Chapter 23 Freedom

Nakahiga pa si Tavion sa ilalim ng puno habang pinagmamasdan niya ang pagbibihis ko sa harapan niya. He was lying there, confidently naked as if he was on the softest bed in the empire.

"Magbihis ka na, Tavion."

"Aren't we going to cuddle, Iris? Bakit nagmamadali ka na?"

Nakatukod na ang isa niyang siko sa lupa habang nakasandal ang ulo niya sa kamay niya at prenteng pinapanuod ako.

I glared at him. "Baka nakakalimutan mo na may mga kasama tayo."

"You are really different. Girls want to cuddle and share more kisses after making love. Ikaw naman parang gusto mo akong takbuhan. But I am pretty sure that I gave you the best—"

"Shut up, Gazellian."

I tucked-in my top, zipped and buttoned my pants. I bit my small ponytail to hold it as I properly bun my hair, and when I was satisfied I tied the ponytail tightly around my hair. I bent down and fixed the shoelace of my combat shoes.

"Aren't you sore—" hindi ko na pinatapos si Tavion dahil binato ko na siya ng sanga ng kahoy na agad kong naabot sa lupa. But he was quick to dodge it.

"Get dressed, Tavion," ulit ko.

"Alright."

Ngayon naman ay ako ang nanunuod sa kanya habang nakakrus ang mga braso ko. At alam kong sinasadya niyang bagalan ang pagbibihis niya, kaya sa pagkairita ko sa kanya ay lumapit na ako.

He was about to pull his zipper when I slapped his hand. "Ako na!" Mabilis kong isinara ang pagkaka-zipper ng pantalon niya. Sumipol siya.

I buttoned his pants while my eyes were sharply looking at him. "You should have told me to help you get dressed, Tavion. Kanina ka pang tapos."

"You should have told me that you like doing the deed rather than watching it."

"Next time," I pulled him quickly and gave him a kiss. "Let's go."

***

Nang bumalik na kami sa kuweba ni Tavion, mukhang hindi lang si Tavion ang hindi na nauuhaw ng mga oras na iyon, dahil napakaganda na rin ng ngiti ni Caleb sa kanyang mga labi.

It was actually our plan to feed them. Dapat lang na maging handa kami ni Anna, we need these vampires' strength at hindi nila kami matutulungan kung mahina sila.

Nagsimula na kaming mag-usap ng gagawin namin sa misyon. And we agreed that Caleb and Anna will distract the guardians of the ruins, while Tavion and I will enter it. Kailangan lang naming gumawa ng paraan para madaling makasunod at makapasok sina Caleb at Anna sa sandaling naroon na kami sa loob.

Tavion explained briefly explained his ability and what help could he offer. Agad tinapik ni Caleb ang balikat ng kanyang pinsan ng malaman ang kanyang abilidad.

"That's a rare gift. Only few vampires can summon beasts. Ang ilan pa ay pili lang ang kaya nilang tawagan, but you? You can summon multiple of them? Wow. Rosh who? Dastan who?" Caleb said happily.

"It's not an easy ability, those beasts might eat me alive if—"

"Nah, I am not interested with that ability. You can have it."

"Shut up, Caleb. Listen to our plan firsts," saway sa kanya ni Anna.

Pinagpatuloy ni Anna ang pagpapaliwanag sa kanyang plano. Our plan was to enter inside the ruin without giving the Fevia Attero the idea that there were outsiders inside their world. While Anna and Caleb would get the guardian's attention, Tavion and I would enter the ruin without getting noticed.

Anna's plan was to make it look like the ruin pulled her, an Attero, inside it, and Caleb would pretend that he was one of the monsters of the ruin, since most of the Attero were still not familiar with vampires. By that way, they wouldn't think that Anna's intentionally wanted to enter the ruin and she has accomplices already inside.

Nang mapag-usapan na namin ang plano ay agad na rin kaming naghiwalay.

At first, I find Anna's plan impossible. How could those guardians leave the entrance of the ruin unguarded? But Anna and Caleb made it possible by getting too much of their attention through their realistic acting.

"He's quite an actor," kumento ni Tavion na nagniningas ang mga mata at pinanuod ang unang hakbang na ginawa nina Anna at Caleb.

"Faster," halos hilahin ko na si Tavion para umakyat sa mataas na hagdan.

Sa bawat hakbang ko paatas ng hagdan ramdam ko ang bigat at lakas ng kapangyarihang naroon. Siguro ay ganoon na rin ang siyang nararamdaman ni Tavion kaya mas bumilis siya sa pag-akyat at nagawa niya pa akong unahan.

And when we arrived at the highest part of the long stairs, the entrance of the ruins, the invisible force field of the entrance suddenly had that purplish silver color, like a lightning that was about to electrified someone who would try to enter the place.

