Arrows of Vengeance

Chapter 3: Paths Crossed

Chapter 3: Paths Crossed

SAMANTHA 

"Clark, nasaan na ba si Steven? Nakita na kaya siya ng mga kapwa niya Hunters?" Narinig ko ang tinig ng aking ina sa sala isang gabi. Nakaupo siya habang kausap ang isang lalake. Balisang-balisa siya sapagkat ilang araw na at hindi pa rin umuuwi ang aking ama mula sa misyon na ibinigay sa kaniya ng League of Hunters, an organization who kills and hunts supernatural.

"Kumalma ka lamang, Sabrina. Patuloy naman siyang hinahanap ng mga Hunters. Ayos lang si Steven, maniwala ka. Tatagan mo ang loob mo para sa mga anak mo," pagpapakalma naman sa kaniya ni Clark. Imbis na kumalma ay nakita kong tumulo lamang ang mga luha sa mata ng aking ina. Nasasaktan akong makita siyang nasasaktan. 

"Samantha, bakit gising ka pa?" tugon niya sa akin nang mapansin akong nakasilip sa kanila mula sa sulok. Hindi ko siya sinagot. Lumapit lamang ako sa kaniya para yakapin siya. Hindi man ako magaling sa pagpatahan ng mga tao, ngunit alam kong mahigpit na yakap ng mapagmahal na anak ang kailangan ng aking ina sa ngayon. 

"Mama..." I said softly as I embraced her tighter. Ayaw kong nasasaktan ang aking ina sapagkat siya ang buhay ko. Saktan ng mga tao ang lahat huwag lamang siya.

Habang mahigpit kaming magkayakap, biglaang bumukas ang pinto ng aming bahay. "Sabrina, nahanap na namin siya!" wika ng isang Hunter na pumasok. Agad kaming tumayo at sinundan siya. Ibinilin muna ni Mama ang aking natutulog na kapatid sa aming kapitbahay. Isinakay kami ng Hunter sa isang sasakyan at agad itong ipinatakbo patungo sa kalagitnaan ng kagubatan. 

Nang kami ay ibinaba nito, agad kaming tumakbo patungo sa isang parte ng kagubatan na napapalibutan ng iba pang mga Hunters. Muntik na akong mahimatay nang makita ko ang duguan at wala nang buhay na katawan ng aking ama. Puro kalmot at kagat ang kaniyang katawan. Narinig kong napahagulgol na sa iyak ang aking ina habang ang kaniyang tuhod ay lubusang nanghina kung kaya naman siya ay napaluhod na lang sa lupa habang pinagmamasdan ang kaniyang asawa.

Napakasakit ng pangyayaring iyon para sakin, and I hate the fact that it could happen to every single person in this place. A little girl might wake up one day and be surprised that her loving father is alread gone. I hate that. I hate it when other people have to suffer a pain they do not deserve. 

Maybe that is why I ran and followed the voice of the man who is asking for help. To my surprise, I saw not just a heavily wounded man, but also a huge humanoid creature with its bones visible under its pallid skin. It has sharp teeth and claws that can tear its victim limb by limb.

Dear Father, a wendigo is standing before me.

The creature is stuck between trees and it cannot seemed to get out. Ang kaso nga lang ay sugatan nang malala ang lalake. Nagdudugo ang kaniyang mga hita kaya hirap siyang tumayo at tumakbo. I hid behind a big rock and tried to recall all of the things Alisson Aarons had written in her book: "Cannibals of the Forest". A wendigo's weaknesses are silver and fire. Its weakest spot is its frozen heart.

With that, an idea was formulated in my mind. Kinuha ko sa aking bulsa ang lumang lighter ko upang silaban ang aking palaso. When the fire devoured my arrow long enough, I used it and release it towards the wendigo's heart. My flaming arrow pierced the wendigo's heart and it screamed in pain. It is looking where the arrow came from, but I remained hidden in the boulder. Even the man looked at my direction. Muli kong sinubukang panain ang nilalang kung kaya't mas lalo itong naging agresibo't nagalit. It even broke free from the tree. Napamura ako nang paulit-ulit sa aking isip. Did I just make the situation worse?

