A KISS OF RAGE AND FIRE

THIRTY

KATHARINE ARATHORNE

City of Viles

Battle Arena

It was somewhat a different feeling watching somebody else in the arena. It gave her mixed emotions: excitement and the need to be there. And it relieves her to know that there is something about her that's still there. She didn't lose herself completely. 

They stayed on the alleyway, watching the arena as someone introduced the fighters for tonight. I looked at the red-haired woman, Maybel, one of the Kingsguard. She hasn't really seen all the seven Kingsguard together but seeing Maybel in the middle of all these other people gives her an impression that she isn't someone ordinary. Not because she knew she's a Kingsguard but because Maybel exudes a confident aura that intimidates others.

Naghiyawan ang mga tao sa arena nang ipakilala ang isang lalake. He was confident too, urging the crowd to scream his name more as he walked around the little space in the middle. Looking at the man, she could tell na ito ang pinakamalakas sa arena. Or perhaps one of the strongest. He looks confident and he's quite popular. That's what she was in the underground arena back in Lancaster.

"And our challenger, from..." the announcer looked at Maybel to know where she was from. Maybel leaned and whispered it to the man.

"Right. And here we have our challenger from the Dragon's Lair, Maybel!"

Nobody screamed. Nobody shouted her name. She looked at Killian na tahimik lang na nanunuod. If anything, he looked bored as if he has seen this kind of scenario so many times and he's used to it.

Maybel looked used to it too dahil nang tingnan niya ito'y nakatingin pa rin ang babae.

The bell rang, hudyat na magsisimula na ang laban. The champion was jumping around, warming up his feet habang naglalakad lang si Maybel, eyeing his opponent.

The champion, named Thomas, as she heard, was raising his arms up dahilan para mapahiyaw na naman ang mga tao. It's something she hates the most and Thomas's kind is someone she likes to defeat in the arena. Shatter the people's favorite. Sigurado siyang iyon ang nasa isip ni Maybel nang mga sandaling iyon.

The champion landed the first attack. A direct hit to Maybel's face. It wasn't because Maybe didn't see it coming. It was more like Maybel purposely let herself get hit. Naghiyawan naman ang mga manonood dahil sa pag-atake ng kampion nila. Ngunit nang tingnan niya si Thomas ay nagngingitngit ito. Perhaps he had realize that he's facing someone dangerous.

At tila nainis ang lalake at pinaulanan ng suntok si Maybel ngunit hindi man lang dumipensa ang huli. Hinayaan lang nitong suntukin siya ng kampion na si Thomas. Mas lalong lumakas ang hiyawaan ng mga tao when Thomas landed another punch that made Maybel stagger backwards.

But they knew and Thomas knew that the fight is far from over. Dahil kahit ilang suntok pa ang gawin ni Thomas ay wala itong epekto kay Maybel. It made her stagger but his attacks never made Maybel fall down.

Nakita niyang pinahid ni Maybel ang dugo sa gilid ng kanyang bibig gamit ang likuran ng kanyang kamay. And then she spat on the ground and eyed her opponent. The crowd went silent as Maybel started to roll her neck na para bang hindi ito sinuntok nang ilang beses kanina.

"You're done?" tanong nito sa lalake habang nakangisi. Rinig na rinig nila ang ang boses nito dahil sa tahimik ng lugat. "My turn," she said and then fast as lightning, Maybel landed her first blow on Thomas' gut dahilan para sumuka ito ng laway at dugo. The crowd gasped and murmured at the sight.

"Heavens," narinig niyang mura ni Killian sa gilid. "She might end up killing that poor man."

Nang tumingin siya ulit sa arena ay kitang-kita kung paano ni Maybel pinaulanan ng atake ang kawawang lalake. She did not even give him a chance to catch his breath. Patuloy lang ang babae sa pag-atake and when Thomas was already on the ground, Maybel readied herself to land the final blow na sigurado siyang papatay sa lalake.

But just as her punch is several inches away from the man's already broken face, a hand stopped Maybel's fist.

It was Killian.

Nang tumingin siya sa gilid ay wala na nga ito roon. Napasinghap ang mga manunuod dahil sa nasaksihan sa gitna na arena. A mysterious man suddenly jumps out of nowhere to stop the battle. Tahimik ang paligid. Maging siya ay nagpipigil ng kanyang hininga. And she bets Maybel didn't expect Killian to jump there and stop her too. 

But then Maybel let out a wicked smile and said, "Hello, Captain." 

And the next thing she saw was Maybel wrapping her arm around Killian's neck and everybody gasped, including her, when the woman's lips met Killian's. 

