#9: Salamat, Binibining Dillian

"Sige, ganto na lang pagkagising niya maari na siyang magsanay," Lifia said while standing in front of Kaifer.

Kaifer nods. "Ang nais ko lang naman dito ay maasikaso ninyo siya."

"Narinig ko'y natalo ka niya?" Lifia opens her lip and utters soft laughs, "talaga nga naman, si Kaifer na kapitan at kilalang kapantay ng alkalde sa lakas ay natalo lang nang basta-basta."

A burst of wind emerges from Kaifer's whole body; the force of the wind is knocking the wall of the hallway he's at, and the floor is beginning to utter cracking sounds.

Lifia remains standing in her position while her eyes are fixated on his eyes. "Sige, sirain mo ang buong lugar, Kaifer."

The force of the wind is beginning to fade away. Kaifer turns around and begins to walk away from Lifia.

"Peste!" Kaifer clicked his tongue.

Meanwhile, Kaifer is walking on a narrow pathway and it leads him to a stall. His eyes remain calm as he goes closer to the stall.

There he sees a woman swinging her broom on the ground near the stall; her broom carries the leaves and dust from the ground.

She moves her eyes aside and witnesses the figure of a young man walking closer in her direction.

Kaifer halts near the old woman, and his calm eyes are looking at her head down to her toes.

He closes his eyes and shakes his head, and then opens his eyes which are already narrowing at the old woman.

"Di ka nakikinig sa mga sinabi ko," Kaifer inhales deeply, "dapat nagpapahinga ka kahit minsan, 'nay Ashtana."

Ashtana closes her eyes as it mimics a smile along with her lip which is also smiling.

Later on, Kaifer is moving a spoon full of hot fluid towards his slightly opened lip whilst the old woman is sitting beside him while chuckling at the young man.

"Kumusta ang kalagayan mo, anak?" she asks him, "kumakain ka ba sa oras?"

Kaifer smiles a bit and without looking at her he nods. "Opo, 'nay."

Ashtana raises her hands and strikes them all together, and so she looks at the calm blue sky and inhales deeply. "Binisita mo ba ang puntod ng mga magulang mo? Ngayon ang kaarawan ng kanilang pagpanaw."

Kaifer puts his spoon on the round empty bowl, and then he moves his eyes upward; his eyes was greeted by the decorative opened window of the food stall.

There he can see the pictures of a boy with his mother; they're going to the beach, eating together in a restaurant, and strolling in a city.

Ashtana moves her head towards him. "Pupunta ako sa Nayon ng Kadalisayan."

"Baka gusto mong sumama sa akin?" Ashtana added.

"Ang nayon na iyon. Sige po, sasama po ako sa inyo at baka kung anong mangyari sa iyo," Kaifer looked aside.

Afterward, in a place where multiple buildings fall to the ground and some burst apart, and millions of mixed voices are being heard, a young man remains standing in space.

"Nasaan ako?" he looks around him and witnesses mountains of corpses and some are burning, "Ito ay hindi totoo! Isa lamang ito!"

A voice echoes near him and he turns towards it, and there sees a burning human walking toward him as he's pointing his index finger at the young man.

He yells, "Kung hinayaan mo lang sana!"

Azer's eyes immediately open and he arises but remains sitting on the mattress. He looks beside him and sees an opened wooden window.

He whispers while inhaling and exhaling at a fast rate. "Andito pa rin pala ako."

The door begins to move forward as Azer is moving his eyes toward it. Therefore, he witnesses a beautiful woman entering his room.

"Dillian," Azer said.

"K-Kumusta ka na?" Dillian asked.

Afterward, Dillian and Azer are sitting beside each other while both of them look at their fingers.

Azer holds his hands. "Nagpapasalamat ako na iniligtas mo ako, Dillian."

"Walang anuman," Dillian moves her yellow eyes toward Azer, "napakalakas mo nga dahil nagamit mo yung asul na kidlat na bihira lamang kung magamit sa labanan."

Azer looks once again into his hands. "Hindi ko alam ngunit naguguluhan ako sa'king abilidad, nagagamit ko ito sa mga oras na di ko nais gamitin.

"Ngunit hindi ko alam kung anong abilidad ang meron ako."

"Kung gano'n," Dillian says, "makipagsanay ka kay Estefro kapag magaling ka na nang tuluyan mula sa sakit na natamo mo sa labanan."

Azer arises from the mattress, and he remains to gaze at her. "Salamat, binibining Dillian. Kung hindi dahil sa iyo ay maaring patay na ako."

Dillian's eyes are widening and then she looks down and giggles. "Nakakatuwa ka, Azer. Aabangan ko ang mga magagawa mo."

Azer moves toward her; his whole body touches her whole body as his arms surround her upper body.

Her eyes are widening as she moves her eyes beside him and sees Azer's head. She moves her hand towards his back and gently slaps it.

Azer moves away from her and thereafter, he smiles at Dillian, turns around, and scrambles away from her sight.

"Hindi ko inaakalang yayakapin niya, ako," Dillian said to herself.

Afterward, Estefro is swinging his wooden sword against a wooden sword that is swaying towards him at a fast rate.

"Nakakahanga ka, Azer!" Estefro grinned.

Azer's upper body is bent forward as his bodily fluids are falling from his head down to his upper and lower body.

He moves his eyes upward and smiles slightly at Estefro. "Salamat!"