Veiera High

PROLOGUE

"Young lady, young miss Silvana has fled with the heir of the Dela Veras." I clicked my tongue.

The most vulnerable part of human is the heart; it's so fragile and facile to deceive. Simple sugar-coated words and it falls easily causing its breakage and those who have 'it' are the kinds of wimpish and ignoramous persons who'll die in a span of seconds. That's why I trained myself to be strong, to not easily fall and succumb to foolishness of dreaming of fantasies of love and whatever. Heart has no place in my system, if you may say. Well, not literally of course.

Positioning myself, firmly grasping my bow and arrow, reckoning the exact angle, I stretched the bow's string and fired the arrow darting on the target board that's 25 meters away from me. I raised another arrow again when a slow clap from behind emerged, seconds and he spoke,

"Not bad," I stilled on my position, not looking back. I am about to aim again but instead, I swiftly ducked and turned around targeting the man behind who had hurled a sword. Thanks to my ever reliable instinct and my fast reflexes if not, I'll be now a meat bathe in blood, ready to be barbecued.

Seconds and a 'thud' were heard. I looked behind and saw how the sword landed at the center of the target board piercing my arrow in a half.

Bumalik ang tingin ko sakanya kasabay ng pagtaas ko muli ng aking pana ngunit agad ko rin itong ibinaba. Bahagyang nakaramdam ako ng kaunting hapdi sa aking kaliwang braso. I did not felt it earlier but seeing a cut, the blade of this man's sword must've grazed my arm. Mabuti na lamang at hindi malaki at malalim.

"Do you want to kill me?!" I shouted at him.

"Nah. You're getting better with your arrow." He's slowly touching his right cheek. A small cut was visible in his handsome face.

"I'm not called the mistress of arrows for nothing." I answered giving him a smug but he answered as if he didn't hear me.

"If I hadn't dodged that arrow my god-like face would now be nothing but a wreck." I scoffed at his arrogant remark.

"And so am I," I sarcastically replied. "What do you want? I bet you're not here to give your courtesy of saying goodmor-" I haven't finished my sentence yet when he threw another sword with a sheath in my direction.

"A morning exercise?" He smiled and got another one for himself.

I unsheathed my sword, "After you lost yesterday?" I smirked.

"Nah, babe. I let you win,"

"Oh yeah?" I said and ran towards him and attacked which he easily parried by his.

Only the sound of clashing swords could be heard from where we are. As sweat trickles down, I breathe heavily, seeking when and where to launch an attack that would incapacitate him however, I'm in a rickety position, I'm in defensive stance.

I need to switch our place and make the tables turn, I can't win being in defensive and keep on dodging his attacks. Just as I am looking for an open vault of opportunity, I saw a burning arrow aimed at the sky. A way how we notify each other.

In a split second that I was distracted, I already lose as the blade of this man's sword is already pointing at my neck.

"Never lose your concentration. In a battlefield, should you get distracted, you will get your throat pierced and your head be separated from your neck. Always look at your enemy's eyes and you shall discern their next move."

"Can you save your blabber for later?" I said as I clashed my sword with his.

"I only got distracted as someone fired a burning arrow, which only meant--" Just as I was explaining things to him, a man in black interrupted in haste and the alarms went off.