Dedicated to: Milanie Flores

Chapter 30: Announcement

I witnessed how the rains of arrows filled with mana overwhelmed the long hallway. I couldn't even count the arrows piercing Howl's body with dripping blood from different parts of his body.

The little pixies were trying to protect him but the numbers of arrows were unstoppable, even Caleb, Tavion, or Iris couldn't move a bit.

Mahigpit ang yakap sa akin ni Caleb habang pilit niya akong pinuprotektahan. He's been trying move avert my eyes away from Howl's body, but I couldn't even blink with his agony.

Ilang mura na ang naririnig ko mula kina Tavion at Caleb. Ang tanging kailangan naming gawin ay hintayin matapos ang kanilang pag-atake dahil sa sandaling kami na ang aatake'y hindi na namin sila pagbibigyan.

But the question is, will they stop as long as we're all alive?

And with Howl's helpless body?

The arrows were not just piercing Howl's body but also the creatures turning to life. We might end up getting killed from our front and back, but as an Attero who already had her mana, I couldn't just accept death without a fight.

At sa aming tatlo rito, ako lang ang maaaring humarap sa ulan ng mga palasong ito.

"Caleb, let me go."

"A-Anna!"

Sinimulan ko nang kapain ang lampara sa maliit na bag na siyang lagi kong dala. I glanced back at Howl. Hindi ko alam kung wala na siyang buhay sa mga oras na ito at nabibilang na siya ngayon sa palamuti ng lugar na ito.

I admit I felt the horror and fear when I first witnessed how the arrows turned his elegant mien into disaster, but as an Attero who could sense great power of mana I'm starting to expect a dramatic show.

Howl Paladein De Voss is the master of this journey, and I hate to admit that together with Caleb, I vowed to finish this journey with him.

Nang sandaling mahawakan ko na ang lampara ay sinadya ko iyong pagulungin papalayo sa amin. The light from the old lamp got the enemies' attention, the arrows went there as the visions of the trapped creatures started to show images from the outside, and that quick interruption gave me an ample time to stand straight in front of Howl's wounded body, still crucified with the Galamaticus dragon.

"A-Anna. . ."

Nanlalaki ang mga mata ni Caleb habang nanatiling nakahiga sa sahig at nakatitig sa akin. Sina Tavion at Iris ay kapwa pa rin hindi makagalaw at ganoon din ang titig sa akin.

"Fevia Attero is my world. My own world is my best battlefield."

Sabay kong inangat ang dalawa kong kamay sa aking tagiliran at ipinantay ko ang mga iyon sa balikat ko.

My hands started to glisten with silver lights.

Suddenly the time slowed down, the arrows paused in the air that was about to hit my body a few inches away, the rolling lamp continued to lighten my image with consistent blinking light, the monsters were roaring, and the wind was blowing with my long raven hair, and the remnants of the glass windows shattered like crystal dust.

I think they forgot that the earth mages have the friendliest terms of relationship with mythical creatures; they lived mostly in the forest— kung saan karamihan sa amin ay doon na natututong lumaban.

And they even forgot that we got one of the most powerful dragons of Fevia Attero.

Hinayaan kong maglakbay ang sarili kong mana sa paligid at sa bawat patak ng dugo ni Howl na dumadaloy sa katawan niya. I used the fresh blood from his body to mix it in every wound of the mystical creatures inside.

They got the archers as the battalion.

But we got the half of the monsters of the ruin as our battalion.

My eyes were closed as I mixed their blood, with my silver mana, and my hatred towards these officials who were afraid of the thing that we might find out. And finally, when I sharply opened my eyes, with my arms pulling them down as I crossed it on my chest, I knew right at that moment that it wasn't just my eyes that were looking straight outside, like a hawk that's about to capture its prey.

Sabay-sabay nagningas ang mga mata ng mga halimaw kasabay ang kay Howl na isa-isang tinatanggal ang panang tumama sa kanyang katawan.

"Job well done, Callista."

With his iconic movement, Howl Paladein De Voss elegantly placed his coat on his shoulders before he jumped outside the window.

"What the hell?"

Kapwa sumilip sina Caleb at Tavion sa bintana. Tinanaw nila sa baba si Howl pero agad rin iyong umangat sa ere at kasalukuyan nang tumatapak doon sa tila malawak na sahig na hindi makikita ng pangkaraniwang mga mata.

"Hindi ba kayo lalabas mga hangal? O magtatago lang kayo?"

