"Avery, do you want to hear the truth?"
AVERY
The ground continues to tremble as I chant more spell. Ginagawa ko ang makakaya ko upang hindi mahanap ni King Aulius ang kinaroroonan ko habang pinipigilan ko siyang atakihin si Zirrius. May mga pagkakataong napipilitan siyang gumamit ng mahika upang maiwasan niya ang mga atake ko.
Nakatayo pa rin ako sa likod ng malaking pillar. The King is good with swords and he can match the attacks coming from Zirrius with overwhelming speed. Maybe the king is cut for wars. He's cut for battles while Zirrius is still growing some warrior bones. Maybe the King is a great warrior in his time back then, when he's still serving his brother as his King.
I don't know anything about his past. I don't know anything about him so I can only assume these things from his good fighting stance.
Sinubukan kong sirain ang sahig kung nasaan nakaukit ang magic circle pero natigilan ako sa nangyari. When I shattered the floor, the magic circle started to float in the air. It doesn't matter if I shatter the floor or try to erase its lines, the ritual will still continue regardless of my attempts to break it down. It will still be whole. The lines came from the medallion itself and only if I can break the medallion, the ritual will be interrupted successfully.
"It's futile. You can't destroy the magic circle," sabi ni King Aulius. "You can't interrupt the ritual no matter what you do. Just surrender and accept defeat." There's triumph in his voice. Sa palagay niya, wala ng makakapigil sa kanya. Mas lalong bumilis ang galaw niya. Pinagpapawisan na si Zirrius habang pilit na iniiwasan at pinapantayan ang bawat kilos ni Haring Aulius. He's on the defensive now.
Napapaurong si Zirrius. Hindi siya makagamit ng ibang mahika dahil alam niyang hihigupin lang ito ng medalyon. Halatang nag-iisip pa siya ng mga maaaring gawin. He tried to knock off King Aulius on the ground using his fist and arms and legs but to no avail. The King is good with martial arts.
"Then we will destroy the medallion," mariing saad ni Zirrius. Napansin din niya ang pinanggagalingan ng enerhiya ng magic circle.
Malakas na tawa ang pinakawalan ni King Aulius kasabay ng pagtatangka niyang itarak sa puso ni Zirrius ang espada. Muntik na akong mapasinghap nang malakas. Mabuti na lang nailagan ito ni Zirrius.
"The medallion can never be broken or destroyed by anyone. Only those who created the medallion can destroy it but they're already gone. Long gone."
Natigilan ako. Kung ganoon hindi namin ito masisira? Pero paano kung nagsisinungaling siya? Maybe he's lying. Maybe he just doesn't want to reveal the weakness of the medallion.
"Sa tingin mo maniniwala ako sa 'yo? You've already deceived the people in this kingdom. You deceived us. You sacrificed a lot of lives for your own selfish desires!" sigaw ni Zirrius. Halatang hindi siya maniniwala kahit ano pa'ng sabihin ni King Aulius. Nanginginig ang kamay niya habang lalong lumalakas ang pag-atake niya gamit ang espada. Mas mabilis niyang iwinawasiwas ang espada at sunud-sunod na sinusugod ang hari.
Walang emosyong ngumisi ang hari kay Zirrius. "Not everyone can live the life they dream of. Zirrius, some are working hard for their dreams and I'm just one of them. I sacrifice lives to achieve my dreams."
"What kind of flawed argument is that? Have you already lost your soul? Did you sell your soul to the devil?" galit na tanong ni Zirrius.
Natigilan sandali si King Aulius, muntik ng dumaplis sa leeg niya ang espada ni Zirrius pero nakagalaw siya agad.
"Maybe you're right. I already lost my soul," he admitted with sudden rush of emotion. Hindi alam ni Zirrius kung ano ang sasabihin dahil sa biglaang pag-amin ng hari.
He just attacks the king with all the magic and frustration he can muster.
Ipinagpatuloy ko ang tahimik na panonood sa bawat galaw nila lalong lalo na ang galaw ng hari. Maybe I can find something wrong with him. There's something on the words he said that bothers me.
Both of them are no longer talking to each other but are now absorb on their fight.
Sometimes I can feel the hesitation on some of the King's attacks and how he thrusts his sword to Zirrius. He's not aiming for the critical parts of his opponent's body now which is odd. What if he's really struggling deep inside? What if he really lost his soul? But someone can only lose his soul when he no longer had any reasons to live. Did he sell his soul to someone else? To Seth, maybe?
Then I remember something that I must do. I need to trace the magic inside this palace. I have to know if this magic really comes from King Aulius.
