The Spirit Martial

Spirit 53

Hindi ko alam kung anong pumasok sa utak ko kanina at ako pa mismo ang humalik kay Kailani. HIndi ko naisip kung anong naidudulot na consequence nito kaya ito ngayon, habang tumutulong kami sa pagliligpit sa mga kalat dito sa labanan, itong si Kailani ngiti ng ngiti kanina pa habang si Nieve ay halatang wala sa mood. When we arrived here kanina, he looked pissed off- pissed enough to the point na hindi na siya ngumingiti. We apologized at agad lumayo sa kanya kasi baka ano pang gagawin niya sa amin.

While I’m healing, I glanced at Gin and Tempest who is talking to one of our professors na pumunta sana dito para back-up kaso natapos nga namin. Kali was also there at binigay ang scarlet stone. Hindi ko naman narining ang sinasabi nila but our professors seemed happy and tapped their sholders. Tumingin rin sila sa amin habang nakangiti kaya ngumiti na rin lang kami.

For a couple of minutes, we helped the whole city at napatigil lang ako when I saw my mom bringing a basket with foods inside it. He called me and my team over para magpahinga. The others also went to rest with us kasi ang mga babae na tagarito sa isla ay nagdala ng mga pagkain. This is the true bayanihan.

“You betrayed me,” biglang sabi ni Kali na may malaking eyebags at napatawa ako. I don't know why but the moment he said that, I just remembered Olivia Rodrigo's song.

“Sorry,” paumanhin ko sabay tawa ulit.

“What the hell happened to him?” tanong ni Kali at napatingin kay Kailani na nakangiti habang umiinom ng tubig. “Kanina pa siya nakangiti, nabaliw na ba siya ng tuloyan?” he asked at umiwas ako ng tinign kay Kailani.

“H-H--H-Hindi ko alam,” sabi ko at dali-dali kong tinulongan si mom na maghanda sa pagkain.

“You don’t know?” Kali asked at napatigil ako at umiling. “You seemed to know though,” he added. I grabbed his wrist at napatingin siya sa akin.

“Just don’t bother asking already!” reklamo ko at ramdam ko ang pag-init ng mukha ko. “It doesn’t matter anyway,” I added and he look confused.

“Okay, okay,” he replied at bumitaw na ako. “Chill,” he added at umupo sa tabi ko at kumuha ng tinapay.

“Kumain kayo ng marami. Kayo pa naman ang nagligtas sa buong isla kaya sabihin niyo lang kapag kulang,” my mom said as she handed us a jar of cold water to prevent us from dehydration.

“Salamat po,” Nieve said and he gulped the whole jar of water kaya napatingin kami sa kanya. He handed the whole jar - which is supposed to me for all of us - and my mom was hesitating to get it from him. “Kulang po,” he added and my mom nodded at kumuha ulit. “Sorry Prince Cygnus, I just really need water. It’s my fuel- medyo maraming magic molecules ang nagamit ko kahapon,” he said with a pout and he suddenly looked at me coldly. BIPOLAR TALAGA TONG SIRANG TO. “Tapos kulang pa ako sa tulog,” he added at napalunok ako.

“S-S-S-Sorry,” sabi ko at tumayo ako. I have to go.

Tumayo ako at lumayo kay Nieve. Tumabi ako kay Kailani na kumakain ng tinapay. Hindi naman talaga masyadong malayo, yung tipong nasa kabilang banda lang kami. Agad siyang napatingin sa akin na halatang nagugulohan.

“What?” I asked and he just smiled with a piece of bread inside his mouth. “Look, hindi ako pumunta dito para makipagharutan, Nieve just scared the hell out of me,okay? Huwag kang feeler,” reklamo ko at tumango siya. Kumuha ako ng isang tinapay at kinain ito.

“Right,” he replied and he cleared his throat. “Looking forward for more kisses and s*x,” he added at naibuga ko ang kinain kong tinapay at napunta ito sa baso ni Nieve. We both looked at each other and froze. We slowly glanced at Nieve and he was looking down at his glass. Kali slowly stood up at umatras palayo. Nieve smiled at tumingin sa akin.

“With all due respect Your Highness,” he said and he lifted the cup with the bread I just ate earlier. “Do you wanna die?” he asked and I think I went pale. Nieve is asking me if I wanna die. He’s really angry.

“Stop that fuss,” biglang singit ni Gin. Thank goodness!! “We need to talk, follow us,” iyon lang ang sumunod niyang sabi at umalis siya. Pefect timing talaga.

Sumunod kaming apat nina Gin na malayo sa tao pero malapit sa forest. Sumandal si Gin sa malaking turtle shell na natalo nila habang si Tempest ay nakaupo sa itaas nito. We four stood up there waiting for them to talk.

“What is it?” I asked.

“This mission is accomplished and we’ll be going back this afternoon. Normally hindi naman talaga but the Agartha needs us kasi kumokonti na ang mga Spirit Casters. Recently, the Pandora boxes has been opening simultaneously and it’s quite alarming so the students are ordered to participate that will serve as a training too. Also, the Pnadora Boxes that opened weren’t low ranks kaya nahihirapan ang iba,” Gin explained at tumango kami.

“Basically, in most cases, students are assigned to assist the spirit casters but in our case- we’ll be dealing one on our own. Let’s just say the school appointed us as the final contestants for Mahika Tournament but we’ll be dealing with the Pandora Boxes on our own,” Tempest added.

