The Power That Revere An Unknown

Hindi ko manlang namalayan dahil sa bilis ng oras na isang buwan na pala ang nakalipas. Nagsimula narin ang winter season kaya mas malamig ngayon kumpara sa mga nakaraang buwan. Umuulan din ng snow pero hindi ganoon masyado na pwede nang maglaro ang nga bata sa labas. Isa pa, mga ganitong panahon din kami palaging lumalabas para kumuha ng maraming resources.

Kaya ngayon ay naghahanda na kaming apat lumabas ngayong pasikat pa lang ang araw. We have to get more medicines especially this season, since for the last few years ay palagi na lang nagkakasakit ang karamihan sa amin. At first it would be a simple fever, then it would get worse as days go on at kung hindi maagapan ay hindi ko alam kung ano ang pwedeng mangyari.

"Erhiel," tawag sa akin ng kasama ko dito sa kwarto habang sinusuot ko ang makapal na coat. Humarap ako sa kaniya para isuot narin ang boots ko.

"Bakit?"

"You can't do magic, can you?"

Kumunot ang noo ko sa sinabi niya. "So? You already know that. I can do a simple barrier spell, pero hindi ganoon kalakas dahil sa una pa lang ay mahina na ang enerhiya ko."

"The others?"

"Some of the children have magic and my friends have their own specialities, though it's not that much." Hindi na siya nagsalita pa kaya binuksan ko na ang pintuan. "If you need something, just shout for Marvi or one of the children. Aalis na ako."

"When do you think you'll come back?"

I shrugged, forgetting for a moment she couldn't see. "Baka bukas o sa susunod pang araw. Hindi kasi ako sigurado. Mas mahirap kasing makakuha ng mga bagay bagay lalo na ngayong buwan."

"I see. Then you should be careful." She waved her hand kaya tumango na lamang ako at umalis na.

Nadatnan kong naghihintay ang tatlo kong kasama sa labas ng orphanage. Napansin ko din si Marvi na may kinukuhang mga herbs sa tabi tabi kaya kumaway muna ito sa akin bago nagpatuloy. Lumapit ako sa kanila na nag-uusap habang hawak hawak ni Charl ang gawa nitong mapa.

"Malaki ang base nila dito." Narinig kong wika ni Psyra sabay guhit ng bilog sa isang lugar. "Kahit malayo ay sigurado naman akong marami silang resources."

"If we go there, we might not get back in two days." I said instead. Kinuha ko ang lapis na hawak ni Psyra at nilagyan ng bilog ang isang lugar medyo malapit lang. "Remember this base we robbed a week ago? Natatandaan kong may storage room sila na hindi natin nagawang tignan dahil nagmamadali tayo."

"Pero paano kung wala?" Tanong ni Denma.

"Then we'll split. Charl will come with me and you two will go check this base in the east. Mas malapit ang sa inyo kaya kung walang mangyayaring mali ay makakabalik kayo bukas o mamayang hapon." Sagot ko.

"Pero okay lang ba talagang hindi tayo magkakasama?" Tanong ni Charl. "Sa totoo lang ay mas gusto ko pang isang grupo lang tayo."

"No. If we split by two, we can sneak in and out more efficiently and plus, if all goes well, we might double our resources and we don't have to go for the next two weeks until New Year."

"Tama si Erhiel." Pagsasang-ayon ni Psyra. "Let's take this chance."

"Since we're going east," sabi ni Denma. "Sa gubat na kami dadaan."

"Sa tunnel naman kami." Sabi ni Charl.

Tumango kami sa isa't isa bago tumakbo sa mga sarili naming pupuntahan. Palagi naming ginagawa ito kaya sigurado akong alam nila kung ano ang dapat gawin at hindi. Hindi pwedeng malaman ng mga sundalo na may namumuhay dito at mas lalong hindi dapat kami makita ng mga Dragonbornes. We can at least fend off those damn soldiers but those irregulars are too much for us ordinary people to handle.

Halos isang oras din ang tinakbo namin bago kami nakarating sa tunnel. Luma na ang tunnel na ito at simula nung sinakop ng Legion Army ang bayan ay tumigil narin ang transportasyon. It was meant to trap people in to make us all work to support their cause, which ended up in a civil war where ordinary people like us lost so badly.

Marvi did mention how the tunnel was once used by travellers who wanted to go to another town as a shortcut by passing through the dense forest where the orphanage was located. Ironic how the government put the orphanage so far from the nearby towns in order for them not to he troubled by bunch of homeless kids and now the only shelter we know of.

Ginamit namin 'yung metal trapdoor sa taas ng hagdanan para makarating sa dinadaanan naming alleyway sa bayan. May mga gwardiya na palaging naglilibot kaya dahan dahan kaming dumikit sa bawat pader na dinadaanan namin. The base we're supposed to sneak into is two miles away, which means we have to either walk there or sneak inside one of the army's vehicles. The latter sure would be efficient though.