Hindi na sumagot pa sina Caleb at Tavion dahil mabilis din silang tumalon sa tinatayuan ni Howl.

Right now, Howl, Caleb, and Tavion were standing in the air, in the middle of the old ruins surrounded by numbers of Attenian soldiers.

And when Howl flicked his fingers, the creatures that were attached to the wall suddenly moved on its own, humaba ang kanilang mga katawan at nagawa nilang lumabas sa bintana upang sumugod sa mga sundalong nakapaligid sa kanila.

Nang sandaling matakpan ng mga halimaw ang posisyon nina Howl, Caleb at Tavion, agad lumingon sa akin si Howl para humingi ng tulong. He also turned to Tavion.

"You can partly control them, right? Do it!" itinuro niya ang mga halimaw. Mabilis tumango si Tavion at tumalon sa isa sa malaking halimaw upang tulungan ang mga iyong umatake.

"Anna! They are afraid of something! They are desperate to kill us!" sigaw ni Howl sa akin. Ilang beses siyang umiilag sa pana na lumilipad patungo sa likuran niya.

"I know!" sigaw ko pabalik.

"Caleb, seal the ruins!" tumango rin si Caleb.

Samantalang si Iris naman ay piniling magpatuloy sa pagtakbo patungo sa pintuang dapat ay pupuntahan namin. She has the map after all.

"Anna, we need you outside!" sigaw ni Howl.

Kapwa na kami lumutang ni Howl sa ibabaw ng mga halimaw. Habang si Tavion naman ay nasa ibaba upang utusan ang atake ng mga iyon, si Caleb naman ay nagpapagalaw ng malalaking mga bato upang ayusin ang nasirang bintana.

"This ruin is one of the sacred places of Fevia Attero," usal ko.

Habang kapwa kami nakalutang ni Howl sa himpapawid at nakikitang unti-unting dumadami ang dumadating na Attero na handang kitilin kami, halos hindi ko lubos maisip na darating ako sa ganitong sitwasyon.

I am now a complete traitor. A perpetrator of her own world.

"The whole Fevia Attero will kill us," bulong ko.

"Because we're going to hijacked this world's one of the most sacred place!" anunsyo ni Howl sa kanyang malakas na boses kung saan dinig ng lahat.

Umawang ang bibig ko sa sinabi niya. Napalingon sa kanya si Tavion at natigilan din si Caleb sa kanyang ginagawa.

"What?" he asked me.

"Ano pa sa tingin mo ang ginagawa natin? Ano pa sa tingin mo ang iniisip nila sa atin? We're the villains now. And if this world is against us now, let's allow them to know our title."

"Fucking bastard!" rinig kong sigaw ni Caleb pero ipinagpatuloy pa rin ang ginagawa. Samantalang si Tavion ay umiling lamang.

"Come on, Callista. Sa mata ng buong Fevia Attero ay iyon ang tingin nila sa atin. Tayo ang kalaban, pero ang katotohanan ay tayo ang siyang gumagawa ng paraan upang protektahan kung ano ang itinatago nila sa madla sa loob ng lugar na ito. We will dig it together. . . and we will clean our name."

Tinanaw ko na lang ang napakarami naming kalaban.

"So, for now, let's become the villains, shall we?"

Muling hinarap ni Howl ang napakaraming Attero at ibinuka niya ang kanyang mga braso na parang gagawa na naman siya ng isang malakihang pagtatanghal.

"Ladies and gentlemen! This Howl Paladein De Voss, the guardian of the Earth train! One of the legendary dragon wizards! And yes! I am announcing to this world that I am claiming this old ruin!"

Dahil parehong wala sa magandang pag-iisip sina Caleb at Tavion, binigyan nila ng magandang sagot si Howl.

Tavion and his controlled monstered gave a huge roar, halos mapaatras ang nakapaligid na batalyon sa amin at si Caleb naman ay gumawa ng sunud-sunod na matataas na lupa dahilan kung bakit patuloy ang paglindol.

Namaywang si Howl sa gitna nang ere at nagsimula siyang tumawa ng malakas. Nagmukha talaga siyang kalaban habang napapalibutan ng mga halimaw.

Yes, this could be the biggest hijack of the century in Fevia Attero.

But we couldn't just expect less from the battalions of Fevia Attero, they have the strength as well as the intelligence. Kung inaakala ko na hindi nila nais ilabas ang pagkakakilanlan ng mga nilalang na kasabwat ni Howl, doon ako nagkakamali.

Because they're willing to kill not just Howl, but all of us, from our roots.