“How about Lor and Argo?” Kali asked.

“They’ll be with us but I think his team mates will be against this idea so I guess you’ll be dealing with their members. The two of their members wanted to kick out Cygnus and Nieve,” Gin replied at sabay na kumunot ang noo nina Kali at Kailani.

So I guess the King’s warning about their team is up now. Guess we’ll know everything kapag nakabalik na kami.

“Anyway, hindi naman iyan ang pakay ko. What I want to tell you is that we have to take these Pandora Bozes as our advantage. As you all know, Mahika Tournament is coming at ang unang makakalaban natin ay ang lahat ng school dito sa buong Agartha and everyone has the experience in fighting- when in terms of the All Star Tournament- mas may experience nga tayo pero mas malakas talaga sila since they have this blessing galing sa mga Saints. Agartha’s contestants cannot receive one because the Spirit Martial is nowhere to be foud,” Tempest said at umiwas ako ng tingin. It’s not that my dad abandoned the whole Agartha, it’s the other way around.

“So you mean kahit anong experience natin, mas malakas talaga sila?” Kailani asked at tumango si Tempest.

“And you wanted to win pero ganito ang sitwasyon? Anong gagawin natin?” Kali asked at biglang tumingin sa akin si Gin.

“It’s up to Cygnus,” he said at nagulat ako. Hindi ko alam kung anong gagawin ko. Anak lang ako.

“He’s the son of the late Spirit Martial so I guess it runs on his blood- the blessing. He might be able to give it pero matagal pa iyon. Our focus now is to close the Pandora Boxes and save the people.” singit naman ni Tempest.

“Okay look, I get your point but I’m not strong as my father!” reklamo ko at biglang ngumiti si Gin.

“I guess you didn’t know yet,” he said at nagtinginan kaming apat.

“Didn’t know what?” I asked.

“Of what else is inside you,” he replied.

“What’s inside me? Oh! I do know. It’s my father’s soul,” sabi ko at umiling siya.

“You’ll find it sooner. Malapit rin naman iyang lumabas and I wanna witness it so I guess being in one team with you is worth it,” he said at umalis. Anong pinagsasabi niya?

“Do you have any clue of what he was talking?” Kali asked.

“Hell no,” sagot ko naman.

“Let’s just go grab our lunches once again, gutom na talaga ako.” reklamo ni Nieve. “Let’s just think about it after okay?” he asked at tumango kaming tatlo.

Naglakad kami palayo kaso napatigil ako.

“Cygnus,” Tempest called at tumayo. “Can we talk for a minute?” he asked and glanced at Kailani na tumigil rin. “Privately,” he emphasized and Kailani frowned.

“Just go, “ sabi ko and he sighed. Naglakad palayo si Kailani at napatingin kaagad ako kay Tempest. I jumped on the top of the shell at tumabi sa kanya.

“What is it?” I asked. “Dis you call me to tell me what Gin was talking about?” I asked because if he is, I’d happy.

Huminga siya ng malalim at umupo ulit sa shell.

“What?” tanong ko ulit kasi hindi siya nagsalita.

“I cannot really tell you, you have to find it on your own,” he replied at humiga na talaga sa shell.

“Look, alam kong may something dito,” sabi ko habang tinuro ang katawan ko. “It’s my dad’s soul okay?” I said at umupo ako sa shell. “Your brother is confusing me,” sabi ko at napahinga ng malalim.

“He’s not,” he replied at napatingin ako sa kanya. “He’s giving you a hint,” he added and he looked at me. “You didn’t notice?” he asked.

“Oh come one, you guys kept on asking eh pwede namang sabihin niyo sa akin.” reklamo ko.

“Hindi namin pwedeng sabihin kasi ikaw lang ang nakakaalam kung ano iyon, it’s just we saw something yesterday,” he said at umupo siya mula sa pagkahiga.

“Yesterday? Ano? New monsters?” I asked.

“Hm, kind of I guess,” he said and glanced at my arm. Napatingin kaagad ako sa kamay ko at tinago ko sa likod kahit alam ko namang wala akong dapat itago. “I’m sure you felt different yesterday,” he added and my eyes widened. Our eyes met at napalunok ako. “Didn’t you?” he asked at umiling kaagad ako.

“N-N-No, what the hell are you talking about? I felt normal- normal than ever,” sagot ko and I laughed nervously. How did he know? Did he saw that also?

“What am I talking about you say?” he replied and he chuckled. “I was asking you if you felt different and you say you felt normal, what do you mean by being normal anyway?” he asked and he chuckled again at humiga sa shell. What do I mean by normal? Hindi ko alam ang sagot.

Hinsi na ako nag salita at napatingin sa kamay ko. Yesterday, the electric current from the turtle runt hrough my veins and it felt like it activated something inside me.  I wonder if my spirit is in complete form by now. I know I kept on summoning my vines but it isn’t its complete form yet- I have to figure this out.

“Hey Cygnus,” he called at napatingin ako sa kanya. “Haven’t you wonder why yous dad’s soul is inside you?” he asked at napatigil ako.

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“One body cannot have two souls, Cygnus,” he replied and my eyes widened. He’s right.

“T-T-Then, what is this inside me?!” I exclaimed at ngumiti siya.

“I will repeat what my brother said earlier,” he said and he closed his eyes. “You’ll find it sooner,” he added.