Virdjana's POV
I tried waving at Drago, giving signals that means 'don't move a muscle', sa tingin ko ay alam niya na ang gagawin dahil hindi nito sinubukan gumalaw mula sa kinahihigaan nito. I don't think the giant snake is much of a danger, but that was only until began to raise its ginormous tail.
The snake's tail rattled, loud enough to echo across the Burial Forest. I saw Drago cover his ears and he looked like he was in pain. Should I help him? I contemplated about the idea while removing my daggers from the trunk since I made it on a steady branch.
"What's the point of using 'that' earlier to save his cursed ass, if I'm just going to let him die here?" I told myself.
I spun one knife across my palm, and returns its pair back on my belt. I took a huge leap towards Drago, aiding myself with wind magic to cushion my landing.
"You won't be able to dodge a strike in your state." I told him.
Suddenly, Drago sets both palm on fire and jumps upwards, leveling with the snake's head. Napakunot na lang ako ng noo, perhaps I underestimated him? He's going to fight a giant reptile on his own?
I crossed my arms, and decided to watch him go. "Good luck, trust me, you'll need it." I told him before rolling my eyes.
Drago's POV
Time to show off- este, time to take this huge serpent down. Tumalon ako at pinag-apoy ang dalawa kong kamay, at nang kapantay ko na ang ahas ay inihagis ko ang dalawang bolang apoy na aking ginawa at dinirekta ito sa ulo nito.
"Tapos ka na!" sigaw ko.
Laking-gulat ko nang yumuko ang ahas at hinampas ako gamit ang napakalaking buntot nito, dahilan para bumalibag ako papunta sa damuhan.
"Argh!" I hit the ground with a thud, but what hurt more was the slices I got from the sharp grass.
I glanced back at Virdjana who was simply balancing her knife on top of her finger. "Why didn't you back me up?" I complained while trying to regain my balance.
Virdjana paused, before batting a look at me, "I thought you can do it on your own?" she asked looking genuinely confused.
"Yes! Have you never worked with someone in your past school?" I asked, since my classmates did tell me that she is a transfer student.
Before answering me, a smirk appeared on her lips, then she pointed above us. "Holy-!" We were able to back off in time.
The snake finally decided to fight back, when it pulled away it got some of the thorny grass around its head, however it looked alright. "Its scales are protecting it from getting sliced. It's a perfect and natural predator of this forest." I commented.
"You didn't hear? Home-schooled daw ako." I was surprised to see Virdjana standing to my right. How did she get here so fast?
Huh? Nalito ako sa ibinigay niyang sagot sa tanong ko. It's like she's saying it like an indirect statement, instead of a fact. "Aren't you?"
We are currently running around the snake, while dodging its tail slams and head strikes. I could hear the loud thuds of the falling tress from behind us, but I was also making sure that I'm giving her half of my attention.
Without warning, Virdjana tripped me, so I fell down on the ground. I grunted in pain, and my first thought was to get angry at her, but that was until I saw her physically wrestling with the snake's head!
"I don't think that's a good idea!" I told her, because that was an obvious thing!
She did not gave me a response and continued struggling to stop the snake from pushing forward, her feet scraping the ground backwards.
"W-what are you watching me for? Back me up!" Virdjana shouted.
Realizing what she was trying to do, I stood up and jumped away to create distance. I grabbed a twig and began etching a magical circle on it. "Blue Fire: Hyacinth Turquoise!"
Limbs of blue flame spiraled from the circle before merging into a large blue pillar that attacked the snake side ways causing it to collide on a bunch of trees to our right.
"How's that?" I exclaimed with a smile, but it was just not over yet since the snake started getting back up and angrier this time. "Damn it, Virdjana it's too tough, Let's head to the next area." I suggested.
A rapid gust of silvery wind enveloped Virdjana. I thought that she was planning to create a tornado around herself, she separates it from her and turns it even bigger. I shielded my eyes from the flying rocks, plants and twigs that were getting sucked into it. I could smell the earth and the dry soil around me.
