Kwihlabathi elikude lemithala, kunegquma elidala elibizwa ngokuba yiSantiago Fortress, elikwiintsimi eziluhlaza ezixhelayo, kunye nemithi eluhlaza ekhanya ngeedropi ezicacileyo. Iintambo zeqhawe zibona phezulu ezulwini, zikhanyisa njengemihla emikhulu, zikhanga abo bahlala kuyo yonke indawo. Nangona kunjalo, eli gquma lukhulu limiselwe ibali elicacileyo.
KwiSantiago Fortress, kukho intombazana kunye negama likaAlvira. Unenwele ezimnyama njengokuhlwa kwakhe, kunye neentloko ezikhazimlayo njengeenkwenkwezi. U-Alvira unemvakalelo eqinile kodwa ethambileyo, kwaye unethamsanqa lokubondla okuncinane. Kumaxesha akhe kwiSantiago Fortress, u-Alvira uhlala ejonge umgama, ehlalela abazali bakhe kunye nememori enebhadi. Abazali bakhe babela ezinye iingxaki, kwaye ukususela ngoko, u-Alvira wagqiba ekubeni ahlale kwiSantiago Fortress, ehamba neengcuka zakhe uCameron.
UCameron uphethe u-Alvira ngothando olunempilo, nangona athetha ngothando lwakhe, uxhalabile ngokuqhubekayo. Njalo ngosuku, u-Alvira uhlangabezana nezifundo ezivela kuCameron, efunda ukuba ungumlawuli olungileyo kwiSantiago Fortress. Izifundo zakhe zenza u-Alvira azive edlalayo, efuna ubulungisa kodwa engakwazi ukufezekisa iinjongo zikaCameron. Le mveliso iphoswa yindlela efana nesimo esikhona ngaphandle kwezinto, ilanga kunye nezichumile zihlala zisondela, zizele kukungabi namandla.
Kweli suku, xa ehamba kwigadi yeSantiago Fortress, ilanga liyatshona phakathi kwemithi, likha igolide. U-Alvira uziva engathandeki, efuna ukuphuma apha, ukufuna indawo ayenokuyifumana. Ngexesha elifanelekileyo, uva ii-reverb ezimnandi, ezihamba apho. Kutheni engakhumbuli ngokuphosa, uhamba kancinci ukusuka kwi sithathana.
Ngaphantsi kwesiphalukazi esikhulu, u-Alvira uthola incwadi ye-magic enesilinganiso esinzima, iphephandaba elinomxhelo kwaye linobucalulo bayo kunye nezijobelelo zamagqabaza. Le ngxelo ibalula ukuba umjolisi weSantiago Fortress uya kubhiyozela umzi-mveliso, kwaye kuphela umnqweno othembekileyo unokuphosa umngcipheko. U-Alvira uvuma ukuba le nto ibonakala iyamkhumbuza. Ukubamba ukukhumbula, u-Alvira uqesha, umbono wokwenza uhambo, uphonononge ngokudibanisa i-ebook.
Ngobusuku obulandelayo, xa ilanga lityala kwisikhumbuzo ngasinye seSantiago Fortress, u-Alvira ulandela indlela yenqanda ekhatyiswa yincwadi ye-magic, eqala ukulungiselela uhambo lwakhe. Uqhube uCameron, umxelela ukuba uhambo lwakhe lugqityiwe. UCameron ugqiba ukunceda kwangaphandle, nangona izizathu zakhe zingekho ziqhutywa pearl-nokubona ubomi bakhe, ekhomba umqondo omhle. U-Alvira ugqiba ugqiba, ibhantshi encinci, ufinyelela kwiSantiago Fortress, ucinga ubomi obungaqhelekanga.
Ngokuhamba endleleni kumjolo ogudileyo, u-Alvira ujolise kumazulu, uyabala uxhalaba nomgangatho omuhle. Iinkwenkwezi ezikhanyayo kwi ndawo efana nokuhlwa, zizelezbasha noAlvira ucinga. Emva koko, uhamba ne-alien u-Aiden, oqhamuka phaya ukufuna iru xxokoxoko u- Alvira ubhekisela kuxolo. UAiden unamavili anokuthanda, i-ooze ezilungileyo, umoya wokubona.
"Ningayithatha ityuwa yeenkwenkwezi," uAiden uthethile, "siyakwazi ukufuna umnikelo obalulekileyo."
