Chapter Seven: Stormborn
- Zeus Achilles -
Zeus groaned in annoyance dahil kanina pa tumutunog ang kanyang phone. He tried to ignore it ngunit patuloy pa rin ang pag r-ring nito hanggang sa hindi na niya mapigilan ang inis at bumalikwas para umupo. He didn't even bother to look at the caller ID nang sagutin ang tawag.
"Fuck you, Woodsen."
"How'd you know it was me?" Narinig niya ang nakakainis na tawa ni Asher sa kabilang linya.
"Ikaw lang naman ang may ganang mang inis sa akin sa araw ng linggo, gago ka."
"Sorry na pare, napag utusan lang ako." Tumawa muli si Asher. Zeus got up and opened the curtains of his wide window, he squinted his eyes when sunlight hit his face.
"Ezra wants us in Town Square now, she ordered me to call you or else she'll have my head."
"She's right next to you, isn't she?" Zeus rolled his eyes.
"Yep..."
Umiling si Zeus at sinarado muli ang kurtina. "I'll shower fist and breakfast, ano ba ang gagawin doon?"
"She said we'll meet with Seige...oh and don't bring Aiane daw."
"As if naman na sasama iyon sakin, bonding time nila ni Mama pag linggo."
"Just get your butt over here, Sinclaire!" Sigaw ni Ezra kaya nailayo ni Zeus ng kaunti ang phone.
"Calm your tits woman! I'll be there! Kakain lang ako!" Sigaw niya pabalik at pinatay na ang tawag.
He wasn't really in the mood to go out today dahil Sunday lang naman talaga ang kanyang nagiging rest day dahil tuwing Saturday ay training day nila ni Blake. So far, Fireballs palang ang nagagawa nito at puro basic tricks. His Father told him to take it slow, dahil hindi naman ito ang ability talaga ni Blake. His little brother just grew fond of the Fire element at young age, kaya mabuting i-train na agad ito.
He took a shower and went down. Nakasalubong niya si Blake sa staircase, pababa rin. Naka pyjamas pa ito habang siya ay bihis na bihis na.
"Saan ka pupunta?" Tanong nito at humikab.
"Town Square."
Nilagpasan ni Zeus ang kapatid at mabilis na tumungo sa kitchen kung saan meron silang breakfast bar. Naroon na si Aiane, nagbabasa ito ng libro.
"Where's the folks?" Tanong ni Zeus and grabbed a piece of toast. Naka latag rito ang breakfast na iniwan para sa kanila.
"Council." Athena answered without even glancing at him, mukhang tutok ito sa librong binabasa.
"What's that?" Sinilip niya ang cover ito at agad na ngunot ang noo. "Saan mo naman iyan nahanap?"
It was a book about the creatures who reigned the world before the Pyramid was made, before the Elders were even born, before the Supernatural war, before there was a Council. It was a book about the world where freedom still existed.
Mukha itong pamilyar, sigurado siyang nakita niya na ito noon.
"The underground library in Rosehill, I asked Papa if I can have and he said yes." Athena flipped the page. Zeus bit his lip, it wasn't a novel or anything. Halos lahat naman kasi ng nasa secret library na iyon ay records or sulat ni Vladimir Sinclaire about sa History ng Elders, and hand written data from secret investigators.
Hihiramin niya ito pag natapos na si Athena, he always liked reading cool History books. His Mother used to pull him out of his room noon because his nose was always sticked to a history book.
"This book is so awesome," he heard Athena mutter those words before heading out. Ngunit bumalik rin agad ito at tinignan siya mula ulo hanggang paa.
"Saan ka pupunta?"
"Town Square" Blake answered, brushing pass his older sister.
Ngumuso naman si Athena. "Can you buy me a book?"
"What book do you want?"
"Something interesting, you know my taste. Thanks and Bye!"
Napailing nalang si Zeus and grabbed his car keys.
Half way through the drive, nakatanggap siya ng text mula kay Asher na nasa La Patisserie raw sila dahil nag pumilit na mag almusal si Enzo.
Nang makarating si Zeus at naabutan pa niya itong kumakain, at mukhang hinugot pa sa kama si Enzo.
Zeus laughed when he sat down next to Asher and heard Enzo muttering profanities while eating a bagle.
"Oh shut up." Mataray na sabi ni Ezra sa kambal na naka tuon ang mata sa kanyang phone.
"Where's Flame?" Pabulong na tanong ni Zeus kay Asher.
"Mum didn't want to let her go and wanted some icky girl bonding time." Asher shrugged. "So it'll be just us, and Seige of course."
"What are we going to do anyway?"
Asher shrugged. "Dunno."
Bumuntong hininga nalang si Zeus, Enzo still kept muttering incoherent words habang pa minsan minsan ay sinisita rin ito ni Ezra. Parang katulad niya ay ayaw rin nitong nabubulabog sa araw ng linggo.
"Oh cool, she's here." said Ezra, but then her eyes followed something kaya napalingon si Zeus, naka sunod ang tingin ni Ezra sa isang lalaki na naglalakad palayo ng La Patisserie. Nakati rin niyang palapit na si Seige.
"Who was that, Seige?" Tanong agad nito nang maka upo si Seige, a safe distance away from Zeus.
Napansin niyang simple lang ang suot nito, just like her style in school. She's clad in more clothes unlike the other students who likes to show some skin. Simple skinny jeans, a ruffled floral top, and flats. It actually suited her because she was tall, Zeus noticed that a long time ago. She had a black sling bag and her blond hair was braided, it reminded him of Flame.
