*Season's P.O.V.*
It was a punch that knocked me unconscious earlier, now it's yet another hit that brought back my consciousness. I felt my body being thrown to the floor and though my vision was blurry at first, it soon cleared and came face to face with a regal looking man, standing in front of a rather creepy looking mansion. I have to seize my struggle to be free for a minute as I admired his light complexion and handsome face. If only his eyes doesn't hold an evil glint, I could've compared him to Kaloy. Heh. And why won't I? The man has the features of an engkanto, with his fair skin and sharp ears, it's just that instead of the Western colored eyes and locks, he's got a dark black, asian ones. But even so, I struggled out of the chains that restricted me no matter how impossible it is.
"Ahhh, ang pinakamamahal ni Kaloy." He stated. What? I don't understand the whole sentence but I got a few words out of it, 'mahal' which I knew means love, and of course'Kaloy', the name of the engkanto that has been wriggling like a worm in my mind despite everything that happened between us.
I gritted my teeth in anger, was he the one behind this kidnapping? "What's he got to do with this?" I leered. If he's related to Kaloy then he's a threat to me, even if I hate to think it that way.
"Oh, he's got nothing to do with this." So, he does know how to speak English. "But, you're the key to my success, against him." He said, lowering down to my level to grab my chin, forcing me to look at him. Not that I'm complaining. I mean, I could look at him for as long as he wants, as long as I'm not in these chains, and not a bait.
"You can't get anything out of me. And you can't use me in that way." I said firmly. Whatever Kaloy and I have, that was how many months ago, I don't think I'd still matter to him. But it's not a good thing that this abductor of mine thinks otherwise.
A dark chuckle rumbled out of him before he glared at me. "I know my nemesis more than anyone. I know he'd come." He said.
"Like he'd know that I'm here anyway." I mumbled, starting off with my struggle to be be free again. "Just let me go!" I screamed.
"No. Imprison her in my room." He ordered then those other men grabbed a hold of both my arms and all but dragged me towards his room. Which is on the third floor by the way and I just held back my complains by the bumpings along the many steps because I know these men won't hear me out. Soon, we arrived at the said room. I quickly observed my surroundings from the heavy looking door being bolted shut by one of the ten men that dragged me here, to the curtained windows at one side of the room. The two men that held my arms threw me to the four posted bed as another two quickly undid my binds. Wrong move. I thought, because as soon as I felt my legs being freed, I delivered a lying front snap kick that caught them off guard. My hands are loosely tied now so I managed to get it undone all the way and I stood up quickly in the bed, countering each of the attacks they threw my way.
I know I have a chance of escaping when I managed to knock two of them unconscious but the heavy door suddenly opened from the outside despite being bolted from the inside and in came the guy who demanded for my imprisonment. He's clearly angered by the sight in his room. I don't know if my eyes were playing tricks on me but he suddenly disappeared. Then I felt strong arms wrap around my kneck from behind as two men quickly held my arms separately as well as my feet. I felt metal chains being clasped on my wrists and ankles as the arm around my neck turned into a single had and the leader of these abductors suddenly appeared in front of me. Gosh! He pushed me down to the bed as his men secured the chains to the posts of the bed, leaving me helpless.
"Pumunta na kayo sa mga pwesto ninyo. Hintayin na lang natin ang prinsipe ng Lumayan."
"Masusunod Lakan."
After they all disappeared. I mean the other men walked out the door and even jumped out of the windows but this Lakan guy once again disappeared in thin air. Shit! He really is something.
I kept screaming in frustration and hopelessness as I can't struggle out of these binds again. Why does this have to happen to me? Not that I want this to happen to anyone else, but why are these paranormal creatures so fond of me? As I continued to worry about my current predicament and well, my family's concern for my disappearance and also, my escape plan, I heard a commotion outside and the door bust open this time, revealing two figures in an armor. I really can't see their faces because they are fully covered in the armors that they are wearing.
The one with the grey and brown one was about to step towards the ben when Lakan's figure once again appeared out of thin air right in front of him and soon as they locked eyes they started fighting with their swords. More men fighting appeared here and there and I could just hope one faction of them came to save me. One of the first two men that burst opened the door earlier came beside me and slashed the chains with the really sharp blade of his sword, finally setting me free after he knocked down one of my abductors. Thank goodness!
"Kamahalan!" He called to the guy fighting Lakan as he dragged me out of the room with him. The armored guy hurriedly stabbed Lakan in the stomach and when he fell on his knees, the guy ran towards us as we are joined by ithers who all hang on to him. I don't why but I felt a surge of power swirl around us, blurring the surroundings and when it cleared, we're not in the creepy mansion anymore, instead we are in the forest!
