Royal Blood Fray

Chapter 4

Zhairell Kheina X. Mirchovich’s Pov

Hanggang ngayon ay hindi pa din ako makapaniwala sa mga naganap sa buhay ni Ravena mula ng magkahiwalay ang landas namin.

Akala ko ay naging maayos ang buhay niya pagkatapos noon pero isang maling akala lang pala ang lahat.

Ngayon ay malinaw na kung bakit nagawa niyang makipagtulungan sa mga Aletta, kahit wala sa ugali niya ang gamitin ang lakas at kaalaman na meron siya sa pakikipaglaban para makapanakit ng inosente.

“Are you sure about that?” tanong ni Hydra nang banggitin ko sa kanila ang mga sinabi ni Caira sa akin.

We already finished our job at ngayon ay sinisimulan ng asikasuhin ng mga kasama ko ang katawan ng mga tauhan ni Ravena.

Hindi naman namin sila maaaring iwan na lang dito. Malapit lang ito sa hi-way at madaling makaagaw ng pansin kung sakali na may mapadaan.

Mas mabuti na iyong malinis ang paligid namin nang sa gayon ay hindi isipin ng Alleta na nasa loob kami ng Chess Estate.

“Well, that is what Caira said,” sambit ko. “And based on our situation, I don’t have the means to investigate if what she said is true.”

Apparently, Ravena calls off his wedding to Caira a week before the final date. And that is because Ravena was having trouble in his work and it involved some person with a higher status in society.

He was framed and got fired. Aside from that, a lot of people were harassing his family over the crime that they put in his name.

His mother committed suicide because she can’t take the humiliation that they experienced and his father got admitted in a mental hospital.

His brother was expelled to the university where he worked so hard to get in. And his only sister always bullied by her schoolmate just because they are related to him.

Caira also experienced that horrible thing but before everything could get even worse, Ravena immediately cut his ties with her, called off the wedding and never contacted her anymore.

His life was a living hell because of that person and the only people that helped him back up to his feet is Aletta.

They are the only ones who believed in him when no one else could. They are the one who helped his brother to get into a university where status and family background doesn’t matter. And they are the only ones who made sure that his sister would never be harmed by anyone else.

And that is when Ravena started working under them.

“Then, we can’t really blame him for taking their side,” Cassiopeia said. “They basically saved him and his family. Utang na loob niya ang buhay nilang mag-anak sa kamay ng mga Aletta.”

She is right.

Ravena was just paying his debt to Aletta who saved him when he was in hell. He was just doing a job and it is nothing personal.

“Pero hindi naman ibig sabihin noon ay magiging mabait ako sa kanya,” sabi ko. “I feel bad about what happened to him but what is happening right now has nothing to do with what he believes in. The people that he works for are making this country in trouble and I cannot just let him slide with that.”

“Even though you loved him once upon a time?” Hydra said.

“What happened to him is clearly his fault.” Ibinaling ko ang tingin sa mga katawang inaasikaso ngayon ng mga kasama ko. “He can just call and use me since he is aware of my identity when I was still with them. He could just ask for my help and maybe, he has the life that they want.”

They made me feel that I belong when we are still together. Kahit pa alam nila na kabilang ako sa mataas at kilalang angkan, hindi iyon naging hadlang para itrato nila ako bilang kapantay nila kapag nasa loob kami ng Underground.

They made me feel that I have a place where I can show what and who I really am and no one will judge me.

They are the ones who taught me that I can have the normal life that my parents wanted me to have, as well as the life that I wanted to experience with myself.

Kaya mahigpit ang naging bilin ko sa kanila noon.

Na hingin ang tulong ko kung kinakailangan nila. Na huwag silang magdadalawang-isip na tawagan ako kapag nalagay sila sa alanganing sitwasyon. Na agad silang lumapit sa akin kapag hindi na maganda ang sitwasyon nila.

Dahil kahit anong mangyari, hindi ako magdadalawang-isip na tumulong sa mga taong naging parte ng buhay ko.

“Kung sakali man na ako ang nagkulang, baka ako pa ang tumulong sa kanila na makuha si Jin o sinuman sa Royal Guards,” dagdag ko. “Pero sila ang may kasalanan kung bakit sila nagdusa ng ganoon kaya huwag nilang gagamitin sa akin ang mga bagay na iyon para lang makuha ang simpatya ko.”

They cannot use anything against me. Hindi ako ang nagkulang ng paalala. Hindi ako nagkulang bilang kaibigan nila.

