"Guys, pahinga muna tayo. Kanina pa tayo lakad ng lakad, ansakit na ng mga paa ko!!!" sabi ni Amaya saka naupo sa isang bato. "Ano ba kasi yung mga herbs na nasa listahan natin? They looked familiar but I don't know what it is."
May point siya, halos isang oras na nga kaming naglalakad at naghahanap pero tulad ko ay hindi rin nila alam kung ano ang mga ito but we share the same feeling that we knew it. Nakailang ikot na yata kami sa napakalaking garden at courtyard ng school pero wala talaga kaming ideya kung ano ang mga ito.
1. Saeh nut
2. Babaob
3. Plear Miltel
4. Ganra
5. Castra Beon
Maging ang ibang grupo na nakakasalubong namin ay naririnig kong mga nagrereklamo na dahil mukhang wala pa rin silang nahahanap or sabihin na nating hindi rin nila malaman kung ano nga ba ang mga herbs na nasa listahan nila.
Bakit nga kaya?? I have a feeling na alam ko ang mga herbs na nakalista pero kapag iniisip ko kung ano ang mga iyon ay walang pumapasok sa isip ko.
At dahil doon ay lalong nagiging impatient si Devil and I don't feel good about this.
"Ayama's right. I'm tired too. Let's rest for a while." sabi ni Lucas saka naupo at sumandal sa ilalim ng isang puno.
"We can't. Every second is important. Can't you see, wala pa tayong nakikita kahit isa. I can't afford to lose." sabi ni Devil.
"Hayy, what a very competitive guy, kahit naman hindi tayo mauna, makakakuha pa rin tayo ng C+ basta makumpleto natin yung lima kaya wag kang masyadong seryoso." -Lucas.
"I'm not like you Crawford. C+ is not enough for me. If you want to slack off then go, I don't care anyways. I'll find those herbs on my own, I don't need a team. Let's part our ways here." sabi ni Dylan saka kami biglang iniwanan.
"T-teka--" sinubukan ko pa siyang habulin pero ambilis niya.
"I'm sorry but I think, I'll go on my own too." biglang sabi ni Yuan at saka rin umalis.
"Wait! Yuan--"
"Ooppss.. did I do something wrong?? Is it because of me??" biglang sabi ni Amaya with her worried face. "I didn't mean this to happen, gusto ko lang talagang magpahinga kahit saglit. My feet are killing me. Oh no!"
"Man. What a bunch of selfish guys. Just let them be Zia cutie. Those guys aren't fit to work within a team after all." sabi ni Lucas habang komportableng-komportable sa pagkakasandal at pagkakaupo sa ilalim ng puno. "Let's just wait them here, I'm sure they can find those herbs, it's Dylan we're talking about here you see."
"No way. Kabilin-bilinan ni Kuya Dmitri na dapat grupo tayong maghahanap, dapat sama-sama, hindi maghihiwa-hiwalay dahil grupo tayo, at ang grupo nagtutulungan hindi ba???"
He laughed at me. "Hahahahahaha, you're funny. What an old school girl." -Lucas.
"Huh??"
"As long as magkakasama tayong magpapasa sa emperor, it won't be a problem. Hindi naman niya malalaman kung hiwa-hiwalay tayong naghanap. Come on... let's just have a chat. Right Ayama??" -Lucas.
"I don't know. My feet hurts a lot and I hate it. Plus what are those herbs?? This is the first time that I've encountered such words. Nag-eexist ba talaga ang mga yun? I'm an Erquish wizard so I'm not good with plants." -Amaya.
"Yes, they exist, but no matter how hard we try, we won't find it. Unless we realized that thing." -Lucas.
"Anong ibig mong sabihin??" naguguluhang tanong ko.
"That's because, the emperor cast a spell in that paper." -Lucas.
"What kind of spell??" -Amaya.
"A spell of deceit." -Lucas.
"Deceit??" tanong ko.
"Yeah. He conceals the truth by twisting every words, what's the first thing that comes to your mind after reading those words??" tanong samin ni Lucas.
"Hmm.. they looked familiar kahit na iyon ang unang beses na nabasa ko siya." sabi ni Amaya.
"At pakiramdam ko nakita ko na siya noon at alam ko kung anong itsura niya kahit na ngayon ko lang siya nabasa." sabi ko naman.
"Correct. That's the power of that spell, it will make you believe that those words are familiar, that you knew it when in fact those words doesn't really exist." explain ni Lucas.
"Pero sabi mo nag-eexist talaga ang mga yun??" -Amaya.
"Yeah the herbs exist but not those words. Dahil yung mga herbs na yun ay hindi talaga rare and you can see it in every area of this academy."
