Tale of Arcillana

Chapter 23

Cam's Point of View:

Hytham helped me wear my gears while Nicolai helped his girl. His student is here yet he is coaching somebody else. What a nice coach.

"You sure about this?" Hytham asked while locking his eyes on mine. He look worried.

"Right Cam. You can just reject her challenge. She is good at it. His father is one of the military officers of Arcillana. She is a well trained Cam, we can see on her performances in our classes. She probably was trained by her father." Viper said. Her wall softened and I can see a worried face in her right now.

"She is mad at you Cam, you know that. I am sure that she will not take easy on you." Alliah seconded.

I appreciated all of their efforts to convince me to reject the challenge. But I am not a coward. I fight my battle. If she wants to break my bones, then she will try hard. As if I would let her.

"Don't worry, I can handle myself. I am a Montidalgo after all." I chuckled trying to ease their worries before leaving them and enter the corner of the mat.

"Why don't we make it something like this Sir. The battle will only end if one of us falls on the floor." Margaux suggested. "Let's have some fun and have a bet." She added. She is confident, I can see that.

Our classmates cheered after what Margaux said. They are obviously on Margaux's side. And they like the idea. It is a free show.

"I agree Sir." One of our male classmate agreed.

"Are you okay with it Miss Montidalgo?" Our instructor asked. He is uncertain and somewhat worried. He doesn't like what is going to happen.

"Sure. Give them what they want." I replied.

"Go Margaux!! Don't go easy with that b***h. Hit her hard!" One of Margaux's friends cheered. She is with her when they cornered me on the comfort room. I looked at her for a while and smirked.

"Make her cry, girl!" Another one cheered. Almost all of our classmates were cheering for my opponent and only I considered my friends are the ones who are cheering for me, well, except from him, who is looking at me right now. I just gave him a face with no expression as I focus myself to this challenge.

"Go Caaaam!"

Our instructor signaled us to start. I just don't know, maybe because she felt overwhelmed by the cheer of our classmates or because of her anger and she moved aggressively.

Margaux aimed a punch on my face but I simply dodged it by sliding to the right. She tried again but like what happened in her first attack, I dodged it again. She continues to attack and I just continue to dodge it. I want to laugh hard because I can see an irritated face on her.

Is that a well trained already?

"Don't you know to fight?!!" Margaux hissed. She is obviously losing her patience and I can't help it.

"Why are you laughing?!" She said and looked confused. She lost her position and I took that as an advantage to attack her unexpectedly. I smoothly punched her face that makes everyone gasps but it makes them even more excited. It is too late when she realized what I did and she was not able to avoid my attack. Serves her right!

That doesn't end there. I turned and kicked her in her stomach. I thought she will fall but she was able to balance herself. She gave me a death glare but I just gave her a mischievous smile. With full of anger evident in her face, she run to attack me without even thinking. I position my foot. I jumped before I raised and bent left knee mid air in front. I exerted force to my right leg before switching it to my left foot to kick to welcome her.

Everybody was worried on Margaux who are lying on the floor, unconscious. She's good huh. I am just heating up yet she is already unconscious. She's no match with my friends in Manila and they level her as good?

That's it! Game over.

I saw the worried look of Nicolai's face while rushing himself towards Margaux. Before he carried Margaux's body, he throws a glance on me. I saw how he creased his forehead before he made his exit, probably they will bring her in the clinic.

"Are you okay Cam?" My friends asked me.

"Yeah. I am not the one who lose consciousness though." I said trying to joke.

"I didn't know you are good at it Cam. Just wow." Thelonious said.

"I've been training for two years." I said and shrugged my shoulder. The five were shocked on what they have heard.

"Wow! And you did not tell us?" Hytham reacted.

"You did not ask though." I said and laughed.

Because of what happened we only spend our half day in combat lesson. Since we don't have any class, I headed myself to the Glee Club Room. I don't know but, I feel somewhat guilty of what happened but I am trying to convince myself that it is not my fault. She is the one who challenged me and she let her emotions swallowed her. She should think of a strategy first before attacking me.

Since there are still classes, I am the only one who's in here. I attached my phone on the speaker and played a music. I let myself drowned in dancing.

This is one of my stress reliever. Whenever I feel down or I have a lot of things to handle, I always sway my body to the beat of the music. This is my comfort and it understand what I feel.

The wave of my body flows all through out the music, expressing myself.

I heard three consecutive claps at my back. I turned to see who it was and I saw Hytham. He is here already.

"You really amazed me in everything Cam." He commented. I smiled at him and sat on the floor.

"Well, this place too. It really amazed my every single day. I feel stranger in this place." I said. "Don't you know that I never wanted to be here?" I added but I did not hear any response.

"I never imagined that this kind of place existed. Concealed by a barrier, having this kind of social status and the likes. I thought I will be living a life of a typical islander but I was wrong. I was given significance and I was treated like a royalty." I started to share at him. Hytham just listen attentively. He didn't utter a word, just all ears on me.

"The first time I saw people of Arcillana, all I can say, they are all elegant and their postures scream power and authority. Until I've known those personalities that I admire the most internationally came from Arcillana as well. Isn't it amazing?" I added. I don't know why but I am comfortable sharing this to one of the people I consider as a friend.

