CHAPTER 34- EASTERN MOONSUNE II

A L E X

The carriage rolled forward, wheels creaking and heard the hooves galloping on a brick cement, leading us out to the capital. I sighed in dismally while looking at the view outside the window while Luna Crest looking on the opposite direction.

"Amph okay lang ba kayo?" Luna Quartz breaks the awkward silence. Medyo iritado ako kanina pero buti nagandahan ako sa suot kong mocha colored frock coat matching leather booths and gloves

I simply shook my head and wave her off

"Oh I see what's going on around here" she squinted her eyes and those grin were freaky. Natatawa ito habang nakatingin kay Luna Crest. "I smell a mark of loyalty around here.. arayyy" Natameme lang ako ng batukan siya ni Luna Crest na kinatahimik niya " Gagu ka totoo naman e!"

"Will you just stop. Kung na pansin mo yun na yun tumahimik kana kung ayaw mo may lunarian na lilipad palabas ng karwaheng ito"

"Oyy nag jojoke lang ako no" aniya at napasighap siya at ngumisi na naman pagkatapos "Ahhh so totoo ayeiii? Aside from loyalty you loose you virgi.." one breath later, Luna Quartz just fell asleep. Nakanganga lang itong humahagok habang nakasandal ang ulo sa dingding.

"Did you just?" I look at him and he move to the side of the corner and put his arm on the window and rest his chin.

"I hate blabbermouth" Napatikom nalang ako at medyo natatawa sa kanya "What's funny?!" His right eyes twitch, whatta cute guy, I wonder why boys are cute when they are pissed, I don't know but I find them adorable but girls are like dragons especially when we're on our period days.

"Ang cute mo promise" I tease him and he pinched my cheek, too aggressive like his gonna rip my skin out "Gagi masakit!"

"Stop teasing me or I'll cut you in half!" Babala niya pero di ako tumigil at napikon siya sakin at lumabas ng bintana at duon umupo sa taas ng karwahe..

Nakita ko pag sway ng paa niya sa bintana at sumilip ako at nakikita ko siya namumula na dahil sa init ng araw. His being bashful how cute.

"Pasok ka na nga wag ka pabebe dyan" tawag ko sa kanya at dali dali na siyang pumasok at natawa kase para siyang isdang tinapa. Nakatingin lang ako sa kanya at alam kong naiilang na siya.

"So after this mission you'll get married" he just engaged a conversation with me, his voice is too low

"Uh huh, why suddenly asked?"

"Nothing"

"Your not coming?"

He just shrugged and shifted his eyes away and let out a deep sighed "Nag seselos ako bwiset ka"

I was stunned because he said it to my face. I felt butterfly on my stomach his too honest on his feelings. Mahal ko siya pero di pwede kase nakatakda akong ikasal kay Inavie. Tsaka he only exist to kill me and there is no way for us to be together, literally impossible.

"I think it's just.."

"Impossible, I know" He pick out his handkerchief it on his face and fell asleep.

About an hour past. Luna Quartz woke up and we entertain ourselves; talking non stop about her journey. It feel so good because she share her story with me like little by little her despised with me  slowly disappearing. She fumbled on her bag and put out a Tupperware of cookies. We both enjoy it.

"You wanna know why he shut me off, because.. If he kissed a woman his secretly arousing. Yup pretty weird. That' s how Are Luna Vanessa told me about them. He already gave up or give you his  virginity, Junakie nature are pretty weird but I heard they're all boys. If he kisses you then maybe he wants to... basta. Pero nangyayari lang iyon sa mga tulad niyang Junakie. His sensitive so if you done something or flirting. Busog ka hanggang nine months.." di siya natapos at tinawanan lang niya ako at maramdaman ko nalang ang pagtulo ng laway ko, bilis ko namang pinahiran.

"That was pretty.."

"Yup, they like embodied that lust sin. Lucian, The sin from Glaceal"

"Who?"

"Basta, don't do anything flirtatious because your gonna wake up naked with him, gossips also says that woman can't walked after having.. bsta malasawa siya masyado kapa namang innosente sa ganuong topic"

Innocent daw hihi. Ako inosente nako jusko lord. Even satan will be confused

➖➖➖

We stop at last and the carriage leave, the Coachman can't go any further because the road up ahead is not the border of Andalia anymore.

"Bye kuya!!" Sigaw ni Luna Quartz sa driver. I turn my shoulder to see the place. It's a Peaceful hamlet.

"Excuse me miss!!" Luna Crest pull me back and a horse past us with it's driver. I squinted my eyes because the sun is blocking his features. The horse walk back and it's a man with a cowboy hat.

Bumaba ito at gustong making shake hands sakin pero hinila lang ako ni Luna Crest at siya ang bumati dito.

"Yoh strangers, Aiden at your service" the men gently introduced himself "Ye want something?"

"Crest Val it's nice to meet yah"

"I haven't seen ye before might be some folks far from Andalia. The apples are not yet ripe but the orange is on its way..?"