Flame's hair was always braided when they were kids, nang lumaki na sila ay hinayaan nalang niya itong naka lugay. Her hair is one of his many fetishes.
"My brother," Seige answered in a whisper. "I thought it'll be just us."
Asher chuckled beside Zeus nang marinig ang sinabi ni Seige.
"It is 'us', meaning I don't go anywhere without these three idiots." Ezra answered with a sweet smile but then her face turned to 'bitch mode'.
"I saw your brother before, I swear I did." Her eyes narrowed, like she was trying to remember something.
Seige didn't answer.
Hindi naman nakita ni Zeus ang itsura ng kapatid ni Seige, tanging ang likod lang nito dahil naglalakad na ito paalis na siya'y lumingon.
"What's his name?"
"Syre." Her answer still came out as and audible whisper, at least she's answering. It's better than to communicate with her in this state.
Nangunot lang muli ang noo ni Ezra. Enzo leaned back on his seat, tapos na itong kumain. "Give it up, Ez."
Ezra just grumbled in reply at tumayo na. "Tara na nga!"
"So she called us to be here para maging chaperone?" Zeus grumbled, it's been two hours at silang tatlo ay nababanas na dahil bawat shop ata rito ang gustong pasukan ni Ezra. Hindi naman umaangal si Seige, nasunod lang rin ito.
"You know Ezra," Asher smiled. "She will make us suffer whenever she gets a chance."
"And we can't leave her alone in this kind of place, kahit na Town Square pa 'to. Baka may biglang sumabunot nalang sa kambal ko." Dagdag ni Enzo.
There's no denying na maraming may ayaw kay Ezra dahil sa ugali nito, at kung ano rin ito.
Pumasok sila sa isang clothing shop at nag unahan agad si Asher at Enzo sa couch.
"She'll fight back you know," natatawang tugon ni Asher sa sinabi ni Enzo nang maupo na ang dalawa. Sinundan naman ng tingin ni Zeus si Ezra at Seige, the two disappeared in the clothing racks.
"Kahit naman ganyan ang ugali nyan, she's still not comfortable using her ability on others." Enzo said.
"You two are a dangerous tandem," mahinang tumawa si Asher at binabaan pa ang boses. "An awesome yet dangerous tandem."
"We shouldn't be talking about that kind of topic here." Sita ni Zeus.
"Why? Are you scared that Vampires from the Council will hear us?" Enzo retorted. "Sooner or later they'll find out how strong we are and will get more threatened than they are now."
"Vampires in the Council are so trying hard, except for our Parents of course. They're the only ones who bring life in there and know the meaning of true family and not blood."
"People in the Council have eyes and ears everywhere."
The three of them jumped when Seige suddenly appeared. She tilts her head at them, ngunit wala namang pinapakitang emosyon ang mata nito.
"Mukhang mas magaling pa ata mang gulat si Seige kaysa sa'yo," Asher let out an awkward laugh glancing at Enzo, nangunot naman ang noo nito. Tumingin ito okay Zeus, and he just shrugged in response. They decided to ignore what she said.
Dumating naman si Ezra so the tension burned down, may dala itong dalawang damit. "Panget, what do you think?"
"Aren't they the same?" Enzo's forehead knotted while Asher laughed. Ezra groaned at her twin's answer.
"This one is baby pink and the other is fuschia!"
"Parehas lang namang pink 'yan!" Enzo argued.
Zeus wanted to laugh ngunit bigla niyang napansin na wala na si Seige sa kanyang tabi. Inikot niya ang kanyang tingin at nakita itong patawid, she's heading to the old bookstore.
Naalala niya ang pinabibili ni Athena kaya walang sabi niyang sinundan ito.
He entered the bookstore and the comforting smell of old books hit his nostrils, he loved the atmosphere here ngunit hindi na siya gaanong nakakapunta rito. Flame used to pick this place to read instead of a café, naalala niya na sinasamahan niya ito. They'd just sit at the far end of the shelves, hidden from everyone's eyes and Flame will read silently and he'd watch her until he'll fall asleep. She was pretty close to the owner so she'd just barge in here whenever she likes. She said, she'd rather be in a comforting place with a person that she can be comfortable with rather than a spell room with a nagging gargoyle.
Zeus caught a sight of blond hair pass by the bookshelves sa di kalayuan kaya agad niyang sinundan ito.
He found her standing by the farthest corner holding a book, puro mga lumang libro na ang nasa parteng ito at nasa dulo na.
"Stormborn," Seige said before glancing at Zeus.
"Aren't you a Stormborn, Zeus Sinclaire?"
He remembered how his Father told him that he was born in the midst of a thunder storm, so that makes him a Stormborn. His forehead creased, he knew that simple information was shared with the society, sino ba naman makakalimot kung kailan siya pinanganak? It was just unusual dahil alam iyon ni Seige.
Seige flipped the page, she was standing a safe distance away from him kaya malaya niya itong pinagmasdan.
Every move...ever expression...he listened to every word that came out of her lips.
Her eyes darted to the book, "Have you ever been to Mermont?"
Umiling si Zeus. "Mermont is a place off limits."
Mermont is a wide land, it used to be an old town. It's called the land of nowhere dahil nasira na ito noon pa. Some powerful creatures like Wolves and Witches use it as a battleground for training, hindi lang niya alam kung ginagawa parin ito ngayon. The place is abandoned at hindi rin madaling puntahan. A lot of creatures want to claim the land but the Council won't allow it and wanted to leave it untouched.
He knew Mermont had a colorful history katulad ng Hangrove.
"In old Varsyione, Stormborn means badluck," she whispered. "Stormborn children were considered as a sign of distruction that will soon come."