The Rope

"Wed? As in the ceremony of matrimony?" Vian voiced out. Sol nodded.

"The two shall kiss under the eclipse. It will grant them the power to beat the Bakunawa, once and for all." Sol put an X mark on Bakunawa's name.

"It may sound like a simple task, But trust my word, it would not be an easy task. Before we can reach Mavulis Island, we would need to gather three special things." Sol continued as he write down three numbers on the board.

"What are they?" Luna asks. She stood up and sat at the edge of the table, almost in front of Sol. Kira also stood up to transfer to Luna's previous chair in front.

"First is the Rope of Sidapa. In traditional weddings, it symbolizes unifying the bride and the groom. In our case, this rope will combine both of your powers."

"Great. Where can we find it?" Kira asked, sounding excited about the looming adventure.

"I know where he lives." Vian raises her hand. Everyone looks at her with the obvious question on their faces, they didn't even need to speak.

"He's an old family acquaintance." She tried to downgrade.

"You are an acquaintance of the God of Death?" Sol asked, almost failing to hide disbelief in his voice. Vian released an exasperated sigh.

"Anyways, he lives in Mount Madyaas, at the top of it. Before we will be able to get into his territory there are a lot of guardians, especially at the foot of the volcano. Bring all your best seafood. Sidapa is a big fan of seafood."

The rest of the day was spent preparing for the journey. It was decided to bring just a small party. It consists of Luna, Kira, Vian, and Sol. A number of guards of the Almazans, some helpers that originated from the Island of Panay, and a few men from the city that wanted to support their princess in the journey.

"Still up? We have a long day tomorrow." Sol found Luna at the window of their tower. She's gazing at the stars, the moon not in sight.

"I just can't help but think about these prophecies, you know? All my life I have been preparing to meet the sun, then there was Kira. I thought we just have to meet. I didn't really think about what we needed to do after that." Luna stated, not even looking at Sol, who settled himself to sit at the window facing her.

"Wedding, huh?" he said.

"Yeah. I should have expected that. But after the discussion we had today, and all the things that happened the other night, it seems scarier." She looked at Sol. He catches her gaze and seems like words ran out but their eyes keep on talking.

"Don't worry, Luna. I promise I'll protect you, no matter what." Sol smiled and brushed Luna's hair and tucked it behind her ear. Luna can feel the blood rush in her cheeks. She backs away.

"Thanks, Sol. See you tomorrow." She hurriedly went inside her room. Upon closing the door, she slammed her back at it, feeling her heartbeat double and her breath shorten.

Sol laughed a little. He noticed how Luna flushed. He finds it cute. She might not take him seriously, but he means it. She is the reason why he is where he is right now, he owes her. The least he can do is protect her with his life.

Sol can't find sleep at all. He knows that they will set off very early in the morning the next day but the gears on his mind won't stop spinning. He just decided to go to the library of the mansion then, thinking he might find more information about the gods and goddesses.

Vian saw Sol walking down the corridors with a lamp in one hand and the other in his pants pockets. She decided to follow him through the trees and their shadows. Sol went into a room with two big doors, she tried to slip inside but she didn't make it in time. She's curious as a cat, deciding it would not harm anyone to just go inside like it was not on purpose.

She took solid form and ever slowly opened one of the doors. It was a library, and she hears ruffling at the back end corner.

"Hey." She started when she saw Sol.

"Oh, dear!" Sol was startled, placing his hand on his chest and momentarily closing his eyes.

"I'm sorry." Vian is suppressing her laughter. He also laughed a little.

"Hey. Can't sleep too?" He asked and smiled at her.

"Yeah. Kind of. What are looking for here?" She asked.

She walked in closer to him to see the spines of the books. Sol is tracing these spines slowly, trying to read the letters in a downward way. Vian catches a side glimpse of his yellow hair that turned gold by the light of the lamp and the warm glow that reflects on his pale skin.

"I'm trying to look for information about Sidapa. Maybe I can add more details for our trip." Sol said while continually looking through the books.

"What information would you like to know? Maybe I can help. He is indeed an old family friend." Vian asked. That caught Sol's attention.

"Oh. So, you mentioned he lives on top of the mountain right? Do we have some kind of landmark just so we know we are already there?" Sol motioned her to a chair near the door, he's trying to write down notes.

"There is this gigantic tree at the peak of Mount Madyaas. Legend says that it is the tree that serves as the gateway for the gods to come down to earth to receive offerings. Sidapa is the guardian of that tree. Fairies and dwarves guard the tree about a hundred miles away. Only people that come with a pure heart and of course offerings will be allowed to pass through them." Vian stated while Sol write down.

"What kind of offerings should we take? Is there a specific food he likes? Or things? How about jewels and precious stones?"

"Sidapa is a generous god. He accepts anything as long as we give it wholeheartedly. But he loves seafood like clams and oysters since the island is known for its seafood delicacies."

"Noted on that. That's a lot of help. Thanks, Vian." Sol smiled that made Vian inhale.

Sol dusted himself. He grabbed the lamps and motioned for them to get out of the room.

"Come on, we might catch a little sleep, at least before the sun rises." She smiled and followed him out.

Everyone is busy preparing to leave. Kira is helping the men load the minibus they will be taking. Vian and Luna are handling the magic potions and relics they will be needing. Sol is busy giving instructions to the driver.

They left the gate by exactly 5 am. They will first set out to the port. They will be taking a boat towards the island of Panay.

"How many days will it take?" Vian asked Sol. It will be her first time traveling using a transportation vehicle. Fairies don't need them, they hated these kinds of machinery.

"From here to port is just two hours ride. After that, the boat ride should take us a maximum of 15 hours. We will take the bus again for another two hours to the base of the volcano." Sol answered. "Don't worry, I will explain our course of action after breakfast."

The journey will be long, and Mt. Madyaas is known as the highest peak on the island. Vian is holding back the details about the hostile track that will welcome the group. She wonders when would be the best time to spill the beans.

"Good Morning Team!" Sol called out the attention of everyone. They made a stop-over in a small park near the highway. They are sharing the breakfast they prepared.

"I will be explaining our course for the next few days. Today we set out towards the port. We only need an hour more until we reach it. We will take a personal boat to take us to Panay Island. The boat ride will take us 10 hours or more. It may take a maximum of 15 hours. We will discuss our game plan for the hike while on the boat. After the boat ride, we need another 2 hours to reach the base of the mountain. Rules set by the municipalities will also be settled there. We will camp in the city overnight and start the hike in the morning the next day. Any questions?"

Questions were passed around. And Vian is still contemplating whether to reveal herself or not. Is today the day?

"If everything is already clear, let's pack up now." Everyone started standing up and picking up their trash.

Vian loses her chance again.