Chapter 18
1723 Words
NAKATULALANG hindi makapaniwala sina Audimus at Devin sa kinalabasan ng kanilang laro na ilang beses nilang inulit, pero iisa ang naging resulta.
"What the f**k are you, Chen?" bulaslas na ikinalingon ni Audimus kay Mount na inaayos ang mga nagkalat na baraha.
"Scholar ka ba ni Yvanov? Tangna, six straight win, Chen.." gulat na hindi matanggap ni Devin, habang si Exxon at Leroi ay umalis sa bilog nila at nilapitan si Roberto Custavo na sinusubukang makaalis sa pagkakatali nito.
"You can try to escape, but you'll be dead here inside our bound. In this place you're trying to sneak in, this is the safest place for you." malamig na saad ni Leroi kay Roberto na natigil sa ginagawa.
"I lost may f*****g villa to Chen." inis na reklamo ni Audimus nang lumapit ito kina Leroi.
Nilingon naman ni Leroi si Devin na nagrereklamo sa result ng anim na laro kung saan lahat sila ay may naitalong property kay Mount.
"Maybe Chen graduated to Yvanov's gamble academy." plain na ani ni Leroi na ikinaingos lang ni Audimus nang mapansin nitong parang may gustong sabihin si Roberto.
"I think this rat wants to say something." ani ni Audimus na yumuko at inalis ang tape na itinakip ni Leroi sa bibig nito.
"Pakawalan niyo ko?! Sisiguraduhin ko na pagbabayarin ko kayo sa lahat ng ginawa niyo?!"galit na sigaw nito.
"Nakuha mo pa talagang magbanta, Custavo? Let me give you a lesson learn old man, once we take you to Valdemor, hindi ka na makakaalis pa ng buhay sa loob ng underground society. It's your fault anyway, you want to covet this kingdom who has already had a king." ngising ani ni Audimus.
"This is your fate, and even you tried to escape, you have nothing to returned to. Your syndicate already ended, your only son is might be dead by now." malamig na pagbibigay alam ni Exxon.
"Pi-Pinatay niyo din ang anak ko?!"
"Oh huwag kang magalit, you must be proud to your son because he fight like a man to El Diente. Besides, he's luckly escape that night, but don't get your hopes up. Sa ginawa ni El Diente sa kaniya, i doubt mabuhay pa ang anak mo." ngising ani ni Audimus na ikinasigaw ni Roberto sa kanila dahil sa galit nito kaya ibinalik nu Audimus ang tape sa bibig nito.
"Hindi pa ba darating si El Diente?" ani ni Devin na tinatanggap na ang pagkatalo niya sa pagmamay-ari niyang high tech computer set, na mapupunta lang kay Mount.
Miya-miya pa ay nagbukas na ang pintuan ng pavillion nila kung saan dumating na ang kanina pa nila inaantay.
"Sa wakas El Diente dumating ka na, sana inagahan mo para hind--"
"--shut the f****d up, Natievez, i'm not in the f*****g mood." walang emosyong singhal ni Ribal kay Devin nang maramdaman nilang wala nga sa mood ang kanilang Prince.
"You have a bad day, El Diente? Your mood is not good, is it because of what happened in our mission?" kumentong tanong ni Leroi, kung saan hindi siya sinagot ni Ribal at deretso nitong hinawakan ang braso ni Roberto at sapilitang itinayo.
"I'll bring him now to founders pavillion, Chen come with me." malamig na saad ni Ribal na hinila na si Roberto palabas sa pavillion nila, kung saan walang salitang sumunod si Mount dito.
"What the heck happened sa mood ni El Diente? Alam nating may ugali rin ang isang 'yan, pero parang lumalala yata." kumento ni Devin.
"Maybe something happened to him, before he went here." ani ni Leroi nang mapalingon sila kay Exxon ng tumunog ang phone nito.
"Coroneo speaking." pagsagot ni Exxon sa tawag sa kaniya.
"Young master, my surgery has already set two weeks from now but there's a sudden change of doctor who will operate me."
"What do you mean, James?"
"They said to me that the one who will do my surgery will be Doctor Tadeus Han, because the supposed to be Doctor Buena that assigned to me is flying to Michigan tomorrow and stay there for one year."
Natigilan si Exxon sa ibinalita ng kaniyang butler, bago siya nagpambuntong hininga.
"Is that so. It's fine James, the new assigned doctor in your surgery is also a good one." plain na ani ni Exxon bago nito ibinaba ang tawag ng kaniyang butler.
"Is that James the butler?" ani ni Audimus.
"I'll go outside to supervise our bound." ani ni Exxon na nagpamulsang lumabas ng pavillion.
"Well, thank you for not answering my f*****g question, Coroneo!"
SA PAGDATING nina Ribal at Mount sa pavillion ng mga founders ay agad silang pinapasok at sinusundan ngayon ang isang bantay ng pavillion upang dalhin sila sa bulwagan ng mga founders.
Hila-hila ni Ribal si Roberto Custavo habang nakasunod si Mount sa kaniya na pinagmamasdan ang likuran niya.
"If you want to ask me, Chen, save it."ani ni Ribal.
" You're drowning in your own afflictions and sorrow, El Diente. Keep doing that and you'll drown even more, who will save you at the end?"
