“I feel something weird with the water,” Calla noticed.
The team reached the ley line connecting the Domain’s entrance and the Lagoon. With their weapons and equipment prepared, they were now ready to step out of the portal.
Triggs also felt the stinging sensation flowing in the water.
“I feel it too, and it's prickling my skin,” Triggs muttered.
Without wasting a second, they entered the Portal.
As they stepped out to the Lagoon, bright burning lights and searing heat greeted them.
“Wha-what’s happening!?” Calla uttered in dismay.
Flames enraged in the area, engulfing the trees that covered the cliffs. The light from the fire burned so brightly that it almost turned the dark night into day.
Calla looked into the water. She saw the Enchanted Bangus - now moving sluggish as if it was injured. She rushed across the chest-deep water, intending to examine the fish.
But just when they thought things couldn’t get much more horrendous, a large shadow swooped from the sky, grabbed the Bangus from the water, and flew away.
The speed of the shadow made huge ripples in the water, staggering Calla and the team.
“What the heck was that!?” Triggs muttered.
“It got the Bangus!” Lae uttered.
Calla urged, “You go after it. I need to extinguish the flames.”
Triggs, Lae, and Zaine followed Calla’s command. Hurriedly, they climbed the part of the cliff where there were less flames.
When they reached the peak, they scanned the sky, looking for the remnants of the creature that took the Bangus.
“Do you see anything?” Triggs asked.
“There!” Lae uttered as she pointed in the direction of the beach.
There, they saw a silhouette of a creature that resembled a huge bird. It appeared that the creature was feasting on the Bangus it captured.
Quickly, Triggs, Lae, and Zaine descended the cliff to approach the creature.
But just before they could reach the ground, the creature escaped, leaving the remnants of the feasted fish on the wet sands.
“Tch! We failed to catch it!” Triggs uttered in disappointment.
All they could do was watch the bird fly away across the sky above the ocean.
Triggs walked to pick up what remained of the Bangus, which was only the head and the quarter of its body.
“That creature - it feeds on the Bangus.”
“What could it be?” Lae wondered. “It looks like a giant bird.”
“Looks like it,” Triggs replied. “But at least now we know who’s doing this to the Bangus.”
“But still… We're not sure what caused the fire, let alone what's causing the shockwaves. Could it also be the bird?”
Lae’s insights made Triggs wonder too. “You’re right…”
SWIIISH!!! SWOOOOSH!!! SWIIISH!!! SWOOOOSH!!!
Triggs, Lae, and Zaine heard loud sloshing of water coming from the Lagoon area. They also noticed that the light from the Lagoon was diminishing, signifying that the flames were weakening.
The 3 climbed their way to the cliffs again, planning to return to the Lagoon.
Reaching the top, they saw that most of the fire was already extinguished. What was left were weakening embers, glowing from the remnants of the burnt trees.
The wet rocks, the moist air, and the pools of water in the high crevices of the cliffs - it would certainly make one wonder what Calla did to extinguish the flames.
In the middle of the Lagoon, they saw Calla floating on the water. The image of Calla’s senseless body made Triggs and the others rush to the water.
Triggs grabbed Calla’s unconscious body. “Calla! Hey, Calla!” he uttered as he tried to wake up his friend.
To their relief, Calla responded with a soft moan. “Ughh……”
“Calla, are you alright?”
“I… I’m fine. I’m just tired…” Calla replied with a faint voice. “Did you catch the creature?”
“No. But we had a glimpse of what it was.”
“Re… Really?”
Lae answered, “It was a huge bird, and it seemed like it was preying on the Bangus.”
“Scary…” Calla murmured.
“You need to rest, Calla. I’ll carry you back in the Domain,” Triggs offered.
“No… I can still move on my own,” Calla mumbled. She was planning to conjure Primordial Water again, but she was too weak to even clasp her hands.
“No! Whether you like it or not, you’ll be riding on my back,” Triggs insisted.
Carefully, Triggs placed Calla’s sloppy body on her back.
“So… Sorry, Triggs…”
“Don’t mind it.”
The team walked their way back to the Domain.
…
…
…
Some Sirenas and Shokoys were waiting on the sandy beach of the Domain. They were waiting for the team’s return.
It didn’t take too long until Triggs and the others returned to the Domain. On their arrival, they were crowded by the worried Sirenas.
“What happened to her?” a concerned Sirena uttered, asking about Calla who was now snoozing off on Triggs’ shoulder.