It wasn't just a peck. It was a very deep and passionate kiss that all of the audience dropped their jaws as they beheld the show. And she doesn't know what to feel about it. 

They then disappeared in the middle of the battlefield as Killian winnowed them out, leaving tendrils of smoke. The people gasped as they saw what just happened and the next thing she saw was Killian and Maybel in the spot beside her. 

The woman still has her wrapped around Killian's neck habang nakangisi ito. And Killian doesn't seem to mind. He wasn't smiling or anything but he sure was not stopping the woman from flirting with him. Nakataas lang ang kilay niya habang nakatingin sa dalawa. It was then that Maybel noticed that she removed her hands from Killian and faced her fully. Katharine masked her face into a face of boredom--of disinterest. Ngunit nakangisi ang babae na para bang alam nito na handang-handa siyang lumaban. And she doesn't understand where her annoyance came from. Perhaps it was because of the woman's insufferable grin. Or the fact that Killian was telling her earlier he would be willing to marry her and then kissing another woman right after. 

Maybel let out a wide smile before she bowed to her waist then he looked up and said, "Greetings, Your Highness. Or should I call you Your Majesty?" Maybel grinned and straightened. "Glad to see you alive, Princess."

She pursed her lips. For a moment, all she wanted to do is to snap the woman's neck. But then she remembered nothing good really comes out whenever she loses control over her emotions. Kaya naman huminga siya nang malalim at tiningnan din ang babae. 

"Glad to see you too, Maybel," she said. 

But Maybel let out a feline smile and said, "Liar." 

"Excuse me?" 

Ngumiti lang si Maybel saka naunang naglakad. She waved her hand and said. "I have someone to meet tonight. Susunod nalang ako sa inyo," she said habang naglalakad papalayo. Nagtataka naman siyang napatingin kay Killian and the latter was just shaking his head in disbelief. 

"Try not to kill anyone while you're at it, please," sabi ni Killian na ikinatawa naman ng babae bago biglang nawala. 

She heard Killian sigh at napatingin naman ito sa kanya. She must have been looking at her questioningly dahil humarap ito sa kanya at nagpaliwanag. 

"That's just Maybel. She greets anyone like that," he said but I couldn't believe it. I have never seen the other Kingsguard in person dahil madalas itong wala sa palasyo because of some mission. Ngayon lang ang mga ito nagkawatak-watak dahil sa utos ng ama niya. And it was Killian who she sees a lot since they were children. 

"She didn't kiss me earlier. She just gave me a mocking curtsy," saad naman niya. And she could have sworn Killian's face flushed. She furrowed her brows as she looked at him curiously. 

"There's something going on between you two, isn't it?" 

Napakamot naman sa batok si Killian habang nakatingin sa kanya. As if he's looking for words to explain what it was but then she waved her hand. Bakit naman siya magiging interesado sa lalake? Much less to his lovelife? Kaya naman hindi na niya ito tinanong. 

"What else do we need to do here?" tanong niya without looking at him. 

Tahimik ito ngunit maya-maya pa ay sumagot naman ang lalake. 

"We are going to wait for Moondin to return and for the others to come here." 

Hinarap niya ang lalake. "Does that mean we are going to stay here for a few days to wait for them?" 

Killian nodded and then she started walking. "Will you be okay with that?" tanong nito sa kanya dahilan para matigilan siya. 

Hinarap naman niya ang lalake. "With what? Staying here for a few days? Why do you ask?" 

"Well, I can sense that you don't really like Maybel--" 

Tumawa siya sa sinabi nito. "And what's your basis? Look, I am glad she's here. I mean, It's what we have been planning to do, right? And besides, it's good for you too. You would have another companion other than me." 

"Katharine--" 

"Why don't we look for some play to stay?" saad niya at hindi na niya hinintay ang sagot ng lalake dahil nauna na siyang naglakad. The look on Killian's face was confused and she understands it. Dahil siya mismo ay nalilito na rin. 

She needed to figure it out. Kaya naman nang makahanap sila ng matutulugan, she requested for a separate room. If there is something going on between Killian and Maybel then she shouldn't be in the same room as him. 

Thankfully, Killian obliged without question. 

When she was finally alone in her room, exhaustion dawned on her. They stayed at an inn quite far from the city center. It was good dahil walang masyadong tao doon. Tingin nga niya'y silang dalawa lang ni Killian ang naroon. She closed her eyes but then the image of Maybel and Killian kissing suddenly flashed in her mind. Bigla siyang napadilat at napabangon. 