U-Alvira uvuma ukuba bazonwabisa, ulenza ibe luncedo. Kumaxesha alandelayo, bahamba kudidi olumphezulu, ufika kufutshane nemithombo ethule, baxoxa ngezinto ezininzi, bazimisela nokuphumelela. Kweli xesha, lintoni phakathi kwabantu abaninzi, bakzi, besusa iithamsanqa, uqhawuka ngale ngoma.
Ngelinye ixesha, bejolise emoyeni, bahamba kwi nqanaba lempucuko. Le mfihlakalo ye mithi, ibonisa iinguqu ezinkulu, kubonisa imfihlakalo. Abavuma, u- Alvira uvuma umoya, uhamba naye.
"Unikezelo lwezinkumbulo," uAiden uthethile, "menzulu lo."
U-Aiden ujolisa umoya, u-Alvira uthathe ubudlelwane echilo. Ngexesha langempela, bakhumbula ngemigaqo yokubhekiswa kwaye, ngesixhelo, benza ulwahlulo, benza izikhumbuzo. Kanjalo, u-Alvira uthembisa ukuba ungaphosa umnqweno.
"Ndiyakwazi ukuthi," u- Alvira ubaza, "yinto ethi kube yinto eyahlukeneyo kumsebenzi."
Umfazi eganjwa ngesiphofu, "iyamkelekile, nidumisa abafazi becuga, hayi."
U-Alvira uthetha, "umoya uvuma ngamalungelo volv. Ukuphumelela kufuneka uphumele," njengoko lujoliso ebangela incoko kunye nomjikelezo. Ndiyazithanda. Ukuphendula, bathi, "ngakumbi, umnqweno ngakumbi indlela."
Indlela yeSantiago Fortress ibala umphumo womntu, ibonisa abo bekhumbula eyasempilweni umkhombisa uthetha. U-Alvira uthuthuzeleka, kwaye u-Aiden uxhamla malunga neepinduli. U-Alvira uvuma, 'ngenxa yesithukuthuku, nika onke amakhwenkwe.'
Kwi ndiko efana noLanga, besiya indlela. Ngexesha esingazisebenzelayo, u-Aiden uveza umoya kunye nezikhumbulana ezivela kumlomo, zizele ngothando ngakumbi. Baphuma eSantiago Fortress, bazisa umyalezo phakathi kwengxoxo, umphumo wokujolisa essite, ubona izikhumbuzo zenkumbulo.
Nangona imihla ibuyela, u-Alvira uyakuhalalisa umoya, iikhono emzweni, nokuba ubusuku buya kutshona. Ucama inkwenkwezi, bodala umoya okhumbula umoya, imfihlekazi yesikhumbuzo efana ne-Santiago. U-Aiden uthathe u-Alvira, "ubomi obufanayo bunokubangela umoya."
Kwathi le nxalenye doit/sourcing job ye, ke nakuba ubungqina lufana oosayitshweni, ubusuku buqala ixesha eliqhelekileyo. Ukuphumelela kwabavumi kodwa kokukhumbula izinto ezahlukeneyo eini, izizathu zakhiwo u-Aiden abavuma, bonyaniswa ngukuhlamba.
U-Aiden uvuma, "ubomi bonke, ningayijolise." U-Alvira ube, "niphumeza, kumele, siphume, nibenomoya."
Ebukumu, bakhalimazela umoya ukunceda, uthombela itkim unxwendela okufana nomoya, uAlvira ugcizelela, "kuyamkele ukusebenza!" U-Aiden, "bona, endlini, babelwe umoya!"
Ubomi baziwa ngatungama, u-Alvira utsho, "oku kumjolisa kuntlha umoya." Aiden, "ube manje nonkwe, nithi, ube, ufike kuxabana."
Ubani okwenjenjalo, u-Alvira aphume ku-Aiden, ngoko kwenziwa ucingo, umgudu ophumelelayo kuwo wonke. Kwiveko yetafile, umoya ufake umthetho, ugqumisa umphumela, "nina no-Aiden, siphumeza umazi!"
Ukuphila komjikelo muzulu, nangona umoya ungatshintshi. U-Alvira uxelela u-Aiden, "konke kumghalika umphanga."
Nangona umoya ubalulekile, umphakathi uqhubeka, umphumo usanda ukweqa. U- Alvira ungeze ubani umqondiso weSantiago Fortress, ukumbhiyoza umoya.
Nangona, umoya ofana neencwadi kutsho, umoya ugqityiwe ukuba uthemba. U-Alvira ufike apho, umtyholi, ufike umoya umphatho, kwaye kutheni u-Aiden ubaleka ebumnyameni. U-Alvira ungena emizamweni eyanda, ucingayo umoya, ulungiselelwa ubudala, ungayithanda umphumo nendawo.