Blood Menace

24- Obis

Tapos na! Tapos na ang kanyang one week na leave. No, no! Mas tamang sabihin na pinutol ng kanyang Gwapong Gramps ang kanyang leave kaya heto si Cole ngayon sa opisina ng Presidente ng ISOP.

May hangover at inaantok.

"Sentry Bloodworth, are you alright? Do you need coffee?" nakataas ang kilay ng kanyang Lolo Lorcan, ang ama ng kanyang ina.

"I'm fine, Sir," sagot niya saka pilit na umayos ng upo. "Pero bakit n'yo pinutol ang bakasyon ko? May isang araw pa akong natitira eh," he whined.

"Tsk. Isang araw. Kailangan kita rito," sagot naman ng Lolo n'ya.

Lumabi na lamang siya na parang bata. Ang dami niyang planong gawin sa last day ng kanyang leave. He wanted to hangout more with his family. Di bale. Uuwi na lang siya sa Hellville every weekend, his off days.

"Have you been to Chilakest?"

Kumunot ang noo ni Cole. Chilakest? He cursed.

'Wag naman sana siyang ipadala r'on.

"Heard of it but haven't been there, Gwapong Gramps... I mean, President."

"Hmmm... so, you're going there for a special mission," the President wasn't bothered by his slip up. Minsan nakakalimutan niyang ito ang kanilang Big Boss.

Cole groaned. Goodbye, weekend family bonding.

At hello continent na ilang taon niyang iniwasan.

"May problema, Sentry Bloodworth?"

Mabilis siyang napaayos ng upo. "Wala po. Kelan alis ko? Ngayon na? Buti na lang hindi pa ako nag-unpack ng luggage ko galing Hellville. Ready na ready na po ako," nakangisi niyang sagot pero ang totoo ang bigat nito sa pakiramdam niya.

Napangiti si Lorcan. Alam na alam nitong maloko talaga siya pero seryoso siya sa kanyang trabaho.

"You're leaving tomorrow. Here's the file," may inilapag itong itim na folder sa harapan niya.

He picked it up and scanned the contents. Agad na tumaas ang kanyang kilay dahil sa nabasa. "Massacre?"

Bumuntung-hininga si President Lorcan at tila nanghihinang napasandal sa upuan nito.

"We fought a lot of wars in our land. Simula nang dumating si Benny, we achieved peace. She is doing a good job in this Turned Reform Program she started with Bleik. Wala na tayong masyadong problema sa mga Turned."

Ah! Benny! He had fun times with her.

Nakinig uli si Cole.

"For decades, we haven't heard of any trouble in Chilakest. They pride themselves as the center of peace."

Cole snorted. He had heard of that before. Narguille used to pretend that they're a utopia too. That turned out to be a fallacy.

And where did those three gods go? Well, the three Purebloods who turned out to be the founding fathers of their beloved Hellville City?

Nobody knew. They said they were not ready to come home yet. After centuries of being imprisoned in Narguille, they were broken. They needed time to heal. Somewhere. And not in Hellville, where their pain all started.

"Collier!"

"Ay mabahong puwet ni President!" gulat niyang bulalas at agad ding natigilan nang ma-realize kung ano ang kanyang sinabi.

Nanlaki naman ang mga mata ni Lorcan. "What made you think that my butt stinks?"

"Ah er..."

Lagot!