LUNA: The Witching Hour

55: Stars and Burns

Early in the morning, kahit walang tulog at hindi parin gumagaling, sinabihan ko ang bata na kailangan kong umihi. Kinailangan ko pa siyang kumbinsihin at hindi kaagad ito naniwala saakin. I would have relieved myself inside the tent there and then. 

"Amoy na amoy parin sayo ang dugo ng mga pinatay mo. Kapag naamoy ito ng iba---" 

"They'll be frightened" I finished the sentence for her despite the fact she had meant a different point. "The witch, captured and chained in bed killed four soul eaters that tried to touch her in her sleep. Oo, magandang pakinggan" 

She didn't speak, her face laced off of emotions as she continued undoing the chains. A disappointment that she only detached the chains from the bed, leaving them still clamped around my wrists and ankles. When I tried to sit up, my bones made a cracking sound that only brought more pain to me. I hissed. My head joined then, throbbing some more. It felt as though I was carrying boulders atop it. I might as well tripped face first when I stood up from the bed, all wriggly and limp. 

Kung hindi lang hawak hawak nung bata ang kadena saaking mga palapulsuhan, tuluyan na siguro akong nahulog.

She pulled on them. "Sundan mo lang ako. Do not try and do anything stupid, ikaw lang ang kawawa dito" 

It irked me most to think that I was still suffering from the aftereffects of whatever Scorch had made me drink to suppress the end result of drinking a soul eater's blood. But then again, last night while I was staring up at the ceiling as sickly as any mortal human could be, I thought that maybe Scorch's liquid might have another substance mixed to it that would weaken me until he deemed not. It was smart of him to do that. Their bloodline was clever in the scariest of ways. 

With a blank face, not really threatened by her words, I motioned her to go. "Sisirit na. Dalian mo" 

Kagaya ko, wala itong reaksyon sa mukha ng hilain niya ako palabas sa tent. Light was supposed to be my companion, a friend, but just after I stepped outside the tent, it was a terrible enemy to my eyes. Nasilayan ako. Hindi man ako nasisilayan sa sarili kong ilaw, I was not an exception to the beaming sun. I squinted--- but I refused to squint to wait for my eyes to adjust. I forced myself to adapt as soon as possible, and I only have a little time to observe the surroundings without the little kid realizing what I was doing. 

A blur wave of images at first, my ears rungs, a static sound that brought more aching in my head. I winced just to give satisfaction to anyone who was looking at me now. But I did not forget my true intentions. 

There were lots of grey and purple tents outside, banners that carried the sigil of Amadeus were stuck to the grounds. At the topmost of the tents, there were little flags, also with the sigil. Fire cracked at one spot, a cauldron so big it might have been a bathing tub for a person. Warriors were roaming everywhere, even though it was still early in the morning. Their armors glinted under the sunlight, catching my eye when they turned and shifted. But what I did not expect was the variations of their forms. 

The rumors were true. Every description I heard from different mouths came into view. 

One warrior who was at the shooting range, playing with knives had 6 arms, 8 eyes, and a giant belly. He threw the knives as smoothly and as sharply at the target boards. All bullseye. One who was sitting at the fire, reading a book was a beast with horns that curled inward and owned a tail of spikes. The lady who was stirring the contains of the cauldron had no feet. She floated, though. She was floating. Then, her coal eyes met mine and she grinned like how a witch was taught how to. Mortifyingly chilling. Poorly done. I should have stepped back from the creepiness, I should have recoiled to give her the reaction that she wanted but this--- I would not yield.