Tale 39
Eclipse, the Fire-Breathing Dragon

Nakangiti ang haring araw.

Dumaan na ang tagsibol at ramdam na ng lahat ang tag-araw.

“I love our summer uniform.” Masayang saad ng isang mag-aaral ng Aurum University sa kanyang mga kaibigan, si Stephany

“I love summer!” masayang dagdag ng kasama nito, si Zoe

Nakangiti silang naglalakad patungo sa kabilang building kung nasaan ang cafeteria ng unibersidad.

“Sino yun?” tanong ni Stephany sa mga kaibigan

“Ang ganda..” Zoe

“Mukang supermodel..” Saad ni Lhey, kaibigan din nila

Hindi lamang ang tatlong magkakaibigan ang nakapansin sa babaeng may mahabang blonde na buhok, blue eyes and rosy white cheek. Mukang isang diwata ang dalaga. Isang prinsesa na lumabas mula sa isang picture book. Isang dyosa na bumaba sa lupa.

Who is she??

Nagtungo ang misteryosong babae sa opisina ng headmaster.

“So it’s Lady Amara..” bati ng headmaster

“Today is the day.” Amara

“Yes..” tugon ng headmaster

One of Amara’s Magic Spells is hidden somewhere in Aurum. The headmaster agreed to help her look for it without asking questions but in exchange, she will teach for three hours a day everyday for at least two months.

Amara doesn’t mind. She like Aurum University. Isnt it the school of her favorite little disciples many years ago..?

“I will personally escort you to your class, so we can discuss the Grimoire the you’re looking for in more details.” Saad ng Headmaster, he’s an experienced Alchemist who came from the bloodline of Aurums, Ignis’ former monarch family.

Tumango lamang si Amara.

Nakatanggap ng lihim na mensahe ang headmaster ng school mula sa Guildmaster ng Thousand Crows. Lady Amara will visit them. And viola, she’s here!

Although she looks different somehow, with a pale skin and blonde hair, she’s a Grandmaster Alchemist so the headmaster is not surprise if she can create potions that can alter her appearance. He’s not sure if such potions exists, but who could possibly question a Grandmaster Alchemist?

“Settle down everyone! The headmaster is coming!!” anunsyo ng isang alchemist sa kanyang mga kaklase
“Look! He’s with the pretty lady! Is she a transferee?!”
“Who is she? What’s up with the special treatment??”
“She look like a fairy!”
“She’s so pretty.. Ano kayang beauty secret nya?”
“Isa syang dyosa!”
“Hmmmp! So what? Dyosa sya ng kapangitan!”
“Sya yung dyosa, ikaw yung kapangitan!”
“Hala, mamaya na kayo mag-away. Ayan na si Headmaster!”

Mabilis na nabalot ng katahimikan ang klase noong pumasok ang headmaster pati na rin si Amara.

“Hello everyone, today you’ll be having a new professor.” Headmaster

“……….”

“Tama ba ko ng dinig? Professor?” bulong ng isa

“Yan din dinig ko.”

“Baka nagkamali lang ng choice of word si Headmaster.”

“My name is Eclipse..” tipid na pakilala ni Amara.. “I will be your Professor in Herbs Cultivation.”

“………….”

“Be good to her everyone. Enjoy your class. Farewell.” Paalam ng headmaster at agad nang umalis

“……….”

“First of all, let me know what you’ve got.. Lets have a short quiz.” Anunsyo ni Amara sabay distribute ng test papers

“Short quiz??” hindi makapaniwalang tanong ng magkakaklase habang hawak ang five pages long questions.

“How is this a short quiz?!”

“Naglolokohan ba tayo dito?”

“Mukang magka-edad lang tayo! Paano nangyari na prof ka namin?”

There is no more mages so Age Alteration Magic doesn’t exists anymore.

“Is this a prank?”

“Who are you? What did you do to the headmaster?”

Hindi sila pinansin ni Amara.

“Since this is your first test, I will give you …..10 minutes.” Amara

“This is b*llsh*t!!”

“This got to be a joke. Hahaha..”

“If you scored below 30%, you have to run three laps around the school.” Amara

“Seryoso ba yan? If this is a joke, this is not funny.”

