The Knights of St. Harfeld

36- Kept in the Dark

"Wait! Back up! Vampires?" nakarehistro sa mukha ni Kilmar ang sobrang gulat saka tiningnan ang mga batang wala pa ring malay.

Nagkatinginan sina Fenris at Mama niyang si Warin saka tumango ang huli.

"Sabihin mo na ang totoo, anak. Malalaman din naman nila," anang ama niyang si Juy na tiningnan siya sa rearview mirror.

Huminga ng malalim si Fenris saka hinarap ang dalawang kaibigan. It was time.

"Tama ang narinig n'yo. Vampires are real. They exist."

"You mean the bloodsucking monsters from the myths?" hindi rin makapaniwalang sambit ni Kruz.

Tumango ang dalaga pero naisip niya si Linus. "They're blood drinkers, yes, but not all of them are monsters. There are good and there are bad vampires. Just like us."

"Who are they?" ani Kilmar.

"The three gods," walang gatol niyang sagot kaya napasinghap ang kanyang mga kaibigan. Maging si Elliot na blindfolded pa rin.

"Lies!" sigaw ni Elliot. Puno ng galit ang boses nito. "The three gods took care of us. Master Knight Hood, itama ninyo ang kasinungalingan ng babaeng ito!"

Hindi sumagot si Reid pero naririnig ng dalaga ang ilang pagbuntung-hininga nito.

"Knight Hood-!"

"Enough, Isother," sa wakas ay sabi ng Knight. He was blindfolded as well pero kita ng dalaga ang pagngiwi nito na para bang sukang-suka ito sa sasabihin. "It's true. There are no gods taking care of our continent. Those filthy looking men are Pureblood vampires. They were imprisoned by Saint Harfeld."

Alam na ni Fenris ang tungkol sa bagay na ito but this was news to her fellow Apprentices.

"They're very powerful Purebloods so, Harfeld made sure that the cave was secured with a spell. Nobody could get out. The reigning Grand Knight makes sure that the barrier around the cave was always strong. They add layers of barrier during their reign."

"Hindi ko naramdaman ang barrier n'ong dinala mo ako r'on," ani Fenris. Naalala nanaman niya ang mga homeless people na itinapon ni Knight Hood sa loob ng kweba para maging pagkain ng mga bampira.

"Mortals can't feel it."

"So, these vampires, they have powers," ani Kilmar.

"They're so much stronger and faster than mortals. But the Purebloods in the cave were not ordinary Purebloods. They belong to the three vampire clans with special abilities," ani Knight Hood. "When they're hungry, they get angry. Isa sa kanila ay isang Bloodworth. He can control things through his mind. Gumagawa siya ng bagyo at mga lindol para malaman ng Grand Knight na kailangan nila ng pagkain."

"The homeless people," naisip ng dalaga. Ang lakas din ng ulan noong dinala siya ni Reid sa Holy Mountain na biglang tumigil nang hablutin ng kung anong pwersa ang kawawang mga nilalang papasok sa kweba.

Tumango si Reid sa sinabi ni Fenris. "Yes, the homeless people served as their food. Once nakainom na sila ng dugo, titigil na ang kalamidad. But the Grand Knight makes sure that they only had enough to survive. Not so much because they might be strong enough to escape."

"Ano ba'ng pinagsasabi mo, Knight Hood? Nababaliw ka na ba? Ano'ng homeless people? Walang homeless people ang Narguille. The Order made sure of that!"

"Marami kang hindi alam, Isother, kaya makinig ka na lang," sagot naman ni Reid.

"Sandali," ani Kruz. "Those people with powers, are they vampires? Si Grand Knight?"