THE ZVALLA PRIVATE ARCHIVE
Tapping his feather pen on top of the table, Crescent stared at his fellow young master, whom now is his personal teacher. The young noble was teaching him about recognizing, writing and reading Baybayin*. Crescent learned very quickly and remembered the characters easily with the help of his ability; to remember everything.
"Hey Arie, what happened to those sigbins?" Crescent asked. Arexis was sitting on the opposite side of the table, finishing his chart, he answered without looking at Crescent, "They are hiding in the forbidden mountains"
"You mean, they didn't go extinct?" Crescent frowned. He remembered that black smoke again, he still had no idea why he got a bad feeling about the incident. Ever since that incident happened, Crescent began to wonder whether the emission of smoke had something to do with the still living sigbins.
Arexis brought tons of books with illustrations and placed them above the table. Crescent coughed when the dusts entered his nose.
"What are these?" Crescent asked.
"Books"
"The Book of Zvalla Household Foundation. This one is the Book of Zvalla Family History. And this one, the list of each one's greatest accomplishments..." Crescent scoffed as he listened. He leaned closer to Arexis, he put down his pen and wondered.
"Hey Arie, how long did you spent just to know all about your family history?" he asked.
"Half a year" the young master replied. Crescent chuckled in disbelief.
"And you're planning to introduce all of them to me in one day?" Crescent suspected that Arie just wanted to punish him for all the troubles he had done in the past.
"Yes"
"Hey! That's too much! I know I can remember everything easily, but my head will hurt afterwards. Don't be so cruel to me, Arie. Can't you see I'm human too?!" Crescent protested. He was yelling like a child while tapping his pen against the table. In the middle of his endless complaints, Crescent's wild boar, Meatball, appeared behind Arexis. The tubby thing oinked when it recognized the young master's luxurious cloak, Crescent chuckled.
"Hey Meatball, where have you been, huh?" Crescent smiled and dived unto the floor to catch Meatball. The tubby animal oinked and kicked his owner's face. Crescent rolled on the floor and hugged Meatball like a child hugging its toy. It seemed like Meatball developed an instinct to protect itself against the human who once attempted to eat him.
"Why do like that guy so much, huh? He doesn't like you, he would not even care for you" the young master pouted. Arexis put down his feather pen and glared at Crescent.
"Have you decided about your final name?" Arexis asked. Crescent laughed loudly as Meatball licked his face, ignoring the fellow young master's question, he looked at Arexis, clueless. Now, Arexis began to doubt whether Crescent was doing it on purpose when he plays deaf in front of him sometimes.
"What is it again? Did you say something, Arie?" the young master continued playing with his pet. Arexis clenched the thing under the table, he placed it on the table with force --which created a loud thud. Crescent looked surprised, so was Meatball as it hid under its owner's robe.
"What is that thin wood, Arie?" Crescent frowned while holding his chin, staring at the thin, cylindrical wooden stick with a charcoal sticking out from its middle, he wondered what that thing was.
"A pencil" the young noble replied. Crescent's eyes glimmered upon hearing the word. He quickly sat beside Arexis and was about to get the thing, but Arexis slapped his hand away using his kampilan's handle.
"What? Aren't you giving it to me?" the annoying young master pouted.
"Write your courtesy name on the paper first" Arexis said. Crescent could not stop laughing while hugging his stomach. He couldn't believe that the young noble was treating him like a kid; where you have to do anything they want in exchange for something good.
"But I haven't thought about it yet, is 'Crescent' not enough?" the young master frowned. Arexis glanced at the tubby animal, who in the moment was nibbling his white cloak again. This time, he pushed it away gently and kept his cloak beneath him.
"What? You touched my pet but you won't let me touch even your hair? Am I that lowly to you, Arie? How could you be so cruel? It hurts here in my bosom" Crescent acted hurt while placing his palm flat on his chest. He was overreacting, it never made sense to Arexis and he ignored the fellow noble.
"Ahh, I really have no idea about picking a cool name like yours. Arix Crixtus from Crixtus Household! How dreamy and an UNTOUCHABLE young master" Crescent grinned and hugged his tubby pet like a shy lady.
"So immature" the young master spoke, low enough for Crescent to miss what he said.
"I should just ask my mother. But Arie, you just call me 'Crescent'. As a sign of our friendship, you should call me in a different way, isn't that amazing?" Crescent smirked.
"Nonsense" the young master replied.
