Chapter 63: Attack

"The queen summoned the symbol of a lotus flower!"

Claret had told me that the only flower Rosh couldn't summon was a lotus. Even a symbol or form of it couldn't be drawn from any powers of the Le'Vamueivos siblings. I asked her how a lotus could be so symbolic to a family, but she said that only a Le'Vamueivos could truly tell that story.

Ang tanging nalalaman niya lang ay tanging dalawang babae pa lang sa kahariang ito ang may higit na koneksyon sa lotus.

That's why, during the preparations before my performance when I was still in the garden of pixies, I could only think of this flower. The idea of its uniqueness seemed like it could be a threat.

I told Claret that behind every wave of my hand, the swirl of my waist, the chimes of the accessories hanging around my body, and the trail of my barefoot as it kissed the floor—slowly as if a paintbrush touching its canvas, tracing lines with every stroke—colors started to appear, creating an image: the real masterpiece after the ceremonial dance.

"Kezalli . . ."

Nahihimigan ko na ang takot sa boses ni Tobias. He wasn't aware of the lotus in my dance. Kahit si Rosh ay nanlalaki ang mga mata sa ibaba habang nakatingala sa kalangitan.

I knew that they were starting to realize this move. Alam nilang sa sandaling makita ni Freya ang simbolo na ito, hindi lang siya ang magkukumahog magtungo sa Deltora upang pigilan ako. With the sudden appearance of the symbol of the known flower related to the woman who was destined to appear after few more years, her sudden summon at this moment would end them.

Sa likuran ko ay higit na umagos ang tubig, hindi rin nagtagal ay nagsimula nang yumanig ang lupa.

I might have performed well in front of those creatures and made them smile with my first ceremonial dance, but this could be their worst, as I chose this day to provoke Freya, Veda, and Atlas.

Claret was right. We shouldn't wait for the other women of the prophecy for us to move. Nagtatago ngayon sina Freya, Atlas, Veda, at Mitchelle dahil kapwa sila nanghihina dahil sa nakaraang labanan.

"The queen is being attacked!"

Malakas na sigaw ng isa sa mga pixies ang siyang narinig ko kasabay nang biglang pagdilim ng kalangitan.

When I looked over my shoulder, I saw a dark force, flying directly from the sky— targeting the symbol I've made. And definitely, aiming at me to stop me from creating another symbol.

The pixies gathered around me to protect me against the surging dark attack.

"Kezalli!"

Nang muli akong yumuko sa ibaba, wala na si Tobias sa ibaba.

Because as the black attack was surging directly at me from above, five more forces were surging fast from below.

I always thought that vampires couldn't fly, or maybe some like Seth and Pryor . . .

But Rosh, Blair, Tobias, and Zen? They were like bullets.

Yumanig ang tinatapakan ko nang sabay-sabay lumampas sa akin ang limang liwanag na iyon. Napatingala na lang ako nang nahati nang sunod-sunod ang itim na atakeng iyon.

I saw water blades slicing it into smaller pieces with the lashing of vines and petals of roses spreading in the air shattering it more.

"Blair!" sigaw ni Rosh.

The remaining dark attack was coming towards Blair. He was falling, but he opened both of his arms, creating infinite squares as if I found a red net in the sky.

The pixies gasped. "It's so beautiful watching them fight . . ."

There was a sudden glitch around the Parsua Deltora. I saw how Claret floated in the air, one of her legs was straight and one was folded, her hair was swirling in the wind, the familiar blue light covered her body, her hands illuminating with blue balls of light, and her eyes glowing in blue.

A blue crystalized globe surrounded the citizens of Deltora.

"Help Claret! Protect the citizens!" sigaw ko sa mga pixies.

Hindi na sila nagsalita pa at tumango na sa akin. Agad silang nagliparan papalapit kay Claret at ang ilan sa kanila ay pumasok sa ginawang proteksyon ni Claret sa paligid.

Blair tried to contain the remaining attack, but there were more attacks that his net failed to weaken. "Seth! It's your turn!"

