The Tale of Xenosa

Finally Out

Cheska's POV:

Do you guys know that feeling when you're asleep and someone's staring at you? Yeah you got that tight it's both weird and creepy. I slowly opened my eyes, and saw Lady Katalina already staring at me. She had a pleasant smile on her face while looking at me. Well that was a relief, I was half expecting that it would be some thug or someone who'd hurt us. I tried to move and found that I wasn;t quite fully healed yet but I could manage. I was able to move the lower half of my body. I also felt like the energy that I've lost carrying Cresia earlier was replenished, well obviously not entirely but it was good enough. I then noticed a bitter but sour taste on my lips. I could taste some kind of herbal medicine on my tongue. They must've got me to drink something to wake me up and to get my energy back. "Well well well, Miss Sleeping Beauty is finally awake" she said while keeping the smile plastered on her face. I then got up and looked around me. We were still in the forest where we got out earlier. But not at the same place, I guess Lady Katalina moved us to a some place safer. I then looked over beside me expecting Cresia to be there as well, but to my surprise she wasn't "Where's Cresia?" I asked while looking around. "Here," she said while peeking from Lady Katalina's back. I then walked towards her and stood beside her. I then noticed how her wounds were now stitched and newly bandaged, Lady Katalina must have changed that while I was unconscious. I saw Cresia's face and noticed how she was uncomfortable about something. I have no clue what happened while I was asleep but I sensed tension on the air. I tried to think about what happened, then realized something I was thinking about earlier. I was about to say something about it when Lady Katalina suddenly spoke, "My dear demigods, congratulations! You've recovered the key! I am so proud of you. I'm glad that the both of you got back in one piece. May I see the ornament?", I was going to say thank you and let Lady Katalina see the key but Cresia cut me off "You're glad that were safe and in one piece? When in fact you weren't expecting for us to come back weren't you? That's why Randy came back, to see if how things were going right? To see if the two dumb demigods were already dead. That's why he immediately left when we got there, he wasn't expecting for us to come out well and alive. Randy knew about that place like it was etched forever at the back of its head. He was so so familiar with it that we didn't have any trouble getting there. Is that your way of leading us to our deaths? Huh Lady Katalina?" she spat angrily. I didn't know what went over Cresia that she was able to say those words at the person who's helping us right now. That was the first time I truly saw Cresia mad, no she wasn't just mad she was furious. I didn't see her like this when our pets were lost, or when we were fighting monsters. I don't Cresia that well yet, but I knew this was not her, and that she wouldn't react like that if she hadn't realized something. I too was just as shocked as Lady Katalina was upon hearing what she just said. "What are you talking about dear? I have no idea what you're talking about" Lady Katalina answered calmly. That's when something clicked. I looked at Lady Katalina and imagined how she would have looked like if she were any younger. That's when I realized. It all made sense now, that's the reason the lady that we saw on the portraits on the corridor we passed was so familiar. It was her! "You're the inventor's wife aren't you Lady Katalina?" I said. She then looked at me wide eyed, shocked at what I said. "You were the lady in the portraits weren't you? You're the witch that cursed that place. That's why you knew so much about the Labyrinth. That's why you knew about the story." I continued, I was now deep into my thoughts when I confirmed what I know, "You knew all along that once the Bakunawa was defeated that place would fall apart! You knew and yet you didn't tell us. You didn't expect for us to make it out alive didn't you?" she stayed quiet not daring to say a word. I then thought about the times I saw her at the hut looking at a picture frame. I never had the chance to see what was on the frame but I knew it was something dear to her. I saw how she looked at it. I saw how pained she was, and how much she suffered through the emotions that showed on her eyes whenever she held that one particular frame. I was cut off rom my thoughts when Cresia said, "You wanted the key all along right? But you couldn't get yourself to kill the Bakunawa on your own. But why?" Cresia spat at her, she thought about it for a few seconds then continued to say "The Bakunawa was your son wasn't it?" but instead of answering us Lady