ZODIAC GATES-Beware of the 13th Sign

12'ZYKE

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“It’s okay, you didn’t mean it. You were just asking,” Xayl’ comforted nang mapansin niyang wala ako sa sarili ko.

     “Yeah. You don’t have to mind it, ‘China,” Suwan.

     “Of course, yes,” Gemida’s voice was demanding. “It’s your fault, Racchina. Look. We don’t have a preceptor anymore and it’s because of you. And didn’t you hear what Tron said? No talking with other Signs.”

     “That’s enough, Gemida,” Xayl’ warned kaya napatigil na ito sa kakabunganga.

     “What the!” Gemida groaned. Nagulat na lang kami nang mahulog sa sahig ang isang gold bar na kanina’y hinawakan niya.

     “Ano ba ‘yan, Ge’da,” Suwan talked. “Para isang gold bar lang, ‘di mo pa mahawakan nang tamaaaaa!” Another gold bar fell on the floor.

     “What?” Gemida uttered with now-you-know look. “Should I still tell you why?”

     “You just talked to a Cancer, little Gemini.”

     “Pssh!” irita ni Gemida.

     Agad ko namang nakitang kumuha si Xayl’ ng isang gold bar. And to his surprise, muntik na niya itong maihulog. “This weighs five kilograms, I think. Mas’yadong mabigat for a real gold bar,” he explained without minding what Tron said. “This is not just an easy training. I swear, summoning our Celestial Spirits is still out of the picture.”

     “Then we have to keep moving,” Suwan said, aware that the served training would take them number of days. We nodded, then already started transferring the gold bars to the other end of the room. But we didn’t expect that it would take two and a half hours for each of us to transfer a gold bar.

     “Are we really going to do this? Masakit na katawan ko,” Suwan complained as she sat down on the floor, so did we.

     “We can do it one more before twelve in the afternoon strikes,” Xayl’ said. Kaya agad na kaming tumayo at naglakad papunta sa gold bars kahit na mahirap. Paunti-unti lang ang usad namin but it’s okay, at least we’re not stopping. And just when 12 o’clock struck, we were able to transfer another four gold bars.

     “Bearers! Your foods are already waiting inside the dining hall. Fill your stomachs and enjoy,” Iba from her crystal ball announced. So we already stood up with so much effort.

     “Dor aparir,” we chanted in unison, making our Zodiac Doors to appear. “To dining hall,” we said at pumasok na sa mga pintuan namin.

     Suwan waved at me nang makarating kami sa loob. Hindi ko na siya katabi ‘di gaya kanina. Seemed like, the zodiac order was to be followed. At tama ako.

     A round table was located at the center of the hall. It was full of foods kaya nagulat na lang ako nang makaramdam ako ng gutom. Unti-unti na ring nagsisidatingan ang iba and as observed, ang pagkain ang una nilang napapansin kaysa sa kasamang mga Bearer.

     “Hi, ‘China,” a voice greeted beside me. Napatingin naman ako sa kan’ya at nalamang si Adiya pala ‘yon. Agad ko naman siyang nginitian.

     “Let’s go,” Xayl’ uttered beside me kaya sinimulan na naming ihakbang ang mga paa namin. And, as expected, the spell wasn’t removed. A minute passed at naglalaway na kami sa gutom. Hanggang tingin lang kami sa pagkain. We’re still not able to move an inch.

     “Buwisit!” I heard Irgo cursed from not so far. Katabi niya si Drok at Euai. Tila ba nahihirapan din siyang gumalaw—lahat kami nahihirapang gumalaw. Five minutes passed and finally we’re already an inch far from the table. Abot na abot na namin ang mga pagkain but we could not stretch our arms because they’re heavy.

     Nakaramdam naman kami ng ginhawa nang makaupo na kami sa harap ng lamesa.

     “Finally,” Irgo’s eyes twinkled. “Thanks to Taurus,” he thanked their Celestial Spirit and then already grabbed what he could grab.

     “Thanks to you, O, Capricorn,” I whispered, thanking our Spirit while closing my eyes, then I already get the spooooon! Anak ng kambing!

     “My goodness!” Gemida blurted. And so as the others complained when they realized that the spoons and other utensils were too heavy than normal.

     “I never thought of this,” Xayl’ mumbled to himself and just tried to use the spoon though it’s heavy. Wala na kaming nagawa kundi ang kumain. But we never enjoyed it. The weight of the spoons and forks plus the weight of our arms, it was killing us.

     “Hey, how’s the training going?” Napatigil naman kami nang magsalita si Adiya.

     “It was just okay,” Con of Scorpio Region answered with a perverted look toward Adiya.

       Ang lalaki talagang ‘yon.

     “It wasn’t nice,” Taru inserted herself.

     “Really? Why?” Adiya asked, still with her womanly firm voice while everyone was finding a hard time eating.

     “There’s someone that really pissed me off, and I wanted to kill him, right now,” she said seriously as her eyes glanced at Con.

     “How about you, Racchina? Did the training go well?” Adiya asked politely but her voice was mixed up with seriousness.

     “She messed up,” Gemida replied for me.

     “She messed up?” Adiya chose to make the statement a question.

     “Really? A beautiful and sexy hot girl like her messed up?” Con quickly grabbed the opportunity to be once again part of the conversation.

     Gemida continued, “Uh-huh. She kept on interrogating Tron so he walked out, leaving us with no preceptor anymore.”

     “Oh, that’s sad,” Adiya looked at me. “But it’s okay, Racchina. I know Tron would understand,” she comforted.

     “That’s not okay.” Napatingin na lang kami sa may-ari ng boses. And it was the lion.

     Tsk! Ang lalake na namang ‘yan.

     “You made a former Bearer pissed off?” he looked at me as if putting the blame. “I wonder what will your comrades say if they’ll know it.” My eyes widened for a second. I never thought of it. Pa’no nga kaya? Madame Ruth, Raya, Taya . . . I hope they’re okay. “See? You shouldn’t be doing that again.” Then he continued eating as if nothing happened. “And by the way. Don’t ever talk with such useless things. We’re here for training not for chitchatting.”

     “I don’t like you,” biglaang sambit ni Suwan kay Lion and it made him look at her with frown.

     “Do you know who I am?” he asked with irritation, dropping the spoon and pork as it made a jangling noise. He looked at us. “I am Zyke of Leo Region. Son of the former Bearer of Leo, remember? So don’t mess with me.” Then he stood up, “Dor aparir,” and opened his door.

     And before he could pass through, he heard me whispered, “Conceited,” making him so pissed off.

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