I shared more to Hytham, my impression and the struggle of accepting the that this place really exist until the other members came in. We started to practice when we are complete already. We have several performances to perform so we have to double time. The choreographer began to teach us the steps. He is very particular in execution. Your every movement should be clear.

The practice went well and we are dismissed. Everyone bid goodbyes. It is already five thirty in the afternoon.

I fixed myself and my things before I go out of the campus. I am seeing lots of cars passing by. Opposite of this building is a wide space intended for a parking space. I walked towards it and checked Nicolai's car but I could not find it.

Did he just left me? What the hell?!!

I immediately looked for my phone but unfortunately, it was drained. I am doomed!

I mentally cursed when I am seeing only few cars left passing by. I walked out of the vicinity to find a taxi or anything that I could ride on. I am certain that everyone knows where Montidalgo's Manor is. Or at least I can just drop in the Capitol.

It's getting dark but I can't find anything to ride on. I already walked in distance to get back at the campus. There are streetlights but only few are functioning, some have no lights. My hands started to shiver. Although I know how to defend myself, I am still worried for my safety.

I turned around when I felt someone's presence at my back. But there is none. No one is in here, just me so I continued to walk but to my surprise, the road that I am walking through is already out of lights.

I cannot continue this walk because I am not sure what awaits me in the dark so I sat for a while, thinking of ways how can I contact my family.

My heart started to beat fast and my tears started to fall too. My whole body is shivering. Damn this.

I was on that position when I heard a familiar beeped.

I saw his car and I saw him rushing himself to me.

"Have you gone crazy? Why did you left the campus? What if something happened to you huh?!!"

He is furious. I can see it in his blazing eyes. Instead of answering him, I hug him tight and burst in tears on his chest.

"Hush now, I am here." He said as he gently caress my hair. That made me calm somehow.

Nicolai slightly pushed me and wiped my tears. He is trying to keep me calm. He carried my things until we got to his car. He handed me a bottled water he got from his bag.

"I sent you a message to wait for me." Nicolai mentioned. I finish drinking the water first before answering him.

"My phone's battery is empty. I really thought you left me, sorry I wasn't thinking." I admitted. I should have waited to the campus or borrow someone's cellphone.

"Don't do it again, please." He said.

"Uhm, I won't." I replied.

"You good?" He asked.

"Yeah, thank you. I was just afraid earlier and I feel someone's presence behind my back." I told him. I am certain that there is someone behind me. I asked him if he noticed someone from afar but he said he didn't.

Nicolai drove me home. He still have to tutor me. He went directly to the study room while I went to my room first. I changed my clothes and freshen up. I look stupid because I cried a lot earlier. I feel ashamed of myself because I burst in tears to Nicolai. That was the very first time.

"Do they have any progress? I have not able to ask my parents. They look stress every time I saw them." I asked Nicolai. We are already in the study room for our lesson. This is already the fourth day and in the next few days, I will be taking the test.

"I don't know either. My parents barely went home and we are in our grandmother's house." He said while playing a rubric cube. He's been rearranging and arranging it for how many times already.

For how many days, I think I can say, Nicolai is a good companion. I disregard the thought already that he might get his revenge because I kick his future before. He is mature and seems like he does not indulge on that kind of thing.

"But I heard, they are mobilizing the military in private. I asked my dad once, why do they have to do it privately when they can publicize the images so it is easy for them to catch those mice but he said, they don't want the people of Arcillana to panic and doubt the council for their safety." I nodded my head when I heard him. I would agree on the idea. The people relies their safety on the council. If they will know that there are uninvited guests, they will surely panic and will question the capability of the council.

Based on the record retrieved by my little brother, there are three male mice that are roaming in the area.

The person who commits treachery were useless. He did not reveal who are those people and what are their intentions.

My parents are trying to fix the security system. The traitor inflicted a virus on the system that disabled the CCTV footage around the island that is why they are having trouble finding the three. But good thing, before the virus destroyed the main server, my little brother already hacked it and got the files in there.

This is planned and whoever behind this, they are surely planning something not good.

We are already done in today's lesson so I fixed my things. Nicolai also did the same before we go out of the study room.

We are still in the middle of the staircase when my brother called.

"What is it again?" I asked.

"I have something to show you again. Have a look! Isn't he familiar to you?" Dark said. Behind her is Light. I lean closer to the tablet my brother is holding to see who it is he is saying I am familiar with.

"No way!" I reacted when I saw who that guy is and where did I met him.

"That is the guy who once taught you how to hold a gun right? A fake gun perhaps." Light said.

I feel my body dropped after thinking of possibilities. No way.

"Are you okay?" Nicolai asked in a worried voice. Light also came and touched my shoulder.

"There are four of them?" Nicolai asked my brother. And mmhe just nodded as a response. "Then why didn't to tell us earlier?" He added.

"That's because this guy had trainings. His training are great. He probably knows that there are CCTV around so he is taking ways that do not covered by the CCTV. But he did not know that there's still a CCTV camera in this area." My little brother said and pointed the place where he was caught.

"I have to call someone." I said while dialling Hannah's number.