For some reason, hindi niya mawala sa isip ang nakita kanina. She doesn't know why but she's mad at herself for not even knowing that Killian already had someone and she has been too dependent on him. Hindi niya alam kung anong mararamdaman ni Maybel kapag nalaman nitong natutulog sila sa iisang kwarto and that Killian almost saw her naked. 

Napapikit nalang siya nang mariin dahil sa kanyang katangahan. Kaya naman napagdesisyunan niyang dumistansya muna kay Killian dahil doon sa mga natuklasan niya. She sighed and went back to lying on the bed. 

And when the silence was long enough, she let her mind wander to the past again. When she was at the Palace, getting everything she wanted. Having her father calling her to his office. Having tea parties which she absolutely abhors, a soft bed, nice foods and clothes, and even having lessons. Hell, she loathed those lessons so much that she would often sneak out and go out of the castle walls. Ngunit ngayon, ibibigay niya lahat kung maaari pang maibalik ang mga iyon sa kanya. What she would give to have her father back. 

But it doesn't work that way kaya naman hindi na naman niya napigilan ang pagtulo ng kanyang mga luha when she remembered her father. How exhausted he was and how he still managed to smile in front of her. She knows he had a lot of burdens to carry and all she gave to him was a headache. Kung maibabalik lang niya ang panahon ay ginawa na niya. Ngunit alam niyang ang tanging magagawa lang niya ngayon ay ang tanggapina ng katotohanan. 

Ngunit hindi magiging madali iyon. May mga panahon na maiiyak siya habang naalala ang ama at may mga panahong nakakalimutan niya saglit ang sakit. But it would always be there. Kailangan lang niyang matutong mabuhay kasama ang mapait na katotohanan. 

Hindi niya namalayang nakatulog na pala siya and by the time she woke up, nalaman niyang mag-aala una na pala nang madaling araw. 

Bigla namang kumalam ang sikmura niya. Hindi pa pala siya nakakakain. She got up from the bed and went out of her room. Tahimik ang paligid. Maging sa labas ay tahimik na. Unlike other cities na napuntaha nila, Viles is the smallest and probably the last crowded. Wala siyang naririnig na kahit ano sa labas. 

Dahan-dahan naman siyang bumaba. Wala na ring tao sa ibaba. Earlier the inn had so many customers. Naabutan niya ang isang babaw na naglilinis ng mga mesa. Nang makita siya nito ay ngumiti ito nang bahagya sa kanya. 

"Can't sleep?" tanong nito. 

She smiled back and shrugged. "More like I woke up too early," saad naman niya dahilan para tumawa ang babae. 

"Guessing you haven't eaten yet?" 

She gave the woman an incredulous look. "How did you know?" 

But the woman just shrugged. "There are just two reasons why our customers get down here. Either they're hungry or want to have a drink. You don't look like the latter so I am guessing you are the former," the woman said and went to the counter. 

Umupo naman siya sa upuan na naroon. "Actually, I am both. I want to eat and drink." 

The woman just gave her a knowing look bago ito nagpunta sa kusina kung saan ito nagluto. She was left on the counter with a  glass of beer. She took a sip but then her face frowned as the taste wasn't really to her liking but she doesn't really have the right to be choosy especially in her situation. 

Bumalik ang babae matapos ang ilang minuto at may bitbit na itong pagkain para sa kanya. Agad naman siyang kumain and the woman kept wiping the tables. Nang matapos ito doon ay saka naman ito nagpunta sa counter at nagpunas ng mga baso.

Doon niya napansin ang singsing sa kamay ng babae. "You're married?" kaswal na tanong niya rito. Tiningnan naman siya ng babae na para bang nalilito ito sa tanong niya. Ngunit bigla naman itong napatingin sa singsing.

"Oh, this?" She chuckled. "It's to ward off the males. If they think I'm married, they wouldn't mind me."

Napatango naman siya. It was wise, indeed.

Maya-maya pa ay namalayan nalang niyang sumasabay na ang babae sa pag-inom. At hindi niya alam kung ilang baso na ang naubos niya and she found out that the woman somehow changed their drink into something much stronger. Not that she mind it though. Mas gusto niya iyon.

So they drank and talked. Napag-alaman niyang Amyra ang pangalan ng babae and she's a healer. Umiikot na ang paningin niya and when she looked at Amyra ay natutulog na ito sa counter. She tried to stand ngunit umiikot talaga ang paningin niya.

She tried to find support ngunit wala siyang makapa. Kaya nawalan siya ng balanse as she felt the ground move and then felt herself fall. But she didn't hit the ground like she expected.

Because strong hands grip her arms para pigilan siyang matumba.

And when she tried to look at him, hindi niya ito makilala because her vision's blurry.

But there's one thing she's sure about: it wasn't Killian.

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