Xiomara

Pinasidhan ko ng tingin ang lalaking kasalukuyang nakaupo sa trono na pagmamay-ari ng Terra Archon. He was looking at me as if I'm a piece of art that was about to get destroyed. Pinigilan ko ang sarili kong huwag igulong ang aking mga mata. 

"So I was right, you will indeed come here looking for the antidote to cure your brother." Hindi ako nagsalita't nanatili lang nakatitig sa kaniya. 

"Unfortunately, there is no antidote left." I remained the stoic expression in my face. I will not give him the satisfaction of seeing me anxious because of his lie. 

Mataman ko lang siyang tiningnan. He tilt his head and stared at me, amused. "You think I'm bluffing?" Tumaas ang sulok ng labi niya. 

"The core ingredient of the antidote is the essence of Imp Weed which was burned by some rascal all through out the Evergreen Forest." Napantig naman ang tainga ko sa sinabi niya. 

As far as I can remember, this wasn't on the story. There was a last remaining antidote left. And now that he mentioned it, the burnt areas I saw in the Evergreen Forest must be the Imp Weeds he's talking about. In that case, he isn't lying. 

"What's that look on your face? Aren't you terrified your brother could die any moment from now?" Mapaglaro nitong anas habang nakadekwatro. 

Kumuha ito ng kulay berdeng mansanas at kinagat ito sa harapan ko. He then stood up and started playing with the apple by throwing it in the air and then catching it. Diretso lang itong nakatitig sa akin na para bang sinusuri ang buong pagkatao ko. 

Sinuklian ko naman siya ng kaparehong titig na binibigay niya sa akin. Sure, I'm inside the body of a weak Glacial Archon. The submissive and soft-hearted woman who can be easily manipulated and control. But that don't mean I would change my personality and let them trample me. 

"Aren't you terrified your sister could die any moment from now if you choose to threaten me instead of negotiating?" Nakita ko namang natigilan siya sa sinabi ko. He was not expecting me to throw his words against him that easily. 

Humakbang ako papalapit sa kaniya habang may ngisi sa labi. "Or would you rather let her die so you could inherit the throne you've been dying to covet since you're young?" Ibinaba niya ang kaliwang kamay niyang may hawak na mansanas. I saw how he clenched his fist on the apple. 

"You-" 

"As far as I know her spiritual core was damaged." I took another step closer as I started to walk around him, taunting him.

"She maybe an immortal as an Archon, but if it involves a damage in her spiritual core, it means her primordial soul could turn into ashes and she will die without any chance of resurrection." Umigting ang panga niya kaya hindi ko maiwasang matuwa. 

"The magical amulet that damaged her core had the nature of her divine beast, the Mountain Griffin. The only way to help her heal is to receive a huge amount of mana cultivation from someone, or to inhale the incense of a Glaze Lily flower that contains the ancient magic from the Goddess Esmeralda herself." Nakita ko kung paano bumaon ang kuko niya sa mansanas na hawak niya. 

Umiwas siya ng tingin sa akin kaya naman iginilid ko rin ang ulo ko upang sundan ang mga mata niya. Nagkunwari akong nagulat na siyang naging dahilan upang bumalik ang atensyon niya sa akin. 

"Do you perhaps think the Westerian Czar will help you?" Muli ay ginawaran ko siya ng isang ngisi na paniguradong magpapamukha sa kaniya kung gaano siya katanga. 

"Don't be naïve, Sage. Cosette will never sacrifice her thousand years cultivation for the Terra Archon. She can't even sacrifice even a little power just to save her younger brother, what makes you think your sister is an exception?" Naniningkit mata nitong hinawakan ang panga ko. Dahil nakatali ang dalawang pulsuhan ko ay hindi ko magawang pumalag sa kaniya.

"Did I hit a nerve?" pang-aasar ko. Humigpit lalo ang hawak niya sa panga ko pero imbis na matakot ay hindi ko binura ang mapang-asar na ekspresyon ng mukha ko. 

I lift my right foot and kick his knee. Mabilis niya akong nabitawan at kasabay nito ay ang pagluhod ng kanang tuhod  niya sa harap ko. Dahan-dahan itong nag-angat ng tingin sa akin habang pinanlilisikan ako ng mata. 

"You should be nice to me because I hold the life of your sister." And he is aware of the fact that Glaze Lily is my clan's symbol. It can only be seen in the garden of Glazedale's Manor, and stealing and planting it somewhere else is considered treason. 