THE ZVALLA CLINIC
Amaya blinked her eyes multiple times before sitting up. She hissed, even from the slightest move, the wounds on each part of her body began to tear her fleshes apart. She looked around and found no one guarding her. She grabbed the physician's robe hanging near the door and put it on her. The doctor went to look for the medicine intended to use for faster healing. Like a thief, Amaya left the place, inside her torn robe was a single dirty and old tarot card with the image of the 'Queen of Pentacles'. She threw it towards the approaching household guard, the card slashed the guard's neck, leaving him unable to move any part of his body, as if a paralizing poison infected his muscles. The young lady never wasted the chance to steal the guard's kampilan and beheaded him without a second thought. Blood squirting on the ground as the guard collapsed. The young lady picked her fortune card and hid behind on one of the gigantic clay jars. Most of the containers hold various kind of wines, confidentially fermentend inside said household. One of the clay jars seemed lighter as Amaya rested her palms on it to hide herself.
"This is my only reliable weapon in order to escape from here." Amaya held her card, it was as if her life depended on it. Amaya poured the smaller jars, the liquid scattered on the ground like fuel. The young lady went to the fireplace where various medicinal herbs were being boiled with water inside the clay pots. She took one burning firewood, dropped it on the scattered wine and set fire to the ground. The wines in Zvalla household were known for its fine quality. This type of wine can easily conduct fire because of the hidden substances in it. It is also known as the Cursed Wine of Zvalla Household. But the premium taste of this liquor justified the horrific side effects it could create. Of course, the outsiders or the low rank household members only knew about its good effect and had no idea of what is it's true purpose. The cursed wine of Zvalla Family was founded by the household founder himself, Master Mon. On one of the household books, it stated: Wines are the best presents for your friends, with equal quality for your enemies.
But how did Amaya obtained the knowledge about the cursed wine? Why would she wanted to burn down one of the Zvalla houses?
The fire grew bigger and faster at a short period of time. The other guards were alarmed, immediate action was declared; Capture the arsonist and punish him to death. With the fear of being caught alive, Amaya climbed above the wall. Since climbing walls were her special skills, it was never hard for her to escape from the house. As Amaya held the kampilan, she ran towards the secluded forest without looking back. She knew that she would be dead if the guards will catch her. Running with sweats traveling down her neck and chest, her opening wounds began to hurt worse than before, but she had to continue escaping. She dared not to remember the crimes that she had done, she cared less with the lives she took away without mercy, she didn't want to familiarize the smell of the wine she used as gas to burn down the house, nor did she wanted to accept that she was a murderer. But as she remembered how warm her mother's kiss when the lady planted it on her forehead, her tears went down like waterfalls coming out from her eyes. She reached the white wall and leaned against it. She inhaled deeply, a certain group of baybayin letters were scribbled on the wall made of Amaya's blood. The pain tinged on the tip of her fingers as she managed to finish the name. She felt her fingers sinking on the rough wall, as if her flesh was melting as her blood dripped. An opening that look like a portal appeared before the young lady. Amaya was ready to depart through the opening when an angelic voice spoke behind her.
"Friend, aren't you heading towards the Slaves' District?" the little girl in beautiful light blue robe asked. Amaya glared at her like how wild animals glared at their preys.
"Who are you?" Amaya hissed. The young lady took a step backward when Amaya pointed the sword against her.
"My name is Aria Crixtus. I am not here to harm you. The truth is..." lady Aria, Arix's little sister bowed her head, playing with her thumbs, she looked nervous and scared.
"...I'm alone because I am lost. I don't know the way back to where my kuya* is. Do you know the way to the Zvalla House?" Aria smiled and took a step closer. Alarmed, Amaya retreated and stepped outside the wall. It was her chance to drift away and leave her family behind.
"I do not know anything about this place. You should go back and ask someone else" Amaya replied. Her wounds were visible enough for Aria to notice how badly hurt the other lady was.
"You look badly hurt, shall I stay with you?" Aria asked. Just by looking at the wounds and the blood flowing on Amaya's skin made lady Aria feel pity towards the escapee.
"Staying with me won't change anything. I don't need you, stay away and never say a word about you meeting me or else..." Amaya coughed blood as she glared at Aria and warned, "...I'm going to hunt you and kill you"
Aria smiled and nodded, she reached her right palm in the air as if she was making a promise.
"I swear I won't tell anyone, in one condition" Aria smiled. Amaya glared at this annoying smiling girl, "what condition?"
"Be my friend when you come back and get better" Aria smiled. Amaya frowned as she could not think of a response.
"This way! Look also that way! Surround the whole place and catch the arsonist!" loud voices coming from the forest alarmed Amaya. She hissed and forgotten about the deal she was supposed to have with Aria. She wiped her arm in the air, resulting for the wall to enclose and return to its normal form. It was as if no one was there afterall. Aria made a bitter smile as she saw the traces of the girl's blood on the ground. She looked back to see if someone was around, when she was certain that no one sees her, she covered the blood with the soil. Covered enough, Aria remained touching the soil.