"Huh?? Paano mong nasabi yan??" lalo akong naguguluhan.
"Chill Zia cutie, I'll explain it to you in a simple way, the power of deceit is to misrepresent the truth, but when you realize that there's something wrong with that... the spell will be broken."
Then I realized something.. all the words that I've read earlier has changed in my memories and it became the words in which I am familiar with.
1. Shea nut
2. Baobab
3. Pearl Millet
4. Argan
5. Castro Bean
"Ah-- tama ka nga. So yung limang nasa list ay matatagpuan lang sa North garden." -Amaya.
Lucas smiled, "Nadali mo Ayama."
"Bakit ngayon mo lang sinabi??" -Amaya.
"Because it's interesting that way."
"Huh? Kahit kelan ka talaga! Pero kelan mo narealize?" -Amaya.
"Hmm. The moment they had left." sabi ni Lucas saka kumindat.
"Kailangan malaman nila Dylan at Yuan." sabi ko.
"No need. I'm sure they've already realized that by now."
"Eh??"
He just smiled. "That's why I told you, just let them be."
***
Hindi nga nagkamali si Lucas, after ilang minuto ay sabay na dumating si Devil at Yuan at pareho silang may dalang mga herbs, nagkatinginan pa silang dalawa ng marealize na magkasabay silang dumating at parehas ng dalang herbs.
Hindi ko alam kung matutuwa ba ko sa nangyari, dahil unang-una, walang team work na naganap. At wala man lang kaming naitulong. Siguro tama nga si Lucas, okay lang kahit hindi kami magtulungan basta madala namin iyon kay Kuya Dmitri ng sama-sama. But is that really okay??
Anyways, agad naming dinala kay Kuya Dmitri ang mga herbs at mukhang kami pa lang ang grupo na nakatuklas ng spell na inilagay niya (though kundi pa sinabi samin ni Lucas ay di pa namin malalaman ni Amaya).
"Wow! Paano niyong nalaman na may spell yung papel??" di makapaniwalang tanong ni Kuya Sigurd.
"Do we really have to explain it??" cold na tanong ni Dylan.
"Haha. I'm just curious Dy. But since it's you, mukhang hindi ko na nga kailangan pang magtanong. Hahaha." -Kuya Sigurd.
Mukhang ganon katindi ang tiwala nila sa kakayahan ni Dylan ah.
"Hmm. I'm not surprised that you've finished my task in just a short period of time lalo na sayo Lance." sabi ni Kuya Dmitri but he doesn't looked pleased about it.
Lance?? So Lance ang tawag ni Kuya Dmitri kay devil.
"Well, it's too easy for us. Sa susunod sana yung mapapaisip naman kami ng sobra." mayabang na sabat ni Lucas.
"Is that so? Then I'll take that into consideration. But actually I'm very disappointed." sabi ni Kuya Dmitri, he was smiling but there's something behind his smile. Something very disturbing.
"Why? Because we've finished first?? I don't need your nonsense, I'm leaving if there's nothing else." sabi ni Dylan.
Tumalikod na siya at kasalukuyan ng naglalakad paalis ng muling magsalita si Kuya Dmitri na nagpatigil sa kanya.
"No, because you did it alone Lance. You didn't cooperate with your team, am I right?" -Kuya Dmitri.
Huh?? P-paano niyang nalaman?? Akala ko ba hindi niya malalaman?? Don't tell me, he has eyes everywhere??
Tumingin ako sa paligid.
Uwu. That's kinda creepy. Pero iyon ang sabi ni Lucas.
"So what? We did brought it to you altogether." Dylan says without turning back.
"Yes that's right. Pero nakalimutan mo na ba?? I told you to find these herbs in group. Pinatunayan mo lang sakin how selfish you are my dear brother. And since you didn't follow my instruction, I'm sorry but you failed this task. Even if you're my brother, I won't tolerate this."
No way. It's not just his fault.
"Do what you want." sabi ni Dylan saka dire-diretsong umalis.
Huh? He hates getting low grades most of all but a failing mark is okay with him?? Or is it because it is from his older brother? The two of them doesn't looked close at all or it's just Dylan who hates his kuya?? Para kasing may tension sa pagitan nilang dalawa.
Napasipol na lang si Lucas dahil sa intense atmosphere.
"Forgive him, I'm sure it's because of his own stubbornness, am I right?? Nadamay pa kayo. But thank you for grouping with him." sabi samin ni Kuya Dmitri. "So as a compensation, I'll give the four of you a C+."
Eh?
Hindi ko alam pero nakaramdam ako ng kakaiba, sobrang bigat nito at gustong kumawala. This is not what I want and I'm not happy with it either. It's not just Dylan's fault.
