At first, I think Mayari is just a bitc—well, she's really a bitch. The way she curses, and girl, her impulsive outbursts might kill us one day… heh, that's rich coming from me. But anyway, at least this bitch has a heart.
Before we leave, Mayari stands up and offers prayers to the poor guards who were chasing us just a little while ago. "It's all my fault..." she whispers. "I shouldn't have escaped..." She tries to force her tears not to spill. "They wouldn't have come home as a corpse to their families." Upon hearing that, I feel a sting in my heart. She's right… I just realized they were only doing their jobs. Yeah, one of them struck me, but in the end, they tried to protect us from that psycho. After a few minutes, Mayari turns to us.
Mayari's eyes are red, but then I feel something… her eyes feel like they're burning — not literally, but it's like the real Mayari, the one I met inside the jail, has come back. She doesn't say a word; she just walks past me and the girl who's carrying the boy who saved us.
I strained my ankle when that asshole Nemo threw me, and so Mayari helped me walk. After a few minutes of walking, I can immediately sense her ragged breathing, and we also fell for around three times. And just so happens, we fall once again.
I mean, I get it, girl. You want to help me, but my goodness… every time we fall, I feel my strain getting more painful. I see Hiraya look at us, then she sighs and rolls her eyes. She approaches us and takes me from Mayari and carries me on her shoulder like a freaking sack of rice, too.
I almost protest, but damn! She smells really nice. She's kinda sweaty, yes, it's kinda hot in this forest, but gosh her smell. You know that time when you put perfume to mask the stinging smell of your sweat, but then suddenly the perfume's smell made the sweat's stinks go super saiyan? This girl is different. She smells like cinnamon and spicy, but sweet.
I force myself not to look to the other side, where Wan is. Though I can still smell it — the metallic scent hanging in the air. Mayari follows behind us. She picks up a piece of wood and uses it as a crutch. Even from several steps ahead, I can clearly hear her heavy breathing.
"Don't worry… we're almost there," Hiraya tells Mayari after noticing she's practically crawling already.
I don't know, but Hiraya must be one of the best scammers in this world. Cuz girl 'almost there?' I feel like we're walking for another hour after she said to Mayari that we're nearby. Another half an hour pass, and finally!
"We're here." Hiraya said.
It is a small brown tent. It's quite small, like the one you see in camping which can only house around one to two people. I know that beggars cannot be choosers, but damn. Does she expect all four of us to cramp inside this small tent? She pulls the flap of the tent's entrance.
Now, I know this world has magic… but still, I'm amazed by the things I'm seeing here. The inside is far bigger than the outside. It's as big as our house back in Makati. There are two beds inside, a lamp in each corner, and a small table near the back.
Mayari also enters. Her lips have cracks, and she looks like she swam in a pool with how wet her whole body is from sweat. Ms. Bobcut carefully lays me on the bed, then she just throws Wan's unconscious body onto the ground. She takes something from the chest beside the table and throws it at us.
"Drink," she says.
Mayari quickly catches the clay bottle and drinks from it. Hiraya once again goes out of the tent; the light from the torch outside casts a better view of her slender body. She has tattoos on her arms and wrists — intricate linings like waves from the sea. She stretches her left hand toward the tent as she sings. Her tattoos start to glow with green light.
"O Shadow of Sinukuan, pillar of might,
Hold me close in the tempest's bite.
Clear my path where foes may stand,
For in your care, fear leaves my hands."
"A panawag incantation with four lines?" Mayari utters while still catching up her breath. Her face and tone give me the feeling that what Hiraya did wasn't normal.
"We'll be undetectable to anyone for the next twenty-four hours," Hiraya said while lighting up a cigarette.
"A whole day!?" Mayari exclaimed, "Most of baylans from Tundun struggle to cast a panawag spell with four lines, much less maintain it for at least five minutes." She catches her breath, "And you said you can maintain this panawag spell for a day?"
Wait wait wait... Lines? Panawag? Baylans, I get it now, these weird people that can use magic. But 'panawag'? What the hell is that? not to mention the 'sigwas' that that lunatic Nemo said to Wan earlier.
