Cyan
On my way to Adria's classroom, the dumbfounding scene last night kept on repeating in my head. Akala niya siguro, biro lang ang pag-aaral ng mahika. How simple minded of her. I'm already standing outside the classroom's door, when I noticed her approaching. May ilang estudyante na rin ang lumalabas.
"What are you supposed to be?" tanong ko nang makita ang ayos niya. She's wearing big eye glasses with thick black frames, which I have no idea where she could have gotten. Her hair is even tied into two braids like thick black ropes. "What do you think you are, some kind of genius?"
"This is to show you how strong my resolution is!" seryoso niyang sagot.
Her way of thinking is beyond normal. It's stupidly outrageous.
"Are you saying, that by changing the way you look your brain will start to function?"
"I fail to see why how I look should be any of your concern!"
"I also fail to see how this will help you surpass me."
"Wala ka nang pakialam do'n," angil niya. "Saka bakit ka nandito?!" She didn't hid the fact that she's exasperated just by the sight of me.
"Araw-araw may nakalaang apat na oras para sa student apprentice na makasama ang kanyang senior guardian. I am somewhat your tutor. I'll assist you with homeworks, guide you with spells and other things regarding magic."
Hindi gano'n kadali matuto ng mahika. It's harder than math, and much more complicated than science.
She just gave out a sigh. At the least, it looks like she now understands that I'm meant to be here.
"Follow me, genius." I called to her before walking. Sumunod naman siya ng tahimik. "Have you memorized at least some, of what's in the handbook?"
"Memorized all of it!" nagmamalaki niyang tugon.
Our conversation continued as we walk passed classrooms and students that're loitering about.
"I'll know if you're lying."
"Why don't you just try me?" panghahamon niya pa. She's getting ahead of herself again.
"Okay little miss genius, give me a place in this castle where students are not allowed to enter."
"The library of unknown spells."
Saglit man akong natigilan, sinundan ko agad ng tanong ang sagot niya para makasigurado. "And why is that?"
"Hundreds of destructive enchantments are kept safe in that library. Ang reyna lang din ang makakapagbukas sa pinto ng aklatang 'yon."
"How about three of Elixir's school ground rules?"
"Number one; magical creatures are forbidden inside the school. Secondly; roaming the castle unsupervised is prohibited. Thirdly; leaving school premise without permission is not allowed." She grinned as if she already achieved some kind of accomplishment. "Was that enough, oh great senior guardian?" Halata na naman sa boses niya ang pang-aasar.
"Don't be a brat. Memorizing won't prove much."
"Oh really?" Nakangisi pa 'to na para bang ipinapagiwatig na natalo niya 'ko sa kung ano. "E, bakit lukot na naman 'yang pagmumukha mo?"
I really don't like the way she thinks and talk. Para bang napakasimple sa kanya ng lahat. She's expecting that if she's able to do something right, she should be commended for it.
"You're already happy about a thing that doesn't really make you smart nor capable?" Napalis ang ngiti sa mga labi niya. "Those are just information to let you survive in our school. You won't be seeing them in examinations."
Kitang-kita ko ang pagkainis sa mukha niya. I have every intention of crushing her beliefs about how easy life could be here. Hindi gano'n kadali ang lahat. This is my way of preparing her.
Narinig ko lang ulit siyang umimik nang nakatawid na kami sa tulay palabas ng Elixir. "Why are we leaving?"
"We didn't have enough time to roam Alquia yesterday, so for today, familiarize yourself to where you'll be getting most of the materials and ingredients you'll be using for magic."
The school made sure that it won't be hard for the students to do research and spell craft, thus purposely creating a city outside Elixir.
She just nodded obediently that I wasn't really expecting. "You have blimps here?" mangha niya nang tanong habang sinusundan ng tingin ang malaking sasakyang panghimpapawid na kasalukuyang naglalayag sa ibabaw ng Alquia.
"That's the normal means of transportation I mentioned before."
