-chapter forty-three-

FINN

Why would Marcella kill the beast?

"Akala niya ba na ang beast ang kailangang patayin para matapos ang quest?" tanong ni Theo.

The trees passed us in a blur, as we ran back to the castle in hurried steps. Ilang sandali lang ay nakita ko na ang west wing nito, gano'n din ang malaking fountain na nasa may garden nila.

"I don't know what Marcella's thinking, but it can't be about killing the beast." depensa ni Sebastian. "She knows about the quest."

"Baka natuluyan na ang guild leader niyo at nagwawala." komento ni Sapphire.

Better if we quit assuming and just find out.

The gates were already opened. Some players are calmly walking outside, curiously glancing over us who were drenching in sweat. Hindi naman sila nagtanong pa at nagkibit-balikat lang bago naglakad palayo. I followed them with my gaze. They were headed to the town, probably to see what the quest is about.

But they don't look like the kind of people who would freak out because the object of their quest is being attacked. More so, killed.

They actually looked quite chill.

Naunang pumasok sina Wes at Sebastian, sigurado'y mas nagtataka kung ano nang nangyari sa alliance leader nila. The lot of us followed, keeping our steps quiet as we entered the castle, in case the beast finds us.

Kumunot ang noo ko nang walang maramdamang panganib sa buong kastilyo.

Or if there is, it was only a light one. Which is a contrast of the possible danger if Marcella and the beast really decided to wreck the palace.

I turned to Kairo, frowning. "Anong nangyayari?"

Kairo only shrugged and lead the group. "Mas mabuti pang tingnan niyo na lang, at tanungin niyo kung papamental na ba natin si Marcella."

"Isn't Marcella one of the populars player in this game? She and Finn are are almost the same." kuryosong tanong ni Renée.

I could understand the confusion. Marcella was more well-known than me because she's admired even outside StreamTube, where Sparrow only exists. Kaya rin siyang natawag na Queen ng mga tao. I could see it when I watched her video that first time. Marcella was a power-hungry woman who would not back down from a fight, leading her guild amongst different difficult challenges.

Marcella lives and is admired to any channel of media, Sparrow could only be consulted through her game-lives or guides.

Marcella is brave and... occasionally reckless, while Sparrow is determined and calculating.

Most often, both of us are compared. Which is one thing I don't particularly enjoy. I do believe I have my own strengths and flaws, and Marcella has hers too. So she blooms in her own ground and I do too.

Marcella has the strength that I don't possess. In return, I have the reflexes and quick wit that she lacks.

"Hindi mo naman masisiguro. Some players have their own downsides too. Maybe Marcella thought killing the beast is easier." Theo answered, shrugging.

"Pero kung namatay nga ang beast dito, ano na ang mangyayari?" tanong ni Gavin. "Magiging beast din ba tayo para palitan siya?"

"Alam mo, talagang nagwo-wonder ako kung mga bolang tumatalon lang ba nasa loob ng utak mo." Sebastian countered.

"Hindi ka tinatanong, Baste, sumasabat ka pa."

Isang malakas na kalabog ang narinig namin. Agad akong tumakbo sa kung saan galing ang tunog at napatigil nang makitang malapit ito sa underground stairs na papunta sa dungeon. Just beside the door, Marcella is trying to defend herself against the beast's sharp claws using her sword-dagger.

"What are you doing, Marcella?!" Sebastian shouted, stepping out of the dark corridor we were in to get a closer glimpse.

Kahit na narinig ang sigaw ay hindi nawala ang pokus ng babae, which is the complete opposite of her opponent. Said beast's eyes drifted towards Sebastian, growling at another incoming human threat. Ngunit bago pa siya makalapit ay tuluyan nang naoverpower ng babae ang beast, pushing the hands away and jumping towards its back, sword dagger on its neck.

"Don't." I blurted out in fear when I saw blood dripping from the small cut on the beast's neck.

Marcella's eyes narrowed at me. Mukhang tsini-check niya sa sarili kung talaga nga bang nandito ako. Then, she blinked and gave me a mock grin, smile humorless and brows raised.

"You got a new upgrade, eh, Finn?" tukoy niya ata sa kawalan ko ng presensiya. "How interesting. Makes me want to break the draw we had more."

Hindi ko na pinansin ang sinabi niya at itinuro ang beast. "Let go." I demanded.

