Chapter 18. We are The Five
Adiya's POV
"Hail our Treasure, Hail our Hope"sabay sabay na sabi ng buong pamilya pati narin si Elgorth na bahagyan pang nakaawang ang labi saka sila yumukod.
"W-what?" naguguluhang tanong ko sakanila.
"You're our hope" simpleng sagot ni Elgorth na nakayuko pa rin. Hindi ko alam kung anong mararamdaman ko sa sinabi nila.
"It's their duty" ani Pyrrhos na mas kinakunot ng noo ko. Mukhang napansin ata niya na naguguluhan ako kaya nagsalita siya ulit.
"It's your duty to save everyone and it's their duty to protect and serve you" hindi parin nagpoproseso ang mga katagang binitawan ni Pyrrhos. Duty? Anong duty? Bahagya ko nalang nasabunutan ang buhok ko para mabalik ako sa reyalidad.
"Please stand up. I don't deserve your praise, so please" utos ko sakanila ng mapansin kong bahagya parin silang nakayukod na sinunod naman nila.
"I don't actually know what's going on so please can you explain?" bigla namang turan ni Zephy.
"It happens when they first implement the Salvos Quest. We hallows don't have our own identity. We're considered as the villain in the nation's story" pagkukwento ni Tito Emmanuel.
"They treated us like dark creatures. They said we are like a ticking bomb, ready to explode at any moment. Maybe because we can turn into black hallows. So we are feared back then. They cower in fear like we're some kind of criminals" dagdag naman ni Tita Ellaine. Seryoso ang lahat habang nakikinig sa kwento ng mag asawa.
"But everything changes that time" seryosong ani Tito Emmanuel.
"We don't actually know the whole detail but the first implementation of the Salvos Quest isn't a success" Tita Ellaine paused for a second and I took that as a cue to ask a question.
"What do you mean?" nagtatakang tanong ko.
"You already know that the Salvos Quest is enforced to stop the war between the four nations right?" tanong ni Tita Ellaine. Tumango lang kaming lahat bilang sagot.
"But that's not the case because no matter what happens, the greed for power always prevails. Before the Salvos Quest, one nation plotted against the treasure. They plan to kill the treasure before the quest and then, there entered the hallows. For that nation to escape the punishment for committing treason-"
"They used the hallows for killing the treasure" pagtatapos namin ni Pyrrhos.
"But how did that incident made the hallows to serve the treasure?" nagtatakang tanong ng babaeng kasama nila Pyrrhos na Firth ang pangalan.
"The punishment for committing treason against the treasure is death but the treasure knows better. Napag alaman niya na nasa impluwensya ng spell ang hallow na ginamit upang patayin siya, so she let it go not knowing that that hallow is one of the elders, and so for sparing his life he devoted his life in protecting the treasure and that goes from generation to generation" pagtatapos ni Tito Emmanuel sa kwento.
"Who plotted against the treasure?" tanong ko sa isip ko.
"We don't know" bigla nalang akong napalingon kay tita Ellaine. Did I say that out loud?
"So definitely, right now, that's the case for you" biglang sabi ni Elgorth na kanina pa tahimik.
"You should've told us who you are from the beginning" dagdag pa niya.
"I'm sorry. Hindi ko alam na may mga gusto palang kumuha sa akin" nakayuko kong sabi.
"You should've told us so that we can protect you" napa angat nalang ang ulo ko sa sinabi niya.
"You shouldn't have left the nation in the first place if you don't want to cause harm to others" sabat naman ni Pyrrhos. Bigla nalang kumirot ang puso ko sa sinabi niya.
"That's the reason why I left the nation" naiinis kong sagot sakanya.
"Hindi mo ba naisip na alam na halos ng buong nation na ikaw ang treasure ay mas nanganganib ang buhay mo? I thought you're smart. I should have known better" tiim bagang niyang sabi saka umalis sa sala. Wala na akong nagawa kung hindi sundan nalang siya ng tingin hanggang sa makalabas siya ng bahay.
"He has a point" sabi namin ng babaeng kasama nila Pyrrhos. Hindi nalang ako sumagot dahil alam kong tama sila. Pagbalibaliktarin man natin ang sitwasyon mali parin ako.
"Well if only Pyrrhos isn't a dick nasa nation sana tayong lahat ngayon" walang emosyong sabi ni Zephy.
