The Spirit Martial

Spirit 41

“What took you so long?” Kali asked. We decided to meet the others at the ship kasi baka magtaka sila.

“Sorry, medyo natagalan kasi ang pag-uusap namin ni mama,” sabi ko and Gin nodded.

“So, is everything fine?” Tempest asked.

“Yes,” sagot ko at agad akong napatingin kay Kailani. He seemed … a bit happy?

“Ang tagal grabe, nagugutom na ako. Tara Cygnus, kumain muna tayo,” he said and grabbed me to the table.

Kumain nga kami and I can’t help myself from looking at him. Parang wala lang nangyari kung umasta siya but I guess that’s fine. At least I was able to tell him I’m here for him always. Even if the world will go against us, I don’t mind being the last man standing beside him. Just like what he taught me, he doesn’t want me to be behind him who follows order from him all the time, but I must be a comrade who stays beside him no matter what happens and that’s what I’m planning to do. Even if he’ll get married and have some kids, I will protect him and their family even if it will cost my life.

The dishes looked delicious, they even had this roasted lamb. I never knew that lamb meat is this tender and juicy or siguro dahil mahusay lang magluto sina Gin. They actually cooked almost all of the food.

“Is Argo not with you guys?” I asked.

“Oh, his team is assigned to a different venue but they also teach people like we did earlier.” Gin replied. Right, we have to guard Argo kahit sinabi pa ni Lor sa akin na wala siyang planong tulongan ang pamilya niya para kunin ang trono. I still don’t trust them both.

“Have started preparing?” biglang tanong ni Tempest at nagtinginan kaming apat.

“Preparing for what, Prince Gin?” Nieve clarified. I wonder if it’s okay to tell to stop calling us with honorifics, we’re in the same team wearing the same badge. It’s kind of awkward.

“The contestant selection for Mahika Tournament will be after this first mission. Professors will choose students who are capable and we get to choose the final contestants,” Gin replied. Oo nga pala, ito rin. Isa sa dapat naming gawin. This is one of the King’s mission.

“Oh about that,” Kali said and he swallowed the tiger shrimp he was chewing. “We’ll get into that after we get the scarlet stone,” he added at napatigil silang dalawa ni Gin at Tempest.

“Scarlet stone? The dragon’s heart?” Gin asked and we nodded.

“Do you know anything about in by any chance?” Kailani asked at nagtinginan sila.

“Well, Gambier Island doesn’t have any alive dragon at all,” Tempest said at kumunot ang noo ko. Doesn’t have any alive dragon? Does he mean that the Gambier has a dragon but it’s dead?

“Anong ibig mong sabihin?” tanong ko.

“Nabasa ko iyon kanina. One of the sacred books in the library.” sagot niya. Ah buti pa siya nabasa niya kasi kami hindi pwede. “I’m not really sure if I remember well but there is a dragon here but it’s hidden and dead. The scarlet stone is with that dragon pero hindi nga nila sinabi doon kung nasaan ito.” he added at kumain ng lobster.

“How the hell can we search for the dead dragon?” tanong ko and I sighed. No wonder they gave us a week to complete this mission.

“But there was some kind of riddle in that book. You should go and read them. Nandoon lang naman sa library ng school mo dati, Cygnus. Alam mo naman nasaan iyon di ba?” Tempest asked at tumango ako.

“But can we even read it? The last time I checked, hindi ako pinayagan.” sabi ko at napahinga ng malalim.

“You’re wearing a royal badge now, Cygnus. Of course they will let you,” sagot naman ni Gin. Oh, right.

The night was long at mas nakilala pa namin si Gin. Sinabi rin nila na mahirap na pair sila at magkapatid pa kasi minsan nag-aaway rin sila sa ibang bagay. They even courted the same princess and they were both dumped as well. It was funny kasi hindi bakas sa mukha nila na may ganitong attitude pala sila. They are intimidating but they’re fun to be with. We all have the same age after all so I guess that made sense. After that long night, we decided to go back to our inn to rest and proceed with our mission tomorrow. Defeating a dragon is heart but finding a dead dragon is something else.

When we got back to our inn, isa-isa kaming pumasok sa room namin para magpahinga. I guess everyone was tired kasi walang isang salita ang lumbas talaga mula sa aming mga bibig at dumiretso lang kami sa room. I blew the candle that serves as my light and I closed my eyes. The school’s mission is to find the Spirit Martial so basically, I have to find my father and clean his name. Will this be enough to repay my parent’s kindness? I wonder about that.

