Cayden's Crusade

Tarquin

We continued eating as we ask questions to slowly get to know our new teammate more.

"I'm 18, from Circu, District 3",he said. "You know life in the Circu, I got nobody left when my parents died so I signed up when I learned that they were recruiting."

"I feel you, man", Brick said.

"So what really happened at the HQ?" Aloutte asked.

I have to say, Aloutte is being insensitive this time. The way she questions Tarquin seems like she's doubting him or that she don't like him. I eyed her for a moment hoping she'll get my message but she ignored me.

" Al", Zinny said, disapprovingly.

"It's okay", Tarquin said. He smiled meekly. "My teammates, I don't know, but, they're just different. Their attitude, they don't listen".

"When we got to HQ, they were careless. With the supplies, with the lures, with the dwellers. With everything".

"It happened on the tenth day, one of the groups were assigned to make the lures and set them up. I don't know how they did it, but it attracted dwellers more than we could handle".

"When our teacher and the assistant told us to get inside the HQ, they didn't listen. Some, fought the dwellers thinking they will win. Others was frozen with fear."

"Ako yung pinakamalayo sa HQ kaya mas mahirap because I have to fight more dwellers para lang makalapit sa HQ. Our assistant was able to open the door with the scanner, but it was too late. He already have several bites, probably trying to coach the others to get inside the HQ. I saw my teacher and my surviving teammates being flooded by a horde of dwellers.

"He told me not to get out of the HQ unless it's extraction time already before he pushed the button on the scanner to close the door. I saw my teacher smile at me when he realized I was safe inside the HQ before the horde of dwellers overtook him.

Silence. Even Aloutte kept her head high. Probably realizing that it was indeed an insensitive question.

"You can judge me all you want but I never mourned for my teammates' demise. I was sad and angry because two amazing people have to die because of their carelessness. Our teacher and his assistant, they're good people and they don't deserve it."

"I'm sorry", Aloutte said sincerely.

"It's okay. They saved my life and I have no plans of wasting it", Tarquin said with determination.

"How did you get out of the HQ?", Zinny asked.

"I used the tunnel in the classroom. Orielle told me about it. She said all HQ have it. Though I had difficulty finding it."

I just can't stand my curiosity anymore. " You and Orielle seems so close", sabi ko. I did my best not to sound jealous or anything.

Ngumiti as Tarquin. As if remembering something. "Yeah, she's just an amazing girl. She helped me lot. She mentored me to be better".

Nagkatinginan kaming lahat. Parehas nang iniisip.

Nagpatuloy si Tarquin. "She taught me how to fight and how to survive. Without her, I wouldn't reach this far".

Nag-aabot na ang kilay ni Aloutte. I know what they are all thinking.

"She's never that friendly to us", Cassius said.

We all nodded.

Tarquin just shrugged his shoulders and continued eating. As if, it was not a big deal.

"Well", sabi niya matapos ubusin ang laman nang pagkain niya. "The first time we meet, binugbug niya ako. The same day na nabugbug ako nung taga-army sa match namin". He laughed fondly.

I saw them that time.

"Paano?", tanong ni Zinny.

"Ako na lang mag-isa nun sa training complex. Binuhos ko frustrations ko sa punching bag. Tapos bigla na lang may sumipa sa akin".

That was the day I saw them sa training complex.

"She would use that strict voice of hers to tell me to get up. Tapos kapag tatayo na ako, sisipain na naman niya ako ulit. It went on and on until I realized she was making the same move every time she kicked me".

"Kaya, ayun. Parang na predict ko na next move niya. Nung nakaiwas ako, iniba na naman niya movement niya pagsipa sa akin".

"Dun nag-umpisa ang lahat. She never said anything to me that day except get up. And I think, it completely sinked in sa utak ko, figuratively and literally. It has become my mantra".

So, mali pala ako! She was trying to teach Tarquin instead of bullying him.

Everyone else was speechless. Who would ever thought na yun pala ang totoong nangyari.

"Can I have that last piece of chicken? ", sabi ni Tarquin.

"Sure", sabi ni Aloutte sabay abot sa pagkain.

He ate it heartily, unmoved by our reactions and silence with what we just heard.

***************
Nasurprise din ba kayo sa sinabi ni Tarquin?

Looks like there's more to Orielle than meets the eye.

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xoxo
vampig30