Kingdoms: Magic of the Greatest

Chapter 2: Heirs

The leaf was turned into a sword. Nakatutok ito sa akin ngayon habang hawak ng babaeng kamukhang kamukha ng babaeng gusgusin. They must be twins. I did not let her see that I was caught off guard. I wore my strongest face to guard me. It's not my intention to intimidate her or what, nasanay lang ako sa mga ganitong sitwasyon.

"Sino ka?" I faced her. "What did you do to my sister?" So, I'm right.

"T-tulong niya ako, Hena." Kumunot ang pangalan ng babae at tumingin sa akin. Di pa rin ako kumikibo. I don't feel responsible to respond. Wala naman akong ginagawa.

She looked at me intently. Tumingin lang din ako sa kanya, blank-faced. After a while, she pulled off the leaf sword na nakatutok pa rin pala sa akin. Tinapon niya iyon at bumalik sa pagiging normal na dahon.

"What is your name, young lady?" Tumingin ako sa kanya. "Fresia ho."

The lady nodded bago nilapitan ang kapatid. She looked at her wounds. "Hinabol ka na naman ba ng mga guwardiya? I can't believe you're letting them do this to you, Hana." Hindi siya kinibo ng babae. Ba't niya pinapagalitan ang kapatid niya? Di ba siya aware na baliw ito?

Tumayo na ang babae habang inaalalayan ang kapatid niya bago tumingin sa akin.

"Fresia, I'd like to thank you for helping my sister Hana. I guess hinahabol na naman siya ng mga guards."

"Yes."

"I'm sorry you had to see that. I'm Hena by the way. I suppose you don't know me."

Nakataas ang kilay niya habang nakatingin sa akin. May pinupunto siya sa sinabi niyang iyon. Kinabahan ako dahil dun. She seems like a royalty. Pakiramdam ko ay alam niyang hindi ako taga-rito.

"What are you doing in the outskirts, Fresia? Don't you know na pinapatapon ang mga taong pumapasok rito? Everyone from this kingdom knows. I don't see you as a rule-breaker though."

Yumuko ako dahil hindi ko naman din madedeny. It's pretty obvious. Kung kilalang tao nga siya rito ay dapat makilala siya ng lahat. I should've known that as soon as I saw her clothes.

"I'm sorry."

"Bumalik ka na sa bayan mo. I'll let this go dahil tinulungan mo ang kapatid ko." Pero hindi maari. I can't afford to go back. Andito na ako sa ligtas na lugar.

I was supposed to answer ng sumakit ang marka ko. This time, sobrang sakit.

"Ahhhhhhhh." I held it hard, expecting to lessen the pain pero hindi ito mawala.

"What is happening?"

Di ko na kaya. This was the most painful it had ever been. The fact na hindi ko naman ginamit nang sobra ang kapangyarihan ko ang mas nagpagulo sa akin. Ba't ka sumasakit ngayon?

I looked at the lady in front of me who looks worried about my state. I wanted to smile dahil after all these years, ngayon nalang ulit ako nakakita ng ganoon. Someone is worried for me. I tried reaching for her but everything went black.

***

Nagulat si Hena nang biglang natumba ang babaeng kanina lang ay nakakausap niya nang maayos. Tumingin siya sa kapatid niya upang tanungin kung anong nangyari. Mula sa paawa nitong mukha ay biglang sumeryoso ito.

"Look at her nape, Hena. You will know why."

She's the only one who can talk to her sister that way. Sa harap niya ay hindi ito nagbabaliw-baliwan. She doesn't know why her sister had to act though. But she knows that there is a reason. With her sister's gift, alam niyang may nakita ito kaya ganito ang ginagawa niya.

Tumingin siya sa babae at inelevate ang upper body nito. Her nape? Inayos niya ang buhok nitong tumatabon dito.

There she saw a marking. A blue mark. Lines ito na parang inirerepresenta ang hangin.

"There's a mark here, Hana. What does this mean?"

"Hindi ka ba pamilyar sa markang iyan?"

Hena looked at her sister. It was familiar. Her student has this one too. Kaso iba ang kulay at hugis ng kay Elise.

Kunot noo lamang ang naigawad niya sa kapatid. Imposible ang iniisip niya.

"It's one of the kingdom's marks, marks given to the heirs of nature. Your student, Elise, has one too. How can you not be familiar with it?"

What is she trying to say? Imposible.

"Imposible. Hindi taga-rito ang dalagang ito, Hana. And kung sinasabi mong ito ang tagapagmana ng hangin ay nagkakamali ka. The princess has been chosen to rule the wind."

Tumingin nang masama sa kanya ang kapatid.

"I saw the girl use the wind. Now, tell me I'm wrong, Hena. Hindi pa natin nakikita ang prinsesang gumamit ng kapangyarihan while the other heirs have been showing tremendous developments using their gifts."

"Anong sinasabi mo? Hindi maaring magsinungaling ang hari at reyna tungkol dito." Tumingin siya sa kapatid. "Have you seen this coming? Bakit hindi mo sinabi?"

"Hindi. Ang tanging alam ko lang ay may tinatago ang kaharian. I didn't know it was this big."

The royal family has been ruling the kingdom for centuries. Inrerespeto ang pamilyang iyon. The respect comes from the fact that each ruler is loved by nature. Kaya halos lahat ng henerasyon ng pamilyang ito ay nagtataglay ng gift mula sa kalikasan. The current king was a previous ruler of the fire. Sa pagkakataong nanganak ang kanyang reyna ay nawala ito. Everyone thought the princess have inherited it. Pero the fire was passed onto a boy who was born on the same day. Isa ring maharlika. That time, the queen still has her control over the wind. Tumagal iyon ng isang taon. That's why everyone thinks that the wind is already in the hands of the princess, the next queen of the kingdom.

Sa mundong ginagalawan nila, everyone considers the gifters of nature as blessings. Everyone knows that each heir is chosen and loved by their gift. Dahil sa kanila ay balanse ang mundo.