The Spirit Martial

Spirit 43

“Sigurado ka ba dito, Cygnus?” Kali asked at tumango ako.

We flew all the way here malapit sa forest para patayin ko sila. I’ve read it somewhere but someone who has both poison and healing magic can actually do immunity to other people. Hindi ko nga lang nasubukan sa tao pero nasubukan ko ito sa pusa. It was a stray cat who was dying kasi nakakain siya ng poison so I had no choice but to do the process. I planted my own poison on its body, WHY? Because my poison is the strongest among all so basically pag exposed ang katawan niya dito, kahit anong klaseng poison pa iyan, hindi na tatalab. I just needed that stray cat to die for at least two mintues. Within those 2 minutes, it will be critical because life is not entirely drained at that point but the organs will slowly stop functioning. I have to wait for a perfect timing na aabot ito sa puso at ma-circulate kaagad sa buong katawan. After two minutes, I tried healing the cat and it was surprisingly effective pero sa ksamaang palad, hindi pusa ang papatayin ko ngayon.

“Are you all ready?” tanong ko at humiga sila sa grass na malapit sa mga kahoy but not close enough for them to be poisoned. I summoned little vines with three violet aconite flowers at ramdam ko ang kaba ni Kali.

“T-T-Teka lang, kailangan ba talagang tatlo?!” reklamo niya.

“If you want to complete this mission?” I asked at huminga ng malalim. “Yes, kailangan tato,” I added and he went pale. The stronger poison I’ll administer, the stronger immunity they will get. 

“I-If you say so, then fine,” he said but he really looked uncomfortable.

“Well then, let’s see each other again in 2 minutes,” sabi ko at kusang tumusok ang tatlong vines sa mga kamay nila. The violet aconite flower started glowing which literally means that the poison is going into the body.

Napatingin ako kay Kailani kasi siya yung may konting immunity sa akin dahil sa compatibility namin. He looked chill so I added two more flowers at his vine. The moment I added it, I noticed that his breathing was unstable already. I guess it’s working.

Napatingin ako nina Kali at Nieve and they were paler than they were before. Nieve’s lips turned into purple and purple-like burns started showing from his skin. Kali’s skin had it too but in his case, there was a blood dripping from his ears already. Come on, die. I just need you guys to die.

“Paano pag hindi kami nagising?” biglang tanong ni Nieve in a low voice. The poison is eating his vocal chords already.

“I guess we’ll see each other in the other side,” I replied and the vine on Nieve’s arm died. Nieve’s dead. 

Agad napansin iyon ni Kali at napatingin kay Nieve na hindi humihinga.

“Kung hindi mo man kami mababalik tatlo, at least save him,” Kali said as he was glancing at Nieve. He reached for his hand and the moment he was able to touch Nieve, the flower on his vines died. Kali’s dead.

I glanced at Kailani and he was smiling. He gave me a small nod at pumikit siya. The flower on him also died. Kailani’s dead.

Now, I have to listen everything inside their body.

I summoned six vines for Kailani, and four vines for Nieve and Kali. I have to get the perfect timing to heal them or else I’ll lose them. Hindi ako masaya sa nakiktia ko ngayon kasi nagmumukha akong mamamatay tao pero kailangan ko itong gawin. I closed my eyes to see the traces of my poison.

It’s been a minute.

Sana tagumpay talaga ito kasi napakalaking kasalanan ko kapag hindi. I can’t believe we went this far for this stupid scarlet stone. Eh hindi nga namin alam kung nandoon ba talaga ang hinahanap namin kaso iyon lang talaga ang lead namin. I can’t believe they trusted me this much.

The white flowers I laid on Nieve together with the vines started blooming. Sumunod naman kaagad ang kay Kali and then lastly, kay Kailani.

Thirty seconds left.

“What are you doing?!”

Nabigla na lang ako nang nakita ko si Aaron at iba niyang kasama. Bad timing.

“Pinatay mo sila?!!” one of his friends shouted and I gritted my teeth. What the hell are they doing here?!!!

“I’ll go tell-” hindi ko na pinatapos si Aaron sa pagsasalita at kinuha ko silang tatlo gamit ang vines ko and I pinned them on the tree trunks right in front of me. They were stunned and I felt their limbs trembling in my vines.

“Shut up, dumbass,” I said coldly and my vision turned purple.

It’s been 2 minutes!

Hindi ko muna sila pinansin at napatingin muli ako sa tatlo kong kaibaigan na pinatay ko lang kanina. The white flowers shined brightly- enough to make me blind but I have to stay alert and watch how my healing works or else they will surely die. I extended my hand at marami pang vines at lumabas mula sa likoran ko. The vines travelled to their bodies and watched how the purple burns slowly fading away. It’s working.

My heart skipped a beat when I heard the first heartbeat from Kali. Agad naman sumunod kay Kailani and lastly, Nieve. Napangiti ako habang pinagpatuloy ang ginawa ko hanggang sa namatay lahat ng puting bulaklak mula sa vines ko. I summoned back my vines at tinitigan silang tatlo na nakapikit. They’re alive and my poison runs in their blood already. Man-made immunity- success.

