A KISS OF RAGE AND FIRE

TWENTY-THREE

MARCELINE GRAY

West of Elvian Forest

Miles away from the Cursed River

"You are not coming with me!" saad niya sa lalake ngunit tiningnan lang siya nito nang nakakaloko.

"Ano bang pupuntahan mo doon? Why am I not allowed? Now I'm curious."

Napahinga siya nang malalim. She couldn't believe she'll be dealing with this total stranger. Hindi niya maintindihan kung bakit ito sasama sa kanya. Hell, she might die trying to cross the river just to go to the Mount of Terrors tas kung makapagsalita ang lalake parang ang dali-dali lang ng gagawin niya.

"You don't understand--"

"Then make me understand."

"You know what, I don't even know you. Who knows kung anong gagawin mo sa akin? And why would you show interest in something you don't even know?"

"Wrong. I know you took that scroll and you're about to do something foolish with it. And seeing where we're going, I could tell you're going over there." Tinuro nito ang bundok na natatakpan ng mga ulap. The Mount of Terrors.

"And so what? Do you think I'm doing this because I had a choice?" Napabuntong-hininga siya, realizing she shouldn't have said something. Or give the man a clue for what she is about to do. "I don't know you, whoever you are. But if you don't have any business with me, then leave me alone. And besides, aren't you going to Lancaster?"

"Change of plans. Your adventure sounds more fun."

"What I'm about to do is not something fun. I have a village to save. I don't want to be dealing with whilst I fight against monsters-"

"Monsters? Then it's even more fun!"

"Oh my god." Inis na napatalikod siya sa lalake at nagsimula ulit maglakad. Wala siyang makukuha kapag makipagsagutan pa siya rito. The man doesn't seem to be fazed by whatever she says about going to the Mount of Terrors. And she has witnessed a little bit of his power earlier. Masasabi niyang malakas ito.

Bigla naman siyang napaisip. If the stranger goes with her, she could actually use his power to fight against the monsters. And besides, he's the one who volunteered to come. Hindi na niya kasalanan kung anong mangyarito sa lalake. She tried to stop him but he wouldn't listen. Might as well use him to her advantage.

Nakasunod pa rin ito sa kanya. Hindi niya alam kung gaano pa sila kalayo mula sa ilog but she could feel that they're going to arrive by tomorrow. Before the sun goes down, kailangan nilang makalabas na sa gubat. The forest is dangerous but it gets even more dangerous during the night.

And they'd have to camp somewhere in a clearing. Ngunit akala niya'y magiging payapa ang paglalakbay nila. The man doesn't seem to have known silence all his life. Panay ito kwento. Hindi niya naman maintindihhan kung ano ang mga pinagsasasabi nito. All she could understand is that he seems to have his fair share of fighting some monsters.

"But what do you mean you have a village to save?" tanong nito sa kanya. Hindi niya ito sinagot at nagpatuloy lang sa paglalakad. But she should have known that the man is sharp.

"Oh. Tranmere? Terrible sight. I also couldn't figure out what happened but I did found something interesting and I was about to report back to Lancaster but then that damn Elves wouldn't even let me out. I was stuck in that forest for days. Thankfully, you came-"

Bigla niya itong hinarap. "What did you find?" tanong niya and it came out harsher than she expected. "You said you found something interesting, what was it?"

Napatingin naman ang lalake sa kanya. "What exactly are you planning to do?"

"Like I said, I am trying to save that village. You saw it. The virus is slowly killing them."

But the man just gave her a grave look before he said, "It's not a virus."

"What do you mean it's not a virus? You saw it. They're dying. Some unknown virus is killing them-- wait, you said you were about to report to Lancaster about it? Do you work for the Palace?"

"Yes and no. Yes, I was about to report it to Lancaster. No, I don't work for the palace. And what I saw in Tranmere isn't what you think it is. A virus that's seeping life out of them? I don't think so. It's not just a simple virus, I'm afraid. I came here to investigate and what I found are almost dead bodies. And they looked like their souls were taken out of their bodies."

Biglang nanghina ang mga tuhod niya. And then the man said, "Kaya naman ginawa ko ang nararapat kong gawin. And that is to put a barrier around the village."

"You're the one who placed the barrier?" hindi makapaniwalag tanong niya. "You trapped the villagers there? There are kids! And old people! My family is there! And you trapped them?" A burst of her power came out, attacking the man but a mere wave of his hand and her water spear got dissolved.

