Shannon Pretini Point Of View
"Kamusta ang pakiramdam mo?" Tanong sa akin ni Mariel matapos kong gumising at iupo ang katawan ko. Nasa pagamutan kami.
"Maayos ang lagay ko Mariel." Sabi ko sa kaniya. "Bakit nasa pagamutan ako?" Litong tanong ko agad.
"Inurong ni ate Fibel ang pagpaslang sa iyo. Nagbago ang kaniyang isip." Tugon niya sa akin. Napatango ako at umunat.
"Ang lakas nung mga Dryads na nakalaban ko. Seriously I could've died there." Angal ko.
"Pero alam namin, na nagpipigil ka lang ng lakas. Sabi nga pala ng ate ko na kapag nakakakilos kana nang maayos, puntahan mo siya sa palasyo."
"Ano kaya ang nangyari at nagbago ang isip ng ate mo 'noh?"
"Hindi ko alam. She said 'spring has come'. I don't have any idea what does she mean by that."
Napatapik naman ako sa noo ko. "Another woman." Sabi ko sa hangin saka bumuntong hininga.
"Anong another woman?"
"Ahh...wala...kalimutan mo na 'yun." Palusot ko naman sa kaniya. "Maaari na ba akong pumunta sa ate mo?" I asked.
"Sure. I'll guide you."
Dahan-dahan akong tumayo at sinamahan niya ako papunta sa reyna. Nang malapit na kami sa kwarto nito na hindi yung third floor na inatake ko kamakailan lang. Nagtungo kami sa isang underground basement. Nasa tapat ng magkabilang malaking pinto ang mga Dryads na nakalaban ko.
"She likes to speak with the queen. Let her in." Anunsyo ni Mariel sa dalawa na hindi naman umangal at binuksan ang malaking pinto.
Pumasok naman ako dito at nakita ang reyna na nakatayo malapit sa isang malaking bolang crystal at pinagmamasdan ito.
"Mabuti naman at nagkamalay kana." Siya ang unang kumausap sa akin. "Pasensya kana sa inasal ko kanina. Sana'y mapatawad mo'ko."
"Hmmm...wala 'yun. As long as no one was killed. Especially Mariel." Malumanay na sabi ko naman.
"This crystal can see everything happening in this world. When you first came here, I already know where you hid yourself." Sabi niya sa akin na tinu-tukoy ang bolang crystal.
"Ano? Kung ganon bakit hindi niyo kami hinuli ni Mariel sa pinagtaguan namin?"
"Nakita mo naman kung paano mamuhay ng magisa Mariel. Ayokong masira ang pinaghirapan niya kaya kayo mismo ang hinintay kong lumantad sa akin."
"Edi mahal mo pala talaga ang kapatid mo?"
"Siyempre mahal na mahal." She smiled. "Do you believe in Reincarnation?"
"I saw what happened in the first 15 Thousand History. So I believe in Reincarnation."
"I see." Pumikit siya saglit na agad ding dumilat. "You knew the truth of this world." Lumakad siya palayo sa bolang crystal at umupo sa isang couch. Sumunod naman ako at umupo sa kabilang couch. "I remember my past life. In that previous life, I was a man who hate all women because the one I loved and treasured betrayed me. It sucks being a human, we are into deceit."
"You're a man before?" Pasigaw na sabi ko naman.
"Yes...your voice is too loud."
"Sorry."
"Even though my body now is a body of a woman, my heart and soul is still that of a man."
"So even in this era, reincarnation is still possible to happen?" Manghang sabi ko naman. "I wonder if that's his case too?" I ask wondering as I remembered in the early days I studied again in Asteromagus Academy, I encountered a boy being bullied by some idiot students in a part, somewhere of Palkia City.
"Kanino?" Sumingit naman agad sa akin si reyna Fibel.
"Ah.....w-wala." Pasimpleng tugon ko. If that's the case, I'm going to get crazy thinking about such possibility. (I've been into a different...) I said to my mind. (Damn it.)
"The way you fought Angelic and Mana is amazing. You're clearly holding back."
"Alam mo pala?" Tanong ko. Tumango naman siya sa aking sinabi.
"More importantly, you can use more than one magic ability, does that mean you perhaps, encountered the Giftia?" Na-shock ako sa sinabi niya. But it is to be expected that she knew above it. Because they can live a longer life than us humans, monster races lifespan is long after all. "I've travelled around Vlade Empire together with some Dryad subordinates, including Mariel. We got vague but understandable information about Giftia and Chaos Magic."
