The Dissolving Flower

Kabanata 41

THE MAYOR'S SIDE

"I SAID get out!"

Rinig mula sa labas ni Lis ang mga yabag ng mga paang halatang pinaghahanap sila. Hindi niya pinansin ang sinabi ng mayor at gumamit ng spell para putulin ang mga kadena.

"Dagger." He summoned the pointed sharp vines that could cut even steels. Nang maputol ang mga kadena, pinagbantaan din ni Lis ng isang matulis na vine sa leeg ang mayor kung sakaling mang atakihin siya nito. Ginamit niya rin ang pagkakataong ito para tanungin ulit ang mayor. "Tell me, mayor, what's the reason why you are chained in this room?"

Inirapan siya ng mayor. Tumayo muna ito at inayos ang suot nitong ube na balabal.

"The humans did it," sagot nito. Hinawakan nito ang matulis na ugat na nakatuon sa leeg. May liwanag na lumabas mula sa kamay ng nito at sa isang iglap, natunaw ang kaniyang mga ugat. "No need to do this to me."

Kumunot ang noo ni Lis. "Aren't humans powerless? How could they chain a powerful magician like you?"

"Oo nga," saad din ni Violet. "At saka ang demanding mo, ah. Kaya mo namang palayain sarili mo, ba't hinintay mo pa na si Lis gumawa para sa 'yo?"

Bmuntonghininga si Mayor Cortez. "Kids, you really don't know who's your messing with." Naglakad muna ito papuntang pintuan at sinilip ang labas, pagkatapos ay muli siyang nilingon. "Listen. They might not have attributes like us, but they are crazy. They are deceitful and selfish. Hindi mo alam kung anong tumatakbo sa isip nila, even now. Those chains . . ." Tinuro nito ang putol na kadena. "Those chains have an anti-spell, the reason why I can't get it off. Hindi ko nga rin maintindihan kung bakit gumana ang spell mo." Tiningnan nito si Lis. "I was locked here as a subject for this thing they called experiment. Being the leader means you are the strongest, so they want my gene for their experiments. They are trying to copy it and make a clone of myself."

"And you agreed?"

"I can't say no. They threaten me to use my daughter instead if I dare reject them." Malungkot nitong sinulyapan si Violet. Kita naman sa mukha ni Violet ang pagkagulat, hindi inasahan ang pinakawalan nito. "Kahit na ayaw ko rin ang mga nangyayari sa Faegika, wala akong magawa."

"Bakit hindi ka lumaban?" nakakuyom ang mga kamaong tanong ng anak.

"Hundred years ago, back when I became the mayor, I also became part of the council. That was the first time I witnessed the cruelty of the humans. I tried to fight them together with your father," patukoy nito sa ama ni Lis. "But we couldn't even touch the leader of the humans. He have these armors that I don't really understand. It's the same as the anti-spell but much stronger. Kahit anong gawing pag-atake namin, wala pa rin itong silbi. We've been defeated because of that thing they call technology. Many years have already past, and many human leaders have also sat on the position. But all of them are just the same. They are deceitful, selfish, and evil. They want nothing but self-gain."

"Are you saying that everytime you work in the council, you are being experimented and locked up here?"

Tumango ito.

Napuno ng katahimikan ang paligid nang walang magsalita sa kanila.

Umusbong ang galit ni Lis dahilan ng panginginig ng mga nakakuyom na kamao. All this time, everyone thought that the council was led by three leaders, but it was just the human, trying to be superior of all.

Napapikit siya upang pigilan ang galit na pilit kumakawala sa kaniya. Mataas pa naman ang tingin niya sa council. He even wanted to be apart of it. The reason being was his dream and the stories from his father every time he gets to come home. He listened intently to every story he told him about how big, powerful, and fun to work with other genes. But now, after hearing all of this from the mayor, after discovering how messed up the council they had, he couldn't believe those stories anymore.