Mayari slowly walks in front of Hiraya, who's about to go back inside the tent. She bows and said, "I'm grateful for your help earlier..." Hiraya's eyes widen a little, one of her brows raising, "And I apologize for the deadly injuries sustained by your friend."
I peek through the opening on the flap, towards Wan. I still feel shiver when I look at him. His whole body is covered in wounds. At this point, he looks like a meat being sold on the market.
"Hahahaha," Hiraya burst laughing, "This is the first time that I have seen a Maginoo bowing." She said while puffing a smoke.
"In times like this..." Mayari's fist circled into a fist, "My survival is my priority. I cannot avenge my father if I'm dead." Her teeth grind against each other.
Hiraya didn't answer. We all went back inside, and she gave us capsules each. "Take it for the pain and swelling." She sits on the chair and puffs once again. "And about this idiot..." her left foot rested on Wan's wounded chest. "This one's alright... he's like a cockroach, you can crush him with your feet, and somehow, he'll still live."
She lights another cigarette and turns her head towards Mayari, "You're Mayari, right? Heard what happened to your pops." She tilts her head up to blow a smoke, "Gotta say, you pops got a lot of fuel. We both felt his detonation even here."
"Wait what? fuel? Detonation?" Mayari's brows knit together, obviously confuse.
I leaned towards her and said, "She means even at this forest, she felt your father's... what you call this again-."
"Nu." Hiraya interjects.
"Yes that one, Nu." I explain to her.
"You understand her?" Mayari asks, and then I remember. Given, you idiot.
I turn to Hiraya and ask the question that's been bothering me earlier. "Are you from-."
"Earth." She said before I could even finish.
I crawl towards her and grab her legs, which surprises both her and Mayari, "Please... he – help me..." at last, the possibility of escape from this world! "I want to go home! Pe – please help me!"
Hiraya just glances at me while smoking, "Kid, you think I'll choose to stay here if I have the power to go home myself?" and just like that, I felt being showered by cold water.
"Wha – what do you mean?" I know the answer before she even says it.
"There's probably no going back." That phrase hits hard.
Suddenly, salty tears flow from my eyes. Hiraya stands up and fixes her hair, "I understand your frustration, kid. And the fact that you're probably accidentally summoned here after a botched panawag incantation." She leans and pats my head, "It'll be hard to accept, but maybe someday you will be able to." She stands, "That's what's happened to me at least."
"Wait, you mean to say you're also not of this world?" Mayari cuts in.
"Yup, and speaking of. There are more important reasons why me and my idiot student are here in the forest. So no, I don't have the luxury to join Tundun's political squabbles."
Mayari swallows, obviously thinking of a way to smooth her way on Hiraya's favor. A few more minutes later. Mayari helps me on bed. She lay beside me, while I stare at nothingness. Mama, kuya... Does this really mean I'm stuck here!? I close my eyes, remembering mama's face, and Kuya's.
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With a heavy heart, Given tried to sleep. While their group was having a well-deserved "rest," we go back to the other side of the forest—at least ten kilometers away from where Mayari's group was. Five men in black clothing were scouring the whole area where Wan and Nemo had their fight. The morning sun was slowly but surely raising its light. They were with a woman; she had long, black, wavy hair.
"Lady Nieves! He's here!" one of the men notified her in a hurry.
The woman, Nieves moved toward the guard. And there, they saw Nemo. The bleeding from the fatal wound given by Wan had stopped after he cauterized it himself. Nieves quickly commanded them to take Nemo and place him on a carriage to be taken to the capital immediately.
They reached the capital of Tundun, Nilad. They brought Nemo to the hospital, and after about two hours inside, the doctor came out and guaranteed Nemo's safety. He told her that it was a good thing Nemo had managed to stop the bleeding before totally passing out.
"Thanks doctor." She said.
"By the way, he still needs to rest. If not, his wounds will surely open again. Our healing baylans here weren't able to fully heal the critical wound he got. It's as if it's inflicted by some unknown monster." The doctor explained. After that, he bowed and walked away.
Nieves slipped into the room and hurried to Nemo's bedside. He was still unconscious, his breathing shallow, his face bruised in ways she had never seen before.
