Grudges of Rainbow

Red III: Where bloods are

'Red is blood, blood is thick and sticky, blood smells gruesomeness, red is a reminder of the h*******t, red is not what I want in my life'

A betrayal that vanquished thousands of lives is unforgiving. Betrayal is inexcusable. He was brought on our Kingdom, he was sheltered, trained, and was treated fairly by our race. There might be people who couldn't see him in a usual way but we trusted him and— especially me, I have given the entirety of my certainty on him.

And I couldn't just allow him to live more days with extravagance, because a foreign invader does not have the right to stay in the lands of the native rulers and stratum houses. They will never give our continent. As what I've heard from the late Master of the organization, Cessiana possess all the riches that other Empires wish to have. 

Hundreds of precious stones that could be found anywhere, golds, and minerals that was never seen. It was said to be favored by God's and Goddesses for having curved wall rocks, being the continent where the sun rises. And the only continent without winter is a blessing they wished they never had.  

Evionoire's turned every man as their slaves and followers. Superiority is what they imply because native people will never be tamed if they weren't savages. 

I looked up at the veranda, where I am sure is his room.

'That's what he meant about being an Ore huh? He is a damn prince spying to steal our lands. Watch me take your life, you will kiss death, you'll taste red.'

I sneaked inside the palace without being noticed by the guards. I cannot fight numbers of soldiers tonight, I need to get in without shedding blood.

I only want a spurt of blood and that's from the traitor, the main one who started it.

There are only two Evionoire's, when they die the reign will end. The people under them will never replace the throne, Evionoire's throne is said to be emanated with magic, they take it, they die. The original master of the assassin's organization is the only person knew how to stop the magic that protects them.

I threw the rope with a hook in the tall of the walls, where fences of broken spears are situated with even sets.

As I landed my feet on the ground silently, I readied myself for another throw of the rope to his terrace.

Some lights were off.

Hounds can't smell my scent, the underground organization is rich of poisons and elixirs that would deceive mere animals, they have learned these from Evionoires.

Soldiers were guarding but couldn't notice my intrusion.

With my strength, I was able to go up, the doors in the terrace were not close, long curtains with shining red linings were blown by the wind.

The wind is whispering as if saying that this is the last encounter with the prince Ore Evionoire.

Slowly, I walked until I reached the end of the bed, then I saw a bulk under the yellow sheets.

Lucky.

The prince who betray us was pampered and in a slumber, covered with gold and it will be his shroud after this.

Raising my long dagger, my favorite weapon. I want to make sure that he will die this time.

As the dagger thrust in the sheets, it goes straight bottom, it was too soft.

'I was deceived, good prince, he knows I'm coming after his life.'

"D'you wanna kill me?" A silhouette of a man, bulkier and bigger than the boy I used to remember while I was growing.

I faced him with nothing but darkness .

"Yes."

"Do as you please." I heard a clog of metal which fell on the marbled floor. "Just make sure to kill me, this time for real, make sure I'll be dead, Cyan."

"That is not my name." There was a short silence after I said it like a sudden pause of a chirping bird, because it was shot from afar, it died.

I withdraw the sword behind me, wiped with poison.

I readied my stance, holding the long sword in my right hand and a dagger on my left hand.

Two steps forward, I slashed him with my long sword, he dodged it, but never he did know, I was holding a dagger.

I slashed his arm with it.

I tasted blood from him, from the long cut.

I heard him groan a bit, still managed to escape from another attack.

"A farewell to you."

"I was right then, Cyan, no one will ever have someone that resembles you so much-" I throw the dagger straight to his throat, avoiding it, yet, it made a cut just near his carotid pulse.

I missed hitting the spot that would surely kill him.

"Cyan-" with all of my anger, rage, and tears, I screamed, holding the sword with both of my hands and cut his shoulder, slanting down to his chest and abdominal.

He did not fight back.

It wasn't a fair fight, he did not fight back, just like the old days, he always let me hurt him, cut him, he always dodge my attacks, just as the old days.

He would repent.

Now, the next ruler was bending his knee next to me.

"It was nice to see you again Cyan. I have missed you." With a weary and weak voice, it seems melting my rage. I let go of my bloody sword and knelt before him.

"It isn't nice to see a person who betrayed us, how does half-dead feel like, Evionoire?" Because of that poignant cut I made, his blood drips announcing massive destruction, now the royal cloth he is wearing was also cut in half.

Even in the long slanting graze of my sword. I still saw that tattoo clearly between his chests.

