Paper Crown

Chapter 5:

"A weapon can be a foe or a friend. It always depend on how you treat it to be."
-TheBookOfWeapon by B. Crossbow

Chapter 5:

Now what the hell is this place?!

Amazement was an understatement to describe how I feel when I enter the store. Now, this is definitely a store! Kung anong kinapangit ng labas kinaganda naman ng loob. I really should believe the famous saying 'Don't judge a book by its cover.'

"Wow.. This is freaking insane.." I can see the swords neatly arranged from the left side. It was placed according to their sizes and there are even a small paper in front of every weapon with its name and use in it! Wow! May mga axes, whips, crossbows, bow and arrows, katanas, daggers and many more weapons that I clearly don't know what to call. I even saw a big scissor and only realized after a few seconds that it was also on sale and it was a weapon! Well, scissors can actually be deadly you know.

Nasuyod ko na ata ang buong tindahan pero wala pa rin akong nakikitang bantay nito. Pwede kaya akong magnakaw dito? Kahit isang dagger lang ay pwede na siguro. Hehehe.

Naagaw ng pansin ko ang isang bukas na pintuan sa pinakalikod na parte na ng tindahan. Para saan to? I tried questioning myself if I should go there or not but I decided to do the former. I slowly walked towards the door and when I reached it I can hear the sounds of metal colliding to each other. I can even hear some grunts followed by a series of profanities.

Nang hindi ko na natiis ang curiosity ko ay dahan-dahan akong sumilip mula sa pintuan. And there I saw a wide plain field of grass and a few meters from it is the forest. It clearly looks like a training ground and from there I saw two men holding their swords while attacking each other. I decided to watch for the fight and my blood was pumping in excitement whenever I will hear the clanking of the metals. I was so engrossed that I suddenly want to become a swordsman.

I can imagine myself bringing a sword and swinging it towards my opponents while they have no choice but to run for their lives. It would be fine if it is actually far from my reality... before. Yes, before! My long time dream to be a swordsman will be achieved now if I convinced one of them to teach me!

My imagination was cut off short when I notice a flying dagger towards my direction. My eyes grew wide because of shock and upon reflex, I move my head sideways avoiding the dagger that could have hit my face if I wasn't able to avoid it.

"Hey! Are you planning to kill me?!" I irritatedly shouted at the man who I guess was the culprit to my near death experience.

Damn that was close!

I suddenly wanted to rain him with my curses pero naalala kong may kailangan pala ako sa kanila kaya huwag na lang. At saka isa pa ako naman talaga ang gumambala sa practice nila kaya mas mabuti ng ako na ang mag adjust.

"Who are you?" the first thing that caught my attention was his seemingly black hair that dances with the wind and his hazel brown eyes that looks so amazing with the help of sunlight on his side. So dangerously handsome. Kung hindi ko pa siguro narinig ang pagpalatak nito sa dila ay hindi pa ako babalik sa katawang lupa ko. Gosh. Did I just stare at him shamelessly? Oh, bitch. Baka isipin niyang may gusto ako sa kanya!

I clear my throat first before answering his question.

"I'm Avery. I'm here to buy weapons." I decided to use my real name since I think the two of them doesn't need to know me. Ngayon ko lang napansin na mukhang mas matanda ang isang lalaki kanina kesa sa kumausap sakin. Probably his brother? It would be impossible if he's his father, right? I mean nakakasabay siya sa mga atake ng lalaki kanina at parang pantay lang ang lakas nilang dalawa!

Naunang maglakad papalapit sakin ang kuya ng lalaki na kumausap sakin bago sumunod ang isa pa.

"I actually own the store, lady." my mouth formed an 'O' shape when the older guy said it. "And no, he's not my brother because he's actually my son." my eyes then grew wide because of what he said to me.

Paano niya nalaman na ganoon nga ang naiisip ko? Is he a mind reader? Can it be his power? Then he probably read that I was praising his son's physical features then! Nakakahiya!

"Don't worry I don't have the ability to read someone's mind masyado lang talagang halata sa mukha mo." he even laugh before walking again. Sumunod lang kaming dalawa ng anak niya pero nauuna ako ng ilang hakbang mula dito. Hindi ko na pinansin ang sinabi niya at saglit pa akong nakaramdam ng ginhawa ng marinig na hindi siya nakakapagbasa ng isip.

"What weapon would you like, lady? A crossbow?"

"No." I firmly answered him. "I want a dagger." tumango-tango pa ito ng ilang beses sa naging sagot ko. Nang mapansin kong dalawa na lamang kami sa loob ng tindahan ay hindi na ako nagpaligoy-ligoy pa at sinabi na ang kanina pang bumabagabag sa isipan ko.

"Are you a swordsman? Clearly, you're not just a normal weapon store owner." lumunok muna ako ng laway bago lakas loob na pinagpatuloy ang pagsasalita ko. "Can you teach how to use.... swords?"

Katahimikan. Yan ang bumalot sa amin bago ito humagalpak ng tawa. Maririnig talaga ang malalakas na tawa nito sa buong tindahan at ilang minuto pa ang lumipas bago ito tumigil.

"Sigurado ka ba sa iyong sinasabi, lady? Ang espada ay hindi laro. Kaya nitong kumitil ng buhay at kaya nitong kitilin kahit ang buhay ng taong humahawak nito." I know. I  know that swords are used to kill of course. But I also want to protect myself from those people who will try to harm me in the future. I am in an unknown world. An unknown place with unknown strangers in it. Life is like a jungle after all. Full of snakes and creatures that will attack you in the back if you put down your guards. And I refused to be the kitten who will be everyone's prey. I want to be a lion. I want to be the ruler of the game. And I want to be strong. Stronger than I ever could be.

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archangel_dina