The Tale of the Guardian

6

"Are you really okay? Kanina mo pa ako tinititigan"

I think she's fine now. What I mean is I think she's fine being at level 2 in sorting. Natigil na 'din kasi siya sa kakaiyak. Naalala ko ulit si Leven na makailang ulit na nilingon si Asha sa kinauupuan namin kahit na sobrang layo niya mula samin.

"Why are you doing this?" saad ko habang nakasandal sa couch ng dorm namin.

"Doing what?" Dinungaw ko ang magkahawak naming kamay.

Ah. No, it's not what you think. She's just giving me mana. Ang tagal kasing mag regenerate ng mana ko, kaya she's lending me some of hers. That's why I don't understand. She's actually giving me some of her mana, when she doesn't know me. I thought she thinks relationships are a give and take situations?

"Because we're friends" she said with that bright smile and twikling eyes.

I stayed silent.

Friends...what are friends? This is the very first time someone called me a friend.
----
"We need a reinforcement" the speaker on Mom's room blink and the voice was heard.

Mom immediately stood up. So I tug her dress, hoping she would caress me again. But as expected.

"I'm sorry, Ellie. I have to help them, I'll be right back. Just sleep first and I'll call Helen to heal you, okay?"

As soon as she left the room, the mana going haywire inside me started acting up again. Whenever she left me with that state, the mana always goes haywire. And when that happens it literally rips the organs inside me. The pain was also intense that I could only cry.

She knows all that. She knows I was in so much pain but still chooses to go. Help casters, be a reinforcement, put her life on the line because it is her duty.

But the only thing caster could done for her is not saying thank you or getting appreciated. It is to send her back to Minirva. Because she's done with her duties and she's not of help anymore.

And today a caster...told me I am her friend. Is like hearing lies. Maybe...just maybe, she is genuine about seeing me as a friend. But she just sees me as Ellionore Villaluna, the caster. And not Ellie the Guardian from Minirva.

And if she knows...would she still sees me as a friend?

"That would do!" She smiled and let go of my hands.

I can't think straight right now, and this is not me. Being in this world, is not doing me any good. I should leave as soon as possible.

The first class in our first day in this academy is a Combat Battle.

"Will this do?" I was already dressed, sitting on the couch of our dorm and waiting for her.

Panlimang palit na ata niya 'yan ng uniform. She's really worried about it getting rip in the battles.

"Come on Asha! We're gonna be late"

"We have the teleportation clock, at tsaka sandali nalang 'to" I sigh and waited a bit more. Kung hindi pa siya lalabas sa kwarto niya, mauuna na ako.

And then she got out of her room. Dressed like she's going into a dungeon raid. Hinayaan ko na kasi male-late na talaga kami.

We were teleported at the field. May 20 casters na ding nag-aantay 'dun. We are almost 30 in the Level 2 pero pang 22 palang kami ni Asha 'dun. Nag kukumpulan na din ang ibang casters. I think it was their circle of friends. In the middle of that, a girl with white hair walked towards us.

I don't know, but something's just not right about her.

"Hi Asha!" I noticed Asha rolling her eyes.

"Hi" and she simply said.

She's smiling brilliantly on Asha, but still...I could feel something strange about her.

"Tara na, El. Sa harapan tayo banda" she hold my hand and tug it a little. Signaling me to follow her.

"Oh? Isn't it weird enough? A Bellue getting Level 2 in her first sorting, tapos sa harap pa talaga p-pwesto? Oh dear, have some shame!" She then laugh and her friends followed. They laugh quite hard that some of the casters looked this way.

I could feel her grip tighten. And could see her eyes tearing up. She's already angry and frustrated about this whole Level 2 issue. And she don't need a reminder on that. But this girl, having foul mouth, insulting Asha by getting level 2 when she also got the same level.

Asha's already got enough of crap in this world and she's adding up. I'm not a fan of violence but I think this world would be a better place to live in if that nasty mouth is shut. I was readying myself to cast a spell when Asha tug my hand.

"Mine turned sky blue, the lightest shade this level 2 has. Ano nga ulit yungg iyo? Ah! Dark blue!" napangisi ako nung hinawakan pa ni Asha ang baba niya na parang nag-iisip. At tinakpan ang bibig na parang na-shock nung naalala niyang dark blue ang shade nung babae.
The girl and her friends' smiles were crooked.

Asha's reply  was like an upper cut and a jab that landed straight in the face. But well, she couldn't just let this go and apologize to Asha.

"Then why don't we try it out? Let have a match" there was something in her smile that was unsettling for me.

Before I could stop Asha, she already replied.

"Ok then! But I won't go easy on you just because you're Ashly's friend"

• Combat Battle- where the academy teaches casters combat skills that is useful for dungeon raids.
• Dungeon Raids- Castellian is a place where dungeons emerged. Casters formed in group goes into dungeons to fight and kill monsters so that they wouldn't go out and cause havoc in Castellian.
• Dungeon- are where monsters inhabitants.