Rewind (Erityian Tribes Novella, #2)

15 - Drift

I have never experienced passing out after reading an Erityian's mind until now. According to Mitsuo, I was asleep for about three to four hours. Talk about getting unconscious repetitively.

"Where are we?" I asked since I felt some rocking motion.

"At the east border of the Philippines," sabi niya at nanlaki ang mga mata ko sa narinig ko.

"What? Why?"

Aayos sana ako ng upo pero bigla akong nahilo. I remained unmoving until the throbbing subsided. The Black Dimension and his memories seemed to have a synergistic effect to my system and I'm not happy about that.

Nang umayos na ang paningin ko ay nagulat ako sa nakita ko. We were in a motor boat in the middle of the ocean.

"W-what are we doing here?" tanong ko dahil hindi ako makapaniwala sa nakikita ko.

"We're going to Shima. Sorry if I didn't ask your permission but I think you're safer when you're with me."

Napatingin naman ako sa kanya dahil sa sinabi niya dahil ngayon lang siya naging ganito. He's usually cold to me so this kind of treatment was bizarre to me.

"You're my mission," I said and he looked at me, surprised. "I'd still come with you. Hideo will scold me if I don't bring you back."

His dumbfounded expression was replaced with a contemptuous smile and my heart has suddenly increased its pace. I recalled the reactions involved in attraction and love and this is one of the markers, unless I was feeling fear.

"I see," he said, his eyes twinkling like aurora. "I told you, right? I can't return anymore."

"Why? Give me a sensible reason."

"I was trying to tell you but you passed out," he teased but I managed to control my expression.

"Then tell it to me right now and not by your thoughts."

Naging seryoso naman siya at hindi ko alam kung dapat ba akong matakot. That was the same expression he gave me when he left.

"Well, since that place has been revealed due to the jailbreakers, might as well tell you the whole story."

"I'm listening."

Nanatili akong nakasandal at siya naman ay nakaupo sa harapan ko. I already have an idea about his background though there are still some details that I don't understand. I need to hear it straight from him.

"As I've said earlier, I'm from Jikko clan, a clan of executioners."

Naalala ko naman ang sinabi sa akin nina Michiko at Akira bago ako umalis. According to them, those Executioners kill Erityians and even humdrums who defy the laws of their community but almost all Erityians think that they are just a myth. However, sitting in front of me is the living proof.

"Why is there a hidden clan of executioners? And where is this Shima island that you're talking about?" tanong ko.

"Our story goes back to our ancestors. Ishida Jikko, the head of the clan and Shou's right-hand man, killed hundreds of humdrums when they were in Germania. During that time, there was a religious war happening."

"The Thirty Years' War?" I asked and he nodded. I remembered reading that when I researched about post-Holy Roman Empire.

"They didn't have anything so to survive, Ishida, without getting any consent from Shou, worked as a mercenary. He killed hundreds or maybe thousands of humdrums, or maybe Erityians, in exchange for food, clothes and money. When Shou and Veronika learned about it, they decided to exile him and his entire family."