"Apologist but we didn't come to buy, we're heading to Moonsune" Luna Crest stop when count Moreen interjected on the conversation "May alam kabang pwede naming sakyan papunta ruon?"

"Why d'you say so, come her lad" he walked us to the Hamlet to a farm "If you need help just asked, I'll be around town to make sure the peace on my little Hamlet" he said

"Thank you Aiden"

"Your very much welcome, hopefully we can somehow bump into each other again"

"Maybe, I'll be happy to meet you again"

"Can't wait, ingat sa Daan" he wave his hand with a smile and rode his horse away until he faded away on our sight.

Luna Crest tugged my clothes and I look at him but a facial expressions Yes what is it?

But he just shook his head and held my hand. We cross the bridge and the water flow is like a crystalized gems and the fresh fishes are freely swimming on its current, the sun is now hiding behind the clouds.

As we go further. I saw a man putting hay on his horses and we approaches him and the Count was too generous and paid him cash. He bought the two beautiful stallion horses.

It's tame and it's eyes were stunning, long eyelashes flattering on the wind. Hinila lang nila ang tali nito at napadaan kami sa Isang stall. Sa kabila naman may binili si Luna Crest. I saw kids on the street and all of them surrounded me and gave me flower.

"Could you might be a Goddess?" The the little girl with a phony tail. I Ben on one knee. Kids here are cute, pale skin with natural born freckles. Curly red- orange hair. I crouched to level their heights.

"Uh no, just a lady" I said and the bell chimes and kids went straight to a small building. It's a school. If I'm a queen I'll give a fund to make a bigger and better school for everyone. Knowledge is important and powerful.

I feel something poke behind me. I feel it's muzzle. I turn my face and touch it, running my hands on its smooth body, alagang alaga talaga ito. "Your beautiful" I whisper on its ear and it answer me with a neigh.

"You speak horse?"

"Do I look like I speak one?!"

"Kinda who knows, a donkey are close to ancestor to horses. He might be your relatives"he said and took a bite on an apple

"Langya ka talaga"

Inabot naman niya sakin yung apple at parang gutom ang ito kaya pinakain ko nalang iyon sa kabayo since nakita ko naman sa movie na mahilig silang kumain ng mansanas. The horse like em and wants more "Hingi pa ako isa" aniko at tinarayan niya ako ng tingin at binangga pa yung braso ko muntikan pa akong matumba buti nakahawak ako sa tali. "Wow nananadya?" Parinig ko sa kanya at humarap siya sakin na kumakain may tumalsik pa na katas nung apple sa pisnge ko

"That apple supposed to be yours,  bat mo pinakain sa kabayo ah tanga!"

"Tanga ka dyan, trip ko lang magpakain bakit may angal ka tsaka gutom sya e.." I stop when my tummy began to rumbled and I blow my cheeks, it's too loud. "Meron pa ba sakin?"

"Eh yung kabayo nalang kaya kainin mo, wala na akong pera tas ipakain mo pa iyon sa kabayo"

"Gagi inutusan ba kitang bumili"

"Abat!" Lumapit ito sakin at kinagat ang ilong ko.

"....ARAY!!!!"sinuntok suntok ko siya at ako lang ang nasaktan. sinipa ko naman siya at ganon parin nangyari at napahawak ako sa binti ko. Parang akong sumisipa ng buto.  

"Oyy chill ano ba kayo mga love bird.." Luna Quartz stand between us and push luna Crest away and scolded him "Man shouldn't fight with a lady thats the rule from our Great superior"

"What side are you, she's the bully.."

"Bully? Geez have ashame and even you know your the one whose right, your still wrong, be a man! I don't care even we're cousin by blood. Man should treat a lady like a princess, even though she's already one, but, because man were created to protect them not to insult and treat them harshly. That's beyond the line"

Luna Crest sighed and brush his hair aside "I know don't lectured me. I treated that woman on how she should be treated, but there still something that triggers my cortisol"

Stress daw siya putang... hinimas himas kolang ang binti ko at tumayo. His a walking skeleton.

"I'm not lecturing you, I'm just reminding you, we woman have the righkskkdu" inipit niya yung bunganga ni Luna Quartz gamit yung daliri niya

"Nga pala you ride with Count Moreen, and this princess ride with me"

"I don't want to ride with you you called me a horse"

"Magtaka ka nalang kung sasakyan kita"

"Good lord?!"

He pull me by my waist and raise me up, assisting me up the saddle before he sat next to me, Oo nasa likuran ko siya. Hinila na niya ang tali at pinatakbo na ang kabayo. Dinig ko ang talbog ng puso iiya parang nag sisynchronized sa takbo nito. Magstop siya bigla at inutusan akong magpalit kami ng position at dun nako sa likuran niya. Pinababa niya ako at nakiliti ako kase sa yung hawak niya sa bewang ko kakaiba.  Umakyat na siya at hinila ako at nakaupo nako ng komportable sa likuran niya

"Hold on your highness" he said and pull my arms around him. Oo nakayakap ako sa kanya. Napapikit ako kase ang bilis niyang magpatakbo ng kabayo.