"Have you heard the order that came in just this morning?"

Tumigil kaming dalawa ni Charl nang marinig naming may nagsalita sa unahan lang. I took a small peak behind the wall at nakita ang dalawang sundalo na nag-uusap. Ang 'yung nagsalita naman ay nakaharap sa isang holographic screen na nagmumula sa suot nitong relo. Matagal na namin itong alam pero nakakapanibago talaga ang mga teknolohiya ng Legion Army.

"Order--oh! That one that came from the Command Post Center? Man, that took me by surprise."

"It sure was a surprise." Natatawa nitong wika. "I heard some of our forces are moving out of the country to Vesulia."

"That's the island where Coven was defeated, right? I heard from the Captain we once worked alongside them. What happened?"

"Oh, you only joined the Army around two years ago, no wonder you didn't know." The soldier lit up his cigarette. "The Coven attacked Magnus five years ago in hopes they could capture that Unknown instead but failed because the President already had killed her. Ever since then, the Coven and the Legion Army had been stuck in an almost endless war. Glad to hear it finally ended just last night."

"Erhiel, halika na. Dalian na natin habang nag-uusap pa sila." Mahinang bulong sa akin ni Charl. Pero nilagay ko ang isa kong daliri sa bibig ko para sabihan siyang huwag muna magsalita.

"Who would have thought those cultic bastards would fall like that?"

"It was President's personal Vanguards who led the final attacks against the Coven. That creepy Organization finally came to an end."

"One of my dream was to enter the Vanguard."

"Pfft! You? A Vanguard? In your dreams, mate. Their skills are completely on another league."

"Hey, if we're talking about the most powerful, won't Miss Iyana Klein, the President of the Regular Order Legion Army, fit that criteria? She, after all, along with the greatest technological creation Acnolgíum, managed to kill the feared Caelesti of the Unknown--"

"Shush! That name is a taboo. You'd get curse if you say it."

"As if I believe that--woah!"

Pati kami ay napaatras nang may dumaang malakas na hangin. Natumba ang dalawang sundalo kaya ginamit na namin ang pagkakataong iyon para tumakbo lampas sa kung saan sila nakabantay. Hindi naman nila kami napansin at sa huli ay narating namin ang isang sirang bahay. Binaba ko muna saglit ang hood ko at umupo sa may silya. Tumingin-tingin si Charl sa may bintana at umiling sa direksyon ko.

"How many?" Tanong ko.

"Around five squadrons." Sagot nito. "Anong gagawin nila?"

"You heard those soldiers earlier, some of their forces are moving out. Every town and city must have had already sent their soldiers away. If things go well, this town would have smaller amounts of soldiers, sneaking in and out would be a lot easier by then."

"Vesulia 'yung sinabi nila diba?"

I nodded. "Just south of this country."

"Ano na ang gagawin natin? Marami ang nga sundalo ngayon."

"We'll have to wait."

"O pwede naman nating nakawin ang isa sa mga nakaparada nilang motorbike sa labas. Alam ko kung paano magmaneho."

"Makakahabol sila."

"I can do it, Erhiel--"

"I'm not saying you can't, it's just impossible. We can't attract unwanted attention."

"Bibilisan ko ang pagmaneho--"

"Charl." I warned.

Natahimik ito at tumingin pabalik sa labas kung saan may isang ngang military motorbike na nakaparada. Napabuntong-hininga ako at inilayo ang tingin. Isang motorcyclist ang kuya niya na palaging nagtra-travel sa kung saan saang lugar sa bansa kaya mahilig siya sa mga ganoong bagay. Charl sometimes gets all crazy whenever he sees something that reminds him of his brother who got into an accident many years ago while riding his motorcycle. Hindi ako interesado kaya hindi ko na tinanong pa kung ano ba talaga ang nangyari.

Charl always thinks people around him assumes he's a failure just like his dead brother who failed at one thing he was only ever good at so this friend of mine always wants recognition. Which is stupid in this day and age. Because right now, recognition isn't any more important than survival. Hindi ko alam kung bakit ayaw niyang intindihin iyon. Kaya ko siya sinama sa halip na si Denma o Psyra para din mapigilan ko kung may maisip siyang katangahan na baka ikapanganib pa ng buong orphanage.

Ilang minuto ang tinagal namin doon sa sirang bahay bago lumabas nang wala nang masyadong mga sundalong dumadaan. Medyo dikit dikit ang mga buildings sa bayan na ito noon kaya ngayong sira na ang buong bayan ay maraming malalaking istraktura o batong pagtataguan. Wala kaming makitang ibang tao o sundalo habang naglalakad kami. Dahil narin sa tumitipong snow ay kahit meron man, mahihirapan silang matunton kami.

