Chapter 3
A hand reached out for me and I started fidgeting, getting out from under Alta and trying best to get away. Shit! Why isn’t she moving? Still on my butt I scrambled backwards not taking my eyes off that stretching hand until I hit hard solid. It was then when I stopped moving and breathing that I heard weird things; someone speaking?
“Sistera munité sa comolaé. Sano un san, hano un han. Munité meara aveol, aveol sa munité.” It was a voice so familiar yet unrecognisable. These words came from Altas mouth, but it did not seem like she said it at all. Absolutely stunned, I just gawked at her.
“Sano un san, hano un han. Munité don orbita, mavie ka revan det.” said the bodiless eyes and hand. Taking a step towards us, I could now see all of it; him. Tall and well built, he had markings on his biceps that meant nothing to me; odd writings flowed right down to his back of the palm and to his index finger like a decoration. His hair of white seemed to shine as if there were lights in his scalp was long enough to just touch the shoulders with a little curl at the end. The eerie eyes were still swirling mix of colours which makes it hard to look away from. And in a deep voice, he then said in normal English and bowed; “Welcome home
Sistera”.
Puzzled, I blinked at him once. I blinked at him twice. I shook my head as if trying to make ripples in water so that the image will disappear but he’s still there. Smiling down at me now, the hand that I mistakenly thought to strangle me was just helping me up. But still I did not take his hand. His eyes give me the creeps and I don’t even know if I want to trust someone who has freaky eyes like those. Just a little shorter than him, Alta came from behind him and gave a pat on his shoulder.
“It’s alright, I got her.” She said with a little laugh at him and pulled me up to my feet. “Teri, this is Winter. He’s someone you can trust your life with. For other things, I’m not too sure. Especially with your food” The last was said with humour in her voice and a grin at him. Still not too sure, I just gave him a nod.
“Well I guess we should get moving then. The elders should be waiting for us.” His eyes still looking at me, he continued with a smile, “Everyone has been waiting for this moment; to welcome back our sistera munité. And I’m certainly glad to be of first to greet you home.” Why do I get the feeling that he knows me? And how in the world does Alta know him?
Lifting his palm upwards, a little spark appeared in the middle of it. The tiny light then grew bigger like a fire; but instead of a normal blue or orange fire, it was white. Dancing about on his palm, the white fire was as brighter than any lantern and it lit up the whole place.
Winter took the lead and brought us through a tunnel which led to another and another. The place was like an underground maze with many different paths that if I were to walk this alone, I would definitely die. Maybe that’s why I see skeletons lying around. I shivered at the thought. After what seemed like hours, we came to our very first dead end. Did he make a wrong turn?
Everything seemed normal. The dry floors and wall, dirt covering every inch; I wondered why we were still standing there and not turning back. Just as I was about to say something, Winter started whispering those odd words again and closed his hands together. The white flame that was once in his palm now glowed in his enclosed hands. Feeling a little wind blowing outwards from him, the markings on his fingers lighted up and flowed up to his arms.
His hands now apart, he walked towards the far end of the wall and touched it, tracing lines that I could not see. His hands meeting in the middle, I covered my eyes as a burst of light blinded me. When my eyesight cleared again, I could now see that the wall that was just there had vanished, and I could not keep my mouth from gaping open from the sight to behold.
Alta and Winter then stood to each side of the opening and bowed; greeting me like I was a princess entering on the red carpet with the once again odd language. “Guita inuet sistera munité. Welcome home.”
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