“She extinguished the flames outside by herself,” Triggs answered. “She also forced herself to move the water in the pathway. I think she drained all of her energy using her Words.”
The Sirenas became more worried.
“We have to bring her to Lola Bonging,” the Sirena suggested. “We just need to get a raft to move her across the water.”
Without wasting time, some of the Sirena took off to get a raft for Calla.
“If you want, you can come with us in the Room of Majesty,” another Sirena invited Triggs.
“The Room of Majesty is where Lola Bonging stays, it was also where Paglaom used to spend her time when she was still living here,” a Shokoy explained.
Triggs and the others accepted the invitation.
…
…
…
The Room of Majesty was just like a luxury hall. In the middle, there was a shallow pond, and directly above that was a glowing stalactite that looked like a mini version of the Moon Stalactite outside.
Bathing on the shallow pond was Isha, who seemed to have already regained her strength. Isha was slowly munching down the weird-looking seaweeds in the pond.
Inside the room, there were Ikos and the other Sirenas. However, the team went to the place for a particular Sirena: the one who was noticeably the oldest inside the Room.
The said Sirena has silver-grey hair. Her human skin was already baggy and the luster in her scales was already dull, signifying her old age. By the looks of her, it could be assumed that she was decades older than Vega herself.
“Lola Bonging! Paglaom needs your help!” one of the Shokoys yelled.
However, the old Sirena seemed not to hear the yelling.
“LOLA BONGING!! PAGLAOM NEEDS YOUR HELP!” the Shokoy repeated with a much louder voice.
“Huh? What?” Bonging mumbled with a shaky hum.
The Shokoy sighed. He just approached Bonging and yelled directly into the elder’s ear.
“Lola Bonging, we brought Paglaom here. She needs your help.”
Finally, the elder heard it this time. “Huh? Where?” Bonging mumbled.
The Shokoy showed the way and walked Bonging to Calla.
Bonging thoroughly examined the unconscious Calla.
“Mmm… What happened to her?” Bonging asked.
“She's been using her Words for multiple times now. I believe it has already drained all of her remaining energy,” Triggs answered.
“Mmm… Sorry, what?”
One of the Sirenas advised, “You need to say it louder. Her ears are already rusty.”
Triggs took the advice, he repeated what he said in a higher volume.
“I SAID, SHE DRAINED ALL HER ENERGY USING HER WORDS!!”
The shout made Bonging flinch. “Oh my! You don’t need to shout. Mmm… What a disrespectful kid…”
Triggs was afraid of the reaction.
“Please excuse her. She’s already old, that’s why she’s like that,” Ikos consoled Triggs.
“Uhm… okay? Hehe…”
“Bring her over there,” Bonging ordered them.
Triggs followed the command, she lay Calla on a stone slab inside the Room.
“KRAAAAA~”
Isha seemed to notice the commotion. She was worried about Calla.
“KRAAAAA~”
“Don’t worry, Lady Isha. She will be okay,” Ikos consoled the Turtle.
Bonging grabbed a handful of seaweed from the pond. She went to Calla, as she observed the body.
Seconds later, she forcefully opened Calla’s jaw and jammed all the seaweeds into the lady’s mouth.
“Gamgam… Get that chalice over there…”
“Lola Bonging, it’s me, Ikos,” Ikos complained.
Bonging didn’t seem to care. “Get the chalice, Gamgam…”
Ikos had no choice but to follow Bonging. She grabbed the chalice from a stone table at the far side of the Room.
Bonging grabbed the chalice from Ikos’ hand and poured the water content into Calla’s mouth. After that, she closed the mouth and forced the unconscious lady to chew the seaweed.
Shortly later, Calla finally regained consciousness. She sprung on the bed, as she tried to spit out the seaweed.
“Hep, hep, hep… Swallow it, Paglaom,” Bonging urged.
“So… bitter…” Calla mumbled as she munched the weed against her will.
“KRAAAAA~”
Calla was so delighted to see Isha healthy again. She forced her still-weak body out of the bed to hug Isha.
“Isha! I’m so happy you’re finally in good condition,” Calla said.
“KRAAAAA~”
The Room was filled with smiles as they saw Calla and Isha finally regain their strength. However, the heartwarming scene didn’t last as someone from the crowd of Sirenas finally asked,
“Did you find out what caused the shockwaves?”
After that question, the mood inside the room became serious again.
“We’re still not sure. But we found out something important,” Lae answered.
Triggs and Lae narrated everything to the Sirenas.
