Dark… it swirls around me.
"Risen up!"
Huh?
"Risen up!"
"Up! Up! Up!"
What?
"Risen up!"
"UP! UP! UP!"
Wait… who… who are you?
Silence...
Wait...
Who's that...
Breathing...?
"... four eleven."
"AHHHH!" Ilaya gasped, she jolted up. She looked around her surroundings, the blurry becoming clear, she is in a make-shift bed. Outside she can hear the sound of the river, and her wounds are wrap with leaf. "Where… am I?"
She rechecked her surroundings, the place seemed abandoned. Just who brought her here? Slowly, she stands up and walked outside. She's still in the forest… and despite the tragic night… today seems a good morning.
The birds chirp, butterlies fly around, it seems peaceful then suddenly she remember the kid. "Oh, no!" But before she panics she heard a chuckle, not a taunt from a monster but a sweet sound from a child. She followed the voice, it lead her to the garden, backyard of the small hut. There she saw the kid being babied by dwarfs, Ilaya stilled. "What the heck?" Her eyes widen. The dwarfs immediately ran after seeing her, leaving the baby behind. Slowly she picked the kid, cradling him in her small arms. "I need to go check the village."
Despite having many question she leave the hut, she's not that stupid, she know someone helped her last night—that melodic voice but dangerous, surely it was a river spirit known as naiad but it is said all the river spirit had left, all but one. "Ilawod…" she whisper the name. Ilaya doesn't want to believe that the unapproachable spirit helped her, saved her, and the baby. She is thankful to those fairies who also helped, to the acacia dryads who catched them, and to the enigmatic Ilawod. But, one thing bothered her, just what happened to her last night? What was that sudden surged of energy? The manefistation? The scythe? The strength? Maybe… it's her nature? But, how can she do those stuff knowing she is always define as weak? Ilaya still think about that until she set foot in front of their village. Now, she can clearly see the scar last night. Blood in the land, where they toiled away to feed their stomach, houses are destroyed—their shelter, and lives… some lives vanished.
The villager's chief jolted towards Ilaya. "My son!" He took the baby and embraced him. "Thank goodness! You are safe!"
One elderly went closer and tap Ilaya's shoulder. "Ilaya, I'm glad you survived last night."
Another villager man with bulk shoulder nod. "Yeah, you were chased by a fiesty manananggal. We thought you wouldn't make it."
Ilaya exhaled. "I… nature helped me."
"Nature? You mean the spirits?" The elderly woman asked, disbelief.
Ilaya nodded. "Last night… I thought I won't survive too. But, nature helped when we least expected."
Murmurings begun to circle around. Some villagers looked down in shame. They've been cruel to nature; throwing trash everywhere, and poisoning the forest. And yet… nature helped?
"You wouldn't believe it! Believe me! The unapproachable river spirit helped too!"
"Huh? You mean the last remaining river spirit? The Ilawod?" They all exclaimed in shocked.
Ilaya nodded eagerly. "I heard his voice-"
"WHAT? The voice of a naiad?" Women screamed, terrified instead of glamoured.
Ilaya nodded again timidly this time as if remembering the voice she heared last night. "The Ilawod has a very soothing voice but dangerous. He's the one who killed the tiktik leader. And then black out."
"Oh? That's cool! But what happened to the manananggal who chased you?" The kids asked, interested as if they're hearing a heroic deeds.
This time Ilaya hesitate. She's uncertain. Will she tell them about what happened to her? What if the village will shun her? Call her monster and kill her? "I…" It seems it's hard to speak.
"Don't tell me it's the Ilawod who defeated the winged monster?!" The kid exclaimed, energtically.
Ilaya was taken aback but smiled as she nods. "Y-yeah."
"Ilawod is a super hero!" The kid jumped, excitedly.
The elder women reprimanded the kids. "Children, don't idolized the water nymph! They're vicious, they prey on humans. Don't come closer to the river alone. And stop thinking the Ilawod is a superhero because Ilawod is a monster!"
"I knew it! It's too impossible if it were you," the Villager Chief said, shaking his head. "I mean… you are not capable. Against a monster? You won't stand a chance." He glanced toward his men who received damages and the lying dead bodies.
Ilaya stared at his eyes. Not capable? They underestimate me. She thought.
The people went back to their business; fixing the houses and cleaning up mess, they didn't notice Ilaya's fist, gripping tightly her will not to yell. These people has the habit of judging someone by their appearance.
The elder women helped Ilaya but they're flabbergusted because there's no more wounds. "Where did you get these leaves?" They asked, disbelief, caressing the leaf wrap around Ilaya's arms.
"Uh, I don't know…"
"Girl! This leaves are enchanted, these are herbal plants mostly use by nymphs and can only grow underwater, the realms of water nymphs!"
That information struck Ilaya, it only prove her hunch that Ilawod maybe helped her wounds too. "I… I don't know…"
"Heavens! Perhaps a nature spirit helped you! Could it be the Ilawod?" One wondered.
The other one shook her head. "Don't be confused. It's impossible! That Ilawod is unapproachable and despises the human race."
"But the Ilawod is the only remaining water nymph of the river. If not him who?" Someone asked.
Ilaya couldn't answer, all she know is that Ilawod helped her last night and maybe he was the one who helped her wounds too.
"Darling, better get enough rest. Stay here. And drink the vial, it's from herbal plants. Your wounds are healed but we must make sure the invisible wounds too."
Ilaya only nodded, slowly. The elder women smiled and left. Ilaya now is alone inside the small old shack. She can hear the whispering outside, the movement of the village. To Ilaya, what happened last night is a discovery, an answer that she's more than a skeleton girl this village sought her.