“Your time starts now.” Amara

“Fudge!”

Puro reklamo ang maririnig sa silid, ganun pa man, matapos makitang seryoso si Amara, wala silang choice kung hindi sumunod.

“Tsk. 30% lang naman ang passing, anong mahirap dun?”

“Yakang-yaka natin to!”

“Easy!”

“Chicken lang to!”

“F*ck! Ano to?”

“The color of the seed of a Herlous Tree? How would I know? What in the world is a Herlous Tree?!”

“Bakit ang hirap?”

“Putcha naman! Bakit wala akong alam sa mga tanong na to?!”

“10 minutes is not enough!”

“Waaaaahhh! Ang hirap!”

Lumipas ang sampung minuto na puro reklamo ang bumabalot sa silid.

Tahimik na kinulekta ni Amara ang mga papel nila.

“You can start running now.” Amara said flatly

“No way!”

“Is that a joke??”

“Hindi pa nga nachecheck ang score namin!”

“Walang nakapasa, so start running now.” Simpleng tugon ni Amara

“We don’t believe you! We have Dior! And Lhey! Our top two!” reklamo ni Stephany

It turns out that Stephany, the book fanatic, and her friends Zoe and Lhey ends up in Amara’s class.

Nilingon ni Amara si Dior na nananahimik sa isang sulok. ‘Isnt he Dior Hurricane? The one she once escorted for a mission before..’

“Ten minutes is not enough! We’re not machines! How could we answer that quiz within ten minutes?”

“Yeah! That’s impossible! And even if we know the answers, we cant write that fast!”

“They’re right! This is just bullsh*t!”

“Yes! This is beyond impossible!”

Narinig nilang natawa si Amara

“Impossible? You guys are just weak hearted.” Saad ni Amara saka inumpisahang i-check ang mga papel.

The continuous sound of pen rang within the room.

It was like flowing water. Smooth and mesmerizing.

“Done.” Saad ni Amara saka muling ipinamigay ang mga papel.

“……….”

Matapos makita ito ay tahimik na lumabas ng silid ang twenty two na mga mag-aaral.

Nagsimula silang tumakbo sa school ground.

Why?

Amara checked their papers within five minutes.

And she even wrote down notes to explain why they are wrong on a specific question.

In just five minutes!

Monster!

She’s a monster!!

“Bakit tumatakbo ang mga sophomore alchemy apprentices?”
“Are they exercising??”
“But why??”
“Muka silang napagsakluban ng langit at lupa.”
“Naparusahan ba sila?”
“Pffftt.. Nakakahiya naman..”
“Mukang naparusahan nga sila.. hahaha… Ang yayabang kasi nila, porket mga alchemists.”

Muling nawala ang rationality ng mga magkakaklase.

This is wrong!

So what if she’s a monster?! Ipinapahiya sila ng bago nilang professor!

Lalo pa silang nabalot ng sama ng loob matapos ang three laps of running.

Pakiramdam nila nabugbog sila.

They feel like dying!

Samantala, sa isang silid di kalayuan, isang middle age na babae ang malakas na hinampas ang mesa sa kanyang harapan, agad nagulat ang mga mag-aaral nya.

“Isang bagong professor? At sinabi mo bang pinarusahan nya ang mga sophomore alchemists? Ang kapal naman ng muka nya?! Sino sya sa palagay nya?!” galit na tanong nito sa isang estudyante na nakasaksi sa pagtakbo ng mga mag-aaral ni Eclipse paikot sa unibersidad.

Walang nakatugon sa tanong nya.

Sya si Professor Linda, isang Level 5 Expert. Tanyag ang middle age na babae bilang pinakamahusay na guro ng Alchemy Department. Inirerespeto sya ng lahat kaya naman wala syang sinasanto sa paaralan maliban na lamang sa Headmaster.

Ngayon na may bagong professor, hindi nya ito agad nagustuhan dahil sa nangyari. First day of teaching and she’s already torturing her students?? And she’s receiving special treatments from the headmaster! She felt threaten.

“The new prof is almost the same age as her students.” Inform ng isa nyang mag-aaral

“And she’s really pretty!” excited na dagdag ng isa pa, subalit matapos makita ang masamang tingin ni Prof Linda ay agad syang tumahimik.

