Accashia sat on the bedrock where she could see the view of the vast forest. The sky was clear, and the stars shone and sparkled like diamonds in the night sky. She wondered if the stories told to her when she was young were true. The Village Shaman told them that those pretty little things are balls of fire that burns billions of miles away. And the beauty of the moon was unfathomable as it changes phases every night. Man’s naked eye would not be able to understand or comprehend its beauty. For in the stars and the sky lives the Gods and Goddesses who bless and curse this land. Accashia looked East at the towering trees of the forest and thought about her family. But she misses her mother the most. She never got to hear Ember sing that birthday song. The song her mother composed for her on the day of her birth. Since she had journeyed with Luntian and Calleb, there were nights when she’d dream of her mother. Her touch, her embrace. The way she sings that soft lullaby. The smell of

The question Accashia asked remained unanswered that night. For the silver wolf could only stare in her eyes. So the young lady decides to ask the question again some other time. The wolf and Accashia leisurely stare at the moon and the stars. They were staring up to oblivion, both were quiet and yet were drowning in their own thoughts. That night, Calleb showed Accashia how he hunts for food. Accashia jumped and settled on Calleb's back as the young wolf ran and began to chase the deer. The young lady had to hold on to the wolf's fur as tight as she could so that she wouldn't fall. And with every jump and jerks, Accashia laughed and smile. "It's like I'm riding a horse!" She said with a smile and the white wolf yipped and barked. When Calleb finally managed to catch up to the deer, the wolf galloped and trapped the animal and bit its deep, not letting it escape. The young lady had to cover her eyes when Calleb gnawed on the deer’s neck — the wolf’s strong jaw breaking the bones in o

Luntian hummed as she hugged the weaved basket full of fruits and vegetables. But when she came back to the campfire where she left Accashia and Calleb, she witnessed something unexpected. The two were staring at each other’s eyes. And from the looks of it, it was something intense, but not the good kind. She heard Calleb screaming, and soon Accashia was crying. “You think you’re the only one who’s in constant pain?!” Calleb screamed as the young lady in front of him fidgeted and became silent. The old shaman hugged the basket tighter, as she lowered her head. She had always known what Calleb felt towards his parents and their demise. He was always holding it in and was trying to stay strong for he wanted to reclaim what was rightfully his. Somehow, the old Shaman felt responsible. She was so busy keeping Calleb alive and healthy during his youth that she had forgotten what he needed the most during his younger years. Warmth. And then she heard Calleb screaming again. “I don’t eve

“Are you sure about this, Mayari Tabbu?” The Gatekeeper asked, fixing his stance. “Are you sure that what you’ve seen is all true?” The Sorceress frowned and groaned and rolled her eyes. She even let out a frustrated sigh. “As much as I wish it wasn’t true, I saw it with my own eyes! You and I are practically the same person — you came from my thighs! You and I, we can never lie! So why would I?!” It’s an epiphany, of sorts, a step so logical and illogical. She’s amazed she didn’t realize it sooner. Calleb and Accashia. Luntian and Ursula. The bad and the good. Anger and mercy. Hatred and empathy. Love and obsession. Why didn’t she think of it sooner? ‘Here goes nothing’, Mayari Tabbu thinks, and waits for the instinctive recoil, the psychological and physiological equivalent of the natural exchange. And then she begins the transportation spell, to send the Gatekeeper straight to wherever Luntian, Calleb and Accashia dwell. She sprinkled feathers and dust at the feet of the gateke

Since he told the things he needed to tell, the Gatekeeper raised his hands and said a big farewell. Accashia, Calleb and Luntian, they’re about to leave too. Yet, when they tried to leave and go their own separate ways they felt the ground shake beneath their feet. Calleb and the Gatekeeper’s eyes widened at the roaring sound that’s a few meters away. Both stood their ground and straightened their backs, feeling like something terrible was an understatement — for something diabolical had happened and will now shower upon them. The four of the staggered and lost balance as a soft quake rattled their feet off the ground. And Calleb had to jump when a humongous tree trunk had been thrown towards their direction. As he arched his neck and tried to catch the scent of the perpetrator — the young man gritted his teeth from the familiar stench in the air. “It’s the monster.” He said through a harsh whisper. “He’s here.” “What monster?” Accashia asked as she began to fidget nervously. The