This time, he didn't make a defense, but extended his hand and started sucking the black attack. I suddenly felt Seth's heartbeat and saw a horn growing on his head.

"Seth . . ."

Sobrang laki ng atakeng iyon ni Atlas na handa na siyang pasabugin ang Deltora. With Tobias and Rosh at the frontline while trying to weaken it, with Blair turning it into tiny pieces, and Seth draining it with his power . . .

I couldn't see the end of it.

Patuloy pa rin ang pagbagsak ng atake patungo sa magkapatid na Le'Vamueivos.

"T-Tobias . . ."

Hindi rin nagtagal ay may lumipad na malaking itim na ibon patungo sa unahan at tumulong na rin sa himapapawid. Pryor quickly transformed himself and turned into a prince with a huge sword. Rosh and Tobias gave away and Pryor sliced the long attack, giving his brothers to recover for a minute.

Nanatili sa himpapawid si Blair na hawak na ni Seth sa kanyang balikat.

Ngunit hindi namin inaasahan ang higit na mangyayari dahil hindi lang iisang atake ang parating, may sunod-sunod na lumipad mula kanan at kaliwa.

Naghiwalay na sina Rosh at Tobias ng direksyon, naiwan si Pryor sa gitna, inihagis ni Seth si Blair patungo sa isa pang atake, habang si Seth ay mabilis na rin lumipad sa isa pang direksyon.

Suddenly, I am surrounded by the vampires of the prophecy, with Pryor holding the biggest attack.

"Where is fucking Zen?" sigaw ni Rosh.

And then another attack above Pryor passed him, everyone gasped as they followed the movement of that attack, unable to move with their positions.

I swirled my body, opened one of my hands, and summoned my new version of arrow— a longer wand even taller than me, with a head like my green arrows. And just like how I danced earlier, I started to jump, swirl my body, bend my knees, sway my legs, and spread my arms while hitting every ball of darkness back to its place.

Sa bawat ikot ko pansin ko ang pag-awang ng bibig nina Rosh, Blair, Seth, Pryor at maging si Tobias. Because I was hitting every attack as if I was just dancing, with my green light, wand, accessories ringing with my every hit.

"Baka tamaan ako niyan!" sigaw ni Pryor sa unahan.

And then the attack sped up, giving them only the sight of the dancing green light as if I was inside the swirling green ribbon.

I thought I could handle every attack of it, but I didn't expect that the last attack would have a trick, when my hand hit the dark attack, instead of bouncing it back, it sliced into two, and my eyes widened when the dark attack turned into a familiar smoke— a form of two women. Giving me the same image . . . the same attack that almost killed me.

I grinned when they moved in similar motion and I managed to double them with my wand, and quick movements. These are just Freya's dummies.

"What the fuck? She can fight," hindi makapaniwalang sabi ni Rosh.

Nagagawa kong ilagan at salagin ang dalawa habang pinagtutulungan nila ako, ngunit nagagawa ko rin umatake sa kanila.

"Hold on, love . . ."

Alam ko na nais nilang tumulong sa akin. Ngunit sa sandaling may isa na umalis sa kanila sa posisyon nila, malaking butas na iyon na hindi lang maaaring tumama sa akin kundi sa buong Deltora.

Ngunit ang higit kong hindi inaasahan ang ay ikatlong imahen ng babae. I managed to give the first two an attack, sending them away for a while, I desperately pulled my wand and covered myself for her attack, but I was too late, tatagos ang kamay niya sa dibdib ko.

"No, Kezalli!" sigaw ni Tobias.

He turned his back, but that movement gave me damage as the dark force hit him on his back.

"Fuck, no!" Rosh tried to protect Tobias and commanded his vines to move, but that weakened him, at tinamaan na rin siya.

"Kezalli!" muling sigaw ni Tobias.

As desperately took a step back, and held the wand in front of me, but two strong arms were at my back, stopping me from further movement.

My eyes widened when I saw a sudden flash of memories, I knew that I wasn't there, I was fighting with Mitchelle and Freya, but this scene felt so real, and clear, as if someone near was sharing a memory.

