Battlefront

43- Goodbye, Brother

"Ouch. That hurts," nakangiwing sambit ng dalaga. She looked down at nakitang lumabas sa dibdib niya ang espada at nakahinga siya. It wasn't laced with Foxglove.

"What the hell are you doing? Chillaxing?" may humugot ng espada mula sa likod and Tiana felt her flesh healing.

"Hey, bro. Thanks," bati niya sa bagong dating.

Cole gave her a deadly glare pero niyakap naman siya nito ng ilang segundo. Sa paligid nito ay naka-pile na ang katawan ng mga Turned.

"I'm glad to see you," anito saka iniabot sa kanya ang espada na kanina lang ay nakatuhog sa lungs n'ya.

She kissed his right cheek. How she missed him. "Let's go," aniya at tumango naman ito.

Around them were their other friends. Sophia and Auberon were wearing their garb. Beynish was fighting with a bow and arrows. Then there was Atira, with daggers in his hands. But he wasn't alone. He was fighting alongside another Pureblood. A lady Pureblood.

"That's his new girlfriend. A Faiga vampire," tinapik ni Cole ang balikat niya.

Hindi napigilan ni Tiana ang mapangiti. After she and Rifka broke his heart, Atira deserved this. He deserved to be happy.

Atira saw her and he gave her a warm smile. Pabiro pa itong sumaludo kaya natawa siya.

"I wanna meet her later," she mouthed and Atira grinned.

"C'mon," ani Cole and Tiana fought her way to her family's direction.

"Tatiana! Cole!" si Linus ang unang nakakita sa kanila kaya gulat na napasulyap ang iba sa kanila.

"Tatiana," halos sabay-sabay na sambit ng kanyang mga magulang at ni Deus.

"Hey, guys," bati niya sa mga ito sabay putol ng ulo sa Turned na umatake sa kanya.

Too bad she couldn't hug them right now. She wanted to so bad. But they were fighting.

Ibinuntong na lang ni Tiana sa mga kalaban ang inis.

Sinigurado niyang sa direksyon ni Deus siya papunta. She had to protect him. Though he looked like he had everything under control, she knew better. Any moment now, he would die.

Isang Turned ang tumalon nang pagkataas-taas. Tiana slashed the sword in her hand and cut his head. Hindi niya hinayaang may makalapit na kalaban kay Deus.

"Okay. I get it. You love and miss me but you have to let me fight someone. I look pathetic just standing here," reklamo ng kakambal niya. Napansin pala nito ang ginagawa niya.

"Chill ka lang d'yan. Ako ang bahala sa'yo," aniya saka kinindatan ito.

Ngumisi si Deus saka napailing. Pero hindi ito nakinig sa kanya. He found himself some enemies to kill.

Now they're fighting back to back.

"Napansin mo bang mas malalakas at mabilis ang mga Turned ngayon?" tanong niya.

"Tell me about it."

They killed more before noticing some Turned and vampire-human acting weird. May nagtakip ng renga. May nakikipaglaban sa hangin. May mga nakikipag-argumento sa wala.

"Uhm..." 'yun lang ang nasabi ni Tiana.

"They're using Cratus," sigaw ng ama nilang si T. "They're hallucinating."

"Woah. Of course they are," amused na sagot ni Cole. Malachi Cush was working with Tamara and he owns the syndicate group that distributed the illegal potion.