The Tamer Without a Beast: VOLUME 1 and 2 [COMPLETED]

Chapter 26: "The Slam of Hatred"

Chapter 26: "The Slam of Hatred"

Teiro's point of view

WE ARRIVED by the foot of the mountain at sunrise. My comrades already walked passed the Shrine or entrance of this place in silence and in pain.

Heads and shoulders both drained down, walking like a zombie on a loose. Not sure where to go or not even realizing why are we walking at all. I'm the last person at the rear. Before I passed the shrine. I ceased my steps in the pavement.

Still holding the two swords owned by the captain we left inside that forest hall. We did all we could to search for another tunnel entrance to that forest hall but ended in vain.

The halls are getting worst and worst the minute we walked through tunnels and tunnels. Sinubok naming hukayin o sirain ang tunnel na kusang sinira nina Leonidas at Lucius pero siguradong guguho ang lugar kung pipilitin namin.

We surrendered finding a way to communicate with our captain again. He's alone now. Inside that Forest hall with monsters. At bilang miyembro ng grupo nyang hindi man lang namin nabigyan ng pangalan. Our guilt and regrets are exceedingly shameful for ourselves.

No last words. No farewells. No legacies or whatsoever. We just left him on the other side of that piled rocks in order to save our own asses from death.

Now that we're out of the mountain. Parang gusto kong bumalik. Gusto kong makita o kahit makausap man lang ng isang beses si captain. I badly want that.

Kahit isang beses lang.

Magiging masaya na akong masilayan sya. Gusto ko lang alamin kung ayos lang ba sya. Kung namatay na sya sa loob no'n. Baka hindi ko mapatawad ang sarili ko.

The guilt in my heart is keeping me posted from my feet. Kahit ilang beses na kaming sinampal ng katotohanang wala na kaming ibang paraan para makita pa sya. I can't move on. I can't take another step to leave this place at all. Parang wala akong karapatang mabuhay at maligtas sa ganitong pamamaraan. If this is how I escape death, then I'd prefer to be dead right now than living in fault.

"Mukhang malakas ka. Gusto mo bang sumali sa 'min? Patayin natin si Orikia."

Malinaw pa sa alaala ko. 'Yong unang beses na inalok nya akong sumali sa grupo nya. 'Yong ngiting hindi mo talaga mababakasan ng ka-plastikan.

I saw it to him for the first time. No'ng nag-aaral pa ako. Mostly marami akong kaibigan. But not even one of them treated me as a true friend. They're smiling. Yet they're not. Their lips is sloping up but in a form of a grin.

Napakaraming ibig sabihin ng ngiti ng isang tao. Pero 'yong ngiting nakita ko kay Phoenix. Naalala ko sina Yaya Sema sa kanya. It's too different. Yet so familiar.

Dahil lang do'n. Naramdaman ko ng palihim ang gaan ng pakiramdam kahit hindi ko pa sya lubos na kilala.

"Isang player lang. Kahit isa lang na pwede, magsisimula na rin tayo sa misyon. 'Wag kayong mag-alala. Maraming eggs sa Dark Beast territory kaya't mabilis lang kayong makaka-tame ng companion bago ang limit days. At hindi rin kayo madaling makaka-tame ng Beast kapag fully hatch na ang mga ito."

No matter how I think about it. Hindi ko pa rin talaga makita ang halaga ko kung bakit nya ako napiling alukin sa misyon na 'to, gayong isa lang ako sa dumagdag ng suliranin at aalahanin nila.

I'm not strong like the others who volunteered themselves to come along.

"Okay. Gawin natin. Pero para mas entertaining ang misyon. Gawin natin 'to bilang isang laro. Hahatiin ang grupo sa dalawang pangkat. Ako ang mamumuno sa isa at itong si Leonidas naman sa isa pa. Kung sino man ang grupong mauuna sa paghuli sa magnanakaw, ay makakatanggap ng halik ni Pheris—aray!"