"You--whoever you were working for, you are not here for some fun. You...you are investigating. You were trying to see what I was going to do. And then...and then kill me if ever I do something that would destroy your plan."

"Exactly. So whatever it is that you're up to, drop it. I was planning to have you taste what it would be like to be fighting with real monsters hoping you'd give it up but I guess I'll have to stop you now."

Napantig naman ang tenga niya sa narinig. Hindi siya makapaniwalang pinipigilan siya nito. A complete stranger. Someone who has placed her village to doom.

"You are not stopping me. Kung mamamatay man ako sa kamay ng mga halimaw-"

"See, I don't really care about that. The last thing I would ever want is to have you go in there and accidentally free the monsters inside."

"You are the one who sent my village to doom the moment you placed a barrier around it. You are a monster. You're all the same. Because it doesn't affect you directly, you don't see the need to take action. But I do! My family is there! My friends are there! Everyone I care about is there, and they're dying! Because you placed that goddamn barrier around it and trapped them inside like pigs."

Nakita niya namang natahimik ang lalake. And she could have sworn something passed his eyes but she ignored it. She's mad. Gusto niyang saktan ang lalake but she knows she wouldn't stand a chance. She couldn't afford to be wasting her energy on him.

She heaved a sigh and tried to stop the tears brimming in her eyes. "Please," she said. "Remove the barrier. I'm begging you."

Ngunit nanatiling nakatingin ang lalake sa kanya saka ito napabuntong-hininga.

"It's not possible. I would not remove it."

"If there's still any shred of humanity in your system-"

"Soul Pincers," he said.

Nagtataka naman siyang napatingin dito.

"Have you heard of them?" tanong ng lalake sa kanya.

Marahas ba pinahid niya ang mga luha. She doesn't have time for his stories. And she couldn't care less. Kaya naman tinalikuran niya ito at nagsimulang maglakad.

"Somewhere in the barrier around the Mount of Terror has a crack. I believe a Soul Pincer has escaped from there and since your village was the one nearest to the mountain, it attacked your village. It doomed your village and all of the people there are about to die. But the Soul Pincer has escaped and probably has fled somewhere, leaving your village as it is: poisoned and will become Soul Pincers soon.

"That's why the barrier I made was necessary. It slows their transition to become Soul Pincers. It's saving them. Though it's painful, it will buy us time until we could find a cure."

Hindi niya alam kung anong maramdaman. Relief because she had known that the village wasn't trapped because they're neglected. Or scared now that she knew about the real cause of hee village's situation.

Then she took out the scroll. "This is what I am trying to do. I am finding the cure."

Napatingin naman ang lalake sa scroll na inilahad niya. "This scroll?"

She nodded. "The Assassin's Fortress have these waters from the Cidarian Oasis. And those waters could heal whatever kind of illness. And this scroll contains the instructions on how to turn any water into some healing potion."

The man looked at her seriously.

"And why are you going to the Mount of Terrors?"

"The old man that lived in this forest told me that I would find answers if I go to the Mount of Terrors and see the Death Carver."

Napapikit naman ng mariin ang lalake. "You do realize that this forest is swarming with Elves who likes to play trick-or-treat minus the treat. Whoever that old man is, he was an illusion. Nobody would live in this  forest and survive."

"He is not just an old man. He's a seer. Someone who's been guiding us since the beginning of time."

"Okay, say that old seer was telling the truth. How in the world are you planning to cross the Cursed River? And let's say you've successfully crossed the river, how are you going to find the Death Carver, much more talk to him? And let's say, you got the answers you're looking for. How are you going to get out? Nobody gets in there and gets out alive—well, except for someone I know. But the point is, it's called the Mount of Terrors for a reason. It's swarming with monsters and you couldn't even imagine what they're capable of."

"But someone got out alive somehow—"

"He's a different kind of species. He got out of there because he's insanely strong."

Tiningnan niya ang lalake. He isn't lying. Nakikita niya iyon. But then she just can't sit still while her village—her people are suffering. She doesn't have any idea what she will be facing. And the stranger was right. It would be foolish of her to go there but she doesn't have time to be scared. Because her people's lives are on the line.

"Just leave me be," saad niya rito bago ito tinalikura ang nagsimulang maglakad papalayo.

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