Tumalikod ako at bumaling sa sasakyan ko na nakaparada sa gilid ng hi-way. “I will let you handle everything here. I think it is time for me to face that bastard.”

********************

Zaire Emerald Xermin-Mirchovich’s POV

“Hindi ko alam kung hanggang kailan sila magsasayang ng resources para lang makapuslit sa mainland,” naiiling kong sabi habang nakatingin sa dami ng mga barkong ngayon ay halos lubog na sa karagatan.

Anim na buwan na ang nakakalipas nang magdesisyon ang mga Avenir na ilikas ang lahat ng mamamayan ng bansa sa royal region.

Well, I was actually the one who suggested that idea.

Kung hindi namin gagawin iyon ay mahihirapan kaming protektahan ang mga mamamayan ng bansa at siguradong sila ang higit na magdudusa kung sakali man na sabay na umatake ang mga dayuhan na nagtatangka

na pumasok sa bansa at ang mga Aletta.

Mahahati ang pwersa namin at hindi kami basta makakakilos dahil magkaiba ang direksyon na siyang panggagalingan ng mga kalaban.

At ang royal region ang naisip kong pagdalhan sa kanila dahil mayroon itong kakayahan na suportahan ang buong populasyon ng bansa.

Mula sa pagkain at tubig. At upang ihanda ang buong bansa sa mga ganitong sitwasyon ay nagpatayo na din sila ng mga apartment na siyang maaaring tuluyan ng apat hanggang anim na tao kaya naman mayroong tinutuluyan ang lahat ng narito.

May sapat din itong depensa laban sa sinumang matatangka na pumasok dito at nakakapag-focus ang mga police upang pangalagaan sila.

Habang ang mga tulad kong civilian group na direktang nagtatrabaho sa pamilya Avenir, kasama ang mga military at palace knights ang siyang pumipigil sa barko ng mga dayuhan na nagtatangka na pumasok sa teritoryo ng bansa namin.

At sa anim na buwan mula nang magsimula ang laban ay wala ni isa sa kanila ang nakakapuslit sa amin.

Though I am not really sure if that is also the case in the other area of our border. I am the one who holds our east border. And since my group can cover a large part of our borders, I am also the one who holds the northern east and southern east.

McKenzie, together with Xeric, Zerhia and their underlings are holding the north border. The rest of Chess Pieces officers and their underlings are holding the west border. They also covered the northern west and southern west border.

And we let Strellea, together with the palace knight, military police and other civilian groups hold the south border.

“They are too persistent to enter the mainland even though they know that it is impossible for them to get past you,” sabi ni Phoenix. “Anyway, I got info on the other border.” Ibinigay niya sa akin ang isang papel na agad ko namang tinanggap.

Binasa ko iyon at bahagyang nakahinga ng maluwag.

“It is good that in the past six months, there are still no casualties on our side,” ani Phoenix. “But this war will not even be at its climax.”

“You are right about that.” Ibinalik ko ang tingin sa karagatang puno ng mga sirang barko. “This is just the beginning. Hindi pa nagsisimula ang mga kalaban na ilabas ang tunay nilang lakas.”

It is clear to the leaders of other countries that their children that were enrolled at Royal University were still alive yet they continue to fight us as if they don’t really care about the lives of those children.

“They are planning something,” I said. “More terrifying just to get what they are really after to our land.”

“Do you think this is an invasion?”

Umiling ako. “They don’t really care about the Avenir as a whole. They only care about a certain place where they could find the thing that they wanted.” And to be honest, I am not really sure what they really want in that place.

From what I know, there is nothing special about that place aside from the Royal University itself.

Or maybe I am too ignorant about that place.

Muli akong bumaling kay Phoenix. “Leave the battlefield and go back to the mainland.”

Kumunot ang noo niya sa sinabi kong iyon.

“You need to investigate everything about the Regio Mountain.” That is the name of the mountain where Royal University was built. Though it is actually confidential that is why no one really knows who was the owner of that mountain.

Even the government records were sealed. And even though the Avenir wanted to dig it up, they still couldn’t get the name of the owner.

“We need to know what they are really after in that place,” dagdag ko. “Nang sa gayon ay malaman natin kung paano patigilin ang gulong ito.”

“Are you sure you don’t want me here?” tanong niya. “You are covering a lot of area and getting me out of the picture will give you more work.”

“Just get back here as soon as possible,” sambit ko. “I might be able to hold them back by the time you finish that job.”

“Well, then I guess I better hurry.” And he left.

Well, now that my second-in command has already left, I think I need to do more work so my underlings will not get exhausted while we are waiting.