"Isa pa, with Xiovenn's reputation, do you really think he would try to do any harm to the region of Terrasierra knowing that our supply of food came from you? Are you even using half of your brain?" Marahas itong tumayo. Walang ano-ano'y inilapit niya ang mukha niya sa akin at halos magkadikit na ang tungki ng ilong naming dalawa. He was looking at me with his eyes darting in anger. 

"Don't act as if you got the upper hand when your brother is also dying. His life is also under my mercy." I smiled, and this time a subtle sound of chuckle left my mouth. 

"I wonder who would die first?" Sa naging sagot ay nakita kong natigilan siya. A deafening silence filled the hall. Walang may balak umiwas ng tingin sa aming dalawa. 

Staring contest ba 'to?

Akmang kukurap na ako dahil humahapdi na ang mata ko nang may pumasok na kawal.

"Kamahalan!" Bati nito na siyang naging dahilan upang unang umiwas ng tingin si Sage. 

"What?"payak niyang tanong dito.

"May isang estranghero kaming nakalaban sa tarangkahan ng palasyo't kalalukuyan namin itong tinutugis. Taglay nito ang Oculus ng apoy at nakakasigurado akong hindi siya nagmula sa rehiyong ito." Nilingon ko naman ang kawal na nagsasalita. One person instantly crossed my mind.

Is he talking about Alec?

No man in his right mind would trespass the palace, not unless it was that proud assassin who even dared to murder me in my own home. Wala sa sarili kong iginulong ang mga mata ko. He must've guessed I'm stuck in the palace so he decided to barge in. 

Umiling ako. If I was with him there's no way I would get caught by those warriors. Mabuti na lang pala at hindi ko siya hinintay, kung hindi ay baka hindi ako nagkaroon ng pagkakataon upang makaharap si Sage. 

"Do you remember his face?" Umiling naman kaagad ang kawal. 

"Mukhang isa itong manglilingo sapagkat nakabalot ng itim na tela ng buong mukha nito't tanging pares lamang ng mata niya ang aming nakikita." Walang naging reaksyon si Sage rito pero kapansin-pansin na may malalim itong iniisip. 

Saglit itong sumulyap sa akin bago muling ipukol ang tingin niya sa kawal. "Bring this woman in the dungeon. Stand by and wait for my orders for her execution." Lihim akong napasinghap. 

My execution?! 

"Brace yourself. If her situation gets worse, I will make sure to destroy your spiritual core and have your head hanging in the region's gate." Cold and merciless, that's how he looks at me. 

Hindi ko man lang napansin na hinawakan na pala ako ng mga kawal at kinakaladkad na ako palabas ng Throne Hall. I clenched my fist as I think about the condition of my brother. Ilang oras na lang ang natitira, kung hindi pa siya mabibigyan ng lunas paniguradong mas magugulo ang takbo ng storya lalong lalo na't malaki ang papel niya.

I can't just let him die!

*♛♚♛༊*·˚

𝐈 𝐖𝐎𝐊𝐄 𝐔𝐏 from a deep sleep when I felt somebody else's presence in the dark underground dungeon where I was locked up. Kung kanina'y nararamdaman ko ang presensya ng mga kawal sa paligid, ngayon naman ay nakakaramdam ako ng mabigat na presensya. Inikot ko ang paningin ko. 

Napatayo ako nang mapansing nakabulagta ang lahat ng kawal sa sahig. Lumapit ako sa isa sa mga ito. Nilabas ko ang kamay ko sa selda at tinapat ito sa bandang ilong ng kawal. That's when I figured out they are barely breathing. Sinuri ko nang mabuti ang katawan nito at wala naman akong nakita na kahit na anong bakas ng sugat o dugo. 

"You look stupid with your confuse face." Luminga-linga ako nang marinig ang boses na 'yon. 

"Who are you?!" Pasigaw kong tanong nang may halong kaba na nararamdaman. I don't know where the voice was coming from, all I know is its echoing in my ears.

"I am Dashrath." He proudly introduced himself. Kumunot ang noo ko. 

"Dash what?" Iginilid ko ang ulo ko. "Your name sounds stupid." Palatak ko para makaganti. Narinig ko naman ang pagsinghap niya.

"Did you just called the Legendary Divine Beast of Nine Calamities, stupid? You got some balls!" I puckered my lips. 

"I don't have balls." Natahimik naman ito. 

But wait. . . did he just said the Legendary Divine Beast of Nine Calamities? The Nine-tailed arrogant and untamed fox? 

"Whatever." And I can imagine him rolling his eyes in annoyance. 

"Where are you and who did this to them?" 