"What the-" I was going to curse but the man in a gray and brown armor removed his helmet and I found myself face to face with Kaloy. "Y-you..." I could only trail off.
"Season." My insides turned in an non-understandable manner when I heard him say my name after all those months.
I have so many questions in mind but I have to save it for later as an array of men that wears the same clothing as the men that abducted me came charging at us and Kaloy and his companions circled around me protectively as they fought them off. There were about 20 enemies fighting against only 7 of them so when I got a hold of a sword dropped by an unconscious enemy, I dueled with them too. And why not when this is a great use my my skills in martial arts?
"Season, stay close!" Kaloy said when he saw that I've joined them in action.
"Will do!" I responded as I slashed my sword with the enemy. It took us about 25 minutes to knock them all out, even killing some of them. Well, I took out two while they took out the rest, before Kaloy called us over to him and teleported us to another part of the forest. "Where are we?"
"Close to the border of Dalaket and Lumayan." Kaloy answered me as we started our way out of the forest or well, I guess into Lumayan.
"Why can't you just take us straight to Lumayan with your teleportation power?" I pointed out.
"I did that earlier when we were on our way to Dalaket to rescue you and it used a good amount of my energy plus the fights so, I can't do it again." He explained. Apparently there is more to Kaloy that I have yet to know.
"Thank you for getting me out of there." I said as we continued our walk.
"Couldn't have done that without these guys." He said, turning to his men who removed their helmets. "This is Apitong and the 5 errr..."
"Musketeers." I finished with a laugh. And they all chuckled. The guy, Apitong who looks pretty much like Kaloy only with dark black eyes whispered on Kaloy's ear, but I heard it anyway.
"Jusko ka kamahalan, tao sya, at hindi kami marunong mag-Ingles." I'm pretty sure he said something like, he doesn't know how to speak English. Typical.
"Kaya nga huwag nyo ito ipaalam sa kahit kanino." Kaloy replied with a warning tone. A twig snapped nearby and I'm immediately on alert as Kaloy motioned for us to be quiet. More twigs snapped around us and a seemingly familiar foul smell scattered in the area before the monsterous ghoul-like beings, also known as Balbals came lounging our way. I remembered how to get rid of them as what Kaloy taught me but in a forested place like this one, it is hard to create a significantly loud noise that can scare them away, so we don't have any other choice but to fight them by the sword.
"Pee you." "Ang babaho ng mga hininga ninyo!" We exclaimed as we dueled with them. Luckily they are less skilled compared to Lakan's men so we were able to defeat them a lot more efficiently.
"Come on!" Kaloy called out when they're all down as he once again used teleportation to transport us out of the forest.
"Where are we?" I asked, baffled by the sight of many armored men lying badly injured or dead scattered everywhere.
"The north border." Kaloy said silently.
Then a man in the same kind or armor and also badly bleeding came rushing to us from just behind a huge rock. "Mahal na prinsipe. Patawarin nyo kami, nakapasok ang kalaban, marami sila..." He cried out.
"Tulungan ang mga sugutan!" Kaloy barked out to the six men with him and they immediately rushed to action. "I need to be back at the palace. Come with me." He then said as he held my hand and teleported us just outside the largest, most magnificent building in the place. However, its structure looks less radiant today as bloody bodies scattered here and there, much like the scene in the north border. As soon as we arrived enemies attacked us with their swords and though Kaloy stood in front me protectively, I slashed some of them with the sword that I brought with me, as we made our way through the corridors of the palace, passing by a few fighting soldiers too. "Nasaan ang reyna?" Kaloy asked one.
"Sa punong Bulwagan mahal na prinsipe." He responded. Kaloy and I rushed to the winding halls and I only have limited time to assess the beauty of the structure because I'm more worried about the enemies that attacked Lumayan, even if I don't really know who they are and what the hell is going on. We made it to an elegant looking room with a platform at the center with an equally elegant chair that can only be described as a thrown. But that's not the main thing that caught my attention, it is the two figures that stood fighting over the dead bodies all around. A tall male figure in a black cloak and a female figure dressed in an armor that the vikings of the medieval times would wear. Although she is wearing so different from the regal gown that she was wearing the first and only time I've seen her a few months ago, I recognized her, she's Kaloy's mother, and she's badly injured! Just as soon as Kaloy rushed to her side to aid her, the man in the black cloak pierced the sword through her chest and all I can do is freeze at my spot. Shocked as her body fell dramatically to the floor.