"I see. Sa ganoong panahon mo nalaman ang patungkol sa Giftia?" Sabi ko naman na napangite. "I'm glad that you didn't give a fuck about wanting to have it."
"It's impossible to have it as during those days of travelling, there are no magic tools that can determine the location of those compass pieces that are hard to find. Even if we manage to find them, I don't have any particular reason for finding the Giftia, I don't want anything else than to live and make sure our race, continues to exist." She said. But today, those garbage Dons have magic tools that can determine the location of the compass pieces.
"You're a good queen."
"Thank you." She smiled after saying her thanks. But then, her face became serious again. "In the end of my journey, that was 10 years ago in the physical world but 20 years ago in this dimension, I encountered this group of evil humans. They introduce themselves to us as new founded organization. They are the Farezona Family-" I can't believe what I heard.
"Farezona Family!?" Pasigaw na sabi ko. That's a Don's organization.
"Yeah. Mukhang alam mo ang patungkol sa kanila...anyways, those idiots dared to challenge us into a fight and make us their servants. Serves them right that they got wiped out by my power. I'm pretty much confident that I have killed them all but then, suddenly, a man, came into the rescue. With the overwhelming magic and fucking Demon Contract he have, he was able to revive the dead bodies one more time by fixing them and making the organs function again. That man said he can only do such spell once each person. Dahil hinang-hina na din kami matapos makipaglaban, instead of killing us, he let us go away as he said it was the token we got from beating the strongest Organization, the strongest Gang in Vlade Empire's history. Nakaka-inis man, pero mas pinili ko na umalis para narin sa kaligtasan ng aking mga Dryad na kasama. Napagdesisyunan na din namin na bumalik na lang sa Dryaland, subalit isa sa mga tauhan ng organisasyon na iyon ang sumunod sa amin at umatake, yun ang akala namin. Lumuhod sa harapan ko ang lalaking ito, at nakiusap na siya ay aking i-train. He explained his reason to me, his boss betrayed him for killing the members who got revive, including him but he manages to escape. I didn't like the idea but his eyes are not evil. So, I had him lock up in our prison in Dryaland while I'm thinking if I will train him or not because he's already a strong magus."
Curiosity filled my mind. "I wanted to meet that man." I said to her. "Can you bring me to him?"
Ilang sandali na natahimik si reyna Fibel bago ako binigyan ng tugon. "I'll lead you to him. But be ready, because this man you're about to meet is kind of a bit, idiot."
*****
Lumabas kami ng bahay ni reyna Fibel sa palasyo nito at nagtungo sa bundok. Sa masukal na kagubatan ng bundok sa tuktok nito, isang gusali ang tumambad sa akin. Ang dami ng lumot ang nasa pader nito. Ito lamang ang gusali sa Dryaland na gawa sa bato at hindi puno.
"This is our great prison. Dito kinukulong ang mga Dryads na nagkakasala."
"I'm ready for this." Madiin na sabi ko naman.
Pumasok kami sa loob ng gusali at nakita ang nakaparaming selda kung saan mayroong mga nakakulong na mga Dryads.
Sa pinakatuktok ng gusali kami nagpunta ni Reyna Fibel. Ito lang ang selda na madilim, walang ilaw na nakalagay.
I used my fire magic to give us light in the area, and I saw only one prisoner inside.
It was man that has black straight hair, maroon droopy eyes, black eyelashes, black high arched eyebrows, roman nose, droopy lips, oval shaped head, warm sand skin tone. His height is 5'6 feet same with me. Nakasuot siya ng pulang sando na mayroong butones at maong na short na lagpas ng kaunti sa kaniyang tuhod.
"This is that man." Sabi naman ni Reyna Fibel sa akin.
I was about to speak but the man inside laughed.
"Yoh, master Fibel. Feel like training me now?" Tanong ng lalaki kay reyna Fibel. He's completely ignoring me.
"Come on, I finally decided that I don't want to train you. Leaving our issue aside, this woman here, Shannon wanted to meet you." Fibel introduced me to this man.
"What would a Arcane Stage like my master Fibel wanted to me?" Tanong naman agad ng lalaki.
"You are a Don's former subordinate right?" Paunang sabi ko.
"Don? What the hell are you talking about?" Nagtataka na sabi naman nito na siyang dahilan kung bakit ako napa-facepalm. I forgot that 10 years ago, those bastards are not called Dons yet.
I sighed. "The former boss of your former organization is now called a Don. Don Farezona is one of the strongest Gangsters to exist now in Vlade Empire." Paliwanag ko sa kaniya.
"Oh, you're talking about that piece of trash?" He said then afterwards laugh again. What the hell is wrong with this guy? "He betrayed me, and I'm seeking for revenge. Right after master Fibel killed us 10 years ago, a mysterious man suddenly appeared and revived us. I thought I would get the chance to face master Fibel again but Farezona started murdering the members saying he don't need weaklings and he will restart his organization. I learned the truth about my parents death while he was about to kill me but miraculously I managed to escape and found where master Fibel and her group was. If you're trying to get clue about Farezona from me, you're not going to get useful information. Because I don't know that man's life and personality. I don't have any interest on the Giftia anymore, because I don't see any good that unknown treasure can give to me." He explained.
"Gusto mong maghigante? Tutulungan kita." I seriously said. His eyes suddenly was filled with vengeance. "You will let me have him right? Queen Fibel?" Tumingin ako kay reyna Fibel na ngumite sa akin.
"Of course." She positively said.
"Why would I let you?" Nagsalita muli ang lalaki.
"Because I am going to kill all the Dons. It's part of my gang's purpose of acquiring equality and peace."
"Not gonna happen. Humans are humans, even the angels fell from grace because they didn't agree on something towards the other angels." Katwiran naman niya.
"We are not angels, we are humans. We don't live in perfection." I rebutted him.
Napapikit siya at tumayo sa kaniyang kinauupuan. Lumapit siya sa mga rehas at inilabas ang kaniyang kanang kamay. "Give me two to five days to think about it." Sabi niya sa akin, na mukhang nais niyang makipagkamay. Tinanggap ko naman ito. Nagulat naman siya nang kaniyang makita ang color wheel na nasa likurang palad ko. "That mark...you-you're the current Grace?"
I was intrigued. "May alam ka sa Grace at mga Aces?" Tinanggal niya ang kaniyang kamay at bumalik sa kaninang kinauupuan niya.
"Kaunti lang ang alam ko. Farezona told me that the Guardian Grace have a color wheel mark on its back palm, the different colors that will exist in the color wheel indicates how many Aces the Grace. There are only 9 Aces, so you having 4 different colors in your back palm only means that either you or the Aces have met each other." Paliwanag niya naman agad.
Hindi ko maalala na may isa pang Ace akong nakatagpo bukod sa sinabi sa akin ni South na silang tatlo nina Senju at Rialyn ay mga Aces. Pruweba ang mga itim na linyang markang nasa mga palad nila.
"Isa ka din bang Ace?" Tanong ko sa lalaki.
"Nah, I'm no longer a Ace."
"No longer?"
"Look." He said then showed me his palm. It has a scar. "This was left from the former black line mark I have indicating I'm a Ace before. Just because Chaos Magic stayed at the magus, it's not enough to fulfill the real purpose of Aces. Farezona said to me that the Grace and Aces role in this world can only be known when all of them finds the Giftia. So far, only the 1st Generation of Grace and Aces have managed to go to where the Giftia is and where granted the power to kill the high ranking demons that have strong regenerative abilities. Your real enemies are not humans, but high ranking demons living from another dimension, a world beyond this world, the 'Underworld'."
"You need to join me no matter what happens..." Sabi ko naman bilang reaksyon sa narinig ko. "If you're a former Ace, what generation are you called?"
"Probably 11th generation, I'm pretty much sure you are also an 11th generation Ace like me. You see, when an Ace dies, a replacement will be made but since being Ace must be from birth, there will be a big age difference and those who are old Aces and the Grace, might lose their prime before even doing their purpose so in their history of being one, if an Ace or two dies, some who become Grace kill themselves in order to give a chance for a fresh new generation. If a Grace dies, one from the 9 Aces will be the replacement and the rest will no longer be Aces but they will have their Chaos Magic Power remain."
I can't believe I don't have any idea about this despite the fact that I have already found Giftia and we some sort of made a promise with each other. This is so bizarre and confusing for my memory.
Itutuloy.