The Spirit Martial

Spirit 44

Supposedly, papasok na talaga kami sa forest but guess what? Bumalik kami sa school kasi may pipirmahan kami dapat na tatanggapin namin sila bilang mge apprentice namin. May kontrata pala ito para naman walang dayaan dito. Ayon sa kontrata, we must not let them die unless we die with them. Anong klase kontrata ba ito? So ibig sabihin, isasama lang namin sila para ano? May prorotektahan kami? This is a nuisance.

“Talaga bang pipirma tayo?” I asked.

“Ewan ko. Ayaw ko.” tipid na sabi ni Kailani.

Naghihintay lang kami ni Kali at Nieve na nag-uusap. So far, sa lahat ng nakasulat sa kontrata- iyon lang naman ang pinakaayaw ko. Some conditions are just fine, like if they get hurt, hindi na namin kasalanan iyon. Dapata lang talaga makakablik sila ng buhay kasama namin o mamamatay sila kasama namin. Kali signed the papers along with Nieve. Wala kaming choice kung hindi sumunod. We all have our badges with us so we sealed a stamp on it using our badge. What ink did we use? Well, it’s blood. This is blood contract so hindi ito pwedeng suwayin- royalty or not.

“Is this it?” Kali asked and the teacher nodded with a smile.

“Good luck and have fun!” he said habang nakatingin nina Aaron. The teacher walked away at nanatili kaming anim doon.

Magsasalita na sana si Aaron kaso biglang tumigil siya nang nakita niya si Kali na tumingin sa kanya ng diretso.

“Before anything else,” he said at them at naglakad papalapit sa kanila. “Respeto ang kailangan ko dito,” he added. “Do not call Cygnus by his name, he’s one of us,” he added again at tumingin si Aaron sa akin na halatang hindi niya gusto iyon. “I don’t accept reasons,” Kali said coldly at tumalikod na siya at naglakad palayo. Linagpasan niya kami at sumunod kaagad sina Kailani at Nieve.

I stood there and watched the three of them staring at me. I smirked at them and I tilted my head.

“Follow me,” I said. “Apprentices,” I added at kitang-kita ko ang bakas ng inis ni Aaron habang tinitingnan ako.

Hindi ko na iyon pinansin at naglakad ako palayo. I heard their footsteps behind me kasi sumunod kaagad sila.

“What are your names by the way?” Nieve asked.

“I’m Aaron, Prince Nieve. The team captain,” he replied and Nieve frowned. Hindi yata siya sanay natatawaging prince. It’s always him calling us by that honorific.

“My name is Jill, Your Highness,” sabi ng lalaki na kasama kong ma-bully dati.

“I’m Edwardo, Your Highness,” sagot naman ng pangatlong kasamahan niya. Jill and Edwardo are fine to handle pero si Aaron? Nako, wag na.

“Thank you for letting us come!” biglang sabi ni Aaron and Nieve just nodded with a smile. Kung hindi pumayag si Nieve, hindi talaga namin dadalhin ang mga ito.

We walked all the way the forest once again at tumigil muli kami sa mga kahoy kung nasaan kami nakatambay kanina lang bago kami nagkaroon ng mga apprentice. We are close enough to the trees- close enough to be poisoned pero dahil binigyan ko sila ng immunity- they are all fine. Normally, they’d be catching their breath by now because of the poison.

“Just a quick question, Cygnus,” Kali asked at tumingin ako sa kanya.

“What is it?” I asked.

“You gave us immunity, right? Does that mean we’re immune to poisons?” he asked at ngumiti ako.

“As far as I know, I’m holding the most poisonous spirit so anything with poisons na hindi hihigitan ang poison ng spirit ko is okay. But pag may lilitaw na mas grabi ang poison magic kung ikokompara sa akin, that’s the time that the immunity I gave will not work,” I explained.

“Good,” he said at tumingin na siya ng diretso sa loob ng forest. “Lead the way, Cygnus,” he instructed.

“Yes, of course,” sabi ko at ngumiti ako ng mas malapad pa kanina. I glanced at Aaron’s team and they were flustered. “Be right behind us, okay? Baka mawala kayo,” I said with a smirk because I’m planning to go fast. No matter how fast I’ll go, kaya naman nina Kali kaya wala kong problema so my speed or should I say our speed will be their own problem. The first challenge that we will be giving to them. “Don’t fall back. Monsters are lurking within this forest and I’m sure you know it,” I added at tumango sila pero si Aaron? Kitang-ktia talaga na napipilitan lang siyang tumango.

“Tara?” Kailani said and his feet suddenly flamed. The three of them stepped back while staring at it. I bet they’re surprised. I remember that I had that kind of reaction too noong nakita ko si Kailani dito sa isla. How nostalgic.

“Let’s go now,” Kali said and his eyes changed color, even his teeth got longer. I glanced at Nieve and there was an icy aura around him already. I guess everyone’s ready. I glanced back at Aaron’s team and they seem confused.

“U-U-Um, do we need to activate our power as well, Your Highness?” Jill asked me.