"I don't need someone to save me " malamig na ani ni Ribal.
"Are you inflicting this pain on yourself because you grieve the loss of the woman you love so deeply? Or is it because you're haunted by the thought that you weren't there to protect her when something happened? There's a profound difference between the ache of heartbreak and the torment of self-blame, El Diente."
"Shut the f****d up, Chen."
"If your just blaming yourself then that's not love for her, you just want to torment yourself because she said that you must protect her but you failed."
Sa isang iglap ay nasa harapan na ni Mount si Ribal at kinukuwelyuhan na siya, walang emosyon itong nakatingin sa kaniya kung saan nabitawan ni Ribal si Roberto na nakakuha ng tiyempo na makatakas.
"I said shut the f****d up, no more words from your f*****g mouth, Chen." malamig na banta ni Ribal na plain na tingin lang ang ibinigay ni Mount sa kaniya.
"Did i hit a nerve, Prince?"
"Oi oi oi, ang hallway ng founder's pavillion ay hindi arena. And kayo ba ang may dala sa kalat na 'to? He's trying to flee."
Sabay na napalingon si Ribal at Mount kay Nazier Rutherson, isa sa cartier ng kanilang head founder na bitbit pabalik kina Ribal si Roberto Custavo.
"I'm not intruding anyway, but not in this hallway." malamig na ngiting ani ni Nazier na binagsak si Roberto sa harapan nina Ribal bago sila iniwan at pumasok sa pintuan ng bulwagan.
Dinampot ni Ribal si Roberto bago nauna ng umalis, habang inaayos ni Mount ang kuwelyo ng damit niya bago sumunod kay Ribal.
Pagkarating nina Ribal sa loob ng bulwagan ay napatingin sa kanilang lahat ang mga founders na nakaupo sa kani-kanilang mga upuan. Kalalapit lang ni Nazier sa upuan ni Valdemor, nang ihagis ni Ribal si Roberto Custavo.
"We've finished our task, that's the rat you told us to bring to you." malamig na ani ni Ribal.
"Why do i have this feeling na all northbound members have this presence like their leader, so cute." kumento ni Dos habang nakatingin kina Ribal.
"Even without a leader, nagagawa niyo parin ang mga pinagagawa sa inyo. And infairness, ang north bound na iniwan ni Westaria, ay mukhang hindi bumagsak simula ng umalis ito. Why don't you take the spot as the new emperor of north bound, El Diente?" saad ni Cinco na plain na tingin na ikinalingon ni Ribal sa kaniya.
"I have no desire on that position, i am more willing to stay as an underboss of Westaria. That spot is more suited on him than anyone."
"But where is that Westaria? Hindi ba at iniwan niya ang bound niyo and left you all behi--"
"--he never left us." malamig na putol ni Ribal kay Uno na ikinalingon nila kay Valdemor na natawa.
"As much as i loved to hear you all bickering because of Westaria's absence, i won't allow any of my founder to say such words against Westaria who will return in my kingdom soon. I hope you don't mind, Uno." pahayag ni Valdemor na ikinanguso lang ni Uno sa kaniya.
"I commend your task well done, El Diente. You took this man to me unscratched as i said. Oh! I forgot to say this, but i'm sorry for your loss. I heard that your fianceé was already dead."
"If you don't have anything to say, were leaving." pahayag ni Ribal na ikinangisi ni Valdemor.
"Losing someone in our life might be a special way to meet a better person that will match the unmatched. Well, you might not know El Diente, but maybe you loved the wrong sa--"
"--i suggest Valdemor that you keep your own opinion by yourself. Good day." walang emosyon na putol ni Ribal kay Valdemor na deretsong ikinalabas na nito sa bulwagan.
"What do you think, Chen. Do you think my words are right? Your Prince might loving a wrong princess from the first place."ani ni Valdemor kay Mount na walang salitang ikinalabas na rin nito sa bulwagan.
"Those disrespectful northenian! Bakit hinahayaan mong pakitaan ka ng ganoong pakikitungo, Valdemor? You're the head founder, they should respect you." angil ni Uno.
"If Valdemor himself, who remains indifferent to the disrespectful behavior exhibited by those Westaria's underbosses, why are you the one who's annoyed between the two of you?" plain na kumento ni Tres na sinamaan ng tingin ni Uno.
"Dahil harapan nilang binabastos ang head founder!" singhal ni Uno na malakas na ikinatawa ni Valdemor.
"He loves to hear someone bickering with each other in front of him, ang weird ng entertainment mo today, Valdy." kumento ni Dos.
"I'm leaving." saad ni Dose na tumayo na sa kinauupuan nito at umalis kasunod ang mga cartier nito.
"I understand Uno, she's annoyed to the northenian since their emperor's absence of duty. Hindi makasilay si Uno." ngiting pang-aasar ni Dos kay Uno.
"That's not true! I'm just saying here, ughh Valdemor!?" baling ni Uno kay Valdemor na tumigil na sa kakatawa nito.
"All of Westaria's underwings are interesting, but well, El Diente can come at me when he finds out what i did." ani ni Valdemor na prente lang na nakaupo sa kinauupuan nito.
*Valdemor did- Tinulungan si Aurora na mapalapit kay Ribal at magpanggap na ito ang tumulong kay Ribal sa sunog*
- Writer
