Memoirs of A Second Life

A Warrior's Blood

At the drop of the stone, Basilio rushed forward like a charging bison. His powerful legs planting firmly on the ground as he swung the kampilan at me with no hesitation whatsoever. It didn't seem to matter to him that I might get bisected by the large sword he held. And for reason, I could sense that he had turned into a completely different person.

Is this what differs a warrior from everyone else?

I was fortunate enough to have parried the strike just in time, but it sent me flying backwards. Were it not for my reflexes, I would've died then and there. My heart was racing, and with every step I took, it beat faster and faster. The sound of my blood rushing through my veins was even more harrowing than the sight of the beastly man attacking me.

Basilio's towering height did not seem to slow him down. In fact, it appeared as though he could move even faster than I do. And while I was in awe of his prowess, he swung the hulking blade downwards. I managed to dart backwards, and rush towards him while slashing in a spinning motion. This counterattack proved to be ineffective against Basilio.

Somehow, he could sense my every move, and his keen instinct for battle was protecting him from any attack I threw at him. I knew that it wouldn't do me any good if I just stayed on the defensive, so I summoned all my courage to take the fight to him.

Fortunately, I was able to keep him from attacking me by putting pressure on him. My swift lunges and random strikes were enough to confuse him. The snarl on his face implied that he, too, was feeling the heat of battle just as I do.

Suddenly, what Beatrix said to me before the battle dawned on me. I did not have to attack him from above. I must use my height and attack from way below.

Basilio swung his sword from the right, sending me sliding backwards. Right after that move, he lunged forward, swinging his sword once more. I noticed that there was a weak spot just belong his left hip, so I rolled forward and slashed his ankle with the dagger I had on my waist.

The fierce warrior winced from the pain, but it did not slow him down just yet. I knew that it wouldn't be enough, so I repeated the same move and nicked his right ankle this time.

It was then that I knew this fight was over. Basilio fell to his knees, baring his fangs at me. His furious expression sent shivers down my spine, and the way he looked at me instilled fear in my heart.

However, I did not let mere fear get the better of me. I grasped Lionheart in my right hand, and pointed it at his neck. And in a trembling voice, I said, "Well fought, Basilio."

My remark only served to invoke his ire. He spat on the ground, clenching his wounded ankles. I wanted to heal him, but I needed him to admit defeat first. "Do you give?"

Right after I asked that question, Basilio roared at the top of his lungs, catching the attention of everyone within the vicinity. Perhaps his daunting voice could've been heard from a mile away.

By now, there were dozens of people watching the match, and they were aghast to see that one of their mighty warriors was being driven back by a mere child. If I hadn't used trickeries earlier, I would've lost this match.

This time, I was holding my dagger in a backhand with my left hand, and Lionheart in my right hand. I asked him again, "Do you give?"

Basilio just glared at me, struggling to stand up. He used the kampilan as a sort of crutch and once he had gotten on his feet, he roared, "Never! I'd rather die!"

Seeing him in a desperate situation made me feel like I was fighting the black panther I fought in the eve of my tenth birthday. Basilio was like a wild animal, ready to tear me apart if I got too close. My only option now was to knock him out somehow.

Staggering to his feet, Basilio held the kampilan with both hands. His legs were trembling and his ankles were bleeding, and yet he ignored every bit of searing pain he felt. He was like a berserker in a war, willing to give up his life for the sake of glory.

But I wasn't going to let him win. And so, as he ran towards me, slower this time because of his wounds, I darted forward, and jumped up high. My knee came into contact with his face, particularly his nose bridge. This move was enough to stun him.

And while Basilio was holding his bloodied face, I planted my legs onto the ground to give me enough strength. I infused my palms with enough mana just to knock him out. "Rajada," I muttered as I drove both of my palms into his abdomen.

Upon impact, Basilio fell down like a tower. He fell flat on the ground, unconscious. The audience were astonished. I looked over at Beatrix and Marius, and they seemed visibly pleased by my performance.

Frankly, even I was surprised that I managed to outmaneuver a seasoned warrior. But perhaps, I owed it to the fact that he was blindly attacking me and underestimating my capabilities. When I glanced at Babaylan Dalisay, for a second, I saw a faint smile on her face.

Crispin approached his brother and checked Basilio's pulse. When he gave us all an okay sign, I breathed a sigh of relief. I hurried to Basilio's side, wanting to heal him with the spell I learned from my mother. Esfir would've proud of me if I healed an opponent.

