by the dragon and perished, what could have happened afterwards? Did any of my family avenge my death? In my previous dream, there was Miyari, Battala, Alab and that demigod who liked me when I was Miyari. Did they ever look for me? Then I remembered the story of the moon goddess from Adrienne. I need to know what happened in the story. Those were in my thought and I didn't realize that I fall asleep again.

The next day, I went on my routine work in the dock. This time my first hour was a tour from the boat to the warehouse.  From the boat, people are sorting out the seafood separating the different fished from one another as well as the shrimp, crabs, squids. The sorters were so fast that they need to look further in the fish they just touch it then throw it in a box where the rest of the box was the line-up. Once the box contains a certain weight the weighing scale will sound an alarm and move to place the next box in view. And the process is repeated. After visiting the beginning process, we went into the delivery area to study at the end of the process. And like the other processes, we need to make sure that the total weight of the goods is done properly and the total weight is correct. Though my whole morning was busy at work my thoughts remain at the dream I had last night. I remember in Adrienne's tale that the moon was swallowed by the dragon but I need to know what happened next. My previous dream is showing me that I have killed the dragon, does that mean I didn't die? I am getting crazy now, why would I dream of an old folktale? And in my dreams, it feels like I am this Moon Goddess. Am I just getting obsessed with its story but I was never interested in it. My mind keeps asking all these questions, where can I get an answer? Should I speak to Adrienne or Rowena? Rowena seems to be more into these supernatural things than of Adrienne.

After work we went to Apong Estrella, I remember today is the start of my other training with her. The dance appears easy to follow, I was enjoying all of its movement. Good thing that I'm physically fit, I managed to memorize the steps fast. After the training, I went to see Rowena.

She's just sitting there silently with her eyes close under the tree far from everyone. I came close to her; I am not sure if she's sleeping or just resting. I hope I am not bothering her. When I am just 2 meters away, she opened her eyes.

"Hi, Rowena! How are you?" I asked her

"Hi, Halea! what brings you here? Is your training finish?"

"Yeah, I finished early than the rest since I quickly manage to get the steps, all I need now is to practice it and wait for the 2nd part which they will teach tomorrow,"

"I see, you're a natural I am happy for you," she said

"Am I bothering you?"

"Oh, not at all. Do you need anything?"

"I just wanted to ask you something,"

"Go on,"

I sat beside her and looked into her eyes, "Please don't laugh okay,"

"Okay," she said puzzled

"Can you tell me about the story of Halea the Moon Goddess,"

"Sure, her story is one of my favourites. What do you want to know about her?"

"Well, Adrienne told me about her story during our first meeting since my name is also Halea. Please correct me if I am wrong. In her story, there were two Moon Goddess, Miyari and Halea. It appears that Miyari rise during the full moon and completes its cycle while Halea rise during New Moon and also completing its cycle,"

"That was a good observation, I only knew that they were twins and they share the sky. I knew that Miyari shines brighter than Halea,"

"But Halea wears a mask to hide her brightness, isn't she?"

"What I knew is that because she's shy and doesn't want to attract people's attention,"

"Correct, the same manner as the New Moon normally hides under the clouds,"

"You seem to know more than I am. Are you sure you wanted to ask me something I know?"

I laugh at her, "funny right, but because I have these dreams which are similar to the story of the Goddess Moon where she was swallowed by the dragon. I don't know if this is because Adrienne told me her story and for some reason, my subconscious mind is obsessed with the fact that we have the same name,"

"Tell me what you dream of,"

"Last night I had a strange dream of being swallowed by the dragon, it felt so real. And I felt like I died,"

"Halea, when Bacunava swallowed the moon it didn't mention which moon but we believe that it was Halea which was swallowed and spit out. Battala was furious of what happened and it was told that he cursed Baconava to remain a dragon for all eternity until he gives back what he has taken,"

"Spit out? Did the Moon Goddess live?"

"We believe that her spirit remains and will one day come back to rule the night sky,"

"You said Bacunava was cursed to live for all eternity, does that mean he is still alive?"

"We believe so,"

"In my previous dream which keeps repeating, but every time in a different setting, Halea defeats the dragon plunging its sword into its heart. Did Halea defeated the dragon?"

"Not in the story but in the prophecy of her return, we believe that she will meet Bacunava once again and she needs to take back what he took from her. In our interpretation it was her life, she needs to take his life to regain back what she had lost,"

"If you put it in that perspective, it means that Halea needs to kill Bacunava. The dream I am having maybe a vision of what Halea needs to do,"

"You must have liked her so much for you to dream of her,"

"I must be. She is just a fascinating woman, isn't she?"

"Yeah, she and Miyari were revered by the creatures of the night but Halea is a warrior god compared with Miyari. Another story tells that she will rise again to get revenge for the death of Miyari,"

"Miyari died?"

"Yes, leaving Halea to be the last moon before Bacunava tried to swallow her,"

Upon hearing what Rowena said, I felt a rage in my being. Anger arising, I didn't know she died. Why did I suddenly felt a surge of emotion galloping me, I felt my body burning with anger. How could a beast-like Bacunava manage to kill Miyari?

"Halea, are you alright?" Rowena asked

And for a moment I felt lie I woke up from a trance, just like in the dream I experience a vortex taking me back to reality,"