I opened my eyes when I heard the birds chirping. It’s morning now huh. Bumangon ako at nagulat ako nang makita ko si Kailani na nasa lob ng room ko at nakaupo na. He was eating a bread at agad siyang napatingin sa akin.

“This is my room, why are you here?” I asked and he handed me one bread.

“Why not?” he asked and I frowned. Ewan ko talaga sa taong to.

Tumayo na ako at kinain ang bread na binigay niya.

“Kanino galing to? Inns here have no free food,” sabi ko.

“Your mom came by and asked me to give these breads to everyone. Nabigyan ko na sina Kali at ikaw nalang ang tulog kaya nandito ako. I was really about to wake you up kaso pinagalitan ako ni Kali and told me I should wait for you to wake up on your own,” sabi niya.

“Pwede naman akong gisingin, bakit ayaw ni Kali?” tanong ko at hinubad ang suot kong pang-itaas para pumasok sa maliit na cr dito at maligo.

“He told me you should rest because maybe you have a hard time accepting things. Papunta na sila sa school para basahin ang book pero sinabihan niya ako na bantayan muna kita dito while they go search on their own for now.” he responded and I smiled. A caring and considerate team captain. Hindi nga kami nagkamali na asahan siya.

“I’m fine already so I’ll go take a bath at hintayin mo ako sa labas,” sabi ko at tumayo na siya.

“Alright then,” he replied at binuksan ang pinto. “5 minutes, okay?” he said at tumango ako.

“That’s too long,” sabi ko at tuloyan na nga siyang lumabas.

Is it my imagination or mas naging maayos ang pagsasama namin ni Kailani? Kinain ko muna ang natitirang tinapay at pumasok ako sa CR at nagmadaling maligo. After taking a bath and brushing my teeth, nagbihis ako ng uniform- the normal uniform we had at school kasi mas komportable kami na suot iyon. I wore my earrings that covered all lobes at umalis na ako.

Bumaba ako sa inn at naabutan ko si Kailani na nakatayo doon habang tinititigan ang mga bulaklak. The crowd was staring at him, mostly girls. Napangiti ako nang napansin iyon kasi naisip ko rin kagabi na kapag ikakasal siya, pagsisilbihan ko pa rin siya. Nakita na niya ako at agad niya akong sinalubong na may ngiti.

“Let’s go?’ he asked.

“Sure,” sagot ko.

“Why the hell are you smiling like that?” he asked.

“It’s just funny. Girls are fond of you, hindi nila alam na siraulo ka,” I teased and he frowned.

“Whatever, it’s not like I’m into them.” he responded at naglakad na kami pareho.

“Come on, you don’t have to hide your lust,” I teased again and he looked pissed.

“I said I’m not into girls, Cygnus,” reklamo niya at tumawa ako. “There is no way I’d give you a bite mark when we had se-” putol niyang sabi kasi tinakpan ko na ang bibig niya. He peeked through my scarf to see the bite mark he made before when we … when we did that … that deed. “It’s fading. I think I should do another-” putol niyang sabi ulit kasi sinapak ko na talaga ang ulo niya.

“K-K-Kailani, s-stop mentioning things like that in public!” reklamo ko and he just gave me a sarcastic smile.

“You teased me first though,” he said sarcastically at ramdam ko ang pag init ng mukha ko.

I grabbed his scarf papalayo sa mga tao para makapunta na kaagad kami sa school. He was laughing the whole time and it pissed the hell out of me. Teasing him first was not a good idea at all. Binitawan ko na siya nang medyo malayo na kami. He was smiling the whole time hanggang sa makarating kami sa school. It was weekday so the school is full. I saw some of my classmates before who’s taking an advance class and usually, they tease me but now? Hindi man lang sila makatingin ng diretso sa akin.

Pumasok kaagad kami sa school at naglakad papunta sa library. The students stared at us like we were some kind of aliens. I saw the girl who stopped me yesterday at nabigla nalang ako nang inakbayan ako ni Kailani kaya napatigil ako.

“What the hell are you doing”? I asked.

“I told you you won’t like it when I’m possessive,” he replied with a smirk at binatokan ko ulit siya kaya napabitaw siya.

“Possessive your ass, it’s not like I’m going anywhere,” sagot ko naman at nauna na akong maglakad.

“You’re not?” he asked at napalingon ako sa kaniya.

“I will never. Even if you get to marry someone someday, I will never go anywhere,” I replied at bigla siyang ngumiti.

“Cut that marry thing, I’m not marrying anyone. I told you, I’m not into girls,” he replied.

“Then what? You’re into beasts?” I teased and he laughed.

“If you’re the beast then I don’t mind,” he replied ant what the hell. My heart jus skipped a beat. Am I going crazy?!