➖➖➖

Habang palayo na kami nag utos yung count na tumigil kami dahil nanghihina si Luna Quartz. Nakisilong kami mga punong kahoy habang pinapainom ang mga kabayo. Lumayo kami ni Luna Quartz at nakita ko ang mga napaso niya balat.

"Wala to wag ka mag alala" humiga lang Siya at namaluktot. Pumunta Ako Kay Luna Crest at sinabi ang tungkol Kay Luna Quartz at umalis siya para maghanap na pwedeng ipagamot duon sa napasong balat.

After half an hour of waiting he brought himself an aloe vera. I know aloe vera would take a long time to heal. But this plants contains active compounds that may reduce pain and inflammation and stimulate skin growth and repair I don't know if it works on fairies but I'll give it a try. Since it is It is also an effective moisturizing agent. And also tomato is good for burn skin too.

I took off my frock coat and gave it to her and even my gloves. So the sun won't burn her again. I took some aloe vera with me just in case.

"We need to move the sun is almost setting we can't stay here or bandits will might accidentally stop at this area and.." he didn't continue but move his thumb like a slick on the neck. "Ano pala Ang nangyari sa kanya? Maayos na ba Ang kayang kalagayan?"

"Opo nadehydrated lang po siya but she's okay na" I said and assisted Luna Quartz to stand.

Umakyat na ako sa taas ng kabayo at patuloy na kami sa paglalakbay.

➖➖➖

I open the map and we're almost on our destination. From that moment I thought I heard noises and ignored them and close the map.

"Behold the wild horses of Sand dum" Luna Crest said and I look around me and there is nothing but plain area and tumbleweeds rolling on the hills.

I thought the sun dehydrated his brain but not until I heard a galloping nearby and I leaned back and I saw a tsunami like sand running towards us. Pinatakbo niya ang kabayo ng mabilis at parang kumakarera na kami. Hinigpitan kolang ang pagkahawak ko hanggang sa niyakap ko na siya. The sand storm is like swallowing the place in it's wake.

"Luna Crest faster!!" sigaw ko kase papalapit na ito at tumawa lang silang tatlo sakin at nakatingin si Luna Quarts sa likuran.

"Your highness your missing the view!" Sigaw ni Luna Quartz sakin at lumingon ako.

Flabbergasted, astonished to see horses racing in the plains. This is the wild horses of Sand dum

"Their beautiful aren't they!"

"Yes they are!!" couldn't help but to voice out, astonished seeing them together racing. And the leader of the herd past our horses and saw how majestic he was. The hair were flapping on the wind. He look back and call his herd as he find an amount of grass from a few miles, he stand up, those hooves are giving his majestic posture, his like a king leading his army. I had no words to describe how beautiful the wild horses in person, since I only see them on movies or sometimes on the picture but now my heart is in race, synchronizing the galloping hooves. I was over the moon.

Di ko inaalis ang tingin ko sa mga ito na kumakain na ng mga damo at nakatingin samin ang kanilang leader at napawow Ako dahil para itong nagbow sakin. And that made my heart flattered, giving me hope a chance to live and burn those fear and embrace the beauty of my novel.

"Wild horses prefer plains, prairies, and steppes for many reasons. Horses need wide open spaces for defense purposes, and they need some shelter, like trees or cliffs, to protect them" said the count and Luna Crest continued

"They prefer open your highness, grassy areas because they're herbivores, or plant eaters, and consume large amounts of grass. The leader who just majestically bowed at you are signed of good luck"

"You saw?" I was stunned to speak, may mata ba ito sa likuran niya? Like seriously?

"Ano akala mo sakin bulag?"

"Sira malay ko ba to naman masyadong seryoso sa buhay"

"Those herd were the new generation of the horses that were used by our Emperor, human failed to captured it's leader since it was known from its fast and leaden body, strong enough that were build to destroy. The first wild horse was the brought to our Emperor from the last nine hundred years and even without the protection of our fairies that herd can survive on their own and will be remain loyalty on our side. The humanities greed still urge them to hunt those horses but still failed, Meron din Naman nakahuli ng mga ito pero wild horses are always are wild horses they should live like that, not a farm animal"

Napakatalino ng gago when it comes to history. Sabagay his three hundred years old Naman kaya sa tagal ng years nayon syempre pinag aaralan niya ang naghanap na digmaan ng nakaraan.

"Can I have one? And will you teach me to ride a horse"

"I'll be happy to ride with you, I'll teach you while your on a top and how to drive it perfectly"

And I hate my brain for that 

"Self taught nalang"

"You don't want me to ride with you?" Napaka malicious ko talaga. Lord I'm so sorry. Di na talaga ako makakapasok sa langit. Lord help me. Fully booked dun baka di rin ako pwede pumasok, kung pwede sana diyan nalang ako sa paraiso.