“We’re not walking?” Aaron asked.

“Walking? Are you serious? Do you have a plan to delay our mission, Aaron?” I asked coldly at umiwas siya ng tingin.

“N-No. I’m sorry for asking. Y-Y-Y-Your H-Highness,” utal-utal niyang sabi. Ganon ba talaga ako kahirap respetohin at tratohin na bilang isa sa mga royalties? He could’ve said that loudly and clearly.

I summoned four vines at tinira ko ito sa mga kahoy na nasa loob mismo ng mga forest. It’s time to swing. I smiled and I jumped upward habang hinihila ko ang katawan ko palapit sa vines na nakatusok sa mga kahoy. I really love this, I feel like I’m in attack on titan pero wala nga lang titan.

I kept on swinging my body as my vines pierced into the trees and I can really tell that I was fast. Tumalikod ako and I saw Kailani who was right behind me. He was running normally usinf the branched of the tree. He had wings but he did not use it though, it could’ve been much easier. May bigla akong narinig sa ibaba at nakita ko si Kali na nakatingin sa akin at halatang naghihintay kung saan ang susunod na daan. Medyo naninibago ako sa pag tingin niya sa akin maybe because his eyes were fierce, it felt like I was being hunted by a predator. Nieve on the other hand, was beside me at hindi ko napansin. He was floating like he did when we had to close the second Pandora’s Box.

“Is something wrong?” tanong ni Kailani as he landed beside me.

“Yeah,” sabi ko habang tinititigan ang team nina Aaron na malayo pa sa amin. As expected, they didn’t activate their magic since wala naman itong silbi sa ganito. I’m not saying that their spirits are entirely useless since pareho lang naman kaming napabilang sa Botanica Family pero hindi lang talaga nila pinag-aralan ng mabuti ang spirit nila. They preferred following the book rather than modifying it. “That’s the problem,” sabi ko at lumingon silang lahat sa likoran namin.

“They are slowing us down,” sabi ko.

“I think I made the wrong choice,” Nieve said with a deep sigh and I heard Kali chuckled. Nakatayo kaming tatlo ngayon sa tree branch kaya tumalon si Kali papunta sa amin at tumabi kay Nieve.

“At ngayon mo lang talaga na realize na nakapirma na tayo,” Kali replied with a frown and I chuckled.

“Then I guess we have no choice but to deal with them. Hindi naman pwedeng ibabalik natin sila,” sabi ko at tumango silang tatlo.

Paupo na sana ako sa branch na kinatatayuan ko kaso napatigil ako nang biglang nagsiliparan ang mga ibon mula sa gilid namin pero hindi gaanong malayo. Kumunot ang noo ko at napatingin nina Aaron. Bakas sa mga mata nila ang takot at panic nang makita iyon. Syempre alam nila kung bakit nagkaganon iyon. A monster is coming.

“I hear something heavy na papunta sa kanila,” Kali said.

Lumipas ang ilang segundo and the ground started shaking. The shakes were intermittent so I’m guessing that the shake was because that heavy monster that Kali was referring too was taking a huge heavy step. I knew well kasi dito ako nagtatambay dati since I had no real circle of friends. Pumupunta ako dito para palakasin ang magic molecules ko habang pinag-aaralan ang spirit ko and based on this shaking, I think I know what we’re up to.

Napatigil sina Aaron habang nakatingin sa gilid. Medyo malapit na sila sa amin pero mukhang malapit ang monster sa kanila. The next thing we knew, a huge turtle showed up behind the thick tall tree trunks. The turtle had four eyes and it’s back was filled with huge thick shell with crystals on it. It also has tails na puno ng violet spikes- which means it’s tail is poisonous but again, it’s fine. We’re all immune here- well, maliban nina Aaron kasi kung mas malakas pa ang poison ng halimaw na ito kung ikokompara sa poison nila, then the immunity is not on their side. I knew from those heav steps that we’re against this but I never said I defeated one.

“I’ve never seen that kind of monster, Cygnus. It’s defense is beyond comprehension, paano ba matatalo yan?” Kali asked,

“Honestly, hindi ko alam. Isa ito sa mga monster na hindi pa natatalo ng kahit sino,” sabi ko at agad silang napatingin sa akin. They look surprised and stunned.

“So you mean, hindi mo alam kung nasaan ang weakness?” Kailani asked at tumango ako.

“Paano na ito? Paano na sila?” Nieve asked at napatingin ulit kami sa kanila. They were on the ground already at umaatras sila kahit nakaupo na sila sa sahig. Jill, he was too scared to the point that his tears started to drip from his eyes. Sino bang hindi? This monster is in our class before and we considered this as unbeatable. Some people even made a cult and praised these monsters.

“Then I guess there is only one way to find out,” Kali said and I chuckled.

“As if we have another choice,” sabi ko.

“Right,” Nieve answered and he chuckled.

I can’t believe we’re just chuckling as if we know how to deal with this monster. Too confident huh? Then let’s see where can this confidence lead us.