"Kuya… you fucker…" Her voice cracked as tears spilled down her cheeks. "Who did this to you? I've never seen you like this. Not once."
Nemo let out a weak chuckle. "Heh… hehehe… I didn't know you even knew how to cry."
"Hah?!" Nieves gasped. "You - have you been awake this whole time!?"
"Sort of... since the moment you walked inside," Nemo answered. Every breath made his wounds ache.
Nieves sat beside him. "What happened to you?"
Nemo explained everything, from the moment he encountered Wan. By the time he finished, even Nieves looked intrigued. The two of them weren't far apart in age; Nemo was twenty, Nieves seventeen. They talked for a while till she eventually stood and stepped outside to get food.
A few minutes later, the door swung open with irritating force. Marahuyo entered with another man, a large-bellied fellow with thick arms and a cleanly shaved head, making him look like an egg with a face. They moved quickly toward Nemo, who lay quietly on the bed. The bald man studied him with sharp, narrowed eyes.
"Hah, you arrogant fucker…" he muttered, brows drawn tight.
"You have any apples on you?"
He recoiled a bit when Nemo's eyes opened. "You're awake!?"
Nemo met his stare. "I have been for a while."
The man barked, one eyebrow raised high. "Was this the work of the princess's Maharlika?!" His fists were clenched, teeth grinding. Marahuyo stood behind him, simply watching.
"Ah, yeah…" Nemo said. "I didn't expect Maharlikas here in Tundun to be this tough."
"Tsk. If that's the case, where are they now!?" baldy asked, irritation echoed on his voice.
"I don't know…"
"WHAT!?" the bald man snapped.
"I don't know."
"Goddammit…" he growled. He tried to punch Nemo, but froze the moment he met Nemo's stare. Something unseen pressed against him, stopping him cold. A heartbeat later, Marahuyo drew Her kampilan and placed the blade against Nemo's neck.
"I won't allow anyone to insult Lakay Aslon's family like this!"
Nemo smirked and whistled. A gust of wind stirred inside the room. The bald man's eyes widened, and he ducked behind Marahuyo.
"Careful, Ginoong Naldo…" Marahuyo advised.
Nemo let out a mocking laugh. "You Maharlika really are something… like loyal dogs ready to die for your masters."
"You bastard!" Marahuyo shouted. She was about to slice Nemo's throat when a woman's voice cut sharply through the tension.
"You sure about that?"
Nieves closed the door behind her and bowed to Naldo. She stepped forward and gently pushed down Marahuyo's sword. Then she placed a bag of pandesal on the table.
"Good morning, Ginoong Naldo, Maharlika Marahuyo," she said. She poured water into two glasses and offered them. "Sit down and calm yourselves."
Her tone was calm but cold, firm enough to make both men obey. "For now, I'll let your little tantrums against my brother slide." She sat across from them, voice cool and calm. "It's not obvious, but he's the eldest son of Lemuel Pangan, the leader of the Juru Pakal."
She took a sip of water, refusing to look at them. When she set the glass down, she continued, "So believe me when I say this. If something happens to him—or to me—that has nothing to do with our contract…" She locked eyes with Naldo, staring deep enough to rattle him. "I promise you, you'll spend the rest of your life watching your back."
Naldo swallowed hard. He knew the infamous reputation of the Juru Pakal. It was the reason he even referred them to his brother, Aslon in the first place.
"Damn it…" he muttered before standing. "Marahuyo, let's go!" They stomped out of the room and slammed the door behind them.
"Heh. Finally, some peace…" Nemo said. "But did you really have to threaten them like that?" he asked Nieves.
"Threaten? Please. I know you, kuya." Nieves shot back. "If I arrived even a few seconds later, I'd probably be cleaning up a corpse right now."
She rested her head on the edge of Nemo's bed. "By the way… I heard you outside. Why did you lie about what happened last night?" Her brows knitted. "Do you even know what they'll think of you?"
"Pah. You think I care about what they think?" A wide grin stretched across Nemo's face. "Besides, I want to fight him again…" The wind in the room began to stir once more. "And I don't want anyone getting in my way."
"You're completely insane…"
"Whoever said I was sane, my dear sister? Hahahaha…"