Iniharang ni Tavion ang isa niyang braso na para bang ang presensiyang iyon mula sa pinto ay kakawala at aatake sa amin.

"How are you sure that these creatures inside would follow you, Tavion?" kinahabahang tanong ko.

"I am not sure."

"You're really impossible."

"But I can always try, and if it didn't work, at least I tried," lumingon siya sa akin at ngumisi.

I stood on my ground as I watched Tavion approached the entrance of the old ruin, and when he tried to touch the barrier, an invisible force threw him away. Muntik pang mahulog sa hagdan si Tavion kundi lang siya nakahawak.

I bit my lip.

Tavion might have the chance to communicate with the monsters inside, but the entrance was all about the acceptance of the ruin. It should welcome us. Tulad ng sabi ni Howl ang lahat ng makakapangyarihang bagay ay karamihang may sariling buhay and this ruin was one of it.

We couldn't just force ourselves inside. It should welcome us. Nang akma na namang lalapit si Tavion ay ako naman ang nagharang ng braso sa kanya.

"Allow me," tipid kong sabi.

Sumalampak na ako sa lupa sa harapan ng pinto, inilabas ko ang aking mapa at inilapag din iyon sa lupa. Naglakad na papalapit sa akin si Tavion at dumungaw siya roon sa mapa ko.

Nang pinagmasdan ko ang mapa, wala naman partikular na kakaiba roon. It's stating my current location and legends of some important places in this world.

Siguro ay ilang minuto rin akong nakatitig sa aking mapa na wala namang nakikitang kasagutan nang muli akong tumingin sa bukana. If we witnessed a purplish force field with its electricity a while ago, this time, I got an eye contact with the burning eyes of different beasts hiding behind the shadows.

Umawang ang bibig ko at napatayo na ako ang posisyon ko. Of course, the world of the beasts would only welcome another beast. Hindi na ako nag-aksaya pa ng oras, nagsimula na akong hubarin ang kasuotan ko.

Nagmamadaling lumapit sa akin si Tavion at sinilip niya ang mukha ko.

"What are you doing?"

"Taking off my clothes."

Mariing napapikit si Tavion. "I mean, why?"

"Of course, I need to change my form. Wala na akong pamalit dito." Mabilis akong nakapaghubad at agad na nagpalit ng anyo.

Ang nakalagay na mapa sa lupa ay kusang nagrolyo at dinala ko iyon gamit ang aking bibig. If this old ruin would recognize me, a beast that owns a powerful item, it would welcome me. Dahil katulad ng lugar na ito, ang mapa ko ay may sarili ring buhay.

My astonishing huge white werewolf form approached the entrance of the old ruin slowly with the powerful map on my mouth. Dahan-dahan akong lumapit sa pintuang nakabukas habang tangay ang mapa at nang ilang pulgada na lang ang layo ko ay ibinaba ko ang nakarolyong mapa.

I vowed in front of them, giving them the time to recognize me as one of them— a beast with an important role in this world.

Nanatili akong nakayuko habang tama ang titig ng napakaraming nilalang na nagniningas ang mga mata ng iba't ibang kulay. Ramdam ko na ang paglandas ng pawis ko sa makapal kong balahibo at ang matinding kaba sa dibdib ko.

This was the only way I could do right now. We shouldn't fail because Caleb and Anna were doing their bests as well.

Tavion and I couldn't just forcibly enter this place. Kaya habang nakayuko ang ulo ko ay nananalangin akong pagbibigyan nila kami ni Tavion. But when I suddenly felt that the presence of those beasts near the entrance started to fade, my heart slowly dropped in disappointment.

Mag-aangat na sana ako ng tingin at haharapin si Tavion para humingi ng tawad dahil wala man lang akong nagawang tulong nang marinig ko siyang suminghap sa likuran ko.

"Y-You made it, Iris."

Muli kong ibinalik ang atensyon ko sa harap ng pintuan at nagsimula nang manlaki ang mga mata ko nang makitang unti-unti nang nawawala ang harang sa harapan namin.

And the beasts behind the shadows, revealing only their eyes, stepped out under the moonlight. Ilang beses akong napakurap habang isa-isang lumabas ang maliliit na baboy ramo.

Huh?

Naglakad na si Tavion malapit sa akin, ramdam ko ang haplos niya sa likuran ko patungo sa ibabaw ng ulo ko. "Nice, nice. . ." he even tapped my head as if I was his fucking pet.

Marahas kong sinuwag ang ulo ko para bitawan niya ako. "Don't get deceived. These are just their disguise."

Tinanaw ko ang loob at pansin ko na napakarami pa nilang magkakasunod at dikit-dikit na parang lalabas na.