"So, this is what it feels like to stand nearby a tornado." I commented in awe, I am greatly impressed of the power building up in front of me.
That was until the tornado began plucking the giant trees from the ground, leaving large muddy craters in the process. "W-wait, Virdjana! I think that's good enough!" I shouted as I tried running away to avoid getting caught in her magic.
The moment she looked at me was the moment the giant snake slithered towards her to attack. I couldn't see what happened next as I was also lifted from the ground and toss in spirals in mid-air. "I don't think this is the way I wanted to dieeeee."
JP's POV
Kanina pa pabalik-balik sa harapan ko si Kadaski, habang nginangatngat ang dulo ng kanyang hinlalaki.
"Aski, itigil mo nga iyan para kang timang!" pagrereklamo ko.
Tinapunan niya lang ako ng matalim na tingin saka bumaling sa labas ng bintana, may kalakasan ngayon ang ulan ah. Umuulan din kaya sa lugar kung saan naroroon iyong magandang dilag sa klase ni Kadaski?
"Maganda? Tch, may tama na yata ako." bulong ko sa sarili saka tumawa ng mahina, isabay mo pa ang makulit kong imahinasyon kung sakaling maging kaibigan ko si Phantom. "Pero kahit pa, mayroon nang nag-ma-may-ari ng puso ko."
Nakabalik lang ako sa realidad ng nagsimula nang paliyabin ni Kadaski ang kaniyang kamao at sumuntok-suntok sa hangin. Kawawa naman ito, kailangan niyang ma-distract!
"Mag-a-arcade daw sina Jeffrey mamaya. Sama ka na. Alam kong competitive ka." sabi ko rito.
Hindi pa rin natigil si Kadaski sa pagtawid-balik sa classroom. Pansamantala itong bumaling sa akin para titigan ako.
"Aski, makinig ka sa sasabihin ko. Paniguradong magiging okay lang iyon si Drago. Matutuloy ang reunion niyo, at makiki-thirdwheel ako kagaya ng usual!" pagbibiro ko pa.
"Ano?" nakasimangot na tanong ni Aski saka lumapit sa kinatatayuan ko.
"May tatlo akong hula sa kung ano ang bumabagabag sa iyo. Una sa lahat, alam ng buong S-Class, ng lahat ng ka-batch natin na 4th years na isa kang overprotective na bestfriend kay Drago," panimula ko habang binibigyang-diin ang ilang salita ng may sarkasmo, "kulang na lamang nga ay mag-isang dibdib na kayo."
"Natural naman iyon, bestfriend nga 'di ba?" seryoso niyang tugon sa sinabi ko na nakapagpa-facepalm sa akin.
"Pangalawa, sinisigurado kong tatamaan ka talaga sa baga," sabi ko habang nakahawak sa baba at tumatango-tango, "guilty ka. Dahil imbes na humingi ka ng tawad nang mag-kaaway kayo last time, ay hindi mo na nagawa dahil naka-alis na siya."
"Tama ako roon JP. Napahamak nga siya sa huli niyang mission." saad nito habang umi-iling-iling.
"Talaga?" sa gulat ko ay nanlaki pa ang mga mata ko, "anong klase?"
"'Hindi ko alam kung ano ang eksaktong detalye, pero nasumpa si Drago." sagot ni Aski.
"Seryoso?" hindi pa rin ako makapaniwala.
"Seryoso nga." pagbibigay-diin ni Aski.
"Saan ba pumunta si Drago sa huling mission nito?" pag-u-usisa ko.
"Sa Burial Forest, at bumalik ulit siya roon para sa misyon niya ngayon." seryosong sagot ni Aski.
Burial Forest?! Isang A-rank danger zone ang kagubatang iyon. Ilang beses ko nang nabasa ang detalye tungkol sa lugar na ito dahil assistant ako sa faculty office ng mga Master sa akademya.
Ang kabuoang biome ay mostly mga puno at damo, ngunit may matatagpuan ring mga swamps sa lugar. Isa pa, may iba-ibang uri ng mga beasts ang matatagpuang naninirahan dito na sampung beses ang laki sa common and smaller species ng mga ito.
