The Spirit Martial

Spirit 48

“Calm down, calm dowm,” sabi ko habang tinatapik ang likoran ni Jill habang sumusuka. Nanang nakarating kasi sila dito nakita nila itong katabi naming walang buhay at ang masaklap pa, wala na ngang buhay, wala pang likod kaya ito sumusuka si Jill kasi hindi niya kayang makakita ng ganito. Normally, this would be my reaction too pero sa dinamidami ko nang nakita galing sa past mission ko? This is not even the half of it. Paano na lang kaya nang makita niya ang mga sundalo doon na wala ng bewang? Baka hihimatayin na ito.

“What the hell did I just see-” di niya natapos na sabi kasi sumuka na naman ulit siya.

“Just take your time,” sabi ko at napahinga ako ng malalim. Napatingin ako sa likoran at kagaya ko, isa-isang kinomfort nina Kali sina Edwardo at Aaron. Edwardo was just standing there habang tinititigan ang corpse pero namumutla ang nanlalamig na. Kailani was giving off light heat to him para hindi siya matuloyan. Aaron, on the other hand was - well, nakahiga na siya sa sahig at namumutla srin. Alam ko na talaga na ganyan ang reaction niya because everytime he sees blood before? Tatakbo siya pero ito ngayon- taong walang likod talaga. Kali was calling his name pero hindi na siya sumasagot.

“Baka patay na iyan,” Kailani said and he suddenly chuckled. “ Buti nga,” he added at biglang humawak si Nieve sa shoulder niya.

“How about you make him more comfortable, Your Highness?” Nieve said with a smile. Ito na naman. “Prince Kali, palit kayo ni Prince Kailani,” he added.

“What? No-” di matapos na sabi ni Kailani nang humigpit ang hawak ni Nieve sa kamay shoulder niya. His uniform even had ice particles already.

“I said, switch, Your Highness,” he added and Kailani slowly looked away. Ayan, ang kulit kasi.

Well, hindi ko na sila pinansin at pinagpatuloy ko ang pag-comfort kay Jill pero binabantayan ko pa rin ang kweba na nasa likoran ng waterfall kasi kitang-kita dito. Wala akong nakitang lumabas o pumasok pero alam kong mayroong kababalaghan doon- ramdam ko. When I first came here, I nticed something odd pero hindi ko pinansin. Also, may folktale rin akong nabasa tungkol sa isang sekretong kweba sa isla- who would have thought that our mission was the folktale itself.

“I’m fine now, Cyg- Your Highness,” Jill said and I frowned. He can call me by his name but I’m sure hindi maggutohan iyon ni Kailani.

“Alright,” I said at bumitaw na ako sa likoran niya.

Nauna akong natapos kaya I kept that corpse myself. Nandidiri ako noong una pero a part of feels pity to him. Medyo nagugulohan nga ako habang nililibing ko siya kasi hindi ko rin alam kung paano nangyari ito sa kanya. Right after we heard his second scream, dumating naman kami doon after 2 minutes only so most probably, the one who did this is either gigantic or just hella strong. Or it could actually be both.

It took me an hour and a half to finish burying him. Hindi ko naman talaga siya kilala, pero nakikita ko talaga siya dito paminsan-minsan. Dito lang rin siya nakatira sa bundok kaya sigurado akong wala talagang maghahanap sa kanya which makes it more sad. I stared at the grave that I just made at napaisip ako, I wonder if may nalulungkot ba nang namatay ako sa kabilang mundo. Alam ko na mang reincarnated ako dito pero hindi naman katawan ko, kaluluwa lang so ano na kaya ang nangyari sa katawan ko doon? May nakakita ba? Did I float? May kumuha ba sa akin? Did I have a nice grave? Or was I abandoned? I wonder if they felt happy now that I’m dead. I wonder what they felt like.

“Cygnus,” Kailani called at napalingon ako.

“How’s the others?” I asked at umupo siya sa ilalim ng puno.

“Good, they just need a rest at papasok na kaagad tayo sa kweba,” he responded at tumabi muna ako sa kanya habang pinagmamasdan ang mga batong nakapatong-patong bilang simbolo ng isang grave.

“I can’t believe you were able to touch that corpse,” he said and chuckled. “You know that guy?” he asked at umiling ako.