With the Attenian magic, our images with mixtures of different lights ignited from the sky. Kapwa kami napatingala lahat sa higit na malaking anunsyo mula sa mga kalaban.

Howl Paladein De Voss – the ex dragon wizard, ex-guardian of the Earth train, the leader of the hijack, and the greedy Attero who wants more power. 

Anna Merliz Callista – an Earth mage. A traitor from Itara Thetonis.

Prince Caleb Lancelot Gazellian – a vampire prince from the world named, Nemetio Spiran, a spy who wants to raise a war in our world.

Prince Tavion Lancelot Gazellian – a vampire prince from the world named, Reun Denor, a trafficker who wants to export Attenian power for his own world.

Iris Evangeline Daverionne – a werewolf from Nemitio Spiran, who stole the precious jewel of the head wizard of the tower.

"Huh? What the fuck?!" sigaw ni Tavion.

"The criminals inside our sacred ruin!" sigaw ng lider ng batalyon.

Natigilan ako at mabagal na napalingon kay Howl. Inaasahan kong nakangiti pa rin siya at naghihintay ng sagot niya sa akin. We're not expecting that they will fully announce our identities! Much say Caleb, Iris, and Tavion's world!

"These criminals even migrated here to look down on our own world! Nemitio Spiran and Reun Denor is announcing a WAR!"

Kung kanina ay may kakayahan pang sumagot sina Caleb at Tavion sa bawat bato ng insult ng aming mga kalaban o kaya'y nagagawa pa nilang sabayan ang lahat ng kagustuhan ni Howl, ngayon ay kapwa na nakatungo ang mga ito.

I know how Howl and Tavion valued their world.

I never thought that the officials will announce their identities. Dahil ang pagkakakilanlan nina Caleb, Tavion, at Iris ay isa nang indikasyon na humihina na ang seguridad nila at may nakatawid na tatlong nilalang mula sa ibang mga mundo.

"H-Howl. . . Nemitio Spiran's just recovering. Dastan will kill me before them," nanghihinang sabi ni Caleb.

Napamasahe sa kanyang noo si Tavion. "I don't know what to do. . ."

"They're desperate. . ." bulong ko.

"They are just threatening them. Fevia Attero's known for its independence and privacy. There's no way that they'll raise a war or even inform those worlds that they have these two. They will kill them clean. No wars. No allegations to other worlds. They got our weakest point. . ."

"These two are sensitive about their worlds, Howl. . ."

"I know."

Muling lumipad si Howl sa harapan. Hindi na niya sinabihan pa si Tavion na siyang gumamit sa kapangyarihan ng mga halimaw. Howl controlled the monsters himself to make an attack.

Hindi na nagsalita pa sina Caleb at Tavion pero tumulong pa rin sila. Lumipad na rin ako sa tabi ni Howl upang protektahan siya sa mga pana na lumilipad patungo sa amin.

And when Caleb shouted that he was about to seal the last window, I made the final attack. With my silver light from my hands, the raining arrows magically switched their movement.

Unti-unti nang lumilipad si Howl pabalik, lumiliit na rin ang daang tatahakin ko, at nagsisimula na rin magbalikan ang mga halimaw gamit ang katawan nilang tila nagiging usok.

I started to rotate slowly as I rose upward with the silver light around my body and the arrows followed me in unison, ignited with sets of different colors of mana in the sky. In everyone's naked eyes, they witnessed a huge twirling half-opened umbrella of lights with its silver foundation fully glistening in the middle of the darkness, and when I finally reached my desired place, I calmly opened my eyes as I lifted both of my hands to stop the movement of the arrows around me.

The half-opened umbrella of lights fully opened its form, the color spread all over the place, but the straight silver light in the middle made the largest glistening explosion up into the sky, targeting the images of the criminals— us.

And gave them our real images— the images I captured when we were all standing and looking straight at the yellow stones. One of the secret abilities that an Attero can have— pictures and memories in light.

The darkness of the night was now filled with the dust of colored arrows of mana, spreading like confetti's in every Attero's festival.

I stayed floating in the air with my fluttering dress and raven hair with our new changed light images.

"We're not criminals but victims! These faces will announce to this world that Fevia Attero is not perfect and we will start in this ruin! There is NO TRAITOR! NO GREEDY! NO TRAFFICKER! NO ROBBER! NOT EVEN A SPY WHO WANTS A WAR! This old ruin called us for help! And we will help them! We will help them no matter how you named us! We're unstoppable!"