Chapter 1: Chapter 1: A summer vacation
Sunshine gleam upon the gloomy room of Jasmine. She was waken up by the birds chirping by her window and the smell of bacon filled the room. Jasmine opens her eyes and thought to herself how she will see this summer vacation to the fullest; adventures with grandpa and grandma by the river, or swimming with mom and dad at the beach or just chilling in this big mansion of her grandparents filled with cool stuff in it.
Slow and sleepy, yet she pulls her legged and stretch her arms to get out of bed. She is excited to start the day; of course, every kid is excited to start their summer vacation.
She readies herself and ran out the room. A loud creaking sound is heard when she steps on the old wooden floors of this mansion. She always visits her grandparents every summer vacation but this is the first time she heard cracks on the floor.
Jasmine thought she is getting heavier since she is getting bigger every year; a 10 year old girl won't break this wooden floor but running might so she carefully walk not to destroy any floors.
Grandpa Rudy is by the stairs on his rocking chair and while reading his newspaper. Jasmine sees this opportunity to give his grandpa a good scare.
She walks to him slowly on her tip toe maneuver. She walks with cat like agility and readies herself to give her grandpa a scare. Then suddenly the floor creaks and his grandpa laugh.
"Jasmine, you really think you can catch up to me like that? I already heard the creaking sounds when you left your room." said Grandpa Rudy as he puts down his newspaper in his lap.
"Argh! No fair. The floors gave me away." said Jasmine while pouts then she turned into a smile and hugged her grandpa. "Missed you and Grandma Rose! We should go for a fishing trip to day!"
"Ah. Yes, we shall Jasmine but first change your clothes. You are not a young girl anymore. You're a lady. Please change to your clothes and let's eat down stairs." her grandpa frown his one brow while eyeing her with her pajamas on.
She suddenly realized she hasn't changed her clothes. She woke up in a hurry and haven't even change into her everyday clothes.
She hastily runs to her room and get changed into her red shirt and blue shorts. As she runs toward the exit, her left foot fell though the floor. She panic and tries to pull her leg out but to no avail.
She isn't in any pain but she feels something stings her foot underneath the wooden floor.
"Grandpa! My leg is stuck at the floor! Help!" she cries on the top of her lungs. She was afraid that underneath the wooden floor is some old rusty nail pierced her foot and imagined she might get infected and later needs to be admitted to the hospital. She was scared that this rusted nail will cause her this summer vacation.
She tries her best to pull her leg out while screaming for help. The door was not lock and it isn't big enough to suppress the sound of her voice, especially on this old wooden house. She tried her best to yank her foot of the floor but the cracks on the floor got bigger.
She panics and saw the floor underneath her was beginning to give way. She screams and screams but her grandpa didn't come to the rescue. Not even her parents or grandma heard her. It was silent.
She stopped screaming and tried to listen. Only the rustling of the leaves outside the window is heard but not a sound from her folks. She also realized the smell of bacon is gone. Then the floor gave way and she fell through a hole.
She screamed and her flail her arms in the air while she falls through a bottomless hole. The last thing on her mind was the summer vacation. Only fear of dying from falling is in her mind. Then a flash of violet light filled the bottomless hole and she saw another kid falling with her.
The kid is free falling just like Jasmine and the kid turned and looked at Jasmine. Jasmine took a good look at the kid, she sees this one is not older than her, got ponytails and sees this girl is clutching a big book on her chest.
The kid looked at Jasmine's eyes. . . and she did, Jasmine felt her fears of falling is gone. As if this kid's stare have her assurance she wont die from this fall. As Jasmine feels safe this kid yelled "Hey. Your next! Good luck Chronicler!"
Then the big book's pages flies out and flutter everywhere. The pages began to fill the space between them and began to covered Jasmine. She tries her hardest to make sense of what is happening but the pages of the book began to slap in to her face and body.
It got everywhere and eventually the pages covered her body and eyes, preventing Jasmine from seeing anything. "Is this how am I going to die?" The last thing she yelled before she fell unconscious.
When she came to, she found herself atop in a hill, she sees this hill is clear from any debris and it smells like grass with morning dew. She sees that she is in a shade and looked behind her to see what happened after she fell and where did she fell on.