“Not really, I just saw him here before. He lives up there and he collects herbs,” I explained at tumango siya.

“If we just arrived sooner, we might have saved him,” he said with a deep sigh.

“I wished we did arrive sooner.” sabi ko at yumuko. “I can’t witness more deaths, not to mention this rough killings. Baka kaya ko pa ngayon pero sooner, mahihirapan na ako. I’m afraid that I’ll lost myself in the process, you get me?” I asked and he nodded.

“Losing yourself means losing your conscience. Baka darating nga ang panahon na hindi na tayo masasaktan sa mga makikita nating ganito. Ang saklap kapag nangyari talaga iyon,” he replied at tumango ako.

“You think we’ll turn out like that?” I asked.

“I doubt.” he replied at tumingin ako sa kanya. He was smiling while looking above. “I will try my best to stop that from happening. Lalo na ikaw,” he added at tumingin siya sa akin. “I can’t let your innocence die. It’s one of the reason why I like you,” bigla niyang sabi at bigla uminit ang mukha ko. Why the hell is he telling me he likes me with a straight face. Sira ba siya?!

“Shut up Kailani, let’s go back,” sabi ko at tumawa siya. Tumayo kaming dalawa at kumuha ng bulaklak sa tabi at linagay sa ginawa kong grave. Rest in Peace.

We gave our respects at umalis na kami para puntahan sila. Everyone was fine already pero si Aaron, nandoon pa rin ang pamumutla kahit nakatayo na siya ng maayos.

“That was unexpected,” Kali said with a nervous smile at napatingin sa kweba na nasa likoran ng waterfall.

“Yeah,” sabi ko at napalunok na lang ako. “Something’s in there,” I added.

“Edwardo, go warn the authorities now,” Kali instructed. “Just run as fast as you could, do not stop. This is an emergency. Do not face monsters. Do not waste time, this is an emergency,” he added. Why ? Alam niya ba kung ano ang nangyayari??!

“Kali?” I called. “What’s wrong? Why are you panicking?” I asked.

“You have read folktales about the secret caves?” he asked at nagtinginan kaming lahat.

“O-Opo,” Aaron replied.

“Did you remember anything about goblins?” he asked at napatigil ako. He’s right!! There are goblins! “Giant goblins, to be exact,” he added at parang may bumara sa lalamunan ko nang maalala ang nabasa ko. Ayon nga don, the secret cave is hidden because of an enormous power na nakatago doon. Whoever tries to steal the power will be killed. I’m not sure if the guy that I just buried tried to get it pero isa lang ang importante dito, napakadelikado.

Based on what I remember also, the goblin is not an ordinary goblin. They are magic goblins who uses magics kagaya namin. Normally, goblins are weak and small but in that folktale, goblins are huge. They don’t use weapons because they use magic.

“W-W-W-We’ll go in there?” Aaron asked at tumango kaming apat. “T-T-That’s the mission?!! That’s too hard!” reklamo niya.

“I’d rather do this mission than closing a Pandora’s Box,” I answered at tumango silang tatlo.

Wala kaming ibang nagawa kung hindi naglakad papunta doon. Jill and Aaron were hesitant pero as if may choice sila hindi ba? Pumasok kami sa kweba at sinalubong kami ng malakas na hangin.

“A strong wind coming inside this cave?” Kailani asked at kumunot ang noo niya. “That’s weird. There is no way a cave has this kind of wind, caves are intact at mas logical kung may papasok na hangin, kaysa may lalabas na mula sa loob,” he added at napatingin sa akin.

“Unless if it’s because of something else,” sabi ko at tumingin kami pareho sa loob. Wala kaming masyadong nakikita dahil sa kadiliman pero alam namin na may nakatingin sa aming direction at kung ano man iyon, iyon talaga ang pumatay sa taong nakita namin and dahilan kung bakin sinalubong kami ng malakas na hangin.

“Something else?” Aaron asked.

“Yeah, like goblins?” I replied and a huge foot suddenly in front of us at napatingin kaming lahat nito. The foot has a lot of bruises and wala itong suot na slippers o kung ano man.

“Crap,” Aaron cussed.

“Yeah, really crap,” I replied and the next thing I knew, the goblin’s body and heat appeared out from the darkness.

Another monster, jeez.