Kaagad na tumakbo sa direksyon kung saan nakasubsob si Stephanie ang Beta ng Oleander Pack.
Humalakhak ng malakas ang bagong dating may maskara.
"And you, sister," tawag nito sa akin, "Red Hood, isn't it?"
Pilit akong napatango sa kaniya.
"All incantations of our kind can be stopped with the right word, you even aware of that?"
Hindi ako nag-react ngunit nalaman pa rin niya ang sagot.
Muli itong natawa, "It's true! I can't believe it!" the person exclaimed in the midst of laughter. "The First is afraid of herself!" Tumigil siya sa pagtawa. "You disgusts me!" the newcomer hissed. Muli nitong itinuon ang attensyon kayna Alekxus at Kaizon.
"Let me teach you a lesson, Red Hood. I won't let the incantation stop until you learn." Mas niyakap ni Luna Miadyn si Alekxus na para bang madidipensahan ng yakap ang anak laban sa balak ng hindi kilalang taong nakamaskara. "Zafeera sarhi."
Alekxus and Kaizon started groaning again in fear. Patapos na sana ngunit sinimulan na naman muli ng taong nakamaskara ang incantation.
Sumugod ako sa kaniya, pulling the knife hidden on my cloak, I swiped it at the masked person pero nakailag ito at napatalon papalayo. "Stop! Who the fuck are you?"
The masked person just chuckled, "Not the right word. It will be a never ending fear for those two until you learn, sister."
Seryoso siya. Wala nga siyang balak itigil ang incantation. Sasabihin niya lang muli ito kapag matatapos na ang epekto. I tried attacking her repeatedly but the newcomer evaded them easily. May ilang sumubok na werewolves lalo na ang mga taong-lobo mula sa Oxalis Pack, but they ended up the same fate as Alekxus and Kaizon. Afraid of being in the same situation, the rest now remained growling, watching from the sidelines.
Pero may isang hindi nababalot ng takot. Hindi siya umaatake sapagkat abala siya sa pag-aanalisa ng sitwasyon, every moves from him is calculated. "Red." tawag sa akin ng Alpha ng Oxalis Pack.
"Alpha." huminto ako sa pag-atake sa nakamaskarang nilalang upan pakinggan muna ang ama ni Alekxus.
"You need to figure out the incantation to stop this. That's the only way to victory." sambit niya.
Napalunok ako. I'm trying but I know I need to try harder. If there's such word, then its discovery should be the same with the first two incantation that I already know.
"The voice of reason," pumalapakpak ang nakamaskara, "If you won't listen to me, Red Hood, listen to that Alpha. Out of everyone here, he got the most sound mind."
Kumunot ang noo ko sa nakamaskara. Don't tell me this person could also sense what we're thinking? What we feel?
Back to the task, the Alpha is right. I need to work on figuring it out.
Sinubukan kong alalahanin kung paano ko nadiskobre ang dalawang incantation.
Back then, I just want to protect myself. My abilities are defense mechanisms. They work better when my life is at risk.
Maybe I could manipulate myself into thinking I am at risk.
Alekxus is at risk.
Kapag may masamang nangyari sa kaniya, kapag nasiraan siya ng bait, the Oxalis Pack will go down and I will hate myself.
Hindi 'yon pwedeng mangyari.
And then I know.
I just know.
"Zafeera narr!"
Alekxus, Kaizon, and the others who are experiencing the effects of the second incantation stopped howling and froze. Nakatulala na lang sila na para bang kagigising lang mula sa isang malalim na bangungot.
They're free.
Nakahinga ako ng maluwag.
I turned to the masked person, fully intent on unleashing my wrath, "Zafeera sarhi!" I hissed on the stranger's direction.
Walang nangyari.
Kahit hindi ko kita ang expresyon niya, alam kong nakangisi ito sa akin. "I'm a very good teacher." papuri nito sa sarili. Don't tell me..."You're right, sister, our abilities don't work with our own kind, your second lesson today."
Mas nilakasan nito ang boses upang marinig ng lahat, "The third is for everyone." Pumitik ang kanang kamay nito at sa pagkisap ng mata, mula sa kakahuyan sa labas ng border ng Oxalis Pack, nagsilabasan ang maraming taong nakamaskara katulad ng suot ng misteryosong nilalang na kapareho ko ang abilidad.
May hawak silang mga bakal na kadena, posas, at stun gun.
"You don't mess with The Council." mutawi ng leader ng mga taong nakamaskara. "Aggressive confrontation between packs are forbidden without permission from us, idagdag mo pa na nasa bakasyon ako nang bigla akong ipinatawag ni Ze-...I mean, ng Council Leader, upang turuan kayo ng leksyon." Pinutok-putok nito ang kamao. "Imagine my dismay for that interruption."
Dumipa ito at tumingin paitaas. "For your violations, I decided that all of you will be chained and paraded for an entire day in front of your own pack members. Anyone who resist will suffer the wrath of repeated blows from stun gun. Furthermore," the person leveled a gaze on me to directly stare on my eyes, "Both Alpha from Oxalis and Oleander Pack while chained, face slumped on the floor, will be whipped fifty times in front of their pack members."
The masked person laughed in glee, "A reminder, a sign of utter submission to your master, The Council."
Nagpaypay ito sa sarili, "Pagkatapos ng mga kadramahang 'yon, Redemption Hood, Alekxus Oxalis," lumingon ito kay Alekxus na hindi ko sigurado kung naiintindihan na ang nangyayari sa kaniyang paligid, "Kaizon Oleander..." pareho ang sitwasyon ni Kaizon, tulala pa rin ito. "...you can understand me, don't worry, I know." The masked person seemingly winked at me. "The Council is giving the three of you a mission to discover the real culprit behind the killings of those five werewolves from Oleander Pack. Work together to solve this murder mystery, Sherlocks!"
"Alekxus and Red Hood are part of Oxalis Pack, bias sila!" bato ng isang nagtatapang-tapangan na Oleander.
"A reasonable argument but rest assured Alekxus will just represent his pack and is bound by werewolf honor to reveal nothing but the truth, meanwhile," muling nitong itinuon ang attensyon sa akin, "Red Hood is a third party, the Council does not consider her a part of any pack. She's going to act as the Council's representative on this mission."
Nagsimulang magbulungan ang mga tao sa paligid
"Red is a spy from the Council all these time?"
"They have the same witchery, no wonder!"
"Traydor!"
And now this person instilled doubts against me even on the members of Oxalis Pack.
Fucking brilliant move against someone you're also inquisitive about.
Hindi ako miyembro ng Council. This is even the first time I met one of their own as far as I can remember. We never crossed paths until this day.
"Anyways," the masked person interrupted, "Before anything else, I need to personally administer punishments first! Soldiers," tawag nito doon sa iba pang nakamaskara, "Arrest them all!"