Marcella rolled her eyes. "I know what I'm doing. I'm not going to kill the beast because it's necessary for the quest."

"Pero iyon ang-"

"I said that so you would go running towards your beloved Finn." putol ni Marcella kay Gavin. Naningkit ang mata niya. "Because Finn has the answers to anything and can solve any fucking situations. Kaya nga nandito siya ngayon."

"Ano bang kailangan mo, dude?" tanong ng nakahalukipkip na Sapphire. "Alam mo tinitingala kita noon pero, grabe, huwag mong ibully ang bestie ko sa harapan ko."

"Bestie?" Gavin asked, frowning. "Kakakilala niyo pa lang, bestie na agad."

Sinulyapan ko si don't think he has the right to say that.

"I am actually helping you. The beast guards the whole castle, but he is more protective around the dungeon. Which meant it holds something important, as I assumed after following him for some time. I'm here to distract the beast from following after you once you enter the dungeon."

I blinked at Marcella's explanation. That was... new. Was Marcella really volunteering to become live bait or distraction? I thought she'll go first and try to take the credit.

"Before you think anything else," Marcella's eyes bore into me. "I'm doing this so that completing the city would be easier. If I manage to contribute in your party, I will be listed as one of the members and I could go on."

Ah. So ayaw niya lang palang pumunta sa town at mag-imbestiga. I guess it also has something to do with the fact that most of the people she trusts are on other parties.

Ngunit medyo nakakagulat rin na ayaw niyang gawin 'to nang siya lang.

"Theo, contagious ba ang katamaran mo?" I heard Sapphire whisper.

"Hindi, kasi kung gano'n sana tahimik ka na ngayon."

"Besides." Marcella continued, dragging the dagger around the beast's neck when it moved. "I do not want to step into dirty dungeons. That's the dirty work. You do it."

There goes one of the main reasons. Fighting out here is more entertaining rather than going inside and listening to Gaston's failed attempt at proving his innocence.

"Then, ikaw na bahala sa beast." saad ni Wes at naunang maglukad papunta sa hagdanan. "We'll talk to Gaston."

Marcella did not offer any answers and just threatened to let the growling beast loose. Pumasok na kami bago pa mabago ni Marcella ang isip niya't ipakain kami sa bagong pet.

The stairs were dimly lit. A small, carved shelf are present in between walls that held the candlelights. They flickered in the quiet darkness, flames sparkling and leaning forward as we pass by. Nasa harapan ko si Renée na inaalalayan ni Sebastian pailalim. Gavin's in front of them, humming a soft tune. Habang nasa pinakalikod naman ako to intercept in case the beasts follow us, free from Marcella's grasp.

Natigilan lamang ako nang makita si Theo na nakaupo sa hagdanan. I frowned, walking closer towards him. Hindi niya ako napansin dahil sa kawalan ko ng presensiya at mukhang pokus din siya sa ginagawa. He seems to be tinkering the corners of a metal plate, though I have no idea why.

So I had no choice but to ask.

"Ano 'yan?" mahina kong tanong.

I was startled when Theo jumped up, a small yelp escaping his mouth. Nanlalaking mata niya akong tiningnan at mukhang nakahinga siya ng maluwag nang makitang ako lang ang tao.

"Huwag mo nang gawin ulit 'yon Finn." aniya at hinimas pa ang dibdib. "Akala ko multo ka."

"Mm." itinuro ko ulit ang metal plate. "What's that?"

"Ah, hehe. Ano kasi, medyo alam kong mayroong daanan dito. Alam mo na, shortcut. Kaya tinatry ko." putol-putol na sagot niya habang pilit pa ring binubuksan ang haligi.

I crouched down beside him, curious. Hindi ko alam kung bakit laging gusto ni Theo ang shortcuts. That's also the reason why he arrived here first. He didn't want to waste any more energy so he just followed the clues and eventually got the easiest way.

Maybe his luck in life is really high.

"Ayun!" Theo whistled, taking the plate off and revealing a small elevator-like place. "Castles sometimes have these to deliver food on their servants. Naisip ko lang na baka mayroon sila nito dito dahil everything is possible sa game na 'to. This is nice."

"Ano ba ito?"

Theo grinned. "An elevator to go down, Finn. Now we just need to crawl inside, fit ourselves in, go down and boom. We're on the bottom floor."