"I was dead a long time ago, you just killed me twice, there's no difference after all." In a gurgling mouth with blood, he still had the strength to spill words that confuses me.

I picked up my sword, trying to hold his broad shoulder still.

'Shame his big frame when he does not want to use it over me to fight back.'

I raised my sword. "In the name of the Land of Mediore, Vladimir Thoisco Evionoire, who betrayed the stratum houses of commoners and the powerhouses of six kingdoms. I sentence you to die."

Death is inevitable, but the death that is purposely planned is not forgivable. The death that's unbeknownst, the love was too, never a Mediore kid, think that it was love, before, her definition of red is love, it is not blood.

(Nakaraan)  

"Ama, may nais akong sabihin sa inyo." Isang piyesta ang ginanap sa aming lupain upang ipakilala ang mga bagong askar, bilang pagtatapos sa antas kung saan labing-walo na sila.

Isa sa mga nagtapos roon ang traydor na pipi, ang mapagkunyaring dayuhan.

Suot niya ang aming tradisyunal na kasuotang gawa sa mga hinibla ng mga puting uod, malambot iyon na hinaluan ng balahibo ng isang mabangis na hayop sa kagubatan at ilalim niyon ay telang gawa ng mga ayuey sa bahay-pagawaan ng mga tela.

Mayaman sa tela ang aming lupain, mayaman sa ginto, sa amin nanggagaling ang ibang produkto tulad ng mga metal sa paggawa ng mga sandata at pati ng semento.

Kaya't marami rin ang nagnanais na sumakop nito noon. Kaya naman ay nagtayo ng mahabang pader ang aming ninuno, mahirap iyong akyatin at gibain.

Walang nakakapasok na ibang dayuhan bukod sa lalaking ito na dinala ng aming amang hari, mula sa paglalakabay sa ibang lupain.

Naglalakbay sila bilang pakikipagkaibigan, taon-taon nito ginagawa iyon.

Ang lupain ng mga Mediore ay may dalawang pader, unang pader ay para sa mga taong may mas mababang posisiyon sa amin, tulad ng mga taga-kampo at mga trabahador.

Sa loob pa ay may pader at nandito naman ang aming palasyo at mga kabahayan ng mga pamilyang maharlika.

Nakapinta ang mga abo at dugo ng mga hayop na napatay nila sa kagubatan sa kanilang braso't mukha.

Mula sa aking kinauupuan ay siya lamang ang aking tinitigan, ilang segundo lamang ay nagtagpo ang aming mga mata.

Nakatingala siya dahil mas mataas ang inuupuan naming may-ari ng lupain.

Pinanlakihan ko siya ng mata.

'Huwag kang tumingin, mas masahol ka pa sa hayop, bakulaw ka!' Iyon ang nais kong sabihin sa kanya na hindi ko naman maaring isigaw dahil katabi ko ang aking ama at kapatid.

"Diwani, maari mo bang sabihin iyan sa akin pagkatapos ng kasiyahan?" Walang nais na makinig sa aking mga hinaing.

Kahit ang aking ama na natutuwa sa panibagong tagumpay ngayon dahil nagdagdagan na naman ng mga maabilidad na askar ang kanyang hukbo.

Nang dumako ulit ang tingin ko sa kanya upang tignan siya nang may pagbabanta ay ngumisi ito. Hayop na dayuhan, mukhang nais niyang ulitin ko ang pagtusok sa kanyang pang-upo.

Nakangisi siya, nakakainsulto.

Pasimple akong tumayo, kinuha ang sandatang kahoy sa likuran ng aming upuan, mayroong mesa kung saan nakalagay ang ibang sandata.

Siniguro kong hindi mapapansin ng iba ang aking ginagawa. Iniumang ko ang sandata malapit sa aking pang-upo.

Nakita ko ang pagkawala ng ngisi niya sa nais kong ipahiwatig sa kanya,.

Kahit malayo ay nakita ko ang pamumula ng kanyang mukha, dahil banyaga siya ay mas maputi siya sa ibang mga kalalakihan sa amin, kasingputi ko na nga siguro siya.

Mas nakikita lang ang pamumula sa kanyang pisngi, lalo na nang siguro ay naalala niya ang ginawa ko sa kawawa niyang pang-upo.

Sukat roon ay napalakas ang tawa ko.

Lahat ay napatingin sa akin, ang aking ina na halos itinuro sa akin kung paano ang maging isang mahinhin na Diwani ay nahintakutan.

