Navigare 74

7.5K 312 14
                                    

"They're anchored at the back of the island to give respect to Mermaid's body. They'll be back this afternoon." Maximo answered. "It used to be a tradition until there was cremation, but since Excel insisted on doing this, I said yes out of respect."

Tumango lamang ako. The water was clear and calm like the sky. Tinunton namin ni Maximo ang lugar kung saan may mga taong nagtitipon, sa plataporma ito. It was shaded with this temporary roof. Mula sa harap ay nakita ko ang maliit na kabaong kung saan sa gilid nito'y nakatanaw si Excel na nakatayo lamang. She seems to be savoring every last second until her departure.

"Do you want to take a look?"

"No." Mariing sagot ko. Halos manginig ang aking boses. "I mean... I can't." Gaya ng ginagawa ko upang pakalmahin siya, he held me on my hands and firmly pressed it. Sometimes, actions are enough to speak the things we cannot put into words.

"Ladies and gents, to all the people who has come, let us all offer my daughter, Serene, a blessed voyage. She will return to the grace of the seven gods of the sea. Her ashes will return to the sands of the ocean. She has lived a short life I dare not say worth living, but worth remembering. May she peacefully rest in the realms of forevermore." Excel declared.

May mga pirata namang nagbuhat sa kabaong ni Mermaid at saka nilagay ito sa loob ng bangkang puno ng mga kahoy at mga susunugin. Tahimik kaming lahat na nagmasid sa papalayong bangka. I felt Maximo snaking his arms unto my shoulder. I felt his fingers cupping my arm.

When the boat was at a fair distance. I saw Nick light up an arrow with fire and aim it at the boat. I watched Excel closing her eyes firmly, as if it will kill her to see the yacht burn. "Light it up..." her voice almost cracked.

Nick released the arrow from the bow. We watched as it slits through the air with a swishing sound. It traced its parabola, down towards the boat in the middle of the sea. It was set ablazed in mere seconds. I watched the fire as it slowly devoured the surrounding, the woods, up to the coffin where Mermaid's remains lies.

"Goodbye, Mermaid..." I whispered.

Unti-unting naglaho ang mga taong dumalo kasabay ng unti-unting paglamon ng karagatan sa mga abong iniwan ng umaapoy na bangka.

~~~

"I'm very sorry for this emergency assembly." Pinagmasdan ko si Maximo, prente itong nakaupo sa tila trono. Inisa-isa niyang binigyan ng tingin ang mga lupon sa kanilang mga p'westo sa harap ng pahabang mesa. "Do y'all know why I called everyone here?"

Umiling sila, walang naglakas-loob upang magsalita.

Maximo sneered, "I'm alive. Quite the contrary of what most of you had been expecting."

Oh, right. I remember telling Maximo the story about what happened at the previous meeting since he kept bugging me. He was bored to death at the private room of Excel's clinic. So, I talked and talked and accidentally spilled this story I never meant to mention.

"We can see that." Memento said in his serious voice.

"Nobody dares to speak unless they raise their hand and are permitted by the king or queen. Let's all start following our traditions from now on, don't you agree, Memento?" I can smell Maximo's annoyance to this fellow. Oh, he's not alone on this.

"Stop with this childish act already." Memento argued. "The only reason why I agreed on making it to this conference is so that we can re-elect the position of your right hand. This is to restore the balance of the order."

"I believe I can manage without a right hand." Maximo chuckled darkly, "this position is cursed."

"What you believe does not matter in the eye of the order, Maximo. You are the head. The right hand is your mind, the queen is your heart. We are your body. You need the right hand."

Kumunot ang noo ni Maximo, "then I'll make Starfish my right hand. No. I really am making her." Tumingin si Maximo sa akin. Ako naman ay nagtatanong na tumingin sa kan'yang gamit ang aking mga mata. What the hell is he trying to do?

"I hereby declare Kira Renaissance, my queen, to be the right hand, my right hand. End of story." Tumingin siya sa mga konseho, lalo na kay Memento, "satisfied?"

"But—"

"No buts, the word of the king here is a law. Any means of contrary is a clear signification of rebellion."

That made Memento zip his mouth close. Serves you right, jerkass!

Bumalik ako sa riyalidad nang naramdaman ko ang mainit na hininga ni Maximo na humahampas sa aking tainga. Tila bumaluktot siya upang bumulong. "Now you are both my queen and right hand, Starfish. Both my heart and mind."

I was about to protest on being his right hand when the information sunk into my head like a hard stone when he pressed his thumb against my lips, as if knowing the next thing I was about to do.

"And you can never do anything about it." I gasped, "let me rephrase that... and I don't take no as an answer."

Pagkatapos niyang sabihin iyon ay muli siyang tumingin sa lahat, "going back to business... as soon as I'm all healed," biglang nagbago ang ekspres'yon ni Maximo, it became deadly and vengeful, "I'm going to fucking strike back against the weak shits who dared to hurt me and the ones I love. It's time for the debts to be settled."

"A tooth for a tooth. I don't care if the enemy becomes toothless. I don't forget and I don't forgive. I'm not a saint. I'm a fucking pirate. The king of pirates. I am not fucking holy, I'm hoe-ly. And when the enemy sees me, they'll say they had it coming. I'll be the last thing they'll ever see. Death personified. And for the last seconds, they'll reminisce how they picked the wrong man to mess with."

Nobody talked. We were all silent. That's how terrifying Maximo's dark yet velvety voice was. It was a mixture of an angel and a devil.

"This is war."


Shipwrecked HeartsTahanan ng mga kuwento. Tumuklas ngayon