"Now that makes sense."
Nagtataka man sa hindi niya pagsagot ng pabalang minabuti ko na lang na ipagwalang bahala 'yon. "Alquia is one of the major trading cities in Amystrea," pagpapatuloy ko habang humahakbang papasok sa siyudad. "Dahil maraming kagamitan, materyal at kasangkapang nabuo galing sa mahika ang dito lang makikita. Alquia is also named as the "Witch's city of the west'." It didn't take us long to reach the plaza where most shops are. "However, there are something's one won't find here, and some that are also limited in quantity, making the price higher than normal."
The place is packed like the usual. Merchants, locals, and travelers that are going about their business are everywhere. If I had a choice I wouldn't be seen anywhere near here. I'm not fond of crowded places.
Hinayaan ko siyang magtingin-tingin habang itinuturo ang ilang importanteng tindahan. Hindi nagtagal ay nakarinig ako ng panaka-nakang bulungan galing sa ilang mga estudyante ng Elixir.
"Si Cyan, ang gwapo talaga kaso suplado."
"Ngayon ko lang siya nakita rito."
I heed them no attention. I'm not really concerned about how they see me. That's the main reason why I didn't bother answering anyone back for the past years. It would have been a waste of time if I did. The only thing I'm concerned about is the status I'm upholding with regards to academics.
"He's with the wicked student apprentice." That came from a girl who's in a group that has been eyeing us for a while now.
I wasn't at all surprised at how fast Adria earned herself a bad reputation. All it took was just a few words out of her mouth, and everything escalated up to a point where most students started thinking of her as a nuisance. Nilingon ko ang katabi na mukhang walang pakialam sa bulungan at nakatuon lang ang pansin sa mga bagay na ibinebenta sa mga tindahan.
"Tabi! Tabi! Magsipagtabi kayo!"
Kasabay nang hiyawan ng mga nagkakagulo sa paligid, may mga yabag sa lupa ng kung anong mabigat na nilalang ang dumagundong. Balak ko sanang puntahan ang pinagmumulan ng ingay, pero kahit anong pilit ko ay kung saan-saan ako natatangay ng agos ng mga nagkakagulong tao. Hanggang sa hindi ko na namalayan ang nangyari, bigla na lang akong nakaramdam nang pagkahilo.
"Ano'ng ginagawa mo?!" Isang kamay ang malakas na humatak sa 'kin. Ikinagulat ko na lang nang mapagtantong nakasandal na si Adria sa 'kin. Hindi ko rin alam kung paanong napadpad kami sa isang sulok. "You were almost trampled by a dragon!"
What she said made perfect sense at the same it didn't. I tried my best to recall what had happened, but no matter how hard I tried, my mind couldn't. Naglipana ang mga alikabok sa buong paligid, habang ako ay tila nagdedeliryo. Ramdam ko ang singaw ng init galing sa katawan ko, pati na ang init na nanggagaling sa kanya.
Tiningala niya 'ko. "Cyan?" Bago sa paningin ko ang ekspresyon ng pag-aalala sa mukha niya. Hindi siya mapakali at mukhang hindi alam ang gagawin, samantalang ako ay hindi makagalaw, ni hindi ko rin maibuka ang bibig. Her hand reached for my forehead. "You're burning up!" I looked straight into her eyes. For a moment, I thought they were shining. Scarlet red— like fire. It was bewitching. "Wala ka namang sakit kanina."
Pinilit kong makapagsalita. "D-describe the dragon you saw."
Natataranta siyang sumagot. "I-it was green and huge with long neck and legs." Tiniis ko ang pananakit ng ulo para lang maintindihan ang mga sinasabi niya. " Its head is covered with spiky horns. May usok 'tong inihinga."
I shook my head a few times to wake myself up. What she saw was a Verdigris dragon that breathes gas that can render its victim feverish. Sigurado akong 'yon ang dahilan kung bakit ganito ang nararamdaman ko at kung bakit wala ako sa huwisyo. Hinawakan ko ang magkabilang balikat ni Adria na ikinagulat niya. Marahan ko siyang inilayo bago ako agad na tumalikod.