Nangungunot ang noo ng aking ama. Ganoon din si Huestia, ang panganay na Diwani.

"Diwani." Pagbabanta ng ina ko.

"Patawad, ina." Bumalik ako sa aking kinauupuan, napahiya man ay natuwa ako dahil hindi na bumalik ang nakakainsultong ngisi ng mayabang na dayuhan.

Ilang minuto pa ay hindi nawawala ang pamumula ng kanyang tenga at pisngi.

Umabot hanggang gabi ang pagdiriwang ng mga nagtapos na askar.

Dahil abala ang lahat ay sinabi ko sa aking ina na maaga na naman akong matutulog ngunit ang totoo'y pupunta ako sa lugar ng sanayan.

Abala ang pinuno at mga askar kaya't ako na lang mag-isang nagsasanay.

Puno ng mga tao ang mga bahay at lugar ng mga sanayan kaya ay lumabas ako at dinala ang sulo papunta sa gitna ng kagubatan na nakalagak sa likuran ng aming palasyo.

Inaaral ko ngayon ang paggamit ng sundang, sa distansiya ko ay itinatapon ko iyon sa malaking katawan ng puno ng acacia.

"A very persistent kid," saad nito.

Matapos noong gabing kinalaban ko siya ay napapadalas ang aming pagkikita magkita. Kahit pa na iwasan ko siya, may pagkakataon talagang nagtatagpo kami, lalo na't madalas akong tumakas sa sanayan.

Sukat roo'y nasasaulo ko na ang kanyang boses at amoy.

Hindi ko siya pinansin, nagpatuloy lamang ako sa aking pageensayo, dahil hindi ko maitusok iyon sa bilog na nais kong tamaan.

"That's not how you do it." Sa muli ko sanang pagtapon ng sundang ay hinawakan niya ang aking kamay, ngunit lumayo ako sa kanya.

"Huwag mo akong hawakan, dayuhan!" Nagtaas ito ng kilay. Ano ang silbi ng pag-uusap na ito kung hindi naman kami magkakaintindihan?

"Is that one of your rules in your lands or you just don't want me to touch you?"

"Huwag mo akong kausapin! Sinungaling ka, nililinlang mo ang kampo't palasyo at ang aking magulang! Umalis ka na rito!"

"If you wanted me out in your Land, say it throught our language and I might consider it." Ngumiti ito.

"Hindi kita maintindihan." Nanggigigil kong turan, humakbang ako upang makita niya ang nais kong ipunto. "Pero iisa lang ang ikakakasiya ko, lumayas ka sa aming lupain."

"I never thought that girls in this lands were prettier than the princesses in our empire." Mataman ang titig niya habang sinasabi iyon. Nagtaas ako ng kilay dahil hindi ko siya maintindihan. "The youngest princess in particular."

"Napakatagal mo na sa palasyo namin ngunit hindi ka pa rin nakakaintindi ng salita namin? Maaring nagkukunyari ka lang at hindi na ako magtataka pa."

Sa ngisi niyang iyon ay itinulak ko siya.

Tumatawa siyang umatras.

Titig na titig siya habang kumuha ng isang sundang at ibinato sa puno, saktong tumama iyon sa dapat na tamaan.

Ayaw kong humanga sa pagkakatama niyon sa eksaktong bilog kahit na hindi siya nakatingin roon, ngunit sa isip ko lang siya pupurihin.

Mukhang bihasa siya sa ganito na kahit sa paggalaw ay magaan nitong nagawang maitusok ang isa pang sundang habang nakatitig pa rin sa akin.

"Maswerte ka lang sa-" Sunod-sunod niyang tinama ang tatlong sundang roon, napanganga ako.

"Medyo magaling ka." Napatango-tango ako, hindi na magawang hindi magkomento.

Ngumisi siya.

"Pangalan?" Nanlaki ang mata ko nang sabihin niya iyon.

"At nakakapagsalita ka ng aming lengwahe! Totoo nga ang aking hinala!"

"I only know few of your language, just to inform you, seems like that's the reason why you fret."

"Ano?"

"Pangalan." Inabot niya sa aking harapan ang kanyang kanang palad. "Pangalan mo, Diwani." May iba nga lamang siyang tunog kapag nagsasalita ng aming lengwahe, pero ibig sabihin noon ay nakakainitindi siya, at nagkukunyari lang siya.

"Yeah, I can speak your language a little, I just don't want to use it. I despise it."