Behind her, a hallowed trunk of a tree and as she pans higher, she sees this giant balete tree behind her; it is so big that she estimates it to be tall as a 5 story building.
She is confused. How did I fall here? What time is it? Where my grandparents and where am I? things that runs on her head is making her panic. She is trying her best to understand the circumstances she is in.
The confusion sets in and she begins to cry. I dont know what to do. . . Why am I here?
She cries herself alone as she is trying to look for any signs of life but all she sees are grass everywhere and some mountains on the horizon.
A breeze past her and her worries seems to carried away from her. This wind, she feels the wind reassured her safety here and not to worry.
As Jasmine begins to calm down, she felt somebody behind her is breathing.
She turned her head and she saw a creature with a body of a man but his head is covered with a white skull of a deer with wide horns. She panics and screamed "Who are you?! Stay back!" Jasmine yelled and crawls back to the balete tree behind her.
The figure bows and placed a giant book in front of her. "Chronicler, I am Leshin. A guardian of the forest. I have done what you instructed us and delivered this book to you." the creature said in his calm and reassuring voice. Jasmine took a look at the creature and thinks that this creature is well clothed and well-spoken for a creature that might eat children.
"What are you? A demon? Where am I? And who is this Chronicler?" Jasmine said and began to stand up despite shaking with fear.
I need to stay calm. Trying my best to stay calm and make sense of what is happening. Why is this tall creature here to eat me? Jasmine tells herself as she is trying to comprehend this creature in front of her.
"Chronicler have you forgot that you instructed us to follow the passage? The passage is hard for us guardians to understand this language but on the book did lead me to you. The book told us to find you here in the under the shade of the Great Balete Tree at the 14th day of SunDance. And here I am, to return you the book."
Jasmine is confused at this moment and very scared but she remember something about this fellow named Leshin, it looked familiar and sounds like one her grandparent's bed time story.
A story about great spirits defending their forests and haunting the dreams of their enemies, a vicious warrior spirit that can control animals to their whim and wear a skull of a deer as symbol of power and fear; she remember Grandma Rose bed time story.
"Ah you are an elf warrior of the Annani?" Jasmine asked.
"Yes! I am a Annani – Leshin is my name. You are the Chronicler and it seems you do know my people. Please, we have no time to waste. We need you to get out of this land before it gets dark." said Leshin while standing up.
"Wait, what does happen when it gets dark here?" Jasmine asked but somehow she knew the answer. She anticipate ghost of old and monsters from the dark. Things that her grandparents told as bed time stories. Stories like shape shifting vampire – the aswang that roam around the area and their victims turned to ghost - white ladies.
"By morning we creatures of the light bask in the glory of the Great Balete Tree but by night it will be filled with creature of the dark like the aswang and other giants." Leshin states with great grim in his voice while he ready's himself. He reached for the book and hands to Jasmine and asked if they are ready to go.
Jasmine is confuse as ever and but reluctantly agreed. She stood up straight and thinks to herself that this world she is in is like the stories of her grandparents. Stories of old spirits that used to roam this earth; she is in awe and yet afraid to trust this creature.
She should be scared but she feels somehow Leshin can be trusted. Jasmine feels this Leshin is familiar to her, like they have met before but she is sure that this is the first time she met Leshin, let alone an elf!
She grabs the book from Leshin's hand and they walked toward the field.
"You know, I am not this 'Chronicler'. My name is Jasmine." she said while looking at Leshin. Leshin keeps walking. He reached for his pouch and grabbed something from it. He scattered the contents across the air and later it smelled pleasant rose and lavender.
Leshin keeps walking and said "You are not the Chronicler? Impossible. You came out of the Great Balete Tree just like what the White Chronicle said. It spat you out with a violet light just like the book said. And found you under it. I'd say, whatever magic or alchemy you used made your head hazy."
"Don't worry; this will make you feel better and pleasant. While we walk back to town, why don't you tell me what brought you to the Great Balete Tree in the first place?" said Leshin while scattering more of the substance to the air.
"It will be a long story Leshin." Jasmine said fumbling on the big heavy book she is carrying. Leshin saw this and hands Jasmine his made shift sling bag.
"It will be a long walk to town, Chronicler. I'm all ears."
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone