S A K U M I ✿
I let my mind wander, I thought about life, my dreams my fear, I thought about the people I had met and my relationship with them where it wanted to go, not trying to control or rationalize it, it was agreeing feeling.
Bumalik ako sa realidad ng bumaba si Lord Endemion. He extended his arms to help me get down. I just lean forward and I my heart fluttered when his hand grab my waist and gently put me down. And tied the horse on the tree.
I took the chance to see the beauty of the emerald landscape. From the west side, an endless stretch of mountain range and from the east I could see the vast ocean.
"Ojama shimasu " I heard someone interrupted my moment watching the nature, I turn my shoulder and saw Marvan
[Sorry to bother you]
"Huh? Come again?"
He just flinched and release his hand on my shoulder " Gomennasai"
"Huh?!" Ano bang pinagsasabi niya? He just recoils immediately and Lord Endemion just quietly laughed at him. Nagsalita lang sila ng nihongo yoko naman umintindi dahil di ko naman sila maintindihan.
• • • • •
I took out my sword and feel the breeze around me, my strands of hair tickling my cheeks and I tuck it behind my ears and spun my sword. Focusing on practice swing and fundamental form.
Shutting my eyes, reminiscing the past lectures. I let my feet do it on thing, balancing my posture and strike the sword. I do a front spin, the most basic one.
As Master shituro told me in doing a front spin. I must....
First, I need to complete circle without hitting myself. When the sword is down.
Start turning my body.
Bringing my shoulder forward and point my elbow out Infront of me.
Now immediately turn my body back to the other way.
Practice the motion. And do it with speed.
The two sitting a few meters away from me and lord Endemion came and put a dummy target to be used as my main target. Although I already had my first hunt. Di ko parin matatawag na magaling ako dahil nagawa ko iyong mapatumba dahil mahina na iyon at ako lang ang inutusan tapusin ang halimaw.
Lumapit naman si Marvan sakin
"Let's have a duel"
I was on cloud nine and I took the chance and nodded my head. Fighting a much stronger opponent can make me stronger than some useless dummy. As his hand find the hilt of the sword, his lips raised up.
Sa ngiting iyon alam kong hindi niya ako binigyan ng chansang manalo. Pero mas gusto ko paring matuto
" Anata mitaina hito wa mezurashi"
His voice was deep and the surrounding just blanket with bad spirits. "Shall we begin?"
[people like you are rare]
Di ko naintindihan ang una niyang sinabi pero siguro he meant it in a bad way. And for just a blink of an eye he leapt forward and raised the sword and I immediately blocked it and I almost feel on my knees of the force he release from his hand through his blade. It was shocking because he just attacked me without a warning. My nerves trembles an evidence of fear.
But I don't wanna end up being useless while my lord Endemion is looking at me. I must give my all. And I pushed him back and he flipped on the mid air. Then lunged forward and I side stepped, I saw his blade past me and everything went slow mo and my hand move on its own and used my elbow to hit him on the head.
The electric shock was deadly. There's a broke glass on the background and I regret for doing that but I was thankful because I hit him. I whine, rubbing my elbow. Aray sakit!!
He attacked me again and I became careless to blocked him and the intriguing blade ran straight to my shoulder, sending a tremors of a scorching hot shiver throughout my body. Followed right up, his punch landed on my cheeks, almost crushing it while a kick directly at my sternum.
I fell on my knees as the blood gusted out of my mouth. Bile rose up and I felt the bitter taste, stuck to the back of my throat as I coughed more blood. I covered my mouth and felt it warm touch on me and look at my bloody palm again with awed. I sat down while being mermerized. My beautiful crimson cell was spilling out from my stem.
"Last one please" I said excitedly and Marvan look so worried but he wants to finished the duel.
"Moushiwake gozaimasen that's enough for now, Demion your flower is asking for another round!!" he did want to stop the duel but Endemion just nonchalantly look at him
[ I'm terribly sorry]
"Please!!!"
"Okay"
I heard the beautiful sound of the blade on the air, it's like a bell waking me from a slumber that were chained on a dark cell. As his shadow increases I somersaults with a blade aligned on my nose. I don't know what's got into me. It's like my body was celebrating. My excitement just puff out of nowhere and I can smell the scent of the blood running down to my chest like I was bathing on it and I can't wait to see it.
And this time before he could go near me, I saw a pattern, an opening and he just let his guard down. And I rushed to him and give him a quick chop on the nape and he fell on his spot.
I turn my attention back to Endemion and we wasn't even thrilled, he was rather glaring at me, cold expression. I don't know if his angry or because I hit his friend. He rose up and walked towards me, I began to startled but he just past me and went to Marvan instead. And without even a warning. Napangiwi nalang ko ng bugbugin siya ni Endemion.
After that he pull me and he just ripped my clothes and from that moment he forgot that I was a woman and he looked away. Thankfully I wore another clothe inside and it's already stained. And I saw him raise his hand and hit my neck by surprised and my vision was taken away by darkness. And felt my body fell but someone lift me up.
➖➖➖
In that void. I saw a golden light, little by little I walked through it and touch the light. I felt a warm hands holding mine. It's was so soft and I can feel it's big palm than my hand size. Halatang halata na maliit talaga ang kamay ko.
Dahan dahan ko naman minulat ang mata ko at may Isang anino na nakadungaw sakin na kinatatanta ko at nasuntok ko siya. Tumayo agad ako at nang luminaw na ang mata ko nakita ko si Endemion na nakahawak sa ilong niya.
"Hala I'm sorryyyy!" I rushed to see what I did and I saw blood coming out from his nostrils.
I immediately pinch his nose and raise his face up and used my left hand to wipe hlthe blood away.
"It's fine now" Sabi niya at binitawan ko na Yung ilong niya at umupo sa harap niya. "Grabe nawala ang antok ko dun"
"Sorry natakot lang ako kase pagkagising ko may nakita agad akong anino at ngipin lang ang nakita ko kala ko nga halimaw kaya nataranta ako ng ganon"
I heard someone laughing from a distance, Marvan. I just scowled at him and turn back my gazed to Endemion. Pumutok din ang itaas ng labi niya at mas naguilty ako sa ginawa ko. I caresses his cheek to see if there's any bruises. And I was struck when our eyes met. He looks like a deity a perfect balance of destruction and life. He was the same time fascinating and inaccessible. And possessing such strength in character at the same utterly handsome.
I felt a burning sensation over my face and I woke up from my senses when he just wrapped his hand around me and buried his face on my stomach.
It just made my heart fluttered at the same time a weird sensations oozing from my stomach and I want to spit it out. His embraced tightened and I find it awkward and uncomfortable."... Endemion " I poked him and he didn't even flinched his unbound hair dance on the busters breeze.
"Okay lang ako Sakumi"
Unsure of how to respond. I hesitated for a moment before reciprocating the embrace, he seemed to melt away, his breath quickening with every passing second. Placing a hand on his head and I gently patted it. And he released himself from me
"Get a room!" I heard Marvan bitterly shouted
"You reeks of blood! You almost killed her!" Sigaw niya kay Marvan at nabigla naman ito at nahulog ang niluluto niyang pagkain
" Its's call a duel!"
"She's a lady! How can you be so careless!"
"How can she learn if she won't taste unbearable pain. Then she shouldn't come! Or embarked on a journey, why can't she just go home..." Nainis naman ako at binato ko siya ng scabbard.
"Pwede wag nyo akong papauwiin at pinagmumukhang mahina! Kaya kong lumaban okay! Kulang lang ako ng practice!"
He just sighed and picked the pan back to the fire. "Okay, okay I'll asked for another round"
"You got to be kidding me!"
"Endemion, Endemion tsk, tsk" sabay iling niya "Di ikaw ang kinakausap ko, so Sakumi what will it be?"
"Sure"
"Now that's the spirit, lika kana kain muna tayo"
I just found out that were outside, a meadow maybe. I saw so lost and didn't even noticed my surroundings. I look up and saw the silvery moonlight spilled from the hands of the night sky, seeping into the shimmering, calm waters, accompanied by the thin sheen of fog hovering over the river, the dream like scenery was almost like a painting.
We gathered by the fire, Inabot naman niya sakin ang stew at inihaw na karne. I almost gagged looking at the tender meat. Pero habang tinitingnan ko ito parang gusto ko siyang malasahan pero isa akong bulaklak, if I eat meat then it just made me carnival.
"Oh sorry ito nalang sayo" aniya at may Inabot Siya sakin na Isang masarap na pagkain at mukhang maeenjoy ko ito.
"Itadakimasu!! " Sabay nilang sabi
[ let's dig in]
Ano yun? "Itatamash" ginaya ko rin ang sinabi nila at pinagtatawanan lang nila ako. Pero wala iyon halong insulto sadjang natawa lang sila dahil siguro mali ang pagkasabi ko
"It's ITA. DA. KI. MASU my dear Sami" said Endemion while patting my head.
"Oooh... Demion and Sakumi sitting on a tree.." sabay clap clap niya.
"K. I. S. S . I .N ..."natameme lang Ako ng batuhin siya sa mukha. Natawa lang ito imbes na Magalit. It looks like he love pissing Endemion. Habang tinitingnan ko Sila mukhang matagal na silang magkaibigan.
I find comfortable sitting on a log and heard the crisp sound of the burning woods under the fire.
"What drives you to come here in Vermija?" He just engaged a conversations with me.
"Why suddenly asked her" Endemion retorted
"I was just curious" he said and put down the bowl "lately I know, and studied her movement she still on the lowest level, Wala siyang lakas at mukhang palyado pa at masyadong marami siyang opening. But even I strike my blade she just laughed at me and I felt something coming. Like I was surrounded with omens"
E N D E M I O N
I side eye sakumi and saw her look on her chest and looked for the scar and it's completely wrapped by the piece of linen. Wala na siyang sugat dahil nagamot ko na sadyang binalot kolang para hindi halata.
"I don't know, but whenever I saw my blood coming out my entire nervous system just became excited"
"You have a strange way of recovering yourself"
Yup few of us notices a strange aura coming from her. And even master Shitoru became interested to know what it was. She's not just a delicate flower that blooms from the garden she is a rare one that only blooms once in a blue moon.
She has the same character like a spider lily, beautiful yet deadly.
What kind of a flower are you, in just a short period of time she almost master the art of sword. For a lady she has a strength of men from inside her. Or maybe she wants to prove that women can be as good as men too.
But whenever the reasons. It's up to her.
"Round two" Marvan said and Sakumi rushed and grabbed the sword. Their sword meet with a clashed of repeatedly, creating a sparkling steels flew with each collision.
They're just enjoying themselves, watching her smiling with another man.
I felt a few drops on my robe and I raise my hand and it's about to rain.
Hanggang sa umulan na nga at muntikan pang matumba si sakumi at mabilis Naman siyang nasalo ni Marvan at hindi ko nagustuhan ang paghawak niya sa bewang.
Parang nakaramdam ako ng inis ng hindi ko alam.
Sa pagkaraan ilang oras na pag eensayo. Dinig na dinig ko ang hangos nila. Parehong matigas ang ulo at parehong gustong manalo.
Nakaupo lang ako na parang basang sisiw habang nakatingin sa kanila at naslide si Sakumi. I stood up hurriedly but Marvan wipe the mud out of her face and scooped a rain from his hand and washed her face.
" She's a beauty isn't she demion"
" li kagen ni shiro. Kailan ba kayo natatapos ah?" [Give me a break]
"Teka lang mag momonent pa kami ni sakumi...diba" tumango naman ito at mukhang nagkakasiyahan nga sila sa kagitnaan ng ulan. Bat di kaya makidlatan tong dalawa nato.
"Konoyaro!! "
[ bastard ]
" Can't help it, hitomebore shimashita " my brow twitch in annoyance [ I fell in love at first sight]
"Know your limit Marvan"
I sat down and felt something cold bunting my hand and felt it's cold feet hop on my knuckles. It's a frog. It hopped away at sakto naman itong pumasok sa damit niya at nilingon pa niya ako ng dahan dahan. I smile with a shrugged and walk away.
Pinagsusuntok na niya ang sarili niya at dali daling hinubad ang damit sabay bagsak sa lupa at tumalsik yung putik sa mukha niya. Bigla din siyang na slide and napangiwi lang ako at lumabas na yung palaka sa damit niya at Kumaripas na ng talon. For a while, he remained motionless and I thought he lost consciousness but soon he looked up, his eyes carrying an unmatched fury "chikusō! I will kill you!!!" He screamed and he started to stagger and run after me. [ Damn it ]
He was like a crazy donkey on the loose and I took a logical path- run towards a boulder. But as he arrived from he staggered and fell on his face.
"...ouch!!" Sakumi yelp and winced as she saw him flopped on his own.