The wendigo ran towards my direction, making me panic like never before. Ipinagpatuloy ko lamang ang aking ginagawa. Mabilisan kong sinisilaban ng apoy ang aking mga palaso bago ito ipatama sa puso ng halimaw. I kept running as it reached its sharp claws for me. I was horrified.

Hindi nagtagal ay may mas maraming palaso ang lumipad patungo sa puso ng wendigo. Those blazing arrows were enough to set the poor thing on fire. Napakalakas ng sigaw nito habang nilalamon ng apoy ang kaniyang katawan hanggang sa ito ay namatay na't maglaho sa hangin.

I looked back, only to see a group of Hunters. Lima sila, tatlong lalake at dalawang babae. Mukhang sa kanila nanggaling ang mga lumipad na palaso. They are wearing a black button shirt under a long leather coat with Shikari University's insignia (a small piece of intersected golden sword and arrow with roses around it) on the top of the left breast and pants.

"You messed up again, Evangeline," I heard one of the five figures said. "Isabelle, Clifford give first aid to the victim." His voice is cold which made me shiver as he gives orders to his colleagues. He must be the leader of their group. "Evangeline, Lucas check around the perimeter. We can't be sure that it's the only wendigo around." His colleagues moved according to his orders.

"And you!" Their leader yelled at me. "What the hell are you doing here in the middle of the night? Aren't you oriented that you should be inside your home? Napakakulit talaga ng mga tao rito. Kapag napahamak kayo, ang sinisisi niyo ay ang mga Hunters!" I can see anger in his brown eyes and if I was a fool, I saw them glowing in golden.

"Louis," before the Hunter could blow another word, he was stopped by the wounded man that I just saved. His thigh is now wrapped with a cloth and he is being carried by Isabelle and Charles. Nanghihina pa rin ang kaniyang paa dahil sa kaniyang malalang sugat. "I would like to know the name of my savior," he said, smiling at me.

"Samantha Annelise Reed," I answered which made their eyes widened except for Louis', of course. Ano'ng ikinagulat nila?

"I thought so, a Reed. I know a Reed once. He's just as brave and stubborn like you. A fool who is not afraid to step in even if it may cost his life. Your father Steven was a great friend of mine," he stated. "I hope he told you stories about his good friend Percy. May nakuwento ba siya about sa akin?"

"My father never mentioned your name, but he had told me about his friend Perseus multiple times," I answered.

Natawa si Percy sa sinabi ko. "That bastard. He knows how much I hate it when he calls me by that name." The Hunters and I were silent as the man laughed, taking a trip on his memory lane. My father used to tell me that he saved a boy named Perseus from a goblin when he was younger. From that they on, they become rivals. They put on a competition between them on who's a better Hunter. Unfortunately, no one really knows who's who. "It's such a shame to be saved by the daughter of my rival. If it weren't for this stupid thigh and my sickness, I would have made a barbeque out of that wendigo. Nakakahiya. Malamang inangaasan ako ng ama mo sa langit ngayon," he added and coughed. 

"We better get going, Professor Percy. We need to bring you to the infirmary," Isabella said. Professor Percy. Kaya naman pala mukhang respetado siya ng limang estudyanteng ito.

"I agree. We better get going," Mr. Percy said. "Louis, take Samantha home. It's too dangerous for her to walk alone at night." Naramdaman kong lumipat ang malamig na mata ni Louis sa akin na para bang naiinis siya sa kaniyang karagdagang gawain.

"Good night, Samantha. I expect your things are packed up tomorrow morning because starting tomorrow, you'll be going to Shikari Academy as well."

If the eyes of people around me widened because of Professor Percy's words, so as mine.