"No sir. Kasalanan ko rin po kung bakit ito nangyari, hindi ko po dapat siya hinayaang umalis, dapat pinigilan ko po siya pero hindi ko ginawa. Hindi lang po si Dylan ang may kasalanan." sabi ko saka yumuko, "Kung ibabagsak niyo po siya, ibagsak niyo rin po ako."
I know it's weird since this is the first time that I get a C+, but I'm begging to have a failing mark?? Seriously?? What's wrong with me?? But I just felt like I need to do this. It'll be unfair to Devil if he's the only one who will get a failing mark.
"Me too. I also wondered alone, leaving my teammates behind knowing that I'm only a burden to them. So I want you to fail me too."
Napaangat ako ng ulo at napatingin kay Yuan matapos marinig ang kanyang sinabi.
"Y-yuan... hindi yun totoo." sabi ko. How could he think something like that? "You're not a burden."
"She's right. Actually it's all my fault sir, kung hindi sana ko nagrequest na magpahinga muna kami, hindi naman aalis si Dylan." sabi naman ni Amaya.
Amaya....
Tinignan ko naman si Lucas na agad nag-iwas ng tingin pero siniko siya sa tagiliran ni Amaya.
"Tch. So troublesome. Fine, fine.. it's also my fault." sabi naman ni Lucas na halatang napilitan lang.
"Sir, kung ibabagsak niyo po si Dylan, idamay niyo na po kami." pakiusap ko.
Biglang tumawa si Kuya Dmitri, "Hahahahahahah, this is the first time that someone begs me to fail them. Hahahahaha, as I've thought you're really a funny girl."
"Eh??" nakaramdam naman ako ng hiya.
"Hahahah yes she's really cute." sabi naman ni Lucas.
"Very well, if that's what you wish. I'll give all of you a C+." -Kuya Dmitri.
"EH???" nag-angat ako ng tingin at nakita si Kuya Dmitri na nakangiti. "Hindi F kundi C+?? Even si Dylan??" hindi makapaniwalang tanong ko.
"Ganon na nga, dahil mukhang natutunan niyo naman kung anong kahalagahan ng team work. You admit all your faults and protect your team mate, I just hope, my dear brother will also learn that important thing. But I'm glad that he had a great team."
"Kyaaaaaaahhhh!!! We did it guys!!!!!!" sabi ni Amaya at bigla na lamang kaming niyakap. We formed a small circle saka siya nagtatatalon.
"Seriously?? A++ is the highest, what are you so happy about??" reklamo ni Lucas.
"Duh! It's better than F no! I almost lost my heart knowing that I will get an F for the first time in my life. It's worth a celebration. We did it guys!!" -Amaya.
"Hindi ba masakit ang paa mo? So arte mo lang yung kanina??" -Lucas.
Amaya glared at him, "May sinasabi ka??"
Natawa na lang ako sa kanilang dalawa. Nilingon ko naman si Yuan, sakto, lumingon din siya sakin kaya ngumiti ako.
"You're not a burden Yuan. Huwag na huwag mong iisipin yun okay? Ang magkakaibigan nagtutulungan." sabi ko.
"So, does it mean, you're considering me as your friend too??" tanong ni Lucas.
Kahit ayoko sa personality niya, "Ganon na nga." sabay ngiti ko. Deep inside, I know that he's a good person.
I just hope, Dylan will opened up to us too.
***
Only half of the class finished the activity of Kuya Dmitri, so yung half nakakuha ng failing mark, then he explained to us about the Spell of Deceit na inilagay niya sa mga papers namin at masasabi kong napakagaling niyang magpaliwanag. He's so calm and amazing, he's like a professional teacher. Kung isasantabi ko yung pangyayari kanina sa pagitan nila Dylan, masasabi kong he's really a great and awesome person. He won't be called an Emperor for nothing.
Ano kayang problema sa kanilang magkapatid?? Parang may invisible wall sa pagitan nila at ang awkward ng pakikitungo nila sa isa't isa. Pero isa lang ang masasabi ko, walang mali kay Kuya Dmitri, si Dylan talaga ang may problema. That Devil, he should be listening to his older brother. What a stubborn younger brother. He's in the stage of rebellion. Poor Kuya Dmitri.
"Ah by the way Miss Heartfilia??" sabi ni Kuya Dmitri noong akmang paalis na ko.
"Y-yes sir??"
"Go to our office this afternoon. Sigurd will come to your room after class to lead the way. I'm afraid you'll get lost on your way there."
"Ahehehhe."
He smiled, "It's about the investigation that we've talked about, you'll be coming right?"
Waaahhh! He's really an angel. "Y-yes sir."
"Good. I'll see you later then."
***