Hindi na nagsalita si Tavion pero nakita ko ang pagniningas ng kanyang mga mata habang nakatingala na sa kanya ang unang baboy ramo na lumabas. In the end, that herd of boars went back inside the ruin.

Mauuna na sanang maglakad papasok si Tavion nang lumingon siya pabalik sa akin, "Can I ride on your back?" I growled at him.

He chuckled before he entered the ruin. Sumunod ako sa kanya bago ko itinago ang mapa gamit ang kapangyarihan ko. I might be considered as one of the beasts, pero wala pa rin akong kakayahang makipag-usap sa ibang hayop. But some of the other werewolves have the kind of unique ability.

I thought that everything would be fine after Tavion and I successfully entered the old ruin. Pero doon kami nagkakamali, dahil nang sandaling malampasan na namin ni Tavion ang pintuan, ang mga baboy ramo ay nagsimula ng magpalit ng kanilang mga anyo.

Tavion and I were cornered in the middle of the entrance of the ruin with its barrier back with its electrified purplish force field, and numbers of boars turning into huge monsters.

I growled at them, napahakbang paatras ang mga halimaw sa ginawa ko, but that didn't waver them for long because they started to approach us again, giving us small distance between that killer barrier.

"They are being controlled and manipulate, Iris."

Natigilan ako at napatitig sa dami ng mga baboy ramo sa harapan ko. I've been with different wild animals in the forest. These boars were not monsters to begin with, but innocent animals from the wild that've lost their freedom to become the pawn of this ruin.

Kaya nang sandaling pumasok pa lang ako sa kagubatan ay agad kong naramdaman ang kawalan ng buhay nito. The old ruin was not just eating Attero for its power, but the other lives around it.

Habang nagsisimula na silang magpalit anyo, with Tavion's power, he's trying to remove them from the influence of the ruin. Hinayaan kong na kay Tavion ang atensyon nilang lahat habang ako ay nagsimula nang maghanap ng bagay na maaaring nagko-kontrol sa kanila.

I ruined every statue, painting, or anything that might be the source of their hypnosis. Pero sa tuwing sinusulyapan ko sila ay wala pa rin nangyayari.

"They're approaching, Iris! Caleb and Anna need our back-up!"

"Help us, and we promise to free you in this ruin. Just help us. . ." nakalahad na ang dalawang kamay ni Tavion sa mga halimaw na ngayon ay papalapit sa kanya.

They should have realized it right now. Dahil kung nais namin silang saktan, kanina pa kaming umatake ni Tavion, but instead we've been trying to find a way to free them.

"I don't want to manipulate you, to use you in this battle without your consent," dagdag ni Tavion.

Hinayaan kong makipag-usap si Tavion sa mga halimaw habang patuloy ako sa paghahanap ng bagay na nagpapabago sa mga inosenteng hayop na ito para maging halimaw.

"Free us, free them. . ." ilang beses akong napalingon sa paligid nang may marinig akong boses ng babae sa isipan ko.

Nang sandaling tumingala na ako at tumama sa aking mga mata ang isang napakalaking at lumang malakristal na ilaw.

Hindi na ako naghintay pa ng segundo dahil ubod nang lakas akong tumalon. My huge werewolf mouth, revealing my fangs, pulled the metallic chandelier with its hanging crystals on the ground. And as my head moved rapidly with beads of crystals shattering on the floor, herd of innocent bores turned to its original form.

The old ruin didn't take the news lightly as the real monsters appeared, trying to kill the culprit— the white werewolf with the crystal chandelier on her mouth. But Tavion's ability would work with the real beasts.

Humarang sa akin si Tavion na may nagniningas na mga mata at pangil na nakalabas. With his ability, he extended his hand in front of them. I could see how his struggled to manipulate the strength and force coming from the monsters that were about to attack us.

His knees were bent with his veins prodding on his forehead, but with all his strength he pulled all those monsters, twirled his body and pushed them outside the ruin with his extended hands, to capture Anna Merliz Callista, who were performing the act of being a captured Attero.

I could hear how Caleb dramatically acted as if he was the lord of these monsters, while Tavion's having a hard time to control the monsters inside the ruin.

I walked slowly near the entrance of the old ruin, still with the chandelier on my mouth, but the moment I stood near Tavion with his extended hand, manipulating those monsters, I threw the chandelier away, shattering the last shards that were controlling the innocent animals.

The herd of bores charge wildly at the Fevia Attero's guard, running to the forest, and embracing their freedom.

I sighed while watching them. I am also an animal, a werewolf and freedom in the wild is one of the most important things for me. We never wished to be caged and manipulate.

"Maraming salamat. . ." muling bulong ng babae sa aking isipan.

For the very first time in the history of werewolves—a howl was heard from a white werewolf.

Not for the sake of her own pack, but for those lowly animals that deserve the freedom of the wild.