Fated Souls (Unveiling Dawn)

Unveiling Ten

"When did you bring those humans here, Azrail?" 

"Yesterday?" Hindi siguradong sagot ni Azrail. "Sven's been here for about a week now though." 

"A week? And you didn't even tell me?" Achates asked unbelievingly. "Azrail, you know what will be the-"

"Si Achlys ang nagdala sa kanya rito. Not me." 

"And you think your kiss will let you slide? Azrail, we are no longer doing that vampire slaves thing here."

"Are you jealous?" Mapanuyang tanong ni Azrail habang yakap pa rin siya ni Achates. "You can find your own, though."

"No. I don't need a slave. And yes, I'm jealous. Who wouldn't be? That human will be with you 24/7 and I can't even touch him to crash his neck." He answered. 

"My Achates, humans are replaceable." She said. Achates held her face and about to kiss her when someone clapped like she was trying to get everyone's attention. 

'"Goodmorning, lovers." Bati ni Achlys sa kanila habang naka tayo sa balkunahe. "The training was about to start, and I don't think this is the right time for you to lock yourself here today, Azrail."

"You have to run now, Achlys." Azrail said that made Achlys disappear in just a second. Nang hindi na naramdaman ni Azrail si Achlys sa paligid ay tumingin siya ulit kay Achates na naka ngiting naka tingin lang din sa kanya. "We have to go, My Queen." He said and held Azrail's hand before going out of the chamber. 

--

"Bow down for the Queen."

"Rise up. Dobro Utro." Said Achlys as she arrived at the training grounds. She walks back and forth infront of the assembled Sephtis, wearing her black battle armor. "This will be your first day as trainees to be ready for the future wars. Alam kong malakas kayo ngunit kailangan niyo pa ring matuto sa ibang bagay tulad ng pakikipaglaban. Our voini together with Prince Ryder, our knight, will teach you the most crucial part of a battle, the close contact battle. Each of you will pick your chosen close range weapon and will have a one on one battle with the prince. After that, we will proceed to the next one, the long range weapon. Each of you will have your own bows and arrows. This will symbolize that each of you, is born to be a warrior. The next and the last one, the middle range battle. One of the examples of the weapon that is used in this kind of battle is a spear. A spear can be a shield staff and a dart. Prince Acheros, the hunter of Celia Clan will train you to use these kind of weapons. As we start, Prince Ryder will take the place. Any objections?"

"Yes. I object." Azrail said as she point her staff onto Achlys' neck na ikina ngisi naman nito. The Sephtis bowed down before the Last Queen started to speak again. "Starting without me? Cruel." She told Achlys before removing her weapon on her sister's neck and looked at the Sephtis that is standing straight, trying to look confident. 

"I want you to learn the first thing that a warrior should always remember. Never let your guards down. Hindi ninyo malalaman kung saan at kailan susulpot ang kalaban. You have to be attentive and wise. Lahat ng kilos at galaw ninyo ay dapat maging kontrolado. Who will go first?" Tanong nito na ikana alisto naman nila. Ngunit wala ni isa sa mga ito ang lumapit sa mga armas upang mauna. 

"No one will go first at this point. Pick your human then." Ani Achlys nang naka ngiti. Rainer stood up straight and looked at Azrail. Hindi naman pinansin ni Azrail ang kanyang sinabi at naglakad ito palapit kay Ryder. "I heard you are a close contact warrior. You will go first." She said and Ryder just smiled and positioned himself at the center. Nang makarating silang dalawa sa gitna ay nagtanguan sila before they tap each others weapon. Ryder is using his xiphos of dyonisus sword that the great knight from the passed centuries used. As they started, Ryder was just trying to dodge every hit from Azrail's staff with his glorious sword that made Azrail lose her patience. 

"You really know how to test you opponent's patience, Knight of Nero." Azrail said and unlocked his staff's secret lever that released her twin hidden blades nang hindi napapansin at alam ng iba. She then moved closer towards Ryder and continuously hit him. Sinabayan naman ni Ryder ang mga pag sugod nito na ikina seryoso ng mga Sephtis. The battle between him and Azrail is not a joke. As both of them became serious in their one on one fight, everyone is trying examine and memorize every tactics that they are doing. 

"Time is up." Achlys said as the both of them ended up pointing their weapons on each other's neck. Pinag dikit naman nila ang kanilang mga sandata bago umalis sa gitna upang makapag simula na ang Sephtis sa kanilang pagsasanay. 