"INA!" A scream driven by so much emotion came out of her son as he caught her now lifeless body. I saw how he pulled out the sword that killed his mother and used it to deliver an attack to the enemy. A strong yet unwise move. I saw his emotions had blinded his every move, making it easy for the other man to dodge it and get another sword from the fallen soldiers nearby and counter his every move a lot more calmly. He was able to throw Kaloy to the other side of the room right into a solid pillar and I could only flinch at the impact. But the anger of the prince who just lost his queen mother can be seen in his eyes as he stood up again and charge. One stab to the side, another stab to other side, and yet another stab to the stomach. That got the prince down on his knees as the cloaked enemy cackled at his loss.
"Nais kong ang anak ko ang makapaslang sa'yo Kaloy, kaya habang wala pa s'ya, umalis kana sa harapan ko. Alis!" The man said. I am not very certain about the full meaning of his sentence, but I did understand the last word that he said which is leave. So, he's giving Kaloy a chance to escape but I can tell by the way the prince tried to stand up again that he'd rather die than leave. I don't know what's gotten into me but I got out of my hiding spot behind the pillar and ran to his side to stop whatever he's planning.
"Kaloy, come on. Let's get out of here." I said urgently, holding on to his shoulders. From this angle, I am now able to get a look at the enemy's face and he looks like a more matured version of Lakan. I saw an evil spark on his eyes when he looked my way that made chills run down my spine. I guess Kaloy saw this too that's why he wrapped his arms around me protectively and within seconds we found ourselves just outside the castle.
"Ahhh!" Kaloy groaned as he fell to the ground near a bush. Of course he's still pretty much bleeding.
"What can we do to make you feel better?" I asked, really worried about his condition.
"Help get near those bushes. Those leaves have the ability to heal my wounds." He instructed through gritted teeth and I obeyed, swinging his arm over my shoulder so that I could act as his human crutches. "Here. Help me get this armor off." And I did.
"Gosh, those injuries are basd!" I exclaimed. I mean, he was wearing an armor so, how did the sword manage to pierce through? Perhaps there really are mysteries that I can't fathom in this place, so I just watched how the leaves are healing Kaloy, really slowly. Literally slowly you know? "There are still a lot of blood gushing out, can you remove your shirt so that we can use that to slow down the bleeding?" I suggested and he agreed. I placed the leaves on his tattered shirt and wrapped it on his torso in a way that it covers his three main wounds.
Just as I finished doing so, I heard shuffling nearby and about five men from the enemy's side appeared from the other bushes, surrounding us. Kaloy tried to stand up from his sitting position but I stopped him. He's too weak to fight, but I think I can handle this. So I pulled out the sword that's been swinging on its case behind him and used it to counter the attacks of the enemy. To be honest, this is the first time that I'd have to use my art in a real life and death battle because most of my tournaments back at Tennessee are only for trophies and not for this kind of violence. However, I'm left with mo choice. I have to fight my way out of here. I swing it from left to right, delivering some kicks as I pivoted around to be able to accommodate all of their assaults and when they all made a mistake of going at me at the same time, I jumped up and swivelled the sword as fast as I can like a helicopter's head for about a fraction of a minute and it sent them all flying across the forest in different directions and I landed with pride. I kew that would work! I then ran back to Kaloy who looks astonished.
"Are you better yet? We need to get farther away from here." I asked.
"Yes, but before we leave, grab some more of these." He answered and I slashed a handful of those leaves before Kaloy held my hand and we are transported somewhere farther away as I have suggested earlier. "I'm sure they'd still follow us."
"But we need to refrain from using your powers so that you can be fully healed." I said because he's still holding on to me for balance. He nodded and observed our surroundings, we are in a semi-open area in the forest and he looked down to our shadows casted by the afternoon sun. Because for some reason, I was kidnapped at night, however, when we reached this realm, it was already morning, or so I could tell by the positioning of the sun. He faced our shadows and turned about face.
"Let's journey towards the west." He said and I just obeyed.
"Do you have allies there?"
"I don't know where the survivors ran off to, but I do know a certain spring in the far west of the kingdom whose waters would help us find them."
"There's a thing like that?"
"There is, that is where Kalista's magic comes from. And that magic helped me save you from those Dalaketnons."
"It was Kalista's magic that found me? That told you where I was? Did you keep on looking for me?" I fired, not knowing if I'd be pleased or horrified by the information. I mean a part of me is pleased that he didn't really forget about me if that's the case, however, a more logical part of me is horrified that there's a certain kind of magic that can be used to keep tabs on me.
"Yes and no." I just looked at him in question. "I found you through her magic but it's not because I was looking for you. It was more so because we were spying on the enemy and, that's when I saw you there." He answered rather indifferently.
I see. I thought wrong all along. So, I took a deep breath to get my head off the clouds. It's quite silly to think of what I just thought when it was me who had wanted to run away from him. Perhaps things changed after all. For him. I don't know about me though.