Narating narin namin sa wakas ang base nila. Malaki nga ito pero marami namang sundalo ang nakabantay sa paligid. Sa katunayan ay mukhang mas marami ngayon ang nandito kumpara sa kadalasang pinupuntahan naming base. Tumungo kami sa likod kung saan umaasa akong may backdoor pero sa kasamaang palad ay may limang sundalo na nakabantay sa harapan ng pintuan.

Tinignan ko din ang paligid at malaki ang pakiramdam kong mas marami pa ang naghihintay sa amin sa loob. Kahit na makakuha man kami ng mga kailangan namin ay hindi ako sigurado na makakalabas kami ng tahimik o ligtas manlang.

"Charl," I softly whispered. "We're going back." Nanlaki ang mga mata niya sa sinabi ko pero bago pa man ako makatalikod ay hinawakan niya ang braso ko at hinarap sa kaniya.

"Hindi ako papayag. Hindi pwedeng bumalik tayo na walang dala."

"Hindi natin 'to kaya--"

"I'll distract them, ikaw na ang bahalang pumasok."

"Huh? Nababaliw ka na ba--Charl!" Tumakbo na siya palayo bago ko pa man siya mapagsabihan. It's his insecurities acting up again. Honestly, it's an annoying thing to deal with.

Walang pagkakamaling napansin siya ng mga sundalo at hinabol ito. Gusto kong magmura ng malakas pero ayaw ko din namang sayangin ang pagkakataong ito kaya pumasok na lamang ako sa loob. Hindi ako lumingon sa direksyon na tinakbuhan niya kahit may naririnig na akong putok ng mga bala. That would surely alarm other nearby soldiers which would make it even harder to sneak in.

"That dumb bastard." I muttered, quickly picking the door lock with pins.

I kind of learned this sort of stuff when I was a child, mainly to convince my father to let me work in his small mechanical shop back in the day. Well, things went downhill ever since and I never truly got the chance to show him what I was capable of. My parents always did see me as that kind of girl who must learn how to do household chores, cook, sew, and even take care of other people, it was all for adulthood.

They were those typical traditional parents who see women as someone who shouldn't bear jobs like men would. It was honestly very frustrating thinking how I would always refuse to attend school just to learn those things. I don't exactly regret not doing what they wish for me to, though. If I did, I wouldn't have known how to survive in this age of war.

The inside of the building was like a maze, every halls divided into another set of long corridors. The place was empty as well, which makes me feel very nervous, especially when each of my footstep would echo along the silence no matter how much I try to stay soundless. Hindi ko napansin kung ilang minuto na nga ba ako naglalakad dito, pero hanggang ngayon ay wala parin akong nakikitang pintuan.

I don't think it's safe to just walk around, but I don't think I noticed any security cameras whenever I turn into another corridor. At isa pa, wala din naman akong pagtataguan. Buong akala ko ay maraming sundalo ang naghihintay pagpasok ko. Mas mabuti pa nga sigurong may makita akong sundalo kaysa namang takutin ko ang sarili ko sa kawalang ito--

"Who goes there?!"

I flinched back, sticking my back against the wall when I heard that sudden yell. Damn! They must have had heard my footsteps. And didn't I just literally jinxed myself?! But it should be fine, panicking now would only bring me to my own doom--that doesn't mean I can just stop myself from feeling that, of course! I could hear their footsteps gradually nearing that it was making my heart beat so fast it was all I could hear.

That until I realized I have a weapon--suddenly taking the knife attached to the left side of my hip as I stilled myself. There was nowhere to run, running away might just cause me to meet with another soldier especially that I don't really know the way out anymore. But now that I think of it, isn't it better to just take on that risk and run away? No. May posibilidad na hindi pa nila ako napapansin dito, at malakas ang kutob kong iisa lang ang sundalong ito. So if I have to choose which option to take for me to continue on, I prefer the latter--

No, damn it! I can't risk my life like that. It would have been a different case altogether if I were with someone, but that bastard basically ran off to make sure I'd feel responsible enough to actually go through with this recklessness! I'm going to smack him so hard when I see him later on. That if he'd still be alive--or me in this matter.

Thus, I ran.

There's no shame in running, it's for survival after all. I never really wish for anyone else seeing this side of me. I am a coward no matter how I deny and act like I'm not. I sacrifice other people not for the sake of the greater good but because I want to survive so badly I don't care what I'd exchange in return for that. It's actually surprising how they trust me so much that they would be willing to follow.

I've always been like this. The reason why I wasn't able to show my parents what I was capable of, the reason my parents had to run off--all because they know I get scared so easily I would just be a burden and because I know I'm weak. I still don't know whether they purposely left me to die back there or to let me escape, but I do not dent the fact that I am weak. Then the orphanage basically took me in. There were a family, in a way. But if I were to choose between them and my survival, there's without a doubt in my heart that I would instructively choose my own survival.