Dahil sa nararamdamang panghihina, maliliit na hakbang lang ang nagagawa ko. May katagalan ang paglipas ng epektong dala ng hininga ng dragon.
"S-saan ka pupunta?'
"I have to stop that dragon."
"There must be someone else that'll try to stop that thing," pigil niya sa 'kin.
I looked around, and didn't see anyone capable of stopping the rampaging lizard at the moment. The shop keepers are not wizards nor witches. Mga estudyante lang din ng Elixir ang karamihan sa mga naririto.
"I have to do something," nasabi ko pa kahit na nanlalabo na ang paningin ko. "Para wala nang ibang masaktan." Iniwan ko siyang waring napipilan.
The dragon that's wrecking havoc wherever it went was hard to miss. Agad ko 'tong nahabol. Akmang lilipad na 'to para sugurin ang mga nasa harapan.
I chanted a quick spell. "Great balls of fire come forth!" Blazing fireballs immediately blasted from my wand that burnt the dragon's wings. For the time being, the magical creature won't be able to fly.
Hindi man gano'n kalakas ang pinsalang kayang idulot ng mga quick spell, sa ngayon ay wala akong pagpipilin. I can't chant complete spells that're longer to cast and needs more keen concentration under this disadvantageous situation.
I stood a few steps away from the now enraged creature. Ibinaling na nito sa 'kin ang buong atensyon. I tried my hardest not to fall on my knees due to my body's weakend state. Nagsimula 'tong magbuga ng usok, iglap lang ay nilamon ng tila puting hamog ang paligid. My eyes became much blurrier than before. Hindi ko na halos maaninag kung nasaan na ang nilalang na kanina lang ay nasa harap ko.
From behind, I heard approaching footsteps and within the smokescreen a silhouette is getting closer. I gripped my wand tighter. As it is just a few feet away, I realized that it isn't the dragon. It was Adria who's now standing right beside me.
"What are you doing here?!" Bago pa man siya makasagot, naitulak ko siya nang may namantaan akong paparating.
The dragon appearing from the thick fog furiously swayed its razor-sharp claws. I was pushed back to the ground, my hand on my scathed left shoulder that's now losing a great deal of blood. My fortified raiment wasn't enough to deter the damage. Kung hindi ako naging maagap, malamang wala na 'kong braso. Though I think that doesn't really matter anymore, because I could end up dead any minute now. Gahibla na lang kasi ang layo nang nagwawalang nilalang mula sa 'kin.
As I was preparing myself to use my power as the last resort, I heard Adria trying to take away the dragons attention from me. Kung anu-anong bagay ang ibinabato niya rito para lang makuha ang interes nito.
"Stop that!" Naiinis kong awat sa ginagawa niya. "Gusto mo bang mamatay?!"
Hindi siya nakinig, sa halip nagtagumpay siyang makuha nga ang atensyon nang malaking nilalang. The beast scurried to where she is.
"With my magic I bind thee, movements shall be ceased until freed. I emplore, Janus!" With the little strength left in me I unleashed a spell that tied the ferocious creature down. Naigapos ito ng liwanag na nagsilbing tali bago pa nito magawang saktan si Adria.
Nasapo ko ang kumikirot na ulo. Hindi pa rin nawawala ang bisa ng lason. My vitality reached its lowest, I was on the verge of collapsing when a hand held on to me. Namalayan ko na lang na nakahiga na 'ko sa kandungan ni Adria. Inspite the pain that's consuming every part of my body, I somehow felt ease.
She was uttering something, but I couldn't understand what's coming out of her lips. Tinatalo ang ulirat ko ng pagkahapo. Though, I didn't get whatever she's saying, one thing is for sure, I didn't hate the worried expression on her face before my eyes closed.