"Young lady! Where have been?! I've been looking for you!" an old lady wearing a servant's robe approached Amaya, doing her task, she immediately wiped the girl's dirty hands with a clean cloth.
"I got lost and decided to play planting crops here while waiting for your rescue. What took you so long, I'm scared" Aria pouted and hugged the old lady. The servant sighed with deep regret as she hugged her little master.
"Forgive me, young lady. I will take the punishment whatever it is. I'm glad that you are not hurt" the old lady said. Thankful as she sounded, the old lady bowed her head as a couple of household guards arrived at the place.
"Have you seen a wounded little girl around here?!" the guard shouted to the old lady. The servant frowned as Aria was frightened with the guard's impulsiveness.
"Watch your mouth! Young lady Aria is here with me, you are scaring our little noble. Should you face her parents and the consequences for making such improper speech in her presence?" the servant warned. The guards bowed their heads upon seeing the little lady clinging unto her servant's clothes, trembling and frightened like a poor puppy.
"Forgive us, lady Aria. We were having an emergency patrol. A murderer just escaped and burned down the Zvalla Clinic. We need to capture the culprit before the sun sets. Please forgive us for horrifying you" one of the guards stepped forward and spoke on behalf of his group. Aria removed her hands as she remembered the wounded girl before. She stepped forward and nodded.
"There is no one here aside from me. I've been here since the morning and no one else came to this direction. You should probably look somewhere else." the young lady said. The guards bowed their heads and one of them said, "Such a great help coming from you, young lady. We trust your words and would continue our patrol somewhere else."
The guard left the young lady with her servant. Aria took a last glance on the white wall and smiled bitterly. She prayed for the girl's safety.
"I've heard that the one who burnt down the clinic was the young lady named Amaya. Compared to the young lady of Zvalla Household, lady Aria from Crixtus Household is much more admirable and a role model" the guard before commented as they arrived in the opposite location of the forest. As the news about the emergency patrol spreaded, Crescent was informed that the clinic has been set to fire. In great shock, Crescent grabbed the pencil and put it inside his pocket. He handed Meatball to Arexis in a hurry and left the young noble behind. The only thing that concerned the young master right now is his sister's safety.
"Amaya, please be safe. I'm coming to rescue you!" Crescent shouted in his mind. Arexis put down the animal on the floor gently and stared at the tubby animal. Meatball looked scared upon receiving the noble's glare. Arexis cleared his throat and spoke, slowly and a bit gentle as he tried.
"You... stay" he said to the tubby animal. The little wild boar looked obedient as it bowed its head and laid on the wooden floor. Arexis knew that following Crescent behind was not necessary, but he decided to follow his student in the end.
The young noble arrived at the said clinic and saw the burning house, without Crescent around.
"Young master Arix! The new young master went inside the house with just his clothes! Please save him!" the family physician said. Coughing to his lungs' content, the doctor left the place. As the young master witnessed the falling trusses consumed by the fire, he could possibly imagine Crescent being trapped inside the burning house. Arexis hid under his hood, he covered his face carefully and activated the protecting spell on his cloak, he entered the burning house like a brave warrior. The heat drained his physical and spiritual strength as Arexis go inside farther. All he could see were burnt furnitures, raging fire everywhere and the thick smoke covering the entire section.
"Amaya! No! You can't be dead!" Arexis heard Crescent's desperate and weak voice. The young noble followed the voice and finally found the other young master, hugging a burnt corpse tightly in his arms.
"It's time to leave" Arexis ordered but Crescent seemed to lose his hearing senses. Arexis turned his head around only to see Crescent crying.
"I failed to protect her in the end" The young master cried and bowed his head.
"We need to get out of here now" Arexis frowned and grabbed Crescent's robe belt. Crescent coughed hard as he covered his nose.
"Arie, you should go first, I'll be right behind you" Crescent coughed, yet he still managed to smile. The truth, he was near to faint anytime for losing a lot of his strength. It would be impossible for him to survive, but letting Arexis saves himself and leaving him behind, he believed it would not be bad at all. Arexis knew what was going on in Crescent's mind at the moment, and he would never let that happen.
"Can I have my thank you now, Arie?" Crescent asked. Arexis frowned, he too started coughing. The young noble knew that the next thing he would do could affect the way he would look at himself. But it's someone's life that he needed to save now.
"Where's my thank you, Arie?" Crescent pouted. Arexis made up his mind.
"Not gonna happen" Arexis replied and took off his sacred cloak.
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©The Bathala's Forbidden Vessel
Creator: Arl Hesse