“W-W-W-What was that?!” Aaron exclaimed.

“You have witnessed the rarest thing you could possible see, Aaron,” sabi ko and their eyes opened. “I call it resurrection,” I added at binitawan ko silang tatlo. The three of them fell into the ground with eyes widened and pale looks. Seriously, I was just joking with them, it’s called immunity though. I just wanted to sound cool.

“Buhay ako,” biglang sabi ni Kali at tumayo siya. “BUHAY AKO!!!” he shouted at napatingin kay Nieve na napatitig sa kanya dahil sa gulat na sumigaw siya.

“Buhay rin po ako,” sabi niya at napatingin kaming tatlo kay Kailani na tumayo na.

“What? You thought I’m dying? Hell no,” he said with a smirk at napangiti ako at napahawak sa dibdib ko. Nawala talaga lahat ng kaba ko. Pero hindi iyon ang pinagtuonan ko ng pansin ngayon.

Nang nakatayo silang lahat, napatingin kami kay Aaron at sa mga kasama nila. They all glanced at me pagkatapos nilang makita silang tatlo. I bet they’re wondering. If they are, lalo na ako. I almost lost my composure dahil sa kanila. One mistake, everything must have cost their lives- the lives of my team. If ever it that happened, hinding-hindi ako mag dadalawang isip na patayin sila. I mean why not?

“What are they doing here?” Kali asked as he raised one of his brows.

“I wanted to ask the same thing, Kali,” I said with a sigh.

We all walked in front of them at dahan-dahan silang umatras palayo habang nakaupo pa rin sila grass. Napatigil lang sila sa pag-atras nang may puno na humarang sa mga likoran nila.

“B-B-B-B-Bakit k-k-kayo b-buhay?!!” Aaron panicked.

“Are you questioning our existence? You peasant,” Kali replied coldly at umiwas ako ng tingin. I think he forgot that I lived here so basically I’m one of the peasants.

“N-No, Your Highness. I-I saw Cygnus killed you all!! Bakit kayo nagititwala sa kaniya?!” he exclaimed at napahinga ako ng malalim at sumandal sa katabing puno. They can handle him. I don’t wanna handle him, nakakapagod na. I’ve been dealing with him since I was elementary.

“Um,” singit ni Nieve, “we asked him to kill us,” singit niya ulit and this time, Aaron was more surprised that he was before. HE slowly glanced at me with an expression of disbelief at wala akong alam kung ano ba ang dapat kong gawin. So, I just smiled at him normally.

“Whatever it is, hindi iyon ang pakay namin. Anong ginagawa niyo dito?” Kailani asked.

“U-Um, t-t-the school wanted us to be an apprentice,” Aaron replied.

“Apprentice?” tanong ko.

Oh right, advance classes have that thing.

“Y-Yes,” Aaron replied at tumayo siya. His friends, or should I say team, did the same. “W-We’re currently the strongest team of our school and they gave us the privilege to be the apprentice of the royal team na nandito at kayo po iyon,” he said with a serious tone and expression. This is something … I don’t want. Aaron is known for his bad attitude at feeling niya na kaya niya lahat. He might actually die in this mission.

“We don’t need apprentices. Sagabal lang kayo,” Kailani replied.

“This mission is dangerous. We’re not going in a playground kaya mabuti pang bumalik na lang kayo. You might die along the way kung ipiplit niyo ang sarili niyo.” Kali added.

“I agree,” sagot ko naman.

“I’m stronger than Cygnus when we were classmates at nag-upgrade rin ang kapangyarihan ko! I can handle anything!,” biglang sabi ni Aaron at kumunot ang noo ni Kailani.

“Stop dreaming,” Kailani responded. “Have closed a Pandora’s Box?” he asked at umiling siya.

“Cygnus was with us closing two Pandora Boxes at sasabihin mo na mas malakas ka?” Kali asked. “Hindi ko alam kung sira ba ang ulo mo or masyadong malawak ang imahinasyon mo.” he added. That was harsh.

“Please,” biglang singit ng isa niyang kasama. Tinitigan ko siya kasi pamilyar siya sa akin. Right, isa rin siya na binubully dati but we never really got to talk to each other kasi malayo ang seats namin at pag malapit naman, palagi kaming pinipyestahan ng grupo ni Aaron. To think na isa siya sa pinakamalakas sa school ngayon despite of being the son of the a politician’s mistress and being bullied? I kind of feel proud for him. “Hindi po kami gagawa ng makakasira ng mission niyo,” he added.

Kailani and Kali glanced at Nieve na walang sinabi. We also need his opinion.

“Let’s just think we have kids okay?” he said at napahina kami ng malalim. So he don’t mind having them.

“Well then,” Kali said at tiningnan ng seryoso si Aaron, “Better do your jobs correctly o ako mismo ang papatay sa inyo. I hope everything’s clear,” he added coldly.