Nakita niya siguro ang lay-out ng isang metal door dito, kaya pinili niya na lang na mag-aksaya ng oras at ihiling na ito ang inaakala niya. This way Theo doesn't have to climb down the stairs.

"Safe?"

"Siguro naman." sagot niya. "Sa tingin mo ba may leon na naghihintay sa'tin sa ilalim?"

Umiling ako. I don't think the beast would be catching lions when he looks like them.

Sana nga wala talaga. I had enough share of lions from the last city.

"O, e'di okay lang. Si Gaston lang naman na baka naging cannibal na ang kailangan nating problemahin." dagdag niya't pumasok sa loob.

The small elevator was actually quite large than I expected. Theo's a pretty tall and lean man, but he only needs to crouch down a little inside the small loft. It looks a bit uncomfortable, but at least he didn't need to completely lie down. Ngumiti siya sa'kin at ni-pat ang extrang space sa loob.

"Dito ka, Finn. May lugar pa." he said, eyes blinking in delight. "Ayaw mo ba matry ang elevator na 'to?"

I decided to just go with it since I've already waited for him. Baka rin kung anong mangyari kay Theo sa ilalim kaya at least matutulungan ko siya.

Matapos siyang bigyan ng mahinang tango ay pumasok ako sa maliit na elevator at kinasya ang sarili sa extrang sulok. Luckily, I was smaller so the top of my head just needs to bend a little. I was also more comfortable because I could freely move around, while Theo's stuck on the side.

Theo pushed a button and the elevator started going down. When the loft closed, the whole elevator turned dark which made me a little anxious.

"Finn? You okay?" I heard Theo ask. "You're trembling."

I might not have thought that this loft will be really dark.

"Takot ka ba sa dilim?"

Nakailing na ako bago ko pa maalalang hindi nga iyon makikita ni Theo.

"Mm-hmm."

"Hindi ko alam kung oo o hindi 'yan, pero I'll translate it as no because I can feel you trembling."

I was surprised when a warm hand covered my own, na itinukod ko para hindi mawala ang balanse. For some reason, it felt grounding. A reminder that I am not alone.

"Kakantahan ba kita ng twinkle twinkle little star?" Theo joked.

To my surprise, a small chuckle escaped my mouth. "Said you can't sing. Masisira mga salamin."

There was a brief pause before Theo cleared his throat and answering, "Wala namang salamin dito e." kalauna'y may ibinulong siya sa sarili. "Hindi ko naisip ng mabuti 'to."

Kumunot ang noo ko sa sinabi niya. "What did you-"

However, I wasn't able to finish my question because light filled our eyes as we arrived at our destination. Mabilis akong napapikit dahil sa pagkabago ng mata ko sa liwanag pagkatapos ng ilang minutong dilim. When I regained my focus, I went out of the loft, stumbling. Theo followed, rubbing his back.

My attention left him when I spotted a bunny in the side. Mabilis ko iyong pinuntahan at inignora muna si Theo na may sasabihin sana. I scooped the bunny up in my arms, cooing when its ears twitched.

"Finn? Ano ginagawa mo diyan?" rinig kong tanong ng papalapit na Theo.

I turned around, eyes twinkling in excitement and beaming, raising the bunny up to show it to Theo.

"Bunny!" I exclaimed happily.

I waved it on Theo's face when he didn't show any reactions. Nang lumipas pa iyon ng ilang segundo ay ibinaba ko na ang bunny. I tilted my head. Maybe he just doesn't like bunnies.

"Let's go?" aya ko na lang sa kaniya.

Parang robot siyang tumango at naunang maglakad palabas. We arrived in a vacant dungeon and there were iron bars around us. Nagulat ako nang mabangga si Theo sa mga iron bars. His face smacked against it, a red bruise forming in his forehead. He was walking straight, not towards the door, but towards the bars.

"Alright?" tanong ko sa kaniya nang makalapit.

"Ah, oo, Finn. Siyempre naman, maayos lang ako. Hindi naman ako gano'n kaweak para sa mga bunnies." Theo awkwardly laughed and almost walked towards the wall again. "Tara na? Hanapin natin si Gaston. Nandito lang ata 'yon, nasa may kulungan tayo eh."

Of course, it's here. Nagbu-buffer na naman ba brain ni Theo?