"I am inside you." Saglit na nadumihan ang utak ko, pero kaagad ko naman iwinaksi ang kawalangyaang iyon. 

"And I took a small amount of  mana from them to be able to talk to you." Kaagad na naningkit ang mga mata ko. 

"Small amount? Look at them," Tinuro ko ang mga kawal na nakabulagta sa sahig. "They are barely breathing and you call that small?!" Singhal ko sa kaniya. 

"Is it my fault that you're so weak to the point that other people could not even recognize me who resides inside your body? Is it my fault that you're so frail that your mana could not even give me power to talk to you?" He had a point. 

Divine Beasts live from their master's prowess. Kahit gaano pa kalakas ang Divine Beast kung mahina ang tagapangalaga nito ay wala siyang magagawa. Their powers are limited by their master's mana. 

"Ibalik mo 'yong kinuha mo sa kanila!" I heard him grunted. 

"Kung ibabalik ko hindi kita makakausap! Napakahina mo ni hindi man lang kaya ng kapangyarihan mo na magkaranoon tayo ng pag-uusap!" He hissed. 

"Bakit naman tayo mag-uusap? Hindi kita kailangan kausapin!" Giit ko na siyang ikinatahimik niya na naman. 

"Fine," pagsuko niya. 

A few seconds after that, I saw small particles of light escaped from my body. Kusa itong bumalik patungo sa katawan ng mga nakabulagtang kawal. Pagkatapos no'n ay hindi ko na narinig pa ang boses ni Dashrath. 

Napasapo na lang ako ng noo ko nang may maalala ako. Dashrath's awakening is  supposed to be in the middle part of the story. What the hell is going on? Why did he suddenly show up out of nowhere? What triggered that jerk? 

Inis akong napahilamos ng buhok. Nothing is going on as what I have written in the book! Who the hell is making this huge disruption in the story? If it was me, I could at least control some variables since I know what's bound to happen. 

However, there seems to be someone who keeps on sabotaging the events which turned everything upside-down. I'm trying my best to bring back everything into its place but still, I was not able to do it. 

Not to mention Sage was so determined to get me killed if his sister's condition gets worsen. Well, I couldn't care less about losing my life. I'm inside the body of an Archon, no one can touch me not unless they inflicted damage in my spiritual core. Other than that, even if they chopped my limbs out, choke me to death or behead me, I will always regenerate myself and live. 

"Meow. . ." Napapiksi ako nang marinig ang ngiyaw ng isang pusa mula sa malayo. Nakaramdam ng panlalamig ng katawan. Out of a sudden, I felt scared lalo na't pang horror naman yung pagngiyaw ng pusa. 

Watdahil. 

"Meow. . ." Kumunot ang noo ko nang may tumigil na kulay itim na pusa sa harapan ng seldang kinalolooban ko.

When I met the cat's eye, I was immediately reminded of Coal. Does a cat having hazel grey eyes normal these days? But he do looks like Coal lalo na ang paraan ng pagtitig nito sa akin. 

"Coal?" The cat entered in between the small gaps of the jail room and jumped on my lap. Umikot-ikot ito sa kandungan ko na para bang naghahanap ng maayos na puwesto upang humiga. 

Right when it find the right position, he laid on my lap while purring. Napangiti naman ako. Hinimas-himas ko ang ulo niya dahilan upang kahit papaano ay kumalma ang emosyon at pag-iisip ko, pero kaagad din naman nawala iyon pagkalipas ng ilang minuto. 

"The young lord has declared your execution." The cat on my lap abruptly stood up and hissed at them. I smiled in awe, the little animal was trying to defend me. How cute. 

Sapilitan naman akong pinatayo ng kawal at hinagis ang pusa sa isang tabi kaya naningkit ang mga mata ko. Akmang papalag pa ako nang kaladkarin na nilaka ako palabas ng kulungan. When I was at the dungeon's door, I was blinded by the light. 

Sa oras na makalaas ako roon ay bumungad sa akin ang isang maliit na entablado at sa baba no'n ay ang mga mamamayang nakatingin sa akin na para bang isa akong kriminal. The warriors made me kneel as they held both of my arms backward, making my upper body almost leaning on the ground. 

Mula sa malayo ay nakita ko nakaupo sa isang upuang gawa sa ginto si Sage. Nakangisi ito sa akin sa pag-aakalang nagtagumpay siya sa gusto niya. He must've felt satisfaction seeing me helplessly on the floor, kneeling in front of him as if I was admitting my defeat. Well, he got it all wrong.

 Defeat are only for the kings! I am the queen! 

G O L U C K Y C H A R M