Naalala ko noon ang sinabi ng aking ina noong nagkita kami. She said that Zara left a book about tracing magic and luckily Shin found it in a secret room inside the King's bedchamber and I studied it before. I also remembered my Mom's word.
"There are different colors of magic someone can emit. You need to know the color of someone's magic first. You must distinguish it from another. Kapag nagawa mo na ito, madali mo nang makikita kung kanino nanggagaling ang isang mahika. Magic will always leave traces and residues. With those residues, you'll also feel, deep down in your soul, what life the magic user was leading to."
And since my Mom awaken my gift to see the magic from others, I just have to check and trace Seth's magic now. Seth's magic is burning black and red. I need to find its source.
I focused on the King's aura. I can see the black and red in his magic but I can see purple too. I look around. Every residues of magic inside this hall are black and red. Even the magic that triggers the black magic circle are black and red.
Although all the magic inside this hall are pointing at the king, I can't confirm if he's really Seth due to the purple aura. I have my own doubts.
I take a deep breath. I decide on what to do. Hindi na ako maaaring manood sa isang sulok. I unsheathe my sword. In a swift move, I appear behind him. I thrust my sword straight to his back, targeting his heart but to my surprise, he immediately gets away from me. I hit nothing but air.
Nakalayo agad siya mula sa 'min ni Zirrius.
"Now, you already showed yourself," he said as if he's pleased with my actions. Nagngingitngit ang kalooban ko.
Hindi na nagdalawang-isip pa si King Aulius. He immediately casted a spell to trigger the effects of the magic circle. Napasinghap ako dahil nasa pinakagitna ako ng magic circle. Agad akong tumakbo palayo. The light coming from the pendant strikes at me.
Am I wrong to show myself? No. I have to prove that my decision is right this time. Zirrius is a little distracted with my sudden appearance. When he notices the light following me, he immediately raises a shield made of stones to protect me but it is shattered to pieces by the magic coming from the medallion. Walang nagawa ang mahika ni Zirrius. Agad na inatake ni King Aulius si Zirrius nang makita na pinipigilan niya ang medalyon na umaatake sa 'kin.
Malakas na puwersa ang pinakawalan ni King Aulius na nagpatalsik kay Zirrius. Blood gushes from Zirrius' mouth and his back hits the hard pillar. Zirrius is caught off guard and is unable to dodge because of me.
Mabilis akong lumihis ng landas pabalik kay Haring Aulius. I run straight to him, while holding my sword. With all my might I swing my sword towards his chest but he stops me with magic. I am suspended in the air and my back is hit by the magic coming from the medallion. But I don't mind the pain and the blood I taste on my mouth.
I flick my fingers and chanted a spell to create a tornado in King Aulius' position. He is carried by the force and his back slams against the wall but it seems he doesn't mind at all. It must be painful but he doesn't show it in his face as if he's feeling nothing.
Zirrius immediately used his Devil Fire to consume the King but it only does a little damage. The fire instantly disappeared. I tumbled down and rolled on the ground. Sugatan ako ngunit kailangan kong lumayo sa mga atakeng nagmumula sa medalyon. Good thing I acquired some good senses when I was still blind. I am able to sense some of the attacks and dodge without looking back.
I run to the King and attack him with spikes coming from the shattered glasses of the chandelier. I chant another spell while I'm on it and create a shield for myself to avoid the attacks of the medallion. But the attacks from the medallion become fiercer as if it's planning to break the shield.
The spikes are discarded by the king like they are nothing. Hindi ko mabalewala ang lakas na nagmumula sa medalyon. Malapit ng masira ang shield na ginawa ko. Tumakbo ako at umikot sa medalyon. Sinubukan ko munang atakihin ang medalyon.
I just want to give it a try. Kung totoo ngang hindi masisira ang medalyon, hihintayin ko na lang ang impormasyong magmumula kay Damon. While I'm busying myself with the medallion, Zirrius is fighting the king to stop him from reaching me.
Angel fire rushes to the medallion and hits it. But my magic is absorbed by it as well. Kumunot ang noo ko. Kung ganoon walang mahika na maaaring sumira sa medalyon? I flick my fingers in the air and chant a spell. The ground forms a sharp sword and hits the medallion, smashing it against the floor but to my surprise, the sword I molded is shattered to pieces. All the objects I use are pulverized.
Lumingon ako kay Zirrius. "We must take him down first. We can't destroy the medallion right now," mariing sabi ko. Zirrius nodded at me. I run to the king. We have to deal with him first.
***
End note:
Merry Christmas everyone! Enjoy the Holidays and I still have 7 remaining chapters to write. Lol. Chapter 40 and Epilogue is done in advance. Hope to finish this story early January!
-Missmaple