“It seems that I have to pay her a visit to teach her some manners.” Saad ni Prof Linda

The fact that the headmaster is giving special treatment is really bothering her. Who in the world is that new professor? She’s still young so she’s probably a Level 1 Expert..? A Level 2 or 3 if she’s really talented.. But why the special treatment? Linda is the top professor, but she’s being threatened by a nobody! She have to find out the truth and made that new prof know her place!

She’s not aware yet that she’s not the hunter in this situation, she’s the prey.

“This is crazy!” reklamo ng mga mag-aaral kay Amara

“Do you want to kill us?” reklamo ni Zoe

“This is torture!” dagdag ni Stephany

“Three laps is too much!” reklamo pa ng isa

“Besides, the ten minutes quiz is really unfair!” dagdag ni Lhey

“They’re right.. The quiz was so difficult. And ten minutes is really not enough.” Dagdag ni Dior

“Tama sila! This is too much! You’re too much! Magrereklamo kami kay Headmaster!” bwelta pa ng isa

“And I should be scared because?” nakataas ng isang kilay na tanong ni Eclipse

“W-well you’ll lose your job..” hindi siguradong tugon nila matapos makita ang confidence sa mga mata ni Eclipse

Natawa si Amara…

“You weaklings.. Losers.” Pang-iinsulto nya sa kanila

Hey! Are you really a professor? Why are you so mean?! Huhu

“You think ten minutes is not enough? You think the questions are too difficult? Huh? Are you really alchemists? Are you guys trying to make me laugh? Didn’t you know that in order to pass the preliminary exam of Thousand Crows, you only have ten minutes to finish the exam? Do you think that real life problems will conviniently allow you to take your time before you solve them? NO! Someone’s life may end with just a little mistake, with just a little hesitation on your part!”

Natahimik ang magkakaklase.

“You think I’m giving you a hard time? Huh! Mabuti alam nyo! Because yes, I want to open up your eyes to the reality of life. Alchemy is not a joke! You have to think fast. You have to move fast. Success is all in the timing weather it’s plant cultivation, pill refinement or element manipulation.” Sermon ni Amara

“Puro kayo reklamo! You weaklings! You think you can successfully refine pills with such weak bodies? You must be dreaming! From now on, you have to spend 30 minutes running laps around school. You have to run at least two laps or else you will suffer my wrath!” sigaw ni Amara at pakiramdam ng lahat nagbubuga sya ng apoy.

She spits fire. And it burns!

She’s a fire breathing dragon!

Pero ganun pa man, tama sya. Sa totoong mundo, sa labas ng silid-aralan, hindi sila maaaring magreklamo. Kailangan nilang mag-isip ng mabilis. Kumilos ng mabilis.

She’s right.

Wala silang kamalaymalay na nalinlang sila ng dalaga.

Its true that in the preliminary exam of Thousand Crows, you have to finish within ten mintes. What they didn’t know is that, the questions is not the same not just in quantity, but also in difficulty.

Not just that, alchemists are commonly weklings. They would only acquire a good physique through lifetime training. That’s the reason why Grandmasters are mostly old.

Hindi sila nakapagsalita.. Nagkatinginan ang magkakaklase.

Maybe it’s okay to follow her words now..?

Wala namang mawawala sa kanila. They’ll just need to put extra effort and suffer a little torture to enhance their physiques.. Besides, the headmaster wont hire a scammer for a professor, right?

Wala silang kamalayan na tama sila ng hinala. Medyo scammer nga ang bagong prof nila.

They decided to cooperate with her at the mean time.

Hindi pa nila alam, pero tuluyan nang magbabago ang mga buhay nila dahil sa desisyon na ginawa nila ngayong araw.

A storm is slowly brewing. And it would bring chaos and new beginnings.

Hindi pa nila alam, subalit balang araw, babalikan nila ang mga alaala ng araw na ito.

This twenty two aspiring young apprentices, will someday become the pillars of the Alchemy world.

They are Grandmaster Alchemists in the making.

The future pillars of Aralon.

~~~~~~~~~