"As you are in a close range fight, you have to remember that you have to hit as well as to avoid. Hindi maaaring  puro lamang kayo pag iwas dahil ito ang magiging dahilan ng inyong pagkatalo." Ryder said while each of them have their own weapons, facing their opponents. "This is a fight, not a dodge game. Always keep in mind that you also have to change your tactics. Because not changing the way you hit and avoid will lead your opponents to memorizing your moves and skills." Mahabang paliwanang nito na pinakikinggan naman ng maayos ng mga nagsasanay. 

Nang mag simula na sila sa kanilang pagsasanay ay dumating na rin si Amara upang husgahan din ang kanilang ginagawa at mga kilos. Pinagmasdan ng mga reyna at ng mga prinsipe ang mga ito at ang bawat taktika na ginagamit ng bawat isa sa kanila. When each of them got used with their chosen weapons and became confident with it, sinimulan na nina Azrail at Ryder na makipag laban isa-isa sa kanila upang mas maging mahusay sila at mas matutukan ang mga kakulangan sa kanilang abilidad sa pakikipaglaban. Nang umabot na si Azrail kay Kaiden ay napukaw ang atensyon ng lahat. Bawat isa sa kanila ay interesado sa laban na magaganap sa reyna at sa taong kaharap nito ngayon. 

Azrail and Kaiden just looked at each other, waiting for their opponent to strike first. Ngunit walang nagpapatinag sa kanilang dalawa. They started to walk around, trying to guard themselves from each other's sudden attack, holding their weapons. 

"Attack me, human." Azrail said. But instead of Kaiden attacking her, she attacked Kaiden first with her double bladed staff that made everyone gasp in shock. She stabbed him on his shoulder that made Kaiden bleed. The vampires started to become wild, tinititigan ng mga mata nilang nanlilisik ang si Kaiden habang hawak nito ang kanyang braso. As some of them started to run fast towards him to end his human life, narinig ang isang sigaw na nagpatigil sa kanilang lahat. 

"Seftis!" Sigaw ni Amara na naging dahilan ng pagkapako nila sa kanilang kinatatayuan malapit kay Kaiden. "This is a training and not a hunting game. Sinong nagsabi sa inyo na pwede kayong mag unahan sa taong narito ngayon? You're here to learn how to fight, not to learn how to attack someone else's kill." May otoridad na anito. She then looked at Azrail that is now leaning on the big branch of tree, smirking. "At ikaw. You are here to teach them how to fight, not how to kill drink a human blood."

"Next thing you need to learn that a vampire should always remember, never let your blood lust betray you." Sagot ni Azrail sa mga Sephtis nang hindi tinitunugon si Amara. She then walked towards the weapons while Sephtis are looking at her, waiting for her next move. "Hindi pwedeng mabulag kayo nang dahil lang sa dugo ng tao o ng kahit na sino man. The wars that are on our way are not just wars between us and the other clan. We have to expect that some of them are between us and humans. Vampire hunters. At kapag dumating ang panahon na yon, magiging dahilan ang hindi pagiging kontrolado niyo sa pagkatalo natin. Blood is our life but it can be our weakness. Hindi pwedeng sa lahat ng pagkakataon ay puro dugo ang nasa isip ninyo. Be sensible and control yourselves, Sephtis." She explained and picked the dagger and threw it on Achlys' direction na nasalo naman nito. "Your turn."'

One of the Sephtis was surprise when Achlys was suddenly behind him, pointing her dagger on his neck, ready to kill him. Isasaksak sana niya kay Achlys ang hawak na patalim, but Achlys is fast and in just a span of a thunderbolt, nasa harapan na siya nito at nakatutok ang hawak na punyal sa kanya. 

"Not so fast." Achlys said before slightly pushing the Sephtis. "I want you to know that you also have to train your senses. We, vampires, are born fast and strong, a normal human can never tone with. Pero kailangan ninyong tandaan na hindi tayo pare pareho ng mga abilidad. Some of us can have some special abilities that other vampires can't do. That human right there might be wise that some of you." Turo ni Achlys kay Sven. "Kailangan niyong matutunan kung paano makipag laban sa iba't-ibang klaseng paraan."

"Tomorrow, when the sun goes down, we will continue your training by hunting in the woods. Prepare yourselves because I will teach you to fight in darkness."