Naglaho ang positibong aura na kadalasan kong pinakikita sa harap ni Kadaski, at hindi ko rin napigilan tingnan siya ng seryoso.
"Bakit ka natahimik? May corny ka na namang biro?" reklamo ni Kadaski.
"None of that. I was just wondering what part of Burial Forest he was heading to. There's the Burgunde Swamp, Serpentine Graze, and Death Tree Orchard. All of these places are dangerous, but what determines its danger is the amount of Blood Crystals that can be found in these areas." I expounded.
"Blood Crystals?" he asked with an eyebrow raised.
"Blood Crystals is a type of gemstone fungi that grows on places supplied with fresh blood usually from animals. They're mined and sold in the market as compasses or even modified for medical use." I explained.
"Usually from animals?" Aski leaned forward with furrowed eyebrows.
Oh boy, looks like I'm going to have to answer a series of question for this guy.
Virdjana's POV
This is no spell.
This is my anger.
I should have thought twice before I chose to catch the head of that snake, perhaps I should have let it strike Drago from behind. I wouldn't have gotten my necklace cracked from the impact.
When the giant reptile dashed towards me, I sent the tornado forward with no regards of its damage to the surrounding environment.
I can't hear anything except the rustling of the leaves. I was about to walk away when I heard my name.
"Virdjana!"
"Drago Arcedes? I forgot you exist for a second." I honestly stated.
I really forgot about him.
He was silent for a moment, but soon he smiled at me and patted my shoulder. "I hope the Masters informed me that you are powerful. I was honestly concerned that they chose a transfer student to be the partner of someone like me. Mukhang hindi na pala kailangang alalahanin. Tara na."
I watched him lead the way, and I noticed him slightly limping. I see, acting alright?
Hours of walking and finally we made it to the Death Tree Orchard. The trees were pitched black like a starless night sky, including its leaves. If it weren't for the miniscule sunlight, it would feel like I was surrounded by bulk of charcoals.
"Anong amoy ito?" tanong ko kay Drago.
"It comes from the fruits. It's what we call the Black Pearls. The source is a particular tree, it's just around here." he explained.
"How can we find the source when every tree looks like a carbon copy of each other?" I asked sarcastically.
Drago's POV
I gave her a confident expression, because I was expecting that question.
"That's easy. That tree is filled with Blood Crystals which glows a bright red in the dark. It's like an obvious green flag when we spot it." I stated smiling.
"Right there, four trees from your left." informed Virdjana.
Impressive observation skills. I kept the thought to myself, and then started heading to that Death Tree with Virdjana.
"According to President Rizz of the Student Council. Death Trees can regenerate its branches rapidly. He told me that in order to end the curse, the source must be uprooted." I told her.
Virdjana smirked, don't tell me she already knows what to do? I had a hard time destroying one, and I nearly got killed doing so. That was why I got the curse in the first place. Then it hit me, Virdjana have the perfect element to finish this job.
"How can I help?" tanong ko sa kaniya.
"By staying put." she answered.
For some reason, I don't wanna go against that. "Be careful Virdjana. Huwag mong hayaang madikitan na kahit anong bahagi ng Death Tree. Nakikita mo ba iyang mga Blood Crystals sa paligid ng puno? Nangangahulugang marami nang namatay na hayop sa paligid nito."
She nodded as a response.
Virdjana spread both of her arms side-wards, then she move her hands as if she trying to lift the specific death tree with an invisible force. The Blood Crystals on the ground shuffled as the tree began floating upwards.
Can she do it? Wouldn't she be drained by the amount of energy she used earlier? I have to help.
"Blue Flame: Fire Pillar!" I enchanted.
With the help of my flames that I summoned from beneath the tree, it was successfully uprooted and sent flying away. In that instance, the mark of the curse on my hand also disappeared.
"That's amazing we did it." I ran towards her to give her a high-five, but instead I got a cold-piercing glare.
"Did I ask for your help?" she coldly remarked, before pressing the button to call for the driver to come pick us up.