Katalina laughed. Now with a mischievous glint on her eyes. "Oh you girls are way smarter than I expected. Youngsters and their very over active imaginations. Yes, some of what you said is actually true. I lied when I said in my story that no one in the family survived. I survived. I was able to survive because I was no ordinary witch. Like you," she said while looking at me, "I am a demigod as well as a witch. My father was a witch. He was the head of the coven of where I'm originally from. He was a descendant of one of the very first shamans here in the Philippines. It was said that our family was blessed with so much power that even the lesser powered gods got scared. My mom was a goddess. She was one of the original goddesses that made the world, she's the reason why I survived that day. She had blessed me with protection and immortality. Sadly, that didn't extend to my children. At that time I was one of the most powerful beings in this world, a hybrid. Half witch and half goddess. Oh the power I help. My husband didn't listen to me when I warned him about going out. I told him not to be so complacent, but no he had to go and see the world for himself. I needed that key, but you're right I couldn't kill the Bakunawa myself. It's because seeing that Bakunawa, and going inside that place reminded me so much about my family. But no he's no son of mine. I lost a lot of my power when I cursed that place, it is f*******n to curse a place like that. It goes against the laws of nature to give or take life. Yes I knew that the place would crumble once the Bakunawa was killed. I was the one who placed the Bakunawa there of course." she said bitterly. I felt my heart break at what I heard, I felt so betrayed. I looked over at Lacresia, and knew that she was feeling the same thing herself. "H-how could you do this to us? I mean we trusted you" I said angrily at her shaking my head in disbelief. I couldn't hold it anymore and a tear finally escaped from my cheeks. She's a demigod and a very powerful witch if we were to fight her now we'd have no chance against her. She was too over powered. I doubt her powers was still as strong as she was in her prime. I doubt the curse depleted her powers that much. She's said so herself she has lived for hundred of years already. All the the spells, fights and experiences that she has and we don't, I thought to myself. This was going to be a mess if ever we decide to really go on with this fight. Lacresia on the other hand, was already pointing her sword at her. I didn't know what happened next, but the next thing I knew I threw my knife at her. It was like there was a sudden boost in my energy, perhaps anger fueled and driven the movements of my body. I felt as though my body was being possessed by something else but at the same time I was aware of my actions, and I knew of them. I was conscious after all. The old lady as expected dodged the attacks effortlessly, she was graceful and moved with precision I could tell that she really was an experienced fighter. Lacresia joined as well in my fight against Lady Katalina. "What is happening to the both of you?" but we didn't stop to listen we kept on attacking her, each thrust of our swords and knives more powerful than the last. "Will you both stop it!" she yelled at us. Despite her efforts of wanting to stop us it was to no avail for neither Cresia nor I stopped our movements. "I do not want to hurt you both. Please stop this nonsense. We can talk this through like civilized human beings," she said. I didn't what was controlling me, but I really did want to stop. I just couldn't help but think how she let us go into all that trouble knowing how big of a risk it would be. I just really couldn't control my thoughts as of the moment. Did she trick us to get the key? And go to Biringan herself? I had all these questions I wanted to ask her, but my emotions got the better of me as I continued attacking her. I just knew that I wasn't myself right now but I just couldn't help it. Was she so devastated over the loss of her family hundreds of years ago? Was she still not over it? I mean Cresia and I trusted her with everything we had. We treated her like family. I don't how that happened but I just knew that we had already given her the trust she wanted from us, in a course of only a few days. "I promise you both that I am still a friend. I didn't betray you guys. Please just allow me to exaplain myself." Lady Katalina pleaded again. This time I could hear the desperation from her voice. She isn't attacking us despite all the attacks we've given her, she's only defending herself. "desepir et angard ti klab ut" she suddenly yelled, and with that I felt a bucket of water washed over me. Like cold, cold water was poured on me then everything just went black.