But to my dismay, I noticed that Dalisay snapped her fingers and then a faint light appeared on Basilio's ankles. Within a matter of moments, his wounds were healed. Astonished, I looked over at Dalisay, wondering what kind of magic she was using.

Even Beatrix and Marius seemed taken aback by what happened.

"What kind of magic was that?" I asked Dalisay.

She chuckled lightly and said, "My magic is only especially effective to those that share an ancestry with me. These warriors all look up to me because of my capabilities as a healer and their priestess."

Afterwards, she pressed her palm against Basilio's chest where his heart was located. "Get up, you big dummy."

Gasping for air, Basilio rose as if he had just escaped death. The sound of his ragged breathing was heard by everyone around him, and Crispin was the most worried of all.

"Kuya, are you okay?" he asked.

Basilio clicked his tongue. "Never better." Then, he looked to my direction, and I immediately quaked. But to my surprise, he got up, and placed a hand on my shoulder. "You really are Azlan's son. You have warriors' blood in you!"

He grabbed his kampilan from the ground and said to Dalisay, "Babaylan, I am honored that you gave me the opportunity to fight Azlan's son. Thank you."

His behavior was completely different from how he was during a fight. It seemed that he had finally acknowledged us.

All of a sudden, Marius cackled, catching everyone's attention. "Now do you believe we are who we say we are?" he asked in a loud voice.

Beatrix leaned over to his ear and whispered something that only the two of them could hear. This time, Marius approached Dalisay and gave her a letter that he took out from his satchel. Dalisay read the letter and nodded with her eyes closed.

Afterwards, she started walking towards the city and beckoned us to follow her. Hardly had she taken more than ten steps, she said to the twins, "One of you tell the chief that the prince is coming to speak with him. Inform them of my arrival as well. I'd like to talk to the chief about something."

"Yes, babaylan!" said Crispin before heading into city ahead of us.

Not long after that, she led us to the biggest hut in the city. It was not made of stones like the houses I had gotten accustomed to. The houses in this city were mostly made out of wood, but that didn't mean they weren't impressive. As a matter of fact, it gave me a soothing sense of comfort just by looking at them.

Outside the large hut were two impressive looking warriors. They both bowed to the babaylan and opened the doors at once. Inside, we saw Crispin talking to a well-built, tattooed warrior. His tattoos were similar to the other warriors, but his was gold and silver in color. There was a golden tattoo that looked like a sun on his right arm, and a silver tattoo in the shape of the moon on his left arm.

His hair was as long as Beatrix's, and it was dark in color. He had an impressive jawline, and his eyes looked sharp. Just by looking at him, anyone could tell that he was the chief they were speaking of.

The moment he saw us, he tilted his head to the side. When my gaze met his, he smiled. For some reason, I found his smile reassuring. It was as if his presence alone made me felt safe.

Was this because he's the chief? Or perhaps it's because his strength makes us all feel safe?

"You must be Azlan's boy," he said to me. "And you are King Zeldris' son, the wayward prince Marius. I've heard of you."

When he saw Beatrix, the chief was stunned for a moment. He held out his hand, as if wanting to shake Beatrix' hand. She reached out to take his hand, and he immediately planted a kiss on the back of her hand.

"Well met, my lady. It is an honor to be in the presence of the mighty Rose knight," he said.

Beatrix chuckled. "The honor is all mine, chief Lapu-lapu."

I was surprised at how Beatrix reacted, but Marius was even more surprised. It seemed that he wasn't used to his retainer being so casual.

Not wanting to be ignored, Marius took the initiative to speak. "Chief Lapu-lapu, is it?" he asked. "I am Marius Liberio. I have but one request. Let us stay in Mactan and learn the ways of the Filipinos."

For some reason, Lapu-lapu was amused by Marius. "You want to learn our ways? Whatever do you mean?"

The question he asked was quite simple, yet fair; but it was also perplexing to say the least. Marius was silenced for a moment. After which, Beatrix stepped in. "My lord, King Zeldris has sent the prince on a quest to immerse himself in the different cities surrounding Freiheit. As such, we are required to stay with you for a time, and perhaps during that time, the prince may learn more about your culture and way of life. This is done so that he could understand what your people may need in the future."

This time, Lapu-lapu glanced at Dalisay. Seeing that she nodded, he said, "That is a most interesting request. I can humor your request, but I have a rule in Mactan. All requests can only be approved by doing the chief a favor first."

"What kind of favor?" asked Marius.

Lapu-lapu glanced at Dalisay and gestured her to speak.

"We need you to retrieve an item from a cave nearby," said Dalisay. "But the knight cannot come with you."