Chapter 25
The Miracle Plants
Shamante cleaned up Sophia’s wounds with the extracts of guava leaves, which were believed by their tribe, to possess antiseptic properties, and dried them with the tiny leaves of ogbo tree, presumed to relieve the pain. Next, he pulverized the magical ula-ula and hala-hala shrubs (found exclusively in Kravena), using clay mortar and pestle, and applied them directly on Sophia’s wounds. Then, he used the hard and wide stalks of the two magical shrubs to hold up the poultice. Right after that, Shamante asked Rabel to ignite a candlestick made of hayan (a mixture of different aromatic herbs), which could send a comforting effect to Sophia’s nostrils.
Everyone watched and waited for the results.
Now done and feeling confident, Shamante stood up and approached Datu Ilak, but he was quickly reminded by the datu not to reveal anything to anyone, otherwise, grave punishment would be bestowed upon him. Shamante heartedly agreed, and left.
Before long, Sophia gained consciousness. Bit by bit, she opened her weary eyes. Then, she was enormously shocked to see how different her new world had become.
Such strange environment! Bamboo walls designed with woven coconut leaves!
She looked up and saw a roof made up of huge dried leaves that she was unfamiliar with! Furthermore, she was dazed to find herself lying on a bed that looked like nests. She tried to look around once more, and was repeatedly shocked at everything. It was all so... so alien!
Now, a pair of huge, white wings appeared before her eyes!
Terrified, she screamed, but Abanir, in a flash, covered her mouth to stop her. Her eyes grew wider and wider—from second to second—as he tried to hush her.
A masculine man with a pair of gigantic white wings at his back! Sophia was about to collapse. But for a heart-stopping moment, there was this eye-to-eye that they shared—ocean-blue eyes and sky-blue eyes—both dilated, unblinking.
With bedazzled eyes, now Abanir gently put his hand away from her mouth. He looked down and noticed that her hands were shivering. He tried to speak, but Sophia could not understand him.
Abanir realized that she could not understand him and so, he started communicating, using signs.
Sophia looked at him, for the moment.
Moment by moment, he tried to read her mind.
Sophia returned his look; her face displayed boundless fright. She was still traumatized by his very different appearance. Suddenly it hit her. Her sketch! The memory of her sketch reminded her of those gargantuan pair of wings! It was exactly the same!
At some point, she risked touching those beautiful white feathers. Then, she suddenly felt the pain on her foot. She looked down and was surprised to see some odd leaves wrapped around her foot. (She didn’t know they were—leaves.)
Abanir explained by using signs, but Sophia found it really hard to understand him.
Abruptly, they were distracted when Datu Ilak, Reyna Kaya, and Rabel opened the door.
Sophia’s heart pounded faster and louder. Her massive shock intensified, but Abanir was attentive enough to try to pacify her.
Like a bolt out of the blue, Sophia’s world was thrown upside-down.
“Human, do not be afraid!” Datu Ilak said, but his tone put Sophia into further panic, because she could not understand his words.
Reyna Kaya witnessed her boundless fright, and attempted to ease her, by patting her hair.
Sophia trembled to the extreme, but eventually, she realized that she wasn’t going to be harmed, after all.
They all ended up ogling Sophia who, then, did not know what to do next.