Nauna na lang akong maglakad dahil sigurado namang susunod siya. Dala-dala ko pa rin ang bunnies dahil gusto ko itong ipakita kay Renée. She enjoys such cute animals. Mayroon nga rin siyang ganito sa bahay nila.

It was easy finding them. One clue is Sapphire's loud voice, and the other is Kairo and Sebastian's banters. They were standing in front of a prison cage where Gaston sat, a mirror in hand. Kinakausap ito ng isang Wes na mukhang wala sa mood.

Although I don't know if he ever looks like he's in the mood.

Renée immediately squealed when she saw me and the bunnies in my arm. Dahil sa ingay na ginawa niya ay napalingon din ang iba. Sapphire cooed at the bunny in my arm and I smiled seeing both of them enjoying the small animal.

Nang i-angat ko ang tingin ay nasa sahig na si Kairo at hawak-hawak ang dibdib. Gavin was at his side, hand covering his mouth as he stared at me.

"Kaya mo 'yan, p're. Laban lang." Sebastian muttered to Kairo.

I remembered our earlier interactions. Oo nga pala't medyo mahina ang puso ni Kairo. He told me that once and I've promised myself to stay away from him.

Renée and Sapphire took the bunny in their arms, playing with it. Lumapit ako sa nakatayo pa ring Wes para sana tanungin kung ano nang gagawin natin pero hindi pa rin ito nagsalita kahit na ilang minuto na ako sa tabi niya.

"Wes?" tawag ko sa pangalan niya.

Ni hindi man lang siya kumurap.

Theo appeared from behind, slapping Wes' back. The latter took a sharp intake of breath, na para bang ngayon niya lang naalala kung paano hininga. Dumako ang mata niya sa'kin.

"Finn? What is it?"

"Quest." sabay turo ko sa Gaston na walang-interes nakatingin sa'min.

"We're currently doing it."

Theo heavily sighed behind Wes, fighting the urge to laugh. I can't help but notice that they seemed comfortable around each other. Unlike Kairo and Wes who regard each other coldly.

Tumango ako sa sagot ni Wes. "What did he say?"

"Si Gaston?"

"Depende kung may iba ka pang nakikita dito na may kinalaman sa quest." komento ni Kairo.

Hindi na ata siya inaatake sa puso.

Wes ignored Kairo's remark. "I tried threatening him but he didn't back down. He just told us that we should go to Belle and tell her about what happened. Hindi naman daw maniniwala sa'min ang babae dahil wala kaming pruweba at hindi kami kilala."

I hummed as thoughtful answer, turning to Gaston. As what the tales told, he really is handsome and manly. His attitude and twisted goals makes him ugly in return. Itinuro ko ang salaming hawak-hawak niya.

"Need that." simpleng sabi ko.

Gaston raised a brow at me. "For what? Show Belle the truth of his father's death?"

"Mm."

"You will gain nothing from that since Belle has already made her choice. Ako ang kaniyang pinili. And now that Belle's gonna be my wife, that beast could imprison me here for all I care." tumalim ang ngiti niya. "Belle's already blinded by grief to come back to him. If I can't have Belle as truly mine, then they won't have a happy ending too. Gaston deserves it all."

Tinitigan ko siya ng ilang sandali. At nang makitang hindi ba nga magbabago ang isip niya ay tumango ako, tila ba naiintindihan ko ang ibig niyang sabihin, bago hablutin ang salamin sa kamay niya.

Gaston gaped as the mirror left his hands, now being handed to a standing Wes behind me.

Arrogant mouths are always easy to steal from.

"That mirror is broken. Wala kayong mapapala diyan." he said, relaxing on the wall behind him. "It's easier if you just kill the beast. I mean, how can you even face such monster? He's suuper ugly. Not like Gaston."

"Mm." tumayo ako. "Because you're uglier."

Gaston's face morphed into an unmasked anger. Bago ko pa tuluyang marinig ang posibleng rant niya ay lumabas na ako ng kwarto. All we need to do now is bring the mirror to Belle, show her the truth and bring them back together before the rose completely dies.

That means Marcella has to continue being a bait or no one interferes with the quest.

Natigilan lamang ako nang maramdaman ang kakaibang presensiya. My head snapped on the far side of the hallway, where the darkness fully resides.

I may just be hallucinating, but I am very certain I just saw a shadowed figure right there.

-chapter end-