"No . . ."

The woman walked closer with her hand to my chest. I suddenly saw Atlas in front of me, as if I was inside the body of someone else. "Kalla . . ."

Dudukutin din ang puso ko!

Mariin na akong napapikit dahil hindi na ako makapalag pa, lalo na nang ramdam ko na ang kamay ng babae na gahibla na lang ang distansya sa akin.

I tried to summon another power around my body, but it suddenly shut off.

"Kezalli! No! No!"

Pinapabayaan na ni Tobias ang binabantayan niya at inaasahan na namin ang biglang pagsabog nang may panibagong bampira ang humarang sakay ng Hontza.

"Marah! Get away from here!" sigaw ni Rosh.

"I am a princess of this kingdom, Rosh! Umayos kayo riyan! Nakakahiya kayo."

But Tobias was too far from me, he'd not make it. Pumiglas ako at sinubukang pigilan ang kamay ng babae. Nang sandaling ngumisi siya at humaba ang kanyang mga kuko, inaasahan ko na ang pagdanak ng sarili kong dugo.

I gasped, tightly shut my eyes, and waited for that sharp pain, but what I felt was the sudden shadow in front of me.

The familiar back, not from my king, but by another prince. Prince Zen, his hand was shaking as he tightly gripped the hand of the woman who was about to pierce my chest.

"Not again!"

Marahas ibinalya ni Zen ang braso ng babae at walang awa niya iyong isinubsob sa sahig. Ilang beses niyang ibinarog ang mukha niyon sa sahig habang nakaluhod ang isa niyang tuhod, agad siyang tumayo at malalaki ang hakbang niya patungo sa likuran ko.

With both of his hands, he grabbed the face of those formed women and hit them repeatedly on the floor. Hindi ko na alam kung kanino ang matatakot dahil parang wala nang naririnig si Zen at paulit-ulit niyang itinataktak ang mukha ng mga iyon.

Hanggang sa tuluyan nang sumabog ang katawan ng tatlong babae sa katawan ni Zen dahilan kung bakit nabalot ng itim na likido ang kabuuan ng katawan niya.

Natulala ako sa kanya dahil ang prinsipe na madalas kong nakikita na nakangiti kay Claret ay hindi ko makita sa prinsipeng nakikita ko. Higit ko pa siyang kinatakutan kaysa kay Pryor.

Claret told me that the whole Nemetio Spiran once feared Prince Zen Lancelot Gazellian, a young prince known for slaying the whole kingdom's criminals in one night, alone, with a single blade.

Biglang naglaho ang lahat ng atake sa paligid dahil sa ginawang pagpatay ni Zen sa mga umaatake sa akin. Agad nakarating sa likuran ko si Tobias, ngunit ang mga mata ko ay naroon kay Zen na nakaluhod habang tumutulo ang itim na likido sa kanyang mga kamay.

I knew it. It was Zen's memories . . . that day Atlas killed Kalla, the day he failed to save his brother. Just like what Claret had said . . . it was the day after her mate had his sleepless nights, haunted by the guilt of failing to save his brother and his mate.

Nang lumingon sa akin si Zen at nagmadali siyang tumayo, napahakbang ako paatras, dumiin ang braso sa akin ni Tobias. Zen stopped and looked at me. "Were you hurt?"

I shook my head. "You saved me. Thank you . . ."

Zen's eyes mellowed. "Good to know."

And then he lost consciousness. Rosh caught him, Seth looked at the floor and Blair looked away. Because we're all aware that this was just the beginning, but everyone was forced to fight even with our wounds that hadn't been healed.

I looked above, the lotus was still there. Bumaba na rin sina Pryor, Marah, at si Claret na lumapit kay Zen.

"They will attack again," I said.

And this time, Freya would not send a dummy but herself.

Humilera sa unahan ko sina Rosh, Tobias, Blair, Seth, Marah at Pryor. Zen and Claret were behind me. Rosh bumped his fists. "Send them more."