Wizard Town

Chapter 5

Chapter 5

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"Zan go take your sister." I heard my mother saying from downstairs.

"Pero Nay paano kayo ni Tatay?" tanong naman ni Kuya. I was awakened by the noise in our neighborhood. We are a small community and having so much noise in this time of the day is so strange.

"Nay? Kuya Zan? What's happening?" bungad kong tanong na marating ko ang maliit namin kusina.

"We're being attacked." Maikling paliwanag ni Kuya, I can see that he's really mad for some reason.

"Nagsimula sila last month. They were corrupting our water and lands. I don't really know what they are planning but with your father's magic agad naming nadetect kung anong mali sa farm pati na din yung sa iba pang farm. They got mad and now they are blatantly attacking us." Pagpapaliwanag naman ni Nanay.

"We need to go Nay." I said as it fully sinks to me the danger we are currently in.

"Mauna na kayo ng Kuya Zan mo Spring. Hihintayin ko pa ang Tatay nyo." Nakangiti namang sagot sakin ni Nanay.

I don't like this. I don't really know exactly what's happening but I have a bad feeling about it.

Instead of answering, Kuya just get a hold my wrist and tug me upstairs. Entering my room he held out a backpack. Without saying anything ay nagempake ako ng ilang damit at gamit. After a few minutes Kuya Zan reappear in my bedroom and tug me downstairs this time with him.

In our small kitchen nakaupo si Nanay sa isa sa mga upuan. Upon seeing us, she smiled once again. Her smile makes me squirm. There's something about it that I don't like.

"Spring, Zan. I'm really thankful to be your mother. Sobrang proud ako sa inyong dalawa. So please remember, no matter what happen tonight the two of you will stick together and never give up." She told us. And that's when it finally occured to me.  Nanay is saying her goodbye to us. As if— ..as if we would never meet again.

"Always remember, that people can be bad and good. Not all mighty people are good and not all evil are bad. Our world works in a way where balance is implemented even if we think it's unfair. Take care of yourselves, okay?" she was teary eyed after saying this. And for some reason I feel empty. Like I know subconsciously that something bad will happen and in order to prevent hurting, my mind ends up blank. 

"Wag mong kakalimutan anak ang mga bilin ko. Magingat kayo ng Kuya mo." Ang sabi nito as she looks at me lovingly. It never really occured to me that, that would be her last words. That I'll never get to hear her ever again.

It happen so fast that I'm not sure if what's happening is real. The next thing I know, Kuya and I are running for I don't know who. Whoever running behind us keep on throwing balls of fire and stones, and even some arrows. We we're near at the entrance of the forest when suddenly people came out. Even with the darkness I can see the evil glint in their eyes. I guess these are the people the elders always warn us about. They are the so called Dark Wizards.

"Peasants like you doesn't have any rights to live in this land. You all keep on hoarding the good land while we go and live on some dry land which doesn't really make things grow unlike your land. Wala kayong karapatan na manatili dito. This is ours!" and as he finished shouting at us. All at once the people he's with started attacking us.

Kuya Zan did his best to protect us by making some veins grow to be our shield and at the same time some veins to attack the Dark Wizards. At that time I thought that my ability only lies on tracking things connected to the ground in my mind and making plants healthier, so I don't have much use in the battlefield.

My thoughts are a mess. I'm worrying for both of my parents and concerned for Kuya Zan. I can't fight and I'm only a burden for him.

And then it happen. Some of the Dark Wizard carrying swords encloses us. Gamit ang espada sinira nila ang mga halaman na nagsisilbing shield namin ni Kuya. I just stare at it as it nears me. A ball of fire was thrown at me.

I felt warm and then the unbearable pain that comes with burning flesh comes next. Half of my face was on fire. In front of me, the man who threw the fire smiled victoriously as I hear my brother shout for me.

And then it was warm again. But not the painful kind. I can feel it deep inside me, my core and magic. I feel it slowly break free from whatever entrapment they were in. I felt how my magical aura slowly spreads out as my magic grows. It grows and grows.

The next thing I know is that I was soaking in red warm blood. Plants, veins, stones and earth sprout from the ground like big thorns. All the people near me except my brother lies lifeless trapped into the spikes.

The last thing I remember is my own voice shouting in pain. Burned flesh hurting like hell.

—

A roar came ringing in my ears. I know it's Snow just from the sound of it. But as if still in whatever trance I was earlier, I can't move at all. I wanted to scream yet I can't find my voice. I wanted to fight but I remember what happened last time I did. I killed all those people in a matter of seconds. I can't let it happen all over again.

"Spring!" Came a shout somewhere. Looking further than the person who set me in flames, I saw Kuya Vroj.

"Victoria! Stop!" Is the next thing he shouted. I felt the flame disappear like they never existed in the first place. But the pain from my burned skin is still prominent.

"Spring are you alright." Kuya Vroj asked me when the fire stopped burning me. He tried na lumapit sakin but another growl resonated beside me. Lumingon naman ako to see my familiar's big figure just like when I first met him. His eyes are glowing bright red.

"Snow it's alright." I told him but he just growled louder as he saw my burned skin.

'Damn Wizards who just attack whoever they saw!  I'll make them pay!' Snow said with a threatening snarl.

"Snow I'm alright. No need for you to be so worked up." I told him again but I know he's not listening to me. Even I know how I sounded so soulless. I don't really sound convincing right now.

"Spring? What's the commotion?" I heard my brother ask somewhere from behind me. When he was close enough to see me he gasped.

His gasp was the last thing I remembered. Suddenly dizzy from all that happened, I passed out.

—

Zan is a responsible and caring brother. And seeing her little sister passed out with her skin melted and burned, he can't help but to feel deep anger. He wanted to hurt whoever did it to her sister but knowing he need to ensure his sister's health first, he held Spring in his arms. Thankfully Snow let him and instead guard both the siblings with his massive body and continue to growl at the other people present.

Zan was too busy making plants grow to use for Spring's burns that he didn't notice Vroj and someone else. He silently patched the leaves at the irritated skin and wound. He's trembling and even himself is not sure if it's because of his anger or fear of seeing what happened last week once again. He still can't forgive himself for letting those Dark Wizards hurt her sister. And now it's happening all over again.

"Zan?" Vroj asked unsure if it's the right time to let his presence known. Zan looked at him with an expressionless face.

"I don't know what happened but I think she needs a healer. The leaves only serves to soothe the burning pain, not heal it." He told his friend. He wanted to know what happened but his sister comes first.

"I know someone who can help her. Ihahatid ko kayo sa shop nya." Vroj suggested. Zan and him have been friends since their first year at the Academy and yet this is the first time he saw him looks so helpless.

"Please.. "

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