Hindi ako mabuting tao, pero hindi din ako masama. Gusto ko lang mabuhay. Ayaw kong mamatay katulad ng mga magulang ko, ayaw kong mamatay katulad ng mga kaibigan kong pumanaw na dahil sa New World Order na ito. Kaya aalis ako sa lugar na ito makuha ko man ang mga resources o hindi. I feel bad for Charl, whatever he's up to now, but that tiny guilt is not enough to make me risk myself for the sake of others. I've been working hard enough, sigurado naman akong may makukuhang resources sina Psyra at Denma sa kabilang base.

"Halt! You ruffian over there! I'm giving you a chance to halt or I will shoot!"

Lumiko ako sa isa pang corridor pero laking gulat ko naman nang may mabangga ako. Sa lakas ng pagkakabangga ay natumba ako sa sahig. Wala na akong panahon pang harapin ang sundalong ito kaya mabilis kong tinaas ang kutsilyo kong hawak at tinutok ito sa direksyon niya. Inaasahan ko siyang umilag para makatakas ako sa kabilang daan pero mas nagulat ako nang sinalo niya ang kamay ko tsaka inipit ito sa likod ko sabay bangga sa akin sa pader.

"Careful, that knife may be dull but it could still hurt." She even sounded amused.

"You're--ah, salutations to the Legion Vanguard." The soldier from earlier finally caught up, slightly bowing his head.

"You're slow, Soldier." Seryoso nitong wika. "Are you that complacent nobody would attack this place?"

"I-This Soldier apologizes. I shall do better. Please let me have the honour of disposing this robber--"

The woman waved her hand. "Enough. Leave."

Nagtaka sa una ang sundalo pero agad din naman itong sumunod at umalis. Nakahinga ako ng maluwag nang binitawan na ako ng babae sabay pulot nang nahulog na kutsilyo sa sahig. Ngumiti ito sa akin at binigay din naman pabalik ang kutsilyo na siya ko namang tinanggap. Ewan ko kung bakit pero parang ang pamilyar ng mukha ng babaeng ito, na para bang nakita ko na siya noon.

"We've received small irrelevant reports about a group of teens often robbing some important resources from different bases at least twice a month pero hinayaan lang namin ito hanggang sa kayo na mismo ang tumigil o mamatay." Simula niya. "Who would have thought you're stupid enough to rob this base of all places?"

"And why let us at all?" Umatras ako para maghanda sanang tumakbo palayo nang tumalikod na ang babae at nagsimulang maglakad.

She shrugged. "Come with me. Don't even try to run, or I'd kill you myself."

I gulped because I knew how serious her voice wad when she spoke that kaya sumunod na lamang ako sa kaniya ng walang angal. Ayaw kong galitin ang taong ito hangga't maaari. But I need to get out of here soon, I don't want to stay here. I got a feeling I won't make it out alive as long as I linger in this place far more than necessary.

Tumigil siya sa harapan ng pader, at ngayon ay alam ko na kung bakit simula kanina ay wala akong nakikitang pintuan dahil wala naman talaga. May pinindot siya na kung ano at parang may maliit na scanner ang lumabas na tumuon ng derecho sa isa niyang mata. Ilang segundo ang nakalipas ay biglang nawala ang isang parte ng pader na naging daanan papasok.

Madilim sa loob nang pumasok ako sa likuran niya. Pero nang nawala na ang daanan sa likod ko ay doon lang nagliwanag ang buong kwarto. Walang masyadong gamit kundi isang malaking rectangular crystal table lang sa gitna tsaka may mga couches din sa paligid. There's even a fireplace on one corner kung saan siya lumapit para sindihan ang mga sibak ng kahoy dito.

Tapos ay pinagmasdan ko siyang may binuksan sa mga cabinets na nakalinya sa unahan ng pader. Kumunot ang noo ko nang nakita ko siyang kunin ang isang box at inilagay sa ibabaw ng lamesa. Nalaman ko lang kung ano ang laman nito nang binuksan niya. Isa itong box ng cookies, something I haven't even tasted for almost five years. Ever since this war began, simple things like that became so hard to find.

"Eat."

"Um...is that poisoned?"

She laughed. "Don't worry. I'm just going to ask some few questions." She went ahead and sat on the chair opposite from where I'm standing. "Eat up. You can go ahead afterwards."

It was mainly not to earn her ire that I grabbed one piece from the box and slowly lift it up to my mouth. I almost cried because of the taste. It was so sweet! I've always loved sweets since childhood, it's a pity I wasn't able to find anything. The flavour doesn't seem like it was poisoned, not that I know what poisons taste like.

"Is this..." I gulped the last batch, picking another one. "Really fine?"

"Yes. But I must say, I'm a little