"Well, what can I say? That's Pyrrhos" sagot naman ni Firth kay Zephy. Mukhang itong dalawa pa ata ang magsasagutan. Magsasalita na sana si Zephy ng biglang nagsalita ulit si Firth.
"But knowing Pyrrhos, he doesn't care if he hits below the belt, because everything he says is true" ani niya habang diretsong nakatingin sakin na bahayga pang nakataas ang kilay. Masakit mang aminin pero tama siya kaya hinayaan ko na lang. Kailangan ko ring malaman kung anong ginagawa nila sa labas ng nation.
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Makalipas ang ilang araw ay narito parin kami sa bahay nila tita Ellaine na nasa kabilang bahagi ng gubat.
"Ilang tao ang nakakaalam ng bahay na ito?" biglang tanong ni Pyrrhos.
"It's just us. We don't really like to communicate with other human beings" sagot naman ni Elgorth.
"This place is far from humans. We only have less than 2 weeks before the quest. We need to go back to the nation, but before that, we still have to train your powers" seryosong ani Pyrrhos.
"It goes for you too" dagdag niya habang nakatingin sa mga kasama niya saka siya tumayo sa pagkakaupo sa sofa at naglakad paglabas ng bahay. Wala kaming nagawa kung hindi ang sumunod nalang. Naglakad kami sa parteng likod ng bahay. Malawak na lupain ang kinatatayuan ng bahay nila tita Ellaine.
"Is this okay though? What if someone is spying on us?" tanong ni Storm.
"No one is spying on us" bigla kong sagot sa tanong ni Storm.
"How can you be so sure?" balik tanong rin niya.
"I can talk to animals and sense nature" sagot ko sakanya. Nakita kong nakakunot ang noo nilang lahat pati narin ang buong pamilya maliban kay Ehzcy na wala dito, nasa bahay ito, natutulog.
"Wait, who are you guys anyway? Aside from you're all from the elemental nation and Adiya is the treasure, we barely even know you" napatingin kaming lahat kay Elle.
"My name is Trevet Corentin. I'm an earth mager and my side power is telekinesis" pag uumpisa ng kambal ni Storm na Trevet pala ang pangalan.
"Storm Corentin. His twin brother. I'm an air mager and as you know, my side power is portal making" pagpapakilala naman ni Storm.
"Firth Misty Laxus. I mage water and my side power is healing" sabi naman ni Firth. Ngayon ko lang sila nakilala ngunit sa nakikita ko, mukhang malalim na ang pinagsamahan nila kasama si Pyrrhos, and now it's his turn to introduce himself.
"I'm Pyrrhos Titus Aine Laxus. As you already know I'm a fire mager and my side power is sensory deprivation" while introducing himself, I didn't see any emotions on his face, as usual, his face held no emotion.
"And we are The Five, including the treasure" dagdag pa niya.
"So you're the candidates that will represent the Salvos Quest?" tanong ni Elle habang nakatingin samin. Tumango naman sila maliban kay Zephy at Pyrrhos na nakatulala na mukhang may malalim na iniisip.
"And who are you in the group?" biglang tanong ni Elgorth na ang tinutukoy ay si Zephy.
Umasim bigla ang mukha ni Zephy dahil sa tono ng pananalita nito. Natawa nalang ako ng bahagya.
"I'm her bestfriend" masungit na sagot nito saka habang turo ako.
"And?" Elgorth asks as if anticipating an amazing answer from her.
"And I'm Zephyrine West. I'm an air mager but I can also take your breath away literally, which means I can kill you so you better shut up" dirediretsong sabi ni Zephy. Hindi ko maiwasang matawa ng malakas dahil sa pagbabangayan nila dahilan ng pagtingin nilang dalawa ng masama sakin. Kinagat ko nalang ang pang ibabang labi ko para pigilan ang tawa ko.
"Enough for the chitchat. Let's get you ready" seryosong turan ni Pyrrhos, and here we go again. Mukhang mapapasabak nanaman ako sa sangkatutak na sermon.
"Our power is like our body. The stronger your body gets, the stronger your power. Our training in the nation is different because our focus back then is for you to control your power, and in order for us to do that, we should make your stamina stronger. So your first test is on how to build your body stronger"